JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum American Idol 2009

Tammy,

Keep in mind that legally, once you have released a song (i.e. made it for sale) then anyone who pays the PRO licenses (which I am sure Penny's does) can play that music any time they want. They wouldn't need permission of any kind from you. If you had never put it up for sale, then it would be an issue unless you gave someone permission to do something with it (which I imagine you did with American Idol as was previously discussed). But really it's a moot point since it's for sale. That's how it all works. Anyone can play it any time they want and use it to make money anytime they want. It's up to you to follow up with your PRO if you aren't seeing income from it. You might ask them if any licensing fees would apply (not sure what type of deal they might have worked out with Penny's so it might be worth a call to your rep just to learn exactly how it works in your specific case).

All that aside, I am not surprised someone would play the song. It's very positive and you sound great on it so why not? I've played your music on the radio before. In fact, you were the very first JPF member I ever played on the radio way back around 1999 when I was doing a radio show and was playing songs from various members. I think I kicked the show off with Seasons of Love. = )

Brian

Can someone explain the new ruling? I missed it. Something about if the judges don't like the audience choice for who goes home they can overrule it? Then who goes home? The other person in the bottom 2?

Well.. I am not unhappy with the 2 they booted. Jasmine might not have been the worst of the night, but she was so horrible in the Round of 36 that she never should have been advanced to the wild card round in the first place. And Jorge was also not deserving but they claimed he was voted in via popular vote. Really? Then why was he gone so fast? The whole thing seemed pretty suspect.

The good news is 2 of the 5 weakest are gone. Scott, Meagan and Anoop will be the cannon fodder over the next 3 weeks. The early cream of the crop are Adam, Danny, Alison, Lil and Alexis. Perhaps one or two of the other guys will perform to their potential and break out of the middle of the pack.

The new rule Kristi is simply that they can "save" a contestant 1 time during the season if they unananimously (i.e. all 4 but more likely the producers) agree on the vote. They can only do it one time and only up until the final 5. They claim that they want to avoid having someone voted off like Hudson, Daughtry or JPF Member Johns from last season. But I remember the year Jennifer Hudson was ousted I was a huge supporter of her and said she should make it to the finals, but the judges reamed her week after week until she was gone. They are trying to revise history with this whole thing just because she made them all look really stupid. It was obvious at the time they didn't want her to go on... she was the cream of the crop that season to anyone paying attention. This will do 1 thing.. it will give a slim amount of hope to those voted off so that when they sing their final song, they have a glimmer of hope and thus might perform better. But I still can't believe they are having them do the very songs that got them voted off.. if they sucked that bad why are we forced to hear that bad song again.. why don't they let them do their best songs up to that point from any time in the season? Some day they will figure that out.

Brian

I think the vote was correct. Jorge and Jasmine were right at the bottom. I agree that Scott, Megan, and Anoop should be the next three to go.

If the judges are smart, they will save their one "save" for some sort of unexpected turn of events, such as Adam getting voted off next week or something weird like that.

The nice thing about the new rule is that it seems to indicate there is no vote manipulation going on by the network or the producers. Otherwise, they'd just change the votes for the person they want.

My understanding of the "unanimous" decision necessary is that it is made right on the spot by the judges - at least that's what was demonstrated tonight - they made the decision right there. Unless the producers communicate to the judges during the commercial break, it seems like it's pretty much the judges' decision alone.

If you noticed, there was no 4 way discussion going on last night. There was a tiny amount of discussion between Paula and Kara and then there was some discussion between Randy and Simon separately of that while the 2 girls were watching the performance. So whatever it really is, it's not 4 of them deciding anything. AND.. it was 100% clear that they knew who was being voted off BEFORE the show because Randy said (after Jasmine was announced) that they'd had a long discussion about it and decided not to save her. Well, since they announced it and then she performed, it was clear they weren't talking to each other at all and then right when she was done he says they all had a long discussion. So these decisions are made PRIOR to the show even happening and the judges know exactly who is being voted off in advance. You could even tell by watching their faces during the announcements. In previous years there was sometimes surprise. None this week.

