American Idol 2006--Live Thread (Part III)

Fox ^ | 5-8-06

[silent_jonny]

always for Tammy

[Netizen]

Taylor's time Katharine 'McPheever' may not be hot enough to stop 'Soul Patrol'

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0523idolchatter0523.html

Randy Cordova and Kathy Cano Murillo
The Arizona Republic
May. 23, 2006 12:00 AM

Eyes are still damp from last week's episode, when lovable Elliott Yamin lost on American Idol in one of the tightest races the show has ever seen. Hopefully, we haven't heard the last of Elliott - you figure his story (he's diabetic and 90 percent deaf in one ear) at least merits a TV movie. Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee face off tonight.

Kathy: Poor Elliott didn't have a chance after Katharine's sultry version of Over the Rainbow and Taylor's eye-batting delivery of You Are So Beautiful. Plus, Elliott really needed a catchphrase. Paula Abdul's "Funky White Boy" didn't have a clever zing like "Soul Patrol" or "McPheever." Randy, did you tear up when Elliott (and his mom) cried? I went through three dinner napkins myself.

Randy: When his mom started to cry during the homecoming parade, I choked up. Then when Elliott started wiping his eyes, I felt the tears coming. By the time he told his mom he loved her, I was bawling like a baby. It's a classic underdog story. It was just like Rudy, but without football or the hobbit. Elliott is such a terrific singer. I hope he doesn't disappear.
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Kathy: What breaks my heart is I know Katharine doesn't have a chance tonight. Even if she sings better than Celine Dion and Mariah Carey combined and Taylor like Bobby Bennett and Kevin Covais, Mr. Soul Patrol will still win Wednesday. Those blues fans sure know how to go in for the kill. Maybe it's all that pent-up grief and frustration.

Randy: The thing is that Taylor deserves to win. He has been remarkably consistent. Katharine veers from being good one week to a train wreck the next. And I wasn't blown away by her Over the Rainbow. Ever since Fantasia plopped down on stage and sang Summertime, it's become a surefire way to score with the judges. Simply sit on stage and sing a standard that starts quietly and builds to a big finish. Next season, someone will do Come Rain or Come Shine sitting cross-legged on the floor, just you watch.

Kathy: You know what we're in for Wednesday, right? The big, campy sing-along numbers with Kevin, Kellie Pickler, Lisa Tucker and what was that raspy girl's name again? Oh, yeah. Melissa McGhee. Funny how quickly this show makes you forget. We'll also be privy to whatever original power ballad was written for them. I hope it is not as cheesy as last year's Inside Your Heaven or Angels Brought Me Here.

Randy: It will be interesting to hear what the producers have come up with for the original song. After all, Taylor and Katharine have such different styles. Taylor is in such a different league than Katharine, in fact, I would be surprised if she gets offered a record deal from Clive Davis, a la runners-up Diana DeGarmo, Bo Bice and Clay Aiken.

FINAL WORD: Kathy is still hoping Katharine comes through in a shocker finale; Randy wants Taylor to win and thinks he will.

[Wyatt's Torch]

No to Katharine
Her singing is full of phony feeling, but not charisma
By Matthew Gilbert, Globe Staff | May 23, 2006

I must have been born with an immunity to McPheever, the bug that has carried Katharine McPhee all the way to the final round of ``American Idol." I feel absolutely no susceptibility to the artificial gleam in her eye. I have a deep resistance to her singing voice, as she bends long notes into screeches. And I will never succumb to her cutesy Broadway smiles and giggles, which she uses to compensate for what -- an inner void? Anxiety?

In short, when it comes to Katharine's lyric-forgetting, Mandisa-beating, Lesley Ann Warren-looking, stripper-bot appeal, I am unaffected, no matter how hard she tries.

And she tries. You can feel her straining for votes with each of her many bosom-shot outfits and poses. Ryan Seacrest did speak truth when, after Katharine blew ``I Have Nothing," he told her, ``For those who don't have their volume on, I'm sure you're going to get plenty of votes."

