The record store is dead. A recent business story said the top four music stores were Wal-Mart, Best Buy, iTunes and Amazon.com. Not a music chain in sight among them. And of course Tower Records has shut down, leaving a hole in my heart. New York City holds some eight million people. If I want to go to a record store and browse, I have literally TWO choices: Virgin MegaStore in the midst of all the tourists in Times Square or the slighly preferable Virgin MegaStore in Union Square. That's it. You can find a few used CD stores in the East Village, while most of the specialty stores like Footlights, have disappeared.
My favorite record store NYCD shut down its physical location a while ago. And now the guys have closed shop at their office location, where they tried to go all-Internet (piggybacking on Amazon, mostly) and finally just gave up the ghost. They had almost no competition on the Upper West Side by either major chains or indie stores or used CD stores, with the closest real competitor being Tower Records at 65th St. (They were in the high 70s.) But rising rents forced them out of a tiny location on Amsterdam and sent them up a block or two and around the corner to a basement location. It might as well have been the moon, as so many customers failed to follow them. They had every advantage in some ways: New York magazine highlighted them in its Best of New York edition, their weekly email newsletter about new releases was also singled out for praise in the media and went out to thousands of customers. Their switch from a physical store to an online presence was written about in the LA Times. They gave interviews, wrote liner notes, sponsored shows, played in bands, posted on Huffington and of course even had their own blog.
And yesterday it came to an end. Rob -- who has the twin loss of no new Grateful Dead records to ever look forward to -- is I think moving in with his Mom. Sal -- who has the twin loss of his second home New Orleans to incompetence and indifference -- is I think selling blood. And Tony's wife has offered to put him on allowance in exchange for daily chores.
And me? Me, I'm stuck with my smart-ass comments about ringtones and digital sales and the unnatural bulge in CD sales in the early 90s that could never last and how everything would be okay. Everything will be okay in one sense -- people still spend billions of dollars on music, just about as much as they have throughout the 80s and 90s (except for that crazy five year period when everyone bought every album they owned all over again on CD and then bought it again when it was remastered and then bought it again when they added a bonus track). But the touring industry hit a tipping point of unpleasantness for me with the Police shows, which featured early sales IF you spent $100 to join their fan club, plus early sales for American Express customers PLUS early sales via Wal-Mart or some other store and still people who jumped through all those hoops had to pay hundreds of dollars and got horrible seats. But I'm going to see Old Springs Pike -- an Americana band featuring John Gallagher, the Tony winning actor from Spring Awakening -- at Joe's Pub on July 9. And next week the new Magic Numbers CD comes out in America and the week after that it's Nick Drake and Spoon and Common and the week after that it's Raul Malo and the terrific new Suzanne Vega CD and in August there's the new Linda Thompson and in September....
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Home Alone (For A Moment)
First I was in London and Cannes for a month. As soon as I returned, my nephew arrived for a two week internship. The day before he left my sister arrived for ten days. For various reasons (such as the fact that I stay up till two or three in the morning), I put my guests into the bedroom, where my computer is. And come Monday, I'll be alone for the first time in two months and actually have regular easy access to my computer. Hurrah!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Angelina Jolie Restrictions
Angelina Jolie is in the news for all the wrong reasons. While promoting her film "A Mighty Heart," the story of a journalist who is murdered by extremists, Jolie foolishly tried to force journalists to sign one of the most restrictive release forms I've ever seen. The irony of doing this for a film about journalists is of course obvious. Last night on the Daily Show, Jolie fobbed it off as something she had nothing to do with -- it was just something that people who work for her did without her knowledge. Uh, they represent you so anything they do is in your name and you're responsible. She should simply apologize and promise never to do it again or she should defend it. Acting as if it had nothing to with her is silly. Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com points out the irony of all this. I took part in an "intimate press conference" with Jolie at Cannes that included about 12 other journalists from around the world. We were not asked to sign any release form, but a representative of the film did say that we were invited because we were all adults and they expected us not to ask any "personal" questions. We simply ignored them, as insulting and stupid as it was. Jolie herself brought up her partner Brad Pitt before the first question was even asked. I have empathy for celebs stalked by photographers and bottom-feeders. But Brad Pitt was a producer on the film and attached to the project long before Jolie. Not mentioning him would have been idiotic. Besides, if you're Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, expecting people not to mention your partner in any situation is unrealistic. I found Jolie really interesting and smart during the press conference. This might come across more if she didn't shut herself off from major media outlets that behave professionally. (Among the groups she tried to force to sign this pledge -- which was absurdly broad -- were the Associated Press and other major outlets. Are they really the problem? I typically refuse to sign any release forms and they simply don't pop up more than once a year, if that. I have a feature on Jolie and "A Mighty Heart" running in the NY Daily News this Sunday. The film is well worth seeing.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Hey, I've Got A Blog!
Been gone for a month and still switching over bookmarks and info from my PC to my Mac. (And yes, I'm very happy with the Mac so far and think it will just get better.) Gotta rebuild my home page and this blog while trying to get back into work swing. Plus, I've got my nephew visiting for two weeks followed by my London sister Leslie visiting for ten days plus oral surgery to remove that chipped tooth. In other words, back to normal. More soon.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Cannes Film Festival Coverage
I'll be blogging daily for The Advocate at www.advocateinsider.com (can't figure out how to do links for French blogger) and I'll post any links to stories that I write for the NY Daily News and others.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Next American Idol Will Be...Jordin
Is there any doubt? If she isn't, it'll be the first time looks beat out talent. I think Blake's talented too and he seems to know what he wants to do, so I would't be surprised if his album outsold Jordin's and if not the first one another one down the road.
Blake's first song ("Bon Jovi") was fun, but Jordin's pipes were in great shape. His Maroon 5 ballad was a fatal mistake.Knowing he had to sing that lame ballad, Blake should have sung another upbeat song. neither tune was in his comfort zone, which is upbeat and foreceful, not quiet and high and melodious. Jordin's take on the Martina McBride was classic Idol vocalizing -- big flourish at the end to wow the home viewers. After her second song, wrote down, "Jordin can taste it and she's out for blood." And then she delivered the death blow by even making that ballad (and hey, it's nice to know the folks at home can write a crappy ballad just like the pros) showcase for her emotions. Jordin ran out of breath and it could have been disastrous on the final lines, but then she turned it into an emotional moment by oh so gently being overwhelmed by it all. Jordin is the next American Idol. No question.
Blake's first song ("Bon Jovi") was fun, but Jordin's pipes were in great shape. His Maroon 5 ballad was a fatal mistake.Knowing he had to sing that lame ballad, Blake should have sung another upbeat song. neither tune was in his comfort zone, which is upbeat and foreceful, not quiet and high and melodious. Jordin's take on the Martina McBride was classic Idol vocalizing -- big flourish at the end to wow the home viewers. After her second song, wrote down, "Jordin can taste it and she's out for blood." And then she delivered the death blow by even making that ballad (and hey, it's nice to know the folks at home can write a crappy ballad just like the pros) showcase for her emotions. Jordin ran out of breath and it could have been disastrous on the final lines, but then she turned it into an emotional moment by oh so gently being overwhelmed by it all. Jordin is the next American Idol. No question.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
"American Idol -- Melinda Goes Home"
Yep, that's the story: not the name of the two finalists but the fact that the most consistently good singer is going home. It made Blake's elevation to the final almost seem like an afterthought, actually. Melinda probably suffered from being the front runner right up to the final three, along with the burden of being a "pro."
I initially speculated that Blake could supplant Melinda. But it seemed too crazy a proposition. Hey, that's why you should never change your first guess on the SATs. You don't get any points for the right answer you erased.
So it's Jordin and Blake in the final. They're both spotty with som genuine highs. It's clearly the most nail-biting, wide-open final since Ruben and Clay. I thought Clay had sealed the deal with his "Bridge Over Troubled Water," but Ruben's consistency all season long made the difference. Neither finalist can claim that mantle this season, so it might very well come down to who has the best night. Tuesday, it was clearly Blake; he's firing on all cylindars. But one dynamic finale from Jordin can erase all other memories and Blake simply can't pull out those vocal fireworks. it's foolish even to predict until we see their performances next week. But it's gonna be a doozy. (Damn, why didn't I stick with my Blake knocks out Melinda stab? I'd be te toast of the town right now.)
I initially speculated that Blake could supplant Melinda. But it seemed too crazy a proposition. Hey, that's why you should never change your first guess on the SATs. You don't get any points for the right answer you erased.
So it's Jordin and Blake in the final. They're both spotty with som genuine highs. It's clearly the most nail-biting, wide-open final since Ruben and Clay. I thought Clay had sealed the deal with his "Bridge Over Troubled Water," but Ruben's consistency all season long made the difference. Neither finalist can claim that mantle this season, so it might very well come down to who has the best night. Tuesday, it was clearly Blake; he's firing on all cylindars. But one dynamic finale from Jordin can erase all other memories and Blake simply can't pull out those vocal fireworks. it's foolish even to predict until we see their performances next week. But it's gonna be a doozy. (Damn, why didn't I stick with my Blake knocks out Melinda stab? I'd be te toast of the town right now.)
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
"American Idol -- Top 3"
UPDATE: I just read Entertainment Weekly's rundown of the show (some of which I missed. Hey, I'm in Cannes so it ain't easy staying up till 3 am. and then getting up at 8.) They describe Jordin dissing Simon's first choice of song for her. It WAS a bad choice, but that is not the right attitude to take. Coupling that with her retort to Simon when he said "I (Who Have Nothing)" was old-fashioned (she said, Wasn't Rose Royce -- the singers of Wishing On A Star" -- from the Seventies?) is very bad for her image. Battling with Simon is tricky, but in this case it sounds petty rather than witty or earned. In some ways, she started it when remaining polite is ALWAYS the way to go on Idol, even when you stand up for yourself, ie give Simon a little bit of attitude. I really do think it's a squeaker and that the producers (and judges) loaded everything in Blake's favor, from song choice to presentation to their comments. If Wishing On A Star was as weak as "She Works Hard For The Money," I'd say two weak performances and a mildly bad attitude mean Blake will be facing off with Melinda.
You know what? It's a horse race Like most everyone, I've assumed it would be Melinda and Jordin in the final. But Blake has come on very strong and while sex appeal hasn't been a huge factor on the show (people really focus on the personalities and yes the singing or it would always be cute, less talented people in the top and it never, ever is), it could help Blake here. No combination of these three would surprise me.
JORDIN -- Missed her Simon picked song. "Wishing On A Star," I think. Had trouble with the slingbox.
COMMERCIAL BREAK -- Did Blake do a goofy, "I'm shorter, I'm taller" sort of thing?
BLAKE -- Paula picked the Police's "Roxanne" and first we saw Blake with his hometown mayor and a raucous crowd. He had the preppy look and the vest. Everyone pegged Chris Richardson for the Justin Timberlake ripoff but Blake aped JT's style just as much. Looked wholesomely sexy throughout, perfect for moms and their daughters. He was just singing and though it was a xerox of the Police he had fun and moved well and was v confident and dropping to his knees at the end was v Idol-friendly. Definitely has his game face on.
MELINDA -- It's almost cruel. Blake got to be seen w a huge, cheering crowd. Melinda is stuck in some anonymou meeting room with a stiff governor talking. No favors for her here. Randy chose Whitney Houston's 'I Believe In You and Me." (He even mentioned in the telegram that he has worked with Whitney, which is so funny I have to pray he meant it to be. But he didn't.) She did it well, but I couldn't really watch it because Slingbox as it's set up by Pete and Joe only lets me watch live and my friend Stephen was fascinated by Slngbox and asked all sorts of questions while she was singing and I was too embarrassed to say, Dude, wait a minute. I'm watching my Idol.
COMMERCIAL BREAK -- Blake and Jordin did a funny mock kiss and then surprised stare that the camera caught them. This is the defining quirk of the season -- Blake's little commercial break ideas -- and we're gonna get awfully sick of them in years to come but full credit to him for thinking of them and keeping the camera on him in a fun way.
JORDIN -- Her favorite song is "Mmmbop!" Don't apologize: it's a great pop tune. Nice extra camera time, though I think they all got a question to answer. Thanks, producers! Then the producers had her sing Donna Summers' "She Works Hard For The Money. " Thanks a lot, producers. The song is filled with low notes on the chorus (her weak spot) and doesn't give her a chance to shine. Jordin rearranged the finale to give herself some higher notes and flourishes at the end and pulls it off nicely. But still, a boring song to cover. Nonetheless, she does it well and laughs like a pro when the judges get silly and lose focus. It could have been annoying - hey, it's my life on the line here -- but she made it seem like it was all fun. Randy jokes that Simon is drunk: "Can we get some black coffee here?"
BLAKE -- He says Jim Carrey should play him in a movie. Uh, maybe he could play Blake's DAD. The producers pick Maroon 5's "This Love," a much better fit than Jordin's. Could they possibly want Blake in the final instead of two women? In either case, it'll be youth versus experience. Blake does a nice dance move spin into his first vocal line and the range here isn't great. But since he doens't have a big voice, this is perfect for him. He's wholesomely sexy still and has finally learned that the beatboxing should just be a little spice thrown in, not the main meal. Simon says it wasn't a copycat vocal -- even though it was, wasn't it? (Except for the beatboxing.)
MELINDA -- Melinda gets a street named after her, then the producers give her an entire town: Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits." Turner is a good model for showing off Melinda's modestly funky side, but why a relatively lesser known song instead of one of her big hits? What if Melinda wailed on "River Deep, Mountain High" with a full orchestra? But she has fun w it and seems young and ready to go. Doesn't miss a step.
JORDIN -- She gets a star at the mall she used to work at. The operative word being "used" since she ain't ever gonna work in a mall anymore -- not even a mall tour. Her favorite song (from the season, I assume) is "I Who Have Nothing," which was absolutely sensational the first time she did it, though the judges didn't rave nearly as much as I expected. She does it really well again and the finale when she goes into that upper register with such controlled conviction and passion is sensational. Thrilling. The judges are positive again but should be raving. Simon says the song is"old-fashioned." It's a classic, actually and yes, it's an old-fashioned one in its arrangement but she delivers it with such belief that it works completely. Her best performance.
