5 is a good number. Not only do you get 5...$5...$5 footloooooongs at Subway (sorry if that jingle is running through your head now...), but 5 is also the number of one of the best Quarterbacks in the NFL who just so happens to play for the Baltimore Ravens. 5 is also the number of competitors left in this season's American Idol, and at this point, pretty much anyone could win it all. They are all pretty good singers, so it's getting harder and harder to choose who will go home this week.
When I heard that the theme was "Rat Pack Classics", I first thought - HUH??? What do these kids know about the Rat Pack? What do I really know about the Rat Pack, other than it included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr and Joey Bishop (at least I think Bishop was part of the gang...). And the music will feature "classics" from the "American Songbook" (well, at least that sounds like something Ryan will say...). Jamie Foxx is the Idol's mentor this week, and I found him very refreshing, engaging, and thought he provided decent feedback for all of them. I didn't realize Jamie was such a well known singer, but that probably is because I'm approaching 39. I thought he was an actor?
Anyway, I'm going to try to keep this review to 5 minutes reading time - but I'm going to fail. In fact, I think we're already at 4 minutes. Alas, I'll try to keep it brief. Well, "Mort" brief. No I won't. Who are we kidding?
Before the "Idols" start singing, I realize this would probably have been a good week for Noop Dawg. Poor guy. I also wonder if the "Idols" would have been better served singing "Brat Pack Standards" like "Don't You Forget About Me" and "St. Elmo's Fire". Ok, I can't take credit for coming up with the Brat Pack reference - that was my friend Patrick. Still, it was pretty funny.
So without further adieu, Kris Allen is up first, and he's singing "The Way You Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra. During the package, Kris says he doesn't think he can match up to anyone on Idol vocally, and I'm surprised by his lack of confidence. He starts off his song very slow, and it sounds pleasant, but I'm disturbed by his facial hair. He's got a faux 'stache going on, and it looks weird. Anyway, about halfway through, the tempo picks up, and Kris finally shows some passion singing the song. It sounds pretty good at this point, but the songs almost over. Plus, he also drops in a few Kris "falsettos" too, and they don't sound right. I thought his performance was good, not great. I certainly didn't go gaga over it like the first three judges! Randy, Kara and Paula go nuts, saying Kris is the best thing since sliced bread. Really? Who were they listening to? Randy uses the phrase "In it to win it"...ugh. Says it's Kris' best performance to date, and says he has "Mad Nice Vocals". Kara says Kris has set the standard incredibly high. Paula is wearing some fabric that doesn't look like it's finished being put together for a dress, and says something about Kris being impeccable. Simon says Kris' performance was "wet". He compares him to a "well trained Spaniel" - regardless, he doesn't think he can win the competition, and while it was good, it wasn't great. I agree with Simon, although I have no idea what he's talking about with him being "wet". When Ryan asks Simon what he meant, Simon quips, "Not dry". Um, ok.
Next up is Allison Iraheta, who reveals she just turned 17. She's singing "Someone To Watch Over Me". Jamie says she's too young to be that good. Let me say that I was blown away by this performance. I thought it was brilliant. As crazy as Randy/Kara/Paula were for Kris, I was for Allison. I wasn't really surprised, though, because Allison has really been consistently coming on during this season. But what I was shocked at was how restrained it was, yet, she definitely had her "Allison" moments. Very classy, well done performance. I can easily see her in the top 3 - at least she should be. She's a cut above Kris and Matt, in my opinion. Randy calls her "mad young" and compares her to Britney Murphy (good call, actually), and says she sings like Pink, but with 9,000 more octaves, and follows that up with YO, YO, YO...in short, he loved it. Kara loves it too, and says she's not nervous about Allison anymore. She called it a gut wrenching performance that should land her in the finals. Paula is coherent in her comments, calling it "alluring and very tender". Simon asks Allison if she thinks she can win the competition, and the 17 year old Allison looks around, thinks about it, and says any one of them could at this point. That's not the confidence Simon is looking for, so he proceeds to tell her it was ok, but not as good as everyone else thought, and then drops the dreaded bomb: "I have a horrible feeling you may be in trouble this week". WHAT?!?! Simon, I think you've been listening to Susan Boyle too much and it's twisted your brain around, because Allison was AWESOME tonight. So what if she's not confident of her skills - she IS only 17, and I think she's amazing for her age. Give the girl a break. Kara calls Simon out on this - thank you Kara! He is way off base here.
After the break, Ryan talks to Matt Giraud. Matt tells us this music is right up his alley, because he studied Jazz in college, so he's excited. Tonight he tackles "My Funny Valentine", and during the package, Jamie Foxx tells him it's great, then calls him back and suggests he change the key he's singing it in. Right off the bat, I'm reminded of Constantine Maroulis, who also sang this song on a previous season (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFAoPLEBApo). It's a song that gets stuck in your head, and it is driving me nuts. Anyway, when I first heard him sing this, I wasn't impressed. True, he does have some really nice moments, but I think Randy is right in his assessment - it's pitchy in parts, and some of the runs don't really work. Some do, though, but not enough to fix the overall performance. He ends it very strong, but it's not enough. I think it was the least pleasing performance of the night so far. Kara didn't feel Matt was emotionally connected to it (he swears he was). Paula thought it was great. Again, she's very coherent. Good job Paula! Simon said it was the only believable, authentic performance tonight. He compares him to Nat King Cole, and said he was brilliant. Say whaaaaaaaaaaaat? Really? Again, he had his moments, but that's high praise for such an uneven performance. I was yelling at the TV during this, and quickly realized I need to get a life.
Danny Gokey is going to sing "Come Rain or Shine", and Jamie Foxx gets right up in Danny's personal space. It's bizarre seeing Jamie Foxx right up in Danny's grill. Funny, actually. So Danny comes out and just nails it. Normally Danny takes a while to hit his stride, but he gets it right from the first note. A bluesy performance that shows off his vocal skills. I'm glad I have him winning it all in my prediction from preseason, although the money seems to be on Mr. Lambert. I still think Danny is one of the most talented vocalist I've ever seen on Idol - it all seems so effortless. The end of the song is amazing, and as I said, he just nails it. Very proud of D-Goke tonight. Excellent performance! Randy loves it - says he could have an album of songs like that right now. "This is a singing competition, and YOU CAN SING!" Kara says Danny's got his "swagga" on. Paula says one word: Stellar. Simon agrees with Kara - saying that he was great (best so far for Danny), and that he's very confident. He also thanks Jamie for bringing it out in Danny. Great job Danny!
