Well, if there’s one thing Sir Andrew and I can agree upon, tis that we never thought we’d see a man singing “Memory” with dreadlocks.
Hello, all. I’m back from Sheryl Crow, which was surprisingly awesome. I’ve just finished watching Andrew Lloyd Weber night on ‘Idol’, I’m listening to Elaine Paige sing “Memory” (without dreadlocks) on YouTube, and I’m mentally planning my trip to the “Phantom” theater in Vegas this summer. (How did its existence escape my attention???)
Anyway, I’m slightly loopy from entertainment overload, so try to stick with me.
Perhaps the loopiness is to blame for the fact that I can’t form too many coherent thoughts about tonight’s show. Here’s my problem. I have loved some of these sappy musical numbers deeply since my sappy teen years, and I have disliked some of these “Idol” contestants deeply for the past six weeks. So when I found myself sort of liking David Archuleta’s “Think of Me,” I had to gut check whether it was just because I love “Phantom.” It was. By the end, he’d turned it in to pure Josh Groban schmaltz, and I was nauseated.
Then, when Jason Castro, who I love, was singing “Memory,” which I love, I wondered if my love for both was clouding my judgement. According to the judges, it definitely was. Still liked it.
And when David Cook did NOT turn “Music of the Night” into a rock song midway through (you know you were thinking it, too) I found myself fantasizing that David is really a music theater geek from way back who’s now masquerading, like so many Phantoms, as a rock star. A girl can dream. Loved it.
I was again indifferent about both Carly and Syesha and think I always will be. The judges liked Syesha’s “Starlight Express” number, and Carly got good reviews for her “Jesus Christ Superstar” song. But short of, say, I dunno, STOPPING a song and starting it over, these two just aren’t gonna do anything but bore me for the rest of their time on the show.
Which brings me to poor Brooke White. Watching her melt down entirely over the past few weeks has been excruciating. She’s gone from one of the most fun contestants to watch to one of the most painful to watch, simply because there’s no telling what evil tricks her nerves are going to pull on her from moment to moment. Sorry, but I’m with Paula. The stopping and starting is bad. No one does that on “Idol,” and she’s done it twice! I’ll miss her, but I think it’s her turn to go.
So what did you think? Does “Memory” work with dreadlocks? Are you still trying to wash the image of David and the Tween Huggers from your mind? Wanna go with me to see “Phantom” in Vegas? And who will go home on Wednesday?
19 Comments
A post I made tonight about random judges comments that touch on things you said
Lets agree on a few things –
1 American Idol is made to make money, in the TV watching category, the voting categories and in the selling music category.
2 American Idol can alter the votes by presentation of the contestants and by what the judge’s say.
3 Simon is a smart man.
There is a great amount of confusion as to why the judges often will allow some people to skate by.
Exhibit A - David Archeletta a marketing mans dream goes through week after week doing exactly the same thing with each song. While other contestants get hammered for being predicable, it seems that David is lauded for being repetitive. This is not an accident folks; this is what is called a publicity vehicle.
Exhibit B – A few weeks back Chekezie does a decent (in my opinion) performance and Simons mike picks out at the end of the performance Simons remark to Randy that he thought it was a good job. Randy agrees and then to my amazement they give unfavorable responses to his performance. Not that I liked the performance or Chekezie that much but strange to comment to each other that it was good and then tell the American Idol audience that it was not so good???????
Lets be clear while no one is safe from Simon, he has called Archeletta a bit repetitive lately his comments come after a decent performance and to a guy with a huge fan base. He can afford to make comments now and maybe force Arheletta to think outside the box. If the marketing man’s wet dream was on thin ice I bet we would hear a different tune. (I think I used 3 metaphors in my last two sentences, fantastically awful).
My guess is that Simon manipulates the show a bit to squeeze as many dollars out of it as he can. He will do this by making blasphemous statements to some and then letting other very marketable products slide. Simon probably got pretty cheezed off when people he could not market kept winning. Taylor Hicks while winning in 2006 has to date only sold 700,000 copies of anything while Chris “got voted out early so I don’t have a contract with Simon” Daultry is up in the 6 million category for his last album.
