I most emphatically disagree. Given everything else that’s happened this season, Lee’s final performance was the only one that came anywhere close to David Cook goosebumps for me. I would have lost the background singers from the arrangement, but especially compared to Casey’s dreck tonight, even with the singers Lee was miles ahead of both of the other contestants tonight.
Well, I missed the Hallelujah, as I have been relegated to batsitting duty. Waiting for the critter guy to come and catch this huge bat which flew into our house at some point and is now hiding behind a pillar at the peak of our 20’ cathedral ceiling. Critter guy says I need to watch the bat for the next 30 mintues or so until he shows up because otherwise it will be a PITA to find again. So here I am sitting on the floor of the living room with no TV. At least there is wireless internet and a laptop.
I’m sure you all are fascinated by my life, but I had to vent. Sorry.
I had to rewind Tivo to find out what he sang because it was very forgettable:
Ok Its All Right with Me by Eric Hutchinson.
Casey was boring but the most gifted instrumentally. And the best looking, FWIW.
Crystal was as solid as usual but she didn’t have a “Wow” moment. Really liked her “Maybe I’m Amazed” and get $$ for voting that she wouldn’t change the gender specific lyrics.
Much preferred Lee’s first Led Zep song to “Halleluiah.” He got lost in that arrangement, IMO. Or perhaps it sounded better live because I thought it was way over-produced. I’d have liked a naked arrangement better. But I agree he was most improved.
Crystal and Lee in the finals. Hey, I get half credit cause I called Crystal and Casey.
What a crappy night. The only song I liked out of the bunch was Crystal’s Maybe I’m Amazed.
I still don’t get the Lee love. He’s got a hoarse, gravelly voice - and that’s it. He’s got no nuance. He doesn’t know how to interpret a song. He goes off pitch regularly. He does everything the same way - straining out big power notes, getting a liittle quieter, then doing it again. And again. And again. He’s got no subtlety, no range. Can anyone imagine him pulling off “The Music of the Night” like David Cook did?
I absolutely love Simple Man. I was ecstatic that AI was going to allow a Skynyrd song other than ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. And props to Lee for picking it. But Lee’s interpretation - not great. It was an okay performance, but again he missed the feeling of the song. But I guess he did what AI wants you to do - sing a little softly, muck about with the melody a bit to show you’re an ‘artist’, then blast out some glory notes for good measure. That’s the formula for success on this show, and Lee followed it to, I’m guessing, a second-place finish.
I have no idea what happened to Casey. I’d like to say that it looks to me like he doesn’t want to win and he’s just turning in workmanlike, boring performances so he can get off the show without hurting his reputation, but that’s really a cop-out. The Casey that was on stage tonight was a pale shadow of the guy who played this a couple of days ago, but maybe he’s got stage fright, or he didn’t sleep, or something. And his performance of John Mayer’s Gravity was light years better than his performance of ‘Daughters’. Gravity is a much, much better song, too. So of course the AI judges picked the suckiest song Mayer’s written. In any event, I suspect he’s going out in third place. But he’s a much better musician, and a better singer, than Lee.
And man, did they ever pimp Lee. They clearly want Casey gone. Hell, Simon pretty much told Lee he was going to the final before he even sang. Then they gave him the full meal deal - the gospel singers, the light show, the crane cam swirling around him… And in the end, they WAY over-praised a mediocre rendition of a song that has been sung better on that very show by several other contestants. Oh well.
I suspect it will be a Lee-Crystal final. But if Lee beats Crystal for the crown, it wil be perhaps the worst injustice this show has ever perpetrated - and it’s perpetrated a few.
Worse even than Jennifer Hudson coming in seventh? 
Casey James’ first song was nothing at all - nothing going on whatsoever. I’m not sure he would have even made it onto the show if that had been his audition. Bad, bad song choice - he’s confirming my suspicion that he doesn’t know what kind of artist he is.
Crystal - “Come To My Window” - she seemed to be doing some Siobhan-like screeching in the song - I’m not impressed. I agree that the harmonica was completely an affectation.
Lee - “Simple Man” - not bad. That was a good song choice for him. He’s not my kind of artist, and I don’t think I’ll ever buy any music of his
Crystal - “Maybe I’m Amazed” - some very nice singing, but some screechy moments - I didn’t love that either. If I had anything better to do Tuesday nights, I think I would have written this season off months ago. I need an outside my house hobby.
Lee - “Hallelujah” - meh. No goosebumps for me either.
The closest I came to liking any of that was Crystal’s “Maybe I’m Amazed”… but even that was kinda meh. I had to force myself not to fast forward through most of the other songs (I promised I’d give everyone a chance).
It was ok, but I’m still waiting for him to perform a John Hiatt song. I think that would suit him.
1st performances:
Casey: C-
Crystal: C+
Lee: B-
2nd performances:
Casey: C+
Crystal: B+
Lee: B
Lackluster night. I don’t understand the love for Lee from the judges–he missed a ton of notes on both songs tonight, IMO.
Dialidol is predicting a flat-out elimination of Casey. It’s the first actual prediction that someone will be voted off this year, I think (the margin of error generally prevents any solid predictions).
Lee really miffed some notes on Hallelujah. The beginning was good stuff, but yikes. His other song was forgettable.
Casey did nothing memorable tonight. He is probably the most lackadaisical contestant to get this far. He hardly seems to care.
And Crystal looked completely uncomfortable tonight. She sang well, but rhythms were off, she was tentative, and generally she came off as a bit nervous. But I do think she is the only worthy winner. Lee does not have the raw talent (not that that stopped Taylor Hicks or - I know others disagree - Kris Allen - from winning).
They gave Lee and Crystal the opportunities for the “big moments” and left Casey with a flat song. Those choices are going to impact the votes. BUT, on their own picks, it was about the same and I think Casey will probably be quite happy for the exposure and whatever record deals he can get without being tied to the Idol thing. I have to wonder if that’s the thought process for Crystal as well. Lee is the one who would most benefit from the Idol deal. Crystal will benefit from the national exposure and end up doing well because of it. American Pop is certainly not her style.
Lee did a great job with “Hallelujah” in particular. Crystal was pretty good, and Casey was a distant third and just not memorable. Predictably, he is quite far below them at DialIdol.
The more I think about it, the more pissed I get about the blatant manipulation regarding Lee. He was good, could have been great if it were less bombastic and he didn’t have an epic fail of a falsetto, but it didn’t give me chills even though the whole thing was clearly designed to. It was a manufactured moment, which is really no moment at all.
1st Round:
- Lee
- Crystal
- Casey
2nd Round:
- Crystal
- Lee
- Casey
Bye bye, Casey, you li’l cutie!
So nobody is watching tonight? I guess it really isn’t like there is much suspense about what is going to happen.
This kid ,Justin Beiber?, sings some song with the words “You Smile, I Smile” yet he has his hands wrapped around this big microphone which is covering up half his face. I can’t tell if he is smiling.
I suppose Larry Platt will be back for the finale?