Last, but certainly not least, is America's favorite Idol, Adam Lambert. He's singing "Feelin' Good" by the great Nina Simone. Jamie is blown away during the package. Adam starts out at the top of the steps, and slowly saunters down during the beginning of the song. You just know this is Adam's type of song. He's wearing a white suit that Morrissey would be proud of. I didn't think it was Adam's best performance, but he does have one moment which just made my jaw drop. The last part of the song, where he holds the note for what seems like forever, was crazy. Just crazy. The guy is very talented, and while I wasn't as enthusiastic about it as everyone else was, he CLEARLY deserves to be here and discussed for the finale. He's actually restrained for MOST of the song, but that last part was off the hook. Randy said it was a little too theatrical/Broadway for him, but Adam is consistently in the zone. Kara calls it "shocking, confusing, sleazy, superb, over the top"...wow. I loved her reaction. Paula says it's like the Olympics, and he's their Michael Phelps. Simon quips, "I love Randy talking about you being theatrical, it's like complaining that a cow moos! I mean, that's what he is!" Simon says that in addition to Adam, Adam and maybe one other person feel like they can win it all (I know, Simon meant to say Danny, but said "...in addition to Adam" while talking to Adam...nevermind...).
So if I had to rank the performances from best to worst, it would be like this:
Allison
Danny
Adam
Kris
Matt
I think Matt is going home this week -Kris has too strong of a fan base. I do think Allison will be in the bottom two, though. And I can see her getting a scare, but if she leaves, it's a travesty. As the lone female left, she certainly represents very well. Great job Allison and Danny - I think clearly the two best performances this evening, with honorable mention to Adam and his typical over the top but entertaining performance.
Tune in next week for our final four! We're almost there!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
American Idol Season 8 - Week 7
"You gotta knock, knock...on wood...BABY...."
Ah, Disco night on American Idol. The week that everyone usually dreads, but I actually enjoy. I mean, the show is cheesy as is, and singing songs from the Disco era just makes it even cheesier. Gotta love it! As much as I love the 80's (I mean, it WAS the best decade ever), the late 70's were pretty righteous too. So I actually was looking forward to tonight. Plus, we're down to the final seven, and pretty much everyone can sing. Not to mention that it was a VERY rough day at work today, so I was looking forward to a fun, enjoyable night on Idol.
"I love the nightlife, I love to boogie, on the disco ROUND!! Oh yeah!!!"
First up is Lil Rounds. She jumps right into singing - we have no packages this week, no mentors, which is a good thing. I mean, we had Quentin Tarantino last week for movie week, maybe we could have had Perez Hilton this week to coach the Idols on Disco week, but he was too busy taking credit for knocking out Ms. California for sharing her opinion. I digress.
Lil Rounds - what are you doing? She sings "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan. Whenever I hear this song, I feel like I'm watching Oprah, or The View, or Jenny Jones (no wait, that was another song wasn't it? "Got To Be Real"? Anyway....) After Lil is done, I wonder why she chose this song, because she didn't do such a great job. It wasn't horrible, but it really didn't stand out. And if I were her, I would have picked something like "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston. She needs a song that really shows off her pipes, and the one she chose didn't do that. I really regret putting Lil Rounds as my #2 overall at the beginning of the season - she clearly isn't a better singer than the other female singer still left, Alison Iraheta. And I think it's getting pretty sad that every week she hears the same thing from the judges, but I happen to agree with them. Listen, she's not horrible, and she CAN sing. She's just not in the top half of the remaining singers. Randy didn't like it, and said it really didn't show us the type of artist she would be. Kara digs in a little deeper and says it wasn't worth the wait in hearing her sing someone like Chaka Khan. She does throw in a Paula moment when she compliments her on her looks. Paula tells the audience that Lil did great because she had no voice the previous night. Simon says Lil looks sad, and that she's going home. According to him, "It's the last week we're ever going to see you". Really? She's not even going on tour? She's going into hiding? C'mon Simon, you are just being mean. Anyway, not a good start to Disco night, but I still have faith!
"Shake Shake Shake....Shake Shake Shake....Shake your booty....shake your booooooty!!!"
Next up is Kris Allen, and he's singing "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer, who is definitely a "Disco" artist. The one problem is THIS IS NOT A DISCO SONG by a mile....c'mon, this isn't fair! It's a straight up 80's song that was played to death on MTV and Hot Hits K106. But it's not a song you pull out the bell bottoms for and go dancing. I think this isn't fair. However, onto his performance - and I think he's GREAT this week. This arrangement of this non-Disco song is done VERY well. Unlike his butchering of "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" a few weeks ago, I really enjoyed Kris' performance tonight. WAY better than Lil, and I think it will go down as one of his best. Kara said he took a risk with the arrangement, and it worked. Paula said it sounded like Santana, and said the following: "A lot of women are known to shop in the men's department, but there aren't many men that are willing to shop in the women's department..." WTF does that mean?!?!?!? OMG - please, Idol producers, get rid of this train wreck. She is truly AWFUL, and the fact Simon has to follow her up is embarrassing. Ugh. Simon says he needs a translator - then Paula says Simon shops in the women's department. Simon said it was original and well thought out (the song, not Paula's comments), and much better than Lil's performance. He could care less if Kris wears women's underwear. Randy loved him - he's "ready for the big time, DAWG..."
"Jive Talking, you're telling me lies....JIVE TALKIN'....you wear a disguise..."
