Two weeks of Idol thoughts...
So...two weeks ago I was crazy busy and last week I was crazy preoccupied. It was enough for me to get my stuff typed up and sent to my coworkers (who are much less forgiving) but I'm making up for it right now. Of course, not everyone cares - so as usual, most of this will be behind a cut for your amusement/perusal/whatever *heh* As always, in red is where my votes went.
1. Mandisa (I Don’t Hurt Anymore/Dinah Washington)
I think it’s been a while since I’ve felt like the hair and the outfit matched the song, but she definitely pulled it off tonight. Her song choice was dead on, and she delivered an amazing performance. It’s hard to critique something that is almost flawless. I will say that the underside of her booming notes...when she tries to pull back...it falters a bit. However - who cares? *heh* Even on her worst day, she blows everyone out of the water.
2. Bucky Covington (Oh Boy!/Buddy Holly)
No matter where she’s at (unless she’s last), Mandisa is a tough act to follow. To have this come next was...pitiful. When Barry said it was repetitive - I think he meant boring. No - that’s not exactly true. The song is good - the performance was lackluster. He tried to say that he could be some kind of rock star with it - and although he tried, in the end he morphed into his standard country star routine. There was nothing that convinced me that he needed one more chance to prove himself. But then - given what I have felt about him until this point - that’s not saying much.
3. Paris Bennett (Fever/Peggy Lee)
They talked about her being too old in her song choices - unfortunately, she couldn’t really avoid it this week. What she did do to compensate was have this flirty, bright outfit and song. Her vocals moved me more than they have in the past few weeks - so I agree with Randy: her performance was evocative of her audition performances...and that is definitely a good thing.
4. Chris Daughtry (I Walk The Line/Johnny Cash)
I love Chris’ voice, and I love that he found a song that he could modify and fit to his preferred style...but there was something lost in the translation for me. I don’t really know the original song, so I didn’t have that influence...but given the theme, it’s not what I expected. Electric and amped guitars just don’t scream 50s at me. So, while it was a good performance, it definitely was one of my least favorite.
5. Katharine McPhee (Come Rain or Come Shine/Ella Fitzgerald)
Somebody turned up the heat on the McPhever dial! They definitely did a better job of dressing the ladies this week, and you can tell. She was not only comfortable with the outfit, but she was comfortable in her song and in her skin. It was an absolutely BRILLIANT performance. I think she is now starting to shine in a way that let’s everyone know that she is aiming for the top - and I have little doubt that the top is exactly where she’ll end up.
6. Taylor Hicks (Not Fade Away/Buddy Holly)
I feel like a broken record - week after week, I just love him. Not a big fan of the song, especially because it didn’t challenge him vocally, but at this point, he could sing the alphabet and draw me in and make sure a good time was had by all. He definitely compensated for his lack of dancing skills in the overall performance department. Again, I look forward to what he will do next week.
7. Lisa Tucker (Why Do Fools Fall In Love?/Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers)
Hrm. It was okay, but there were some definite issues. She would go for the big notes, and I was distracted by the nasal sound more than I was drawn to the fact that she was hitting big notes. The second thing was the undulations in her volume. It was either big and loud or soft and quiet. I could either hear her clearly or have to strain. I still like her better than Bucky, but I think this was just an off night for her.
8. Kevin Covais (When I Fall In Love/Nat King Cole)
Awwww. How can you not pull for Chicken Little with that song? *heh* Still, obviously, not one of the best vocals, but I felt kinda like I was his mom. You know what I’m talking about: your kid’s on the stage, and they are performing their little elementary school heart out, and you are sitting in the audience, mouthing the words and hoping that it helps. You are pulling for them to remember everything, and not fall. That was me! YAY! It was cute. I still want him here.
9. Elliott Yamin (Teach Me Tonight/Janet Brace-Brenda Lee)
Okay - I swear I’m not trying to be like Simon with the comparisons, but I’m sitting here and that’s all I can think of to say. Picture it! Sicily! No wait - wrong show. What I mean is: picture the most comfortable thing to you…fuzzy slippers, a mug of hot cocoa - whatever. That’s what he felt like tonight. He didn’t completely get the Al Jarreau out of his performance, but it didn’t detract from the overall impression for me. It was just another beautiful execution of another song for me.
