American Idol 3/25, 26

Cafe Society
161

Billie Jean is an iconic song–the way M. Jackson sang it. It’s a song that has been ingrained into our collective conscience, something everybody recognizes right away. Singing such a song any way other than the way Jackson sang it is daring. Most of us had never heard the Chris Cornell version of the song before and I for one thought Cook was brilliant! Cook’s version of the Cornell version may have been note-for-note, the exact same arrangement–that’s beside the point. The contestants often do that. I saw no attempt to try to pass the arrangement off as Cook’s; it was introduced as the Chris Cornell version of Billie Jean . Cook’s willingness to sing that different of an arrangement of such a well-known song was gutsy.

As for Kristy, I think Simon was being clever when he called her song choice clever. It would be un-American to vote her off after singing that song. Actually, she sang the song well (and I am not a fan of hers) so it would be un-American to vote her off just for her song choice. The combination of hideous song and a good performance shouldn’t get you voted off. Having less personality than a Barbie doll on the other hand . . . .

162

Was Ramiele wearing dog tags? Perhaps with the names of her fallen idol breatheren? I expect to see her chucking them off an aircraft carrier in the setup video next week.

Edit: Oh, and what was up with Chikeze’s jacket? He looked like a video game character whose special power was charged up and ready to use.

163

As usual I missed this live and had to watch it on tape when I got home from work.

Ramiele was clearly the weakest and could be gone this week. A good voice but just kind of boring.

Kristy had me choking the puke back down just because it was so obviously pandering to a certain segment of the audience. Honestly, she sang it well but the song just makes me gag big time. Sadly, I think it is enough to keep her around for a few more weeks at least. Shore you ‘member her Jethro, that’s the pretty little blond gal who loves the good ol’ You-Ess of Ayyyy!

Chikeze seems like a nice enough guy but I just haven’t found anything he’s done has grabbed me and made me want to see more.

David Johns. Well, that was certainly ballsy to do and he didn’t eff it up like he could have but c’mon, he isn’t THAT hot!

Jason Castro makes me want to bang my head against the wall. I like the kid, he is cute as a button and there are several performances of his I have enjoyed. But he really has to cut loose at some point and do something more than the pretty sounding acoustic thing if he has any chance of being around much longer. I think he has more of a voice than is seems like at first glance. There were a couple times tonight he started to go there and the backed off and went with the soft sweet almost whispery singing.

Brooke: I could go either way on her. She has been great at times, and the first half of the song tonight I really enjoyed. But at the same time, I keep getting the occasional crazy-unstable vibe from her and that’s a problem.

Syesha has got a great voice but I don’t know how long before she will just seem like another of the many Whitney wannabes I’ve seen in previous seasons and start being dull.

Carly is an obvious talent from what I’ve seen. I noticed how this week her husband was not in a very well lit part of the crowd when they showed him so I don’t know how much the producers may be uncomfortable with the face tattoo thing. But, I don’t see her going anywhere any time soon.

David A. just seems to show his youth and inexperience more each week and that is bothering me a lot. The kid has a beautiful voice and I noticed tonight the lizard face wasn’t as obvious as it has been in the past. I don’t know if that is because it was a more up-tempo song and he was more animated than usual or the director had the cameras pull back some to avoid how obvious it has been the last few weeks. Either way, I don’t see him going away anytime soon but I’m no longer so convinced he will win it in a walk.

David Cook is one really clever guy. I didn’t start off liking him that much but the more I see the more I like what he does. And I could care less if he is using unusual arrangements of songs that were more popular in their original form. He is the only contestant who seems to be making really smart song choices for himself each week. This was the first time I could see him ending up as the winner. And he was easily the best of the night.

Finally, am I the only one who noticed Paula’s dumb ass fingerless black gloves tonight? WTF? They were distracting and creeping me out through the entire show.

164

Conversation I had with my husband this morning.

Hubby: Did you know that that Irish girl’s husband is black?
Me: No he isn’t.
Hubby: Yes he is! The showed him. He was black!
Me: No. He’s blue.
Hubby: Not that black!
Me: No-- blue. As in tattoo blue. He’s covered in tats.
Hubby: Are you sure? Because the shot that I saw. . .
Me: He’s got tats on his face.
Hubby: Really?

I don’t think I convinced my husband of Carly’s husband’s whiteness.