Danny Gokey is up next, and he sings "September" by Earth Wind and Fire. It starts out in typical Danny fashion - kinda low and boring, but then the soulfulness of his voice kicks in, and here we go again. I wasn't blown away by it, but I will say it had moments that were brilliant, and the rest was very good. I still think Danny is going to the final 3. He does need some new moves, though. And Paula just has to stop standing up and dancing. It's really annoying. But I like Danny a lot and hope he goes far. The judges verdict? Randy said Danny turned the song into something that really worked for Danny. In other words, he "worked it out....worked it out..." Kara said he's an incredible vocalist, and his pitch is nearly perfect. Solid performance. Paula loves his vocal skills, and says he has one of the sexiest voices on the show. Simon agreed with everyone, although he didn't see star power in Danny's performance. A little awkward.
"Ah baby...my heart is full of love and desire for you...now come on down and do what you gotta do...."
Alison Iraheta is up next, singing "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer (unlike Kris, this IS a Disco song...a classic, no doubt...right up there with "Bad Girls"). So Allison absolutely does a phenomenal job in my opinion. Her voice is amazing - and she's only 16! I really love this girl, and hope she goes to the finals, or at least the top 3. I really underestimated her. She slowed the song down and I think it worked wonderfully. Randy didn't think the arrangement was great, but said she can definitely sing. Kara didn't like the arrangement (WRONG, but it's her opinion, so I can't fault her...did you hear that Perez?). But Kara agreed with Randy - she loves her voice. Paula loved everything about it, and said with the last note, Allison hit it off the charts. Simon said she was "brilliant"....right on Simon!
"First I was afraid, I was petrified...kept thinking I could never live without you by my side..."
Adam Lambert decides to take on one of my favorite songs from the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack...Yvonne Ellman's "If I Can't Have You". Adam can do NO wrong according to the judges. They loved his crappy version of "Ring of Fire" a while back and therefore I think they will love him no matter what. Ryan spends some time chatting with this seasons' winner, er...Adam Lambert. Ryan mentions that he already did "Play That Funky Music", and now he (Adam) wants to mix it up again with an extremely slow version of "If I Can't Have You". He turns it into a torch ballad, and I for one didn't care for it. Maybe it's because I love the original so much. About halfway through the song, he DOES show that he can sing really well, and his voice is pretty amazing (even when he's "off the rails..."). BUT I think Adam may be getting a little TOO much praise here. It was good, but to me, didn't really stand out. But the judges all love him - Paula looks like she's going to cry. Randy said the song showed Adam's range, and that he is "ready right now DUDE!" Kara proclaims Adam is "brilliant". Paula - "Adam, I've never questioned my visceral response when you perform...I felt your pain...it's as if you tore you heart out and put it on the stage...you're fascinating, your brilliant, you're awesome, and you will be in the finals". Guess everyone else should just pack it up - he's WON ALREADY. Simon enjoyed it - most importantly for the vocals and the fact that it was memorable. Ryan says Paula is in a "Pool of Abdul"...um.....nevermind.
"Once had love, and it was a gas...soon turned out, to be a heart of glass..."
The chosen one is followed by the saved one. Matt Giraud is singing the Bee Gee's classic, "Stayin' Alive" from the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack (maybe they should have had the Idols just pick from this soundtrack, since you're guaranteed to hit a pretty good song). Matt comes out looking totally like Justin Timberlake. My wife mentions that he's probably wearing that hat low to hide the bump on his forehead. Anyway, I enjoyed the performance. I really do like Matt, although he's inconsistent. I think he was on this week, and other than a few ill-advised falsettos, he does a good job. But I can see where the judges may not like this - this is perhaps the most "Disco" of all the songs done so far tonight. Matt does a funk/disco thing, and they may not like it. I thought he was good, though. They show Matt's friends and family, and I don't see his large chested friend....hmmm.... Randy said he can REALLY sing, even though he didn't like the song. Kara said it was very Disco, and thought he was solid. Paula - "You pick songs like I bowl, sometimes I have gutter balls and other weeks I have strikes...this was a strike!" Simon didn't like it - said it was desperate and the vocals weren't that great either. He's not a huge fan. You know - it just hit me, Matt reminds me of Idol contestant Chris Richardson from Season 5. Look him up.
"Ah.....FREAK OUT!!! Le Freak, C'est Chic!"
Anoop Desai rounds out the evening with Donna Summer's "Dim All The Lights". Anoop is wearing a pink vest and a pink tie and has some scruff on the face. It's a little strange, but I thought he did a good job. It started out kinda boring, but he did his thing. And I think vocally, he had his moments. Wasn't my favorite of the night, but far from the worst. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if he goes this week, along with either Lil OR Matt. Randy loved the voice - didn't care for the song arrangement. He said this top 7 is very talented vocally. Kara said it was a great song choice, and she said he did a great job and it could be on the radio (which, by the way, is another Donna Summer song...). Paula says "Real men know how to wear pink" She liked it. Simon didn't care for it much. He said it was "mediocre, at best...". He even goes so far as to say it was his worst performance yet (no WAY Mr. Cowell....go back and watch some of his other performances...). Ryan then makes a crack about Noop's bushy eyebrows, comparing him to Groucho Marx. Nice, real nice Seacrest.
So that concludes this week - My top 3 tonight are Allison, Danny and Kris. I think Anoop was in the middle, along with Adam. And my bottom two are Matt (who don't get me wrong - I did like) and Lil, who I think may both be going home. Wouldn't it be funny if someone like Danny is in the bottom three, and somehow gets booted, and the judges realize they used the save a week too early? BTW, I tried to vote for Allison but the line was busy. I think her and Kris were clearly the best, but I think Allison may need my vote more.
Ok, see everyone next week. Maybe I'll start posting shorter reviews one of these days!
Ah, Disco night on American Idol. The week that everyone usually dreads, but I actually enjoy. I mean, the show is cheesy as is, and singing songs from the Disco era just makes it even cheesier. Gotta love it! As much as I love the 80's (I mean, it WAS the best decade ever), the late 70's were pretty righteous too. So I actually was looking forward to tonight. Plus, we're down to the final seven, and pretty much everyone can sing. Not to mention that it was a VERY rough day at work today, so I was looking forward to a fun, enjoyable night on Idol.