10. Kellie Pickler (Walking After Midnight/Patsy Cline)
Best vocal for her in weeks. It makes a huge difference to be in your element, and she proved it. I do think that Manilow’s coaching (as far as singing it in a way that you convey what the song is about) definitely helped her - what she did on stage was much better than the snippets we heard from rehearsal. I think where she slipped last week (for me) is where she shone this week. Kudos!
11. Ace Young (In The Still Of The Night/The Five Satins)
I don’t get it. I’m not connecting at all with him - and this is the second week in a row. What I think happened is that he was freaked out by being in the bottom three - so he went back to what he knows he is good at: being the sexy singer with the bedroom eyes. I keep talking about how it should be a singing competition, and even Simon agrees with me - but it doesn’t seem to matter. It’s like: "#1 - he’s sooooo hot! #2 - oh and he did a good job on stage! But in a totally hot way!" It’s just not that big of a deal to me. And that falsetto needs to GO. If he went back to that spark he had when he did Father Figure, I would vote for him. As it stands, I won’t. My lack of voting won’t make much of a difference though.
All that being said, I think that the bottom three should be Bucky, Ace and Lisa. I am almost certain that Ace will be safe though - after last week, there was probably a surge of votes for him because "it was just wrong for him to be in the bottom three!" - whatever. In his place, I'm guessing Kevin. Even though that Vote For The Worst site is backing him, compared to all of the other singers that are left, Kevin still can't hold candle. I'm hoping that Bucky will go tonight - his was the weakest performance by far. Alternately, Lisa could be the one to go - after all, she was in the bottom three last week.
So we'll see. Just remember...if Kevin makes it through tonight, he'll be on the tour.
*runs away*
RESULTS COMMENTARY
First off, I want to apologize for the lateness of this recap. That's what happens when you go to a concert on a school night. But, I proved my devotion to you and to the show by refusing to go to bed until I had
watched the results show in its entirety. This includes Bobby Bennett and his Maniacal Grip on Barry Manilow. I do wonder if they had to surgically remove Bobby so that Barry could get back to his show in Vegas. Anyway...now that I have finally ingested some caffeine...let's look back to what I said about eliminations...
"All that being said, I think that the bottom three should be Bucky, Ace and Lisa. I am almost certain that Ace will be safe though after last week, as there was probably a surge of votes for him because "it was just
wrong for him to be in the bottom three!" Whatever. In his place, I'm guessing Kevin. Even though that Vote For The Worst site is backing him, compared to all of the other singers that are left, Kevin still can't hold
candle. I'm hoping that Bucky will go tonight as his was the weakest performance by far. Alternately, Lisa could be the one to go - after all, she was in the bottom three last week."
So...I got the bottom three right - I must pat myself on the back about that. I was just wrong about the one who went home.
I'm not sad about Chicken Little's departure, save these two things:
a. I can't torture Laura H. (and some other online folks) anymore. Alternately, that will probably lengthen my life span *heh*
b. BUCKY WILL BE ON TOUR. I have a horrible feeling that he will be my Carmen Rasmussen of this season. If you don't remember her, count yourself among the lucky. I won't be reminding you of who she is because I like my brain intact, thankyouverymuch.
The good thing for Chicken Little is this: I figure that life before AI had him being a complete geek that was the butt of many jokes. Now he can say he beat out 90,000 other people (or whatever the number was) to get in the Top 12. And he had a segment of the nation either saying he was so cute you wanted to squish him (the older ones) or he was some kind of sex symbol (the younger ones) *snickers* That can't be all that bad for him. :)
I did lose faith in the "Vote for the Worst" website. Just yesterday (only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely...everybody sing along!) they released an article (it was on Yahoo) about how they were responsible for Scott Savol, John Stevens and some others staying for longer than they needed to. If they were as successful as they claimed to be, Bucky would have been gone and my job would have been done (because surely Kevin would go right after that. They let me down. Now I have to listen to "Oh Boy" for another week.
So...next week is songs from the 21st century...so technically that means 2001 - present (I checked). I'm betting they will let them include 2000 though. It's a cakewalk week as far as I'm concerned. Bucky and Kellie can pick country songs, Chris can pick a rock song...I'm hoping that somewhere in there, someone will choose something challenging to make the show interesting. We'll have to wait and see.