Cowell has to release a record from the winner or he looks like an idiot so to get someone unmarketable must just crush him, this was a major issue when Pop Idol in England had the not so attractive (read unmarketable) Michelle McManus win the English version of the show. Have a look at her website and see what Simon had to try and sell and then jettisoned quickly. http://www.michelleofficial.co.uk/index.html
What I am not saying is the American Idol is rigged, nor am I saying that American idol is a bad thing (I like it). But if you are confused as to why certain people seem to get very little criticism just look at if that will profit American Idol.
Marketing wise you have
Archie – cash in the bank, young and white, which will bring in the majority of the market. Not to mention he is cute as a button and could be manipulated by nice Uncle Simon.
David Cook – will do the most interesting work, is a huge talent and may make AI buckets of money, but there is the possibility he will do his “own” thing. Uncle Simon would be very unhappy if that were the case.
The rest – all are talented but will probably not make a huge commercial impact – expect them to get a right earful if things are off.
AI is banking on the David’s to face off and make them a killing. Also I think Simon knows he can have more control with Archie which is why he will push for him to win.
I agree with your post almost to a tee. When Lord ALW told David A. Keep your eyes open, I can’t watch people who sing with their eyes shut I ALMOST rose from my chair and shouted YES!!!! That has been an irritant from day one with David A. He will go almost the entire song with his eyes shut. I am an eye contact person, I want to see that you are aware of who and what you are talking or singing to. I haven’t been a big fan of his since the early part of the season (mostly because everything sounds the same). A little change up has got to be required to stay in the competition. I did like he version of the song.
Jason. Was it just me or did he really not sound the best. Talk about a weak performance. I do believe I could get up on stage and sing with about the same success. I normally enjoy him but not last night.
I wasn’t in awe of Syesha’s performance in fact I thought it wasn’t very good either but apparently the judges all think otherwise. Since they are getting paid by the producers and I am not, their opinions probably carry more weight.
Carly, I thought she had a better performance last night than she has in awhile and I do have to say that for once her outfit finally was acceptable.
Brooke, poor thing, she has had me with her voice since the first show…she apparently will have a complete nervous breakdown before she leaves the show tonight. The girl can’t take the stress and that is a down right shame.
David C. You still rocked it. I was amazed he did that song the way it was written and we will forgive him because he still has the vocals to sing it. My husband will be amazed when I bring home a cd by David. I’m into country and don’t usually buy out of the genre.
I love Brooke, but lately she has not been her best and last night was one of the worst. I think her time is up. I can see Brooke, Jason, and Carly (although she was great last night) are in the bottome three. Sayesha (sp) did superb last night - so I can see her and the two Davids in the top three - but who knows - America is full of surprises.
I agree with all of the above posts!
While I’m sad to see them go, because I’ve pulled for them from the beginning, I think Jason and Brooke are going to have a rough night tonight.
And Carly will likely be in the bottom 3 with them. Although, I think she rocked Jesus Christ Superstar! It was my favorite of her performances! And I hope she’ll stay just one more week.
I was shocked by David Cook’s performance - I, too, expected him to rock-out 1/2 way through. But was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t. And he still sounded amazing, and like himself!
Even David A looked uncomfortable when Simon encouraged the mob of tweens to come up and hug him. That was horrible! I’ve never really liked David A, but last night was one of his more tolerable performances (maybe because I love “Think of Me”?).
Again, I agree with Fuzzy that he’ll win it. For most of the same reasons Fuzzy suggests.
Several thoughts….
1. Try as I may, I don’t like Sayesha, Carly or
David A. Honestly, I have tried and I just can’t do it.
2. Jason….love him…lots….but dude needs to step it up! But still….love him!
3. Brooke…my poor poor Brooke…I think she’s great, but she can’t take the pressure. I would rather she get voted off before she has a huge breakdown.
4. David Cook..I now proclaim him the winner! I would buy a cd from him in a heartbeat!
And Mr./Ms. Fuzzy, who posted above…its DAUGHTRY…not daultry.
Just shoot me now…last nights show was so depressing to me. I never expected Brooke to win this thing, but I never expected the complete and total meltdown either. Of course I never expected her to be the person chosen by votefortheworst.com either…added pressure she definitely did not need. I’m afraid she is going to be singing You Must Love Me tonight.
I’m with Denise on David A’s performance. I do not know music from the Phantom that well so I do not know how his much his version strayed from the original. I just know that David A turning something into a pop ballad (as Paula said)and adding Stevie Wonder riffs (as Randy said) is nothing new or brave or unique, and (as Denise says), nauseating. We have a nickname for him in my family….Pukaletta. He lived up to it last night.
