I won't say his performance was perfect by any stretch or that it was not somewhat over the top. After all the kid is a kid and a rank amateur at this point.
However, he was auditioning to demonstrate what he is capable of, and he put everything into doing that and the results were eye opening and demonstrated his huge potential.
Like I said, I can't wait to see where he goes from here.
It also appeared to me that the lyrical content of teh song he sang had to be a big part of his motivation while performing and his reaction afterwards.
I need to get my son to read the lyrics to GBTC.
Interesting stuff. |
Edorr,
Nicely stated!
I tend to agree with your assessment. |
"If he pulls the same vocal stunts singing yellow submarine on Beatles night, you'll be proven right"
That would be pretty funny!
How dare he show up Ringo!
I hope he doesn't also though. |
Well, Jacob made it through last night!
He was advised prior to performing this week by his "coaches" to hold back a bit this week, and he did, but the judges advised him afterwards to essentially be himself and don't hold back, which I suspect is good advice.
Randy also called his performance of GBTC the best ever on Idol! High praise whether true or not.
It seems pretty much everybody who made it through is quite talented and can really sing this year, inclduing a few who did not make it through already.
I'm very psyched for Idol this year at this point.
I think the new judges are coming off quite well also.
JL has mostly been an asset. Randy seems to be stepping up his game to help fill the shoes of Simon as the senior judge on the panel.
And Steven Tyler adds a new element that was missing prior. He seems to genuinely appreciate the talent and good performances when he hears it. He also comes across very well as a insightful and compassionate judge with just enough "rock star" flavor to perhaps attract some new viewers. He is presenting himself quite excellently in this role IMHO!
We'll see.... |
Schipo,
That's pretty harsh.
Didn't realize there had to be guidelines to ensure singers sing a certain way.
BTW, I agree about the worthless and needless vocal gyrations that many singers are enamored with these days.
It's all in the artistry, heart and soul. Some singers just go through the gyrations and some sing with heartfelt meaning. Big difference! |
"We have all been told not to judge and to except this bad sounding so called heartfelt artistry"
Aha, so that's what those voices in my head must have been saying!
Sinatra had a great voice and was magic when he was on but frankly produced a lot of pretty boring and frivolous material as well IMHO.
Go figure? |
You mean Thia Megia?
Yes, that young girl has the voice and demeanor of an angel, both stunning and pitch perfect.
I like Pia Toscano and several others as well. |
"That beard with teeth gets on my nerves...his vocals annoy me."
Paul was my pick to exit yesterday.
Oh well.
Now I have to look at that instead of Pia! |
Most of the remaining singers have some real and marketable talent I think.
I think I read this year they are steering more towards providing the singers the professional constructive guidance and other assistance they need as amateurs at this stage of their career and steering away from the judges and random celebs, like Miley Cyrus as coach last year, having major influence, which was ridiculous.
Last night, each performer rehearsed with professional record producers from Interscope records, I believe, which made more sense at this phase than offering up someone like Peter Noone for example as a "coach".
Still, I think ST and JL in particular can offer up some more constructive criticism than has been on display so far. Maybe they will settle into that role better as they acclimate themselves to the new role. We'll see.... |
Casey is perhaps the best overall performer/entertainer but does he have the "it" factor to make it big and not become Taylor Hicks (who I never really got) part II?
Thia has my favorite voice to listen to and excellent poise for 16 years old, but she may be a few years away from having the total package needed to go over well as the AI.
Jacob I think has unique raw talent and potential if harnessed properly by the right people.
Pia is a likable hottie with a great name, definitely can sing till the rafters come loose, and has the "it" factor. Fergie, move on over....
Haley may also have the "it" factor needed to make it big in modern pop music. As you can see, I am always partial to the girls when it comes to these things....
Naima also has the "it" actor to perhaps make it big, but needs some polish.
Scotty has what it takes for a nice career in country music I would say.
James Durbin has potential....
The rest I am less sold on as future stars though they all have talent and can sing. |
OK, with the lovely Pia now gone, Jacob in the bottom three for the first time, and based on observing the reactions of my wife and daughter, who probably are fairly representative of the Idol voting demographic a lot more than me, I am now predicting either Scotty or James as the next AI. The girls are dropping like flies.
BTW, all 10 finalists that will be on tour this year are really quite talented. maybe I will break down and go with my wife this year if she goes. |
I think Scotty has the biggest upside in terms of earning potential. He's talented and hard not to like.
James is similar but has more of an edge (yikes!). On Idol, that may well work against him eventually when push comes to shove.
BTW, I really liked Jame's take this week on "While My Guitar Gentrly Weeps". He is winning me over. Bravo!
PEople who long for the golden days of variety shows with live musical performances should take a few pills for their Idol allergies if they have them and give it a try the rest of this year. There really have not been any really bad performances all year by the finalists and most have been consistently quite good! Good stuff really, if your medication can help you deal with all the commercialism.
Hell, Ed Sullivan was pretty commercial in his day as well. Things have just evolved further down that road, for better or for worse.