Until then, my lovelies...
You know I can't smile without you...can't smile without you...I can't laugh, and I can't sing...I'm finding it hard to do anything!
And then...last week...
Before I attach my thoughts about last night, it would be remiss of me (hey Kelli! I used the word!) to not make mention of how disappointed I was with the show overall last night. There were a few bright spots for me, but they weren't plentiful enough to drag the show back to the plus side for me. I could speculate on the reasons why, but I'd probably be here all day...so I'll just give you what I have and leave it at that. :)
1. Lisa Tucker (Because of You/Kelly Clarkson)
This was better than previous weeks performance wise - it sounded like she was able to get more into it than previous weeks, so that’s a plus. However, I think that she chose a song that was a bit too big for her (as I was typing this, Simon said the same thing! EEK!) - her transitions between booming and soft are still really uneven, and when she tried to go for the big notes…there was something lacking. She took a risk, and while it was tolerable, I think the negatives outweighed the positives. I know for certain that she will be in the bottom three, and very likely (unless she experiences "Ace Surge") will go home tonight.
2. Kellie Pickler (Suds In A Bucket/Sarah Evans)
Once again in her element, she shone in the categories of confidence and comfort. However - the song was not even close to a right choice for her. It was just flat…not exciting at all. She couldn’t have any fun or show off in any way positive. I think it’s good thing that she’s got a lot of the popular vote. Of course, there's no telling how long that will hold out for her. She definitely needs to make better choices if she wants to have a prayer of outlasting well…let me rethink that. If she wants to last for the next two weeks, she needs to make better song choices.
3. Ace Young (Drops of Jupiter/Train)
Oh good lord. His nasal sound that comes out when he’s trying to go for plaintive is driving me up a freaking wall. The beginning was HORRIBLE, and it didn’t get much better. I was put off by the whole showing off of the scar (and Judy has already noted in print that she agrees with me. I almost said that Kelli is onboard that train as well, but then I realized how bad that would sound, give the song he sang - so I'll just say she agreed). I guess it could have been gimmicky but combined with everything else, it just came off like “If you don’t like my singing, maybe I can lure you in with my sexy appeal! Yeah!” Whoopee. At this point, I don't care if I'm irritating in my repetitiveness: the show is about singing talent, and it infuriates me that America votes for anything but. Put him in the bottom three where he belongs. Obviously his first trip taught him nothing.
4. Taylor Hicks (Trouble/Ray LaMontagne)
I love love love that he wasn’t all over the stage for once. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the other performances, but it was nice to see him just sing. And it was beautiful. And controlled. It was nice to see that he could change up his performance without losing that quality he has to draw people in. And he was able to make the change well. As far as I'm concerned - he sailed right on through to next week, no question.
5. Mandisa (Wanna Praise You (Shackles)/Mary Mary)
Hated it. I mean, she was doing what she felt, and that's cool - you've got to be true to yourself. I’m sure that the original is just fine. Her performance, for the first time, was just lacking for me. I think that her heart was in the right place, but she let that overshadow performing the song well. She had a bunch of sharp stuff going on that she ignored in lieu of getting down with the spirit of the song. As I said on a board last night, "Yes, you can get away with that in church. Yes, Ryan referred to the Church of Mandisa. Yes, I have been a member. But this parishioner walked out halfway through the service."
6. Chris Daughtry (What If/Creed)
Nice cover on the Live issue *heh* Anyway, this was nice. He shook the show awake with that performance. This is what I expect from him, and although this is an appropriate choice for the theme this week, I'm starting to wonder if that's all he has. He said during the judge commentary that he has more tricks up his sleeve, but I have to question why he would hold out so long if that's actually true. As much as I hate to say it: even though he is worlds better vocally than Kellie and Bucky, the boredom factor is starting to set in. They talk about continually raising the bar and bringing your game - and he comes across as limbo-ing just underneath the bar.
