The top 8 finalists are singing the music of Motown/Detroit:
I Heard It Through the Grapevine was a huge hit for both Gladys Knight and Marvin Gaye with very different versions. Candice Glover opened the show with a third completely different arrangement of this great song. It was jazzy and sultry and she sounded wonderful.
Madonna hit #1 in 1989 with Like A Prayer. Kree Harrison did a really good job serving as a background singer for Janelle Arthur. Where Kree was bland, boring and almost not even noticeable, Janelle was vibrant and showcasing big star quality.
For Once In My Life was a signature hit song by Stevie Wonder that peaked at #2 in 1968. Lazaro Arbos once again lit up the stage with his radiant smile, outstanding fashion sense and sweet personality. This song allowed him to deliver another crystal clear vocal performance. He can do no wrong!
You Keep Me Hanging On was one of the 12 #1 hit songs by Diana Ross and The Supremes. Janelle Arthur completely exuded even more star quality with her stripped down acoustic version of this classic. She played guitar and her vocals were emotionally heartfelt and she told the story in the lyrics better than anyone ever has.
The Tracks of My Tears was a hit in 1965 for Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Devin Velez settled nicely in his comfort zone with this wonderful song. It was simple, straightforward and nothing distracted from his voice.
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me was a huge Motown collaboration by the Supremes and the Temptations that hit #2 in 1968. Tonight the Miss American Idol huge collaboration was delivered by Angie Miller, Candice Glover and Amber Holcomb. Candice and Amber were the ones relegated to back-up singers because they were simply overshadowed by Angie's stellar stage presence and superior vocals.
My Cherie Amour hit #4 in 1969 by Stevie Wonder. Burnell Taylor should just pack his bags and go home now. It was strained, clumsy and awkward. He looks like he's asleep up there.
Shop Around was a #2 smash hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles in 1961. Angie Miller completely owned the stage with a hard rock, guitar driven arrangement of this fun song. You couldn't take your eyes off of her because she looked fantastic as she totally worked it out and entertained the crowd.
Lately by Stevie Wonder didn't actually become a hit until 1993 when Jodeci hit #4 with it. Amber Holcomb belted it out exactly how it needs to be done. She has a powerful voice and this song let her show it off.
I Can't Help Myself was a #1 hit for the Four Tops in 1965. Devin, Burnell and Lazaro, unfortunately, struggled to remember the lyrics on the pop classic. At least Devin and Lazaro looked great, but Burnell has a strange eye contact problem. He doesn't seem to be present because he is looking off into space.
Don't Play That Song was a hit for Aretha Franklin in 1970. Kree Harrison served up the most bland stereotypical white girl effort of trying to take on the Queen of Soul. It was pretty embarrassing. Kree has absolutely zero stage presence and no personality.
My prediction for the bottom three is Amber, Kree and Burnell with Burnell finally going home.
Showing posts with label Gladys Knight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gladys Knight. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The Top 7 - two songs
Each of the top 7 finalists will sing two songs tonight.
Hollie Cavanagh got things off to an amazing start with her outstanding rendition of Adele's Rolling In The Deep. It was the biggest #1 hit song of 2011 as well as the Grammy winning Record of the Year. Hollie used her impressive vocal instrument to raise this song to an even higher level. It was confident and entertaining.
Colton Dixon kept things at a high energy pace as he rocked out his own version of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance that peaked at #2 in 2010. He definitely made it his own while still staying true to the dramatic performance art vibe that Lady Gaga originally created.
Elise Testone did her best to compete as she performed the Alicia Keys #1 hit from 2007, No One. But rather than presenting an effortless expression of her talent she seems very strained and forced.
Phillip Phillips kept things in the strained and forced direction as he attempted to sing the song that Usher took to #1 in 2001, U Got It Bad. Instead of being able to demonstrate any range or levels of dimension in the song, it was just unpleasant from beginning to end.
Jessica Sanchez brought the night back on track with a musical master class worthy interpretation of Alicia Keys #1 hit from 2001, Fallin. Her voice is pure, powerful and passionate. She looks like a seasoned professional as she takes the microphone and completely owns the stage.
Skylar Laine provided a down home country version of Lady Gaga's 2011 #1 smash Born This Way. The vocals were good and it was a perfect fit for her image.
