On a positive side, we now know that Kara can count to three without a problem. I figure she might get mixed up when she has to use her left hand.
I miss the bluesy, R&B Lil.
I actually liked Kris this time. Allison was okay, Matt was better than they said, Scotty was decent but forgettable, Anoop got it all wrong, Gokey was not bad, Lil was competent, Megan sucked it hard, and Adam was great.
From best to worst:
Kris - That was very cool. This guy just elevated himself into the top 3 for me. You can realy tell he’s a serious student of music. That was a pretty clever arrangement, and we find out he’s a multi-instrumentalist. And, he understands how to deliver a song.
Adam - Play that funky music, KurtElvis! The guy is just a hoot to watch, and his voice just goes all over the place. Very entertaining. Although I must say, if he doesn’t learn to stay out of his extreme upper register a little more, he could get tedious. I’m not sure I could listen to an album of him shrieking in my ear. Perhaps if I badly needed to stay awake. By the way, that shoutout to the band was more theatrics - it made him look like their equal, and not just a contestant on a show. Clever guy. He’ll go far in that business.
Allison - She just rocks. Although I noticed she stopped playing the guitar after the ridiculously easy opening. I wonder how good she really is on that thing. But hell, I don’t care if she ever plays it again, as long as she keeps hammering out songs the way she does. I just love her attitude and intensity. She sounds very similar to Dilana from Rock Star, but Dilana has been around the block oh, about a hundred thousand times. She may be a better performer than Dilana, because with Dilana you felt like you were watching an intentional performance of a song, whereas Allison just lives it.
Those are the top three. They’re the true talents on the show. Then we take a loong step to the next tier.
Danny Gokey - That was a pretty good performance. It just wasn’t even remotely interesting. Boring song, absolutely predictable delivery. That’s what I dislike the most about him, I think. You just know exactly what he’s going to do. Every time. Boring.
Matt - The judges were kind of right. That was a pretty good rock vocal, but it was nothing special. Randy was right - you’re better on the R&B side. You’re a standout there, just average doing the rock.
Lil Rounds - She gets points just for range and power. But not a very exciting performance. If she doesn’t come up with something unique to her and special, she’s history at some point. Because singers like her are a dime a dozen. She’s not bringing anything new to the table.
Scott - Sorry, that sucked. Scott’s problem is that he’s just WAY too square. Great piano player, but his singing is horrible. “Just the Way you Are” is a slow song, but it feels quicker because Joel often jumps a little ahead of the beat, and he’s constantly changing his cadence so it catches you off guard. That helps make the song interesting. Scott’s vocals didn’t have any of that nuance. And it sounds and looks so difficult for him - every time he hits a note you want to say, “Hey, good one!”. Because it’s always kind of a surprise. And his tone is just out-of-this-world awful. Nasal and with a hard edge to it. Ugh.
Anoop - Okay, that was just unlikeable. When you think you’re being cool, you kind of look like a jerk. A bit snotty, a bit stuck on yourself. Not a good look for you. I can’t even remember what song you sang. To quote Simon, “Utterly forgettable.”
Megan - There’s something wrong with your voice. Are you standing on a paint mixer? Perhaps you’re part goat? That vibrato is horrible. You sing in a monotone. You sway back and forth and twist your shoulders like a go-go girl on roofies. Although roofies are supposed to prevent convulsions, so maybe not.
Megan, Anoop, or Scott can go home this week. Of the three, I’d send home Scott. There were three piano players on the show tonight, and Scott was the weakest of the three, and one least likely to do something amazing in the future. As an instrumentalist, he’s very good. He just shouldn’t sing.
This week is going to pose a challenge in the Idol prediction game! Almost anyone could land in the bottom three and I wouldn’t be surprised. My impressions prior to reading the thread:
"Idol Moment" of the week:
Kris (Ain’t No Sunshine)- I almost turned off the DVR after Adam because I completely forgot there was anyone else left to sing. That didn’t bode well, but this was by far the best of the night. Perfect song, beautiful arrangement, perfectly done (except for that final note). I just wish he’d shave.