BLAKE -- His favorite song is the Robin Thicke number "When I Get You Alone." Big mistake to show him in the video intro performing with Sir Mix-aLot who was singing about big butts. That strikes a terrible note in the heartland. If Blake doesn't make the finale, he can always blame that. He really has grown as a performer and looks really confident on stage. Whatever happens, I bet his first album sells better than their first albums, though that doesn't mean he'll have a longer or more fruitful career -- it's just that he's easier to market out of the box and seems smart enough to make sure he is contemporary. Both Melinda and Jordin will get drenched with sappy anonymous ballads and covers and will probaby shine on later albums when they have more control. Blake seems to know exactly what he wants. Really fun vocals that showcase his singing as good as it can be live and the beatboxing at the end is cool and just the right flourish. He did his best, no matter what. Simon -- who seems to have been subtly pushing for Blake over Jordin-- gives a thumbs up.
MELINDA -- Her fave song is "I'm A Woman," another funky number. The order of her tunes really bothers me. I wish it had been funky number then a ballad then another funky number. As is, the two funky tunes blended together too much. Again, it didn't offer a great vocal range for her, but she performed with flare. The kids all end w a group hug. Why not? They're all going to be recording solo albums soon.
THE WINNERS -- Like everyone, I assume Melinda and Jordin. But darned if I can't stop thinking that Blake would replace...no, not Jordin, but MELINDA. Is that possible? I doubt it. It sure would help if we ever knew the vote totals or at least percentages. It would more likely ruin the fun if we could see say Melinda with a bigger fan base week to week. Simon gives her his stamp of approval as most consistent and she deserves it. And Blake really could supplant Jordin. But I'll stick with the safe bet. Blake had the best night but it'll be the two women in the finals.
You know what? It's a horse race Like most everyone, I've assumed it would be Melinda and Jordin in the final. But Blake has come on very strong and while sex appeal hasn't been a huge factor on the show (people really focus on the personalities and yes the singing or it would always be cute, less talented people in the top and it never, ever is), it could help Blake here. No combination of these three would surprise me.
JORDIN -- Missed her Simon picked song. "Wishing On A Star," I think. Had trouble with the slingbox.
COMMERCIAL BREAK -- Did Blake do a goofy, "I'm shorter, I'm taller" sort of thing?
BLAKE -- Paula picked the Police's "Roxanne" and first we saw Blake with his hometown mayor and a raucous crowd. He had the preppy look and the vest. Everyone pegged Chris Richardson for the Justin Timberlake ripoff but Blake aped JT's style just as much. Looked wholesomely sexy throughout, perfect for moms and their daughters. He was just singing and though it was a xerox of the Police he had fun and moved well and was v confident and dropping to his knees at the end was v Idol-friendly. Definitely has his game face on.
MELINDA -- It's almost cruel. Blake got to be seen w a huge, cheering crowd. Melinda is stuck in some anonymou meeting room with a stiff governor talking. No favors for her here. Randy chose Whitney Houston's 'I Believe In You and Me." (He even mentioned in the telegram that he has worked with Whitney, which is so funny I have to pray he meant it to be. But he didn't.) She did it well, but I couldn't really watch it because Slingbox as it's set up by Pete and Joe only lets me watch live and my friend Stephen was fascinated by Slngbox and asked all sorts of questions while she was singing and I was too embarrassed to say, Dude, wait a minute. I'm watching my Idol.
COMMERCIAL BREAK -- Blake and Jordin did a funny mock kiss and then surprised stare that the camera caught them. This is the defining quirk of the season -- Blake's little commercial break ideas -- and we're gonna get awfully sick of them in years to come but full credit to him for thinking of them and keeping the camera on him in a fun way.
JORDIN -- Her favorite song is "Mmmbop!" Don't apologize: it's a great pop tune. Nice extra camera time, though I think they all got a question to answer. Thanks, producers! Then the producers had her sing Donna Summers' "She Works Hard For The Money. " Thanks a lot, producers. The song is filled with low notes on the chorus (her weak spot) and doesn't give her a chance to shine. Jordin rearranged the finale to give herself some higher notes and flourishes at the end and pulls it off nicely. But still, a boring song to cover. Nonetheless, she does it well and laughs like a pro when the judges get silly and lose focus. It could have been annoying - hey, it's my life on the line here -- but she made it seem like it was all fun. Randy jokes that Simon is drunk: "Can we get some black coffee here?"
BLAKE -- He says Jim Carrey should play him in a movie. Uh, maybe he could play Blake's DAD. The producers pick Maroon 5's "This Love," a much better fit than Jordin's. Could they possibly want Blake in the final instead of two women? In either case, it'll be youth versus experience. Blake does a nice dance move spin into his first vocal line and the range here isn't great. But since he doens't have a big voice, this is perfect for him. He's wholesomely sexy still and has finally learned that the beatboxing should just be a little spice thrown in, not the main meal. Simon says it wasn't a copycat vocal -- even though it was, wasn't it? (Except for the beatboxing.)
MELINDA -- Melinda gets a street named after her, then the producers give her an entire town: Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits." Turner is a good model for showing off Melinda's modestly funky side, but why a relatively lesser known song instead of one of her big hits? What if Melinda wailed on "River Deep, Mountain High" with a full orchestra? But she has fun w it and seems young and ready to go. Doesn't miss a step.
JORDIN -- She gets a star at the mall she used to work at. The operative word being "used" since she ain't ever gonna work in a mall anymore -- not even a mall tour. Her favorite song (from the season, I assume) is "I Who Have Nothing," which was absolutely sensational the first time she did it, though the judges didn't rave nearly as much as I expected. She does it really well again and the finale when she goes into that upper register with such controlled conviction and passion is sensational. Thrilling. The judges are positive again but should be raving. Simon says the song is"old-fashioned." It's a classic, actually and yes, it's an old-fashioned one in its arrangement but she delivers it with such belief that it works completely. Her best performance.
BLAKE -- His favorite song is the Robin Thicke number "When I Get You Alone." Big mistake to show him in the video intro performing with Sir Mix-aLot who was singing about big butts. That strikes a terrible note in the heartland. If Blake doesn't make the finale, he can always blame that. He really has grown as a performer and looks really confident on stage. Whatever happens, I bet his first album sells better than their first albums, though that doesn't mean he'll have a longer or more fruitful career -- it's just that he's easier to market out of the box and seems smart enough to make sure he is contemporary. Both Melinda and Jordin will get drenched with sappy anonymous ballads and covers and will probaby shine on later albums when they have more control. Blake seems to know exactly what he wants. Really fun vocals that showcase his singing as good as it can be live and the beatboxing at the end is cool and just the right flourish. He did his best, no matter what. Simon -- who seems to have been subtly pushing for Blake over Jordin-- gives a thumbs up.
MELINDA -- Her fave song is "I'm A Woman," another funky number. The order of her tunes really bothers me. I wish it had been funky number then a ballad then another funky number. As is, the two funky tunes blended together too much. Again, it didn't offer a great vocal range for her, but she performed with flare. The kids all end w a group hug. Why not? They're all going to be recording solo albums soon.
THE WINNERS -- Like everyone, I assume Melinda and Jordin. But darned if I can't stop thinking that Blake would replace...no, not Jordin, but MELINDA. Is that possible? I doubt it. It sure would help if we ever knew the vote totals or at least percentages. It would more likely ruin the fun if we could see say Melinda with a bigger fan base week to week. Simon gives her his stamp of approval as most consistent and she deserves it. And Blake really could supplant Jordin. But I'll stick with the safe bet. Blake had the best night but it'll be the two women in the finals.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Posting
I've been in LA and Illinois and now I'm off to London and Cannes. It's been a very hectic two months. Hence the lack of ANY posting. I MIGHT be able to watch Idol and blog next week but it'll be tricky. Ditto the final. I should be blogging at Cannes for the Advocate, so I'll point you there when that happens. And I'll also be doing individual stories for the NY Daily News, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and others.
"American Idol" -- The Top 4
Whoops! I'm so harried getting ready for London and Cannes that I forgot to post!
BARRY GIBB -- good guest coach, though I kept thinking it was Sean Connery talking. Thankfully, Gibb has written/recorded almost 700 songs so there were plenty of choices, unlike on Bon Jovi night. And Gibb was encouraging and positive with some specific helpful key changes, arrangements, etc.
MELINDA -- Sang "Love You Inside Out." Gibb was funny. Even though it was written for a man, "I was singing like a lady in the first place anyway, so that's okay." I don't know why he made a fuss about the gender of the song. Most great songs can work for either sex with just a tiny switch in wording. Melinda looked young and had fun. She's had a very successful quiet makeover. Now if only she could stop that chicken dance sort of posing where she leans back when hitting one side of the stage before turning around and heading the other way. I thought she sounded very good. Flawless, even. I did not agree with the judges. I think it was more the nature of the song that she didn't burst out more.
BLAKE -- Again, before the commercial break, he arranged a goofy moment with LaKisha. This guy is SMART. I like him more and more on a personal basis. Sang "You Should Be Dancing." Blake had a cool t-shirt on but I mostly remember Gibb calling his own song an anthem for the Seventies. It was, but really you shouldn't say that yourself. Blake should have held on to that t-shirt. He wore a godawful jacket that would have been a funny joke on Eighties night. His beat-boxing fit in PERFECTLY during the instrumental break. Unfortunately, he also beat-boxed during every chorus, which was beat. If he'd saved it for that one ten second break, it would have stood out much more, not seemed so indulgent and would have brought the crowd to its feet. Otherwise, so-so.
LAKISHA -- Sang "Staying Alive" slowed down. She had good interplay with the backup singers during the chorus. But the camera did her no favors, by putting the backup singers on the big video so they were literally and symbolically overshadowing her. She looked good.
RYAN -- His joke that Simon is not the sort who calls back after a first date was funny. But what the hell was Judge Judy doig? She knows it's a live show. Does she think she can just wander around the set and do what she wants? Order! Order in the court!
JORDIN -- Viewer questions will be more and more valuable these last two weeks since it means precious airtime. Jordin got to be sincere and say something positive about herself, by talking about their schedule and saying she could handle more than she ever thought. Got to imply it's all pretty overwhelming but without being pity-ish. Sang "To Love Somebody." gibb -- clearly impressed -- said "I've never heard a greater version than Jordin's," this for a song that's been recorded hundreds of times by Nina Simone and the like. Jordin was indeed terrific. She especially should have enjoyed it since the song had numerous low notes that she handled better than usual, got to hit those big high notes and end with a flourish in the mid-range that sounded great. And the producers showcased her here to the max -- nice beginning shot of her mid-frame that moved in for a lovely closeup. When we saw the big video monitor, it featured Jordin, not some trumpet player or backup singer. Slightly shaky towards the end but ended nicely. Very triumphant.
BLAKE -- Again, before the break he and Melinda did a dorky robot dance. Every savvy contestant in the future will be coming up wth this stuff ad nauseum; Blake was there first.
MELINDA -- Sang "How Can You Mend A Broken heart?" Very amusingly, she avoided singing the line "How can a loser ever win?" which Gibb wholeheartedly endorsed. This gal isn't as flashy as Blake but she's no naive pup, either. Marvelous performance with a very Idol flourish towards the end. Randy disses her by calling Melinda "our resident pro," a not so subtle dig that she's been a professional backup singer. On top of their initial criticism that she sang the first song anonymously -- like a backup singer -- it's a double blow for Melinda. On the other hand, this makes her not seem inevitable and a bit of an underdog.
BLAKE -- Much better outfit and looks cute, though the odd sweater/vest t-shirt thingy is still kind of strange But he looks preppy and approachable. Sings "This Is Where I Came In." There's nothing wrong with tackling an unfamiliar song at this late stage of the game -- it just better be so amazingly winning on the first listen that people are blown away by it. That's far from the case here. Big mistake by Blake when Gibb has so many classic songs to choose from. "Tragedy," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Jive Talkin'" and their last big hit "One" could all have worked wonders for him here. Song selection could cost Blake a chance at the finals.
LAKISHA -- "Run To Me," another slowed down song. Good, but all I can remember is how she absolutely lost her voice at the end. A terrible last impression.
JORDIN -- Sang "Woman in Love." She should have ended with "To Love Somebody" because that was slightly stronger but another very good performance. She is peaking again at just the right time. Gibb knows her shaky lower-register means nothing and that her upper register is pure gold. "This is going to be one of our greatest female RECORDING artists." Good lord, how could she even sing after hearing that? I thought she looked good, though the dress was a bit ike ligerie. Shaky low notes at the beginning but then a key change (!) and a big chorus. I would have just kept repeating the chorus and going higher and higher because the verses weren't working for her. But she had a big Idol-like finale. This was clearly her night, though Simon's criticism that she wasn;t young enough and sounded a bit beauty pageant-ish was on target as far as what could be better.
In the numbers recap, Blake was cut off in the middle and we didn't see Jordin at all. That could be significant for the millions who Tivo it to skip the commercials.
BOTTOM TWO -- Like everyone, I believe -- no, I KNOW -- it will be Blake and LaKisha. Blake had the weaker two performances, but LaKisha had that terrible last note, Blake is of course the only guy left and LaKisha has seemed like an also-ran for weeks now. Like Phil, she can leave with dignity after a solid performance this week. Unless the sky falls in, Blake will be eliminated next week and it'll be Melinda and Jordin in the finale and either one of them could triumph.
BARRY GIBB -- good guest coach, though I kept thinking it was Sean Connery talking. Thankfully, Gibb has written/recorded almost 700 songs so there were plenty of choices, unlike on Bon Jovi night. And Gibb was encouraging and positive with some specific helpful key changes, arrangements, etc.
MELINDA -- Sang "Love You Inside Out." Gibb was funny. Even though it was written for a man, "I was singing like a lady in the first place anyway, so that's okay." I don't know why he made a fuss about the gender of the song. Most great songs can work for either sex with just a tiny switch in wording. Melinda looked young and had fun. She's had a very successful quiet makeover. Now if only she could stop that chicken dance sort of posing where she leans back when hitting one side of the stage before turning around and heading the other way. I thought she sounded very good. Flawless, even. I did not agree with the judges. I think it was more the nature of the song that she didn't burst out more.