When Fantasia was crowned as the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner in 2004 she hit #1 with her first single, I Believe. Joshua Ledet used this inspirational anthem to showcase his ability to be up there with the winners. It was an ideal match for his vocal range and it showed off his talent at his best.
Hollie Cavanagh makes singing clear and perfect notes look so easy. She has a true gift and it comes through every time she is on stage. And Wow! she looks so cute in her outfits and high heels. This time it was an adorable pink mini while singing Dusty Springfield's Son Of A Preacher Man that hit #10 in 1968.
Earth Wind and Fire had a #8 disco hit song in 1978 with September, but Colton Dixon re-imagined this jam as a piano driven ballad. This arrangement was a smashing success to connect him to an even bigger and broader audience.
When Marvin Gaye hit #1 in 1973 with Let's Get It On, he made history with one of the sexiest songs of all time. Elise Testone was completely lacking in any connection to this song with this awkward performance.
Wilson Pickett hit #21 in 1965 with In The Midnight Hour. This song fit the narrow, limited range of Phillip Phillips perfectly. This is all that he knows how to do, but even this was weak and boring.
Otis Redding made a classic out of his #25 hit Try A Little Tenderness from 1966. Jessica Sanchez delivered a rousing new classic version for 2012 with her vocal throw down performance. It was raw and emotional while still being a cut above the rest.
Skylar Laine gave the fans another country version of a popular favorite. This time it was I Heard It Through The Grape Vine that Gladys Knight took to #2 in 1967. Skylar is starting to go on auto-pilot doing the same thing every time regardless of the song.
A Change Is Gonna Come hit #31 in 1965 for Sam Cooke. Joshua Ledet provided more of his classic soul vocals on this great song. Each note was packed with determination and sweat.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is an easy one: Phillip Phillips, Elise Testone and Skylar Laine. All three of them have nothing new to show us and no ability to grow into bigger and better music artists. It is time for these three to fade away and let the remaining stars in the competition shine. Elise should finally be the one going home.
Hollie Cavanagh got things off to an amazing start with her outstanding rendition of Adele's Rolling In The Deep. It was the biggest #1 hit song of 2011 as well as the Grammy winning Record of the Year. Hollie used her impressive vocal instrument to raise this song to an even higher level. It was confident and entertaining.
Colton Dixon kept things at a high energy pace as he rocked out his own version of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance that peaked at #2 in 2010. He definitely made it his own while still staying true to the dramatic performance art vibe that Lady Gaga originally created.
Elise Testone did her best to compete as she performed the Alicia Keys #1 hit from 2007, No One. But rather than presenting an effortless expression of her talent she seems very strained and forced.
Phillip Phillips kept things in the strained and forced direction as he attempted to sing the song that Usher took to #1 in 2001, U Got It Bad. Instead of being able to demonstrate any range or levels of dimension in the song, it was just unpleasant from beginning to end.
Jessica Sanchez brought the night back on track with a musical master class worthy interpretation of Alicia Keys #1 hit from 2001, Fallin. Her voice is pure, powerful and passionate. She looks like a seasoned professional as she takes the microphone and completely owns the stage.
Skylar Laine provided a down home country version of Lady Gaga's 2011 #1 smash Born This Way. The vocals were good and it was a perfect fit for her image.
When Fantasia was crowned as the Season 3 Miss American Idol winner in 2004 she hit #1 with her first single, I Believe. Joshua Ledet used this inspirational anthem to showcase his ability to be up there with the winners. It was an ideal match for his vocal range and it showed off his talent at his best.
Hollie Cavanagh makes singing clear and perfect notes look so easy. She has a true gift and it comes through every time she is on stage. And Wow! she looks so cute in her outfits and high heels. This time it was an adorable pink mini while singing Dusty Springfield's Son Of A Preacher Man that hit #10 in 1968.
Earth Wind and Fire had a #8 disco hit song in 1978 with September, but Colton Dixon re-imagined this jam as a piano driven ballad. This arrangement was a smashing success to connect him to an even bigger and broader audience.
When Marvin Gaye hit #1 in 1973 with Let's Get It On, he made history with one of the sexiest songs of all time. Elise Testone was completely lacking in any connection to this song with this awkward performance.
Wilson Pickett hit #21 in 1965 with In The Midnight Hour. This song fit the narrow, limited range of Phillip Phillips perfectly. This is all that he knows how to do, but even this was weak and boring.