7. Katharine McPhee (The Voice Within/Christina Aguilera)
What was going on with the contestants? Normally I flat out love her. Not tonight. The song is okay but it didn’t show her off the way I love the most. It was…boring, lackluster. I suppose it is partly because that is not one of my favorite Christina songs. It's also because I've been spoiled. I know what Katharine can do, and that performance didn't even come close. Disappointed would have to be my overall description. *bleh* but I have to vote for someone, and including her, at this point - I’m up to 2.
8. Bucky Covington (Real Good Man/Tim McGraw)
Well I can’t give Kellie props about being in her element without doing the same for him. But that was about all. The reasons (above all) that I wouldn’t vote for him is that he just isn’t impressive. It’s the same thing every week - for me, it never caught on, and for others, it had to have lost its appeal weeks ago My vote for him to be back in the bottom three tonight.. I could hope that he would go home instead of Lisa, but I think the sad fact is that his fan base is just a little bit bigger.
9. Paris Bennett (Work It Out/Beyonce)
Simon is on crack. That was an amazing performance! She had a great time, her vocals were on point…I don’t have one criticism other than maybe her extensions were a little too extended *haha* they kept getting stuck in her lip gloss or whatever that is. But she definitely worked it out - in heels - and I would be the last one to fault her for that! Seriously, it was great to finally see her shed that granny skin she has been lugging around almost since day one. It had its positive points, but honestly - I just wanted to see 17 year old Paris, and I got that. Definitely her best in weeks. Kudos.
10. Elliott Yamin (I Don’t Wanna Be/Gavin DeGraw)
I LOVE HIM. Okay that seals it. He’s my favorite. I’m starting to give more votes to people who deserve it, and he’s my choice for tonight. Goodness. I’m gonna have to revamp this tomorrow because that’s all I got right now.
[Edit: I think it would be faulty to compare his version to Bo's. Same song, yes - but vastly different everything else. Apples and oranges. I loved both of them. Elliott has this soulful, smooth quality to his voice that I fall more in love with every week. He would have done a disservice to his voice had he tried to sound more like what Bo did. They talk often about not compromising, doing things the way you know you can do it - and Elliott did not disappoint. I want him in the final 2. Period. This competition would be so much less without him.]
RESULTS COMMENTARY
That's the nicest way I can relay to you my reaction last night when I saw that Bucky, not Katharine, was safe. If you want to try and envision reality, add in a few more profanities. Yes, I'm that kinda crazy (in
general and about this show) :P If I can extract myself from myself and look at the situation objectively, I know why she was in the bottom three: we've gotten used to these polished, flawless performances from her, and
Tuesday just seemed like it was some sort of cop out - something to do to get by. I think she was starting to get comfortable being safe, and the results show knocked her on her butt. Objectively, she needed it and it was a good thing.
Have I mentioned that I'm not very good at seeing things objectively and staying that way? SO HOW COULD PEOPLE VOTE SO LITTLE FOR HER???? *cry* She is WORLDS better than both Ace and Bucky! Dang fan bases.
As for Lisa: well she was the right choice to go. As they played back her clips from the beginning, I remembered why I liked her so much. She showed so much promise, and was a contender for the Top 12 right off the bat. But (I think) as time went on, she was knocked off balance by the amazingly powerful voices of (most of) the others. When she tried to bring her game, she went about it the wrong way. She chose these songs that were ambitious and ended up being too big for her. So while she has talent, they worked against her: showing off her minuses more than her pluses. Sad because she had to go, but because she is young - she has plenty of time to develop her craft as her voice matures.
Ace: good lord. He just barely gets saved every time, and I don't know why. I feel a tantrum coming on, and not one that contains any other word but "why". I think it would be best if I moved on from him and his scar for the moment. Maybe I will be more expressive by Tuesday/Wednesday.
And what about that??? Country night - are you kidding me? Because we haven't heard enough of that from Bucky and Kellie? *heh* As much as I don't want to hear it from them, I'm even more interested in how Ace and
Chris will wriggle their way out of this. Actually, I can picture Chris kicking butt and taking names on some kind of slow Garth Brooks number (maybe this is where he will be able to show us those tricks he's had
hiding up his sleeve!) but Ace...no. Okay - sorry. I said no tantrum.
I'd really like to hear someone do Jo Dee Messina - Katharine or Mandisa could do well on that - because I have adored everything from her that I have heard thus far. And I wonder who they will have as the special guest? Ah well, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
And maybe by then my rage will have abated to the point that I can write something a bit more coherent and cohesive. Maybe. Until then...