BLAKE -- Again, before the commercial break, he arranged a goofy moment with LaKisha. This guy is SMART. I like him more and more on a personal basis. Sang "You Should Be Dancing." Blake had a cool t-shirt on but I mostly remember Gibb calling his own song an anthem for the Seventies. It was, but really you shouldn't say that yourself. Blake should have held on to that t-shirt. He wore a godawful jacket that would have been a funny joke on Eighties night. His beat-boxing fit in PERFECTLY during the instrumental break. Unfortunately, he also beat-boxed during every chorus, which was beat. If he'd saved it for that one ten second break, it would have stood out much more, not seemed so indulgent and would have brought the crowd to its feet. Otherwise, so-so.
LAKISHA -- Sang "Staying Alive" slowed down. She had good interplay with the backup singers during the chorus. But the camera did her no favors, by putting the backup singers on the big video so they were literally and symbolically overshadowing her. She looked good.
RYAN -- His joke that Simon is not the sort who calls back after a first date was funny. But what the hell was Judge Judy doig? She knows it's a live show. Does she think she can just wander around the set and do what she wants? Order! Order in the court!
JORDIN -- Viewer questions will be more and more valuable these last two weeks since it means precious airtime. Jordin got to be sincere and say something positive about herself, by talking about their schedule and saying she could handle more than she ever thought. Got to imply it's all pretty overwhelming but without being pity-ish. Sang "To Love Somebody." gibb -- clearly impressed -- said "I've never heard a greater version than Jordin's," this for a song that's been recorded hundreds of times by Nina Simone and the like. Jordin was indeed terrific. She especially should have enjoyed it since the song had numerous low notes that she handled better than usual, got to hit those big high notes and end with a flourish in the mid-range that sounded great. And the producers showcased her here to the max -- nice beginning shot of her mid-frame that moved in for a lovely closeup. When we saw the big video monitor, it featured Jordin, not some trumpet player or backup singer. Slightly shaky towards the end but ended nicely. Very triumphant.
BLAKE -- Again, before the break he and Melinda did a dorky robot dance. Every savvy contestant in the future will be coming up wth this stuff ad nauseum; Blake was there first.
MELINDA -- Sang "How Can You Mend A Broken heart?" Very amusingly, she avoided singing the line "How can a loser ever win?" which Gibb wholeheartedly endorsed. This gal isn't as flashy as Blake but she's no naive pup, either. Marvelous performance with a very Idol flourish towards the end. Randy disses her by calling Melinda "our resident pro," a not so subtle dig that she's been a professional backup singer. On top of their initial criticism that she sang the first song anonymously -- like a backup singer -- it's a double blow for Melinda. On the other hand, this makes her not seem inevitable and a bit of an underdog.
BLAKE -- Much better outfit and looks cute, though the odd sweater/vest t-shirt thingy is still kind of strange But he looks preppy and approachable. Sings "This Is Where I Came In." There's nothing wrong with tackling an unfamiliar song at this late stage of the game -- it just better be so amazingly winning on the first listen that people are blown away by it. That's far from the case here. Big mistake by Blake when Gibb has so many classic songs to choose from. "Tragedy," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Jive Talkin'" and their last big hit "One" could all have worked wonders for him here. Song selection could cost Blake a chance at the finals.
LAKISHA -- "Run To Me," another slowed down song. Good, but all I can remember is how she absolutely lost her voice at the end. A terrible last impression.
JORDIN -- Sang "Woman in Love." She should have ended with "To Love Somebody" because that was slightly stronger but another very good performance. She is peaking again at just the right time. Gibb knows her shaky lower-register means nothing and that her upper register is pure gold. "This is going to be one of our greatest female RECORDING artists." Good lord, how could she even sing after hearing that? I thought she looked good, though the dress was a bit ike ligerie. Shaky low notes at the beginning but then a key change (!) and a big chorus. I would have just kept repeating the chorus and going higher and higher because the verses weren't working for her. But she had a big Idol-like finale. This was clearly her night, though Simon's criticism that she wasn;t young enough and sounded a bit beauty pageant-ish was on target as far as what could be better.
In the numbers recap, Blake was cut off in the middle and we didn't see Jordin at all. That could be significant for the millions who Tivo it to skip the commercials.
BOTTOM TWO -- Like everyone, I believe -- no, I KNOW -- it will be Blake and LaKisha. Blake had the weaker two performances, but LaKisha had that terrible last note, Blake is of course the only guy left and LaKisha has seemed like an also-ran for weeks now. Like Phil, she can leave with dignity after a solid performance this week. Unless the sky falls in, Blake will be eliminated next week and it'll be Melinda and Jordin in the finale and either one of them could triumph.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
"American Idol -- The Top 6 Results Show"
It's never a good sign when the show starts being too self-aware. If you can have Ryan Seacrest joke about filler in the hour long results show, joking about it doesn't mean it's okay. To be fair, this season bringing in another musical guest at least makes the hour less draggy. And thank goodness Robin Thicke has that pencil thin moustache -- that's the only thing that keeps me from thinking of his dad Alan Thicke when he's singing. He was good, but why a soul singer during rock week?
Man On The Street -- Ryan went amongst the people and got kind words about every performer except Jordin, which made me even more worried. Ryan's joke later that Simon had a girlfriend and it was VERY serious almost sent Simon into paroxyms of laughter -- happily, since a minute earlier he'd confused a joke about a sex doll as a slur on that very same girl and demanded an apology. So Simon will defend her honor but NOT give her that diamond ring.
FORD CIRCUS AD -- Yet again, I found the Ford not nearly as annoying as the ones in seasons past. Is someone new coming up with them. Blake looked good as the ringmaster.
FIRST ELIMINATION -- I notice that Blake and Chris are wearing AIDS ribbons and then I realize they all are. What prompted that, I wonder and will they wear them next week? How about a peace symbol, somebody? With Melinda and LaKisha and Phil standing up, I was actually feeling a little suspense until they said Phil was going home. My first thought was that he was so good the night before they should have saved Phil's goodbye for the second half. He sang the song really well again, hugging his Navy buddies and for a moment I thought he was gonna avoid his wife (out of fears of choking up?) but then he embraced her. Ryan said Phil had a big heart and everyone hugged and LaKisha won points for the most copious tears. Don't any of them want to claw out the eyes of their competitors to win it all?
BON JOVI -- Sang "You Wanna Make A Memory," which is right in his current comfort zone of Adult Contemporary and soft rock. Sounded great and looked good but the line about "Look at all that hair we had" was annoying -- he's still got all that hair.
SECOND ELIMINATION -- Jordin got to sit down right away, which was as close as they came to apologizing for their cheap stunt the week before. Then it came down to Blake and Chris and everyone knew Chris was going home. Phil and LaKisha would have made a much more suspenseful finale since either one of them might have gone. Pairing up Blake (the most highly praised) with Chris was dullsville. But then it got cute. They insisted they were "best friends." Not BFFs -- best friends forever? And what about the people they've known ALL THEIR LIVES? Suddenly their best friend is a guy they've only known a few months? Chris said, "I'd go home for him right now" which wasn't very noble since he knew he was going home. Ryan tried to spice things up by asking them if they wanted to switch whatever the result was but they didn't bite. But they were so buddy buddy I was half hoping they'd kiss no matter who went home. And then of course it was Chris and he did a fine job singing and they all hugged and at the last moment the mikes picked up some mumbled joke they made. I'm serious: American Idol could make MILLIONS online by letting us listen in to the Randy, Paula, Simon or contestant mikes no matter what was being played on air. We saw Chris's journey -- which included a remarkable triumph over bad acne in just a few weeks and lots of loving looks at the camera. And for the first time in ages, I was right about who went home: Chris and Phil. Next week, the sole remaining male Blake should be a safe bet for at least one more round which means the resurgent LaKisha and floundering sweetie Jordin are duking it out to make it to the final three.
Man On The Street -- Ryan went amongst the people and got kind words about every performer except Jordin, which made me even more worried. Ryan's joke later that Simon had a girlfriend and it was VERY serious almost sent Simon into paroxyms of laughter -- happily, since a minute earlier he'd confused a joke about a sex doll as a slur on that very same girl and demanded an apology. So Simon will defend her honor but NOT give her that diamond ring.
FORD CIRCUS AD -- Yet again, I found the Ford not nearly as annoying as the ones in seasons past. Is someone new coming up with them. Blake looked good as the ringmaster.
FIRST ELIMINATION -- I notice that Blake and Chris are wearing AIDS ribbons and then I realize they all are. What prompted that, I wonder and will they wear them next week? How about a peace symbol, somebody? With Melinda and LaKisha and Phil standing up, I was actually feeling a little suspense until they said Phil was going home. My first thought was that he was so good the night before they should have saved Phil's goodbye for the second half. He sang the song really well again, hugging his Navy buddies and for a moment I thought he was gonna avoid his wife (out of fears of choking up?) but then he embraced her. Ryan said Phil had a big heart and everyone hugged and LaKisha won points for the most copious tears. Don't any of them want to claw out the eyes of their competitors to win it all?
BON JOVI -- Sang "You Wanna Make A Memory," which is right in his current comfort zone of Adult Contemporary and soft rock. Sounded great and looked good but the line about "Look at all that hair we had" was annoying -- he's still got all that hair.
SECOND ELIMINATION -- Jordin got to sit down right away, which was as close as they came to apologizing for their cheap stunt the week before. Then it came down to Blake and Chris and everyone knew Chris was going home. Phil and LaKisha would have made a much more suspenseful finale since either one of them might have gone. Pairing up Blake (the most highly praised) with Chris was dullsville. But then it got cute. They insisted they were "best friends." Not BFFs -- best friends forever? And what about the people they've known ALL THEIR LIVES? Suddenly their best friend is a guy they've only known a few months? Chris said, "I'd go home for him right now" which wasn't very noble since he knew he was going home. Ryan tried to spice things up by asking them if they wanted to switch whatever the result was but they didn't bite. But they were so buddy buddy I was half hoping they'd kiss no matter who went home. And then of course it was Chris and he did a fine job singing and they all hugged and at the last moment the mikes picked up some mumbled joke they made. I'm serious: American Idol could make MILLIONS online by letting us listen in to the Randy, Paula, Simon or contestant mikes no matter what was being played on air. We saw Chris's journey -- which included a remarkable triumph over bad acne in just a few weeks and lots of loving looks at the camera. And for the first time in ages, I was right about who went home: Chris and Phil. Next week, the sole remaining male Blake should be a safe bet for at least one more round which means the resurgent LaKisha and floundering sweetie Jordin are duking it out to make it to the final three.
"American Idol -- The Top 6...Again"
Bon Jovi night? Sure, they sold a ton of records and there are only six contestants so they only need six songs. But limiting them to Bon Jovi rather than say rock n roll in general doesn't seem fair. They only have 11 top 10 hits which is not exactly a ton to choose from. Bon Jovi has also sold 35 million albums in the US, so I assume that reference to 120 million sold worldwide was "records" and included singles. Anyway....
PHIL -- Sang "Blaze of Glory" from "Young Guns," their last #1 hit and a film I have fond memories of seeing in the theater for extra-curricular reasons. Phil had a pretty good rock star style jacket on and was so confident he even gave a fist tap to Randy Jackson as he moved through the crowd. All I could think during his performance was 'what have they done with Phil and who is this guy that replaced him?' He was confident, his vocals were really strong and he had a big finish. No annoying Josh Groban like quiver in his voice. This was by FAR the best Phil has ever been, though it wasn't really in the country vein we were supposed to think for a week was the REAL Phil. I have no idea what Simon was listening to, but since this vote combines two weeks of voting, Phil could still be vulerable. Last week's was so-so.
JORDIN -- Sang "Living On A Prayer." Bon Jovi proved himself a good coach. His comments politely made clear what he thought without being rude ("this is a really hard song to sing" translates into "she's having trouble with this one") and he really orked on the arrangement and changed the melody around to make it easier for her to tackle. She was very rough on the low notes (as always) and showed almost no personality on the verses. The chorus was a little better but not great. The only thing she had going on was the fun hairdo. This was a very weak performance, the worst of the night. Combined with her so-so performance last week, that means Jordin is anything but safe. The producers thought they were cute pretending she was going home last week but maybe in fact she and Chris were the bottom two. She is very vulnerable and if she gets booted it won't be a travesty-- she's been poor two weeks in a row. Her saving grace was a nice bit of honesty when talking to the judges; she was winnningly blunt about not being very good. The judges went on and on about rock not being her genre. But it's not the main genre for any of them -- she just made a bad song choice.
LAKISHA -- Sang "This Ain't A Love Song." Just like Phil, you'd swear someone new has taken over LaKisha. After weeks of looking very unhappy, LaKisha was dressed for fun and had a blast. She belted out the song with verve and total control. She even threw in a little Jennifer Holiday style uh-huh at the very end, just to echo her best performance before this one. Kissing Simon on the lips was very fun. Last week's "I Believe" might have booted her, so it's a combo of a great and a terrible performance.
BLAKE -- Sang "You Give Love A Bad Name." They built up the risk he was taking so much, I thought Blake was going to be singing in Latin or maybe doing a strip in the middle of a song. Instead, he did a cool amount of beatboxing -- not too much, not too little. (In general, I hate it when the musicians are on stage; in this case, it was earned. But normally, they're just distracting. His dyed black hair looked more emo than rock, but it still looked good and better than his normally goofy do. This combined with last week's very safe "Imagine" should keep him fine. Blake is looking more and more like a finalist every week and if it's down to him and Melinda she will win easily.
CHRIS -- Sang "Wanted Dead Or Alive." Chris didn't know all the words when meeting with Bon Jovi, which is never a good sign. But he was funny about saying that someone had to sing this song and if it was gonna be him, then fine. He had a chat with Ryan, who introduced him as Justin Timberlake -- every once in a while the producers or judges or Ryan seem to do something that could only hurt a contestant (like calling Melinda "our resident pro.") I got the same feeling here and Chris sure didn't like it; he didn't even crack a smile. He started off pretty strong and I thought for a moment we'd have another revival a la Phil and LaKisha. No such luck. He did better on the verses than the chorus but he just wasn't very memorable. It sort of faded away right in front of you. Also, Chris seemed to think rocking out meant leaning forward as much as possible while you sing. I feared he might tip over by the finale. And his green t-shirt didn't seem very rocker-ish either. Combined with last week's weak performance, Chris is the most vulnerable of all.