Otis Redding made a classic out of his #25 hit Try A Little Tenderness from 1966. Jessica Sanchez delivered a rousing new classic version for 2012 with her vocal throw down performance. It was raw and emotional while still being a cut above the rest.
Skylar Laine gave the fans another country version of a popular favorite. This time it was I Heard It Through The Grape Vine that Gladys Knight took to #2 in 1967. Skylar is starting to go on auto-pilot doing the same thing every time regardless of the song.
A Change Is Gonna Come hit #31 in 1965 for Sam Cooke. Joshua Ledet provided more of his classic soul vocals on this great song. Each note was packed with determination and sweat.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is an easy one: Phillip Phillips, Elise Testone and Skylar Laine. All three of them have nothing new to show us and no ability to grow into bigger and better music artists. It is time for these three to fade away and let the remaining stars in the competition shine. Elise should finally be the one going home.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
And the Season 10 Miss American Idol is.....
Hopefully we've got two hours of awesome music entertainment ahead of us while waiting to hear who the Season 10 Miss American Idol winner will be. Things got off to a great start with the top 13 finalists coming together again to perform one of the biggest hits of the year so far, Lady Gaga's Born This Way. She was a great mentor for the finalists just a few weeks ago and now her full album is set to sell 850,000 copies in its debut week.
While having Lauren and Scotty in the top two might lead us all to believe that the show was going to be all about country music, but that is not the case at all. The Season 10 Miss American Idol 3rd Runner-Up James Durbin set the house on fire with his hard rocking heavy metal collaboration with Judas Priest. The stage was a flame in leather and studs to put it mildly! We were then treated to a true legendary diva on stage when Gladys Knight performed I Smile. Jacob Lusk was very lucky to be her back up singer.
Jack Black is a very funny comedy rocker so his take on the Queen classic Fat Bottom Girls was very entertaining. Unfortunately it was ruined by the creepy presense of Casey Abrams who was leering and lurking around the stage like a crazed stalker.
The girls from the top 13 then took the stage to perform a fierce medley of Beyonce's greatest hits. Thia was wonderful taking lead vocals on Irreplaceable and Pia was superstar quality at the front and center of Deja Vu. The real Beyonce then joined the girls for a fabulous rendition of Crazy In Love. The girl group medleys continued with T-Boz and Chilli from TLC taking us back old school for their hits No Scrubs and Waterfalls.
Country superstar Tim McGraw joined Scotty on stage to sing his mega hit Live Like You Were Dying. Scotty really did an amazing job keeping up with Tim and his voice fit perfectly with the song.
The Season 10 Miss American Idol 2nd Runner Up, Haley Reinhart was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sing a duet of Stepping Out with the legendary Tony Bennett. He was all class and she was all unintentional comedy.
Being married to one of the American Idol judges gives you the chance to perform on stage for this huge audience and there was no way that Marc Anthony was going to let this slip through his fingers. Jennifer played the role of background dancer while Marc entertained the crowd with his salsa extravaganza.
The boys from the top 13 performed a medley of songs from the Tom Jones greatest hits colelction. Stefano was the stand-out taking lead vocals on Kiss, which everyone really knows as a Prince song. Then Tom joined the boys for the popular favorite It's Not Unusual that is always a crowd pleaser no matter how old it is.
Lady Gaga is on track to being named the 2011 Artist of the Year and this performance of Edge of Glory is definitely a huge contributing factor. She was on top of a platform at center stage belting out this amazing anthem and dancing with a very handsome and sexy shirtless man. It is certain that after this outstanding spectacle she has recruited more montsters to put their paws up and join her!
The Supreme Miss American Idol, season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood, was the only member of the Idol Alumni Association to take the stage tonight. Lauren started out with the first verse of Before He Cheats and thankfully Carrie came out to join her. Lauren, unfortunately, seemed very intimidated in the presense of Carrie's greatness so this duet was very one sided.
Beyonce is about to release her fourth solo album and she has been hitting the media outlets hard with promotion. The first single, Girls Rule The World, has been out for a few weeks and even had its video premiere on American Idol last week, but it has still failed to reach the top 10 of the Billboard HOT 100. It's simply not very good compared to her previous jams. And now, she is ready to push another single, 1+1, that she performed tonight, but it's not very good either. Beyonce needs to get some better material.