Carly was having a good time and I liked her last night. I don’t know if the backup singers were out of sync with her on purpose or not but if it was on purpose, it distracted me.
Syesha was Syesha but not so awful to me as usual. That said, I wish she would just take her precious self to Broadway and become the legend she thinks she is and get out of my sight.
David Cook was great. I’m glad he didn’t muck around with the original and played it straight.
Which brings me to Jason and Fuzzy’s comment. I have way too much time on my hands and spent some of it yesterday looking at the idol forums. The *dreadheads* were in panic mode because they heard that Jason got a bad song. There were two rumors both of which involved the contestants having a drawing to see who got Memory. In one version, it was something several wanted…thus the drawing. In another version, it was a song no one wanted but the producers insisted be sung, thus the drawing. I don’t think Jason wanted that song but got stuck with it and I would not be surprised to find out that the only names in the hat were Jason and Brooke neither of whom really have the range for it. So…I agree with Fuzzy that the audience is being manipulated by the judges toward those performers considered most marketable. That said, I didn’t think Jason’s version was as terrible as the judges did.
Its going to be a Davids finale and Archuletta will win whether he gets the most votes or not. Which is probably good for David Cook…whose self-financed and self- released album in mp3 form was outselling Randy’s precious Mariah on Amazon.com until it was pulled. Or so the blogs said. And while I do not find Archuletta all that much, he seems like a nice kid even with the *worst stage father ever* (according to Naomi Judd who saw the father son interaction close up and personal when she judged him in his Star Search days). I just hope he doesn’t end up blowing out his vocal cords like poor Jordin Sparks.
David A. will win American Idol, hands, er, voice down!
It was a weird night last night. The only one who did anything unique with their ALW song was David A and I LOVED it. I’m fixing to download it right now. And the one who stuck closest to the ALW original was David Cook and I LOVED it, too. He is supremely talented and versatile musically.
Jason tanked big time. He was so uncomfortably out of his element that it was frightening. He’s still cute, of course.
Syesha should be performing on Broadway, which does not make her an American Idol. She belongs in musical theater, not in a recording studio. Her performance last night was great. I still don’t like her.
Carly’s performance was kind of fun but she was forced to scream when she reached the high notes and I still don’t like her either.
Brooke. Hmmmm. I actually thought after her false-start penalty she performed pretty well. I didn’t think she was as nervous and shaky as last week. She ain’t safe, though. Huh-uh. Poor dear. But I still like her.
Bottom three, per my prediction, may be Jason Castro, Brooke White, and Carly Smithson. I wish Carly would go but it probably won’t happen. It’s a toss-up between Jason and Brooke IMO.
Did anyone notice that one of the judges said something like “It’s just the song you DREW”. (I don’t remember which judge and to which contestant it was said.) I thought we were supposed to believe that the contestants always picked their own songs? Something isn’t kosher. Also…I am bothered by Simon and his grin and his “that was a sexy performance”…he has said that more than once in similar ways to other contestants. I do agree that what Simon says seems to influence the “votes”.
I wish oh I wish that Jason Castro would “stand up” and go for it. I think he would have an impact on the outcome if he did. Carly had the vocals but to me it was boring anyway…nothing original. I started out AI this season rooting for her but all that has faded away. I was going through the Idol’s songs in my mind and couldn’t remember who the sixth one was. I finally figured out it was Carly that I could not remember having sung.
Syesha bought herself another week with the dress and the broadway production. Jason, Carly and Brooke will be the bottom three. David A. and David C. will be the final two (unless something phenomenal happens) and David C. should win on merits of talent and ability to perform.
Some strange comments from Simon. To Jason, you chose the wrong song type comment, to David Cook, you did the best with the song you were given. The spin is irritating to say the least. Syesha, when she chooses a well known artist and song, is told she shouldn’t do that, when she chooses a less known Mariah song, she is slammed for not choosing a more well known song. When Simon likes you and you sing the same, you are an artist who knows who you are, if he is looking to pick on you, like with Carly, the comments range from she does not know herself as an artist. When he can’t find fault with her voice, he picks on her clothes or appearance. The message is loud and clear, the public dare not choose anyone but their chosen two, David A and David C. Why was nomention made by any one of the judges of David A, forgetting and mixing up his words. Because their brief is make sure David A is in the finals!!!
