2009 American Idol Thread

[OscarGuy]

He must not have been understudy when I saw the National Tour in Oklahoma City as he's not listed in the Playbill.

[dws1982]

Anyone involved in theatre (did he major, by any chance?) can tell you that if you're on a stage with eight other people, there must be something unique about you if you want to be remembered apart from the rest.

Not sure if he majored, but he made his stage debut at ten in a production of You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, and understudied the Fiyero role in the national tour of Wicked, among other stage credits. He definitely knows, more than anyone else, how to stand out in a crowd, and how to present himself onstage.

Adam has usually at least mentioned that his arrangements were not his own this season (although not always admitting where they came from), so why no mention that last night's "Feeling Good" arrangement was taken from the version that Muse recorded about eight years ago? From all accounts, Matthew Bellamy is a complete nut (albeit a truly excellent musician) and I wouldn't be surprised to see him say something if he catches wind of his cover being used without credit.

[Sonic Youth]

God, I love these songs. Even when a performance wasn't up-to-par, I remembered last night that these beautiful songs are standards for a reason. "Greatest songs ever written" really isn't an overblown superlative in this instance.

But I think Adam may have jumped the shark for me. I've liked him best from the beginning. He's a better singer than all of the others combined. He is a magnetic presence, and very self-aware. It isn't just his voice that puts him across, but his savvy theatricalities. Anyone involved in theatre (did he major, by any chance?) can tell you that if you're on a stage with eight other people, there must be something unique about you if you want to be remembered apart from the rest. He knows this very well. He was the only one who didn't sing a ballad, for example. All the other guys wore dark suits with a white shirt and tie; Adam wore a white suit and a black shirt and tie; and I don't even need to mention his Gloria Swanson entrance. This is all very obvious stuff, but it's also the little things. Just a week or two ago during an elimination broadcast, during the group number nearly all the contestents wearing sunglasses. For whatever reason, Adam was the only one without them. Insignificant? Maybe, but it didn't escape my notice. And each time out, he's a little different. In this respect, he's like David Bowie, whom he's probably aping. ("Ring of Fire" was Adam's sexually ambiguous glam-rock phase, and last night was his version of The Thin White Duke). Except Adam totally cuts David in the vocal department. It's why I want him to stick around all the way to the end, not because I want him to win, but because I have to see what he does next.

But Adam is also a smart performer because he always finds that balance between singing and image, without letting one overshadow the other. Unfortunately, he's become so confident a stage presense that I'm afraid he tipped that balance for me. Not because his performance was bad, although I must say he didn't knock me over last night (although none of them did, with the exception of His Smugness who knocked me over into the negative column like he usually does.) Although I thought everyone except Danny was fine, it must mean something that I can tell you from memory all the songs the other four contestants sang last night. But I must admit, I had absolutely no recollection of what Adam's damn song was. I don't see someone trying to give a great performance. I see someone who really wants to win. He's gotten a little too caught up in this, and it's a turn-off for me. This is precisely what I can't stand about Gokey, and I don't want to see Adam descend into All About Eve territory.

It's possible we've seen the last of Allison, but I think Matt's getting the boot tonight.



Edited By Sonic Youth on 1241036376

[Greg]

I thought they were all good; but, Adam was the only one who wowed me.

[Penelope]

1. Adam - "Feeling Good" -- Sorry, guys, when I see him perform, when he's so in command, I just get chills: A
2. Kris - "The Way You Look Tonight" -- A perfect, nicely calibrated, genuine rendition; he and Adam are simply the best on the show: A-
3. Danny - "Come Rain or Come Shine" -- Ok, the best he's done in weeks; nothing truly memorable, but still pretty good: B
4. Matt - "My Funny Valentine" -- A rather lackluster version, pretty much forgettable: C
5. Allison - "Someone to Watch Over Me" -- Melissimas all over the place, making much of it incomprehensible: D



Edited By Penelope on 1240968225

[dws1982]

Not a bad night overall.

Kris was my favorite, and Allison was very good, although I could kind of see where Simon was coming from. Matt was good, but not spectacular.. Danny was average--very much a lounge lizard performance. It was his best in weeks (it ended much better than it began I thought) although he hasn't set the bar very high. Adam was fine, but if you're going to do the Muse cover of "Feeling Good", which is just about perfection, then just do it, rather than adding in shrieked notes just for the sake of shrieked notes.