MELINDA -- Sang "Have A Nice Day." She looked cool and young for a change and rocked out with conviction. Heck, she even strutted there for a moment. Inner Tina Turner was definitely unleashed. After last week's terrific Faith Hill number, she is definitely safe and looking very strong indeed.
GEORGE AND LAURA BUSH -- Ugh. $70 million for charity is wonderful, but it's a pittance compared to what's needed. And Bush could help save lives but instead just can't be bothered and lets the feel-good moment of a charity concert substitute for the real work of foreign aid and investment. Who in God's name contacted who to arrange this moment?
THE BOTTOM THREE -- Melinda and Blake are safe. Other than that, it's a crazy quilt of good and bad performances from the last two weeks that make this very tough to call. Phil and LaKisha both had poor and great performances. Chris and Jordin both had two weeks of so-so to bad performances. On straight performances, Chris and Jordin should go home. But I'm gonna get fancy and assume Jordin has enough of a fan base and Phil has been weak enough for weeks that it'll be Phil and Chris going home. But I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Jordin there too. If we knew who the bottom two were last week, this would be easier. If Jordin really was in the bottom two, then I'd say it's definitely her and Chris. So, Chris going home and Phil will join him, with Jordin in the bottom three as well and counting herself lucky if she's around for the Top 4.
PHIL -- Sang "Blaze of Glory" from "Young Guns," their last #1 hit and a film I have fond memories of seeing in the theater for extra-curricular reasons. Phil had a pretty good rock star style jacket on and was so confident he even gave a fist tap to Randy Jackson as he moved through the crowd. All I could think during his performance was 'what have they done with Phil and who is this guy that replaced him?' He was confident, his vocals were really strong and he had a big finish. No annoying Josh Groban like quiver in his voice. This was by FAR the best Phil has ever been, though it wasn't really in the country vein we were supposed to think for a week was the REAL Phil. I have no idea what Simon was listening to, but since this vote combines two weeks of voting, Phil could still be vulerable. Last week's was so-so.
JORDIN -- Sang "Living On A Prayer." Bon Jovi proved himself a good coach. His comments politely made clear what he thought without being rude ("this is a really hard song to sing" translates into "she's having trouble with this one") and he really orked on the arrangement and changed the melody around to make it easier for her to tackle. She was very rough on the low notes (as always) and showed almost no personality on the verses. The chorus was a little better but not great. The only thing she had going on was the fun hairdo. This was a very weak performance, the worst of the night. Combined with her so-so performance last week, that means Jordin is anything but safe. The producers thought they were cute pretending she was going home last week but maybe in fact she and Chris were the bottom two. She is very vulnerable and if she gets booted it won't be a travesty-- she's been poor two weeks in a row. Her saving grace was a nice bit of honesty when talking to the judges; she was winnningly blunt about not being very good. The judges went on and on about rock not being her genre. But it's not the main genre for any of them -- she just made a bad song choice.
LAKISHA -- Sang "This Ain't A Love Song." Just like Phil, you'd swear someone new has taken over LaKisha. After weeks of looking very unhappy, LaKisha was dressed for fun and had a blast. She belted out the song with verve and total control. She even threw in a little Jennifer Holiday style uh-huh at the very end, just to echo her best performance before this one. Kissing Simon on the lips was very fun. Last week's "I Believe" might have booted her, so it's a combo of a great and a terrible performance.
BLAKE -- Sang "You Give Love A Bad Name." They built up the risk he was taking so much, I thought Blake was going to be singing in Latin or maybe doing a strip in the middle of a song. Instead, he did a cool amount of beatboxing -- not too much, not too little. (In general, I hate it when the musicians are on stage; in this case, it was earned. But normally, they're just distracting. His dyed black hair looked more emo than rock, but it still looked good and better than his normally goofy do. This combined with last week's very safe "Imagine" should keep him fine. Blake is looking more and more like a finalist every week and if it's down to him and Melinda she will win easily.
CHRIS -- Sang "Wanted Dead Or Alive." Chris didn't know all the words when meeting with Bon Jovi, which is never a good sign. But he was funny about saying that someone had to sing this song and if it was gonna be him, then fine. He had a chat with Ryan, who introduced him as Justin Timberlake -- every once in a while the producers or judges or Ryan seem to do something that could only hurt a contestant (like calling Melinda "our resident pro.") I got the same feeling here and Chris sure didn't like it; he didn't even crack a smile. He started off pretty strong and I thought for a moment we'd have another revival a la Phil and LaKisha. No such luck. He did better on the verses than the chorus but he just wasn't very memorable. It sort of faded away right in front of you. Also, Chris seemed to think rocking out meant leaning forward as much as possible while you sing. I feared he might tip over by the finale. And his green t-shirt didn't seem very rocker-ish either. Combined with last week's weak performance, Chris is the most vulnerable of all.
MELINDA -- Sang "Have A Nice Day." She looked cool and young for a change and rocked out with conviction. Heck, she even strutted there for a moment. Inner Tina Turner was definitely unleashed. After last week's terrific Faith Hill number, she is definitely safe and looking very strong indeed.
GEORGE AND LAURA BUSH -- Ugh. $70 million for charity is wonderful, but it's a pittance compared to what's needed. And Bush could help save lives but instead just can't be bothered and lets the feel-good moment of a charity concert substitute for the real work of foreign aid and investment. Who in God's name contacted who to arrange this moment?
THE BOTTOM THREE -- Melinda and Blake are safe. Other than that, it's a crazy quilt of good and bad performances from the last two weeks that make this very tough to call. Phil and LaKisha both had poor and great performances. Chris and Jordin both had two weeks of so-so to bad performances. On straight performances, Chris and Jordin should go home. But I'm gonna get fancy and assume Jordin has enough of a fan base and Phil has been weak enough for weeks that it'll be Phil and Chris going home. But I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Jordin there too. If we knew who the bottom two were last week, this would be easier. If Jordin really was in the bottom two, then I'd say it's definitely her and Chris. So, Chris going home and Phil will join him, with Jordin in the bottom three as well and counting herself lucky if she's around for the Top 4.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Idol Gives Back
Just back from LA for a story and then Illinois for the Roger Ebert Film Festival. I just watched Idol Gives Back and it was just as cheesey and deliriously bad as I'd hoped for. The sing-along with the six finalists all in white was absolutely dreadful -- terrible, goopy song circa Q and given a terrible performance by them. That song will never be sung or heard from again. Jack Black was very funny, as always. Il Divo did what they do. But the cheese highlight was surely Josh Groban with a choir of little African children. ONe boy was missing two front teeth (if only this had been a Christmas special!) and so got lots of close-ups. Since Groban is singing about being lifted up he invariably sings this song while gazing up into the sky. But here of course he was surrounded by little children and Groban didn't know what to do --he looked up and then down and then up and then down. As a bonus, he looked like a giant, or at least a human surrounded by hobbits in the Lord of the Rings when they went to a wide shot. At the end, there was a brief pause and then the kids "spontaneously" gave Groban a group hug in the single most shamelessly staged moment of the night. The Elvis bit was fine, terrible, and frightening. It was fine as an amusing minor stunt and at least the song was a little different from the "inspiring" other numbers. it was terrible because they hyped it to death. It was NOT a piece of momentous TV history; just a silly stunt. But in fact it WAS a piece of TV history in a way. The technology is getting so good that in five years Elvis could probably be a guest star on CSI and fit in seamlessly, including all-new dialogue. Celebs will record a string of words and sounds that can be manipulated into almost any piece of dialogue and their digitial image will be available for work long after they're dead. Elvis performed on American Idol and that's the beginning of an inevitable trend. Kelly Clarkson gave one of the best performances of the night and she was NOT fat. I was expecting Mama Cass from what my idiotic brother said; she was a healthy, normal looking girl in an unflattering dress. It's thanks to people like him that so many young women have eating disorders. Finally, the emotional jerking around of Jordin -- like Elvis, it was hyped repeatedly as the most shocking Idol finale ever -- was terrible and mean and they should apologize. Two things: they've done that before (have no one go home) so it WASN'T the most shocking finale ever; also, the sympathy Jordin will presumably get won't hurt her one bit will it?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
"American Idol -- The Top 6"
Okay, just back from LA and off to Illinois for the Roger Ebert Film Festival. Here's a quick, not-so-detailed impression.
INSPIRATION -- Urgh, surely the worst idea for a theme night. But it wasn't the songs as much as the treacly testimonials the kids gave on video before singing.
CHRIS -- the pants with the huge pockets ruined the look of the jacket. To me, Chris's "Change The World" just had no personality, despite the runs towards the end. It evaporated right in front of our eyes. Very vulnerable.
MELINDA -- Sang a Fatih Hill song and looked like a woman in her classy dress. And she was fierce, so controlled, so commanding. It felt more like a guest performer coming in than one of the contestants hopng to become a star. Her banter with Simon is loosening her pup too, getting away from the puppy dog looks. And that's a good thing. Just because she's the front-runner, don't rule her out.
BLAKE -- still pin-upable, even though his intro (we can't always make the world better but we can start by making it a better place? Or something like that) was incomprehensible. Sang John Lennon's "Imagine" and while you wouldn't want to mess with it too much, he could have tried to inject a little verve. But the singing was nice -- it was his deer in the headlights look that bothered me. Blake seems determined to have no facial expression while singing and tons of it afterwards -- like that goofy grin. But overall, appealing and safe. I'd rather listen to it ten times than Chris's...uh, what the hell did he sing? See, I forgot already.
LAKISHA -- Dreadful song choice -- Fantasia's I Believe? What is she gonna sing next week? Kelly Clarkson's A Moment Like This? And it was rough going all the way through. She covered it pretty well, but LaKisha had trouble catching her breath again, keeping the melody going and trying to avoid cutting lines short. She belted it a little bit but just seemed utterly lost and boring up there. The fun seems to have gone out of it for her as well. Very vulnerable. Why would you vote for her when you could vote for Melinda and Jordin is coming on strong.
PHIL -- another country song because he's SO country and then he goes and sings a Garth Brooks tune as if it were Josh Groban. Simon nailed it completely. But I think he was fine enough to get by.
JORDIN -- I love Jordin (though I'm already finding myself rooting for the first adult to win Idol) but I thought the judges were way off tonight. Jordin's much discussed wavering on the low notes was front and center on this song, which is all low notes till you hit the big chorus. She was shaky, shaky, shaky. Hit some lovely big notes but then Jordin got piercing on the final big note when normally that's when she takes my breath away. I also didnt like the arrangment, which started to build and build but then just sort of stopped. She should have been topping herself, when suddenly the song was over. Should have skipped the reprise of the low-note verse and just done one verse and a double or triple chorus slam. This is all to be kept in perspective I've been blown away by her the last three or four weeks, so I expect everything. This had fun moments and some chills, but wasn't nearly as polished as say IWho Have Nothing. But she's safe.
BOTTOM TWO -- Chris and Lakisha were the weakest, with Phil bringing up the rear. Chris was first so that doesn't help and he was so forgettable. But LaKisha to me was worse. And chooinsg another Idol song was so boring. I think she's going home.
SURPRISE GUEST -- Who is the biggest star, ever? You have to assume Michael Jackson, right? That was the guess of my flight attendandt, he said, Michael does all those charities. The female flight attendant said Michael isn't charity, he's a charity CASE1 I wouldn't think they'd want to associate with Jackson but you never know. A Beatle would certainly be big, so Paul McCartney could pop out. But given the charity and the dva-esque designation of "biggest star EVER," I'm going with Barbra Streisand. Hard to imagine she'd do something without tons of rehearsal, but you never know.
INSPIRATION -- Urgh, surely the worst idea for a theme night. But it wasn't the songs as much as the treacly testimonials the kids gave on video before singing.
CHRIS -- the pants with the huge pockets ruined the look of the jacket. To me, Chris's "Change The World" just had no personality, despite the runs towards the end. It evaporated right in front of our eyes. Very vulnerable.
MELINDA -- Sang a Fatih Hill song and looked like a woman in her classy dress. And she was fierce, so controlled, so commanding. It felt more like a guest performer coming in than one of the contestants hopng to become a star. Her banter with Simon is loosening her pup too, getting away from the puppy dog looks. And that's a good thing. Just because she's the front-runner, don't rule her out.
BLAKE -- still pin-upable, even though his intro (we can't always make the world better but we can start by making it a better place? Or something like that) was incomprehensible. Sang John Lennon's "Imagine" and while you wouldn't want to mess with it too much, he could have tried to inject a little verve. But the singing was nice -- it was his deer in the headlights look that bothered me. Blake seems determined to have no facial expression while singing and tons of it afterwards -- like that goofy grin. But overall, appealing and safe. I'd rather listen to it ten times than Chris's...uh, what the hell did he sing? See, I forgot already.
LAKISHA -- Dreadful song choice -- Fantasia's I Believe? What is she gonna sing next week? Kelly Clarkson's A Moment Like This? And it was rough going all the way through. She covered it pretty well, but LaKisha had trouble catching her breath again, keeping the melody going and trying to avoid cutting lines short. She belted it a little bit but just seemed utterly lost and boring up there. The fun seems to have gone out of it for her as well. Very vulnerable. Why would you vote for her when you could vote for Melinda and Jordin is coming on strong.
PHIL -- another country song because he's SO country and then he goes and sings a Garth Brooks tune as if it were Josh Groban. Simon nailed it completely. But I think he was fine enough to get by.
JORDIN -- I love Jordin (though I'm already finding myself rooting for the first adult to win Idol) but I thought the judges were way off tonight. Jordin's much discussed wavering on the low notes was front and center on this song, which is all low notes till you hit the big chorus. She was shaky, shaky, shaky. Hit some lovely big notes but then Jordin got piercing on the final big note when normally that's when she takes my breath away. I also didnt like the arrangment, which started to build and build but then just sort of stopped. She should have been topping herself, when suddenly the song was over. Should have skipped the reprise of the low-note verse and just done one verse and a double or triple chorus slam. This is all to be kept in perspective I've been blown away by her the last three or four weeks, so I expect everything. This had fun moments and some chills, but wasn't nearly as polished as say IWho Have Nothing. But she's safe.