To me, Katharine McPhee should be quarantined inside a Cinderella suit at Disney World.

Yes, I know I sound cruel. But ``American Idol" is like a sports game, and trash talking is not just allowed, it's half the fun. Katharine is probably a very nice young woman -- her father, always so teary-eyed in the audience, surely feels that way. But I'm disappointed she has made it this far. There are so many Katharine McPhees already in the entertainment world, waiting in line at summer-theater auditions, good enough to song-and-dance their way into a Broadway chorus. She has none of the singular charisma that would help make the ``Idol" slot into something special.

Last year's winner -- Carrie Underwood -- was similarly generic and personality-impaired, unlike, say, Fantasia Barrino. But at least Underwood can sing. Katharine oversings, working so hard to convince us she's truly connecting to the song that she stands outside it. She seems to feign confidence and mastery instead of letting her vulnerability show.

I found her forced version of ``Over the Rainbow" terribly overrated. When she sits down on the stage, I know we're in for mugging meant to seem like emotion. Every time a guest expert praised her skills, I secretly wondered if he was being nice because he sensed her nervousness and didn't want to appear mean. Of course, all the guests this season -- including Andrea Bocelli, Rod Stewart, and Kenny Rogers -- have been middle-aged men.

The competition hasn't been severe. Aside from Elliott Yamin and Mandisa, who were the show's true underdogs, and my favorites, McPhee has gone up against a series of competitors with either too much personality (Kellie Pickler) or too little singing ability (Bucky Covington). I can't say I'm a big Taylor Hicks fan, either; most of Simon Cowell's insults to Taylor ring true. He is a whole mess of tics, but at least he projects a geeky genuineness.

Taylor doesn't inspire me to the same heights of rah-rah absurdity that I felt for Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, and Fantasia. But still, he's the one I'd like to see win this week. I can handle a case of his boogie-woogie flu.

Matthew Gilbert can be reached at gilbert@globe.com.

[Wyatt's Torch]

http://insider.tv.yahoo.com/celeb/4176/

"Taylor is doing 'Levon,' the ELTON JOHN song, STEVIE WONDER's 'Living For the City' and what will be his new single if he makes it," says executive producer KEN WARWICK. "It is a song called 'Do I Make You Proud.' Katharine will sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow,' which she was just fabulous with last week. It is probably the song that put her in the finals, to be honest. Also, 'Black Horse and Cherry Tree,' and her single is called 'My Destiny,' quite appropriate really."

Looks like Kat will be off her feet all night.....

[Netizen]

It is probably the song that put her in the finals, to be honest.

I think line congestion put her in the finals.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Someone blew up Free Republic!!!!!!

Looks like we're back up now.....

[SirLinksalot]

THE SAME OLD DEBATE WE’VE BEEN HAVING IN THIS THREAD GOES ON IN OTHER MEDIA SITES. OF COURSE, IF EITHER COMING IN SECOND OR FIRST STILL BINDS YOU TO 19E, THE POINT IS MOOT. BETTER TO WIN.

READ THIS HOWEVER ….

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http://www.foxesonidol.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl?mode=1&article=article1906.art&page=1

AMERICAN IDOL 5: WHY TAYLOR HICKS MUST NOT WIN !

by Stacey Lakowsky — 05/23/2006

Donna Reynolds recently wrote an article here about why Taylor must win. Now comes Stacey with the opposite viewpoint. But you might well be surprised to read why Stacey believes Taylor must NOT win the title of American Idol.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, my dread of Taylor actually winning American Idol 5. But until Chris was voted off two weeks ago, I wasn’t all that worried. I figured Chris still had it all wrapped up. Well, I was wrong in a big way!