Its nice to see true talent be discovered and evolve, even if it is done in a media circus like AI. Good for the contestants that tehy found a way to be discovered and have a career doing something that they are good at and that at least some people will appreciate! |
Criticism is not Steven Tyler's strong suite. He is entertaining though and seems to really appreciate talent.
Hey, Aerosmith is not the pinnacle of modern music after all and Tyler may not be the one to be giving others advice and knows it.
J' Lo has offered some good constructive criticism this year to help fill the Simon void in that aspect. I've been impressed with her overall.
Pia was probably too classy and laid back to win out on Idol despite being one of the most talented singers overall and drop dead gorgeous to boot. I'd pay to hear her sing though perhaps! I predict a nice career in show biz somewhere for Pia. She just may not fit the American Idol mold. Oh well.... |
Tonight may be the end for Jacob.
I see him, paul and Casey in the bottom three.
Paul would be my pick to go.
james, Casey or Scottie are my current picks to win though I doubt casey has a chance.
Srephano is not my cup of tea but gotta admit he has come on strong of late.
lauren and haley are both good but I don't see either winning unless the really pour it on from here out. |
Well, it's getting down to the nitty gritty.
Jacob never matched his version of GBTC during the early tryouts for me. Though I think he has a lot of potential especially if he develops as an entertainer as much as a pure singer, I had no qualms about him going last week.
Lady Gaga is a trip! Sho is so far out there but seems to know of what she speaks. She definitely helped the remaining 4 up their game from a performance perspective last night.
My favorite performances was Haley's I (Who Have Nothing) and Jame's Love Potion #9 (which was 200% over with my wife as well).
I also really like Scotty for what he is and think he is the most "ready" for stardom.
Lauren is probably the one who fits the Idol mold best and is a lovely performer and fine singer, but I'm not sure about the "it" factor.
Definitely a talented and also quite young group of finalists in what has been a very solid and entertaining year for Idol.
|
country music is not my favorite cup of tea but i do like scotty as a perfect fit for the mold. |
scotty is so sqeaky clean, he makes john boy look like eminem. |
Artistically, Haley is in the zone I relate to best but practically I think she will have a tough time beating out the other two who are more mainstream. We'll see...
I enjoyed all the performances last night and think all three are worthy of stardom. |
Haley is a fighter and is the remaining one who has improved the most during the season.
Kelly Clarkson is the only Idol winner I have taken to to any great degree over the years and Haley is not too far removed from KC.
I will not object to whoever wins this year though which is a change from most years past. |
How about Haley throw caution to the wind if she makes it to next week and do Clarkson's "My Life Would S--- Without You".
I bet she would kill it! |
I'm not ready to write of long time commercial success for any of these three quite yet.
Scotty may be the perfect storm in terms of name recognition (resulting from "Idol"), talent, niche, and commercial appeal for the country music genre. And he's only what, 16?, for God's sake.
I could see Lauren achieving Carrie Underwood level success, which is nothing to sneeze at.
I might very well buy a Haley album or at least download a few cuts when it comes out. |
Sheesh, Lauren really got to lay it on thick to close yesterday's show with that song about mothers (the GOOD kind).
I thought Scotty had it locked up with the Idol demographic, but maybe not now.... |
I thought Tyler's comment about Lauren winning a round because she was prettier was hilarious but also quite insightful perhaps in that it really is mostly a popularity contest at this point more so than who is better or the best.
Or as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson would say in his infinite wisdom:
"It doesn't matter who the best singer is!" |
Scotty Too Hotty, warp 10......NOW! |
"content that makes it difficult to watch for 20 and ups"
Not so much for women or even men with wives and kids.
I probably would not watch if not for them, but I enjoy watching it with them. Its one of the only shows we all sit down and watch together. |
I think the show did a better job overall coaching the rookie contestants in a more consistent manner week to week that yielded better results in the end, ie a large group of talented rookie singers delivering at a pretty high and consistent level towards the end. That as opposed to changing coaches week to week and stronger but diverging and often conflicting comments from the judges confusing things more. Yes, the judges were fairly easy this year and seemed satisfied with some lesser performances, but I think constructive criticism and its net effects were at a max for idol this year, and that is a good thing, regardless of the genre or specific appeal of the individual performers. Each performer was mostly coached and lead in a direction that elicited progress. That's the way these kinds of things are supposed to work.
PLus I found the judges entertaining for the most part, which under this new formula this year, woudl seem to be their main purpose, ie do your thing, be entertaining, and do your part to get more people to watch accordingly.
Plus I think all the judges, even Tyler, helped the contestants more this way by picking their opportunities for constructive criticism more carefully to add value. There was little negative criticism this year, and when it did come about it was not well received, which is how it should be. |
Also I gotta mention that I thought Haley's duet with Tony Bennett was one of the high points of the grand finale for me. That came off extremely well, the older legendary crooner and the hot young bluesy siren interacting beautifully in perfect harmony. Really good stuff! |
