TwinsRube posted:
BrotherHungPantsOnTheGnd posted:
msmariekg posted:
Spiff says:
Czar says:
Angie63 says:Forums: Season 9
| Top 20/Guys & Gals Review: 2010-03-02 & 03 | |
msmariekg 6 months, 1 week ago |
Note for those who are new: I usually review each show from this point forward. Once upon a time
I studied with some of the top vocal coaches in Seattle and Los Angeles. I am a singer/songwriter/musician and my latest gig is a new thing, musical theater. I am critical and judgmental when it comes to singing and performance. You may not agree with my opinions, but that's just what they are - my opinions. Hope you can get something out of what I have to say and if not, you don't have to read my posts. There are plenty of other Idol reviewers out there! Again, I am so uninspired to write. I keep waiting for that dark horse to bust out of the gate and we all heave a collective sigh, but, no, no one has amazed me as of yet. Guys: Michael Lynche - "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (James Brown) Love that he has a background in theater. He looks so odd on stage, in those old videos, all big and muscly, singing and dancing. Good for him, though. Good song choice. He did a decent job. Most effort I've seen him give. He seemed like he cared somewhat which is a marked improvement from previous performances. I never heard him say "thank you" when the judges praised him. He comes off as arrogant. I don't like that. Still, one of the best performances of the night. Hope he can find some humility because the audience will pull away if he doesn't. John Park - "Gravity" (John Mayer) I feel bad for this guy. For an Asian guy, he's really being quite emotive. It's just not in the culture to really express. I have first hand experience with that. He has a nice voice and he did so much better this week, but like Randy said, there's just nothing special there. He needs to enunciate more and he has to shed what holds him together and let loose, but he's not capable of it at this point in his life. He may hang in there as I'm sure all Korean AI fans are voting for the guy. We'll see. Casey James - "I Don't Want to Be" (Gavin DeGraw) If Casey James had watched Bo Bice sing this song, he probably wouldn't have attempted it. Bo knocked the socks off it. Casey played his guitar well, but vocally, it was eh. He likes to cut off the ending of his words - part of it is him pulling away from the mic before he finishes the consonant, but he's being lazy vocally and it bugs me. He'll stick around though. He has plenty of fans. Alex Lambert - "Everybody Knows" (John Legend) I am one of those rooting for mullet boy. He seems like a very likable fellow and he has a very nice tonal quality to his voice. He made the song his own and he did a commendable job. Was it outstanding and amazing? No, but he did well and he'll probably survive for awhile. He has a huge likability factor going for him. Todrick Hall - "What's Love Got to Do with It" (Tina Turner) Oh, I just want this guy to sing a song instead of worrying about putting a spin on it. He's creative and talented and charismatic, great - but I want to hear him sing a nice package of a song instead of a disjointed rendition of a song we know. He's lost right now and I hope he finds his way. I think he has a lot to offer this season if he can just get his feet under him. Jermaine Sellers - "What's Going On" (Marvin Gaye) If anyone saw Mike Huckabee's band do this on his show this week, you know they won hands down. The newscaster sang this better than Jermaine by a landslide. Jermaine is pitchy and just trying way too hard. The screeching is horrible. He's trying to show off his upper register, but it's just plain awful. Came off as a bad cruise ship singer. I would be happy to see him go. Andrew Garcia - "You Give Me Something" (James Morrison) I think "Straight Up" on Hollywood week was his kiss of death. Yes, we took notice and he's on the show, but everything he does gets compared to his very awesome rendition of Paula's lame 80's pop song. He looked uncomfortable and, honestly, a bit like a bad female impersonator. Between the scarf, hair-do and the glasses, not seeing his eyes, he's kind of creeping me out. He needs his guitar and he needs to do his thing and not try so hard. He was pitchy and just not comfortable in his skin which made me uncomfortable watching him. I hope he pulls it together soon because I'm worried for him. Aaron Kelly - "My Girl" (The Temptations) Every season there's some young (albeit talented beyond their years) boy that the judges ooo and aaah over. Aaron's vibrato is like Stevie Nicks on speed. It's diabolical as far as vibratos go. He has Mariah Carey disease too where he can't hold out a note (probably because of his insane and uncontrollable vibrato which has to do with improper breathing and support) and throws in unnecessary runs and melismas where there shouldn't be any. His falsetto was off and he just bugs the crap out of me, but I know he'll stick around for weeks to come. He has the young female fan vote and probably the grandparent vote too. The boy needs a vocal coach! Tim Urban - "Come On Get Higher" (Matt Nathanson) Bobby Brady was better this week. I like him with his guitar - he doesn't look as awkward with it, but he still has no charisma or stage presence. He sounded ok, but pitchy in spots, but so much of an improvement over last week. He's another one where the fans are rooting for him because he seems like a nice kid, but he's way out of his league here. He does have a cool marquee-ready name however. Lee Dewyze - "Lips of an Angel" (Hinder) By far, the best vocal of the night. He had some pitchy spots, but they