I don’t know this song at all, but I liked Andrew tonight. I really did.
Jesus, not only is it a Chris Brown song, it’s a Chris Brown song that rips of a doublemint gum commercial in the lyrics.
It bothers me that the judges are praising this. Don’t they have any basic morality?
Maybe next week he’ll do that same Charlie Manson song that GNR did.
Now we know Queen Tonya is one of the few people with an internet connection who missed that wedding aisle dancing video about 6 months ago.
Wait, that was That song?!
I had no idea. :o
What wedding aisle dancing video?
Just kidding.
“Chain of Fools” is kind of a trite song choice.
Ouch, pitchy right out of the gate. The brass section adds nothing.
More pitchiness in the verse. This isn’t working at all. If you’re going make a choice this hackneyed, you have to do something different with it. If you’re going to do it straight, at least sing on key. This was a fail in every way.
Did the judges suddenly go tone deaf or something? I know they script their critiques during rehearsals, but did they not notice she was out of key this time? They make themselves sound like retards when they praise a different performance than what was given.
I dunno Dio, it might just be the fact that I had some pretty low expectations going in, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was afraid it would be. I liked her little 'tude she had going with it, too.
Her outfit confused the hell out of me, but Ellen was right, the earrings were cool.
Lee can end up being another Cook if he really starts knocking some things out. He’s got the best pure voice.
This is good. Best of the night, so far.
ETA good ending. He really nailed that song. His best performance of the season.
By far, Lee. The best of the night by far.
Ten bucks says that Crystal does the Indigo Girls version of “Midnight Train.” I almost guessed that last week, but went with “People Get Ready” for my prediction because the guitar for “Midnight Train” is a little above her skill level. Vocally, it’s her kind of song, though – fairly basic line with a lot of room for that exact same embellishment she does for every other song (dynamic swells and yodelling, basically).
Great night for Lee. Good timing too, when I saw he was coming on next I wandered to the kitchen, since he’s been rather unremarkable so far. Wonderful performance.
She ran away from that piano pretty fast. She was kind of two-fingering it anyway. She’s a bit of a fraud as an instrumentalist.
That was it? Not much there. Not bad exactly. Competent, but ordinary. Putting down the guitar was a bad idea. Faking it on the piano is not her musical identity. That was lame. That was like when Axl Rose pretends to play the piano.
Her vocals were good enough. She’s annoyingly good as a singer. I have to admit that even though I don’t like her personality.
Aww, Crystal got all girlified. and it worked. It was actually nice, despite what Simon was right about, seeing her get out of her comfort zone. Sort of put her on the same playing field as the rest of the contestants somehow. She’s still miles ahead of most of them, but nice seeing her stretch.
I don’t normally post in the Idol threads, but I feel like Dio’s rather intense hatred for Bowersox is intimidating people away from voicing the obvious. She outclasses everyone else except for Siobhan by a ridiculous margin. She is consistently terrific, interesting and likeable and is the obvious choice. She is in the safe category as Clarkson, David Cook and Adam Lambert as the best contestant. As we all know they don’t always win, but I am certainly pulling for her.
Siobhan: You don’t sing Miss Khan without being able to wail it out with serious soul. She doesn’t seem comfortable with emotion; there’s something very mannered about her performances. As much as S. can yowl, she never just lets go. Her voice is oddly covered – and when she opens that yawning chasm that is a mouth and tries to impress us, she’s almost always a little bit sharp. Simon is absolutely right: her reliance on BIG SCREAM HIGH NOTE has become predictable. Ah, and Ellen agrees too.
Casey: I’m again with Simon. Enjoyed this song very much. I really like this guy’s voice – it’s got some grit to it, and he uses it well. I do think he could use more of his range, as Ellen and Kara said, but this was still a good solid performance. I’d like to see him relying less on the guitar (same with all the guitarites this year). For a change it’d be great to just hear people sing and focus on the emotion, not the strings.
