American Idol 2006--Live Thread I

hey jonny! Had to miss last night's thread because I had date night with my 4 year old. Enjoyed reading all the comments from last night.

5 words- chicken and a door knob! ROFLMAO!

Yeah, mine were just random (as they came to mind). I think Katherine has the best voice and parts of her song were really, really good. But she oversang a lot of it.

OK folks, how shall I title this episode ?

Remember the title of the song -- THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME ?

Well My personal title would be ( with apologies to the song-writer ) --- THE SONGS REMAIN LAME.

What an underwhelming night. Seriously folks -- THIS IS THE NIGHT TO SHINE. You are not limited and neutered by one of them silly themes ( e.g. songs by P. Diddy ( just kidding folks ) ) and you can CHOOSE SONGS TO PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS. If you can't choose the right one to highlight your abilities and vocal prowess, how the heck are you going survive the theme nights when you are forced to sing DISCO ? ( come to think of it, someone DID choose to sing a Disco tune tonite. More about that later ).

But let's get on with the contestants......

Katharine Mcphee is rooming w/ Kellie Pickler & they like to goof off. She sang ‘Alls’ Fair in Love’. I hated it. HATE, HATE, HATE. I've heard Stevie Wonder performed N number of times on this show and 99% of the performances DID NOT MEET THE STANDARD. ONE PLEASANT EXCPETION ---- ELIOTT YAMIN LAST WEEK ( yep, the Amish farmer look-alike with the bad dentures ), who absolutely did Stevie proud with his version of IF YOU LOVE ME.

Remember the talented David Robinson last season ? This song - ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE -- yep, the very same one that Katie sang, was his undoing and turned out to be his swan song. Many a singer have fallen by the wayside because of their attempt to mimic the great Stevie Wonder.

So how to put it ? Everything about Katharine tonight was bad. POOR SONG CHOICE, POOR STAGE PRESENCE, JUST POOR EVERYTHING. Remember the rumor that she was leaving the show ? Well after this performance I am beginning to think she's throwing the game away. I mean what the heck was she thinking ? She was my favorite female to take the lead and here she is UNDERWHELMING US with this lame performance. Not even her delicate cascading long dark hair could protect her from a timid and almost FORCED sounding performance. It's as if someone put a gun to her head and told her to sing this song OR ELSE ....

Randy said it was a safe choice & wasn’t her best. It was just ok. Paula said she moves her but the song choice didn’t connect. Simon said this show is more than just singing. This wasn’t her best night by a mile. Katharine said she thought it was a bad song choice too when she was rehearsing but once you pick it you have to go wit i it. FIRE THE ADVISER KATIE AND HIRE ME !!!

At this point I am beginning to change my mind about Katie. She owned two of the best pre top 24 performances in American Idol history. Her auditions where she sang GOD BLESS THE CHILD and I KNOW I'LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN were MAGICAL. What's happened since ? Did she have a falling out with her mom ? Her boyfriend ? This was absolutely LACKLUSTER.

BTW, I still haven't heard Kate perform an up-tempo song that highlights her FUN personality. CAN SHE DO IT ? Or like Dennis Rodman limited to Rebounding and Defense in basketball, she can only do powerful melismatic ballads ?

Kinnik Sky is from the country & wants to represent. So she is wearing one of the worst outfits I have seen. Camouflage Capri pants w/ a drawstring at the knees & then cowboy boots. Just bad ( my wife smacks me for saying that and tells me -- WHAT DO YOU KNOW ? IF I DON'T BUY YOUR CLOTHES FOR YOU, YOU'D LOOK LIKE A HOBO. I keep quiet about outfits from then on)

She sang "Here for the Party". Well that was as Randy would say --- just AI'GHT.

Randy said he enjoys her energy & liked that song but it doesn’t have enough melody for her. Paula said she has to pick songs to show her amazing range & take risks. Simon said she attempts to stand out but he expects to see that kind of performance at Disneyland.

