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#1
05-01-2007, 07:58 PM
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American Idol Round of 6/5: A Horseplayer's Perspective
A strangely passable week for the resident bottom-dwellers, and a couple of huge surprises along the way. A weird week all around.
Phil Let's get the good out of the way right now -- it was one of his very best weeks. It was one of his best weeks because he managed to sing on pitch the entire song, without any glaring problems like we've seen from him, um, every single week so far. That said, Simon stole my thunder. There is nothing authentic about him trying to be a rocker. He did it once before wearing all black and toting the mic stand around more like a purse than an actual mic stand. There is nothing rough about him, nothing edgy about him, yet this will be the third occasion this season that he has chosen a song that has a necessary grittiness-factor to it, and the third time this season that he came up miserably short in being a rocker. He should have chosen a song that would let him sing, but let him play off of Bon Jovi's occasional less rock persona. So half of me liked it in that he managed to sing an entire song in such a way that shows that he belongs on the show (though still not within a stone's throw of the real contenders), and half of me hated it because he's still a poser douchebag whenever he tried to come off as steely. Final Score: 7.5 phone-in votes Jordin I wouldn't go so far to say it was terrible, but oh man, that was not very good. I think that she looked the part and that she moved the part -- she was comfortable onstage, even though she wasn't very comfortable with the song. The first half was just dreadful and beyond saying that, not really worth commenting on. The second half had some bright spots once the song got into her range vocally, but it really was out of control -- I couldn't have said it better myself. For a performer who we've seen show such extreme control and decisive instinct on softer songs, she really let this one get away from her. This performance alone shouldn't be enough to put her in danger (especially considering that last week's vote totals count this week), but it certainly provided an opening for Melinda to deliver a powerhouse performance and cement herself back on top of this competition. I think that for Jordin, this was the week that her age caught up with her. She doesn't have the experience or grit to pull off a song like that, and no matter which Bon Jovi song she chose, she still would have been screwed -- though perhaps to a lesser extent. A sad time to make my very first critical review of her...and a critical review that doesn't just nitpick, but one that really says, "look, that was....really bad." Final Score: 6.5 phone-in votes Lakisha Wow. I don't even know where to start. I believe this is the first time all season that a single performance gave me chills and gave me goosebumps. I was so worried for her after watching Jordin struggle before her, but that performance was incredible. After watching it, it was hard to not think about the coaching session with Bon Jovi and how he told her that the song is about pleading -- that her man is walking out the door right now and she's begging him to stay by professing her love. That was the type of top-notch performance that has the ability to forgive a couple of strange notes early in the song, because by the middle and the end, those notes had been erased by Lakisha's best performance of the season. I'm going to deduct minor points for the strange beginning, just to be fair, but there was nothing wrong with that performance in the big picture. She took what should have been a tough week for her and delivered a performance that should remind everyone why she was here in the first place and why she was one of the original favorites. Hopefully this performance will do well enough to counter last week's debacle, but either way this performance will long stick in my head. What a beautiful delivery of a beautiful song. Final Score: 9.5 phone-in votes Blake I think this one should generate a great deal of divergent opinions. Let me get it out of the way here, in the spirit of honesty, I am so turned on right now. I love the hair, I love the arrangement, and I think that even with the huge leap he took her in trying this out, he succeeded wildly. There were a few points where I wanted him to quit with the Blake-izing of it, but right when it began to get tedious he would run into the chorus. It was a brilliant arrangement and he absolutely sold the song. It was a great return of the Blake that I had missed for a few really subpar, endangering weeks. I wish I had more to say about it, but I'm still completely blown away by what just happened. He just owned that song. Perfect. Not the best performance of the season, but holy ****, hands down my favorite. Final Score: 10.0 phone-in votes Chris R. Admitting that Daughtry sang it last year, and then still going on with it? Wait, taking a rock song that was performed last year by the best rocker to ever appear on Idol, and then singing it yourself when you're not even a rocker is now prudent song-choice criteria you trashball? Stupid, stupid choice. I suppose it was delivered as best it could have been delivered given said concerns. It was very mediocre/medium for me. It was a lot of screaming, because his voice lacks that true grit that carries a song like that, so he was trying way too hard to take the Chris out of it (which normally I would be a huge advocate of). Again the judges are too busy creaming their pants to flog him publicly. After taking into account the ballsiness of the choice, it was a decent performance but nothing that will really ever stand out in my head. Passable, but still far too stupid and far too fake to leave a mark. I never thought I'd say this, but hey, at least it wasn't as bad as Jordin. Final Score: 7.0 phone-in votes Melinda Her stage presence will still go unmatched by any of these other finalists. She was clearly uncomfortable with this genre and this song, and she gets up onstage and sings it like she's done it a thousand times before. She took a song that should have been questionable for her and nailed it in typical Melinda fashion. It had that sort of genuine mark on it and she was just completely in control of that song. This was exactly the type of performance that she needed tonight in order to take advantage of her closest competitor taking a major fall in her performance. Melinda once again rose to the challenge and cemented her claim on the top spot in this competition -- it's officially once again hers to lose. Final Score: 9.5 phone-in votes 
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#2
05-01-2007, 08:05 PM
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Bon Jovi sucks balls. This show has officially jumped the shark.