BOTTOM TWO -- Chris and Lakisha were the weakest, with Phil bringing up the rear. Chris was first so that doesn't help and he was so forgettable. But LaKisha to me was worse. And chooinsg another Idol song was so boring. I think she's going home.
SURPRISE GUEST -- Who is the biggest star, ever? You have to assume Michael Jackson, right? That was the guess of my flight attendandt, he said, Michael does all those charities. The female flight attendant said Michael isn't charity, he's a charity CASE1 I wouldn't think they'd want to associate with Jackson but you never know. A Beatle would certainly be big, so Paul McCartney could pop out. But given the charity and the dva-esque designation of "biggest star EVER," I'm going with Barbra Streisand. Hard to imagine she'd do something without tons of rehearsal, but you never know.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
"American Idol" -- Results For Top 7
I swear on my golden "Idol" that in the future my picks for the bottom two will be simply my picks for the least effective songs. I look back on my notes and my three least favorite songs were clearly Sanjaya, LaKisha and Blake (with Chris right in there). So who does America wisely pick for the bottom three? Sanjaya, LaKisha and Blake. I of course got all cute about Phil and Blake's sex appeal and momentum and all that rot and got it almost completely wrong. But first, the show.
Ryan began the show by reprising his "Who is going home" while staring at Sanjaya. It was cute last week. This week it was just mean or annoying. I have no idea what Sanjaya said back to him. His t-shirt was very Sanjaya-ish -- "Life Is Beautiful." Sanjaya is love indeed, as Miss Ross said.
SIMON'S APOLOGIA -- The producers did a good job of showing exactly what went on last night. Letting us hear the unaired dialogue between Simon and Paula made clear they were talking and not listening to what Ryan and Blake were saying. Of course, no one thought Simon was mocking the dead at Virginia Tech, they thought he was mocking Chris and finding his reference to it insincere. But this clarification showed that wasn't the case either. Now if only we could ALWAYS go online and hear what the judges were whispering to each other.
PERSON ON THE STREET -- Is this now a weekly way to pad out the hour? I suppose it's better than a second group sing-along. By why in heaven's name did they show the clip of the woman calling Sanjaya a "girlie girlie sweetie boy. He a'ight but he don't belong there anymore." They could have just shown her saying the second half, but they included the girlie girlie ref. That's gratuitous and mean.
GROUP SING ALONG -- I'm Alright. The four people who were weak last night did a lot better here. Except for the dorky choreography, this was almost pleasant.
WHAT I'M LISTENING TO -- A shout out to Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Incubus and Willie Nelson. Phil said it might seem weird that he was listening to Willie. Uh, why in God's name would it be weird to listen to an icon like Willie at any time? And surely during country week it would be alsmot a given for anyone with taste or sense. Phil is clueless, especially since he just tried to convince us the night before he was country to the core. If you're country, you don't apologize for listening to Willie. Heck, if you like MUSIC you don't apologize for listening to Willie.
FERGIE -- Sang some dull song. The best part when a little kid -- looking quite bored -- was presumably shoved to the stage so she and Fergie could hold hands for a moment in what had to be the least spontaneous gesture in Idol history. The kid looked so disinterested I hope she got paid.
FORD AD -- I just noticed Ryan keeps calling them Ford music videos. It's an AD! Again, I suppose they're hopelessly goofy but for some inexplicable reason I find them less tiresome this season than before. And a nice nod to Flock of Seagulls during the spy scenes was appropriate since Idol is the new MTV. But there's no need for them to look so darn excited after the ad runs.
SHREK THE THIRD -- Oodles of promo for "Shrek The Third" with the kids meeting Jeffrey Katzenberg (Jordin looked REALLY excited when Katzenberg came out; is she some sort of animation freak or a studio chief groupie or just getting really good at acting?), learning how animated films are made, doing voice over work, meeting Antonio Banderas and then omigosh Antonio Banderas is sitting in the audience with lovely wife Melanie Griffith, their kid and Katzenberg again. Quincy Jones didn't get to speak for more than a second but Banderas gets to gab away. Amazingly, it wasn't even a Fox film. (I suppose Fox's Fantastic Four in mid-June is too far away to push.)
CUTTING TO COMMERCIAL -- When they're cutting to a commercial before announcing the bottom three, we get a shot of Jordin, Chris and Blake all staring open-mouthed in astonishment at the news. Very funny and I just KNOW it was Blake's idea.
TOP FOUR -- Melinda, Phil, Jordin and Chris. I jsut knew it was the top four when Jordin joined them. There was no way she was a low vote getter this week. Melinda was placed in the middle, the unspoken assumption that everyone knows she's the frontrunner. This is NOT good for her, since she's been in the lead so long that Jordin is gonna seem awfully appealing. Sitting down when asked to choose was very cute and perfect for her.
MARTINA MCBRIDE -- sings nice uplifting song. I could have done without her kid getting camera time; is this Idol or The 700 Club?
BOTTOM THREE -- Sanjaya, LaKisha and Blake, my three least favorite performances. Blake sits down right away and it must unnerve LaKisha to hear everyone freaking out first when he was in the bottom three and screaming for him to be safe. You are in trouble, Kiki. Then Sanjaya goes home, with LaKisha giving him a long hug, then Melinda getting good camera time by hugging LaKisha and then Blake topping them all by wiping away LaKisha's tears. Sanjaya tears up but gets through his song singing "something to talk about...other than hair."
Next week, I go with my gut. Really.
Ryan began the show by reprising his "Who is going home" while staring at Sanjaya. It was cute last week. This week it was just mean or annoying. I have no idea what Sanjaya said back to him. His t-shirt was very Sanjaya-ish -- "Life Is Beautiful." Sanjaya is love indeed, as Miss Ross said.
SIMON'S APOLOGIA -- The producers did a good job of showing exactly what went on last night. Letting us hear the unaired dialogue between Simon and Paula made clear they were talking and not listening to what Ryan and Blake were saying. Of course, no one thought Simon was mocking the dead at Virginia Tech, they thought he was mocking Chris and finding his reference to it insincere. But this clarification showed that wasn't the case either. Now if only we could ALWAYS go online and hear what the judges were whispering to each other.
PERSON ON THE STREET -- Is this now a weekly way to pad out the hour? I suppose it's better than a second group sing-along. By why in heaven's name did they show the clip of the woman calling Sanjaya a "girlie girlie sweetie boy. He a'ight but he don't belong there anymore." They could have just shown her saying the second half, but they included the girlie girlie ref. That's gratuitous and mean.
GROUP SING ALONG -- I'm Alright. The four people who were weak last night did a lot better here. Except for the dorky choreography, this was almost pleasant.
WHAT I'M LISTENING TO -- A shout out to Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Incubus and Willie Nelson. Phil said it might seem weird that he was listening to Willie. Uh, why in God's name would it be weird to listen to an icon like Willie at any time? And surely during country week it would be alsmot a given for anyone with taste or sense. Phil is clueless, especially since he just tried to convince us the night before he was country to the core. If you're country, you don't apologize for listening to Willie. Heck, if you like MUSIC you don't apologize for listening to Willie.
FERGIE -- Sang some dull song. The best part when a little kid -- looking quite bored -- was presumably shoved to the stage so she and Fergie could hold hands for a moment in what had to be the least spontaneous gesture in Idol history. The kid looked so disinterested I hope she got paid.
FORD AD -- I just noticed Ryan keeps calling them Ford music videos. It's an AD! Again, I suppose they're hopelessly goofy but for some inexplicable reason I find them less tiresome this season than before. And a nice nod to Flock of Seagulls during the spy scenes was appropriate since Idol is the new MTV. But there's no need for them to look so darn excited after the ad runs.
SHREK THE THIRD -- Oodles of promo for "Shrek The Third" with the kids meeting Jeffrey Katzenberg (Jordin looked REALLY excited when Katzenberg came out; is she some sort of animation freak or a studio chief groupie or just getting really good at acting?), learning how animated films are made, doing voice over work, meeting Antonio Banderas and then omigosh Antonio Banderas is sitting in the audience with lovely wife Melanie Griffith, their kid and Katzenberg again. Quincy Jones didn't get to speak for more than a second but Banderas gets to gab away. Amazingly, it wasn't even a Fox film. (I suppose Fox's Fantastic Four in mid-June is too far away to push.)
CUTTING TO COMMERCIAL -- When they're cutting to a commercial before announcing the bottom three, we get a shot of Jordin, Chris and Blake all staring open-mouthed in astonishment at the news. Very funny and I just KNOW it was Blake's idea.
TOP FOUR -- Melinda, Phil, Jordin and Chris. I jsut knew it was the top four when Jordin joined them. There was no way she was a low vote getter this week. Melinda was placed in the middle, the unspoken assumption that everyone knows she's the frontrunner. This is NOT good for her, since she's been in the lead so long that Jordin is gonna seem awfully appealing. Sitting down when asked to choose was very cute and perfect for her.
MARTINA MCBRIDE -- sings nice uplifting song. I could have done without her kid getting camera time; is this Idol or The 700 Club?
BOTTOM THREE -- Sanjaya, LaKisha and Blake, my three least favorite performances. Blake sits down right away and it must unnerve LaKisha to hear everyone freaking out first when he was in the bottom three and screaming for him to be safe. You are in trouble, Kiki. Then Sanjaya goes home, with LaKisha giving him a long hug, then Melinda getting good camera time by hugging LaKisha and then Blake topping them all by wiping away LaKisha's tears. Sanjaya tears up but gets through his song singing "something to talk about...other than hair."
Next week, I go with my gut. Really.
"American Idol" -- The Top 7
Okay, this blog has become the "Idol" only blog. That will change after my current crush of traveling: I'm in LA this weekend for The Advocate, I'm in Illinois next week for the Roger Ebert Film Festival and then I'm in London and Cannes for the Cannes Film Festival. After all that, I'll be home and getting used to my new Apple laptop and I'll find a happier balance between blogging and paying the bills. For the moment, cold turkery seemed an important first step after 18 months of constant posting.
MARTINA MCBRIDE -- She seemed nice enough, but most of the comments we heard were just sort of general enthusiasm. As with most pros, she managed to say something nice about everyone without tipping her hands as to what she really thought. She gave a few concrete suggestions, but mostly just told 'em to "concentrate on the lyrics." Country, rap or rock -- that's always a good idea, folks.
PHIL -- Singing Keith Urban's "When The Blacktop Ends." Like everyone else, Phil made no attempt to go country with his outfit. I guess everyone decided if they looked like they were wearing a costume it would have cut down on their believability factor. But surely Phil if anyone would have benfitted from a cowboy hat. Martina said she loved the tone of his voice, the latest celeb judge to compliment his vocals. Can't they find something nice to say without going so far? Or is it conceivable they are hearing something we're not? (Nope, it's not.) On the other hand, when he's rehearsing, they cut to her face during a vocal and she seems to rear back, like a horse that's just been spooked. We read a lot into the tactics of the producers, but the truth is they always try to rotate who goes first, last, etc. But surely Phil going first after being in the bottom two again and again can't help. Though not country looking, he looks pretty good and for Phil, the vocals are pretty lively. It's not memorably good, but it's far better than he's been in weeks if not ever. He gives man hugs to some of the guys in the audience -- are they his friends? They don't quite act like it, but I assume they must be. He gives a final "That's right y'all" towards the end. Phil is the first of many to insist he's country to the bone. If he'd been country all along, he might have built a fanbase. But I don't think you can switch on the vote of a genre's fans after just one week. No one in this show has the country vote and this week won't change that. Still, my initial instinct is that he could be safe this week. It certainly was a high point for him. On the other hand, he's been bottom two repeatedly and just went first. The judges are very nice to him.
JORDIN -- Singing McBride's "A Broken Wing." Talk about quietly being ballsy -- Jordin sings McBride's signature song. McBride gives her the most concrete advice of anyone by urging Jordin to just stand there and sing. Unlike LaKisha when Diana Ross told her the same thing, Jordin listens. Her dress is a little old for her, but it is definitely country-friendly. She sounds great, though the beginning is a little colorless. But as soon as she hits the chorus for the first time, Jordin just soars. She gets stronger and stronger and when she sings "Man, you oughta see her fly!" it's just sensational. She has an absolutely huge ending that is both emotionally satisfying for the song and pure "Idol." (Fans love it when you hold that big note at the end.) Just brilliant. She is def the Kelly Clarkson this year -- a quiet contender who gets better and better every week while being a little under the radar so no one gets sick of her. I wrote down "Jordin V. Melinda" for the finale as soon as she finished the song, as well as the note that she isn't gunning to be in the finals, she's gunning to win it all. Then of course, Simon said the very same thing by saying for the first time he believed she could win the whole enchilada. I guess petty minds think alike.
SANJAYA -- Okay, Sanjaya has spent the past three weeks trying to be considered a singer/entertainer rather than a punchline. But I still have to say I was bummed he didn't don any cowboy duds. Serious entertainer and showmanship can go hand in hand, Sanjaya. The bandana and hair thing was different but looked more appropriate for rap week. His joke in response to a reader's query was very funny -- he'd have Simon sing R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" so Simon's true personality could come out. Sanjaya is def a smart kid. Last week was his strongest vocal with "Besame Mucho." This week went right back down with John Hiatt's "Something To Talk About." It's a pretty flat number in the verses; you really have to bring a lot of color to make those lines jump out, something Hiatt and Bonnie Raitt can do, of course. Sanjaya doesn't and the overall result is just boring, something Sanjaya should never be if he wants votes for his personality. He tries to groove with one of the backup singers and she smiles politely but seems to be thinking, "Oh please." [Later that night, Craig Ferguson guesting on Dave would refer to Sanjaya as "that effeminate" teenager. Boy, I hope this kid's self-confidence is high.] It was utterly dull and I thought, maybe now is the week he'll go. Simon said he was utterly horrendous, Ryan looked silly when he insisted that Simon would never like Sanjaya and Simon rightly pointed out he'd been complimentary last week. But the Sanjaya chat went on way too long. Will that help or hurt him? He should be very vulnerable, unless the anti-Idol vote (which I just can't take seriously) is far bigger than we thought.
