# American Idol (Top 7) 4/20/2011



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

7 more to go ..


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## rkr0923 (Sep 14, 2006)

Please let it be Stefano


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Two things happened tonight that I didn't expect ..

(1) I think James is now definitely the other person in the final two (Scotty of course being the one I think will be the ultimate winner).

(2) I finally found a Jacob performance I really liked ....  ... Randy was wrong. By pulling back a bit, Jacob sounded a gazillion times better. When he goes to where Randy thought he should go, he just doesn't come across in a good way from a performance perspective. That suit he was wearing looked a bit pricey, too .. :lol:

The thing I hated the most .. Casey's robotic walk about the stage as he was schmoozing. His Smootching may have garnered him enough votes to stay, but in the end, I think Casey is actually at most risk of going home after tonight.

I still liked Scotty, but I'm also very certain that that particular performance will make all of the Scotty haters cringe even more than ever before .. !rolling

The girls were solid. I hope they stick around as the group number showed exactly how bad it is with so many girls gone. Stefano .. his best performance to date. I'd even go so far as to say he did better than Casey when you account for everything put on the stage. My rank ...

James
Scotty
Jacob
Haley
Lauren
Stefano
Casey

Oh, and to James .. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Great performance, top to bottom.


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

If I were judging from just tonight, Scotty would be very close to leaving. I know he's got a rock solid background, but tonight's performance was dull. I like Casey's riff in the middle of the Maroon 5 song...The "dancing" looked like he was about to lose it...kind of strange. 

For tonight..

James
Casey
Haley
Jacob
Lauren
Scotty
Stefano


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

James -- Jimmy said something very significant to him: "This song has content. A message. You need that. You've been doing fluff." Very true. James comes off way better when you can believe he's singing about "something", not just idiotic death metal screams. Best song choice of the night.

Scotty -- OMG, total embarrassment. Silly, affected, cutesy nonsense. Stick a fork in him.

Jacob -- Ugh to that sickening high-speed vibrato and mincy delivery of his. A sappy, manipulative song and he was just fair at best. Weak.

Haley -- Growly red hot mama gal is getting old. Teresa Brewer time expired in 1958. Boring.

Lauren -- Still the one. Solid, relaxed, engaging performance, running on high test week after week. Nobody can touch her. Lose weight. Lots of it.

Stefano -- Sorry, you're not Ne Yo and you don't have his equipment. And you can't do his material any justice. Abyssmal.

Casey -- Robotic Manson-staring, menacing looney pacing around. Strained fake growl voice, yech. Hate to have this dude show up at my door after midnight. Especially if he had a pack of satanic girls in potato sacks with him. His 15 minutes of fame are so up, next!


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

*SCOTTY:* I can't believe I'm saying this... but I LIKED IT!! This was Scotty's BEST PERFORMANCE EVER!! I watched the show tonight with my Mom and Grandmother... both of whom (like me) do not like Scotty, and they thought it was great as well. AMAZING that week after week of hearing Scotty butcher this song and that song and hear the judges rave about it, that when he finally turns in a decent performance, the judges criticize him. MIND-BOGGLING!! 
*NOTE:* I realize that they had to mention LeAnn Rimes' version... since that's what allowed Scotty to do the song on "21st Century Song Week," but give credit where credit is due... the song was originally sung by John Anderson (whom most people associate the song with).

*JAMES:* JAMES IS IN IT TO WIN IT, BABY!!! AWESOME PERFORMANCE!!



Alan Gordon said:


> Haley won't win... she doesn't stand a chance.
> 
> Though I thoroughly enjoyed "Blue" (and remembered Steven Tyler was a big fan of the song before Haley started singing it), Haley is capable of much better. I'd be interested in hearing her sing an Adele song...


*HALEY:* BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!!!!  It wasn't perfect... for one thing, she didn't put the right emotions into the song, but it was probably my FAVORITE performance by her (as well as my Mom and Grandmother's whom I mentioned above). I know Thia did it for her audition, but I wonder how Haley would have sounded had she done "Chasing Pavement?"  Still, Haley got some of my votes tonight... 
*NOTE:* Kudos to the judges for seeing what I've been saying all along! 

*JACOB:* No matter how talented he is, I don't care for his voice, but I enjoy his performances a lot more when he reigns himself in... which he did tonight. One of, if not my favorite, Jacob performance(s).
*NOTE:* Randy... SERIOUSLY?! Are you out of your FREAKING MIND, DAWG?!?!?! 

*CASEY:* It was fun to watch, but... 

*STEFANO:* Performance wise, it was Stefano's best.

*LAUREN:* Sara Evan's "Born To Fly" is a fun song... but when you're in a singing competition trying to prove that you're the best of the best, it's not really a great song choice. Vocally it was fine, but the band drowned her out a couple of times, and there really wasn't anything special. Lauren is still one of my favorites and I hope that it was good enough to push her through to next week.
*NOTE #1:* Steven, I love you man, but Lauren needs to show what she's capable of, and a Shania Twain song is the LAST THING she needs to sing (again)... particularly when this season has been so hard on female contestants. Though I prefer Lauren's Pop/Rock song choices better than her Country ones, a good Alison Krauss song (like "When You Say Nothing At All", etc.) or even a couple of Faith Hill songs might be alright, but Lauren needs to stay away from Shania.
*NOTE #2:* THANK YOU JENNIFER AND RANDY for saying what I SOO BADLY wanted to say...


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## wilbur_the_goose (Aug 16, 2006)

You do know that Scotty song, "Swingin'" is from the mid-1980's, right?

Time for little Stevie (Stefano) to go.

Funny how folks see things differently. I thought Scotty was the worst by far (and I like country music).

By the way - have you every seen anything as bad as that group number that opened the show? You local high school puts on better acts than that!


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

This was one of those weeks where none of the contestants presented themselves with any "wow factor". Most stuck in their comfort zone, although Stefano (who I think is weak) showed more pizazz than most of the others.

I don't think anyone's mind will change from yesterday's show, so look for the same usual suspects on the bottom.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

I thought James actually had his wow moment .. The entrance was epic .. I mean who pulls off that many theatrics in 90 seconds of work (or was it 120 seconds this week?)?

Either way, I thought James was by far the best performance of the night .. not even close to the others.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Doug Brott said:


> I thought James actually had his wow moment .. The entrance was epic .. I mean who pulls off that many theatrics in 90 seconds of work (or was it 120 seconds this week?)?
> 
> Either way, I thought James was by far the best performance of the night .. not even close to the others.


I really enjoyed James performance... up until the screams at the end. IMHO, he thinks he's Adam, but he's not. :nono2:

I think any one of them can be in the bottom three this week, including Scotty. I had him the front-runner up until now, but he didn't help himself at all last night, IMHO.