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#4
05-01-2007, 08:43 PM
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So half a point for you -- I did factor looks into my being turned on. But luckily, at least I had something else to fall back on...ya know, like the singing  So my comments were in addition to a great performance, not an excuse for a dreadful performance. Nuance, B, all nuance.
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#5
05-01-2007, 08:49 PM
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) started giving me a hard time.Jordin is cute and has been my favorite since her audition, but my goodness she was just awful tonight.
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#6
05-01-2007, 09:10 PM
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[quote=brianwspencer]A strangely passable week for the resident bottom-dwellers, and a couple of huge surprises along the way. A weird week all around.
Phil Let's get the good out of the way right now -- it was one of his very best weeks. It was one of his best weeks because he managed to sing on pitch the entire song, without any glaring problems like we've seen from him, um, every single week so far. That said, Simon stole my thunder. There is nothing authentic about him trying to be a rocker. He did it once before wearing all black and toting the mic stand around more like a purse than an actual mic stand. There is nothing rough about him, nothing edgy about him, yet this will be the third occasion this season that he has chosen a song that has a necessary grittiness-factor to it, and the third time this season that he came up miserably short in being a rocker. He should have chosen a song that would let him sing, but let him play off of Bon Jovi's occasional less rock persona. So half of me liked it in that he managed to sing an entire song in such a way that shows that he belongs on the show (though still not within a stone's throw of the real contenders), and half of me hated it because he's still a poser douchebag whenever he tried to come off as steely. Final Score: 7.5 phone-in votes Jordin I wouldn't go so far to say it was terrible, but oh man, that was not very good. I think that she looked the part and that she moved the part -- she was comfortable onstage, even though she wasn't very comfortable with the song. The first half was just dreadful and beyond saying that, not really worth commenting on. The second half had some bright spots once the song got into her range vocally, but it really was out of control -- I couldn't have said it better myself. For a performer who we've seen show such extreme control and decisive instinct on softer songs, she really let this one get away from her. This performance alone shouldn't be enough to put her in danger (especially considering that last week's vote totals count this week), but it certainly provided an opening for Melinda to deliver a powerhouse performance and cement herself back on top of this competition. I think that for Jordin, this was the week that her age caught up with her. She doesn't have the experience or grit to pull off a song like that, and no matter which Bon Jovi song she chose, she still would have been screwed -- though perhaps to a lesser extent. A sad time to make my very first critical review of her...and a critical review that doesn't just nitpick, but one that really says, "look, that was....really bad." Final Score: 6.5 phone-in votes Lakisha Wow. I don't even know where to start. I believe this is the first time all season that a single performance gave me chills and gave me goosebumps. I was so worried for her after watching Jordin struggle before her, but that performance was incredible. After watching it, it was hard to not think about the coaching session with Bon Jovi and how he told her that the song is about pleading -- that her man is walking out the door right now and she's begging him to stay by professing her love. That was the type of top-notch performance that has the ability to forgive a couple of strange notes early in the song, because by the middle and the end, those notes had been erased by Lakisha's best performance of the season. I'm going to deduct minor points for the strange beginning, just to be fair, but there was nothing wrong with that performance in the big picture. She took what should have been a tough week for her and delivered a performance that should remind everyone why she was here in the first place and why she was one of the original favorites. Hopefully this performance will do well enough to counter last week's debacle, but either way this performance will long stick in my head. What a beautiful delivery of a beautiful song. Final Score: 9.5 phone-in votes Blake I think this one should generate a great deal of divergent opinions. Let me get it out of the way here, in the spirit of honesty, I am so turned on right now. I love the hair, I love the arrangement, and I think that even with the huge leap he took her in trying this out, he succeeded wildly. There were a few points where I wanted him to quit with the Blake-izing of it, but right when it began to get tedious he would run into the chorus. It was a brilliant arrangement and he absolutely sold the song. It was a great return of the Blake that I had missed for a few really subpar, endangering weeks. I wish I had more to say about it, but I'm still completely blown away by what just happened. He just owned that song. Perfect. Not the best performance of the season, but holy ****, hands down my favorite. Final Score: 10.0 phone-in votes Chris R. Admitting that Daughtry sang it last year, and then still going on with it? Wait, taking a rock song that was performed last year by the best rocker to ever appear on Idol, and then singing it yourself when you're not even a rocker is now prudent song-choice criteria you trashball? Stupid, stupid choice. I suppose it was delivered as best it could have been delivered given said concerns. It was very mediocre/medium for me. It was a lot of screaming, because his voice lacks that true grit that carries a song like that, so he was trying way too hard to take the Chris out of it (which normally I would be a huge advocate of). Again the judges are too busy creaming their pants to flog him publicly. After taking into account the ballsiness of the choice, it was a decent performance but nothing that will really ever stand out in my head. Passable, but still far too stupid and far too