People -- For whatever FOX did, Kinnik is one of those who never had time to establish a fan base because of limited audition exposure. She needed to impress in a hurry. I'm not sure of this performance did it. You can't complain about her though. ELIOTT YAMIN had little exposure ( with less impressive looks at that ) but still did us proud.

Lisa Tucker was in the ‘Lion King’ when she was 10 for a year but this stage still made her nervous. She sang ‘Who’s Lovin’ you’. What is up with tonight? I am not liking it at all. She ended it nicely though. She's safe and will go to the top 12. But folks --- THIS IS FORGETABLE ( you'll hear me repeat this word again and again, I promise ).

Randy said the song choice didn’t show her off. Paula disagreed & said she forgets she is 16 cuz she is an amazing performer. Paula yaps on & on. Do you ever notice that she is the judge that talks the most but says the least ? Simon said he doesn’t want her to be a young girl trying to be older by singing grown up songs. But he thinks she will sail through tonight.

Melissa Mcghee sang ‘Why Haven’t I Heard From You’ ( yeah, Good old Red State, Reba Mcintyre, that'll endear her to everyone from Dixie ). OK, this is not bad at all, but not memorable either. So far the best of the lot. Florida beach baby Melissa swizzles like a cold steak slapped on a red hot grill. Her voice and sultry looks might take another round in the contest. Does anyone, beside me, think she has Elvis’s eyes? Melissa seems to have the same style as another (more good looking) girl we might have forgotten -- Lindsay Cardinale.

Randy said the song fit her & her smokey voice returned. He thought it was hot. Paula said she came out of her shell w/ her unique voice. Simon said he doesn’t know what the problem is w/ her. He loves her voice but she doesn’t connect w/ the audience. Paula was her usual annoying self & wouldn’t let Simon speak & kept interrupting & hitting him. Simon said she is like a precocious child. I think it is more like a drugged up teenager. Paula got up & switched seats w/ Randy coz she didn’t want to be by Simon anymore. Whatever. Simon continued saying Melissa has to wow them coz no one will remember that song. Well for that matter NO ONE WILL REMEMBER ANYONE WHO PERFORMED SO FAR.

Heather Cox chooses Mariah Cary's ‘Hero’. Why ? Simple reason --- NO ONE HAS EVER SANG IT IN AMERICAN IDOL BEFORE.
Big mistake. Huge Mistake. GOOD SONG CHOICE THOUGH. IF YOU CAN TACKLE IT. You cannot do Mariah if you can’t at least do it justice. I am sure you can’t do it better than her, but at least be somewhat good.

Well how shall I put it gently --- THIS IS NOT IT. Snake charmer Heather’s voice was like a soggy discarded tissue. Lacking any stage presence, she just stood there. Maybe she thought that her blue eyes, blond hair, and nice figure would wow us. It didn’t and she doesn’t. It takes more than a pretty face to wow us baby ( ask Becky O' Donahue for instance ).

The guys in the competition have got to be loving it at this point. NOT ONE OF THE GIRLS IS GIVING THEM ANY SERIOUS COMPETITION.

Paula said it was a risk because no one is hotter right now than Mariah ( AKA Mimi ). Randy said she looks great & then name-dropped that he worked w/ Mariah & Heather paled in comparison. Simon said that was like the warm up before a horrid pageant. He said it is pointless if you aren’t as good as the original. My point exactly.

OK, we've got 5 ladies so far, WHAT's GOING ON ?( as Marvin Gaye would say ). We've been UNDERWHELMED and I'm beginning to YAWN.

Catty Brenna Gethers tries to do the DISCO classic by Donna Summers ----> ‘Last Dance’. How to describe in one word ?

DREADFUL. And also, her posing is so annoying. Paula said she didn’t see the magic. Brenna said she thought it was wonderful & that America loved it & it will reflect in the votes. I think she means VotefortheWorst.com.

Randy said Brenna & Simon are alike. He said vocally it was pitchy & not inspired. Simon said she murdered the song & thinks it may be the last time we see her ( last time for the last dance ??? ). Brenna said she knows there are people behind her. With hand on her thrust hip, Brenna the great ego lost her edge tonight. What happened to her attitude? Maybe she has been posing for too many photos instead of practicing. Brenna, this song is perfect for you. THIS MIGHT BE YOUR LAST DANCE.