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Dial Idol scores


Scotty McCreery	1 24.033
-	-
Jacob Lusk 2-4 14.402
-	-
James Durbin 2-5 12.524(B3)
-	-
Lauren Alaina 2-5 12.301(B3)
-	-
Haley Reinhart	3-7 8.871 (B3)
-	-
Casey Abrams 5-7 7.462 (B3)
-	-
Stefano Langone	5-7 4.847 (B3)
-	-
With the exception the top 12 week (Lauren had a DI score of 7.025 to Scotty's 6.09) Scotty has been on top since week 1.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

machavez00 said:


> Dial Idol scores
> 
> Scotty McCreery	1 24.033
> -	-
> ...


Considering _Dial Idol_ had Pia 3d the week she got booted, I'm not sure those scores are as valid as they were pre internet voting.


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## webby_s (Jan 11, 2008)

I will throw my $.02 in. I thought James did awesome and had that wow factor.

And I thought Casey was good, but that dancing was a little much/weird. But the kiss, I think, will save him this week.

Scotty, ouch, bad song choice. Really why hasn't the judges said that more this season. Look at Pia, besides her horrible outfit she wore the night before she was booted, she had a horrible song choice.

And ya I had quite a bit of money on Pia so I am still bitter! LOL Look at her last night, how could anyone not vote for her! :grin:


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Steve said:


> Considering _Dial Idol_ had Pia 3d the week she got booted, I'm not sure those scores are as valid as they were pre internet voting.


I bet you're right....the whole thing is not totally out of whack and unpredictable in terms of the phone voting.

Even the judges commented about that very point yesterday - "up for grabs" and "anybody can win" were uttered more than once.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

We'll have to see what happens tonight, _Alen_. I'm afraid one of the remaining girls will be sent home tonight, with the surviving female leading the pack for next week's elimination.

I read one of the producers' _(Ken Warwick's)_ comments on Yahoo! today where he acknowledges the female voting issue, and further warns that he might change the voting rules for next season, but that you'll have to live with the current system for the rest of this season.

If a female contestant goes home tonight, I will be forced to consider all voting for tonight and for the rest of this season compromised and thus not representative of the real talent it takes to win.

But, enough with the negative vibes ...

I enjoyed all of last night's performances, especially _Jacob's_. James didn't do too shabby a job either, but you already know what I think of him. Even_ Stefano _sounded better once _Jimmy_ told him to stop pleading.

Tonight's eliminated singer should be_ Stefano_. If the female vote goes to _Casey_, well that would be alright with me, too. Oh, and by the way, in my opinion, _Casey _has not gotten better ... he's just performing scared.

Deep down inside, I'm fearing the _Haley_ or _Lauren_ will be voted off - hope I'm wrong.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

wilbur_the_goose said:


> You do know that Scotty song, "Swingin'" is from the mid-1980's, right?


1982/1983 according to Wikipedia...

I'm not sure if you were referring to me, but I stated that I felt they should have given credit to John Anderson (the original artist and co-writer of the song), as even though LeAnn Rimes did a cover of this song during this century (allowing Scotty to do the song last night), pretty much everybody associates the song with John Anderson.

In fact, I'm not even sure I remember ever hearing LeAnn's version... 



wilbur_the_goose said:


> Funny how folks see things differently. I thought Scotty was the worst by far (and I like country music).


Week after week, Scotty's attempts at singing has caused me pain, and last night was only the SECOND time (Elvis week being the first) I actually ENJOYED his performance. That's not to say that I'm suddenly a Scotty fan, because I'm not... but it was the second time since they've been on the big stage where Scotty's (attempt at) singing didn't make me want to leave the room.

I'm not sure who I thought was the worst last night... I didn't dislike anybody's performance. From a personal perspective (strictly personal), I wasn't crazy about Casey last night... but if Scotty were to go home, I wouldn't cry in the least.



wilbur_the_goose said:


> By the way - have you every seen anything as bad as that group number that opened the show? You local high school puts on better acts than that!


I was just thrilled to see some more talent...

Aside from James, I haven't really cared for the men this year, so getting to see some of the girls (especially Karen and PIA!!!) was great. As usual, Pia blew everyone else out of the water on her solo line (as well as most of the people still left in the competition)... 

~Alan


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## AttiTech (Feb 21, 2011)

Didn't realize this season was still on, I thought it ended already.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

webby_s said:


> And ya I had quite a bit of money on Pia so I am still bitter! LOL Look at her last night, how could anyone not vote for her! :grin:


I've been saying since the beginning Scotty is going to win it all .. I have no reason to change that now. James is entering the picture, and if it didn't have that eye twitch thing going on, he MIGHT be the leader. Yeah, it's silly, but when people watching have to vote, they better like what they see. Pia lost because they didn't like what they saw - her voice is amazing.

Casey would DEFINITELY be the one to go with his incredibly awkward stage movement last night, but that kiss at the end really and truly may have been enough to save him. If it's not Casey gone, it will be Stefano, but Stefano looked smooth on the stage for the first time ever. If he makes it past this week, he might start overtaking some of the others .. Jacob, Lauren and Haley to name a few.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

AttiTech said:


> Didn't realize this season was still on, I thought it ended already.


It's gone into May every year since it started .. Not sure why this year would be any different .. :shrug:

Besides, this year is WAY better than last year and perhaps even the year before. If you don't like it (you don't say either way), then don't watch. There's plenty of other shows on.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Henry, I disagree with Casey... I think he has been performing better. Last night, I didn't care for it. I may be biased against last night's performance though as I think Adam Levine's voice MAKES that song, and I just didn't care for Casey's "growly" performance... it was a fun performance, but musically, it did nothing for me.

Darren Criss' (of "Glee" fame) voice is much more suited to a Maroon 5 cover (as he did with "Misery").



Henry said:


> Deep down inside, I'm fearing the _Haley_ or _Lauren_ will be voted off - hope I'm wrong.


I NEVER said who I thought would go home tonight. I simply don't trust my "gut" anymore after what happened with Pia. I'd prefer it to be either Scotty, Jacob, Stefano, or Casey, BUT I too share your fears (particularly for Lauren). I hope we're wrong. 

~Alan


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## camo (Apr 15, 2010)

When the girls get knocked out I'm done watching. With the teenybopper voting bias American Idol has become who's the most popular not who is the most talented. Since Pia the most talented is gone, I voted for the first time and my 50 votes went to Hailey. I love her get down and dirty Janis Joplin vocals. Wish she would sing more songs like " Piece Of My Heart" that show her vocals off. Lauren has the same ability because I heard her during the trials, and the judges even alluded to it during there critique.


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## AttiTech (Feb 21, 2011)

Doug Brott said:


> It's gone into May every year since it started .. Not sure why this year would be any different .. :shrug:
> 
> Besides, this year is WAY better than last year and perhaps even the year before. If you don't like it (you don't say either way), then don't watch. There's plenty of other shows on.