Don’t get me wrong – I love Taylor. I would be entirely willing to bear his children. I’ve liked him from the beginning, first because he was different (but still good), then later because I realized exactly how good he is. “Something,” one of my favorite love songs of all time (the others are “Here There & Everywhere” and “God Only Knows”), was the clincher. I believe I melted into a gooey puddle on the floor. That hasn’t happened to me since I first heard “Pet Sounds” in its entirety. And every week now, I go gooey again. I. Love. Taylor.

I also don’t have a grudge against Donna Reynolds, who wrote the “Why Taylor MUST Win” article on which I’m basing this article. I’ve been reading and enjoying her articles since shortly after Season 2 (back when I was a tentative Claymate – I’ve since decided that raving fandom does not become me, so you won’t be hearing any “Soul Patrol” battle cries in this article). I went on vacation last week, and when I came back late Saturday night, I read her article and knew I had to write this rebuttal. These things need to be said.

It looks now like Taylor’s got the title, barring some catastrophic phone failure or a major rally of Kat fans. (Full disclosure: I’m a Kat fan, too. I have been splitting my votes up until now.) Normally, I would be excited to have my favorite contestant win Idol. This show has ripped me to shreds for three seasons now. I liked Bo, Diana, and Clay. (I didn’t start watching the first season until the top 5, so I had no “favorites” then.) I really consider Taylor and Kat to be equally my favorites, so I would be happy with either one winning. Except…

I think Taylor deserves better.

What’s better than a two-year contract with a gigantic star-making machine? For starters, things like “playing with your own band,” “writing your own songs,” and “total creative control.”

Yeah, Taylor’s had that for years. And he’s been what we politely call a working musician, which is the same thing as a starving artist. From what I have gathered from various news sources, he was doing pretty well at it – better than I would have done had I tried it. Still, it’s no mega-millions contract, and he wasn’t about to be discovered playing bars in Birmingham. He might not have been discovered playing bars in Nashville, New York, or L.A. It’s just the odds. So auditioning for Idol was a great decision. It got Taylor the one thing he actually needed: exposure on a national level.

In her article, Donna cites the exhilaration, the precursor to hysteria on the level of Beatlemania, that we get from Taylor’s performances (at least, those of us with a pulse). David Foster, I believe, said Taylor has charisma. That must be it, because I wouldn’t offer my baby-making capabilities to just anyone. Charisma is going to fill the seats and have slightly unbalanced women like myself throwing hotel keys onstage. But getting the men screaming just as loud, as the Beatles knew, takes some pretty awesome tunes.

Want to hear some pretty awesome tunes? Want to hear some music that will get you dancing and/or tear your heart out and shred it before your eyes? If it’s still available, pick up a copy of Under the Radar, Taylor’s self-distributed album from last year. He’s not supposed to be selling them according to his current contract with Idol (same reason his website is down) but I got a copy. I know from good songwriting, and this is damn good songwriting. Good recording, as well, although I have no idea how active Taylor was in the studio. At any rate, take a listen to the album and then tell me Taylor should have an Idol contract where he is forced to sing songs written by a committee.

Back to the Beatlemania: EMI, when they first signed the Beatles, wanted them to sing cover songs. Well, they’d been doing that anyway, back in the Cavern and those strip bars in Hamburg. I like “Twist and Shout.” But I like “Love Me Do” a heck of a lot better. I melted for Taylor’s version of “Something.” But “Hell of a Day” and “Heart and Soul” made me excited to be alive and able to know his music. That’s what’s going to keep me buying his CDs and concert tickets. As long as he’s writing his own songs, I’m there.

Think I’m worrying too much? I love Clay – not as much as Taylor, and not in the same way – and I was excited to get Measure of a Man. I went out and bought it the day it was released, which I never do. Popped it in the CD player… and my reaction went kind of like, “Oh, Clay sounds good, but… these songs are terrible.” Maybe I’m not really an adult contemporary fan, but I do know what good songwriting sounds like, and that wasn’t it. I do not, not, NOT want this to happen to Taylor. If avoiding the traditional Idol contract is the only way to do that, then so be it.