LAKISHA -- Singing Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take The Wheel." McBride likes that LaKisha really identified with the song and a brief clip of her singing the first lines sounds very promising. LaKisha uses a mike stand (hello, Miss Ross!) and when she sings "She had a lot on her mind" LaKisha helpfully points to her head. People, never act out the song. Best of all, LaKisha has on some serious gold boots that are a hoot. She's really harsh on a big note in the middle and pretty piercing throughout when going for volume, though the quiet beginning and end are fine. If we think of her and Melinda appealing to the same vote the way Blake and Chris do, LaKisha seems to be falling behind. Vulnerable.
CHRIS -- Singing "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts. McBride insisted he was versatile. I'd kind of like to think he was versatile too. He had on a terrible jacket (the rolled up sleeves didn't help) and was it my imagination or were the teenage squeals far less noticeable last night? He was kind of flat at first and had a rough middle section but was pretty good on the first chorus. Overall, lots of rough notes, though he gave it a pretty good country twang throughout. Randy was right when he said he didn't feel any emotion from Chris at all. Simon called it nondescript, nasally and tinny and Chris was actually right when he was defending the tone of his voice as a choice that was appropriate for a country song (a genre Simon hates). But that doesn't change the fact that it was weak overall. Unmemorable and therefore vulnerable. Chris at the end made a brief, appropriate reference to having friends at Virgina Tech, highlighting the fact that Ryan should have made a brief mention of it at the top of the show, something like "a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Virgina Tech. If you want to try and take your mind off that sadness for an hour, hopefully we'll be able to help."
MELINDA -- Singing "Trouble Is A Woman" by Julie Reeves. McBride had never heard of her and neither had I -- she seems to have released all of one album in 1999. Melinda has some crazy taste. How ever did she find this one? Usually, her taste leads her astray and it's always dangerous to choose a song almost none of the audience will know. But the lyrics were easy to follow and the song was a lot of fun. It was great at making Melinda seem playful and young, something she definitely has to work on with Jordin breathing down her neck. If it comes down to those two, Melinda would have to blow the kid away vocally to win and I don't know that she can. Otherwise, weeks of being the frontrunner and the general air of being an adult (who wants to vote for their mom to win Idol?) hurts her. But performances like this def help. Great fun. Randy gives her a backhanded compliment by referring to Melinda as "our resident pro." Is he trying to lose her votes? Simon was very funny by insisting Melinda lose the look of surprise when he said something nice. (Wisely, she did.) His Tina Turner ref was a stretch, but deserved.
BLAKE -- When they cut to the break right before Blake's performance, he did a goofy thing miming cowboy pistols. Blake is definitely an entertainer; he always tries to think of something silly and memorable to do like that every week. Singing Tim McGraw's "When The Stars Go Blue." McBride's comments that he seemed nervous and attempts to get him to hit a purer tone on his high notes were very specific and concrete and seemed to indicate he could have trouble. And boy did he ever. The producers pulled out all the stops production-wise, with lots of colored lights covering the stage. And Blake looked very cute in his sweater vest ensemble. His vocals were rough throughout, Blake kept looking back at the band as if he they weren't in sync or he couldn't hear them well, he just seemed lost up there and was even screaming a bit on the big notes. It never came together and he looked very unhappy when it was over. Then, bizarrely, the judges acted as if he had done a good job. Are they trying to protect their best male candidate so it doesn't become a final four of women? I hate to be cynical but I can't think of any other reason why they didn't criticize what was Blake's weakest performance in ages. Normally, I'd say he was vulnerable, but with the judges polite comments and the fact that Blake has won over more of the Tiger Beat vote, I guess one off week won't be enough to hurt him.
THE BOTTOM THREE -- Looking back, I've got lots of contenders with Phil and Sanjaya and LaKisha and Chris (and Blake). I'm going to assume that LaKisha and Blake are safe thanks to weeks of building up a fan base. That leaves Phil and Sanjaya and Chris in the bottom three. Both Phil and Chris have been there before, of course. Just on performance, I'd say Sanjaya and Chris. But since Phil has been in the bottom two for weeks, I've got to assume he will be again. So let's say Phil and Chris, with Chris going home.
MARTINA MCBRIDE -- She seemed nice enough, but most of the comments we heard were just sort of general enthusiasm. As with most pros, she managed to say something nice about everyone without tipping her hands as to what she really thought. She gave a few concrete suggestions, but mostly just told 'em to "concentrate on the lyrics." Country, rap or rock -- that's always a good idea, folks.
PHIL -- Singing Keith Urban's "When The Blacktop Ends." Like everyone else, Phil made no attempt to go country with his outfit. I guess everyone decided if they looked like they were wearing a costume it would have cut down on their believability factor. But surely Phil if anyone would have benfitted from a cowboy hat. Martina said she loved the tone of his voice, the latest celeb judge to compliment his vocals. Can't they find something nice to say without going so far? Or is it conceivable they are hearing something we're not? (Nope, it's not.) On the other hand, when he's rehearsing, they cut to her face during a vocal and she seems to rear back, like a horse that's just been spooked. We read a lot into the tactics of the producers, but the truth is they always try to rotate who goes first, last, etc. But surely Phil going first after being in the bottom two again and again can't help. Though not country looking, he looks pretty good and for Phil, the vocals are pretty lively. It's not memorably good, but it's far better than he's been in weeks if not ever. He gives man hugs to some of the guys in the audience -- are they his friends? They don't quite act like it, but I assume they must be. He gives a final "That's right y'all" towards the end. Phil is the first of many to insist he's country to the bone. If he'd been country all along, he might have built a fanbase. But I don't think you can switch on the vote of a genre's fans after just one week. No one in this show has the country vote and this week won't change that. Still, my initial instinct is that he could be safe this week. It certainly was a high point for him. On the other hand, he's been bottom two repeatedly and just went first. The judges are very nice to him.
JORDIN -- Singing McBride's "A Broken Wing." Talk about quietly being ballsy -- Jordin sings McBride's signature song. McBride gives her the most concrete advice of anyone by urging Jordin to just stand there and sing. Unlike LaKisha when Diana Ross told her the same thing, Jordin listens. Her dress is a little old for her, but it is definitely country-friendly. She sounds great, though the beginning is a little colorless. But as soon as she hits the chorus for the first time, Jordin just soars. She gets stronger and stronger and when she sings "Man, you oughta see her fly!" it's just sensational. She has an absolutely huge ending that is both emotionally satisfying for the song and pure "Idol." (Fans love it when you hold that big note at the end.) Just brilliant. She is def the Kelly Clarkson this year -- a quiet contender who gets better and better every week while being a little under the radar so no one gets sick of her. I wrote down "Jordin V. Melinda" for the finale as soon as she finished the song, as well as the note that she isn't gunning to be in the finals, she's gunning to win it all. Then of course, Simon said the very same thing by saying for the first time he believed she could win the whole enchilada. I guess petty minds think alike.
SANJAYA -- Okay, Sanjaya has spent the past three weeks trying to be considered a singer/entertainer rather than a punchline. But I still have to say I was bummed he didn't don any cowboy duds. Serious entertainer and showmanship can go hand in hand, Sanjaya. The bandana and hair thing was different but looked more appropriate for rap week. His joke in response to a reader's query was very funny -- he'd have Simon sing R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" so Simon's true personality could come out. Sanjaya is def a smart kid. Last week was his strongest vocal with "Besame Mucho." This week went right back down with John Hiatt's "Something To Talk About." It's a pretty flat number in the verses; you really have to bring a lot of color to make those lines jump out, something Hiatt and Bonnie Raitt can do, of course. Sanjaya doesn't and the overall result is just boring, something Sanjaya should never be if he wants votes for his personality. He tries to groove with one of the backup singers and she smiles politely but seems to be thinking, "Oh please." [Later that night, Craig Ferguson guesting on Dave would refer to Sanjaya as "that effeminate" teenager. Boy, I hope this kid's self-confidence is high.] It was utterly dull and I thought, maybe now is the week he'll go. Simon said he was utterly horrendous, Ryan looked silly when he insisted that Simon would never like Sanjaya and Simon rightly pointed out he'd been complimentary last week. But the Sanjaya chat went on way too long. Will that help or hurt him? He should be very vulnerable, unless the anti-Idol vote (which I just can't take seriously) is far bigger than we thought.
LAKISHA -- Singing Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take The Wheel." McBride likes that LaKisha really identified with the song and a brief clip of her singing the first lines sounds very promising. LaKisha uses a mike stand (hello, Miss Ross!) and when she sings "She had a lot on her mind" LaKisha helpfully points to her head. People, never act out the song. Best of all, LaKisha has on some serious gold boots that are a hoot. She's really harsh on a big note in the middle and pretty piercing throughout when going for volume, though the quiet beginning and end are fine. If we think of her and Melinda appealing to the same vote the way Blake and Chris do, LaKisha seems to be falling behind. Vulnerable.
CHRIS -- Singing "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts. McBride insisted he was versatile. I'd kind of like to think he was versatile too. He had on a terrible jacket (the rolled up sleeves didn't help) and was it my imagination or were the teenage squeals far less noticeable last night? He was kind of flat at first and had a rough middle section but was pretty good on the first chorus. Overall, lots of rough notes, though he gave it a pretty good country twang throughout. Randy was right when he said he didn't feel any emotion from Chris at all. Simon called it nondescript, nasally and tinny and Chris was actually right when he was defending the tone of his voice as a choice that was appropriate for a country song (a genre Simon hates). But that doesn't change the fact that it was weak overall. Unmemorable and therefore vulnerable. Chris at the end made a brief, appropriate reference to having friends at Virgina Tech, highlighting the fact that Ryan should have made a brief mention of it at the top of the show, something like "a terrible tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Virgina Tech. If you want to try and take your mind off that sadness for an hour, hopefully we'll be able to help."
MELINDA -- Singing "Trouble Is A Woman" by Julie Reeves. McBride had never heard of her and neither had I -- she seems to have released all of one album in 1999. Melinda has some crazy taste. How ever did she find this one? Usually, her taste leads her astray and it's always dangerous to choose a song almost none of the audience will know. But the lyrics were easy to follow and the song was a lot of fun. It was great at making Melinda seem playful and young, something she definitely has to work on with Jordin breathing down her neck. If it comes down to those two, Melinda would have to blow the kid away vocally to win and I don't know that she can. Otherwise, weeks of being the frontrunner and the general air of being an adult (who wants to vote for their mom to win Idol?) hurts her. But performances like this def help. Great fun. Randy gives her a backhanded compliment by referring to Melinda as "our resident pro." Is he trying to lose her votes? Simon was very funny by insisting Melinda lose the look of surprise when he said something nice. (Wisely, she did.) His Tina Turner ref was a stretch, but deserved.
BLAKE -- When they cut to the break right before Blake's performance, he did a goofy thing miming cowboy pistols. Blake is definitely an entertainer; he always tries to think of something silly and memorable to do like that every week. Singing Tim McGraw's "When The Stars Go Blue." McBride's comments that he seemed nervous and attempts to get him to hit a purer tone on his high notes were very specific and concrete and seemed to indicate he could have trouble. And boy did he ever. The producers pulled out all the stops production-wise, with lots of colored lights covering the stage. And Blake looked very cute in his sweater vest ensemble. His vocals were rough throughout, Blake kept looking back at the band as if he they weren't in sync or he couldn't hear them well, he just seemed lost up there and was even screaming a bit on the big notes. It never came together and he looked very unhappy when it was over. Then, bizarrely, the judges acted as if he had done a good job. Are they trying to protect their best male candidate so it doesn't become a final four of women? I hate to be cynical but I can't think of any other reason why they didn't criticize what was Blake's weakest performance in ages. Normally, I'd say he was vulnerable, but with the judges polite comments and the fact that Blake has won over more of the Tiger Beat vote, I guess one off week won't be enough to hurt him.
THE BOTTOM THREE -- Looking back, I've got lots of contenders with Phil and Sanjaya and LaKisha and Chris (and Blake). I'm going to assume that LaKisha and Blake are safe thanks to weeks of building up a fan base. That leaves Phil and Sanjaya and Chris in the bottom three. Both Phil and Chris have been there before, of course. Just on performance, I'd say Sanjaya and Chris. But since Phil has been in the bottom two for weeks, I've got to assume he will be again. So let's say Phil and Chris, with Chris going home.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
"American Idol" -- Results For Top 8
A strange thought came over me during "American Idol" last night. Yes, everyone has been saying for a while that the show is a phenomenon, a pop cultural landmark, a blockbuster, etc. But as Ryan showed footage of him and Simon visiting Africa, as he and the judges bantered easily by playing off their "characters" just like people on a sitcom or perhaps more accurately "The View," as they discussed plans for a benefit concert/telethon, as Ryan went into the streets and chatted up people about their favorites a la Jay Leno's walkabouts and as the talent show aspect of the show faded further and further into the background, I just got the feeling that "American Idol" can do anything, be anything. If they suddenly staged a scene from, say, Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," I don't think anyone would blink an eye. I think Paula or Randy or Simon will retire in a decade or two but the show will go on. Seriously, it's an institution like "The Ed Sullivan Show," which ran for 23 years.
Anyway, lots of teasing of Sanjaya last night, with Sanjaya soaking it up and enjoying it, as he should. The judges are really getting along this year and Randy and Paula continue to offer more pointed criticism than in the past. The group sing-along at the beginning was awful, with terrible choreography and presentation, with Sanjaya whispering "Te Quiero" and Blake going into hyperdrive over his new-found sultriness. (Don't get ahead of the hype, Blake.)
AKON -- Sang "Don't Matter." Why in heaven's name was he on the show, performing? Was it a make-good for showing up and signing basically a line or two with Gwen Stefani? Was it to give the Idol kids encouragement by showing you don't have to have a decent voice at all in order to achieve pop stardom. Lots of people critique the talent on "Idol" -- are these the best eight kids they could find, etc.? Well, I'd rather listen to Melinda, LaKisha and Jordin than Michael Buble and Akon any day. It's not a matter of taste, it's a matter of talent.
SCHOOL IN A BOX -- Simon's banter with the schoolgirls in Africa was genuinely amusing, first with Simon staying true to form by snapping, "Pay attention, girls" and then that girl's drawing of him with breasts. Will Simon sing on stage? Maybe if they raise, say, $50 million. Will that be the jump the shark moment?