I've never followed the show, only watched it really when my wife did. I think it's a good show that grabs a lot of people, just not one I would follow. Never knew the start and end dates of the show, so I wouldn't know it ran into May of every year.


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Steve said:


> Considering _Dial Idol_ had Pia 3d the week she got booted, I'm not sure those scores are as valid as they were pre internet voting.


Dial Idol has a pretty good track record. It has had it's misses like Pia.
The bottom three matches this weeks Dial Idol scores.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

I voted for James 50 times last night. I did my part. Go James!


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

I'm not gonna say who went home, but it was no surprise.

Next week will be very interesting: Carol King week.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

barryb said:


> Next week will be very interesting: Carol King week.


If Haley doesn't kill it next week, she's a moron...

I wonder if Scotty will sing Natural Woman...  

~Alan


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## camo (Apr 15, 2010)

machavez00 said:


> Dial Idol has a pretty good track record. It has had it's misses like Pia.
> The bottom three matches this weeks Dial Idol scores.


They missed one of the bottom 3 contestants completely. #2 was predicted no worse than 4th place and ended 6th.


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## Hutchinshouse (Sep 28, 2006)

Not shocked regarding tonight's results.


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

Carol King was a writer as well as a singer. Should be an interesting night next Wednesday.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Not another week of Jacob! AUGHHHH!!!!!!

Stefano killed on his exit song! Awesome! This kid is a natural for Vegas. Ring-a-ding-ding!


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Carol King--could anything be more safe and predictable and pablumey or more MOR??? Good grief, what's next, Stephen Foster Week??? Shaker Hymns Week???


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Carole King's one of my favorite singer/songwriter's of all time. I'm really looking forward to next week's show.

Gonna miss Stefano, but he went out with class and a nice performance. Looks like he and James became pretty good buddies, based on James's body language after the result.


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

Maruuk said:


> Carol King--could anything be more safe and predictable and pablumey or more MOR??? Good grief, what's next, Stephen Foster Week??? Shaker Hymns Week???


Stephen Foster Week could be really great. He is one of the great American song writers. Wrote reams of high quality material which can still be relevant today in the hands of creative artists.

Shaker Hymns Week could also be interesting. Aaron Copland took a simple shaker hymn "A Gift To Be Simple" and turned it into high art in his symphonic ballet score for "Appalachian Spring."

American Idol contestants could make similar efforts at making something their own like Adam Lambert, Alison Iraheta, and Chris Allen would do two seasons ago. Instead, we get the same ole' mid- to high quality karaoke every week which has become the hallmark of this season. Better than low quality karaoke, yes, but still kind of boring.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

peak_reception said:


> Instead, we get the same ole' mid- to high quality karaoke every week which has become the hallmark of this season. Better than low quality karaoke, yes, but still kind of boring.


How true. How true.

They could always do Fantasia week - you know...just stand around in one place and whine like a coyote. 

I keep wondering when its going to all come back to an actual singing talent competition instead of amateur night at TGI Fridays.


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

Looks like Doug's poll was more accurate than Dial-Idol.


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## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

barryb said:


> Next week will be very interesting: Carol King week.





barryb said:


> Carol King was a writer as well as a singer. Should be an interesting night next Wednesday.


For sure.



Alan Gordon said:


> If Haley doesn't kill it next week, she's a moron...
> 
> I wonder if Scotty will sing Natural Woman...


Maybe _So Far Away_, _You've Got A Friend_, or _It's Too late_?



Maruuk said:


> Not another week of Jacob! AUGHHHH!!!!!


Ain't it the truth!



Steve said:


> Carole King's one of my favorite singer/songwriter's of all time. I'm really looking forward to next week's show.
> 
> Gonna miss Stefano, but he went out with class and a nice performance. Looks like he and James became pretty good buddies, based on James' body language after the result.


I'd have been happy if Jacob would have gone last night.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

I wish they'd combine this with actual original songs, make it a true "is that a hit or a miss?" competition. Make the singers sell original songs, that would be exciting. Not necessarily songs by them, there are a ton of great songwriters around dying to get their stuff heard and produced.

That way we'd get totally past this whole karaoke/lounge/cover band crapola and right into great relevant, contemporary commercial music that people actually want to hear.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

You can bet Jacob will be singing "Natural Woman".


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

MikeW said:


> Looks like Doug's poll was more accurate than Dial-Idol.


Yup. I'll bet Stefano and Jacob were neck and neck in the national voting as well, which means if no one shoots themselves in the foot next week, Jacob _should _be next out the door. That said, while I won't miss his singing, I found him to be a likable character.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Maruuk said:


> I wish they'd combine this with actual original songs, make it a true "is that a hit or a miss?" competition. Make the singers sell original songs, that would be exciting. Not necessarily songs by them, there are a ton of great songwriters around dying to get their stuff heard and produced.
> 
> That way we'd get totally past this whole karaoke/lounge/cover band crapola and right into great relevant, contemporary commercial music that people actually want to hear.


The problem with original songs is that no one knows them before hearing them on idol the first time. If the song sucks (regardless of singer), the singer sucks. Randy talks about "singing the phone book," but seriously how quickly would people lose interest if all they say is 867-5309?


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Steve said:


> Yup. I'll bet Stefano and Jacob were neck and neck in the national voting as well, which means if no one shoots themselves in the foot next week, Jacob _should _be next out the door. That said, while I won't miss his singing, I found him to be a likable character.


If Jacob does anything at all to keep people from voting for him he will be in big trouble .. Preaching to America (not good for votes :nono2, warbling too much (not good for votes :nono2 .. He's good at finding the things that make people want to NOT vote for him. He needs to do the one thing that will make people really want to vote for him and pull it off in a good way. I don't think he can do it really.

Scotty "Baby lock the door and turn the lights down low" McCreery will find a way to make people ask why he's still in the competition but the Judges and the voters will still adore him.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

Doug Brott said:


> [...] Scotty "Baby lock the door and turn the lights down low" McCreery will find a way to make people ask why he's still in the competition but the Judges and the voters will still adore him.


+1. Especially if he wins the "who sings _You've Got A Friend_?" lottery next week! :lol:


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Hey, Scotty killed the other two guys in his group sing this week. His lines were uniformly in tune and strong and resonant while the other two guys were barely winging it. Dude can sing.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Agreed, while he is cheesy, Scotty has definitely got the chops.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

Alan Gordon said:


> Henry, I disagree with Casey... I think he has been performing better. Last night, I didn't care for it. I may be biased against last night's performance though as I think Adam Levine's voice MAKES that song, and I just didn't care for Casey's "growly" performance... it was a fun performance, but musically, it did nothing for me.
> 
> Darren Criss' (of "Glee" fame) voice is much more suited to a Maroon 5 cover (as he did with "Misery").
> 
> ...