Need further proof that this kind of contract is dangerous for Taylor? I give you “Classic Love Songs.” It turns out “Just Once” wasn’t his first choice. It was, even to my subjective ears, lacking. It didn’t work. An unhappy Taylor turns out lackluster performances. Do we want a whole album of this? I certainly don’t!

In contrast, when Taylor picks songs he loves, he invariably does a smashing job of it. Why else would he have combed the Billboard charts until he found “Something” on a re-issue chart? (I would have done that too, I must confess – that he did it just knocked my socks off!) And when Randy picked “You Are So Beautiful” for him, you could tell Taylor agreed with the choice completely. I melted yet again. (I’m thinking about taking up residence in a bucket on Tuesday night.)

Finally, lest we forget, Taylor has a band back at home, which used to bear his name. Would they like to play together again? They had the chance last week, and everyone seemed pleased to be there. But if Taylor wins and gets that Idol contract, what are the chances that he and his band will be back together on a permanent basis? It’s not good. Last year, Bo wanted to take his old band on tour, and he wasn’t allowed. Why should Taylor get preferential treatment?

I feel that he should – if he wins, he’s got the talent and the “X-factor” that should allow him to dictate terms. He should take his experience, talent, skill, and force of personality and push those mean ol’ music executives until they give him the contract he really deserves: the one where he has final veto power on song choice, where he has the latitude to be truly creative and to grow as an artist. He should not be tied up for two years or more with a restrictive contract. If he wins, it’s up to him to take the initiative and push for those things.

Now everyone’s thinking, “How can she hate the contract so much, yet essentially want Kat to win it?” Well, Kat wouldn’t be hurt by it! She’s a singer with an amazing range and repertoire. And she does much, much better when someone else is picking her songs for her. “Over The Rainbow” kind of proved that. She can have the title and the contract, with my blessing.

But for Taylor… I want something more.

[SirLinksalot]

Here is a question for you ….

Some have argued that the talent level of this season is the best ever. Nigel Lythgoe believes that Paris or Chris could have won in previous seasons.

On the other hand, we have comments like this :

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/entertainment/columnists/aaron_barnhart/14641097.htm

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Early on in this fifth season of “American Idol,” host Ryan Seacrest declared, with typical bombast, that this was the best field of competitors the show had ever seen. That was debatable. Now, with just two contestants left, it’s clear that this has not been the greatest year for “Idol” and that neither finalist has shown quite what it takes to launch a successful recording career. In fact, neither this season nor last (when Carrie Underwood edged out Bo Bice) has produced a talent who seemed destined for a long-lasting career in music. That’s in contrast to seasons one through three, which presaged future greatness from Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and others. No one who heard Clarkson’s soulicious version of “Respect,” or Aiken belting out the high note of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” or Fantasia Barrino’s sultry “Summertime” could argue that they were watching remarkable voices in the making. Though tonight’s finalists have shown promise all season long, neither has approached the heights of past “Idol” greats.

And yet “Idol” is more popular than ever. Maybe there’s a connection. “During the ‘American Idol’ process, their audience is a television audience,” said executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. “After ‘American Idol,’ their audience is record buyers — two separate things.”

As America’s favorite music show grows in popularity, it might be drawing an audience that is less interested in vocal talent and more interested in someone they can tune in each week and root for.

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What’s your take on this ladies and gents ?

[Wyatt's Torch]

Update on post counts (yesterday - today) Chris Daughtry - 250,513 - 253,568 + 3,055
Elliot Yamin - 268,879 - 271,115 + +2,236

And the Final 2:
Katharine McPhee - 149,648 - 153,066 + 3,418
Taylor Hicks - 773,440 - 792,489 + 19,049

Taylor's board with 19,000 ne posts just since yesterday. That's 12% of the amount Kat has for the entire season.....