fake to leave a mark. I never thought I'd say this, but hey, at least it wasn't as bad as Jordin. Final Score: 7.0 phone-in votes Melinda Her stage presence will still go unmatched by any of these other finalists. She was clearly uncomfortable with this genre and this song, and she gets up onstage and sings it like she's done it a thousand times before. She took a song that should have been questionable for her and nailed it in typical Melinda fashion. It had that sort of genuine mark on it and she was just completely in control of that song. This was exactly the type of performance that she needed tonight in order to take advantage of her closest competitor taking a major fall in her performance. Melinda once again rose to the challenge and cemented her claim on the top spot in this competition -- it's officially once again hers to lose. Final Score: 9.5 phone-in votes[/QUOT Well, tomorrow will be an interesting results show, the 70 million votes cast last week should protect Jordin...frankly she'll need them! Blake...who knows? Did Lakisha save herself? Well, anyway...my take on tonight: 6) Jordin...Livin' On A Prayer...Trouble with low notes, just wasn't good! Jordin is a beautiful young woman but she's also very tall, the two guitar players standing on either side were a head shorter...I understand why Simon said it reminded him of the Adams Family. She lost her composure a bit I think, screaming at the end. She should be safe since two weeks are combined but by far the worst performance she's given and on the bottom this week. 5) Chris...Wanted Dead Or Alive...good job, he has a blues thing going on but still...nowhere to go in this competition given his voice. 4) Phil...Blaze of Glory...he likes the song and sang with feeling, Good vocal and I agree with Randy and Paula...he's clearly improving! 3) LaKisha...Ain't A Love Song...a lesser known Bon Jovi song and a wonderful choice for her...a terrific performance! She said that she had no formal voice training prior to AI and it shows...she's a raw talent but when she chooses the right song, it's magic! This should save her! 2) Blake...You Give Love A Bad Name...Ok, so I've been rough on him, until last week he showed me no sincerity. This was a great performance, he took a huge risk changing a well known (and loved) song the way he did...then he showed his pipes in the chorus so nobody can say he was hiding his voice. I think Blake may have a big future in music...whether it's as a performer is the question. This week, the answer seems to be "yes"! The most original version of a song in Idol history. 1) Melinda...Have A Nice Day...I like this song and she nailed it...attitude and sexy performance, yeah, she reminds me of Tina as well! I am convinced that this lady can sing anything!!! She will be the American Idol!
__________________
"Always be yourself...unless you suck!"
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#7
05-01-2007, 09:14 PM
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My personal favorite tonight was Blake, I thought it was terrific. The guy is talented. Great job.
Have to also hand it to Melinda and Lakisha especially. Lakisha hit a homer with that one. Jordin had a very off night, not her style and it wasn't good. still its hard not to like her. Phil, I have never really cared for. Chris's performance didn't stand out for me, it seemed just routine.
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#8
05-01-2007, 09:27 PM
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 Could not agree more -- though had a hard time separating the top three tonight really, loved each of them for very different reasons.
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#9
05-01-2007, 09:29 PM
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I've been watching. I don't see how anyone can beat Melinda. I think the 3 gals, Melinda, LaKisha, Jordan, are far better than any of the guys. I can't believe Jordan is only 17! I suppose I like Blake best of the guys & Phil least.
I tried to donate during last week's show but couldn't get through on line or by phone, even in the morning. The problem in Africa is stifling.I will still donate, probably directly to the one of the organizations. Did anybody else have that problem?
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#10
05-01-2007, 09:31 PM
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__________________
"Always be yourself...unless you suck!"
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#11
05-02-2007, 06:27 AM
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I thought it was mixed last night......I have said from the top 12 show that I thought Jordin and Blake were going to be in the final and I still think that, but I gotta tell ya, I didn't care for what Blake did last night at all...now the misses loved it, so I guess Simon is right again....half will love it, half will hate it.....no doubt the guy has talent, but I thought that was a mess.
Now for the rest....As much as I hate to say it, I think Phil was hands down the best. Melinda and Lakesha were just okay....Chris would have been okay too, but where the hell is the fashion coordinator. How the hell are you gonna get up and sing Dead or Alive in tennis shoes, a lime green t-shirt, white belt, and members only jacket??? WTF! So for that, he needs to go....I thought Jordin was by far the worst of the evening.....Who do I think is going home......Chris and Lakesha....
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#12
05-02-2007, 07:49 AM
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#13
05-02-2007, 08:23 AM
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I was so disappointed in Jordin. Voted for her for a couple of hours though so hopefully she will make it through.
Chris and Phil should go home. They were both OK, but nothing special all season. Blake was on top last night. Even my husband said it was good. (He butchered EVERYONE else except Melinda.) Melinda and Lakisha were good. Overall, Bon Jovi is not fair to have some of them sing.
__________________
"Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unawaken. 
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#14
05-02-2007, 10:52 AM
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__________________
"Always be yourself...unless you suck!"
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#15
05-02-2007, 05:19 PM
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Linear Mode