And we were. 

But I'll reserve judgement until next week. At this moment I'm still leery of the vote.

At least the right person went home.

I hate that first group number. I'm not going to blame the sound guy or the camera guy ... it plain sucked.

Second group number was really good ... especially the harmonizing.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Ever notice how certain repetitive traits are starting to grate on us, things that didn't bother us in the early weeks?

1. Casey's forced "growl" and robotic Manson-like glare and mad scientist gritted teeth

2. Haley's corny, retro Red Hot Mama growl and cheesy seduction pouts

3. Jacob's brutal goat-like rapid-pulsing mechanical vibrato and oddly inappropriate stage mannerisms

4. James' ears


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Maruuk said:


> Ever notice how certain repetitive traits are starting to grate on us, things that didn't bother us in the early weeks?
> 
> 1. James
> 
> ...


I modified to show my list. :lol:


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

sigma1914 said:


> I modified to show my list. :lol:


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

+1


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

dettxw said:


> Maybe _So Far Away_, _You've Got A Friend_, or _It's Too late_?


Are you referring to Haley or Scotty?!

If it's Scotty, I don't know what he should do. If you had told me several weeks ago that I'd actually enjoy him performaning John Anderson's "Swingin'," I would have thought you were crazy. If you had told me several weeks ago, that he would be able to hold his own with Casey and James (!!!) in a group performance (including TWO of the three solo moments) doing a COLDPLAY song, I'd probably ignore any other comments you made about AI this season.

If you're referring to Haley, I'd like to see her stay away from "It's Too Late," and go for something a little different. "So Far Away" would probably be a decent choice. I'd like "Where You Lead," but I'm not sure it would allow Haley to use her signature style. Lauren's already done "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," so I doubt she'd sing that. "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" or "Jazzman" would be my choices (along with "So Far Away").



dettxw said:


> I'd have been happy if Jacob would have gone last night.


I would have preferred Scotty and Jacob go home before Stefano, but oh well...



Doug Brott said:


> The problem with original songs is that no one knows them before hearing them on idol the first time. If the song sucks (regardless of singer), the singer sucks. Randy talks about "singing the phone book," but seriously how quickly would people lose interest if all they say is 867-5309?


EXACTLY! However, a good compromise would be "Original Song Week." Nashville Star had a lot of success with it a few years back... in fact, two years in a row, "Original Song Week" was the best week of the season, IMHO.



Doug Brott said:


> Scotty "Baby lock the door and turn the lights down low" McCreery will find a way to make people ask why he's still in the competition but the Judges and *SOME OF* the voters will still adore him.


Made corrections! 



Doug Brott said:


> Agreed, while he is cheesy, Scotty has definitely got the chops.


:hurah::lol:

I take this opportunity to announce the start of the "Doug Brott Hearing Aid Charity Fund." I need to get some details straightened out, but we will be accepting donations soon. We also accept any Q-Tips donations we can get...

~Alan


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Maruuk said:


> Ever notice how certain repetitive traits are starting to grate on us, things that didn't bother us in the early weeks?





Maruuk said:


> 1. Casey's forced "growl" and robotic Manson-like glare and mad scientist gritted teeth


Actually, his growl bothered me worse during the early weeks. Aside from Wednesday night, I think he's been (thankfully) holding back after being saved.



Maruuk said:


> 2. Haley's corny, retro Red Hot Mama growl and cheesy seduction pouts


Her pouts bothered me from the start... though a lot less lately. I believe Stefano was most likely correct when he called her a "brat." Not that I have problem with that... just think he was probably being truthful.



Maruuk said:


> 3. Jacob's brutal goat-like rapid-pulsing mechanical vibrato and oddly inappropriate stage mannerisms


I thought he was corny last night when he was dancing. Other than that (and his remarks a couple of weeks ago), I've only had issues with his singing...



Maruuk said:


> 4. James' ears


Don't bother me.

~Alan<~~~~~~~~Who has to see himself in the mirror...


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Henry said:


> I hate that first group number. I'm not going to blame the sound guy or the camera guy ... it plain sucked.
> 
> Second group number was really good ... especially the harmonizing.


We're in agreement... which I'm glad to hear after I read THIS last night:



> The boys' "Viva La VIda" made the "Hey Soul Sister" by Lauren Alaina, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone look positively amazing. What do you think, "Idol" fans? Bad group performance? Or worst group performance ever?


'Viva La Vida' not kind to Scotty McCreery, Casey Abrams, James Durbin on 'American Idol'

WEIRD!! 

~Alan


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Alan Gordon said:


> I take this opportunity to announce the start of the "Doug Brott Hearing Aid Charity Fund." I need to get some details straightened out, but we will be accepting donations soon. We also accept any Q-Tips donations we can get...
> 
> ~Alan


He might grate on you .. and I get that, but you don't think he has a great tone to his voice? There may have been a few bad notes here and there, but for the most part I think he's had pretty near perfect pitch .. But yeah, he's had a lot more corn than meat and potatoes in his performances.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

Doug Brott said:


> He might grate on you .. and I get that, but you don't think he has a great tone to his voice? There may have been a few bad notes here and there, but for the most part I think he's had pretty near perfect pitch .. But yeah, he's had a lot more corn than meat and potatoes in his performances.


When Scotty auditioned, Scotty sang Josh Turner's "Your Man." He sounded like a dead ringer for Josh Turner. He seemed/seems like a nice kid... in fact, he even reminds me of a kid (well, he's in college, but he'll always be a kid to me I guess) I know and think a lot of. I was impressed. For the most part, he BLEW Hollywood week... and only saved himself by Josh Turner's "Long Black Train"... once again, sounding like a dead ringer for Josh Turner, and doing an excellent job of the song.

His performance of John Michael Montgomery's song during the Top 12 Boys episode was OK... nothing spectacular, but several of the more talented boys blew it on stage, so I see why he made it into the Top 13.

To me, where it all went wrong was on the big stage... the Top 13. His performance of Garth Brook's "The River" was bad... BAD! His performance of Travis Tritt's "Can I Trust You With My Heart"... BAD! His performance of "For Once In My Life"... didn't bother me bad as the last two (even though I know others who cringe at the thought of him singing that song). Elton John's "Country Comfort"... BAD! Elvis' "That's All Right"... well, I actually liked it. George Strait's "I Cross My Heart"... ABSOLUTELY PAINFUL!! "Swingin'," well, I actually liked it too.

I think he does better with Pop/Rock than he does with Country... unless it's a Josh Turner tune, and he's a FAR superior singer than I am... but so's Roseanne Barr.