165

RAMIELE MALUBAY B-

Very impressive when she began, but then blew it all apart with a shotgun of screaming and howling. Power and volume are not necessarily the same, and in fact, an over-measure of the latter can suppress the former.
JASON CASTRO B

I’m grateful that he didn’t attempt another one of those pathetic tinny falsettos. He looked at one point like he was going to and then thought better of it. This is his range, and he needs to stay within in. Voters have to decide whether a balladeer is to be their idol.
SAYESHA MERCADO B+

Better than her usual, but still just another diva with a good voice. Pop music is just so saturated with these that I’m not sure there’s room for another one. The only way these singers can be distinct is with personal drama. There has to be a bastard child. Or a drunk driving incident. Or something.
CHIKEZIE B

A very pretty and smooth voice, but he doesn’t quite know what to do with it. He seemed distracted — removed from the song as though critiquing himself on the fly. He has one foot in stardom and one foot in wedding singer. Eventually, he is going to stumble into one or the other and stay there.
BROOKE WHITE A-

An endearing start. It was the sort of serendipity that, if it were a recording, should be left in the release. The demand that she play solo piano all the way through without the band was ridiculous. When she records and tours, she will do so with a band. There is only so much solo piano and minstrelling that people can take.
MICHAEL JOHNS B-

Oh, great, another Queen song. Or two. Yes, he does these pretty well, and if he wants a gig with a knock-off band, go for it. But he has become like the reality show player who hangs onto the coat tails of someone else — in this case, Freddie Mercury. In the rare moments that he’s been himself, he’s been weak. I think he’s used up all the available rope.
CARLY SMITHSON B+

Damn it. The entire song was brilliantly executed until the final gut wrenching, ear splitting screech. What a miserable way to end the song. It wasn’t really sharp, as Randy said. It was just a whole 'nother key. And it was loud. So unfortunate because it was otherwise great.
DAVID ARCHULETA B+

As usual, the voice was amazing. But David is connecting less and less with the audience, and I think it is because of his musical immaturity. This was not a song (many) people knew or even cared to hear. I suppose it is in part because of his upbringing in Latino and jazz music that he chooses the more obscure songs and versions. It’s hard to gauge how many fence-sitters there might be because most people either seem to think he can do no wrong or else have an irrational hatred for him and every move he makes.
KRISTIE LEE COOK A

I laughed out loud when Ryan announced her song choice. I could just see the Dopers’ fingers smacking keys in choked anguish and dispair. But as Simon said, it was The Most Clever Song Choice Ever. And with a good, controlled, measured performance she sealed her fate for weeks to come. She will now have a fan base.
DAVID COOK A

His is truly a sonorous voice. It sounds like molten gold. For some time, I was annoyed by the Eddie Vedderness of it, but it has grown on me. His creepiest affectation, of course, is his beady eyes, as they roam the audience like the eyes of a secret service agent scanning for anamolies. Not sure about the combover accusations though. I think his hair is real, like Donald Trumps. He just has a big forehead.

166

I guess I wasn’t either then.

Never mind.

167

I know and love the song he chose (must be a Canadian thing - that song was huge here in the 80’s), and I was truly disappointed with what he did with it. It’s a big, bellowing song, and he has a big, bellowing voice, and for some unknown reason he just didn’t go there.

If the name of the game is going to be pandering, I’d like to hear Chikezie trying to do Marvin Gaye’s version of “The Star Spangled Banner.” That gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

168

Loved David Cook last night. He had far and away the best performance of the evening. And count me as among those who don’t care that he’s doing a cover. People on this show do it all the time, and have done it for as many years as the show has been on. Big deal! Do we honestly expect each of them to come up with their own original arrangement every week? That’s a pretty tall order unless you’re, say, Blake Lewis. But most of the contestants can’t pop out something completely original in that short of a timespan. So David is doing what he can by finding interesting arrangements of songs that you wouldn’t expect him to sing. I think he’s great, and my favorite right now.

Ramiele was definitely the worst of the night. I think she’ll be going home. I also wasn’t crazy about Jason (bo-ring!) and thought David A.'s song was terrible, though he sang it well enough. Syesha was great, Brooke and Chikezie were fine. Michael Johns was more than just a “meh” for the first time since the competition started. That said, he still wasn’t as good as the others. As has been noted, Carly was great until that last note, which was really bad. And Kristy Lee. Barf. But it was a brilliant song choice, I’ll give her that. It will definitely keep her around another week or two.

169

Am I the only one who thinks of David A. as Josh Groban Lite?

170

Interesting information, featherlou, thanks. That does indeed change the equation somewhat. Either it was impractical to build up in the time allotted or he was given bad advice because, you’re right — he can deliver the melodic drama.

171

Another interesting note: this is the first week that David Archuleta has been number 2 on DialIdol.

