The Top 6 finalists opened the show with a medley of more great songs from Carole King that included the #1 hits Go Away Little Girl and It's Too Late.
The Season 9 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Crystal Bowersox was the clear front-runner from the beginning and it was a huge surprise that she didn't win. She came back to perform a great song that was the perfect mix of pure vocal talent combined with a fun country/pop/rock vibe.
Haley, James and Lauren are all safe leaving Jacob, Scotty and Casey in the bottom three.
Bruno Mars has been an unstoppable hit machine for the last 12 months hitting #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 with Nothing On You, Just The Way You Are and Grenade. Tonight he performed his latest single, The Lazy Song, and it is sure to be on a fast track to the top in the next few weeks as well.
Jacob and Scotty were both safe meaning that after being the lowest vote getter for the second time, we are finally going to be rid of Casey Abrams. He has given people the creeps since he first knocked a chair off the stage followed by very rudely slapping James. Then he was very inappropriate when he kissed Jennifer combined with the general hostility that he evokes when he's trying to sing. Thankfully we won't have to see his instability on stage again. And he's just not a good singer also.
I correctly predicted that Jacob and Casey would both be in the bottom three. Haley Reinhart should have never made the top 24 and the fact that she is now in the top 5 doesn't make any sense at all. Start bracing yourselves now as she is likely to wind up winning the whole thing....
Showing posts with label Carole King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carole King. Show all posts
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The Top 6 sing Carole King
Tonight the Top 6 finalists performed the music of accomplished singer/songwriter, Carole King.
Carole King released an album called Love Makes The World in 2001 that included the track Oh No Not My Baby and Jacob Lusk did his best to make this song his own. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to his performance and literally bounces across the stage, but his vocals just aren't focused and controlled enough to impress.
Tapestry, her Grammy winning Album of the Year from 1971, included the track Where You Lead that Lauren Alaina did her best to inject some personality into. Where Carole has written a fantastic song Lauren, sadly, doesn't have much personality to contribute so it ended up falling flat.
I Feel The Earth Move spent 5 weeks at #1 in 1971 and Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart made a complete mess of this fantastic song with their complete inability to sing well. There was an embarrassing amount of over-compensating going on up on the stage with unpleasant wailing, growling and screaming substituting for vocal talent. It's as if they both are blatantly admitting they don't have what it takes to just sing well.
You've Got A Friend won the 1971 Grammy for Song of the Year as well as spending one week at #1 for James Taylor. Scotty McCreery did his best to convey some depth and sensitivity with his interpretation, but it all ended up falling flat. It was an effort at showing some range, but this exposed that he doesn't really have any.
Will You Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles became the first song written by Carole King to hit #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 when it stayed there for two weeks in 1960. James Durbin demonstrated for all of the other contestants what it means to perform, interpret and re-invent a pop classic. James has an exceptional voice and outstanding professional stage presence. He quite literally rocked the house and 50 years later this song could be a #1 hit all over again!
The Drifters took Carole's song Up On The Roof to #5 in 1962. Scotty and Lauren's duet of this wonderful song was over before it began. It simply lacked any connection to each other or the lyrics.
Blood Sweat and Tears took Hi-De-Ho to #14 in 1970. Casey Abrams just gave us more of his self-indulgent creepy mannerisms to this performance and it was just a relief when it was over. He brings unpleasant tightness and hostility to the stage that is uncomfortable to watch.
Beautiful is another wonderful track from Tapestry and Haley simply brought it down to the level of a second rate amateur hour. She's is up there play acting the part when she just doesn't have the goods.
I'm Into Something Good was a #13 hit for Herman's Hermits in 1964. The pairing of Jacob and James for this duet was not something good. James is up there like a seasoned professional while Jacob is floundering around completely unable to keep up.
My prediction for the bottom three is Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart. I have to believe that at this point in the competition the public is able to tell the difference between the legitimate talent that James Durbin has and that they will be voting to keep him in the game. The rest of them can go, but this week Jacob Lusk should be the lowest vote getter.
Carole King released an album called Love Makes The World in 2001 that included the track Oh No Not My Baby and Jacob Lusk did his best to make this song his own. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to his performance and literally bounces across the stage, but his vocals just aren't focused and controlled enough to impress.
Tapestry, her Grammy winning Album of the Year from 1971, included the track Where You Lead that Lauren Alaina did her best to inject some personality into. Where Carole has written a fantastic song Lauren, sadly, doesn't have much personality to contribute so it ended up falling flat.
I Feel The Earth Move spent 5 weeks at #1 in 1971 and Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart made a complete mess of this fantastic song with their complete inability to sing well. There was an embarrassing amount of over-compensating going on up on the stage with unpleasant wailing, growling and screaming substituting for vocal talent. It's as if they both are blatantly admitting they don't have what it takes to just sing well.
You've Got A Friend won the 1971 Grammy for Song of the Year as well as spending one week at #1 for James Taylor. Scotty McCreery did his best to convey some depth and sensitivity with his interpretation, but it all ended up falling flat. It was an effort at showing some range, but this exposed that he doesn't really have any.
Will You Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles became the first song written by Carole King to hit #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 when it stayed there for two weeks in 1960. James Durbin demonstrated for all of the other contestants what it means to perform, interpret and re-invent a pop classic. James has an exceptional voice and outstanding professional stage presence. He quite literally rocked the house and 50 years later this song could be a #1 hit all over again!
