American Idol4/28-29

Cafe Society
41

I understood what she meant about sleazy, I just hate her and tend to hate anything out of her mouth. Instead of sleazy, maybe I would say “low-down”, the way the song is structured, what with the walk down of the chords and the trumpet and band… I wish I could get my words out better. Sleazy like being in some backroom, down and dirty club, that song has that kind of atmosphere to me. Of course, his big note put it straight on Broadway, but even still, I loved it.

ETA: and Gonzomax, Roy Orbison is a good call, but I feel like Adam will be bursting from his seams in outfits too small for him in the future, while my recollections of Orbison always had him in suits that fit well. This is coming from a huge Adam fan, and maybe I just hope he lets his inner pompous self out, and not be the humble, professional he is playing currently on tv. All in my dreams, of course.

42

Adam was hands-down the best tonight, as he’s been in every week. The guy just doesn’t know how to be boring.

I thought Kris did a great job, and his strength tonight was particularly fitting for Rat Pack week - his phrasing. Sinatra’s biggest strength was his phrasing - the way he put the songs together, the exquisite timing, where he chose to add emphasis, and all the little things outside of hitting the right notes a great singer has to do to really make a song come alive. Kris’s phrasing was fluid and effortless, and still very much unique to him. Kris has his own sound, which is an important thing to have as an artist. Not just the tone of his voice, but his whole approach to a song has its own signature. Like Jack Johnson, or Jason Mraz. My favorite contestant on the show, and probably the only one who could sell me his solo album. I’m not sure Adam could. But I’d go to Adam’s concert.

Allison was great as well, but I just get a bit of a feeling that we’re seeing her right in the middle of a somewhat limited range. She’s got her own sound as well, but it fits a much narrower category of music. I’m not sure how interesting she’d be as an artist. I’m not sure she has the maturity to seek out the right material and the right collaborators. She could be Bonnie Raitt without the guitar chops. But Bonnie’s got killer taste in music and works with people who bring out the best in her. I’m not sure what Allison would be like in the hands of the 29 entertainment hit machine. Might be great, might be dreck.

Danny Gokey comes in fourth. This was my favorite performance of his, and the first time I didn’t want to punch him in the teeth. Well, maybe just a little. But this is the first time I really felt that he might have actually been trying to deliver the song rather than just use it as a vehicle to display his mad vocal skilz.

I thought Matt was pretty average. It’s one of those things that’s hard to put your finger on, but the song just kind of laid there. It wasn’t a bad performance, but at this point it’s got to be a great performance to stick around, and that wasn’t it.

So, I’m hoping Matt goes home.

43

Here goes. I just watched the show on DVR without simultaneously checking this thread, Entertainment Weekly or DialIdol for reactions, so here is my pure, unsullied response:

Dayum, this is gonna be tough. This was a really good week for everyone, even Danny, who I can’t even pretend to judge objectively.

Idol Moment of the Week: They were all so good that nobody ran far ahead of the pack as a giant among men (so to speak) but personally, the only one that moved me was Allison. On a week when she really, really needed to be great, she was great and then some. Beautiful, nuanced, subtle, pitch-perfect singing. I’m not sure enough voters will agree, but if she goes, it will be, 100% because Simon told people not to vote for her. Simon can suck my dick.

Good but Somehow Lacking: Kris was, as always, technically exquisite, with absolutely nothing wrong with the performance, the look or the stage presence, except by the end of the show I’d forgotten all about him. As much as he deserves to beat two of his competitors (whose names don’t start with “A”) I found myself agreeing that “a bit wet” was exactly the correct (if not particularly helpful) critique. I loved that Matt dropped the falsetto but it seemed to throw him a little. His was the only performance of the night where I noticed bum notes, but he delivered the song with real heart. Will heart (and hat) save him? Do enough people care?

Ugh: Danny is one of those people who smiles through all of his songs - like people compained about Katharine McPhee and Syesha doing, and look how far those two got - but, according to the judges, emotional connection to the song and sincere connection with the audience don’t matter, just forget all about that, because he wants to win so badly he dreams about stuffing Adam into a wood-chipper. So sheer competitive force will conquer the much more deserving Kris or Allison? Simon can go fuck himself.

The Category of One: Adam continues to defy comparison with his competitors (I use the term loosely). It’s not even that he was so much better as such, he’s just in his own league to the extent that TPTB are not even pretending not to build the whole show around his performances. I honestly would not be surprised if one of these shows Simon just came out and said “Look, let’s just stop the charade; Adam gets twice the votes of any contestant every week. It’s now a race for second.” Adam was Adam. But as I started thinking last week, his dominance is starting to get a teeny bit boring. It’s very hard to top himself each week without resorting to gimickry, and it’s also harder to maintain his lead when everyone else is getting stronger. But he’s still the one we all have to see before we go to bed, and I am very curious indeed what he comes up with for Rock Week.

I don’t even want to think about who is going home this week, because if it’s anyone but Danny (or, okay, maybe Matt) I’m gonna be really stabby.

44

Thanks, Sam - you saved me all that typing. :slight_smile: I loved it when Jamie called Danny out on being a big, fat phony fake.

My take on the final five - Kris is hands down the best musician left. Adam is hands down the best performer. Allison needs a lot more maturity, and she has potential to really be a star. Matt’s talent level peaked a couple of weeks ago. Danny will have a wonderful career as the next Michael Bolton.