So there you have it. Hope you enjoy! :)
1. Mandisa (I Don’t Hurt Anymore/Dinah Washington)
I think it’s been a while since I’ve felt like the hair and the outfit matched the song, but she definitely pulled it off tonight. Her song choice was dead on, and she delivered an amazing performance. It’s hard to critique something that is almost flawless. I will say that the underside of her booming notes...when she tries to pull back...it falters a bit. However - who cares? *heh* Even on her worst day, she blows everyone out of the water.
2. Bucky Covington (Oh Boy!/Buddy Holly)
No matter where she’s at (unless she’s last), Mandisa is a tough act to follow. To have this come next was...pitiful. When Barry said it was repetitive - I think he meant boring. No - that’s not exactly true. The song is good - the performance was lackluster. He tried to say that he could be some kind of rock star with it - and although he tried, in the end he morphed into his standard country star routine. There was nothing that convinced me that he needed one more chance to prove himself. But then - given what I have felt about him until this point - that’s not saying much.
3. Paris Bennett (Fever/Peggy Lee)
They talked about her being too old in her song choices - unfortunately, she couldn’t really avoid it this week. What she did do to compensate was have this flirty, bright outfit and song. Her vocals moved me more than they have in the past few weeks - so I agree with Randy: her performance was evocative of her audition performances...and that is definitely a good thing.
4. Chris Daughtry (I Walk The Line/Johnny Cash)
I love Chris’ voice, and I love that he found a song that he could modify and fit to his preferred style...but there was something lost in the translation for me. I don’t really know the original song, so I didn’t have that influence...but given the theme, it’s not what I expected. Electric and amped guitars just don’t scream 50s at me. So, while it was a good performance, it definitely was one of my least favorite.
5. Katharine McPhee (Come Rain or Come Shine/Ella Fitzgerald)
Somebody turned up the heat on the McPhever dial! They definitely did a better job of dressing the ladies this week, and you can tell. She was not only comfortable with the outfit, but she was comfortable in her song and in her skin. It was an absolutely BRILLIANT performance. I think she is now starting to shine in a way that let’s everyone know that she is aiming for the top - and I have little doubt that the top is exactly where she’ll end up.
6. Taylor Hicks (Not Fade Away/Buddy Holly)
I feel like a broken record - week after week, I just love him. Not a big fan of the song, especially because it didn’t challenge him vocally, but at this point, he could sing the alphabet and draw me in and make sure a good time was had by all. He definitely compensated for his lack of dancing skills in the overall performance department. Again, I look forward to what he will do next week.
7. Lisa Tucker (Why Do Fools Fall In Love?/Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers)
Hrm. It was okay, but there were some definite issues. She would go for the big notes, and I was distracted by the nasal sound more than I was drawn to the fact that she was hitting big notes. The second thing was the undulations in her volume. It was either big and loud or soft and quiet. I could either hear her clearly or have to strain. I still like her better than Bucky, but I think this was just an off night for her.
8. Kevin Covais (When I Fall In Love/Nat King Cole)
Awwww. How can you not pull for Chicken Little with that song? *heh* Still, obviously, not one of the best vocals, but I felt kinda like I was his mom. You know what I’m talking about: your kid’s on the stage, and they are performing their little elementary school heart out, and you are sitting in the audience, mouthing the words and hoping that it helps. You are pulling for them to remember everything, and not fall. That was me! YAY! It was cute. I still want him here.
9. Elliott Yamin (Teach Me Tonight/Janet Brace-Brenda Lee)
Okay - I swear I’m not trying to be like Simon with the comparisons, but I’m sitting here and that’s all I can think of to say. Picture it! Sicily! No wait - wrong show. What I mean is: picture the most comfortable thing to you…fuzzy slippers, a mug of hot cocoa - whatever. That’s what he felt like tonight. He didn’t completely get the Al Jarreau out of his performance, but it didn’t detract from the overall impression for me. It was just another beautiful execution of another song for me.