Mike: Best singer this year, without a doubt, and he pulled this off beautifully – simple, restrained, without excessive pyrotechnics (hear that, Siobhan?). Like Kara, I never heard this song before, and I found it quite moving. He made it sound like a classic. Just an all-round lovely performance.
Didi: Yucko. Usher was absolutely right – all that weeping and wailing should’ve been going on during the song, not afterward for the cameras. She sang it like reciting a shopping list. Quite possibly the least soulful performer since Carmen “goat girl” from the 2nd or 3rd season. STFU audience: the judges are absolutely right. Though I disagree with Ellen a bit … I don’t think it was dramatic enough. At least, not vocally. She’s emoting in her face but not imparting it in the voice. Blandy McWhitebread. And her personality is jerkish too: Ryan’s trying desperately to help you out, idiot!
Tim: I have to say, Usher is doing his best; good solid advice there. Unfortunately, for Tim, apparently “in love” means terror and/or hyponosis. His eyes are staring, staring, staring… Make them stop! And he has a range of approximately six notes. Going outside that range turns him offkey and weakens what little control over what he is pleased to call his instrument. And OMG Simon was hilarious. Though good for Tim for accepting it with his equanimity (and making Simon laugh).
Andrew: Forever is how long this song feels like it’s taking. What a bore. His performance was okay, certainly better than he’s been, but this song is just … meh on a platter of bland with a side of blah. Maybe if I knew Chris Brown’s oeuvre this would’ve meant more to me.
Katie: Good vocals, nothing great. But… I don’t know. She doesn’t have the attitude to back this song up. I don’t like the whole “she’s only sixteen” mantra, but this is a song that demands a knowledge of heartbreak. She seems kinda lackadaisical as she walks around the stage, like she can’t commit to the performance, or she’s eaten too much turkey before the show and is overloaded with L-tryptophan. (Also? Not feeling those shorts.)
Lee: Aw! I’ve always liked his voice, and it’s a pleasure to see the kid getting some kudos. He has a shy puppydog vibe to me and I think he really needed the compliments he got tonight. Interesting how he puts so much heft and grit into his instrument, but facially can’t seem to express any emotion whatsoever. Obviously the voice is the most important part of any performance, but I still want to see some feeling on the guy’s face. But anyway, a solid rendition of a by-the-book, not-so-hot song. He gave it better than it deserved.
Crystal: Holy crap, Midnight Train to Georgia?! This I gotta hear. Oh wait, I’m about to. The minute she got up from the piano, I started to smile. So glad to see her focus on singing. But it was so SHORT! Andrew’s “Forever” took a billion years, and we don’t get to hear the best freakin’ song of the evening for longer than two minutes? I call ripoff. She sounded terrific and though she seemed a bit uncomfortable, I think this was refreshing for her. Nicely done. She’s my main root-for performer this year. Not that there’s much to choose from. And honestly, I’m not so much rooting for her as I am rooting against everyone else. Except perhaps Mike, and (without much enthusiasm) Casey or Lee. Not that either of the latter two have a chance.
Aaron gets the pimp slot? Interesting. He has a curious ability to sound horrific one week, very good the next. This week is one of his better weeks, vocally. But I’m not feeling the emotion in this song. And with “Ain’t No Sunshine” he takes a risk, because that is almost as good a song as “Midnight,” so he does seem to have decent taste, if nothing else. Like Usher said, this has to be an intensely personal cri de coeur (well, he didn’t say it like that), and Aaron, like Katie, just doesn’t have that capability yet. Usher gave him smart advice about that “I know…” section and he didn’t follow through – it was a monotone.
I say Didi’s a goner, and not a moment too soon.
“Ain’t no Sunshine” is just too grown up a song for a kid like Aaron to get. I mean, lyrically, it’s obviously about a long term, live in relationship, a marriage or committed partnership.
I sorta give Aaron points just for not screwing it all up, like Didi did. It’s a song I love and I got to enjoy it at least.
I know I know i know i know…hee
My faves tonight-
Mike, Lee, and for entertainment value, Tim.