"I love the nightlife, I love to boogie, on the disco ROUND!! Oh yeah!!!"
First up is Lil Rounds. She jumps right into singing - we have no packages this week, no mentors, which is a good thing. I mean, we had Quentin Tarantino last week for movie week, maybe we could have had Perez Hilton this week to coach the Idols on Disco week, but he was too busy taking credit for knocking out Ms. California for sharing her opinion. I digress.
Lil Rounds - what are you doing? She sings "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan. Whenever I hear this song, I feel like I'm watching Oprah, or The View, or Jenny Jones (no wait, that was another song wasn't it? "Got To Be Real"? Anyway....) After Lil is done, I wonder why she chose this song, because she didn't do such a great job. It wasn't horrible, but it really didn't stand out. And if I were her, I would have picked something like "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston. She needs a song that really shows off her pipes, and the one she chose didn't do that. I really regret putting Lil Rounds as my #2 overall at the beginning of the season - she clearly isn't a better singer than the other female singer still left, Alison Iraheta. And I think it's getting pretty sad that every week she hears the same thing from the judges, but I happen to agree with them. Listen, she's not horrible, and she CAN sing. She's just not in the top half of the remaining singers. Randy didn't like it, and said it really didn't show us the type of artist she would be. Kara digs in a little deeper and says it wasn't worth the wait in hearing her sing someone like Chaka Khan. She does throw in a Paula moment when she compliments her on her looks. Paula tells the audience that Lil did great because she had no voice the previous night. Simon says Lil looks sad, and that she's going home. According to him, "It's the last week we're ever going to see you". Really? She's not even going on tour? She's going into hiding? C'mon Simon, you are just being mean. Anyway, not a good start to Disco night, but I still have faith!
"Shake Shake Shake....Shake Shake Shake....Shake your booty....shake your booooooty!!!"
Next up is Kris Allen, and he's singing "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer, who is definitely a "Disco" artist. The one problem is THIS IS NOT A DISCO SONG by a mile....c'mon, this isn't fair! It's a straight up 80's song that was played to death on MTV and Hot Hits K106. But it's not a song you pull out the bell bottoms for and go dancing. I think this isn't fair. However, onto his performance - and I think he's GREAT this week. This arrangement of this non-Disco song is done VERY well. Unlike his butchering of "All She Wants to Do Is Dance" a few weeks ago, I really enjoyed Kris' performance tonight. WAY better than Lil, and I think it will go down as one of his best. Kara said he took a risk with the arrangement, and it worked. Paula said it sounded like Santana, and said the following: "A lot of women are known to shop in the men's department, but there aren't many men that are willing to shop in the women's department..." WTF does that mean?!?!?!? OMG - please, Idol producers, get rid of this train wreck. She is truly AWFUL, and the fact Simon has to follow her up is embarrassing. Ugh. Simon says he needs a translator - then Paula says Simon shops in the women's department. Simon said it was original and well thought out (the song, not Paula's comments), and much better than Lil's performance. He could care less if Kris wears women's underwear. Randy loved him - he's "ready for the big time, DAWG..."
"Jive Talking, you're telling me lies....JIVE TALKIN'....you wear a disguise..."
Danny Gokey is up next, and he sings "September" by Earth Wind and Fire. It starts out in typical Danny fashion - kinda low and boring, but then the soulfulness of his voice kicks in, and here we go again. I wasn't blown away by it, but I will say it had moments that were brilliant, and the rest was very good. I still think Danny is going to the final 3. He does need some new moves, though. And Paula just has to stop standing up and dancing. It's really annoying. But I like Danny a lot and hope he goes far. The judges verdict? Randy said Danny turned the song into something that really worked for Danny. In other words, he "worked it out....worked it out..." Kara said he's an incredible vocalist, and his pitch is nearly perfect. Solid performance. Paula loves his vocal skills, and says he has one of the sexiest voices on the show. Simon agreed with everyone, although he didn't see star power in Danny's performance. A little awkward.
"Ah baby...my heart is full of love and desire for you...now come on down and do what you gotta do...."
Alison Iraheta is up next, singing "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer (unlike Kris, this IS a Disco song...a classic, no doubt...right up there with "Bad Girls"). So Allison absolutely does a phenomenal job in my opinion. Her voice is amazing - and she's only 16! I really love this girl, and hope she goes to the finals, or at least the top 3. I really underestimated her. She slowed the song down and I think it worked wonderfully. Randy didn't think the arrangement was great, but said she can definitely sing. Kara didn't like the arrangement (WRONG, but it's her opinion, so I can't fault her...did you hear that Perez?). But Kara agreed with Randy - she loves her voice. Paula loved everything about it, and said with the last note, Allison hit it off the charts. Simon said she was "brilliant"....right on Simon!
"First I was afraid, I was petrified...kept thinking I could never live without you by my side..."
Adam Lambert decides to take on one of my favorite songs from the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack...Yvonne Ellman's "If I Can't Have You". Adam can do NO wrong according to the judges. They loved his crappy version of "Ring of Fire" a while back and therefore I think they will love him no matter what. Ryan spends some time chatting with this seasons' winner, er...Adam Lambert. Ryan mentions that he already did "Play That Funky Music", and now he (Adam) wants to mix it up again with an extremely slow version of "If I Can't Have You". He turns it into a torch ballad, and I for one didn't care for it. Maybe it's because I love the original so much. About halfway through the song, he DOES show that he can sing really well, and his voice is pretty amazing (even when he's "off the rails..."). BUT I think Adam may be getting a little TOO much praise here. It was good, but to me, didn't really stand out. But the judges all love him - Paula looks like she's going to cry. Randy said the song showed Adam's range, and that he is "ready right now DUDE!" Kara proclaims Adam is "brilliant". Paula - "Adam, I've never questioned my visceral response when you perform...I felt your pain...it's as if you tore you heart out and put it on the stage...you're fascinating, your brilliant, you're awesome, and you will be in the finals". Guess everyone else should just pack it up - he's WON ALREADY. Simon enjoyed it - most importantly for the vocals and the fact that it was memorable. Ryan says Paula is in a "Pool of Abdul"...um.....nevermind.