Yes, Sherry…. Simon said that David Cook “Did the best that he could with the song he was GIVEN”. What’s up with that?
Can’t believe there is no mention of David Cook whose hair gets thicker every week. It is so obviously hair extensions. But have to say, they are done very well and he looks miles better from the two hairs he used to comb over
Syesha and David A. were again off key for alot of their songs. HOW CAN ANYONE VOTE FOR THEM? David A. picks the same sounding song every week, he can’t change things up and think for himself. He is exciting to watch as water drying. Jason, was as always, very comforting and put a different spin to his song, not that I would have done it that way, but it was good. David C. as always shone thru the crap, he is the total package in every venue, and he can take any song and spin it to suit him. Carly was good, and found a song to hit her mark. Poor Brooke did break down, but she still has such a better voice than Syesha or David A. I truly hope people start seeing this, and get rid of the non-singers. Maybe people who only know something about music should be allowed to vote, then we would have a true artist. David C. will sell millions of CD’s as will Carly and Jason, but I wouldn’t touch anything by David A. or Syesha. The producers need to realize this. David A. is the teenybopper king, but who will spend the money for the CD’s and concerts, especially in a recession.
David Cook does it again. I think he will be the winner. Jason is beginning to bore me. David A has bored me for a while. Poor Brooke…I think she is good but after last night it is time for her to go. Everyone else - zzzzz.
Jason was sucking wind so hard he sounded like Darth Vader. “Memory” was terrible song for him. Why not something upbeat and lilting like “Everything’s Alright”? Looking stoned and plaintive yearning do not mesh well.
David Cook will certainly win it. Brooke will certainly not — either she or Jason exit tonight. I hope it’s Jason. Brooke has pretty much collapsed, true, but she’s still so easy on the eyes.
Not much more to be said about David Arugula. The kid has been singing the same song since the beginning. But I suppose it’s possible that the fix is in.
Oh Denise .. I can’t believe you missed Phantom either!!! I LOVE it. I saw it in Denver and Toronto and I would go see it 100 more times!!!
Ok, as far as the singing. I really thought the stand out performances were Carly and Syesha, neither of whom I really like much. Syesha was probably the best. She should be on Broadway. I agree, not really “Idol” material, but could make it big there!
Boy was Sir Andrew correct in making Carly change her song! That would have been disastrous! I liked her last night and have to agree with the outfit. The best she’s looked AND sang in many weeks!
Jason was weak. Hate to say it, because I like him so much, but this really wasn’t a good genre for him.
Brooke, poor Brooke .. what can we say. I would be really surprised if she doesn’t go home this week. Although I agree, once we got past the starting over, I thought she sang well!
David A … oh my. I agree with EVERYONE on here. Yes, we do pick on him a lot. No, I don’t think he’s the best. No, I can’t stand to hear him sing. Those that think we pick on him too much ask why? Here’s my reason: As a trained musician, I can tell you we shouldn’t be able to hear him breathe the way we do!!!!! I think he has a decent voice. I’m sure he’s a nice kid. I feel a little bad for the way so many criticize him, but he DOES sing the same boring style every week, and I CAN HEAR HIM TAKE EVERY BREATH!!!! I HATE THAT!
David C … surprising. Yes, I did expect him to rock out on Music of the Night, but wow, he did a great job even without rocking out!!! He deserves to win, but I kinda hope he doesn’t because I don’t want him tied to “Idol” that much longer. I want him to stay in there till the end though, so I can continue to hear him sing!
Bottom three tonight? Brooke, Carly, and Jason. Brooke will go home.
Let me say first…I LOVE DAVID COOK! If this is a talent show, he won weeks ago.
Unfornately, we know it is not always a talent show. Who else thought Clay should have beat Rueben hands down?
It is very obvious that the judges have their favorites and they praise them no matter what.
David A is boring, he sings the same songs over and over and never gets pinched for it by the judges. Sayesha was in her element last night…she should do music theatre where you can get away with an okay, but not great, voice.
Now for the judges not-so-favorites.
I thought Carly was amazing last night, but as it has always been, the judges were lukewarm.
Randy did give David C (who gave me chills with his performance) his due, but Simon was not impressed.
I agree with the earlier comment that it is going to be the David/David finale. I just really hope the right David takes the prize!
Denise, regarding your comment about “Phantom”, friends took their 14/15 year old daughter to the performance and were absolutely blown away.
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