The Drifters took Carole's song Up On The Roof to #5 in 1962. Scotty and Lauren's duet of this wonderful song was over before it began. It simply lacked any connection to each other or the lyrics.
Blood Sweat and Tears took Hi-De-Ho to #14 in 1970. Casey Abrams just gave us more of his self-indulgent creepy mannerisms to this performance and it was just a relief when it was over. He brings unpleasant tightness and hostility to the stage that is uncomfortable to watch.
Beautiful is another wonderful track from Tapestry and Haley simply brought it down to the level of a second rate amateur hour. She's is up there play acting the part when she just doesn't have the goods.
I'm Into Something Good was a #13 hit for Herman's Hermits in 1964. The pairing of Jacob and James for this duet was not something good. James is up there like a seasoned professional while Jacob is floundering around completely unable to keep up.
My prediction for the bottom three is Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk and Haley Reinhart. I have to believe that at this point in the competition the public is able to tell the difference between the legitimate talent that James Durbin has and that they will be voting to keep him in the game. The rest of them can go, but this week Jacob Lusk should be the lowest vote getter.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The top 8 girls....
The top 8 girls have to make the best of this last chance to make it into the Season 9 top 12...
Katie Stevens hoped that by performing the 2005 top 10 hit, Breakaway, from the Season One Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson she would shine. The unfortunate fact is that this young finalist is not living up to her potential. She clearly has a very nice voice, but she has no memorable identity.
The Animals spent three weeks at #1 in 1964 with the House of the Rising Sun and Siobhan Magnus transformed this song into something that was completely her own. She started with no musical accompaniment allowing her impressive vocal range to really take over through the entire rest of the song.
Lacey Brown finally chose exactly the right song that helped her sound her best with Brandi Carlile's 2007 single, The Story. She sat at the edge of the stage and simply let her voice connect with the lyrics with no distractions.
I Feel The Earth Move was one of the many radio hits from Carole King's 1971 classic album Tapestry. Katelyn Epperly was very boring at the piano last week so she used this more uptempo song to keep things lively, except it didn't allow her to really let her voice be front and center.
Fleetwood Mac just missed the top 10 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1976 with Rhiannon. Didi Benami refused to get up on stage and attempt to do a Stevie Nicks imitation. With her guitar and unique vocals this was the kind of performance that would bring you into the coffee shop even if you don't like coffee at all.
Paige Miles did her best to honor the memory of Michael Jackson by performing, Smile, a song that he covered on his 1995 album History. She let her emotions take control and it prevented her from letting her voice take center stage. It was a pretty messy performance all around.
Tracy Chapman hit #3 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1996 with Give Me One Reason and Crystal Bowersox gave us yet another reason to see that she is the one to beat this season. Crystal has something that the others do not have. She is a gifted musician, vocalist and performer.
Lilly Scott performed I Fall To Pieces that country legend Patsy Cline took to #12 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1961. She definitely tried to make it contemporary, but really she just butchered a great song when it seemed like she was trying to be fun and quirky. Her voice and performance style isn't good enough to take this kind of risk.
Six of these finalists are going to make it into the top 12 while two are going to just miss it. My prediction for the two who messed up the most this week are Paige Miles and Lilly Scott. What do you think?
Katie Stevens hoped that by performing the 2005 top 10 hit, Breakaway, from the Season One Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson she would shine. The unfortunate fact is that this young finalist is not living up to her potential. She clearly has a very nice voice, but she has no memorable identity.
The Animals spent three weeks at #1 in 1964 with the House of the Rising Sun and Siobhan Magnus transformed this song into something that was completely her own. She started with no musical accompaniment allowing her impressive vocal range to really take over through the entire rest of the song.
Lacey Brown finally chose exactly the right song that helped her sound her best with Brandi Carlile's 2007 single, The Story. She sat at the edge of the stage and simply let her voice connect with the lyrics with no distractions.
I Feel The Earth Move was one of the many radio hits from Carole King's 1971 classic album Tapestry. Katelyn Epperly was very boring at the piano last week so she used this more uptempo song to keep things lively, except it didn't allow her to really let her voice be front and center.
Fleetwood Mac just missed the top 10 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1976 with Rhiannon. Didi Benami refused to get up on stage and attempt to do a Stevie Nicks imitation. With her guitar and unique vocals this was the kind of performance that would bring you into the coffee shop even if you don't like coffee at all.
Paige Miles did her best to honor the memory of Michael Jackson by performing, Smile, a song that he covered on his 1995 album History. She let her emotions take control and it prevented her from letting her voice take center stage. It was a pretty messy performance all around.
Tracy Chapman hit #3 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1996 with Give Me One Reason and Crystal Bowersox gave us yet another reason to see that she is the one to beat this season. Crystal has something that the others do not have. She is a gifted musician, vocalist and performer.
Lilly Scott performed I Fall To Pieces that country legend Patsy Cline took to #12 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1961. She definitely tried to make it contemporary, but really she just butchered a great song when it seemed like she was trying to be fun and quirky. Her voice and performance style isn't good enough to take this kind of risk.
Six of these finalists are going to make it into the top 12 while two are going to just miss it. My prediction for the two who messed up the most this week are Paige Miles and Lilly Scott. What do you think?
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