"Once had love, and it was a gas...soon turned out, to be a heart of glass..."
The chosen one is followed by the saved one. Matt Giraud is singing the Bee Gee's classic, "Stayin' Alive" from the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack (maybe they should have had the Idols just pick from this soundtrack, since you're guaranteed to hit a pretty good song). Matt comes out looking totally like Justin Timberlake. My wife mentions that he's probably wearing that hat low to hide the bump on his forehead. Anyway, I enjoyed the performance. I really do like Matt, although he's inconsistent. I think he was on this week, and other than a few ill-advised falsettos, he does a good job. But I can see where the judges may not like this - this is perhaps the most "Disco" of all the songs done so far tonight. Matt does a funk/disco thing, and they may not like it. I thought he was good, though. They show Matt's friends and family, and I don't see his large chested friend....hmmm.... Randy said he can REALLY sing, even though he didn't like the song. Kara said it was very Disco, and thought he was solid. Paula - "You pick songs like I bowl, sometimes I have gutter balls and other weeks I have strikes...this was a strike!" Simon didn't like it - said it was desperate and the vocals weren't that great either. He's not a huge fan. You know - it just hit me, Matt reminds me of Idol contestant Chris Richardson from Season 5. Look him up.
"Ah.....FREAK OUT!!! Le Freak, C'est Chic!"
Anoop Desai rounds out the evening with Donna Summer's "Dim All The Lights". Anoop is wearing a pink vest and a pink tie and has some scruff on the face. It's a little strange, but I thought he did a good job. It started out kinda boring, but he did his thing. And I think vocally, he had his moments. Wasn't my favorite of the night, but far from the worst. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if he goes this week, along with either Lil OR Matt. Randy loved the voice - didn't care for the song arrangement. He said this top 7 is very talented vocally. Kara said it was a great song choice, and she said he did a great job and it could be on the radio (which, by the way, is another Donna Summer song...). Paula says "Real men know how to wear pink" She liked it. Simon didn't care for it much. He said it was "mediocre, at best...". He even goes so far as to say it was his worst performance yet (no WAY Mr. Cowell....go back and watch some of his other performances...). Ryan then makes a crack about Noop's bushy eyebrows, comparing him to Groucho Marx. Nice, real nice Seacrest.
So that concludes this week - My top 3 tonight are Allison, Danny and Kris. I think Anoop was in the middle, along with Adam. And my bottom two are Matt (who don't get me wrong - I did like) and Lil, who I think may both be going home. Wouldn't it be funny if someone like Danny is in the bottom three, and somehow gets booted, and the judges realize they used the save a week too early? BTW, I tried to vote for Allison but the line was busy. I think her and Kris were clearly the best, but I think Allison may need my vote more.
Ok, see everyone next week. Maybe I'll start posting shorter reviews one of these days!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
American Idol Season 8 - Week 6
Quentin Tarantino. American Idol. A match made in heaven, right? Bizarre - just bizarre. I feel like having a Royale with Cheese (well, without the Cheese...in fact, let me just get a Big Kahuna Burger...).
Ok so the theme tonight is "Songs of the Cinema". Tarantino is on to guide the "Idols", but I think he's on to really feed his ego. A nice package follows that tells us: A) Quentin is a genius, B) he's been on Idol before, and is a huge fan of the show, and C) He's shooting a movie - surprise! Seriously, I LOVE Pulp Fiction. My wife hated it and fell asleep in the theater. And yet, we still were married...
I digress - Quentin's hair is really bothering me. He looks super creepy...but that's QT. :^) So first up is Allison Iraheta, singing "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from the movie Armageddon. Allison is super excited to meet QT, or at least she says so. You know, even these packages are short tonight - they REALLY want to get through this tonight. So she begins singing the song, and for Allison it's pretty reserved. But then she gets back into her comfort zone during the chorus. Part of the problem with Idol is that you are so used to hearing the songs one way (by the original artist) that when someone else sings it, it sometimes doesn't sound right. Allison has a very powerful voice but sometimes it feels as though she's pushing too hard. There are no subtleties there. Plus, the octive seems too low for this song. I really like her, and I thought her performance was good, but it didn't blow me away like she has in other weeks. Paula said she's very talented, and Simon said Allison is the "Girls only hope" in this competition (ouch, take that Lil!). He must have loved it because he said she could go all the way to the end. Maybe I'm just not a huge fan of that song - I know it was incredibly popular, but I never felt it was as great as it was built up to. So while I think Allison did a good job, nothing that made me say, "Wow...she's definitely going to win".
The interesting thing about tonight's show is because of last week, only 2 judges are going to make comments for each contestant - Randy and Kara are one "team", and Paula and Simon are the other (of course). Hmmm...couldn't they just boot Paula off and be done with it? And maybe cut back on the packages with Quentin?
Anoop Desai is going to sing Bryan Adams classic (ok, well, I liked this song better than the Aerosmith song!) "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. QT tells Noop Dawg to really go nuts and bring it. Anoop begins the song, and the first thing I notice is that he really does have a nice voice. I also notice he has a sweaty upper lip, which he should have taken care of. While Anoop's voice is good, his big problem is that he has such little personality. He's the "Anti-Adam". And yet, having said all that, I really enjoyed this performance. I thought it was a good example of pure singing, and while he had the occasional runs, he kept it to a minimum, and just performed the song. No stupid dancing, no costumes or lighting. Just the song, and I think he did a very good job. Randy said Anoop has found his zone...in tune, with emotion, and an overall great job. Kara agreed - saying that it was one of his best performances. I love the fact Paula can't say anything at this point! This is great!!!