10. Kellie Pickler (Walking After Midnight/Patsy Cline)
Best vocal for her in weeks. It makes a huge difference to be in your element, and she proved it. I do think that Manilow’s coaching (as far as singing it in a way that you convey what the song is about) definitely helped her - what she did on stage was much better than the snippets we heard from rehearsal. I think where she slipped last week (for me) is where she shone this week. Kudos!
11. Ace Young (In The Still Of The Night/The Five Satins)
I don’t get it. I’m not connecting at all with him - and this is the second week in a row. What I think happened is that he was freaked out by being in the bottom three - so he went back to what he knows he is good at: being the sexy singer with the bedroom eyes. I keep talking about how it should be a singing competition, and even Simon agrees with me - but it doesn’t seem to matter. It’s like: "#1 - he’s sooooo hot! #2 - oh and he did a good job on stage! But in a totally hot way!" It’s just not that big of a deal to me. And that falsetto needs to GO. If he went back to that spark he had when he did Father Figure, I would vote for him. As it stands, I won’t. My lack of voting won’t make much of a difference though.
All that being said, I think that the bottom three should be Bucky, Ace and Lisa. I am almost certain that Ace will be safe though - after last week, there was probably a surge of votes for him because "it was just wrong for him to be in the bottom three!" - whatever. In his place, I'm guessing Kevin. Even though that Vote For The Worst site is backing him, compared to all of the other singers that are left, Kevin still can't hold candle. I'm hoping that Bucky will go tonight - his was the weakest performance by far. Alternately, Lisa could be the one to go - after all, she was in the bottom three last week.
So we'll see. Just remember...if Kevin makes it through tonight, he'll be on the tour.
*runs away*
RESULTS COMMENTARY
First off, I want to apologize for the lateness of this recap. That's what happens when you go to a concert on a school night. But, I proved my devotion to you and to the show by refusing to go to bed until I had
watched the results show in its entirety. This includes Bobby Bennett and his Maniacal Grip on Barry Manilow. I do wonder if they had to surgically remove Bobby so that Barry could get back to his show in Vegas. Anyway...now that I have finally ingested some caffeine...let's look back to what I said about eliminations...
"All that being said, I think that the bottom three should be Bucky, Ace and Lisa. I am almost certain that Ace will be safe though after last week, as there was probably a surge of votes for him because "it was just
wrong for him to be in the bottom three!" Whatever. In his place, I'm guessing Kevin. Even though that Vote For The Worst site is backing him, compared to all of the other singers that are left, Kevin still can't hold
candle. I'm hoping that Bucky will go tonight as his was the weakest performance by far. Alternately, Lisa could be the one to go - after all, she was in the bottom three last week."
So...I got the bottom three right - I must pat myself on the back about that. I was just wrong about the one who went home.
I'm not sad about Chicken Little's departure, save these two things:
a. I can't torture Laura H. (and some other online folks) anymore. Alternately, that will probably lengthen my life span *heh*
b. BUCKY WILL BE ON TOUR. I have a horrible feeling that he will be my Carmen Rasmussen of this season. If you don't remember her, count yourself among the lucky. I won't be reminding you of who she is because I like my brain intact, thankyouverymuch.
The good thing for Chicken Little is this: I figure that life before AI had him being a complete geek that was the butt of many jokes. Now he can say he beat out 90,000 other people (or whatever the number was) to get in the Top 12. And he had a segment of the nation either saying he was so cute you wanted to squish him (the older ones) or he was some kind of sex symbol (the younger ones) *snickers* That can't be all that bad for him. :)
I did lose faith in the "Vote for the Worst" website. Just yesterday (only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely...everybody sing along!) they released an article (it was on Yahoo) about how they were responsible for Scott Savol, John Stevens and some others staying for longer than they needed to. If they were as successful as they claimed to be, Bucky would have been gone and my job would have been done (because surely Kevin would go right after that. They let me down. Now I have to listen to "Oh Boy" for another week.
So...next week is songs from the 21st century...so technically that means 2001 - present (I checked). I'm betting they will let them include 2000 though. It's a cakewalk week as far as I'm concerned. Bucky and Kellie can pick country songs, Chris can pick a rock song...I'm hoping that somewhere in there, someone will choose something challenging to make the show interesting. We'll have to wait and see.
Until then, my lovelies...