On another topic, didn't Kanye West once again suck horribly? That guy is the least talented music star I've ever seen. It's a huge case of "the emperor has no clothes." I don't know what he has over the heads of the industry, but they all kiss his ass and for nothing. They give this guy more respect than Paul McCartney. He's is devoid of talent. He sometimes has a good feel for theatrics, but musically he's a fraud. The Grammy's pretty much hand the show over to him whenever he pleases to do his self aggrandizement.

Kelly Clarkson was okay. The song will likely do well on pop stations. But it wasn't one of my favorite performances of hers. But compared to Kanye, she was a goddess.

Brian

i think it's gonna come down to danny and adam.

kayne was... who knows, i can never get past the pants falling down thing...

Babette,

Ha! My wife was totally annoyed by that too. = )

Brian

I am confused by the Kanye thing...he wasn't any worse than any of the "rappers" to me...I dunno...I feel pretty numb to any of them after their performance, whether it be the grammys, or AMA or whatever...and I SWEAR that I TRY to like it...I really do...I DON'T wanna be out of it, and not like whats in...but he was the usual Kanye...why did people think it sucked, I saw that on comcast too...why don't I get it?

I thought the idol rejects were appropriate Anoop was hilarious trying to be bad and I agree that Scott and him will go next...Megan is cute, she maybe surprise for awhile

His voice was off key for most of it. And the rap song itself was terrible. It's okay if you don't like Rap music. Once you decide it's all not for you, then there's no reason to think twice about it. I like GOOD rap music. I have heard plenty of it. What Kanye does isn't good rap music.. it's not even mediocre rap music. It's terrible rap music. It's not the subject matter. Most of the time he's singing/rapping about the same stuff you'd hear in any pop, rock or country song. He's not a "gangsta" rap artist. But he sucks. And he sucks BADLY.

He's a cult of personality to many. They love him for no particular reason beyond they are supposed to. There's no more artistic merit to what he does than what any bad country singer does. Bad is bad. But he's the king of the world in his community and no one will tell the truth about his voice of talent.

I am friends with a major insider in that community and he wasn't able to explain it to me acceptably either. It's the most puzzling thing I've come across in the commercial music world in any genre.

Brian

k, I dunno Brian, he wasn't really singing, he was TALKING off key? I must have a tin ear...well actually I know I do ! Thanks for the clarity

Kanye was half-rapping, half-singing. They had the live version of autotune working very obviously as an effect - or he was singing/rapping along with a track that had autotune set to make the Cher "Believe" effect all through the song.

I fast-forwarded most of his song so I wouldn't have to endure it. I've heard some good rap, that wasn't so good. I don't hate rap music. I've even produced a couple of rap tunes in my studio, but I just don't get this guy.

"It's the most puzzling thing I've come across in the commercial music world in any genre."

Phew! Thanks Brian; I really thought it was just me. I've seen very little of the man before but I've heard the hype (mostly his own words of course) but it's really astonishing to me that he even has a record deal of any sort. Maybe not.

Cheers,
Steve R.

http://www.steverobinsonmusic.com/

Lesson from Randy Travis - whether he liked something or not, he always found something positive and encouraging to say.

I think optimism and a positive outlook helps you get farther in this business.

My recap of Top 11 (country week):

First of all, they should hire real Nashville musicians to do Nashville night, not just a harp and steel player to add a flavor of country. The bass player, drummer, and guitarist were not convincing (especially the bass player) in that style at all - very disappointed in the sound of the band playing country.

1. Michael Sarver - 6; Ain't Goin' Down 'til the Sun Comes Up; boring, boring, boring. So he remembered all 2000 words or whatever. It wasn't a memorable performance at all. He sounded Karaoke to me. He is at the bottom of the list, IMHO.

2. Allison Ireheta - 8; Blame It On Your Heart; I like this girl. She's spunky and an amazing singer for 16 years old. I think the band really s***ked on the arrangement so didn't do her any favors, but vocally, I think she did a very respectable job. I hope she's popular enough to be safe.