As for perfect pitch, maybe... but it still sounds horrible (most of the time) to me. I voted for Scotty in this thread's poll as I liked him this week, and during Elvis week, I think I even gave him a few votes. I'd LIKE to like Scotty, and as a person, he seems like a good guy, and I do like him in that way, but as a singer, I think he's the guy that sings at family weddings and everybody loves it because they love him.

I fear you are correct in that he may indeed win "American Idol," and I truly believe that he will get a record contract regardless. With the right song, he might even do alright, and heck, I might even like some of them, but most of the times, I just want to mute the TV when he's singing. I know others who feel the same way...

~Alan


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Music can be an acquired taste.

As one who was raised that country music is an oxymoron...its just not my cup of tea....yet...I have to agree with Doug that Scotty is a strong candidate to win. He has consistently done what he does best, even if my hound dog here whines whenever he comes on. :lol:

Everybody's tastes can vary with music - I hear 2 real singers left in the group based on my 16 years of music background - and yet that's still just one view and one opinion. I'm no expert or better than anyone else.

There is no doubt there are perhaps 3 other "entertainers" remaining. 

James puts on one heck of a show, but he can't really sing with consistent quality. 

Casey's working hard to be another entertainer, and having some success.

Jacob - well - I'm not sure why he's even around at this point.

If this is indeed a singing contest - and I'm not so sure it still is - then Lauren, Scotty, and Pia were the final 3 from the top tier. One of those is obviously gone, so at this point - I'd agree with the judges that it's anyone's game.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

OUCH - just read this...seems a bit disappointing to hear...

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42722190


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

The list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Songs_written_by_Carole_King


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Music can be an acquired taste.
> 
> As one who was raised that country music is an oxymoron...its just not my cup of tea....yet...I have to agree with Doug that Scotty is a strong candidate to win. He has consistently done what he does best, even if my hound dog here whines whenever he comes on. :lol:


A good majority of my music collection is Country.

I consider "The River" and "I Cross My Heart" to be two GREAT songs, and hearing him perform them were litterally PAINFUL to my ears.



hdtvfan0001 said:


> Everybody's tastes can vary with music - I hear 2 real singers left in the group based on my 16 years of music background - and yet that's still just one view and one opinion. I'm no expert or better than anyone else.


I disagree about there only being 2 real singers left in the group...

That being said, I agree that opinions differ, but one certainly has to wonder why the large divide. I have multiple friends and family who think that hearing Scotty sing is akin to nails on a chalkboard (all of whom LIKE Country music), as well as multiple friends and family who think that Scotty's talented (most of whom like Country music... but a few exceptions).



hdtvfan0001 said:


> James puts on one heck of a show, but he can't really sing with consistent quality.


Disagree here, as while I don't think he's been consistent in the quality of his song choices, he's probably the most consistent and one of the most talented.



hdtvfan0001 said:


> Casey's working hard to be another entertainer, and having some success.


Entertaining, sure...



hdtvfan0001 said:


> Jacob - well - I'm not sure why he's even around at this point.


Vocally, he's extremely talented, but somebody needs to get rid of all his vocal bad habits and teach him how to use it all over again.



hdtvfan0001 said:


> If this is indeed a singing contest - and I'm not so sure it still is - then Lauren, Scotty, and Pia were the final 3 from the top tier. One of those is obviously gone, so at this point - I'd agree with the judges that it's anyone's game.


Lauren has the most "POTENTIAL" of anyone still left in the group... but, sadly, she has yet to live up to it. I'm crossing my fingers that that will change in the future... just not sure it will be next week. 

~Alan


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

Durbin should be able to make this work:


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## djrobx (Jan 27, 2009)

The varied reaction's to Scotty's performances here is interesting. He seems consistently good to me. I'm not a big country fan at all, but for the most part I enjoy him. What I like best about him is that he has that great stereotypical country male voice, but he's not desperately trying to fit the country mold. He isn't coming in with a cowboy hat permanently attached to his head, wearing huge belt buckles and high boots. He seems to just singing Country because that's what he's good at. I strongly suspect he will win.

James is probably my favorite performer of the bunch. Given that Adam didn't win over Kris, I don't think he stands a chance over Scotty. 

Lauren has the most potential to grow out of the group. She like Kelly Clarkson's bubbly little sister. She has no idea how good she is. She won't mature in time to win this. 

I can't wait for Jacob Lusk to go home. He has no control over that vibrato. 

Haley will probably go before him. She needs to stop growling.

Casey? I really appreciate his artistry, but his singing isn't that great. He also should stop growling. It comes off as more insane than soulful.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

djrobx said:


> The varied reaction's to Scotty's performances here is interesting. He seems consistently good to me. I'm not a big country fan at all, but for the most part I enjoy him. What I like best about him is that he has that great stereotypical country male voice, but he's not desperately trying to fit the country mold. He isn't coming in with a cowboy hat permanently attached to his head, wearing huge belt buckles and high boots. He seems to just singing Country because that's what he's good at. I strongly suspect he will win.


There are a large amount of "hat acts" in Country music... some authentic, some not, but there's a large number of artists who don't wear them.

I actually prefer Scotty's performances when he's NOT singing Country (like in last night's group performance)... "Swingin'" being one of the few exceptions... the Josh Turner and John Michael Montgomery songs being the others.

That being said, as much as I hate to think it, I too feel that Doug probably called the whole thing weeks ago when he said Scotty would win.



djrobx said:


> James is probably my favorite performer of the bunch. Given that Adam didn't win over Kris, I don't think he stands a chance over Scotty.
> 
> Lauren has the most potential to grow out of the group. She like Kelly Clarkson's bubbly little sister. She has no idea how good she is. She won't mature in time to win this.
> 
> ...


I disagree about Haley (the growling part), but otherwise, I strongly agree with the rest of your post (though I hope you're wrong on your last statement about Lauren, I suspect you're correct!).

~Alan


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> OUCH - just read this...seems a bit disappointing to hear...
> 
> http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42722190


I'm glad to read that about Stefano. I think he'll do well with his own music & more original music. He was actually my favorite contestant and I knew he'd never win.

My favorites never win. :lol: Well, Kelly won & I liked her. My favorite AI contestant ever is Elliott Yamin...He may not sell a lot of albums, but he was great IMO.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

sigma1914 said:


> I'm glad to read that about Stefano. I think he'll do well with his own music & more original music. He was actually my favorite contestant and I knew he'd never win.
> 
> My favorites never win. :lol: Well, Kelly won & I liked her. My favorite AI contestant ever is Elliott Yamin...He may not sell a lot of albums, but he was great IMO.


I'm just surprised that Stefano would publically admit that...


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I'm just surprised that Stefano would publically admit that...


I'm not...

Interesting article though... I appreciate the link! 

~Alan


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

What Stefano is leaving out is that the winner is stuck with a brutal contract in which Fox owns you for years and pays you a pittance. Whereas everybody else can negotiate anything they want with anybody. 

