Tuesday, March 20, 2007

'American Idol 6' - The Top Eleven and the British Invasion

Jackie's TV Blog, American Idol
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Graphic artist Zoetawny made me a new tag for my American Idol posts and, guess what?

They brought it tonight! Now, this is entertainment.

Think about it. If I grew up with Motown, it should go without saying that I grew up with the British Invasion as well. I had my Peter Noone (Herman) crush and all. This is my music. Those were my times. Well, the times of my youth, that is. I turned the show on with a bit of trepidation tonight and was thrilled to find it the best show of the season... perhaps the overall most entertaining show in many seasons. No, the contestants weren't all perfect, but the overall feel to the show provided me with a lot of entertainment. And, dawgs, dudes, dames... that's what I'm here for. Or there. Well, I'm here, but you know what I mean.

First up was Haley Scarnato, looking all sexy and slinky (and a bit wiggly when she jumped up and down). The girls were coached by British pop singer from the 60s, Lulu. She sang "Tell Him." It was a good choice for her and it's finally a song which matches her bouncing about the stage. She's not my favorite performer, but she put on a good performance, easily surpassing most of her past performances. Randy and Paula both sang their praises while Simon commented that her singing probably won't be the only thing the audience talks about -- "you naughty little thing."

Chris Richardson took the stage next. Peter Noone coached the guys and didn't seem all that impressed with Chris. He claimed he didn't really "hear his voice" and advised him to stick to the melody. Chris sang "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying." Sigh. I didn't care for it although I have the original hit somewhere in my 45 RPM vinyl collection (yes, I still have them). Again, he was nasal-sounding and, reflecting back on all of the performances, I thought it one of the weaker ones of the night. This is bad... I ranked Sanjaya's performance higher than Chris's this week. Yipes. Yet, the judges loved it. So, what do I know? I'm sure he's safe. But his version did nothing for me, nothing at all.

Stephanie EdwardsNext up was Stephanie Edwards, who Lulu compared to Beyonce. I enjoy Stephanie. I think she's a strong singer and performer who could have knocked the socks off of Fantasia in that year. But her competition this year from the other women is rough. She sang Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." I thought she did very well, but the judges weren't as pleased with the performance as I was. Randy called it pitchy. Paula mumbles something about "notes falling off." Simon thinks she's losing her edge, losing her soul, and is too old for herself. Say what? I think she's probably safe.

Then there's Blake Lewis. Each week I'm respecting and enjoying this kid more and more. He's not the powerhouse voice of a Lakisha or Melinda, but he's innovative. He sang "Time of the Season" by the Zombies. I loved it! I thought he was teensy bit off pitch a couple of times, but he mesmerized me. It was a perfect song for him and he Blake-ized it well without destroying the original. Who's your Daddy? Oh, it was so good! Randy said it had "massive yo factor" and was brilliant. Paula said he raised the bar. Simon said it was a million times better than last week and proclaimed it the strongest performance so far of the evening. Blake ain't going anywhere.

Lakisha Jones sang next, singing a song which doesn't thrill me -- "Diamonds Are Forever." Hey, if she's going to sing a James Bond movie song, I want her to sing "Goldfinger." Can you imagine her singing that song? She could bring down the house with it. Instead, we got bling. She sang it well, but it wasn't my favorite performance of hers. I think she displayed excellent quality performance skills. But, but, but... it wasn't the show-stopping Kiki! The judges seemed to think along the same lines as I did.

Phil Stacey sang "Tobacco Road." I liked the start and some bits in between, but my overall impression was "So?" I'll say that I do think it's one of his better performances, but Phil doesn't give this girl a thrill. I can't help but think of Uncle Fester (same time as the British Invasion) when I see him. The judges were a bit more positive than I was about his performance, but I think he's on thin ice this week.