were forgiven for his honest delivery. He has to learn some stage etiquette (uh, don't hike your pants up during a performance - especially a serious performance), but he has promise. In a season of oh-so-slim pickings, he's my fav guy. Gals: Crystal Bowersox - "Long As I Can See The Light" (CCR) I said it right before Randy did - she's not trying to be anybody. I love that about her. She is who she is and she gives a genuine, heartfelt performance consistently. The quality of her voice is nice - from gritty to pulled back, soft and tender. Very reminiscent of Janis Joplin. Oh, and Simon "misunderestimated" is not a word. Although George W. Bush once said it, it really isn't a proper American/English word! It's like "irregardless" - makes no sense whatsoever. Haeley Vaughn - "The Climb" (Miley Cyrus) Lispy wind-up doll. So, so pitchy in her low end. She needs to work on blending middle voice to head voice. She can only hit her high notes by yodeling them and she has to learn to cover her tone so it's not so offensive to the ear. I feel like she's yelling at me everytime she goes for a high note. Still, she smiles so sweetly and you can't help buy like her, but she needs some practice - another year or two. Lacey Brown - "Kiss Me" (Sixpence None the Richer) She has a great look. Beautiful eyes, cool hair. She sang her song well, but eh. Boring. Nothing exciting or different or new. Nothing unexpected. Just blah. I felt like I was listening to a good karaoke host opening her show. I wonder if she likes country. Her voice would probably sound good in a country song. Maybe "Happy Girl" by Martina McBride. It would work well for her voice (if she can belt it out) and her personality. I like her, but I want her to wow me. Katie Stevens - "Put Your Records On" (Corinne Bailey Rae) This girl bugs me. Her voice doesn't match her personality or face so I have a hard time believing her when she's singing. She has a nice voice. Exceptional for her age, but it just doesn't make me sit up and pay attention. Her high note was off and she looked weird on stage - like she was trying to be someone she's not. She has promise, but she has to find herself first. Didi Benami - "Lean on Me" (Bill Withers) This girl is so likable, but she can't pick songs outside of Hollywood week to save her life. She was horrible. All screechy and offensive. Her high notes were yelled and were like nails across a chalkboard for me. She takes the jazz voice approach to singing to her high notes which comes out as yelling when she really needs to cover her tone and properly place the note before belting it out. Awful song choice. Just showcased all her weaknesses beautifully. I am rooting for her, but with what she's done so far, I don't have much hope for her. Michelle Delamor - "With Arms Wide Open" (Creed) I didn't like the outfit. Am I the only one? I don't like the jeans-under-a-dress look. Sorry Vera. I know the designer dressed her and all, but I didn't like it. She did look quite a bit "nicer" than the others, but it just wasn't a style I like. Now, if only she could get someone to help her with her vocals. I was worried when I heard she was singing this Creed song and there were parts that were good - that she could pull off as a new rendition of the song, but then the other parts just highlighted that she doesn't have a chest voice and although she wants to be a belting diva, she doesn't have the voice for it. Right now, her belt is a sad, sad attempt that comes out as thin and weak. She's belting in her head voice with no real support or low end to it. She was pitchy and she needs to stop scrunching her face when she sings. In a season with interesting, earthier, instrument-playing indie artists, I'm not sure how well she'll fare plus her personality isn't that engaging in the interviews. She needs to show us more personality. Lilly Scott - "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke) I'm so glad someone worked with her on looking into the camera. She still needs work on it, but it was an improvement. She's a face scruncher too. She kind of reminds me of Joan Jett. She has this cool rocker chick vibe to her. When she's singing, I do sit up and pay attention. She was very, very good. Katelyn Epperly - "The Scientist" (Coldplay) This girl may be our dark horse. She needs a serious makeover (please, eyebrows first), but she has potential. Her voice is really good and she's likable enough, but right now she comes off as a waitress at Denny's or the girl behind the counter at Kohl's. She has the Kris Allen factor, but then again he won AI last year. I'm just not getting any star vibe from her. I don't believe her as a recording artist. I like that she chose to play the piano. She was pitchy in spots, but did a good job. She needs to finish her consonants , i.e. "star...t", but those are the only real vocal complaints I have. She needs to let her hair down, literally, and not wear one of those stupid bows. She looked like she was on vacation in Mexico, having dinner with her parents in the hotel restaurant. Wrong outfit. I want to see this girl have some glamour or at least a real look - even if she went back to the organic look Kara was talking about last week, that's fine - just give me a look. Paige Miles - "Walk Away" (Kelly Clarkson) Her voice was too heavy for this song and Kara is right, she smiled through the chorus when she shouldn't have. A smiley sneer would have been better, but she was smiling like she was singing a happy song which wasn't right. She reminds me of Kimberly Locke from the Ruben/Clay season. She has a very good voice, but she has to think really hard about what songs she picks. I'm afraid