Dragging out the announcement of the new American Idol a little bit longer, U2 took the stage in a desperate attempt to make their SpiderMan Broadway musical a hit. SpiderMan came flying over the heads of the audience while they sang one of the songs. It was visually interesting, but it didn't sound so fantastic. Finally, Steven Tyler had his chance to get center stage and sing Dream On.
And then the time arrived at last for Scotty and Lauren to stand together in the spotlight and have Ryan open the envelope that revealed that the Season 10 Miss American Idol winner is...... SCOTTY MCCREERY!
He took the mic to sing his new single, I Love You This Big, and went into the audience to hug his family and the rest of the finalists. He seemed very humbled and overwhelmed as the glitter fell all around him.
While having Lauren and Scotty in the top two might lead us all to believe that the show was going to be all about country music, but that is not the case at all. The Season 10 Miss American Idol 3rd Runner-Up James Durbin set the house on fire with his hard rocking heavy metal collaboration with Judas Priest. The stage was a flame in leather and studs to put it mildly! We were then treated to a true legendary diva on stage when Gladys Knight performed I Smile. Jacob Lusk was very lucky to be her back up singer.
Jack Black is a very funny comedy rocker so his take on the Queen classic Fat Bottom Girls was very entertaining. Unfortunately it was ruined by the creepy presense of Casey Abrams who was leering and lurking around the stage like a crazed stalker.
The girls from the top 13 then took the stage to perform a fierce medley of Beyonce's greatest hits. Thia was wonderful taking lead vocals on Irreplaceable and Pia was superstar quality at the front and center of Deja Vu. The real Beyonce then joined the girls for a fabulous rendition of Crazy In Love. The girl group medleys continued with T-Boz and Chilli from TLC taking us back old school for their hits No Scrubs and Waterfalls.
Country superstar Tim McGraw joined Scotty on stage to sing his mega hit Live Like You Were Dying. Scotty really did an amazing job keeping up with Tim and his voice fit perfectly with the song.
The Season 10 Miss American Idol 2nd Runner Up, Haley Reinhart was lucky enough to get the opportunity to sing a duet of Stepping Out with the legendary Tony Bennett. He was all class and she was all unintentional comedy.
Being married to one of the American Idol judges gives you the chance to perform on stage for this huge audience and there was no way that Marc Anthony was going to let this slip through his fingers. Jennifer played the role of background dancer while Marc entertained the crowd with his salsa extravaganza.
The boys from the top 13 performed a medley of songs from the Tom Jones greatest hits colelction. Stefano was the stand-out taking lead vocals on Kiss, which everyone really knows as a Prince song. Then Tom joined the boys for the popular favorite It's Not Unusual that is always a crowd pleaser no matter how old it is.
Lady Gaga is on track to being named the 2011 Artist of the Year and this performance of Edge of Glory is definitely a huge contributing factor. She was on top of a platform at center stage belting out this amazing anthem and dancing with a very handsome and sexy shirtless man. It is certain that after this outstanding spectacle she has recruited more montsters to put their paws up and join her!
The Supreme Miss American Idol, season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood, was the only member of the Idol Alumni Association to take the stage tonight. Lauren started out with the first verse of Before He Cheats and thankfully Carrie came out to join her. Lauren, unfortunately, seemed very intimidated in the presense of Carrie's greatness so this duet was very one sided.
Beyonce is about to release her fourth solo album and she has been hitting the media outlets hard with promotion. The first single, Girls Rule The World, has been out for a few weeks and even had its video premiere on American Idol last week, but it has still failed to reach the top 10 of the Billboard HOT 100. It's simply not very good compared to her previous jams. And now, she is ready to push another single, 1+1, that she performed tonight, but it's not very good either. Beyonce needs to get some better material.
Dragging out the announcement of the new American Idol a little bit longer, U2 took the stage in a desperate attempt to make their SpiderMan Broadway musical a hit. SpiderMan came flying over the heads of the audience while they sang one of the songs. It was visually interesting, but it didn't sound so fantastic. Finally, Steven Tyler had his chance to get center stage and sing Dream On.
And then the time arrived at last for Scotty and Lauren to stand together in the spotlight and have Ryan open the envelope that revealed that the Season 10 Miss American Idol winner is...... SCOTTY MCCREERY!