I know they've had bad time management issues this season, but I missed having two performances from everyone.

I'd guess that Matt goes, but Allison sang second, which is usually the death slot on final five night of Idol.



Edited By dws1982 on 1240967413

[OscarGuy]

Allison: Someone to Watch Over Me - This may be the best theme night ever. That was great.
Kris: The Way You Look Tonight - Simply amazing. He knows what people like and he goes for it. That was terrific.
Adam: I really don't think there's a genre he can't sing. I thought the final note was a bit off, but the rest of it was good.
Danny: Come Rain or Shine: It was good, definitely better than before, but I really get sick of some of his grating stroke of a voice.
Matt: My Funny Valentine: I didn't think it was that great. It was solid, but there were parts where I wondered why he wasn't doing better.


Bottom Three: Danny, Matt, Adam. Going home: Matt (hopefully)



Edited By OscarGuy on 1240967270

[OscarGuy]

That's because America's Got Talent is the corollary to Britain's Got Talent, not American Idol.

[Greg]

Unlike American Idol, Britain's Got Talent allows child singers to audition. Here are two great ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVU4IkzMNIo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY-BY4YNs0o

[cam]

FWIW, I predict Lil' Rounds and Anoop-dog are done.

Saved for posterity. I'll never be this accurate again, nor will AI grant my wishes so throroughly.

I have been right up till now--when I predicted that Allsion would go with Lil--I am sorry that Anoop left: he had a decent voice, but he had a massive chip on his shoulder.

Matt LOOKS like a loser, with that wimpy face and that Cyclops wart, but I think it will be Allsion first, then Matt, then the top three, two of whom have been preordained(Danny--gospel, etc. and Adam.) Kris will win, I still maintain.



Edited By OscarGuy on 1240878167

[Eric]

I said "not a requirement", not "it's a rule."

Absolutely true. It was first a producers' genre, then second a DJ's genre. Vocalists come somewhere in the next grouping of five of six down the line. Which is why anyone thinking that American Idol contestants would pick any disco song that we haven't heard a million times in a thousand TV commercials is kidding themself.



Edited By OscarGuy on 1240878176

[Zahveed]

If Thelma Huston and K(an't) C(ing) are any indication, it would seem to me that whatever requirements there are for you to be a disco recording artist, a good singing voice isn't one of them.

I know you're only making a rhetorical point here. And it's with that in mind that I say:

Yep, Michael Jackson, Cheryl Lynn, Sylvester, Philip Bailey, Loleatta Holloway, Teddy Pendergrass, Chaka Khan, Phyllis Hyman, Nick Ashford, Eddie Kendricks, Cory Daye, Gloria Gaynor ... not a first-rate singer among 'em.

All of them (that I know) are first-rate singers.

It wasn't a statement about disco singers in general. It was a statement about THOSE disco singers. I said "not a requirement", not "it's a rule."

You could say that for any mainstream genre within the last 40 years.



Edited By OscarGuy on 1240878184

[Sonic Youth]

If Thelma Huston and K(an't) C(ing) are any indication, it would seem to me that whatever requirements there are for you to be a disco recording artist, a good singing voice isn't one of them.

I know you're only making a rhetorical point here. And it's with that in mind that I say:

Yep, Michael Jackson, Cheryl Lynn, Sylvester, Philip Bailey, Loleatta Holloway, Teddy Pendergrass, Chaka Khan, Phyllis Hyman, Nick Ashford, Eddie Kendricks, Cory Daye, Gloria Gaynor ... not a first-rate singer among 'em.

All of them (that I know) are first-rate singers.

It wasn't a statement about disco singers in general. It was a statement about THOSE disco singers. I said "not a requirement", not "it's a rule."



Edited By OscarGuy on 1240878196

[OscarGuy]

I think I'd rather see him as Gay Jesus. It would be much more fun...surprised there isn't an actual play about it somewhere.

As for Disco, I'm sure Thelma Houston was much better once upon a time. Sadly, I can't remember a song of hers and the song she sang Wed didn't sound familiar to me.

[Penelope]

So, someone suggested the other day that Adam would do well as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. I scoffed initially because all I could think about was "Gay Jesus", but she has a point. (and it all came about b/c I made an off-hand comment that Ted Neeley was still doing Jesus 30 years later...ad on the back of one of our newspaper sections).

No, Adam would be much better as Judas--it's a much more flamboyant role, plus he gets the signature song.