Jordin Sparks, the 17-year-old powerhouse, was next with "I Who Have Nothing." She's another one I see improving week after week. Are we sure she's just a kid? Have we checked her ID? My gosh, she did well. The judges were as impressed as I was. Good girl, Jordin! (Lulu was very impressed with her, too.) Simon mentioned how gloomy the song is, but said she sang it beautifully. She sure did.
Sanjaya Malakar
When they said we'd see the "wild side" of Sanjaya Malakar, I thought that meant he'd sing "Wild Thing" by the Troggs, but nope. Close, but instead he went for The Kinks' "You Really Got Me." And, though I still want him gone, he did an excellent teenybopper heart-stopper version. He moved in other than his silly floating stuff; he reached down into growls and everything. Oh, no. He's not a Melinda or Lakisha, not a Blake or a Chris Sligh. But he actually showed some spark tonight. For that, I won't even mess with his picture. Hey, are teeth really that white? Randy called the performance his best to date. I agree. I think that he's going to be around next week.

Gina GlocksenGina Glocksen hit the stage next looking as punk as punk can be. I'm a tad upset with her. She chose a song which I thought defined me in my teen angst years. She chose "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones. Keep in mind, I saw the Stones sing the song live in their prime on more than one occasion. She sang it wrong. She kept losing the melody. She sang like she was doing a bad impersonation of Joan Jett doing a bad Mick Jagger impersonation. She mumbled words. The judges were a bit less harsh than I was just now, but Simon deemed her vocals "not good enough." 'Nuff said. Based on that performance alone, she should be a shoe-in for the bottom three. Her past and audience might save her butt, but she better not screw up a song I like again! Sanjaya was more loyal to the Kinks. Sheesh!

Chris Sligh talked with Peter Noone about singing "Henry the Eighth" and I was so hoping he would! "I'm Henry the Eighth, I am, I am. I got married to the woman next door and she's been married seven times before. And every one was an Hen-er-y." That song always makes me smile. But, instead he went for "She's Not There" by the Zombies. It was a good song choice. It wasn't my favorite performance of his, but it was light-years better than Phil Stacey or Gina Glocksen! Second verse, same as the first... the judges enjoyed it. I couldn't but help noticing that a family member or friend of his had a sign playing with Timberlake's song -- "Bringing chubby back."

Melinda DoolittleThey saved the best for last. Ah, Melinda Doolittle. Why hasn't she been out there making records for years at this time? She amazes me. She can sing songs I really don't like and make me sit there in awe of what she does to them. She said she was going out of her comfort zone and chose a song from Oliver - "As Long As He Needs Me." Now, my favorite song from that show is "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two." So, you can see where I stand. Well, consider yourself a star, Melinda. Consider yourself part of the furniture... or something to that effect. Randy told her, "Dude, you're a pro." Paula said she's in her own league. Simon said it was sensational, impeccable vocals, and said she's indeed as nice as she seems.

I think we'll see Phil Stacey going home this week. What do you think?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree, Jackie, Phil Stacey had the weakest performance with "Tobacco Road". The rest were all pretty good tonight. My favorite is Jordin Sparks. She has a great voice, and great control over it.
~Susan from MA

Anonymous said...

the 60's, British Invasion !! My music, too, Jackie !! Oh, i remember listening to these songs on my transistor radio !! The best show of the season, i wish they would do another one, everyone did a pretty good job, just cause i loved all the songs !!

Poor, sanjaya, to me he's still no better than a million other high school kids who have a nice voice !!

Barb

Anonymous said...

OK who was that little girl, who cried the whole way thru the show? Got so tired of them showing her!!!

Of all the rock songs from that era, Gina sang that!!! Transistor radio....wow...have not thought of those for years!!!! IMAO

Off to Atlantic City till late Fri, hope my VCR's work.....Jackie TY again and again

Anonymous said...

Jordin was fantastic. Loved her version of I WHO HAVE NOTHING. I predict that even if she doesn't win AI, she will get offer(s) of a recording contract. You're right Susan, great voice, great control.

Anonymous said...

Last night Blake, Melinda and Jordin were my favorites! It was a better night overall. Melinda is in a different class. It is hard to compare Blake to otheres because he is so different. He doesn't just get up there and sing a karoke version of someone elses song. Melinda is just so professional and so in control. Jordin is amazing for her age.

Anonymous said...

What a breath of fresh air! Finally, a show that we could enjoy from beginning to end!