Next up - the person who got cut off of my DVR last week. Everyone's favorite (ha ha), Adam Lambert. He is going to sing "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf (from Easy Rider). QT said he really enjoyed the taste of...er, Adam....what? Did he really just say that? Anyway, Adam breezes through a typical Adam performance. You either really like him or you don't. Wait - that's not true. I like him but I don't think he's the best singer ever on Idol, like some are making him out to be. What Adam brings to Idol is a true sense of theatrics, and watching him go off the rails (I say that term every week) is entertaining. I think Adam is a shoo in at this point for A) the finals, B) gushing from Paula, C) a future E! True Hollywood Story, and D) possible throat problems if he keeps this up. The guy just goes absolutely nuts. I wonder if he'll...wait, did Paula just utter the words, "You dare to dance in the path of greatness...fortune rewards the brave, and you're one of the bravest contestants I've ever witnessed ever..." Wow. Where does she get this stuff? Did she have Chinese food last night? Simon said vocally it was incredible, but it reminded him of Rocky Horror (Adam mouths that he loves RH! No, really?!?) Simon thinks it was good, but it won't be as popular as last week's performance. I wouldn't know, since I wasn't able to see it live....
Matt Giraud said he enjoyed working with QT and his energy. Another Bryan Adams song - "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" from Don Juan DeMarco (sp?). QT said that Matt can't lose the lyrics - in other words, enunciate better. QT proclaims that if Matt does live what he did in front of QT, it could be one of his top 3 performances. Matt said it's one of the most beautiful songs he's ever heard. Once the song is over, I have the following thoughts. Matt oversings this, and hits some really awful notes during the middle to end of the song. I thought it was one of his worst performances, actually. Did absolutely nothing for me. Matt is incredibly inconsistent. Randy said it started out good, but then got choppy. And he also said Matt tried to do too much with it. Kara agreed - two steps forward, and then tonight he stepped back. I see QT sitting in the audience, and I wonder what he thinks about all of these performances?? Oh, and also in the audience they show Matt's friends...holy cleavage! Wow...sorry, I was distracted there. Um...anyway, back to the performances. Where am I?
Danny Gokey (can we call him Dan? Or just D Goke?) is up next. He's not wearing his glasses, and I can't for the life of me figure out that accent. Ryan calls him "baby", and asks Danny about the guitar D Goke just purchased (Danny tells us he was bored, so he bought a guitar...never played before, but he felt like buying one....and he hints he'll use it on tour...I'm so glad they are wasting time talking about this). Danny is singing "Endless Love" by Lionel Ritchie, from the movie Endless Love. QT tells DG not to use his hands so much - ha! Um, yeah...I guess QT doesn't follow his own advice.
Anyway, I'm really struck by the Robert Downey similarities. It's amazing. But I've heard Downey sing, and he's no Danny Gokey. I think Danny does a great job with the song - yes, he goes on a bit like Matt did (or at least tried to), but the difference is Danny knows when to do the runs and it sounds natural. I really enjoyed his performance - I don't think he hurt himself at all this week, and I still can see a Danny vs Adam finale. Paula said he pulled it together from the middle on, and did a beautiful rendition. Simon said Danny was a brilliant singer, but wanted something different done with the song. He did say that he knew the song had meaning to Danny, and for that, he congratulated him. Huh? I don't get it either. Regardless, I THINK Simon liked it...think. Paula actually made more sense here...
Back from a commercial, Ryan does a really bad impression of Randy while Simon won't let Randy get back to his seat (apparently, Randy was chatting it up with QT during the commercial break...or catching a glimpse of Matt's friend...). Kris Allen is up next, and I see that there is 12 minutes left in the show...hmmm...there is NO WAY they are getting Kris and Lil up in 12 minutes...right? And I didn't set my DVR to go over. So we'll see what happens, but I'm getting worried. Anyway, Kris is singing "Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once". I didn't see this movie, but wanted to because so many critics gushed over it. So I have no idea what to expect from this song and can't compare it to the original. So don't hate me for this review. Wait, I do know this song....and I can tell you confidently I don't care for Kris' version. I thought parts of it were good, but overall, I thought he hit more wrong notes than right. Randy agrees with me - he didn't like it either. He said it was Pitchy. Kara LOVED it - totally going against Randy. Hmmmm.....I like Kara a lot but she's wrong here! Ok, everyone's entitled to their opinion except Paula.
Ok, so now we are at 3 minutes left, and Lil Rounds comes out. We learn during her package that she's singing "The Rose" by Bette Midler from The Rose. There are apparently two parts of this - the first part is pretty straightfoward, and then she's going to "Gospel it up" during the second half. Quentin tells her to commit to the first part as much as she's committing to the second half. Wow, great advice QT. Can I be the mentor next week? I can't possibly give more useless, generic advice than QT did tonight...and I love the guy as a director and pop culture afficionado. But c'mon!
So Lil does a nice job at the first part of the song - very straightforward, but as promised, really doesn't bring anything new to it. And except for a few bad notes, she does a good job. You can really tell the purity of her voice during this. Then she hits the second part of the song, and it's kind of jarring. And I actually liked the first part better. She returns to the straightforward part at the end, and hits a nice note at the end. But overall, I didn't think it was one of her better performances, and I'm actually regretting picking Lil as my #2 behind D Goke earlier during the season. I like Lil, but to me, it's become apparent that she is on the second tier of the vocalist that are left. Paula said the lyrics were beautiful (huh?), and I don't know if she liked it or not. Simon said she picked the wrong song again, and it was too middle of the road. He also said she had nice moments, but feels she's lost as an artist. I agree 100%. Lil argues that she put an R&B spin to it, but I don't think it was enough.
This week, they'll probably put the 7 into two groups of 3, and then ask the remaining person to go stand in the group who they think is safe. And they'll sit in the middle. So I say safe: Danny, Adam and Kris (just because of his fanbase). Danger group: Allison, Matt and Lil. And the one they ask to sit in the middle - Anoop (or maybe Adam is the one who has to sit in the middle). I see Matt or Lil going home...if it's Lil, I would have said weeks ago that they would definitely save her. But I don't see that happening at this point. We'll see what happens. Tune in tomorrow night to see if I'm right or not!
Ok so the theme tonight is "Songs of the Cinema". Tarantino is on to guide the "Idols", but I think he's on to really feed his ego. A nice package follows that tells us: A) Quentin is a genius, B) he's been on Idol before, and is a huge fan of the show, and C) He's shooting a movie - surprise! Seriously, I LOVE Pulp Fiction. My wife hated it and fell asleep in the theater. And yet, we still were married...