You really DON'T want to win Idol unless you suck so bad you couldn't get a deal any other way!


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Maruuk said:


> What Stefano is leaving out is that the winner is stuck with a brutal contract in which Fox owns you for years and pays you a pittance. Whereas everybody else can negotiate anything they want with anybody.
> 
> You really DON'T want to win Idol unless you suck so bad you couldn't get a deal any other way!


Yeah Carrie Underwood's really hurtin...


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

Maruuk said:


> What Stefano is leaving out is that the winner is stuck with a brutal contract in which Fox owns you for years and pays you a pittance. Whereas everybody else can negotiate anything they want with anybody.
> 
> You really DON'T want to win Idol unless you suck so bad you couldn't get a deal any other way!


Why have winners been on different labels if "Fox owns them?" There's been 6 AI winners on 5 different labels who've got Platinum.


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

I found Wednesday night's performances pretty dull. 

I suppose James was least dull, as usual these days (ever since Naima left), but even when he's screeching out those impossibly high notes it's hard for me not to just think "Lambert Lite." Adam had maturity, control, creativity, plus raw talent. James has raw talent too but it's immature, often out-of-control (not always a bad thing), and the creativity is missing. I don't dislike James but I think he needs time to develop, like everyone else left this year. Right now he has a lot of surface appeal but not much depth. 

But since the night started with Scotty I should probably go there next. Talk about coasting in your comfort zone! That had to be one of the most boring song choices and performances I've ever heard on American Idol. I like country music just fine. I'm also fine with songs that are about simple everyday things or puppy love or what have you. I also like Scotty on the show generally (if I close my eyes), but he just took the week off with that one. Was glad to see at least Jenn and Randy call him on it.


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

Haley at least aimed high, taking on a hit song that a lot of people are familiar with. Also a song with emotional depth. Unfortunately I think she missed the depth. I could see her trying to sing angry but it wasn't very convincing. It's just not her. She's more of a free-spirited party girl. Part of performing on stage is acting, and it wasn't convincing, at least to me. There were also a couple places where her intonation was shaky, which is unusual for her even when she's in husky voice mode. All in all not a bad performance, but as with James just surface appeal. 

Jacob I think had the best shot at an Idol "Moment." He chose a very good song which meant a lot to him and had emotional resonance and a message that a lot of people can be touched by. There was the unfortunate glitch at the start of the performance which I think threw him off. Still, I liked the understated way he delivered the story, building and building to the climax where he could go full Jacob on everyone. So good so far, and the climax was impressive because his vocal gift is so generous. But after that he slipped back into his bad habits; the maudlin over-emoting, the quivering face, the tremulous vibrato, the scooping and dipping all over the melodic line. Before long, every song Jacob sings becomes all about Jacob and not about the song. THAT is his problem as a performer. He smothers every song with his self-indulgent vocal and personal mannerisms. I must say though that if I don't watch him then he sounds about 50% better every time; He is that distracting visually.


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

Casey does put his own spin on songs, but it's the same old same old spin every time. Like Jacob he is visually distracting the way he grimaces and makes wild eyes and generally mugs for the camera. That's pretty old by now, but even more importantly, I don't really hear anything new out of him that I haven't heard before. He did dial it back with "Your Song" on Elton John Week, showing a different side. He did dial it all the way up with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" a few weeks back. He did show his jazzy side with upright bass last week on "Nature Boy." So he may have the most musical breadth of anyone left on the show this year, but curiously it all has a quality of sameness, at least to me. Maybe part of that is the visual. Like Jacob (and Stefano!), the camera close-ups do no favor for Casey. At any rate, his song this week had a kind of manic energy which was entertaining, but it was a mostly hollow romp which will probably not last long in anyone's memory. 

Stefano got the boot so I won't write about him except to say "It's About Time!" And that article hdtv linked to reveals an ego much greater than the talent he has. Still can't believe that Pia went home before him. Those Teeny-Boppers sure hit the phones hard for the cute boyz.


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

I like Lauren Alaina, both personally and musically. I think she probably has the most potential of anyone left on the show. Having said that, I'm disappointed by her every single week now.

Her problem is the opposite of Jacob's. He puts out too much; She doesn't put out enough. Her performance this week was as exciting as doing a connect-the-dots picture puzzle. She sang all the notes, nothing was perceptively sharp or flat, the phrasing was fine, nothing stood out. Oh wait, that's the problem: Nothing standing out. As she sang, my attention drifted to the fiddle player next to her on stage who was giving everything he had on his supporting bit part. And it was actually more passionate and more interesting that what Lauren was doing! Lauren never breaks out. Her age is probably part of it. She's so young, but then so was Alison Ireheta and she took a ton of chances when she was on the show at age 15 or whatnot. So it's not just age. Maybe there's a lack of confidence, or some stage fright, or ? But something is missing every single week. She could do and be so much more. It's frustrating because most people can see how much potential she has. It would be nice to start hearing it more.

Final thought. Are any of the contestants _growing_ in their performances this season? I hear them becoming more comfortable on stage, but I don't hear much growth. I hear more comfort (too much) from Scotty, but no growth. I hear no growth from Lauren. I hear no growth from Haley. I hear no growth from Jacob. I heard no growth from Stefano nor Paul before they were booted. I hear some variety from Casey but not real growth. I hear a LOT more comfort from James and a little growth, but not anywhere the growth we had from contestants in year's past. I felt like Pia was growing and ready to break out. Then... >chop<

This season's crop is talented and came ready to go with what they do well. But outside of the comfort zones there is not much adventure to say the least. And even inside the comfort zones, most acts are wearing thin. They're still being told by the judges every week that they're the greatest thing on planet earth. Who knows if they believe that or not (Stefano probably does, James probably does), but no one seems to be pushing them to bust out of the karaoke bubble they are living and really take some chances. The judges aren't helping any, especially Ellen Tyler for whom every single song performed is "Beautiful, just beautiful." Yawn. Wake me up when the season's over.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Fox owns and is affiliated with many labels. Plus Idols mostly suck and can't sell records so it's in Fox's interest to eventually dump the artist after their pre-committed promotional dollars run out (they have all the rights to dump, they wrote the contract) or sell off the contract to somebody else.

In purely commercial recording terms, of the current crop I can see Lauren and Scotty selling "gal" and "darlin'" records to ********, but that's about it. The rest of the crew I wouldn't give a plug nickel for outside of lounges and Vegas club work and State Fairs. Don't quit your day job.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Over the years Idol became more and more a target for talented professionals seeking to appear non-professional in order to qualify. Thus we have a bunch of slick "Glee" acts all polished and ready to go before show #1. They have no arc of development as that all took place BEFORE they auditioned.

