What's Alan Watching?: American Idol: Top 9 (aka I like things that are great)

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

American Idol: Top 9 (aka I like things that are great)

My thoughts are over at NJ.com, and you can offer yours here.

12 comments:

Undercover Black Man said...: None of these performances were special. If there was a "Summertime" moment to be had -- and there should've been -- nobody rose to it.

LaKisha may be utterly confident in her own stylistic instincts. But maybe she should consider, as a matter of strategy, that it may turn some voters off when she blatantly ignores a living legend.

(And did Simon have to use the word "sassy"?)

Sanjaya's getting a little cocky. Did you catch his dig at Simon? It was off-mike, but it sounded like: "Welcome to the University of Sanjaya!"

Could this be the seed of his undoing?

What a bad batch this year. I miss the Season 5 crew, big-time.; 12:17 AM, April 04, 2007
Kris Eton said...: I agree, Alan, did these people just not listen to Tony Bennett at all?

Blake's version of "Mack the Knife" was dull, dull, dull. Didn't he hear Tony explain what it was about? A gangster. Think Tony Soprano or something. Geez, it sounded like he was singing about daisies and kittens. Where was the harshness, the grit this song needed?

LaKisha was bad. Not nearly as good as in previous weeks. I don't know why they praised her so much. Did anyone else notice that the band was drowning her out?

I actually liked Chris a lot this week. He wasn't as nasally as usual. Also, I think he really has an acting career ahead of him. He was adorable last week as the bad guy in the little western skit they did.

Melinda looked younger to me this week. She also picked a song that was a bit sexier. Less old lady. But, yes, there is trouble when trying to dress her odd shoulders and neck, isn't there? I am guessing they will try some extensions on her hair soon.

I thought Gina did pretty well. But the comment she made to the judges sounded petulant and rude. Not a good idea to ever talk back to the judges...

Haley needs to go. Her hand motions drive me nuts...like a cruise ship performance. And she really did not sing all that well.; 8:51 AM, April 04, 2007
Anonymous said...: I don't think it's such a big deal that they ignore certain parts of the celebrity judge's advice. I mean, for one, we never see the entire interactino with the judge, so we don't know all the other bits of advice that were offered and accepted. Presumably, the Idol producers know which bits they ignore before or as they cut the celeb intro, so they highlight that part. Part of what is interesting and unfortunate about the show is that the producers and celebs drain everything original out of the contestants so that they can conform to some pop idol ideal. Remember Taylor's original audition before Simon, Randy, Paula? It was great, haunting, and soulful; I would have bought that record. But he became a dancing doofus to win votes and that's what the competition does to you.; 9:20 AM, April 04, 2007
Anonymous said...: I wonder at the producer's motives at showing how most of the contestants ignored the celebrity judge's advice. It only serves to make them look like upstarts and considering that few of them have any actual musical experience, except for Melinda, they really are stupid to ignore the advice. Tony Bennett has been singing these songs for ages and he would understand the meaning behind the songs, much more than someone who is barely familiar with the 1980s. If they ignored his advice with the hopes of being "fresh" they didn't succeed, and I wonder at how they'll behave post-Idol regarding their producer's advice.

Lakisha may think she has geat style, but she neither the most technically proficient, nor is she the most emotionally resonant. This week, like the Brit invasion week, she should have listened to the judges and perhaps be the front runner in this thing.

Haley is just useless so I don't really care that she comes off as rude because she is gone in the next few weeks anyway.; 10:40 AM, April 04, 2007
Cinnette said...: When I was watching this last night, after hearing Tony's comments to Blake I really listened to the lyrics. At first I was thinking, "well, his singing is pretty good." And then I heard the following:

Now on the sidewalk -- uuh, huh whoo -- sunny mornin’ -- uuh, huh
Lies a body just oozin' life
And someone’s sneakin' ‘round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?

That combined with the smiling and the twirling and the gay (not that there's anything wrong with that!) dancing sort of ruined the moment for me. Blake is a tool.

And what was the eye-f***ing LaKisha was throwing at the camera at the end there? LOL

I have no idea why I watch this show.; 12:26 PM, April 04, 2007
Anonymous said...: Well, you have to admit Simon was right about Haley. So right . . .; 1:25 PM, April 04, 2007
K J Gillenwater said...: Cinette,

My thoughts on Blake exactly. He was singing about death and blood and all along he was trying to be hipster cool and smiling. It made no sense.

To me, Blake sounds like a one-hit wonder from the 80s. The judges are always talking about how modern he is, but every time I hear him sing, the Cure song especially last week, I think 80s, 80s, 80s. The techno sound, the voice quality. Everything.; 2:27 PM, April 04, 2007
Alan Sepinwall said...: Kristin, given that Daughtry impressed everyone by singing the greatest hits of '99, Bo by aping '70s Skynyrd, Ruben as Luther 2.0, Clay as Manilow 2.0, etc., it's not like being genuinely current has ever been an asset on this show. The most genuinely contemporary winner ever (based on what she did on the show, if not afterwards) may actually be Carrie Underwood.; 2:54 PM, April 04, 2007
K J Gillenwater said...: Alan, it's not the fact that he isn't necessarily 'current,' but the fact the judges keep praising him for his modern take on these old songs, when I just don't see it/hear it.

But I agree, most contestants did not have a 'new' sound at all. If they were that unique, talented, and original, they would already have record deals without needing to go through the Idol machine.; 3:36 PM, April 04, 2007
Alan Sepinwall said...: But they praised Daughtry up the wazoo for being current, when really he was just aping Nickelback, Creed, Live, etc. (Most notoriously with his "Walk the Line" cover, which the judges were too ignorant to recognize as note-for-note from the Live version, and instead praised his originality.); 3:37 PM, April 04, 2007
Anonymous said...: I thought Phil sounded horrible, like he was in pain, and so was I. If there is any justice, he should go home. Before Sanjaya. I can't believe I wrote that, but the way he sounded made me want to jump off a bridge. Egads!

Chris really did sound good this week. Great look and nice job.

I thought Haley sounded pretty good, perhaps one of her better performances, but she tarted it up with that stupid dancing. It wasn't fun -- it was cheese. Could be dangerous territory, Haley. Watch out.

As for Blake, alright, but not his best. And btw: his cover of "Love Song" wasn't really all that original; it was pretty much the same version as 311's cover (remember he mentioned them as his favorite band a few episodes back).

Speaking of Blake, cinette said:

"That combined with the smiling and the twirling and the gay (not that there's anything wrong with that!) dancing sort of ruined the moment for me. Blake is a tool."

GAY dancing? Then you feel the need to point out that there's nothing wrong with it, and then call him a tool? If you don't like him because you think he's gay, just say so. But come on... don't be so transparent as to try to cover it up with the "not that there's anything wrong with it" excuse.; 5:36 PM, April 04, 2007
dark tyler said...: I remember a discussion recently about Jennifer Hudson when she was on the show, that she didn't have perfect control of her voice. Jordin in the beginning was just like that, but week after week she just gets steadier and steadier. That thing she sang yesterday was crappy, though, so she didn't win the night or anything. But she shows incredible ease in jumping from genre to genre without losing anything in the process.

Now, dialidol predicts that LaKisha may very well be done by tomorrow. It will be very interesting to see where her fans' votes will go when she goes. So far Melinda has had a clear advantage, and if she takes LaKisha's people then the competition's done for this year. If not...?; 6:49 PM, April 04, 2007