You know I can't smile without you...can't smile without you...I can't laugh, and I can't sing...I'm finding it hard to do anything!
And then...last week...
Before I attach my thoughts about last night, it would be remiss of me (hey Kelli! I used the word!) to not make mention of how disappointed I was with the show overall last night. There were a few bright spots for me, but they weren't plentiful enough to drag the show back to the plus side for me. I could speculate on the reasons why, but I'd probably be here all day...so I'll just give you what I have and leave it at that. :)
1. Lisa Tucker (Because of You/Kelly Clarkson)
This was better than previous weeks performance wise - it sounded like she was able to get more into it than previous weeks, so that’s a plus. However, I think that she chose a song that was a bit too big for her (as I was typing this, Simon said the same thing! EEK!) - her transitions between booming and soft are still really uneven, and when she tried to go for the big notes…there was something lacking. She took a risk, and while it was tolerable, I think the negatives outweighed the positives. I know for certain that she will be in the bottom three, and very likely (unless she experiences "Ace Surge") will go home tonight.
2. Kellie Pickler (Suds In A Bucket/Sarah Evans)
Once again in her element, she shone in the categories of confidence and comfort. However - the song was not even close to a right choice for her. It was just flat…not exciting at all. She couldn’t have any fun or show off in any way positive. I think it’s good thing that she’s got a lot of the popular vote. Of course, there's no telling how long that will hold out for her. She definitely needs to make better choices if she wants to have a prayer of outlasting well…let me rethink that. If she wants to last for the next two weeks, she needs to make better song choices.
3. Ace Young (Drops of Jupiter/Train)
Oh good lord. His nasal sound that comes out when he’s trying to go for plaintive is driving me up a freaking wall. The beginning was HORRIBLE, and it didn’t get much better. I was put off by the whole showing off of the scar (and Judy has already noted in print that she agrees with me. I almost said that Kelli is onboard that train as well, but then I realized how bad that would sound, give the song he sang - so I'll just say she agreed). I guess it could have been gimmicky but combined with everything else, it just came off like “If you don’t like my singing, maybe I can lure you in with my sexy appeal! Yeah!” Whoopee. At this point, I don't care if I'm irritating in my repetitiveness: the show is about singing talent, and it infuriates me that America votes for anything but. Put him in the bottom three where he belongs. Obviously his first trip taught him nothing.
4. Taylor Hicks (Trouble/Ray LaMontagne)
I love love love that he wasn’t all over the stage for once. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the other performances, but it was nice to see him just sing. And it was beautiful. And controlled. It was nice to see that he could change up his performance without losing that quality he has to draw people in. And he was able to make the change well. As far as I'm concerned - he sailed right on through to next week, no question.
5. Mandisa (Wanna Praise You (Shackles)/Mary Mary)
Hated it. I mean, she was doing what she felt, and that's cool - you've got to be true to yourself. I’m sure that the original is just fine. Her performance, for the first time, was just lacking for me. I think that her heart was in the right place, but she let that overshadow performing the song well. She had a bunch of sharp stuff going on that she ignored in lieu of getting down with the spirit of the song. As I said on a board last night, "Yes, you can get away with that in church. Yes, Ryan referred to the Church of Mandisa. Yes, I have been a member. But this parishioner walked out halfway through the service."
6. Chris Daughtry (What If/Creed)
Nice cover on the Live issue *heh* Anyway, this was nice. He shook the show awake with that performance. This is what I expect from him, and although this is an appropriate choice for the theme this week, I'm starting to wonder if that's all he has. He said during the judge commentary that he has more tricks up his sleeve, but I have to question why he would hold out so long if that's actually true. As much as I hate to say it: even though he is worlds better vocally than Kellie and Bucky, the boredom factor is starting to set in. They talk about continually raising the bar and bringing your game - and he comes across as limbo-ing just underneath the bar.
7. Katharine McPhee (The Voice Within/Christina Aguilera)
What was going on with the contestants? Normally I flat out love her. Not tonight. The song is okay but it didn’t show her off the way I love the most. It was…boring, lackluster. I suppose it is partly because that is not one of my favorite Christina songs. It's also because I've been spoiled. I know what Katharine can do, and that performance didn't even come close. Disappointed would have to be my overall description. *bleh* but I have to vote for someone, and including her, at this point - I’m up to 2.
