AI Finals
They were both excellent. This was a final show worthy of the name. What I have liked about Adam, and Kris to a lesser extent, is that they have made their living on the show by doing the tunes their way. Everybody else sounded like a knock-off of a better artist at least once. Neither of these guys ever did.
Adam's rendition of Sam Cooke's masterpiece was the song of the night. I really liked how Simon Fuller had them both singing classic R&B tunes. It is a genre that would seem, on the face of it, to be far afield from where they each have strength. Paradoxically, they each did their R&B tune in a manner firmly within their own wheelhouse.
What made Adam's performance was the low register. We all know he kills the high stuff, and he definitely nailed each high note flawlessly. But as Slash observed a few weeks back, his low register is really strong. I also liked how he just stood there and sang the shit out of it. After the overt theatricality of "Mad World" to open the show, it was a nice decision to be very straightforward with the staging of this one.
Kris' version of "Ain't No Sunshine" also killed. I loved this song when he did it during the season and I loved it tonight. You could definitely hear that on the radio today. It was beautifully done. Ironically enough, another R&B classic for the college rock/coffeehouse singer. He does those old tunes real justice. There wasn't anything about it that I didn't like.
"Mad World" was brilliant but didn't carry quite the impact as when Adam did it initially. It was so unexpected that first time that it really made a fantastic impression. Plus, the staging tonight was so over-the-top versus what he did the first time. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but the first time was one of those "moments," if you know what I'm saying. Tonight was just another awesome Adam performance, not an iconic AI event.
I did love the outfit and the dry ice, and the spotlight upstage looking like a moon in the woods. Adam wasn't just evoking "Twilight," he was stealing the entire franchise wholesale. The trenchcoat, the Bono boots, the whole vampire aesthetic was really obvious. I was waiting for the carriage to come across stage to take him back to the castle.
"The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had?" Yeah, 'cause vampires are immortal and long for death to end their eternal suffering. Cheesy but great fun, sir.
Kris' version of "What's Going On" I really liked a lot. I like the small ensemble acoustic arrangement vibe he's used a few times this season. It enables him to take great material and make it fresh. Just like with "Heartless" last week, Kris takes something made famous in a completely different style and does his thing with it and makes you like it in a whole different way. I was much more impressed with this than the judges.
Then the show hit a wall.
Where is Kinky Kelly when you need him? Because that song Kara wrote belongs in the same sentence with "donkey" and "blows." Jesus, that was horrible.
That was the only time all season where I heard either of these two guys sing out-of-tune notes. Hmmmm, common denominator? Kara's shitty song.
Frankly, either of these two guys might want the other to win, if winning carries with it the obligation to release that piece of crap as the first single. That's like a virus poisoning the rest of your record. I mean, that thing was a turd of massive proportions.
Other thoughts?
Carrie Underwood in a Motley Crue shirt. A sign of the apocalypse, for sure. Those boots were the shit, though. And the farmbot can certainly sing her face off.
Sir Anthony Hopkins looked like a zombie in the audience. Not enough virgin's blood in your cocktail this evening, Your Lordship? I heard the lambs screaming at that face.
Anyway, I've really enjoyed this season immensely. Thank you to all my faithful readers on LJ and FB. It's been fun.
Adam's rendition of Sam Cooke's masterpiece was the song of the night. I really liked how Simon Fuller had them both singing classic R&B tunes. It is a genre that would seem, on the face of it, to be far afield from where they each have strength. Paradoxically, they each did their R&B tune in a manner firmly within their own wheelhouse.
What made Adam's performance was the low register. We all know he kills the high stuff, and he definitely nailed each high note flawlessly. But as Slash observed a few weeks back, his low register is really strong. I also liked how he just stood there and sang the shit out of it. After the overt theatricality of "Mad World" to open the show, it was a nice decision to be very straightforward with the staging of this one.
Kris' version of "Ain't No Sunshine" also killed. I loved this song when he did it during the season and I loved it tonight. You could definitely hear that on the radio today. It was beautifully done. Ironically enough, another R&B classic for the college rock/coffeehouse singer. He does those old tunes real justice. There wasn't anything about it that I didn't like.
"Mad World" was brilliant but didn't carry quite the impact as when Adam did it initially. It was so unexpected that first time that it really made a fantastic impression. Plus, the staging tonight was so over-the-top versus what he did the first time. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but the first time was one of those "moments," if you know what I'm saying. Tonight was just another awesome Adam performance, not an iconic AI event.
I did love the outfit and the dry ice, and the spotlight upstage looking like a moon in the woods. Adam wasn't just evoking "Twilight," he was stealing the entire franchise wholesale. The trenchcoat, the Bono boots, the whole vampire aesthetic was really obvious. I was waiting for the carriage to come across stage to take him back to the castle.
"The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had?" Yeah, 'cause vampires are immortal and long for death to end their eternal suffering. Cheesy but great fun, sir.
Kris' version of "What's Going On" I really liked a lot. I like the small ensemble acoustic arrangement vibe he's used a few times this season. It enables him to take great material and make it fresh. Just like with "Heartless" last week, Kris takes something made famous in a completely different style and does his thing with it and makes you like it in a whole different way. I was much more impressed with this than the judges.
Then the show hit a wall.
Where is Kinky Kelly when you need him? Because that song Kara wrote belongs in the same sentence with "donkey" and "blows." Jesus, that was horrible.
That was the only time all season where I heard either of these two guys sing out-of-tune notes. Hmmmm, common denominator? Kara's shitty song.
Frankly, either of these two guys might want the other to win, if winning carries with it the obligation to release that piece of crap as the first single. That's like a virus poisoning the rest of your record. I mean, that thing was a turd of massive proportions.
Other thoughts?
Carrie Underwood in a Motley Crue shirt. A sign of the apocalypse, for sure. Those boots were the shit, though. And the farmbot can certainly sing her face off.
Sir Anthony Hopkins looked like a zombie in the audience. Not enough virgin's blood in your cocktail this evening, Your Lordship? I heard the lambs screaming at that face.
Anyway, I've really enjoyed this season immensely. Thank you to all my faithful readers on LJ and FB. It's been fun.