3. Kris Allen; 9; To Make You Feel My Love; This was a very good performance. Just something about his facial expressions bugs me...I think he's safe for now.

4. Lil Round; 8; Independance Day; No Simon..."Lil" is NOT always a contraction of "little"...it could be Lillian, Lily, or liliputian! I think it was an OK performance, but not Idol quality. She's safe for this week.

5. Adam Lambert; 10; Ring of Fire; Although Johnny Cash may have been writhing in his grave, I think the guy took a big risk and pulled off a "Led Zepplin" version of this. A younger Robert Plant would have been proud. I think the teens will go for him. He's definitely safe.

6. Scott MacIntyre; 7; Wild Angels; His pitch is fine; he's just doing the same thing every week, and it's not all that good. He went out of his way to make a smokin' country tune boring. He may not go this week, but I hope he goes soon. At this point, I'd rather see him go than anyone else. He's simply not an idol.

7. Alexis Grace - 7; Jolene; It was simply ok. I think she pushed Dolly classic "bluegrassy" song too far in the blues direction, but she's a cute girl with a decent set of pipes, and I hope she's around for a few more weeks. I'm kind of getting the feeling she may not have the staying power though - we'll see.

8. Danny Gokey - 9; Jesus Take the Wheel; Who'd have figured a guy could pull that song off. He did a great job. The man is a real contender for the #1 spot; he'll definitely be in the finals.

9. Anoop Desai - 10; Always On My Mind; no one could believe the transition; even Simon said "from Zero to Hero" and took back his statement that Anoop didn't belong in the top 13. The man made the song his own and pulled me right into his rendition. This is the voice I thought he demonstrated during Hollywood week, but screwed up last week. He's definitely safe for now.

10. Megan Joy - 9; After Midnight; props to Megan for performing with the flu (she had been in the hospital for it). I gave her an extra point for that because her performance was only an 8. She lost some of her quirkiness (maybe due to the flu), but I think she's safe this week.

11. Matt Giraud - 10; So Small; solid performance; He's not exactly my cup of tea, but I can respect his musicianship and that he's another real contender for the Finale. He reminds me of Billy Joel, who also was never my cup of tea, but an icon in the industry.

My Top 3 from last night's performance:

1. Anoop Desai
2. Matt Giraud
3. Danny Gokey
(honorable mention of Adam Lambert for uniqueness)

Bottom 3, IMHO:

1. Michael Sarver
2. Scott MacIntyre
3. Alexis Grace

Who will America vote off?

Alexis or Allison

I an so glad Anoop finally was able to show off his vocals last night--that's the voice I fell in love with during Hollywood week. Now lets see if he can keep the momemtum going. Matt gave an outstanding performance also...

Bottom 2

Michael Sarver
Alexis Grace

I thought the best 3 of the night by a large margin:

1. Allison
2. Anoop
3. Matt

I thought the 3 worst were:

1. Lil Round (She was friggin TERRIBLE)
2. Scott MacIntyre (he was worst last week.. he needs to go!)
3. Tie: Alexis and Danny Gokey. Both were awful.

Deserve to go: Scott MacIntyre and Lil Round

Most Likely to go: Michael Sarver or Anoop

There were only 4 decent performances (add Kris to my top 3) and one novelty performance (Adam). The others were mediocre. Lil Rounds sang by far the worst. Scott sang better than last week but was pathetic. His disability is the only reason he is there and I find that unfair. Compare his performance to Matt Giraud on the piano/singing. It's night and day.

Brian

Scott definitely should be the one to go...I loved Adams ring of fire ! ! I doubt that mainstream country will like it, but he knew he'd get through, and he REALLY went for it...Sarver and Scott should go in the next 2 decisions...I didn't think Danny was as bad as you did Brian, though the verses were a little off...he really has a soulful voice and is a likeable guy

Not a Danny fan, huh Brian? I like the guy myself. He's certainly safe tonight.

TOP 11 – 17Mar09 – Country Week

Best dressed award goes to: Paula (lovely gown), Ryan & Randy, who outclassed Kara and Simon in the fashion department. On to the singing….