8. Bucky Covington (Real Good Man/Tim McGraw)
Well I can’t give Kellie props about being in her element without doing the same for him. But that was about all. The reasons (above all) that I wouldn’t vote for him is that he just isn’t impressive. It’s the same thing every week - for me, it never caught on, and for others, it had to have lost its appeal weeks ago My vote for him to be back in the bottom three tonight.. I could hope that he would go home instead of Lisa, but I think the sad fact is that his fan base is just a little bit bigger.
9. Paris Bennett (Work It Out/Beyonce)
Simon is on crack. That was an amazing performance! She had a great time, her vocals were on point…I don’t have one criticism other than maybe her extensions were a little too extended *haha* they kept getting stuck in her lip gloss or whatever that is. But she definitely worked it out - in heels - and I would be the last one to fault her for that! Seriously, it was great to finally see her shed that granny skin she has been lugging around almost since day one. It had its positive points, but honestly - I just wanted to see 17 year old Paris, and I got that. Definitely her best in weeks. Kudos.
10. Elliott Yamin (I Don’t Wanna Be/Gavin DeGraw)
I LOVE HIM. Okay that seals it. He’s my favorite. I’m starting to give more votes to people who deserve it, and he’s my choice for tonight. Goodness. I’m gonna have to revamp this tomorrow because that’s all I got right now.
[Edit: I think it would be faulty to compare his version to Bo's. Same song, yes - but vastly different everything else. Apples and oranges. I loved both of them. Elliott has this soulful, smooth quality to his voice that I fall more in love with every week. He would have done a disservice to his voice had he tried to sound more like what Bo did. They talk often about not compromising, doing things the way you know you can do it - and Elliott did not disappoint. I want him in the final 2. Period. This competition would be so much less without him.]
RESULTS COMMENTARY
That's the nicest way I can relay to you my reaction last night when I saw that Bucky, not Katharine, was safe. If you want to try and envision reality, add in a few more profanities. Yes, I'm that kinda crazy (in
general and about this show) :P If I can extract myself from myself and look at the situation objectively, I know why she was in the bottom three: we've gotten used to these polished, flawless performances from her, and
Tuesday just seemed like it was some sort of cop out - something to do to get by. I think she was starting to get comfortable being safe, and the results show knocked her on her butt. Objectively, she needed it and it was a good thing.
Have I mentioned that I'm not very good at seeing things objectively and staying that way? SO HOW COULD PEOPLE VOTE SO LITTLE FOR HER???? *cry* She is WORLDS better than both Ace and Bucky! Dang fan bases.
As for Lisa: well she was the right choice to go. As they played back her clips from the beginning, I remembered why I liked her so much. She showed so much promise, and was a contender for the Top 12 right off the bat. But (I think) as time went on, she was knocked off balance by the amazingly powerful voices of (most of) the others. When she tried to bring her game, she went about it the wrong way. She chose these songs that were ambitious and ended up being too big for her. So while she has talent, they worked against her: showing off her minuses more than her pluses. Sad because she had to go, but because she is young - she has plenty of time to develop her craft as her voice matures.
Ace: good lord. He just barely gets saved every time, and I don't know why. I feel a tantrum coming on, and not one that contains any other word but "why". I think it would be best if I moved on from him and his scar for the moment. Maybe I will be more expressive by Tuesday/Wednesday.
And what about that??? Country night - are you kidding me? Because we haven't heard enough of that from Bucky and Kellie? *heh* As much as I don't want to hear it from them, I'm even more interested in how Ace and
Chris will wriggle their way out of this. Actually, I can picture Chris kicking butt and taking names on some kind of slow Garth Brooks number (maybe this is where he will be able to show us those tricks he's had
hiding up his sleeve!) but Ace...no. Okay - sorry. I said no tantrum.
I'd really like to hear someone do Jo Dee Messina - Katharine or Mandisa could do well on that - because I have adored everything from her that I have heard thus far. And I wonder who they will have as the special guest? Ah well, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
And maybe by then my rage will have abated to the point that I can write something a bit more coherent and cohesive. Maybe. Until then...
So there you have it. Hope you enjoy! :)