He took the mic to sing his new single, I Love You This Big, and went into the audience to hug his family and the rest of the finalists. He seemed very humbled and overwhelmed as the glitter fell all around him.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Top 11 Sing Motown
Tonight the top 11 finalists made a selection from the legendary Motown catalog:
I Heard It Through The Grape Vine was a huge hit twice for Motown. Gladys Knight and The Pips took it to #2 in 1967 and then Marvin Gaye took it to #1 for 7 weeks in 1968. It's a fantastic song that Casey Abrams simply screamed his way through adding nothing likeable or refreshing.
Heat Wave was also a smash hit two times. Martha and the Vandellas took it to #4 in 1963 and Linda Ronstadt hit #5 with it in 1975. Thia Megia has a sweet, pure and melodic voice that made this song sound fun and fresh. She's young and dynamic and each week we see more of her potential realized.
You're All I Need To Get By was a hit in the Billboard HOT 100 four times! The classic version is by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell that hit #7 in 1968. Thank goodness Jacob Lusk had some good back-up singers on stage with him to make his version listenable.
You Keep Me Hanging On is one of those rare songs that actually hit #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 by two different artists. First by Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1966 and then again by Kim Wilde in 1987. The judges have been raving about Lauren Alaina since they first saw her, and tonight she actually provided something worthy of praise.
Hello was a #1 hit for Lionel Richie for 2 weeks in 1984. Stefano Langone used this simple ballad to showcase his fantastic voice and to connect perfectly with the audience.
You Really Got A Hold On Me peaked at #8 in 1963 for the Miracles. Haley Reinhart completely butchered this lively tune with her choppy vocals and a clunky arrangement.
For Once In My Life hit #2 in 1968 for Stevie Wonder. Scotty McCreery did a wonderful job transforming this song into a meaningful classic country story song. The substance of the lyrics truly came through combined with his rugged deep voice.
All In Love Is Fair is a track from Stevie Wonder's 1973 Grammy winning Album of the Year, Innervisions. Pia Toscano completely owned this song and wrapped her outstanding vocals all over it. Fantastic!
Tracks of My Tears was a hit on the Billboard HOT 100 three times including the original 1965 version by the Miracles. Paul McDonald took his guitar in had and re-worked this into an easy going folk-rock ballad.
Dancing In The Streets is yet another Motown classic to hit the Billboard chart three times from acts as diverse as Martha and the Vendellas, van Halen, Mick Jagger and David Bowie. Naima Adedapo added her own unique diversity to her funtabulous performance with an African inspired, bongo infused dance break mixed in with her great vocals.
Living For The City was a #8 smash for Stevie Wonder in 1973. James Durbin showed off his energetic stage presence as he completely worked every member of the audience with his amazing vocals. Outstanding.
It was a great night of musical entertainment. Fans are picking their favorites and casting their votes so you voice to keep your choice safe. My prediction for the bottom three goes completely against the mis-guided gushing from the judges: Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk will get the lowest number of votes with Haley finally getting sent home.
I Heard It Through The Grape Vine was a huge hit twice for Motown. Gladys Knight and The Pips took it to #2 in 1967 and then Marvin Gaye took it to #1 for 7 weeks in 1968. It's a fantastic song that Casey Abrams simply screamed his way through adding nothing likeable or refreshing.
Heat Wave was also a smash hit two times. Martha and the Vandellas took it to #4 in 1963 and Linda Ronstadt hit #5 with it in 1975. Thia Megia has a sweet, pure and melodic voice that made this song sound fun and fresh. She's young and dynamic and each week we see more of her potential realized.
You're All I Need To Get By was a hit in the Billboard HOT 100 four times! The classic version is by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell that hit #7 in 1968. Thank goodness Jacob Lusk had some good back-up singers on stage with him to make his version listenable.
You Keep Me Hanging On is one of those rare songs that actually hit #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 by two different artists. First by Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1966 and then again by Kim Wilde in 1987. The judges have been raving about Lauren Alaina since they first saw her, and tonight she actually provided something worthy of praise.
Hello was a #1 hit for Lionel Richie for 2 weeks in 1984. Stefano Langone used this simple ballad to showcase his fantastic voice and to connect perfectly with the audience.