[Wyatt's Torch]

That has a lot of merit and I said waaaaaayyyyyyyy back on thread 1 that I hoped Taylor went far enough to "get his voice heard" but not too far as he'd be stuck with 19. That still applies but I also think the jedges have grown in their appreciation for him. On Gray Charles someone posted this Simon comment (note: I cannot find a link to it)

“If he wins, it helps set up Idol for the next two or three years. He’s not somebody who wants to jump in the fabrication line and be told to sing this or look like that. A lot of people thought the show was an extension of the boy-band phenomenon. Taylor is really the one who’s broken the model.”

If he believes that, then he has a newfound respect for what Taylor can do. We'll see....

[retrokitten]

Oh thank God. I was going to hyperventilate if FR didn't come back online soon.

The post counts are insane. 19,000 in a single day! That's an incredible amount.

[retrokitten]

Mr. Rob, did Elliot really get kicked out of the Beverly Hilto for trying to take a picture with Nicki Hilton? It was on E News last night as a "hot rumor". Sounds far fetched, but I thought I would ask anyway.

[retrokitten]

Hey, I drive a PT Cruiser, too. Although, mine is not so creatively decorated. :-D

I can't wait for your after action report!

[GraniteStateConservative]

Taylor will make it know he doesn't want to win-- just like Bo did. Watch for it. Little things.

[TonyWpi]

Latest numbers from Tradesports show:

Taylor with 65
Katharine with 35

This gives Taylor a slight edge to win but it's still no "longshot" to pick Katharine.

AOL has a poll with the question...
Who WILL win (not who do you want to win). It's pretty close to Tradesports with 67% Taylor, 33% Katharine

Personally, I hope the spoilers are wrong and Taylor sings Georgia. Levon was OK but the Stevie Wonder tune was, as Randy would say, "Just OK."

But I think Katharine is making a mistake singing SOTR again. She just did it last week and people will may recall that she really hasn't had too many "great" numbers this season.

Wardrope malfunction or pole dance aside, I still agree with TS and think Taylor will win.

BTW...anyone heard anything about the rumors of a Taylor/Kat romance?? I heard it on the radio this AM. I hope Kat's not doing to Taylor what Heather Mills did to Macartney!

[GraniteStateConservative]

What’s your take on this ladies and gents ?

It's a popularity contest. And things unrelated to singing skill can push people forward in the contest.

[TonyWpi]

Latest numbers from Tradesports show:

Taylor with 65
Katharine with 35

This gives Taylor a slight edge to win but it's still no "longshot" to pick Katharine.

AOL has a poll with the question...
Who WILL win (not who do you want to win). It's pretty close to Tradesports with 67% Taylor, 33% Katharine

Personally, I hope the spoilers are wrong and Taylor sings Georgia. Levon was OK but the Stevie Wonder tune was, as Randy would say, "Just OK."

But I think Katharine is making a mistake singing SOTR again. She just did it last week and people will may recall that she really hasn't had too many "great" numbers this season.

Wardrobe malfunction or pole dance aside, I still agree with TS and think Taylor will win.

BTW...anyone heard anything about the rumors of a Taylor/Kat romance?? I heard it on the radio this AM. I hope Kat's not doing to Taylor what Heather Mills did to Macartney!

[retrokitten]

In fact, neither this season nor last (when Carrie Underwood edged out Bo Bice) has produced a talent who seemed destined for a long-lasting career in music.

I find it hard to believe that Carrie will not have a long career in country music. The author touts Clay and Fantasia as "Idol greats", but hasn't Carrie already outsold them both?

[retrokitten]

I thought she was dating a 40 year old Greek guy? Wasn't the the rumor earlier??

[TonyWpi]

There's been a lot of rumors about ALL the contestants. Nothing has been confirmed to my knowledge.

I even heard that Taylor was going to lay low tonight to give Kat the "win." What a bunch of bunk!

Speaking of rumors...We won't know until January if President Logan resigned in disgrace. I suppose it was no coincidence that Greg Itzin looks a bit like Richard Nixon.

[doug from upland]

Mrs. DFU will still be cheering for Chris.