MICHAEL SARVER (6.5/10) – Michael seemed in his element with this song. I like the quality of his voice. The song wasn’t “challenging” in terms of range, but he sang and performed it well. I could see him on the country charts. Vocally he sings a little too “tight” – he shapes his vowels very flat and very wide, this places the voice in the back of the throat. He would get more depth and range and projection if he opened in the right way. When he does open his mouth, there is good quality in the tone. I know it’s country style. I totally disagree with Simon’s “1.2 out of 10.” Michael looked good, had fun, remembered the lyrics, and sang on pitch. It was at least a 6.5.

ALISON IRAHETA (6.0/10) – Alison has a good voice, but she hasn’t got enough experience or training to understand her instrument. For me it sits too far back – it’s like she’s swallowing the words. Another “tight” singer – meaning you clamp down on the voice in the throat, and then push for ‘power’. So you get a ‘hollow’ sound. Doesn’t work that way. That way is the road to constriction and potential damage. And limited range. There IS a bloom in the voice, but it is hard to hear it with this method of singing (oversinging). That’s why it sounds “tuneless” and has a “dull” tone.

KRIS ALLEN (6.25/10) – Kris has a clear tone, there’s a nice bloom on the voice. The song was well-arranged (simple) and let him shine. Well-phrased. It didn’t blow my socks off, but I thought it was solid.

LIL ROUNDS (6.10) – Lil is not a country singer, but I wish she had chosen a song that fit her better. However, it was well-phrased. She has good tone and solid vocals. I agree with Paula, singing a second verse before going to the chorus was not the best choice, the song took too long to take off. Simon was right – the song didn’t fit her.

ADAM LAMBERT (9/10) – Well I was looking forward to this as IMO Adam clearly has all the ingredients to be an American Idol. What will he do with country, I wonder. Johnny Cash, ‘Ring of Fire.’ All rocked up, interesting take on the song. The best voice in the competition, bar none. If I had him in my studio I’d have very little to say. He seems in command of his instrument, and he’s creative with it. He’s an Artist, for sure. I disagree with Simon – it was an different & interesting take on the song, not at all ‘horrific’. I agree with Randy – Nine Inch Nails doing country (“Hurt”, anyone?).

SCOTT MACINTYRE (5.0/10) – Scott is talented, no doubt. Especially on the piano. But I don’t think he’s a particularly good singer at this moment in time. I think the voice needs further development. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about him, or want to see his dream die, but I think we also need to assist young people to assess their abilities honestly and figure out what they need to work on to grow and improve. One of the issues is how he pronounces his words… very wide vowels, which means he loses tonal quality and strength of tone. The too-big shapes and the lifting of the head as he sings leads to an unnatural vibrato in his voice and a sense of thinness in the sound. I found the debate between Paula & Simon over whether or not Scott should use use the piano to be irritating. I agreed with Randy, it was a ‘nice’ and ‘safe’ performance.

ALEXIS GRACE (5.5/10) – Alexis has a strong voice, she phrased the song well and put her own interpretation on it. Her top voice needs development – really, she needs to understand her instrument better. When we have a powerful chest voice and we are in the habit of oversinging… our pushing takes something away from the top voice and makes the transition to the upper register more difficult (and unhealthy). There was a word that she especially pushed on that caused the tonal quality to be very hard/harsh, and there was an unnatural wobble in the sound at that point. This kind of pushing leads to pitch problems and uneven tone. She needed to sing it simply, and trust the song to bring her voice out (if a song doesn’t bring your voice out effectively – pick a different song!). One of my main issues with the Idol shows as samples of ‘good singing’ is that they often lead to the misapprehension that ‘loud’ is better. Alexis’s performance was a good example of that misunderstanding.

DANNY GOKEY (7.0/10) – Danny has a good voice, although I find it a little nasal in quality, especially in the verse. Pretty solid performance, though. I didn’t feel like it was a terrific song choice for him, and I agree it took awhile for the song to begin to work for him. Randy was right about the need to support the verse better, and Danny said he didn’t know what to do with that part. That surprises me. I understood that, besides working with Randy Travis, the competitors had a vocal coach. But I guess they can choose whether they use those resources or not. If you don’t know… why wouldn’t you work with a coach. If you don’t know… perhaps it’s the song itself that isn’t a fit. In any case, I thought it was extremely interesting to hear the judges comment on this performance. Compare what they said about Danny to what they said about Adam. They actually said that Danny’s performance was better than Adam's performance. Really?