You Really Got A Hold On Me peaked at #8 in 1963 for the Miracles. Haley Reinhart completely butchered this lively tune with her choppy vocals and a clunky arrangement.
For Once In My Life hit #2 in 1968 for Stevie Wonder. Scotty McCreery did a wonderful job transforming this song into a meaningful classic country story song. The substance of the lyrics truly came through combined with his rugged deep voice.
All In Love Is Fair is a track from Stevie Wonder's 1973 Grammy winning Album of the Year, Innervisions. Pia Toscano completely owned this song and wrapped her outstanding vocals all over it. Fantastic!
Tracks of My Tears was a hit on the Billboard HOT 100 three times including the original 1965 version by the Miracles. Paul McDonald took his guitar in had and re-worked this into an easy going folk-rock ballad.
Dancing In The Streets is yet another Motown classic to hit the Billboard chart three times from acts as diverse as Martha and the Vendellas, van Halen, Mick Jagger and David Bowie. Naima Adedapo added her own unique diversity to her funtabulous performance with an African inspired, bongo infused dance break mixed in with her great vocals.
Living For The City was a #8 smash for Stevie Wonder in 1973. James Durbin showed off his energetic stage presence as he completely worked every member of the audience with his amazing vocals. Outstanding.
It was a great night of musical entertainment. Fans are picking their favorites and casting their votes so you voice to keep your choice safe. My prediction for the bottom three goes completely against the mis-guided gushing from the judges: Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk will get the lowest number of votes with Haley finally getting sent home.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Top 10 sing R&B Soul
Hit making R&B superstar, Usher, shared his musical words of wisdom with the top 10 finalists this week.
Siobhan Magnus did her best to work her magic on Chaka Khan's Through The Fire. Her vocals were just as strong as usual, but there was a noticeable difference in her confidence. It looks like even the most talented finalists get worried about performing first.
Casey James brought his usual good guy persona to Sam & Dave's Hold On! I'm A Comin' that hit #21 in 1966. It looks like Casey is going to do pretty much the same thing every week. It appears he has no interest in growing as an artist.
Michael Lynche introduced the audience to the India Arie track Ready For Love. It was sweet and sensitive to the point of being quite boring, but the vocals were clear and strong. People may be interested in hearing this song again...
Didi Benami stood center stage in a glittery gown to perform Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted that hit #7 in 1966. She looked quite beautiful clearly showing that she has no interest in being pigeonholed in one musical category. She wants to take risks and try different things and she doesn't care what people think. Her voice is strong and she showed it off well tonight.
Tim Urban actually hit some good notes in his performance of Anita Baker's #8 hit from 1986, Sweet Love. So in this case, in combination with his adorable good looks there are sure to be numerous fans who are very pleased out there.
Andrew Garcia is so stuck in trying to recreate his past glory that he thought sucking the life out of Chris Brown's fun dance floor jam Forever that peaked at #2 in 2008 would win us over. His drippy acoustic version completely fell flat with weak vocals and no personality.
Katie Stevens tried to keep herself out of the bottom three this week by taking on Aretha Franklin's Chain of Fools that hit #2 in 1967. She looked cute, fresh and young and sounded pretty good, but she still hasn't really lived up to her potential yet.
Lee Dewyze showed some unexpected vocal range with his version of the 1971 #3 hit Treat Her Like A Lady by the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. Now keep in my that there was only some vocal range, most of it was still his tired old generic rock guy rasping. Being merely good should not pass for something earth shattering...
Crystal Bowersox showed everyone what it means to keep growing as an artist with her fantastic version of the classic #1 smash by Gladys Knight and the Pips from 1973, Midnight Train To Georgia. She sat at the piano instead of using her guitar and her voice was even better than usual. She looked fabulous in her stilettos as well!
Aaron Kelly can sing Bill Withers #3 hit from 1971 Ain't No Sunshine all he wants, but he's still a pixie little kid trying to be taken seriously. His voice simply isn't good enough to overcome his shortcomings.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Tim Urban, Andrew Garcia and Aaron Kelly. This week should finally be the time when Andrew Garcia goes home.
Siobhan Magnus did her best to work her magic on Chaka Khan's Through The Fire. Her vocals were just as strong as usual, but there was a noticeable difference in her confidence. It looks like even the most talented finalists get worried about performing first.