she's getting lost in the shuffle of more interesting contestants. Siobhan Magnus - "Think" (Aretha Franklin) Definitely a "funny little thing" she is. I heard her uncle was in the 80's Christian rock band, Stryper. I actually like her more now that I know she had a mohawk. She's different and quirky and unique and that will help her. I don't know if she's inhaling something toxic while blowing glass, but she seems a bit off. Like she's in a different stratosphere than the rest of us. I think she needs to figure out what kind of artist she's going to be first because now I've seen her do two totally different songs and I don't have a sense of who she is as a singer. I, personally, didn't like the high note that Randy gawked over. It was a bit screechy. Impressive she hit it and it was surprising, but it could have been done a little better. Just saying. So, there you have it. I have no idea who is going to go home this week. America does some strange things. I would like Jermaine and John and then Didi and Katie to go, but I would be surprised if that happened. |
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jgat 6 months ago |
I like reading your reviews, thanks for taking the time to write them up. I always thought I had a good grasp on who the judges will like/dislike after they sing. I was really surprised how much they/you didn't like Didi's performance though. After her song was over I moved her up a few notches on my picks, and then the judges proceeded to knock her and make me feel like a jackass. I just have a feeling that she can make the top 7 or so if she can just find the right songs. Definitely agree on Siobhan though. I was really surprised at how much love she got from the judges.
Overall I thought there was improvement across the board. That isn't saying a ton because last week was so bad. Hopefully they continue to improve. I think its John, Jermaine, Haley, and Lacey heading home. I hope Lacey gets another chance though. |
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msmariekg 6 months ago |
Well, thank you for saying something! I was beginning to wonder if anyone cared.
Oh please don't feel like a jackass! :-) Didi is a very likable person and that makes up for a lot. On an unprofessional level, she did a pretty okay job of her song, but on a professional level, not so much. I think we get attached to the contestants and start judging them against themselves rather than against artists with staying power. At this point, based on what we've seen, the only ones that stand a chance are Michael, Lee, maybe Todrick for the guys and then Crystal and Lilly for the girls. But there are others with potential and hopefully we will see growth and improvement over the weeks. Many of these kids have no real performance experience. Just not a stellar season so far. |
charch 6 months ago |
Great job, Marie. Good read, and you're mostly right. |
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jgat 6 months ago |
I like seeing the raw talent come out of people over the course of the first several weeks. IMO people like Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry were almost too good to be in the competition because they were already so polished and confident.
I was telling a friend last night that even though I really like Lilly and Crystal and think their individuality is great and their talent level is very high, it worries me a little bit that toward the end of the show they will lose their edge, especially if a few contestants emerge with a more current vibe about them. I just don't see either of those two winning over the younger generation (who I am sure do the majority of the voting). I think that if Alex can show a little more personality and energy during his performances he could go a long way. He just seems a little disinterested, but his voice and look are both really original. |
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msmariekg 6 months ago |
"mostly" right? Ha, thanks Charch!
I know what you mean about some being too polished. I worry too about Lilly and Crystal as the weeks go by. I don't see them developing a great deal more than they have already whereas someone like Alex could go far if he got on the right track - and seeing that progression is fun - remember Clay Aiken? He had a great voice to begin with, but he was awfully goofy looking at first. So progression in image as well as technicality and performance is something we all want to see. I guess that's what makes this seemingly dull season potentially great if we get some people inspired to win. |
rudy 6 months ago |
Clay Aiken no doubt had a goofey look. The one thing that didn't change was his voice. He was the clear winner from the start. Ruben who?
I actually think a good strategy for Andrew Garcia would be for him to sing "Straight Up" again next week. People keep bringing it up so just sing it again, get the votes and start over in the top 12. Paige Miles made some kind of impression on Simon for him to rub on his nipple like that. Marie, your reviews are great! ...mostly ;-) |
TwinsRube 6 months ago |
@JGAT: great take on Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry - it's truly like they didn't belong, they were TOO good for the group. And of course, we've seen (and will see) how well they're doing. Don't think for a second that they were both thrilled NOT to win - frees them up a lot quicker to do their own thing. |
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TwinsRube 6 months ago |
Or don't think they were NOT thrilled... looks like I twisted myself right smartly into a damn double negative!!! |
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