I thought there were several really strong performances, and it was so great to see those kids get some positive feedback from the judges.

Even if I could sing (which I sooo cannot!), there is just no way I would put myself in that position, so I give them credit. Getting beat up on national television on a weekly basis, plus the media scrutiny, has got to be tough.

Sounds like last night's show made many of us smile! That is always great!

Jackie, terrific recap, as always! I totally agree - Phil goes home.

And what up with the poor little girl that cried through the entire show? Bless her heart, but I was confused...

dla

Anonymous said...

That little girl was me many years ago watching Donny Osmond!! So the gossip is that everyone is voting to keep Sanjaya - right? Well - whoever makes it in top 10 will tour - so it will be interesting who makes it. If Sanjaya gets voted off - questions should be raised......

Anonymous said...

That little girl cracked me up. She reminds me of my cousin, who used to sit in front of the TV and scream and cry every time Duran Duran came on the TV.

The music was one decade to old for me, so I didn't enjoy it that much. I like to hear them sing songs I am more familiar with, so I have a comparison of how it sounds to "how it should" sound. With a song I've never heard before, I never quite know if they did good, bad, etc. So it was "just alright for me, dawg."

Anonymous said...

The most confusing thing about the little girl was that she cried the entire time. At first I thought she was just a huge fan of the "S" word (will not utter his name until he goes away!), but then they showed her crying through some of the girl's performances, so I guess she is just a BIG fan of American Idol. Fascinating how we all react so differently to things like that.

Anonymous said...

My times,my music....loved the show and loved seeing(and hearing)Peter and Lulu!!

I loved BLAKE and JORDIN,they were my favs tonight.I thought HALEY made a right move and think that GINA and PHIL will be two of the bottom three. I hope SANJAYA is the other one. I have to disagree with you AND the judges,I hated his song and his "vocal stylings".If you listen to it again,it's not much of a stretch to sing that song and he was STILL flat a lot of the time. I was like that little teenybopper crying in the audience,except I was crying cause he was soooo bad.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:58 is ME...sharon...don't know what happened but it's meeeeeeeee!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, but Sanjaya needs to go! His song did not sound good and the screaming in it? Ahhhhh! I truly enjoy Blake & Chris R., not because they are the best vocals, but because they bring such a high entertainment value each time. Melinda,Lakisha & Jordin though are in a league of their own with their beautiful voices...

I really like all the singers and would love to see anyone BUT Sanjaya win!!!

Anonymous said...

I didn't catch it all, but I really loved Jordin's performance. Having never heard that song before (as far as I know), I have nothing to compare it to but thinks she did amazing on it! I can't stand Sanjaya. I wasn't sure why he made it to the top 150...oh well.

I think Phil should go tonight. I don't see him growing...even Sanjaya is "coming out of his shell" or whatever Paula was saying.

Go Kiki, Melinda, and Jordin!

Anonymous said...

I had Idol on and was down the hall in my office and just listening to the show. I can tell you that without the "visual" of Sanjaya giving his all, the noise coming into my office was so awful it sounded like a cat screeching. The voters may keep him around for a while, esp. the jokers who want to vote for the worst, but eventually he will leave. The last ones standing will be the good singers...of which there are about four. I think only one guy will make it to the end, and that will be Blake. I really enjoyed hearing the old 60s songs again, esp. by th singers who updated them a bit but not so much that you lost the melody.

Anonymous said...

I absolutely LOVED Jordin last night! She improves each and every week. When she performed I had goosebumps and actually believed she was a jilted lover watching her man with another woman! How can a 17 year old girl know what that feels like?? I hope she wins the whole thing! Kiki and Melinda will have careers no matter what, but Jordin is what I think the competition is all about.

Sanjaya was scary...enough said!

Favorites? Jordin, Kiki, Melinda & Blake.

Going home? Phil (but I still hope it's Sanjaya)

Anonymous said...

Hi all!

I just found this link about the little crying fan...

http://community.tvguide.com/thread.jspa?threadID=800011247

Cute story, still don't get it. I must have been at the bar with a martini when they passed out that gene. :)

dla