Paris Bennett reminds me of Dr. Bailey {Va-Jay-Jay} on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. It’s the round face & the smile I think. OK, girl, what about some Billie Holiday ? I MEAN, PLEASE -- SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING NEVER PERFORMED BEFORE. Is she listening ? IN A WORD --- NO !!! ( Hey Ann, are you advising your grandkid ?)

Paris sang the Bette Midler standard ----> ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ ( which has been performed many times before and is a staple in ANY KARAOKE bar in the country ). WHY WHY WHY THIS SONG Paris !!!! Sheeesh !

OK, I liked it but there is something about the performance I didn’t like. The contrived arm waving or something. I don’t know. But it does not say much if this is the best of the night so far for me. THE BEST STILL ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH. Petite Paris started flat, worked a great recovery, but ended empty. Her singing was boring as toasted white bread. The tragedy is I know she can do so much better. Maybe she has been hanging out with Brenna too long?

Paula said she is am amazing performer but wanted to remind her to celebrate her youth. Randy said she reminds him of a young Lauryn Hill coz she doesn’t ever have to play it safe & that song was too old for her. Simon said she has to avoid being 17 trying to sound 50.

Ayla Brown is a tomboy & has had to learn about makeup for the show ( and can I tell you she stands about a head above ANYONE in the show ?).

She sang ‘I Want You To Need Me ( what a chore to tackle Celine Dione ). Not the best of the night but I would say she is probably the best so far out of this sorry lot. The thing that Ayla reminds me of is one of these Korean/Chinese children in Flushing, whose parents push them to excel NO MATTER WHAT. They can't lose, they've gotta be better than the other kid and the parents push the poor kid to a point where the kid doesn;t have time to lie down and stare at a tree to admire nature anymore. If their neighbor's kid is playing the violin, their kid's gotta play the violin too. If their neighbor's kid is going to cram school to get a perfect SAT or REGENT score, guess what, that's where their sending their kids !!!!

And so Ayla sings and performs this as if her medal dreams depended on it and she sings it well ( as any figure skater would when peforming ).

Paula said she can tell Ayla wants this really bad. She was pleasantly surprised by her tonight & thought it was the right song for her range. Randy loves her backstory & was surprised by her too. It was the right song & he liked it. Simon said he thinks she has gotten A’s in everything. Ayla disagreed, she said she originally got C's in her grades. Simon got her to finally say that eventually she got all A’s & that is what he meant. He thinks she works harder than anyone else but sometimes you want rawness & for it not to be mechanical.

Well as I said, Ayla is taking this competition like a basketball game, she's gonna kill the other team and she practices 5 hours to get it right. Ayla the amateur athlete is now playing in the pros. Her voice was right on, her stage command was right on, and she is finding her dreams while entertaining us.
But do you guys really want someone to think of this competition the way Michelle Kwan thinks of the Olympics ? WHAT ABOUT HAVING FUN ? WHAT ABOUT JUST ENJOYING IT ? This poor girl is being pushed to stardom by her demanding parents and I can feel it. She ought to move to South Korea or Singapore.

Kellie Pickler sang ‘Something to Talk About’. Oy! That was the coming out song of Fantasia. Do you notice the difference between the Manor born Ayla and the girl who was born on the wrong side of the track --- Kellie ? It's like the prince and the pauper. Ayla's voice is TRAINED and PRACTICED due to able vocal coaching. Kellie on the other hand is RAW and NATURAL. Ayla does not have it naturally but did well because of SHEER WILL POWER TO DO WELL. As for Kellie, she was simply born with it. She has a naturally nice, UNTRAINED voice. And notice the difference between Kellie and Ayla. Kellie IS HAVING FUN. NOT FORCING IT. She gives the impression of enjoying the performance instead of COMPETING AND SMASHING THE COMPETITION.

Natural country gal Kelly snaps my fingers, claps my hands, and makes me feel good. She has such incredible natural talent. She continues to make her grandpa proud. Keep on singing, Kelly. You are what makes American Idol such a success and a joy to watch ( and cut down on the hard luck story already. WE GET YOUR POINT ).