45

Nina Simone did a terrific cover of Feelin’ Good. Her version was also used in a promo for Six Feet Under.

Also, another AI contestant performed Feelin’ Good. Can’t remember her name or what season but I do remember she got kicked out for it, scatting at the end of the song not being a particularly good idea.

46

Kris looked and sounded like a little boy playing a role. He reminded me of Jason Castro last night.

Allison was way out of her element, trying to do rock chick on a Rat Pack song. I’ve never understood the appeal of her strangled-sounding voice, but she’s usually technically proficient. Tonight she mangled it in places.

Matt’s going home. Simon was just trying to justify using the save on him. Jamie Foxx’s suggestion of a key change was terrible advice, as Matt was unable to handle the low notes. He’s struggling more and more as the others get more comfortable.

I don’t care for Danny, but this theme was in his element, and he did it well.

Adam was solid, but he’s no longer surprising. I used to think he was inventive, but each week he reinvents his song into the same thing.

47

The wife commented that she’ll be interested to see what happens to Adam after a professional trainer/dietician gets hold of him.

Last night was a preview of the tour. A few opening acts followed by the star of the show.

You see this as a weakness, I see it as his strength. Adam is self-aware about who and what he is. Will he ever be an icon of music? No, he won’t. Will he have a pretty good run of well-selling albums, sold-out shows (where the money is) and a decently long career? Most likely.

Adam is also the front-runner by a country mile. Inventive and surprising is for someone clawing to come from behind (or you save it for the final two/three shows when it really counts). As long as he doesn’t become complacent and start mailing it in (which there is no sign of so far), he’ll be fine doing exactly what he’s doing now.

48

Mark it down. If it’s a final between Adam and Danny, Adam loses. No way he can pull off the cheesy winner’s single like Danny could.

49

Folks said that last year about David Cook, but that godawful magic rainbow song sold a bazillion copies and was on the charts forever.

As for last night’s performances, I thought Kris was drowned out by the band and strayed too far from the melody in places. I thought Allison was great - that was the first song from anyone this season that I’ve thought about buying. Matt - blah. Danny, I’m horrified to say, wasn’t awful. The first half of the song was boring, but I liked the end. I just rewatched Adam’s performance. I liked that he did something neither stripped down nor totally manic. It seemed entirely too short, though.

My bet is thay Matt’s going home this week.

50

Adam was too theatrical for me. Those high shrieky notes should be used only rarely; otherwise they annoy me. I appreciate the fact that he is trying really, really hard to be humble on stage, but I get the feeling that it’s all an act. I wish he’d compete with his real personality vs. trying to play it safe to appease the soccer moms.

Kris did fabulous, but I know what Simon means when he says he lacks confidence. Danny, who’s not as talented, at least has confidence in himself.

I thought Alison did great (but once again I hated her dress) and I absolutely agree that Simon is trying to manipulate the audience into phoning in for her. Remember a few years back when he roundly criticized Sanjaya week after week only to have the audience vote him back? He finally got smart, threw Sanjaya a bone, and poof! he was gone.

Matt should go home. He’s talented but his competition is better. And so it goes.

Tangent:

I am beginning to openly dislike Kara. I’ve been meaning to bring this up every week, but I hate, hate, hate Paula’s gawdy, clunky, over sized rings. And Ryan’s introduction, as if AI was the most important event in the world, is overly dramatic and embarrassing.

PunditLisa: Out!

51

I have to agree. “Someone to Watch Over Me” is one of my favorite songs and I thought she butchered it. I don’t want to see her go home though, so I’m sorta glad we’re in the minority.

52

I agree whole-heartedly. We are talking about Adam, right?

I really like Kris, but hated the arrangement of “The Way You Look Tonight”. Turned a beautiful melody into a Boys II Men mellisma-fest.

Speaking of Adam, I’d love to know who decides which contestant gets to walk down the neon pink staircase for their entrance. It’s either brilliant showmanship by Adam, or blatant favoritism by the producers. I’ll go with the latter.

I don’t know why they bothered announcing a theme for the night, other than “Standards”. One cursory mention of the Rat Pack (with 1 photo). Mentor completely disassociated from the theme. I haven’t done a thorough check, but I think 4 of the 5 songs were recorded by Sinatra (I have my doubts that Feelin’ Good was recorded by any of Frank, Sammy or Dino). I think it was Matt that blurred Rat Pack and Big Band – chronologically, that’s like blurring Hip Hop and Doo-Wop.

53

On the positive side, it’s led me to answer my phone

“THIS…isGwendolenLastname.”

54

I thought I didn’t care about “Idol” this year, but just seeing Gokey’s face in a newspaper article made me realize I will throw up if he wins.

55

Will it be on even? The presidential press conference is at 9!:eek:

56

Fox has said that they’re not going to carry Obama’s presser.

57

While I adore Nina’s version, it wasn’t the one I was thinking of. After much searching, I have discovered it and now present myself for full-on pointing and laughing: It was Michael Buble.

Many apologies to his fan for mistaking him for a woman in my head.

58

Wiki seems to have a pretty definitive history of Feeling Good. Written in 1965, at the tail end of the Rat Pack era, but covered by Sammy Davis Jr.

59

jsc1953, given where this comment is in the above exchange and Dio’s previous comments, I think he is actually referring to Gokey.

60

I am officially old: the whole time they were showing the food fight, I was thinking “That’s not your house, you ungrateful brats! Who’s going to clean that mess up???”

Ouch.