I digress - Quentin's hair is really bothering me. He looks super creepy...but that's QT. :^) So first up is Allison Iraheta, singing "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from the movie Armageddon. Allison is super excited to meet QT, or at least she says so. You know, even these packages are short tonight - they REALLY want to get through this tonight. So she begins singing the song, and for Allison it's pretty reserved. But then she gets back into her comfort zone during the chorus. Part of the problem with Idol is that you are so used to hearing the songs one way (by the original artist) that when someone else sings it, it sometimes doesn't sound right. Allison has a very powerful voice but sometimes it feels as though she's pushing too hard. There are no subtleties there. Plus, the octive seems too low for this song. I really like her, and I thought her performance was good, but it didn't blow me away like she has in other weeks. Paula said she's very talented, and Simon said Allison is the "Girls only hope" in this competition (ouch, take that Lil!). He must have loved it because he said she could go all the way to the end. Maybe I'm just not a huge fan of that song - I know it was incredibly popular, but I never felt it was as great as it was built up to. So while I think Allison did a good job, nothing that made me say, "Wow...she's definitely going to win".
The interesting thing about tonight's show is because of last week, only 2 judges are going to make comments for each contestant - Randy and Kara are one "team", and Paula and Simon are the other (of course). Hmmm...couldn't they just boot Paula off and be done with it? And maybe cut back on the packages with Quentin?
Anoop Desai is going to sing Bryan Adams classic (ok, well, I liked this song better than the Aerosmith song!) "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. QT tells Noop Dawg to really go nuts and bring it. Anoop begins the song, and the first thing I notice is that he really does have a nice voice. I also notice he has a sweaty upper lip, which he should have taken care of. While Anoop's voice is good, his big problem is that he has such little personality. He's the "Anti-Adam". And yet, having said all that, I really enjoyed this performance. I thought it was a good example of pure singing, and while he had the occasional runs, he kept it to a minimum, and just performed the song. No stupid dancing, no costumes or lighting. Just the song, and I think he did a very good job. Randy said Anoop has found his zone...in tune, with emotion, and an overall great job. Kara agreed - saying that it was one of his best performances. I love the fact Paula can't say anything at this point! This is great!!!
Next up - the person who got cut off of my DVR last week. Everyone's favorite (ha ha), Adam Lambert. He is going to sing "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf (from Easy Rider). QT said he really enjoyed the taste of...er, Adam....what? Did he really just say that? Anyway, Adam breezes through a typical Adam performance. You either really like him or you don't. Wait - that's not true. I like him but I don't think he's the best singer ever on Idol, like some are making him out to be. What Adam brings to Idol is a true sense of theatrics, and watching him go off the rails (I say that term every week) is entertaining. I think Adam is a shoo in at this point for A) the finals, B) gushing from Paula, C) a future E! True Hollywood Story, and D) possible throat problems if he keeps this up. The guy just goes absolutely nuts. I wonder if he'll...wait, did Paula just utter the words, "You dare to dance in the path of greatness...fortune rewards the brave, and you're one of the bravest contestants I've ever witnessed ever..." Wow. Where does she get this stuff? Did she have Chinese food last night? Simon said vocally it was incredible, but it reminded him of Rocky Horror (Adam mouths that he loves RH! No, really?!?) Simon thinks it was good, but it won't be as popular as last week's performance. I wouldn't know, since I wasn't able to see it live....
Matt Giraud said he enjoyed working with QT and his energy. Another Bryan Adams song - "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" from Don Juan DeMarco (sp?). QT said that Matt can't lose the lyrics - in other words, enunciate better. QT proclaims that if Matt does live what he did in front of QT, it could be one of his top 3 performances. Matt said it's one of the most beautiful songs he's ever heard. Once the song is over, I have the following thoughts. Matt oversings this, and hits some really awful notes during the middle to end of the song. I thought it was one of his worst performances, actually. Did absolutely nothing for me. Matt is incredibly inconsistent. Randy said it started out good, but then got choppy. And he also said Matt tried to do too much with it. Kara agreed - two steps forward, and then tonight he stepped back. I see QT sitting in the audience, and I wonder what he thinks about all of these performances?? Oh, and also in the audience they show Matt's friends...holy cleavage! Wow...sorry, I was distracted there. Um...anyway, back to the performances. Where am I?
Danny Gokey (can we call him Dan? Or just D Goke?) is up next. He's not wearing his glasses, and I can't for the life of me figure out that accent. Ryan calls him "baby", and asks Danny about the guitar D Goke just purchased (Danny tells us he was bored, so he bought a guitar...never played before, but he felt like buying one....and he hints he'll use it on tour...I'm so glad they are wasting time talking about this). Danny is singing "Endless Love" by Lionel Ritchie, from the movie Endless Love. QT tells DG not to use his hands so much - ha! Um, yeah...I guess QT doesn't follow his own advice.
Anyway, I'm really struck by the Robert Downey similarities. It's amazing. But I've heard Downey sing, and he's no Danny Gokey. I think Danny does a great job with the song - yes, he goes on a bit like Matt did (or at least tried to), but the difference is Danny knows when to do the runs and it sounds natural. I really enjoyed his performance - I don't think he hurt himself at all this week, and I still can see a Danny vs Adam finale. Paula said he pulled it together from the middle on, and did a beautiful rendition. Simon said Danny was a brilliant singer, but wanted something different done with the song. He did say that he knew the song had meaning to Danny, and for that, he congratulated him. Huh? I don't get it either. Regardless, I THINK Simon liked it...think. Paula actually made more sense here...