Good, but should have been better:
Adam (Play that Funky Music) - Last week was Adam reigning it in, and brilliantly, for the sake of the song. This week he seemed afraid to let it back out. I swear I saw him start to pelvic thrust or go to grope himself and he pulled back; it was kind of sad. As maddening as he can be, Adam should just be honest - crazy or scary or brilliant or all of the above. “Just OK” doesn’t look good on him.
Allison (Don’t Speak) - This started great but went off the rails as soon as the band kicked in, and the guitar was just a distraction. If she had played the whole thing as a ballad I think it would have killed. Judges: YOU LOOK LIKE HELL YOU STUPID COW mumble mumble you sang really well mumble. What the F? Why do they hate her so freakin’ much?
Midpack:
Scott (some Billy Joel song): Agree that it’s the best he’s done yet. A little shouty in bits, but a great song and arrangement for him. He’s still not a strong enough singer for this contest, and having my first grade teacher’s bouffant and a circa 1984 pleather jacket isn’t doing him any favors. I’m betting this keeps him out of the bottom three, unless the hardcore voters already picked their favorites and he’s not among them.
Danny (some Rascal Flatts song): Proving once again that he’s a competent vocalist who is a fidgety mess on stage. Given his previously-pimped, recently-ignored personal tragedy, this song was a softball to make us all weepy blobs of goo - and hand to God I was willing to go there if he led me properly - but he delivered it with all the emotion of a stuffed puppy. Of course that is enough to earn blowjobs from all of the judges, so whatever.
Megan (some Bob Marley song): I hate to say it, but this was a good night for her, despite the judges’ pre-rehearsed smackdown. This song matches her so much better. I don’t love her voice and her outfit is crap, but this IS Megan. The judges are such idiots about her, when she’s terrible they say she’s great, when she’s decent they hate her. Also she looks 4000% better in the interview segments without all the goop on her face. And sleeves.
Anoooop (some Usher song): I agree with Randy: Usher is not who you want to emulate to prove your vocal chops. The arrangement wasn’t helping, he kept getting swallowed by the band and the backup singers. He’s not making good choices, and though the judges talk out of their asses most of the time, his pissy attitude won’t win him votes. He’s a lock for bottom 3, and quite possibly going home. SIGH!
Wrong in So Many Ways:
Lil (some Celine Dion song): What has happened to this woman? She has NO confidence. Rather than tear herself to pieces trying to please the judges, she needs a take a big dose of “Fuck it” and come out and do something fun. Or maybe she’s just not as good as we’ve been led to believe.
Matt (the Fray? Jesus wept): Matt is deeply in denial of who he is. He IS Michael Buble, he WANTS to be Coldplay. “I want to prove that R&B is not all I can do.” No, stupid, you need to prove that you CAN do R&B, really, really well.
Anoop and Megan are in the worst danger; they’ll use the save on Matt or Lil if either gets voted out.
Mandisa looks GREAT!
In order, best to worst:
Kris - Rapidly becoming my favorite. Seems the most serious about winning, along with
Adam - The most interesting and the only one that makes me wonder what song he’ll perform when I hear the theme, but this was not his best.
Allison - Also not her best, though a good choice, but even her mediocre nights are better than most of the others’ good nights.
Matt - I liked it better than the judges. I admit to not knowing The Fray so the song was new to me. It was ok, not great. After last week I expected him to do something in his wheelhouse. This really wasn’t.
Megan - I know, I know, but I like her. She’s the second most interesting to me, after Adam. I want her around for the WTF factor each week.
**Danny **- Solid, boring, douchey. That’s Danny.
Bottom Three:
Anoop, Scott and Lil - Scott was better than usual, but still nowhere close to good. Anoop is really lost, he has no identity. Lil is not that good. I thought she was, but she’s not.