In other years we saw way more exciting growth right before our eyes as these kids were mostly amateurs. Idol needs to find a way to get back there, maybe with much more stringent controls on who gets to audition, or modifying the judging process to reward fresher, more innovative and more exciting performers.

Idol has become a major snoozefest. Lil' ol' gal Lauren's going to win with good ol' boy Scotty as the runner-up. Zzzzzzz....


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

:raspberry Ugh! _Carole King Week_. :raspberry


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

Maruuk said:


> In purely commercial recording terms, of the current crop I can see Lauren and Scotty selling "gal" and "darlin'" records to ********, but that's about it. The rest of the crew I wouldn't give a plug nickel for outside of lounges and Vegas club work and State Fairs. Don't quit your day job.


Just saw an ad on local TV the other day; Taylor Hicks is playing the casino circuit. That's a step up from the smoke-choked bar circuit at least. He's working hard and making a living, good for him. That's probably the best that Stefano can hope for as a career in music too though he doesn't know it yet.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

Yet they both will be doing what they love .. and getting paid for it. We could all use that kind of luck.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Club life. It's a surprisingly tough life around endless doses of alcohol, drugs and gangsters. Doing the same crappy songs 6 nights a week, 4 times a night, over and over, pretending it's still fresh and exciting year after year while inside your soul is getting ripped apart. And when you lose your looks at 40, you're done, for good.

Don't quit your day job.


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

Maruuk said:


> Over the years Idol became more and more a target for talented professionals seeking to appear non-professional in order to qualify. Thus we have a bunch of slick "Glee" acts all polished and ready to go before show #1. They have no arc of development as that all took place BEFORE they auditioned.


 I have to agree. Most of them are already as good as they are going to get. Forget about "growth" or creativity or adventure this year. I'm still holding out a sliver of hope for Lauren but it's fading.



> In other years we saw way more exciting growth right before our eyes as these kids were mostly amateurs.


Yup, even last year. I raked them over the coals for being such amateurs, but now I'm feeling almost nostalgic for the growth factor which some of them did show (still no nostalgia for Lee though). It's just not there at all this year. Even Pia didn't really show any growth. She was as good on day 1 as she was on her last day. I thought maybe she was ready to break out after "River Deep, Mountain High," but that could have been wishful thinking. That's not to say that I didn't like Pia. I liked her a lot, but she was quite the controlled package, certainly no amateur.



> Idol needs to find a way to get back there, maybe with much more stringent controls on who gets to audition, or modifying the judging process to reward fresher, more innovative and more exciting performers.


 I agree that they need to cut down on the semi-pros posing as amateurs in order to get on the show. Then again, that describes Adam Lambert too, so maybe we shouldn't get carried away with our drive for complete amateurism. There does need to be more freshness, innovation, and creativity though. This year is turning out to be very stale.

I think the judges are partly to blame too, for praising every contestant and performance as if it's the best thing ever heard. Why should the contestants change or take risks when they're getting showered with such overblown adulation week after week? Ellen Tyler is the worst offender for that.



> Idol has become a major snoozefest. Lil' ol' gal Lauren's going to win with good ol' boy Scotty as the runner-up.


 Or vice-versa.


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## peak_reception (Feb 10, 2008)

Speaking of Pia... 

She is going to be singing live on DWTS next week. Great gig for her.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

The name of the game is recording. An act has to have a sound, an attitude, a look, and great songs that support all of the above.

Scotty and Lauren come pre-fabbed to score in country-pop, the whole Branson market shebang. Look backwards and notice that females from Idol almost always go into country-pop. That genre sort of IS karaoke--the songs all fall into a very narrow stylistic bandwidth and an even narrower lifestyle message. This Idol's MOR-tude suits it perfectly.

But for the others...here's where Idol's built-in self-destruction kicks in. Idol tends to promote generic karaoke singers since that's exactly what's asked of them on the show--to sing old songs to a backing track. It's literally the definition of karaoke, and then Dawg goes, "Dude...that was so karaoke!" Duh.

Here's what I propose. State up front the object is to first vet the performers, weed em out as they do now, but then prototype the final survivors in the last stages into an original song as if it was going to be released. Each singer in the genre that suits them best. 

Thus Idol would finally be being honest with the audience and the performers: their goal would be to literally try out the singers as actual recording artists with A&R folks, original material, style, the whole deal. Then America can vote on THAT. The real thing. Do these folks sink or swim as Idols or not, in the real world of recording original material, not this crap where these poor kids have to sing their parents' hit parade every week.

Not Scotty singing "Been to Canaan" in a cowboy hat.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

_"When the 10th season of "American Idol" - the first without Simon Cowell - started on Fox three months ago, the handicappers guessed that its ratings would decline 15 to 20 percent, irreversibly tarnishing the top show on television.

But "Idol" defied television gravity. After steadily losing audience share for the last several years, it has reversed the trend this season, gaining total viewers for the first time since 2007. [*more*]"_


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## kokishin (Sep 30, 2006)

Doug Brott said:


> I've been saying since the beginning Scotty is going to win it all .. I have no reason to change that now. James is entering the picture, and if it didn't have that eye twitch thing going on, he MIGHT be the leader. Yeah, it's silly, but when people watching have to vote, they better like what they see. Pia lost because they didn't like what they saw - her voice is amazing.
> 
> Casey would DEFINITELY be the one to go with his incredibly awkward stage movement last night, but that kiss at the end really and truly may have been enough to save him. If it's not Casey gone, it will be Stefano, but Stefano looked smooth on the stage for the first time ever. If he makes it past this week, he might start overtaking some of the others .. Jacob, Lauren and Haley to name a few.


James has Tourette's and Asperger's syndromes. He cannot help the eye twiches. Irrespective of his disabilities, he is an amazing talent.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

kokishin said:


> James has Tourette's and Asperger's syndromes. He cannot help the eye twitches. Irrespective of his disabilities, he is an amazing talent.


I'd agree James has alot of talent, and is probably the best performer of the remaining group...but not necessarily the best singer - and it is a singing competition (supposedly). Kudos for his perseverance, but I don't think he will win this year.


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I'd agree James has alot of talent, and is probably the best performer of the remaining group...but not necessarily the best singer - and it is a singing competition (supposedly). Kudos for his perseverance, but I don't think he will win this year.


I think its awesome he is doing as well as he is. Does he fit the next "American Idol".... probably not. He is always my most anticipated performance.


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## Hutchinshouse (Sep 28, 2006)

barryb said:


> I think its awesome he is doing as well as he is. Does he fit the next "American Idol".... probably not. *He is always my most anticipated performance*.


+1


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## kokishin (Sep 30, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I'd agree James has alot of talent, and is probably the best performer of the remaining group...but not necessarily the best singer - and it is a singing competition (supposedly). Kudos for his perseverance, but I don't think he will win this year.