Back from a commercial, Ryan does a really bad impression of Randy while Simon won't let Randy get back to his seat (apparently, Randy was chatting it up with QT during the commercial break...or catching a glimpse of Matt's friend...). Kris Allen is up next, and I see that there is 12 minutes left in the show...hmmm...there is NO WAY they are getting Kris and Lil up in 12 minutes...right? And I didn't set my DVR to go over. So we'll see what happens, but I'm getting worried. Anyway, Kris is singing "Falling Slowly" from the movie "Once". I didn't see this movie, but wanted to because so many critics gushed over it. So I have no idea what to expect from this song and can't compare it to the original. So don't hate me for this review. Wait, I do know this song....and I can tell you confidently I don't care for Kris' version. I thought parts of it were good, but overall, I thought he hit more wrong notes than right. Randy agrees with me - he didn't like it either. He said it was Pitchy. Kara LOVED it - totally going against Randy. Hmmmm.....I like Kara a lot but she's wrong here! Ok, everyone's entitled to their opinion except Paula.
Ok, so now we are at 3 minutes left, and Lil Rounds comes out. We learn during her package that she's singing "The Rose" by Bette Midler from The Rose. There are apparently two parts of this - the first part is pretty straightfoward, and then she's going to "Gospel it up" during the second half. Quentin tells her to commit to the first part as much as she's committing to the second half. Wow, great advice QT. Can I be the mentor next week? I can't possibly give more useless, generic advice than QT did tonight...and I love the guy as a director and pop culture afficionado. But c'mon!
So Lil does a nice job at the first part of the song - very straightforward, but as promised, really doesn't bring anything new to it. And except for a few bad notes, she does a good job. You can really tell the purity of her voice during this. Then she hits the second part of the song, and it's kind of jarring. And I actually liked the first part better. She returns to the straightforward part at the end, and hits a nice note at the end. But overall, I didn't think it was one of her better performances, and I'm actually regretting picking Lil as my #2 behind D Goke earlier during the season. I like Lil, but to me, it's become apparent that she is on the second tier of the vocalist that are left. Paula said the lyrics were beautiful (huh?), and I don't know if she liked it or not. Simon said she picked the wrong song again, and it was too middle of the road. He also said she had nice moments, but feels she's lost as an artist. I agree 100%. Lil argues that she put an R&B spin to it, but I don't think it was enough.
This week, they'll probably put the 7 into two groups of 3, and then ask the remaining person to go stand in the group who they think is safe. And they'll sit in the middle. So I say safe: Danny, Adam and Kris (just because of his fanbase). Danger group: Allison, Matt and Lil. And the one they ask to sit in the middle - Anoop (or maybe Adam is the one who has to sit in the middle). I see Matt or Lil going home...if it's Lil, I would have said weeks ago that they would definitely save her. But I don't see that happening at this point. We'll see what happens. Tune in tomorrow night to see if I'm right or not!
Tonight's theme is...
"Songs of the Cinema" with mentor Quentin Tarantino
WHAT?!?!!? Hey, I love Quentin's work, but what the heck does he know about singing???!!!! He does choose great music for his movies, though, and song choice is important, so maybe he can help the "Idols" find songs that no one else knows and make them popular. We'll see....
I can see it now...he'll be manic as always...it should be interesting to watch.
Oh, and sorry about not posting last week. I was so angry that my DVR cut off, I couldn't bring myself to write about anything. But at least america got it right - Scott definitely deserved to go. "The Search Is Over" doesn't even have electric guitar in it until toward the very end of the song, if I recall correctly.
And just so it's out there on record, here are my favorites, in order:
1 - Danny
2 - Adam
3 - Allison
4 - Lil
5 - Kris
6 - Matt
7 - Anoop
Danny and Adam are my two clear favorites, but don't count out Allison just yet. I think Lil has definitely fallen over the past few weeks, but I still like her. Kris has impressed me (notwithstanding that bad version of Don Henley last week...ugh), and moved up a little. He's pratically in a dead heat with Matt. And Anoop rounds out the group. I think they would only use the save on the top 3 I mentioned, but who knows...maybe not. It's that time in the competition where they are all pretty good singers, so I guess they could use it on anyone (although probably not Anoop).
Tune in later tonight for my thoughts about this evening's show!
WHAT?!?!!? Hey, I love Quentin's work, but what the heck does he know about singing???!!!! He does choose great music for his movies, though, and song choice is important, so maybe he can help the "Idols" find songs that no one else knows and make them popular. We'll see....
I can see it now...he'll be manic as always...it should be interesting to watch.
Oh, and sorry about not posting last week. I was so angry that my DVR cut off, I couldn't bring myself to write about anything. But at least america got it right - Scott definitely deserved to go. "The Search Is Over" doesn't even have electric guitar in it until toward the very end of the song, if I recall correctly.
And just so it's out there on record, here are my favorites, in order:
1 - Danny
2 - Adam
3 - Allison
4 - Lil
5 - Kris
6 - Matt
7 - Anoop
Danny and Adam are my two clear favorites, but don't count out Allison just yet. I think Lil has definitely fallen over the past few weeks, but I still like her. Kris has impressed me (notwithstanding that bad version of Don Henley last week...ugh), and moved up a little. He's pratically in a dead heat with Matt. And Anoop rounds out the group. I think they would only use the save on the top 3 I mentioned, but who knows...maybe not. It's that time in the competition where they are all pretty good singers, so I guess they could use it on anyone (although probably not Anoop).
Tune in later tonight for my thoughts about this evening's show!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Adam Lambert = Sam Harris
Ok, so maybe it's not an exact match, but listen to Sam belt out his old standard, "Over the Rainbow"...tell me you can't picture Adam doing the same interpretation of the song, especially towards the end when Harris goes nuts.
Check it out here on YouTube
Oh, and Danny Gokey = Young Robert Downey Jr.
In case anyone was wondering, Sam Harris was a singing winner on the 80's version of Star Search with Ed McMahon. Sam won week after week after week, and ended up putting out an album and then went onto star on Broadway, I think. He tended to go "off the rails" like our friend Adam.
Just thought I'd share...
Check it out here on YouTube
Oh, and Danny Gokey = Young Robert Downey Jr.
In case anyone was wondering, Sam Harris was a singing winner on the 80's version of Star Search with Ed McMahon. Sam won week after week after week, and ended up putting out an album and then went onto star on Broadway, I think. He tended to go "off the rails" like our friend Adam.
Just thought I'd share...
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