Paula said she can’t get any cuter & thought it was a good song. Randy said she is a hot one. He loved it & thought it was the right song. He liked it a lot. Simon said you just can’t help but like her. If he just heard the song & didn’t know her he would say it wasn’t the best vocal & was rough around the edges. But she is cute & likable. THAT's WHAT IT's ALL ABOUT FOLKS,

Now to my favorite lady who put Simon in his place with grace and dignity ..... Mandissa Hundley (or as she would like to be known from now on -- just MANDISA ).

Her video clip was her playing a joke on Ryan at early auditions saying she has dog jaw & when he goes to touch it she barks & goes to bite him.

Mandisa closed the night w/ ‘Cry ( a tribute to her Nashville home )’. Now this was the BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT. The comfortable full range professional voice of Mandisa does not disappoint. I am amazed that she is not already on some recording label.

BTW, NOTE TO CARRIE UNDERWOOD --- Look what you've done girl --- you started this country trend and now every girl wants to sing country, even the black ladies.

AND OH NEWS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T HEARD -- Carrie Underwood is coming back on Results night to perform her near triple platinum hit which is still charting on the billboards --- JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL.

Paula said she is one of a kind & needed in the competition. She thinks she takes songs she wouldn’t normally sing & puts her own flavor on it. Then she was patronizing & said she has a beautiful face. Randy said the verse was rough & she started shaky & couldn’t find the pitch. He wasn’t thrilled w/ the song choice. Simon said America will keep her around & thinks when she is on there isn’t any female better in the competition.

LET's SUMMARIZE --- THIS WAS A BAD NIGHT. POOR SONG CHOICE, RESULTING IN LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES.

What a bad night. So I guess I would say Paris & Ayla were the best. The worst? Everyone else. I guess I would say Kinnik will go for sure. I guess maybe Melissa will be the other since she wasn’t spotlighted in the auditions.

MY RANKINGS FROM BEST TO WORST

Mandisa
Kellie
Ayla
Paris
Melissa
Lisa
Kinnik
Katharine
Heather
Brenna

WHO SHOULD GO -- Heather and Brenna
WHO WILL GO --- Heather and Kinnik ( don't underestimate the New York vote for catty Brenna. Remember, the New Yorkers put John Stevens DEEEP into the finals ).

Bring on the men. One spoiler --- I hear that Mr. "Gray" Charles ( that's Taylor Hicks for those who don't know ) has chosen to perform Ray Charles' "I've Got a Woman". SHOULD BE FUN TO WATCH.

I thought she was better than last week.

Maybe she was, but I think the only reason she sounded better was because all but one other girl tried to do a power ballad. I don't know who the other one was who did an up-tempo song, but she was awful too.

Trust me -- I if you had just heard Pickler's performance and not seen it, you would agree she was off key and flat throughout most of the song. I would be truly shocked if Pickler went all the way. She'll probably make the top 12, but won't make it all the way unless the people who do most of the voting want a 2nd Carrie Underwood.

I didn't really like any of the girls.

I didn't either. Mandisa gets an honorable mention from me for the 2nd week in a row. I'm not a fan of modern R&B, but the girl does have a good singing voice.

If Kinnick survives another round, they are going to have to give her a gene test.<.i>

I know what you mean. She has a very husky voice. Sang absolutely terrible last night. If the voters got it right, Kinnick and Brenna the Terribe will be going home this week.

I didn't really like any of the girls.

Me three. Mandisa is the best, IMO, because I get the feeling she is just being Mandisa. All of these other girls are either doing some kind of wacky character or are completely missing personality.

I've stated it before and I'm going to state it again, something is off about The Gherkin. You don't get to be Miss Anything without carefully cultivating your image and that is what I think she is doing. Her story is horrible and something no one should have to go through, but I think the whole "Aren't I just so cute, because I am just so country?" thing is wearing thin.

She'll probably make the top 12, but won't make it all the way unless the people who do most of the voting want a 2nd Carrie Underwood.

