Idol '08 thread

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:51 am

emmline wrote:I did not get David Cook's arrangement of Billie Jean. Very slow and weird.

You might want to listen to it another time or two. It's in three, rather than four, and in my opinion, it's absolutely brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKhhy4kLuzw

I had to go back and find a YouTube of Jackson's Billie Jean and then another one of Chris Cornell's Billie Jean (on which Cook's is based, and which I didn't know existed) before I really understood what I was hearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRZ5d9evWUg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnYo4tKBG9s

His phrasing and timing fit the feeling of the story beautifully, and what he does at the end with the extended "She said I ... " going into "Take my strong advice. Just remember to always think twice" I thought was great. Also, he's pared the lyrics down to the essential story for the short time allowed for the performance in a way that I think is very effective.
For comparison: http://www.lyrics007.com/Michael%20Jack ... yrics.html

YMMV, FWIW.

Best wishes,
Jerry

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 7:59 am

Good week overall. I enjoyed most of the performances, with Brooke, Michael, and David Cook tops.

Idol Blog reports that the David Cook arrangement of "BillieJean" was the Chris Cornell/Audioslave version.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/cont ... anta/idol/

I agree with the "subway busker" comments on Jason, and the "theme park" comments on David Archuleta. Brilliant idea by Kristi Lee to do the patriotic song, and almost sure to propel her forward given the news backdrop this week from the war. I am getting tired of the preachy songs from David A. I wonder if it is his dad advising him to choose these themes.

Bottom three: Ramiele, Chikezie, Jason. Going home: Ramiele. Chikezie sounded old fashion and that is the way to sing a ballad if you want to go home. Jason, again, lacked any sizzle or star quality. Ramiele did what she could and wasn't that bad, however, the lead off spot, or spot number two, often means going home. I'm not sure if it is because the producers put the weakest performances there, or if those are the folks they would like to see go home. Of course geographic and ethnic voting blocks can blow up any producer plans.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:04 am

David Cook was brilliant. I love Brooke and I agree that the first half of the song was really nice until the band kicked in, like she was afraid to not include the band. She needs to trust her instincts. David A is a talented singer but his choices since Imagine have been dodgy.

Carly is a pro but she lacks heart. Of course so did Carrie Underwood for much of the time until the last couple of weeks so there's time.

Poor Ramiel was apparently sick, andn they mentoned it to maybe help her with the vote but Kristy killed with the Patriotic song so Ramiels going home.

Who's going to win it all? the one with the best chace to be a star is David Cook, and if it wasn't up to voting he would win. But I'm thinking that middle of the road America prefers a safe choice like David A or Saiesha(sp?) as long as they start making better song choices.

Ronbo · Post by **Ronbo** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:56 pm

FJohnSharp wrote:David Cook was brilliant. I love Brooke and I agree that the first half of the song was really nice until the band kicked in, like she was afraid to not include the band. She needs to trust her instincts. David A is a talented singer but his choices since Imagine have been dodgy.

Carly is a pro but she lacks heart. Of course so did Carrie Underwood for much of the time until the last couple of weeks so there's time.

Poor Ramiel was apparently sick, andn they mentoned it to maybe help her with the vote but Kristy killed with the Patriotic song so Ramiels going home.

Who's going to win it all? the one with the best chace to be a star is David Cook, and if it wasn't up to voting he would win. But I'm thinking that middle of the road America prefers a safe choice like David A or Saiesha(sp?) as long as they start making better song choices.

What do you mean "America"??? Most of those votes come from twelve year old girls who vote ten thousand times each.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:36 pm

I had a gig and missed the show but listened to clips on Rickey.org today.

For those impressed by Kristy doing the patriotic song, here is the smell of the coffee. There are at least a dozen women country stars who have beautiful voices, very much under control, with a second wave of newcomers. Listening to just the clip, Kristy is barely in control of her voice, much less having any polish to her phrasing. Country music, male and female, demands a higher level of singing quality than much of pop so if you are familiar with the genre, you realize how rough she was. If this is her groove, she is doomed.

Combover really did a great job. Wow. I never thought he would make it this far, but he seems to be getting better by the week. Good for him. Let the talent rise to the top.