ANOOP DESAI (7.10/10) – I like the placement of Anoop’s voice. It’s not back in the throat, it doesn’t resonate in the nasal cavity, he has a clear bright tone. He phrased the song well, and I liked how he built the song using vocal texture – which demonstrates sensitivity and mastery. Sometimes, simple is best. And letting the song ‘sing itself’ while you sing from your heart, is powerful.

MEAGAN JOY (5.2/10) – There is a depth to Meagan’s voice, but I don’t think this song (or any other song she’s sung to date) really shows it. I thought this was a rather “girlish” performance and that some of her licks were insecure. I felt like it was “Beach Blanket Bingo”. However, at the end of the song, the judges pointed out that Meagan has been very ill, and I give her kudo’s for performing so well under enormous pressure. As a singer myself, I know there is nothing you can do to create tone or stay on pitch if you are so ill that the voice isn’t responding. However, I looked back at how I’ve rated her in the past… the average out of 3 performances was 5.1 out of 10. I marked her 5.2 for this performance. I’m sure she’ll be back, and we’ll see how she progresses.

MATT GIRAUD (5.5/10) – Nice bloom on the voice, I like that warm vibrato. I wondered about some of the phrasing and how breathing was handled. The practice of singing breathy in the verses (which tires the apparatus) and then pushing the chorus is one I dislike for many reasons. The judges raved so much about this sometimes pitchy, seemingly insecure performance that I went back and watched it again. It certainly didn’t work for me, and I shook my head when Kara, Paula and Simon were all over it as being the best of the night. Not to put Matt down for putting it out there and doing his best, but I do sometimes wonder if I am hearing a different performance than the judges, or if it sounds different in the theatre than it does on tv.

Who should go: Scott.
Who will go: Lil.

Top 11 - Results

Bottom Three:

*Alison (my rating - 6.0/10)
*Michael (my rating - 6.5/10)
*Alexis (my rating - 5.5/10)

Alison is safe, says Ryan. While Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis sing, I'm rooting for Michael to stay.

I'm not quite sure what Carrie is wearing, her headdress and the waist of her dress is kinda strange, but the colour red suits her. Carrie sings with a clear and solid tone, the textures of her voice transmit the emotion of the song. When she goes up, she makes the transition smoothly and the upper notes are clear and strong. She never pushes the voice, altho she's always present in what she's doing. Randy comes in with his part. I feel like they are slightly imbalanced, the song seems slightly low for him, but he has an agreeable warm tone. The song is really hers.

Back to the results. Simon says they would consider saving one of the bottom two. We go to commercial as I wonder which one they would save. Hopefully Michael.

Here we go - after the nationwide vote of 31 million... Michael is safe. Alexis is going home. Or maybe not. She has to sing & then they will decide. As she sings I think it's ridiculous that she had the least votes when the weakest vocalist in the show this week was clearly Scott. Meagan we can forgive.

Unfortunately they decide not to save her after all. But she's young and talented. People know who she is. She has the potential for a career if she is wise and uses the contacts she has made to move forward.

Idol is the beginning - not the end.

excellant point-Ms Viks

you nailed it-Idol is just the beginning-and usually the end as well-even for those who WIN it....cause you dont become a great singer doing karoke...........you need strength and depth in songwriting........thats why most of these wannabe's disapear so fast after their 15 mins of fame on Idol.......Idol doesnt exist to find and launch great unknown talent......Idol exists for Idol-the producers-stars etc.........they do ya and dump ya after their have had whatever use they can make of you in any way........that said-it is in fact a good introduction to the hard realities of the music business.......one which most of these dreamers desperately seem to need.....last summer Nashville Star had 6,000 wannabe's lined up for auditions.............same deal-into the grinder they go.......I think these shows are possibly the worst investment of time a hopeful can make..........just my opinion


Tom

Warning! This will be a completely sexist post.