Casey James brought his usual good guy persona to Sam & Dave's Hold On! I'm A Comin' that hit #21 in 1966. It looks like Casey is going to do pretty much the same thing every week. It appears he has no interest in growing as an artist.
Michael Lynche introduced the audience to the India Arie track Ready For Love. It was sweet and sensitive to the point of being quite boring, but the vocals were clear and strong. People may be interested in hearing this song again...
Didi Benami stood center stage in a glittery gown to perform Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted that hit #7 in 1966. She looked quite beautiful clearly showing that she has no interest in being pigeonholed in one musical category. She wants to take risks and try different things and she doesn't care what people think. Her voice is strong and she showed it off well tonight.
Tim Urban actually hit some good notes in his performance of Anita Baker's #8 hit from 1986, Sweet Love. So in this case, in combination with his adorable good looks there are sure to be numerous fans who are very pleased out there.
Andrew Garcia is so stuck in trying to recreate his past glory that he thought sucking the life out of Chris Brown's fun dance floor jam Forever that peaked at #2 in 2008 would win us over. His drippy acoustic version completely fell flat with weak vocals and no personality.
Katie Stevens tried to keep herself out of the bottom three this week by taking on Aretha Franklin's Chain of Fools that hit #2 in 1967. She looked cute, fresh and young and sounded pretty good, but she still hasn't really lived up to her potential yet.
Lee Dewyze showed some unexpected vocal range with his version of the 1971 #3 hit Treat Her Like A Lady by the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose. Now keep in my that there was only some vocal range, most of it was still his tired old generic rock guy rasping. Being merely good should not pass for something earth shattering...
Crystal Bowersox showed everyone what it means to keep growing as an artist with her fantastic version of the classic #1 smash by Gladys Knight and the Pips from 1973, Midnight Train To Georgia. She sat at the piano instead of using her guitar and her voice was even better than usual. She looked fabulous in her stilettos as well!
Aaron Kelly can sing Bill Withers #3 hit from 1971 Ain't No Sunshine all he wants, but he's still a pixie little kid trying to be taken seriously. His voice simply isn't good enough to overcome his shortcomings.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Tim Urban, Andrew Garcia and Aaron Kelly. This week should finally be the time when Andrew Garcia goes home.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Top 10 sing their beginnings
Tonight the top 10 finalists had to select a song that was a hit the year they were born.
Ramiele Malubay was born in 1987 when Heart spent three weeks at #1 with Alone. This song has become an American Idol favorite clearly because it allows the finalist to show off their entire range. Ramiele probably gave us her best vocal so far, but she doesn't have much of a gimmick to make her extra memorable.
Jason Castro was born in 1990 when Sting released Fragile. Rather than pursuing the haunting introspection of the original, Jason stuck with his limited abilities and made this song into a laid back spanish bilingual salsa. Because of his immaturity it was the same old gimmick with the guitar and the weak vocals.
Syesha Mercado was born in 1987 and for some reason she selected a song that Gladys Knight took to the top 10 in 1971, If I Were Your Woman. It's a great song but this arrangement wasn't as interesting as the original. Syesha still found a way to let her voice take center stage and sound as good as we always thought she could.
Chikezie was born in 1985 when Luther Vandross released If Only For One Night. For the past couple of weeks Chikezie has strutted his stuff showing a full range of performance versatility, but tonight he fell back into a rut. This was a very bland imitation of the original.
Brooke White was born in 1983 when the Police spent eight weeks at #1 with Every Breath You Take. Those were eight long boring weeks back then so it wasn't much for Brooke to work with, but it was actually a good fit for her performance limitations. She sat behind the piano and played in her comfort zone, even after a shaky start.
Michael Johns was born in 1978 when Queen hit the top 5 with We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions. It was a very good choice that Michael decided to sing a medley of both songs because he had the chance to truly entertain the crowd with rocking energy. He knows what he does best and this song allowed him to do it.
Carly Smithson was born in 1983 when Bonnie Tyler spent four weeks at #1 with Total Eclipse Of The Heart. This is a dramatic power ballad that allowed Carly to exhibit everything she can do better than the other finalists. It was passionate, intense and completely entertaining.
David Archuleta was born in 1990 and for some reason he picked an obscure song called You're The Voice by John Farnham. This was not a good song choice at all so he had to completely depend on that adorable cute face and sincere personality to make it work. It goes without saying that he has enough cuteness and sincerity to make anything work.