Carly sounded pretty strained, listening to just the clip. I could swear that her impression of greatness is imploding, which is bizarre to witness.

The Aussie kid continues to have problems with high notes and straining to reach them, yet he still has the most rocker guy charisma.

I'm beginning to think that Archuleta is being given the career path of John Davidson, another great singer who ended up singing schmaltz.

Not much to say on others. I don't think I missed much by being out last night, when its all said and done.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:16 pm

I completely agree with you Weeks.
Will refrain from commenting on the results until later.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:01 pm

Well I am no longer surprised by who is in the bottom three. Their level of vocal skill, performance/charisma and talent have little to do with it when all is said and done.

David C. put them all in the back seat once again. Great cover of Chris Cornell's version of Jacko's Billie Jean. This guy has a knack for getting it right. Everyone else was as usual. Carly surprised me in that I would have expected her to do a much better job of her tune . At least this week Ramalama picked a song I do not like, to trash , instead of one of my favorites, so that was refreshing. Kristy C picked that Lee Greenwood, flag-waving horror- I had to mute that one so I can't comment on her this week, but I can imagine....(shudder).

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:12 pm

I am not surprised at the results. It happens every year in Idol that some get to stay in much longer than their talent and charisma merits. Whether it is regional, ethnic, or the vote for the worst campaign, it has happened virtually every year, often several weeks each year.

The other comment about most of the voters being 12 year old girls, that is mostly true. However, that demographic group also buys the most CDs and downloads, so it is an accurate mirror for the music industry and Idol to use, much as it may upset the older viewers and non-voters.

On Kristy, even Paula said she has heard better versions, which Paula rarely does. That song choice got her votes, and some of the other choices would not have. I believe that if Kristy had picked one of the songs offered by the bottom three this week, she likely would have been gone, given her weak results week after week. With Dolly Parton week coming up, Kristy may be granted yet another week over more talented singers. Kristy probably won't get any kind of record deal--she just isn't that good a singer, or at least hasn't shown it yet.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:35 am

cowtime wrote: Kristy C picked that Lee Greenwood, flag-waving horror- I had to mute that one so I can't comment on her this week, but I can imagine....(shudder).

Well, I listened, wincing a bit at the juxtaposition of the lyrics and recent rumblings about further mid-East "initiatives." I was then a little bewildered by how all the judges thought she'd made "such a great song choice!"
I guess there's no accounting for opinions.
She sang it ok.

I was hoping Carly would sound better than she actually did.

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:36 am

emmline wrote:I was then a little bewildered by how all the judges thought she'd made "such a great song choice!"
I guess there's no accounting for opinions.
She sang it ok.

I think Simon's point was more the fact that it was a flag waver, and all of those patriotic people around the country would be more apt to vote for her based on the song, not her "talent". It was a brilliant move on her part....despite HOW she sang it, she was a shoe in for another week because of the song itself.
Personally, I thought she did it badly...she has a real problem with pitch which she can't seem to rectify. While many of the others are getting better from week to week, she seems to keep plodding on the road of mediocrity.

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:01 pm

I said to my wife a couple of times (before she sang it) that I thought Kristy should sing "Coat of many colors."

I had no idea that Dolly had written "I will always love you." Actually, I recognized several songs that I didn't know Dolly had written.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:04 pm

Cook. Archuleta.

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:28 pm

FJohnSharp wrote:Cook. Archuleta.

Yep and I'd add Carly.

The ones that are really good can be counted on.

Everyone else was so-so. That last one, "wanna be blues" arrangement sure didn't work for me.

I had no idea that Dolly had written "I will always love you."

Then you need to listen to her version-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZO1iT4 ... re=related

I've always thought it was much better than the more popular by Whitney Huston. and that's coming from someone who's not a dolly fan as a rule.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:58 pm

cowtime wrote:
FJohnSharp wrote:Cook. Archuleta.
Yep and I'd add Carly.

Yes. Forgot to add Carly.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:59 pm

I want to ask if David Cook really wants to win this. Wouldn't he be better off falling out at about 3 or 4 like Daughtry? Winning might be the kiss of death for him.