He is rapidly becoming my favorite also. I’d actually buy his cd and listen to what he played last night. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending of the song (I don’t understand why when they showed all the performances of the night they showed the very ending of his song. How was that supposed to help everyone remember how he did?).
I wouldn’t say she played it. She brought it on stage, for some reason.
The dress made her look like she was the Liberty Bell in a grade school pageant.
And the hair made her resemblance to Princess Fiona in Shrek even more apparent.
But she sings well.
Best to worst:
Kris - I don’t like the original version of this song very much, but Kris arranged it beautifully. It’s obvious that he comes from a family of musicians.
Allison - I actually liked this song. I also would have preferred to hear it a little softer, but still thinks she’s got a bluesy quality to her singing that is awesome. And, yes, the outfit was gawd awful, but I think most of the styles today are awful, so who cares?
Matt - I’d never heard of this song, but appreciate the fact that he’s trying to sound current.
Adam - I’m disappointed that he can’t dance. He’s entertaining, if nothing else, but I’m really, really sick of the shriek rock, especially those high notes. But, you know, he’s entertaining.
**Danny **- Not great, not awful, just right in the middle of the pack, as always.
Anoop - I still give him kudos for his awesome “You Were Always on My Mind” rendition, but he has no edge, no insanity in him that makes you want to keep watching and listening. He could exit at any time now.
Scott - He’s so earnest that it’s impossible not to like him, but he has no star quality about him at all, and he constantly picks corny “Up With People” songs.
Lil - She has pipes, yes, but absolutely no musical direction. She’s trying to do what the judges tell her to do (“Pick a song that shows off those pipes!”) and still fails to impress. She and Scott would make great hotel lounge singers.
Megan - Oh my.
I’m glad that Paula and Simon didn’t act like pubescent teenagers on stage. I wish Kara was less long-winded. And I wish they’d put an hourglass timer on the stage so that the last few contestants don’t always get short changed. Oh, and once again, they should go back to three judges.
**Lil: **Zzzzz.
**Scott: **Thank you for fixing your hair. New approach: sing on key. Interesting move.
**Allison: ** Bored now. Guitar prop was a misstep. Probably in trouble after that, which is a shame because she’s a savant vocalist.
**Danny: **Marvelous performance. I’m pulling for ya, broseph. You could help take Christian music to the next level of relevance if you start making crossover records. Ruben tried with his first record but it was lame-o gospel pablum.
Adam: Exciting, polished, clever, devilish. For Pete’s sake, take the keening down a notch, son. It’s like a King Diamond concert up in hea.
**Kris: **Consummate musicianship. Great vocal control. He’s really distinguishing himself.
Bwaaah ha ha! +1. I’ll be using that IRL.
David Cook did it last year - Adam will steer clear of that.
Here’s why the judges are trying to drag down the better singers and push up the worse ones: they want to use their save. If the contestants get voted off in approximately “correct” order from worst to best, they never have the drama of saving one and then doing the double-kill the next week. So the judges have to mix it up.
I’ve seen this mentioned a few times in this thread, but I hated his hair. I mean, I hated it before, too but this was not an improvement.
In fact when I saw him, I pictured this.
I didn’t remember them saying it, but my friend claims they have to use it before the top 5? So, any time now…
Once again this season the judges are up to their old tricks:
“Artistry is making the song your own, taking a familiar song and doing something new.”
“Dawg, you don’t mess with a classic like that.”
I was really surprised to see Simon clap after his comments for…I think Danny Deadwife-DeadGrandpa? I don’t remember him doing that very often if at all.
I don’t think they’ll use the save for anyone except Adam, Danny, or Allison. The rest are on their own.
I don’t think they’ll use a save on Allison. They seem to have an irrational hatred for her. I think they are more likely to use it on Lil, who has yet to impress me with anything she’s sang in the top 12. Last night she was completely off key.
Yeah, I don’t know what Lil’s problem is, but if she doesn’t start bringing it, she’s not going to be around much longer. And she doesn’t even have Vote For The Worst pulling for her. 
Adam was straight out of Studio 57!!