If AI was just about best singer, then Thia should still be there.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

sigma1914 said:


> ...
> 
> My favorites never win. :lol: Well, Kelly won & I liked her. My favorite AI contestant ever is Elliott Yamin...He may not sell a lot of albums, but he was great IMO.


I came across this today. An oldie, but a goodie.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

kokishin said:


> If AI was just about best singer, then *PIA* should still be there.


Assume you meant Pia, and changed in the quote.

Agree.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

James shrieks high notes, but that's about it. He has a very mediocre hard rock voice. It's thin and without harmonic richness, he doesn't have a good raspy metal scream sound. You're born with it, or you're not. He's a pretty good entertainer, but not a singer.

Lauren remains by far the most spot-on natural recording star. Perfect voice and persona to continue in the stultifying gal-twang ******* tradition of Gretchen Wilson and Jeannie C. Riley. Bake them cookies, gals! She's even fat like Wynonna!


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

Steve said:


> _"When the 10th season of "American Idol" - the first without Simon Cowell - started on Fox three months ago, the handicappers guessed that its ratings would decline 15 to 20 percent, irreversibly tarnishing the top show on television._
> 
> _But "Idol" defied television gravity. After steadily losing audience share for the last several years, it has reversed the trend this season, gaining total viewers for the first time since 2007. [*more*]"_


Hee-hee. Who says drama doesn't pay?!? :hurah:


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

kokishin said:


> If AI was just about best singer, then Thia should still be there.


Phia = -1

Pia = +1

Not sure who you meant.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

Maruuk said:


> James shrieks high notes, but that's about it. He has a very mediocre hard rock voice. It's thin and without harmonic richness, he doesn't have a good raspy metal scream sound. You're born with it, or you're not. He's a pretty good entertainer, but not a singer.
> 
> Lauren remains by far the most spot-on natural recording star. Perfect voice and persona to continue in the stultifying gal-twang ******* tradition of Gretchen Wilson and Jeannie C. Riley. Bake them cookies, gals! She's even fat like Wynonna!


How's this for a bipolar response?:

Agree with all of your first paragraph.

Disagree with all of your second paragraph.


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

kokishin said:


> If AI was just about best singer, then Thia should still be there.





hdtvfan0001 said:


> Assume you meant Pia, and changed in the quote.
> 
> Agree.





Henry said:


> Phia = -1
> 
> Pia = +1
> 
> Not sure who you meant.


That would be Thia Megia








She joins the list of excellent Filipino singers that have made to the Top 12, but did not catch on with the voters.


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## Henry (Nov 15, 2007)

machavez00 said:


> That would be Thia Megia
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm not saying that she couldn't sing. Anyone could see (and hear) that she could.

She "did not catch on" with the voters, I think, because of other reasons that include her age (too young), she was a girl (a competition no-no), and she wouldn't listen to the judges when they told her repeatedly to sing an up tempo song. Being Filipino had no bearing on the voters, IMHO.

Assuming Phia were still there, would you agree that PIA should still be there, too?


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

barryb said:


> The list:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Songs_written_by_Carole_King


44 songs?
This is the list:
http://songwritershalloffame.org/songs/C15



barryb said:


> Durbin should be able to make this work:


Haley is going to do That one.

This might be Scotty's (or the obligatory duet with Lauren)





James's song





Up for grabs





Group song?


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Henry said:


> I'm not saying that she couldn't sing. Anyone could see (and hear) that she could.
> 
> She "did not catch on" with the voters, I think, because of other reasons that include her age (too young), she was a girl (a competition no-no), and she wouldn't listen to the judges when they told her repeatedly to sing an up tempo song. Being Filipino had no bearing on the voters, IMHO.
> 
> Assuming Phia were still there, would you agree that PIA should still be there, too?


Sorry, I did not mean to imply it had to with her being Filipino. Jasmine Trias, Ramiele Malubay, and Camile Velasco also made the finals. Camile Velasco sounded great during the auditions and Hollywood week, but looked like a deer in the headlights when she hit the top 12. Jasmine made it to the top three, so she did have a fan base, just not big enough to get her over the top. Ramiele and Camile made it to the top 9.


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## kokishin (Sep 30, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Assume you meant Pia, and changed in the quote.
> 
> Agree.


NO, THIA!!!


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## kokishin (Sep 30, 2006)

machavez00 said:


> That would be Thia Megia
> 
> 
> 
> ...


YES, THIA!!!! She has a such a pure, beautiful tone.


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## barryb (Aug 27, 2007)

machavez00 said:


> 44 songs?
> This is the list:
> http://songwritershalloffame.org/songs/C15


I'm no expert on Carole King, thats for sure. 

It'll be interesting to see how close you get.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

Always a pleasure to hear Thia sing. That classic expressive Disney Princess tone, but it came completely naturally for her.

Lauren has a lock on it, game over. And she'll sell a lot of "records" (ok--downloads), especially after Fox puts her on a Slim Fast regimen and she drops about 25 pounds.


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## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

Maruuk said:


> Always a pleasure to hear Thia sing. That classic expressive Disney Princess tone, but it came completely naturally for her.
> 
> Lauren has a lock on it, game over. And she'll sell a lot of "records" (ok--downloads), especially after Fox puts her on a Slim Fast regimen and she drops about 25 pounds.


Kelly gained her weight back, and then some!









Fantasia sure has packed on the pounds!
[YOUTUBEHD]asV1sGREA3s[/YOUTUBEHD]


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

There are performers who just can't control their weight. Then there are the superstars like Shania and Faith Hill who must.

Lauren would be kinda cute if she cut down on the Doritos. But it's true, that genre will tolerate fatsos. As will Fantasia's. 

In movies too there are always the occasional "Precious" and "Georgy Girl" types. But mainly, there are the Megan Fox and Angelina types.


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

I sure hope you all that are so critical of others appearance are extremely healthy and as good looking as you want others to be. It must be nice to be so perfect.


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## Maruuk (Dec 5, 2007)

We're not on stage in front of millions. We're not talking about performers whose looks are highly scrutinized by every member of the audience night after night on stage and on TV. We're not talking about housewives of Podunk County here.

Unless you think looks have NOTHING TO DO with Shania, Taylor Swift, Faith Hill's and Katy Perry's mega-success. It's just a coincidence I guess. It'd be totally cool if they weighed 300 pounds. Make no difference at all.

Sex sells. You get a partial by in country, some R&B, some MOR will let you get by a bit with porkiness, certainly Adele is a good example of that. But it's still pretty rare.

Even in country, I'm sure Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum would tell you there's tremendous pressure on her to stay within weight limits. That's just the reality of show business, especially at that level. A lot of money at stake, and selling sex is just part of the game.

Like the judges on AI always say, "I like you. I like your whole package: your sound, your look, your moves...you are hot, baby!" That's honest. An Idol is a whole package, not a disembodied voice.


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