Kristy Lee Cook was born in 1984 when Lee Greenwood first served the world his patriotic anthem God Bless The USA. Kristy is a sweet talented young woman, but if she wants to have a chance in this competition she's going to need a much bigger gimmick to keep her alive. This was a blatant attempt to appeal to the audience that no one else is playing to and it will most likely work.
David Cook was born in 1982 when Michael Jackson took the world by storm and dominated the top of the charts for seven weeks with Billie Jean. David truly has the gimmick that is gonna take him to the finals. He has once again reinvented an oldie by turning it into an electrifying rock jam. David could easily be topping the charts very soon.
This season has proven itself to be very unpredictable. It doesn't matter if your the best vocalist in the competition, like Carly, you can still end up in the bottom three. Syesha found herself there as well, but I'm still gonna predict who I think SHOULD be in the bottom three. Brooke made up for her stammering start, but I don't think well enough. Chikezie should be joining Brooke because he settled back into bland. Ramiele's lack of a distinctive identity will not only have her in the bottom three with Brooke and Chikezie, but it should be sending her home.
Ramiele Malubay was born in 1987 when Heart spent three weeks at #1 with Alone. This song has become an American Idol favorite clearly because it allows the finalist to show off their entire range. Ramiele probably gave us her best vocal so far, but she doesn't have much of a gimmick to make her extra memorable.
Jason Castro was born in 1990 when Sting released Fragile. Rather than pursuing the haunting introspection of the original, Jason stuck with his limited abilities and made this song into a laid back spanish bilingual salsa. Because of his immaturity it was the same old gimmick with the guitar and the weak vocals.
Syesha Mercado was born in 1987 and for some reason she selected a song that Gladys Knight took to the top 10 in 1971, If I Were Your Woman. It's a great song but this arrangement wasn't as interesting as the original. Syesha still found a way to let her voice take center stage and sound as good as we always thought she could.
Chikezie was born in 1985 when Luther Vandross released If Only For One Night. For the past couple of weeks Chikezie has strutted his stuff showing a full range of performance versatility, but tonight he fell back into a rut. This was a very bland imitation of the original.
Brooke White was born in 1983 when the Police spent eight weeks at #1 with Every Breath You Take. Those were eight long boring weeks back then so it wasn't much for Brooke to work with, but it was actually a good fit for her performance limitations. She sat behind the piano and played in her comfort zone, even after a shaky start.
Michael Johns was born in 1978 when Queen hit the top 5 with We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions. It was a very good choice that Michael decided to sing a medley of both songs because he had the chance to truly entertain the crowd with rocking energy. He knows what he does best and this song allowed him to do it.
Carly Smithson was born in 1983 when Bonnie Tyler spent four weeks at #1 with Total Eclipse Of The Heart. This is a dramatic power ballad that allowed Carly to exhibit everything she can do better than the other finalists. It was passionate, intense and completely entertaining.
David Archuleta was born in 1990 and for some reason he picked an obscure song called You're The Voice by John Farnham. This was not a good song choice at all so he had to completely depend on that adorable cute face and sincere personality to make it work. It goes without saying that he has enough cuteness and sincerity to make anything work.
Kristy Lee Cook was born in 1984 when Lee Greenwood first served the world his patriotic anthem God Bless The USA. Kristy is a sweet talented young woman, but if she wants to have a chance in this competition she's going to need a much bigger gimmick to keep her alive. This was a blatant attempt to appeal to the audience that no one else is playing to and it will most likely work.
David Cook was born in 1982 when Michael Jackson took the world by storm and dominated the top of the charts for seven weeks with Billie Jean. David truly has the gimmick that is gonna take him to the finals. He has once again reinvented an oldie by turning it into an electrifying rock jam. David could easily be topping the charts very soon.
This season has proven itself to be very unpredictable. It doesn't matter if your the best vocalist in the competition, like Carly, you can still end up in the bottom three. Syesha found herself there as well, but I'm still gonna predict who I think SHOULD be in the bottom three. Brooke made up for her stammering start, but I don't think well enough. Chikezie should be joining Brooke because he settled back into bland. Ramiele's lack of a distinctive identity will not only have her in the bottom three with Brooke and Chikezie, but it should be sending her home.
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