REWIND -- among the new footage from the performance night, we say Haley walking backstage after Simon's comment about her outfit when she said "Guess I'm going to put a robe on." She justified wearing shorts because it was Latin night? Uh, she wore shorts the week before. The outfits weren't sleazy but she has been wearing much skimpier outfits throughout the competition. To get offended by Simon's comments is absurd. If you don't want people singling out your appearance,don't wear short shorts repeatedly. If you are gonna dress sexy and fun, don't be uptight about it. Just say, "I'm just dressing fun; it's nothing you wouldn't see walking down a street." uh yeah, but the high heels don't help.
BOTTOM THREE -- Phil, Haley and Chris. I don't deserve any points for picking perennial bottom two-ers Phil and Haley so all I deserve is disdain for picking Jordin instead of Chris. I thought his performance was pretty weak but got distracted by the judge's nice comments. Clearly, Blake is sucking up all the "cute boy/Tiger Beat" votes and Chris's days are numbered. When Chris was added to the bottom three, he stood a little to the side of Phil and Haley. He wanted no part of their mojo.
J-LO -- Jennifer Lopez sang a song from her first full Spanish-language album, demonstrating how you really don't have to move that much if you make the backup singers do all the work. But the best part of it was the video of Sanjaya saying maybe he could get J-Lo's number and they could get together and keep it a secret from Marc Anthony. Happily, he wasn't trying to play straight; he was just being silly and broke into a big grin. I also liked J-Lo saying she came from the Paula Abdul school of criticism.
GOING HOME -- Haley. I lose another point here, but hey, it just means I'll be right next week when Phil goes home and the bottom three includes him, Chris and Sanjaya. All three men? Could be -- especially since it's country week. I liked Blake and Chris dancing next to Haley as she sang and Blake's very Hollywood kissing of his palm and waving it at Haley at the end of her song. And here's a note to Melinda and LaKisha -- when you're tackling country, think Ray Charles.
Anyway, lots of teasing of Sanjaya last night, with Sanjaya soaking it up and enjoying it, as he should. The judges are really getting along this year and Randy and Paula continue to offer more pointed criticism than in the past. The group sing-along at the beginning was awful, with terrible choreography and presentation, with Sanjaya whispering "Te Quiero" and Blake going into hyperdrive over his new-found sultriness. (Don't get ahead of the hype, Blake.)
AKON -- Sang "Don't Matter." Why in heaven's name was he on the show, performing? Was it a make-good for showing up and signing basically a line or two with Gwen Stefani? Was it to give the Idol kids encouragement by showing you don't have to have a decent voice at all in order to achieve pop stardom. Lots of people critique the talent on "Idol" -- are these the best eight kids they could find, etc.? Well, I'd rather listen to Melinda, LaKisha and Jordin than Michael Buble and Akon any day. It's not a matter of taste, it's a matter of talent.
SCHOOL IN A BOX -- Simon's banter with the schoolgirls in Africa was genuinely amusing, first with Simon staying true to form by snapping, "Pay attention, girls" and then that girl's drawing of him with breasts. Will Simon sing on stage? Maybe if they raise, say, $50 million. Will that be the jump the shark moment?
REWIND -- among the new footage from the performance night, we say Haley walking backstage after Simon's comment about her outfit when she said "Guess I'm going to put a robe on." She justified wearing shorts because it was Latin night? Uh, she wore shorts the week before. The outfits weren't sleazy but she has been wearing much skimpier outfits throughout the competition. To get offended by Simon's comments is absurd. If you don't want people singling out your appearance,don't wear short shorts repeatedly. If you are gonna dress sexy and fun, don't be uptight about it. Just say, "I'm just dressing fun; it's nothing you wouldn't see walking down a street." uh yeah, but the high heels don't help.
BOTTOM THREE -- Phil, Haley and Chris. I don't deserve any points for picking perennial bottom two-ers Phil and Haley so all I deserve is disdain for picking Jordin instead of Chris. I thought his performance was pretty weak but got distracted by the judge's nice comments. Clearly, Blake is sucking up all the "cute boy/Tiger Beat" votes and Chris's days are numbered. When Chris was added to the bottom three, he stood a little to the side of Phil and Haley. He wanted no part of their mojo.
J-LO -- Jennifer Lopez sang a song from her first full Spanish-language album, demonstrating how you really don't have to move that much if you make the backup singers do all the work. But the best part of it was the video of Sanjaya saying maybe he could get J-Lo's number and they could get together and keep it a secret from Marc Anthony. Happily, he wasn't trying to play straight; he was just being silly and broke into a big grin. I also liked J-Lo saying she came from the Paula Abdul school of criticism.
GOING HOME -- Haley. I lose another point here, but hey, it just means I'll be right next week when Phil goes home and the bottom three includes him, Chris and Sanjaya. All three men? Could be -- especially since it's country week. I liked Blake and Chris dancing next to Haley as she sang and Blake's very Hollywood kissing of his palm and waving it at Haley at the end of her song. And here's a note to Melinda and LaKisha -- when you're tackling country, think Ray Charles.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Blogging
Yep, just a little blogging between performance night and the results show on Idol. Seems like old times, doesn't it? Buying a Mac this week. Can't wait but dreading the switchover.
Advertisers Flee Imus
Variety says four of Don Imus's top ten sponsors are pulling their ads from his show, though they don't detail whether this refers to his radio show, his MSNBC TV show (which was beginning to challenge CNN in the ratings) or both. But let's make one thing clear: none of these advertisers are leaving Imus because of the bigoted, racist comments he and his cohorts on the show delivered about the Rutgers' basketball team. No way: bigoted, obnoxious comments like those have been Imus's stock in trade for many, many years. Some people ignore those comments and like the lengthy time he devotes to politics and substantive issues. Others like how Imus can flog a serious book and turn it into a bestseller. But all those people are kidding themselves if they think they can pick and choose what parts of Imus they find acceptable. His show traffics in typical, shock jock inflammatory comments that play on obnoxious stereotypes for cheap laughs and Imus has been doing it for years. All his advertisers knew this. They just think that now everyone else knows it too and this could damage their image. If this hadn't gained traction, they would have happily advertised on Imus's show for years to come and laughed at his nasty jokes and contributed to his charity and thought that makes it all okay. And they all advertise on shock jocks just as bad as Imus all over the radio every day. Now they'll just have to switch their ad dollars to Glenn Beck.
Are Subtitled Movies Mainstream?
The Times Of London points out that subtitled movies have gone mainstream, but they don't really nail down why. Certainly, the growing sophistication of foreign films vis a vis adventure and action films is a big reason. "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" was as great a spectacle as anything Hollywood delivered and horror flicks like "The Eye" traveled well too. But surely the biggest reason movies have gone mainstream is the multiplex. Art films -- and movies with subtitles -- aren't relegted to art houses that most people literally never attend. Art films, whether talky flicks like "Cache" or action films like 'Curse of the Golden Flower" are at your local multiplex, right along "Borat" and "The 300." And the biggest tipping point of all may have been TV: shows like "Lost" and "Heroes" use subtitles all the time and no one blinks an eye. Unquestionably, that makes people far more amenable to going to see subtitled films in the theater. They're not ghettoized into art houses and people don't freak out at the idea of having to do a little reading along with their watching.
Sneak Preview Of New Tolkein Book
A writer for the Times of London has read the "new" JRR Tolkein book "The Children Of Hurin." He liked it, sort of, but since he said he could never get through "The Lord Of The Rings" and agrees with AN Wilson that Tolkein is hardly a writer, that doesn't sound very promising, does it? if it's anything like "The Silmarillion" or other snatches of Tolkein prose not found in TLOTR and The Hobbit, it's sure to be deadly dull. But I'll read it anyway. As an adult, I've been surprised and delighted by how well TLOTR is written, actually. His descriptive powers, especially of landscape and nature, are especially good.
New Nick Drake Album
Nick Drake died or committed suicide 33 years ago and we've had numerous reissues of his three proper albums, a fourth album of outtakes, a boxed set, biographies, and a documentary. And if you haven't heard his three classic CDs, you can't go wrong with any of them but start with "Pink Moon." Surely we've heard everything there is to hear from him? Of course not. A new CD out June 19 contains demos and covers and sing-alongs with his sister, not to mention two solo numbers by his mom (and bless her, but why they're included other than to cajole her into releasing this stuff is beyond me). Apparently, the family used to hand out home-made cassettes to people who visited where he grew up. Now we're getting to hear it all too. One song in particular intrigues me: a cover of Jackson C Frank's "Blues Run The Game," a classic tune covered by Simon & Garfunkel and included in my friend's film "The Street."
"The Sopranos" -- Out With A Whimper, Not A Bang
It's a shame, in a way. "The Sopranos" was building to a series finale where Carmela officially turned her back on Tony and the lavish Mob life that left her hands covered in blood. Unfortunately, that finale took place at the end of season four with the episode "Whitecaps," widely and rightly considered one of the best hours of TV ever. But the show kept on going, with increasingly diminishing returns. Season Six part two kicked off to a so-so 7.7 million viewers. That's a great number for HBO, but far down from the series peak. It just doesn't matter that much anymore. Personally, I was simply bored by the episode. "The Sopranos" deserved better, but we'd have to go back in time and pull the plug earlier to accomplish it.
Blur Breaks Up
I suppose Blur has been on "hiatus" for a while now and since Damon Albarn keeps releasing new albums will new collaborators it certainly shouldn't come as a shock. But when one of the members of Blur is running for political office (he wants to rep the poor people ignored in one of London's wealthiest neighborhoods), it hits home. Blur is kaput. A reunion is always possible, but that's what it would be. In other words, they're not taking a few years off, they're through.
Johnny Cash's Home Burns Down
A fire swept through Johnny Cash's home, now owned by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees (he was remodeling it). Among the strange comments: a member of the Oak Ridge Boys suggested this was God's way of making sure the home was no one's but Johnny's. (Really, you might think God wouldn't want to injure a fireman just to accomplish that, but maybe it was the Old Testament God.) And another neighbor talked about the house's history, insisting that the Fulsom Prison record and San Quentin records came from that house. What could he possibly mean? Those were live albums recorded on location at those prisons. He didn't introduce new songs and if he mixed the albums at that home (which I'm almost certain wasn't the case), it would still be pushing it to suggest those albums came from his home. Lots of history there, but live albums recorded in prison are not among the notable events at Johnny Cash's home.
"American Idol" -- The Top 8
Well, one thing is clear -- Sanjaya isn't going anywhere. In easly the most boring performance show yet, Sanjaya didn't just entertain. He also wisely chose a song that let him sing, something most of the acts failed to do.
JENNIFER LOPEZ -- I thought she might be in full diva alert for a moment. And surely Diana Ross was sorry she didn't arrange to have the kids sit on the ground at her feet like apostles while she held forth, the way J-Lo did. But one on one, J-Lo offered concrete useful tips to the kids. She was also a lot more politic about keeping to herself who her favorites were. And from her comments, I genuinely think she watches the show.
MELINDA -- Sang "Sway." A quiet number I know best from the Dean Martin version used in Wong Kar-Wai's "2046." It was a pretty good choice for Melinda, who said "I am so not sexy" in her intro. She's right. Melinda's forte is sweet, not sexy. Her performance was Vegas, but in a good way. Very smooth and almost swinging. She didn't quite let loose until the very end. And her outfit was pretty adult. Melinda's big problem is that voting for her feels like voting for your mom. She's definitely an adult and shouldn't pretend differently, but she doesn't have to seem dowdy. Simon was spot-on in saying it was a bit lounge, cabaret and Melinda had a funny response: "I think he really wanted to say something bad and he got the chance."
LAKISHA -- Sang "Conga." Why in heaven's name did the producers put Melinda and LaKisha one and two? What does it mean? Who were they trying to hurt or help?Her dress was a fun red and black number and I loved the video with J-Lo. J-Lo said LaKisha mainly wanted help with her dance moves. In other words, LaKisha came in and said, "This is what I need." This girl definitely has her own mind. Unfortunately, she isn't always right. LaKisha chose a terrible song for singing. It's all rhythm and gives her almost no chance to inject any personality. Boring, boring and as Aaron aka watchbboy told me in a phone message, LaKisha could be vulnerable. I thought he was crazy until I heard her sing. Both Randy and Paula have been much more pointed this season. Randy was nice to LaKisha and usually Paula would have gladly taken his cue and avoided any criticism (without praising them either, to be fair) but here she spoke up and said LaKisha played it safe with this song. LaKisha amusingly took most umbrage when Simon criticized her dancing. Ryan then made a joke that he'd pay to see Simon try those dance moves and Simon retorted "I'm sure you'd pay a lot." Oh how those boys love to tease each other about being gay.
CHRIS RICHARDSON -- His video with J-Lo was TERRIBLE -- didn't that scarf make him look like a fool? And in the commercial break before he performed, Chris was shown for just a moment, but he managed to make a mock-serious sort of bow or hand gesture that screams out "I am in love with myself." He's hitting all the wrong notes as far as presentation. Chris's song was "Smooth" by Carlos Sanatana and Rob Thomas, a savvy choice because the vocal isn't Latin, it's pop and more in his comfort zone. He looked okay, though no sense of any Latin accent and he's really got to lose the wallet chain thing. Chris started rough with some low notes but he ended pretty well and throughout the music was much better than his vocals and gave a real latin feel to an otherwise so-so performance. Band 8, Chris 5. Paula said it was sexy and Chris managed to look down modestly without looking coy. Simon was right that it felt contemporary, unlike Melinda and LaKisha. But that's about all I would say for it. Just three performers and already I feel like two of them are vulnerable.
HALEY -- Sang "Turn the Beat Around." AGAIN she wore short shorts to show off those legs, not to mention high heels. At least the tiger print top gave her a Latin vibe of sorts, but if she has the nerve to look offended at any suggestion she's playing up her looks, I'll scream. During her video, Haley had some serious boots on and Blake got to be a nice guy by coming in to provide some beats for her rehearsal. Her performance was again very unmemorable. She was a bit breathless at the start and sure it was kind of fun in a theme park sort of way but it had nothing to do with her really. Her lipstick was very, very red. When she went on the stage behind the judges and sang to the audience, Simon turned around to get a good look, something he almost never does. I even saw a small smile on his face when turning towards Paula at one point. When Simon said she was smart to wear as little clothing as possible, the camera did a slow pan of Haley from the feet up. At least she had the good taste not to act offended this time. But again, "Idol" does not like contestants who too obviously play on their looks. Sorry Aaron, middle-aged straight men are simply not a big voting bloc. Very vulnerable.