172

Josh Grobin Lite? Is that where Procol Harem got the idea for A Whiter Shade of Pale?

173

No. No you are not, sir, or madam, as the case may be.

I think it so much that I think he should get inserted into the F*king Ben Affleck video.

174

Which is the only example I can think of in which Josh Groban does something to earn my respect.

I take that back. The guy is undoubtedly talented, I just wish he’d use his powers for Good.

Anyway, thanks for confirming this thought I had last week. I think it began when I realized he (David A.) was almost incapable of performing an up-tempo song to the satisfaction of the judges and/or me.

(Oh, and “Sir” would be the right way to go.)

175

It was Chris Cornell’s arrangement, and thus, his timing and originality, but the range and notes were Cook’s… likely due to the fact that few have Cornell’s ability to hit the high notes.

176

Is anyone else as bored with Carly as I am. Sure, she has a great voice and all but somehow she never seems to do anything interesting with it. I don’t like her song choices and the arrangements that she chooses.

I think that she could have done something interesting with her song last night but instead she did the song in the same way.

Last week, I was really hoping that she would be voted off just because Kristy Lee and Amanda Overmyer are kind of trainwrecky fun.

I did laugh my ass off at the Lee Greenwood song. I had forgotten how schmaltzy that song is. It almost sounds like a parody of a patriotic song.

177

I liked David Cook and Michael Johns quite a bit; the others were pretty much dull and/or off-key this time.
What is with the judges’ love for Kristy? And excuse me for saying it, but that song she chose is glurge-y.

I would have liked David A. better if he had chosen a better song and one that people had actually heard of (most people, I mean).

178

I am impressed that, for the most part, there seems to be some risk taking as to song and style choice, rather than every week being a top 10 theme week.

Here’s my take:

In danger of going home:
I’m not saying that they are bad singers, it’s just that they didn’t stand out. Until you are down to the final five or six, boring is worse than bad on AI.

Ramiele - too bad, she seemed, in many ways, to be the most “real” of the contestants.

Chikeze - which is also too bad, as he really stood out the last two weeks, but he is back to sounding like a bad 70’s lounge singer trying to be soulful.

David Johns - even singing Queen, he sort of fades into the background. The most boring of the men still around.

Syesha - Cute and talented, but she seems like almost every other cute and talented singer who tried out this year.

Safe this week, but don’t have your parents rent out the room:
These were interesting enough to get votes, but people won’t keep them around when the competition gets tough.

Kristy - OK, a lot of you hate this song. (I also thought, when the song was announced, “well, the SDMB posters will hate it no matter what.”) It’s not my favorite and it is pandering. That aside, it was a dramatic improvement over the last two weeks. She will get enough votes to sail through this week. I will be surprised if she is in the bottom three.

Jason - I admit that I have a bias against him, as the combination of his hair and mouth remind me of Clifford from “Muppets Tonight!”, and not in a good way. He will get by for a little while longer due to his unique song choices and a small but loyal fan base, but his days are numbered.

Carly - It hurst to say it, because the girl can sing. Probably the best singer in the field, but no one seems to be warming up to her. And she seems so, I don’t know, calculated, in her song and performance choices.

Front runners:
It is too early to tell, but seem like they have potential of winning.

Brooke - Pro- I liked this performance again, and the error at the beginning made her seem more human. Certainly a good possibility of winning, but probably not going to sell a lot of albums using that style, but she is good at the whole, Carol King thing. Cons- doesn’t seem top have the rabid fan-base her performances deserve. Her style trends for older fans, who don’t tend to vote. She also came off as a little arrogant with her whole “I could play the piano as a fetus, and just after hearing a song once” routine.

David A. - He isn’t as good as his fanbase thinks he is, and the last couple of weeks haven’t been as good as he has been in the past, but the cute and young thing might win him the whole thing. I hope not, because his first album will, most likely, suck.

David Cook - Best performance - loved it, and my whole family loved it. He may actually be the one to break the whole Bo/Daughtry “rocker can’t win” thing. Even If he doesn’t win, he is the most likely top have a successful album. His risky song choice, even if it is a cover of a cover, was great.

179

They don’t get credit for writing the songs, but often they get credit for their “arrangement” of the song.

Cook would not have come up with that if he hadn’t heard Cornell do it before.

Also, Cook should never have mentioned he had a large skull as a baby. Worf, you got a big-ass skull NOW. Your face only takes up the lower third of your head.

Still, he’s good. Both rockers are have good modern rock voices.

180

He received unanimous praise from the judges (and a standing ovation from the crowd) for his Shop Around, which is decidedly up-tempo.