Exactly. She would do well except her big sister just won last year. They are exact copies. AI is very predictable and formulaic but even that is over the top.

And so Ayla sings and performs this as if her medal dreams depended on it and she sings it well ( as any figure skater would when peforming ).

I get the feeling that both Ayla and McPhee are singing to please their parents. I think McPhee especially was having some sort of crisis in that direction this week -- either Mommy told her to sing that wretched song even though she never liked it herself and so she suffered through it anyway, or else she has relied on Mommy for so long that when she doesn't have her coaching her 24/7, McPhee can't manage on her own ... I don't know, I just feel like it is a Mommy problem of some kind. (I will say that McPhee's mom, the vocal coach, obviously knows how to hone a voice! But McPhee is drooping like a peony that has suddenly had its supports removed.)

Ayla is also suffering from Good Girl syndrome. I think both of them need to hire squads to tie up the parents next week and keep them far away from any TV's so that the girls can sing the way they want to and feel like it, instead of worrying about the parental units' opinions.

Barry Bonds impersonates Paula Abdul...

What a dolt!

I've stated it before and I'm going to state it again, something is off about The Gherkin.

What's off about the Gherkin is that she's a phony. She's been through pagents and other reality shows. You don't get to do all that, especially when you're under age (she's only 19 now), without some interested, caring adult(s) helping you.

She may, indeed, have had a rough early childhood, but at some point either in her pre-teens or early teens somebody was there to help her. Remember the "friends" who were with her at the AI audition? Could be her managers.

In fact, she's a marginally talented reality show reject. Funny how AI is now pimping the rejects from other reality shows.

AI is very predictable and formulaic but even that is over the top.

Agreed. They don't want someone competing head-to-head with Carrie in her niche until they've made all the bucks they can off Carrie.

They got a true international pop superstar in Kelly Clarkson, a gospel/R&B male singer in Ruben (so far the one big failure of the show's winners), a Michael Buble type in Clay, an R&B diva in Fantasia, and a Country/Christian music diva in Carrie. So what's missing from that line up?

What's off about the Gherkin is that she's a phony.

Okay, well I was trying to be nice. LMAO

I really feel like she's doing a poor impression of Carrie Underwood with a third the talent and none of the sincerity.

I really feel like she's doing a poor impression of Carrie Underwood with a third the talent and none of the sincerity.

You are exactly right, in my opinion.

mega kudos, great job..

In case you don't have the time to read SirLinksalot's most excellent review of last night's show, in post #7,523, I must point out to you all one of the all time GREATEST literary comparisons to be used, absolutely, ever.....

Speaking of Katherine McPhee's less than overwhelming effort, our humble critic wonders..."if she can perform an up-tempo song that highlights her FUN personality. CAN SHE DO IT?"

Then, in a fearless attempt to scale the Mt Everest of musical criticism, stretching the boundaries of allegory, alliteration, syllogism, and lord knows what else; going bravely when no one has yet ever ventured, our beloved critic continues..

Or like Dennis Rodman limited to Rebounding and Defense in basketball, she can only do powerful melismatic ballads?

Ladies and gentleman, I am awestruck..

So what's missing from that line up?

Big haired Glam-metal icon?

;-)

I agree with your comments. The only change would be Ayla and Kellie for me. I enjoyed Ayla's performance just a little more. But for the most part I like the men much better this year.

Folks,

FYI -- There is a website out there that purports to determine which contestant is more likely to be voted off based on a computer scan of the percentage of busy signals they're getting on their numbers.

If you want to see the results for the girls thus far, go here :

http://www.dialidol.com/asp/predictions/Predictions.asp

Then maybe we can go back and tally the same for the boys and then determine how accurate they are tis coming Thursday.

As usual, I agree with your assessments of the female singers this week. Honestly, I have heard better songs with better presentations from the summer casts at Hersheypark, PA.

Except Mandisa. She has strength and beauty and something extra--a spiritual quality.

I voted 10 times for Mandisa, and ten times for Ayla.

Heather and Brenna MUST GO!!!