PHIL -- Sang "Maria, Maria" by Santana. Okay, is this Latin night or simply Gloria Estefan/Santana night. I'm not sure if it's just out of ignorance or a desire to play it safe. Will anyone actually dare to sing a song with Spanish lyrics? I hate it when you see the performer and the massive video behind them with the same image you're looking at close up - it's like watching someone hover over themselves in a really narcissistic way that to me has a subtly negative vibe. The director also cut away to a close-up of the acoustic guitar playing about six times or more during the song. One quick shot at the beginning is find, but why keep cutting away from the performer to show an inanimate object? They seem to be stacking the deck against him. Plus, his jacket was horrible, his vocals were faint and his performance was colorless. Very, very vulnerable.
JORDIN -- Sang "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" because of course Gloria Estefan = Latin music. Like "Congo," this is not a song that gives the singer much of anything to do. Jordin has been coming on strong but tonight she was very boring. The song seemed to take FOREVER to get over and even her big high note at the end seemed far too little too late. Is there anyone that WON'T seem vulnerable this week? My list is getting very long.
BLAKE -- "Sang Marc Anthony's "I Need To Know." Great song choice and you would think it would have won over J-Lo, though she didn't seem to tip her hand, referring to her husband as "Marc Anthony" in a rather formal manner. She just wanted Blake to focus on the meaning. "In just want you to pick that girl up," she said. Hmmmm. Then Blake came out with an untucked shirt in a very latin style of dress and a cool hat and sang his ass off in what was surely his best performance to date. He is gunning for the finals and is clearly the #1 guy -- Chris Richardson keeps falling farther and farther behind. I don't know what kind of a recording artist Blake will be, but he is definitely going to find out one way or another. Very good even great vocal and a great ending. It's a big night for him and this may be the only week we say that Blake was the best of all. And I wrote all that down before Simon said the same thing. You cna't go wrong just listening to Simon week in and week out. And did I notice his tattoos before? They snake up and down one arm, at least.
SANJAYA -- Sang "Besame Mucho." J-Lo was very cute about him, giggling that she thought even Simon would be impressed in a way that really makes me think she has watched the show. His hair was Latin-appropriate and he showed an eye for detail by staying scruffy and not really shaving. Major points for singing a song with Spanish lyrics. As always, Sanjaya is on-key. His voice faded away a little in the lower notes at the end of some lines, but he made it seem more like the style of the song than a weakness on his part. It was by far his best vocal and he even sang with power at a few points. It wasn't just good for Sanjaya. It was a better performance than most of the other performers tonight. I'll bet he's in the Top Three this week, along with Blake and Melinda. I loved the shot of Sanjaya's sister and his super gay-looking friends. (I should have paid more attention to what Blake's friends looked like too.) Simon said "It wasn't horrible," which was funny but didn't go far enough in my book. Sanjaya has clearly done the best he will ever do tonight. Ryan joked that Sanjaya was "clearly unaware of the camera though, right?" Simon: "Didn't know it was there." Sanjaya wisely just smiled and ignored their banter.
THE BOTTOM THREE -- Heck, I've already guessed the top three might very well be Melinda, Blake and Sanjaya. Will the people voting for Sanjaya because he's the worst keep voting for him when he's actually good? Besides, they won't be a factor much longer and frankly probably never were. People who hate the show just don't watch it. What tiny percentage of viewers do you think bother to watch the show even though they hate it or take the time to find out the numbers to dial so they can vote within two hours of its airing? People who hate "Idol" simply wouldn't care that much. You think there's a big cross-over between Howard Stern and Idol? I don't. Assuming Blake, Melinda and Sanjaya are the top three, the middle two might be Chirs and LaKisha. That means the bottom three is Haley, Phil and Jordin. I think Jordin is safe and Haley and Phil are the bottom two. And Phil goes home. But it's such a weak batch of performances, I think those three and LaKisha and Chris are all vulnerable.
JENNIFER LOPEZ -- I thought she might be in full diva alert for a moment. And surely Diana Ross was sorry she didn't arrange to have the kids sit on the ground at her feet like apostles while she held forth, the way J-Lo did. But one on one, J-Lo offered concrete useful tips to the kids. She was also a lot more politic about keeping to herself who her favorites were. And from her comments, I genuinely think she watches the show.
MELINDA -- Sang "Sway." A quiet number I know best from the Dean Martin version used in Wong Kar-Wai's "2046." It was a pretty good choice for Melinda, who said "I am so not sexy" in her intro. She's right. Melinda's forte is sweet, not sexy. Her performance was Vegas, but in a good way. Very smooth and almost swinging. She didn't quite let loose until the very end. And her outfit was pretty adult. Melinda's big problem is that voting for her feels like voting for your mom. She's definitely an adult and shouldn't pretend differently, but she doesn't have to seem dowdy. Simon was spot-on in saying it was a bit lounge, cabaret and Melinda had a funny response: "I think he really wanted to say something bad and he got the chance."
LAKISHA -- Sang "Conga." Why in heaven's name did the producers put Melinda and LaKisha one and two? What does it mean? Who were they trying to hurt or help?Her dress was a fun red and black number and I loved the video with J-Lo. J-Lo said LaKisha mainly wanted help with her dance moves. In other words, LaKisha came in and said, "This is what I need." This girl definitely has her own mind. Unfortunately, she isn't always right. LaKisha chose a terrible song for singing. It's all rhythm and gives her almost no chance to inject any personality. Boring, boring and as Aaron aka watchbboy told me in a phone message, LaKisha could be vulnerable. I thought he was crazy until I heard her sing. Both Randy and Paula have been much more pointed this season. Randy was nice to LaKisha and usually Paula would have gladly taken his cue and avoided any criticism (without praising them either, to be fair) but here she spoke up and said LaKisha played it safe with this song. LaKisha amusingly took most umbrage when Simon criticized her dancing. Ryan then made a joke that he'd pay to see Simon try those dance moves and Simon retorted "I'm sure you'd pay a lot." Oh how those boys love to tease each other about being gay.
CHRIS RICHARDSON -- His video with J-Lo was TERRIBLE -- didn't that scarf make him look like a fool? And in the commercial break before he performed, Chris was shown for just a moment, but he managed to make a mock-serious sort of bow or hand gesture that screams out "I am in love with myself." He's hitting all the wrong notes as far as presentation. Chris's song was "Smooth" by Carlos Sanatana and Rob Thomas, a savvy choice because the vocal isn't Latin, it's pop and more in his comfort zone. He looked okay, though no sense of any Latin accent and he's really got to lose the wallet chain thing. Chris started rough with some low notes but he ended pretty well and throughout the music was much better than his vocals and gave a real latin feel to an otherwise so-so performance. Band 8, Chris 5. Paula said it was sexy and Chris managed to look down modestly without looking coy. Simon was right that it felt contemporary, unlike Melinda and LaKisha. But that's about all I would say for it. Just three performers and already I feel like two of them are vulnerable.
HALEY -- Sang "Turn the Beat Around." AGAIN she wore short shorts to show off those legs, not to mention high heels. At least the tiger print top gave her a Latin vibe of sorts, but if she has the nerve to look offended at any suggestion she's playing up her looks, I'll scream. During her video, Haley had some serious boots on and Blake got to be a nice guy by coming in to provide some beats for her rehearsal. Her performance was again very unmemorable. She was a bit breathless at the start and sure it was kind of fun in a theme park sort of way but it had nothing to do with her really. Her lipstick was very, very red. When she went on the stage behind the judges and sang to the audience, Simon turned around to get a good look, something he almost never does. I even saw a small smile on his face when turning towards Paula at one point. When Simon said she was smart to wear as little clothing as possible, the camera did a slow pan of Haley from the feet up. At least she had the good taste not to act offended this time. But again, "Idol" does not like contestants who too obviously play on their looks. Sorry Aaron, middle-aged straight men are simply not a big voting bloc. Very vulnerable.
PHIL -- Sang "Maria, Maria" by Santana. Okay, is this Latin night or simply Gloria Estefan/Santana night. I'm not sure if it's just out of ignorance or a desire to play it safe. Will anyone actually dare to sing a song with Spanish lyrics? I hate it when you see the performer and the massive video behind them with the same image you're looking at close up - it's like watching someone hover over themselves in a really narcissistic way that to me has a subtly negative vibe. The director also cut away to a close-up of the acoustic guitar playing about six times or more during the song. One quick shot at the beginning is find, but why keep cutting away from the performer to show an inanimate object? They seem to be stacking the deck against him. Plus, his jacket was horrible, his vocals were faint and his performance was colorless. Very, very vulnerable.
JORDIN -- Sang "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" because of course Gloria Estefan = Latin music. Like "Congo," this is not a song that gives the singer much of anything to do. Jordin has been coming on strong but tonight she was very boring. The song seemed to take FOREVER to get over and even her big high note at the end seemed far too little too late. Is there anyone that WON'T seem vulnerable this week? My list is getting very long.
BLAKE -- "Sang Marc Anthony's "I Need To Know." Great song choice and you would think it would have won over J-Lo, though she didn't seem to tip her hand, referring to her husband as "Marc Anthony" in a rather formal manner. She just wanted Blake to focus on the meaning. "In just want you to pick that girl up," she said. Hmmmm. Then Blake came out with an untucked shirt in a very latin style of dress and a cool hat and sang his ass off in what was surely his best performance to date. He is gunning for the finals and is clearly the #1 guy -- Chris Richardson keeps falling farther and farther behind. I don't know what kind of a recording artist Blake will be, but he is definitely going to find out one way or another. Very good even great vocal and a great ending. It's a big night for him and this may be the only week we say that Blake was the best of all. And I wrote all that down before Simon said the same thing. You cna't go wrong just listening to Simon week in and week out. And did I notice his tattoos before? They snake up and down one arm, at least.
SANJAYA -- Sang "Besame Mucho." J-Lo was very cute about him, giggling that she thought even Simon would be impressed in a way that really makes me think she has watched the show. His hair was Latin-appropriate and he showed an eye for detail by staying scruffy and not really shaving. Major points for singing a song with Spanish lyrics. As always, Sanjaya is on-key. His voice faded away a little in the lower notes at the end of some lines, but he made it seem more like the style of the song than a weakness on his part. It was by far his best vocal and he even sang with power at a few points. It wasn't just good for Sanjaya. It was a better performance than most of the other performers tonight. I'll bet he's in the Top Three this week, along with Blake and Melinda. I loved the shot of Sanjaya's sister and his super gay-looking friends. (I should have paid more attention to what Blake's friends looked like too.) Simon said "It wasn't horrible," which was funny but didn't go far enough in my book. Sanjaya has clearly done the best he will ever do tonight. Ryan joked that Sanjaya was "clearly unaware of the camera though, right?" Simon: "Didn't know it was there." Sanjaya wisely just smiled and ignored their banter.
THE BOTTOM THREE -- Heck, I've already guessed the top three might very well be Melinda, Blake and Sanjaya. Will the people voting for Sanjaya because he's the worst keep voting for him when he's actually good? Besides, they won't be a factor much longer and frankly probably never were. People who hate the show just don't watch it. What tiny percentage of viewers do you think bother to watch the show even though they hate it or take the time to find out the numbers to dial so they can vote within two hours of its airing? People who hate "Idol" simply wouldn't care that much. You think there's a big cross-over between Howard Stern and Idol? I don't. Assuming Blake, Melinda and Sanjaya are the top three, the middle two might be Chirs and LaKisha. That means the bottom three is Haley, Phil and Jordin. I think Jordin is safe and Haley and Phil are the bottom two. And Phil goes home. But it's such a weak batch of performances, I think those three and LaKisha and Chris are all vulnerable.
Monday, April 09, 2007
A Little Light Reading
It was a Michael-Palooza yesterday in the NY Daily News. Here's my cover story on Kevin Spacey. Here's my profile of Shia LaBeouf. And here's a piece on Mike White.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
NYCD In New York Times!
My friends at NYCD have an op-ed in the New York Times about the music industry. Congrats!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
"American Idol" -- Results For Top 9
I was right! I was wrong! Yes, I correctly I predicted I would be wrong and boy was I right. I only named one of the bottom three (Phil) and -- if you're being nice -- Haley as well. (I named a bottom four but forgot to narrow it down. And of course Gina went home. She sang well the last two weeks but completely abandoned her niche so the people who were supporting her were turned off. Tony Bennett had the flu and Michael Buble performed the title track from his May CD "Call Me Irresponsible." I imagined him thinking, "I don't need no stinkin' 'Idol' when he took the stage." And when he left he should have been grateful the judges weren't critiquing him. Buble and the band seemed out of sync -- someone was draggy -- he faded out on more than a few lines, hit an awkward high note towards the end and maybe even forgot a lyric briefly. His attitude was very late period Rat Pack, casual and a bit sloppy, frankly. Not great. And like a lot of young guys who sing the standards, he seems wildly insecure about making sure people know he likes the honeys. That joke about Antonella was worthy of the Oscars for its ineptitude. I don't know what's worse: the idea that he made it up or the idea that they wrote it for him. It was great to see Jordin in the top three. She is definitely this season's Kelly Clarkson: someone who keeps getting better week after week, has a sweet personality and yet somehow is under the radar so you don't get bored with her the way people may be with Melinda and LaKaisha. The middle three were Chris and Blake and Sanjaya and boy must Sanjaya have been pleased to see himself grouped with them. Clearly Phil and Gina and Haley were the bottom three and would it have surprised us to see any one of them go home? Nope. I placed too much emphasis on the extraneous stuff and not enough on the singing: I think you've got to stress what is forgettable. And Haley and Gina and Phil (and arguably Blake) were the most forgettable. Haley burst into tears because she just KNEW she was going home, only to find out it was Gina, who then really burst into tears. Some loving close-ups of Jordin were the cherry on top for her week and it's always fun to see the Idols lingering off-stage unsure of when to go up and surround the winner -- will they be comforting her or upstaging her? All perfectly reasonable with the crazy possibility that Sanjaya might have been in the top 4 in voting this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