Not that any of the female contestants are unattractive, but with Alexis gone, I have no more reason to watch this season. Heck I even turned off the "mute" feature when she came on and she wasn't half bad!

Alexis was cute and ok as a singer, but it's pretty obvious that several of the guys blow her away vocally. She was never going to be an idol even though she may still make a record with someone. The judges were right to hold onto their "save" until they can use it for someone who has a serious shot at the #1 spot.

I think Megan is pretty attractive as well, and she has learned how to flirt with the camera. I would have MUCH preferred that Scott go over Alexis, but he'll be gone pretty soon.

I'll go out on a limb and say the idol this year will be a male. Lil Round, Allison and Megan are the 3 gals left and none of them are outstanding as idols, although Allison definitely has a future in the music biz. I think there are too many strong males and not an outstanding clear-cut female lead. Adam is in a vocal league of his own, with Matt, Anoop, Kris, and Danny strong contenders.

I think tonight was the best I've ever heard Carrie sound. She was breathtakingly beautiful both to look at and to listen to. It was a great tear-jerker of a country song she sang with Randy Travis - very moving.

What ever happened to Faith Hill? She was the #1 country diva until Carrie started winning all the CMA awards.

Tom,

You said:

"...you dont become a great singer doing karoke...........you need strength and depth in songwriting."

I have to disagree with that statement. It doesn't apply to Idol winners for one thing - they have hordes of writers in the wings. Even beyond Idol, songwriting is not a requirement to be a great singer. How many legendary singers (besides Elvis, Frank Sinatra, et al) didn't write a lick. Carrie Underwood seems to be doing just fine without much writing ability. Country is like that. Pop and R&B used to be like that. R&B is mostly still like that. However modern pop and rock does seem to require a modicum of songwriting ability - if you are the artist. However, Pop/rock artists who are weak in songwriting can always team up with a co-writer.

I also think you're wrong about the "churn 'em and burn 'em" approach you think Idol uses. Yeah, it's a tough business, but they can go into obscurity for many reasons: not enough talent is certainly at the top of the list; but there are other factors such as perseverence and drive; maybe the music biz isn't what they thought it would be (too many weirdos or something); or maybe they simply didn't want to stay away from their family any longer.

Why else would Idol bother to keep track of former Idols AND contestants like Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Kat McPhee, David Archuleta and other Idol "alumni". They even have a whole section on the Idol website about Idol alumni and what they're doing.

I believe the Idol producers DO want a long-term artist. They also want short-term ratings (yes, they ARE greedy). However, my understanding of the contract is that you are tied to 19 Entertainment for quite some time after you leave the show (probably seven years - a typical contract length): they get a percentage of your earnings as a manager, so they are more than happy to help someone like Carrie Underwood continue to make millions for the next 40 years if possible. For instance, Kelly Clarkson just got out of her 19 Entertainment contract (isn't it about seven years now?) and was therefore able to make a CD of music without Idol's approval of the material - and she changed her style if you'll notice.

I think these shows are by far the BEST possible investment of time a young artist could make if they are inclined to sing popular music of some type and perform it live. Where else would someone in that position get to perform and/or appear in front of 25 million people twice a week for 2-3 months. They will all get their names in People, US, Entertainment Weekly, go on major talk shows, and on and on...it's not 15 minutes of fame, but more like 9 months if you include the Idol tour. If they still have staying power, then they start their own record deal, rehearse new material, and then do a tour or at least a series of shows. What an incredible opportunity for someone with absolutely no connections - or simply not enough connections!

There's no downside to being on Idol no matter what happens. By being seen and heard on even a single episode you are performing for the largest audience you'll ever be in front of. There's no downside to that. If you flop, that just means you're a flop. You still got in front of the masses which you never would have done on your own.

As for tonights results, I had no problem with it. I thought Alexis was in the bottom 3. Sarver will likely be next to go. I was disappointed to see Alison in the bottom 3. If I had to sign 1 artist from this crop, it would be her. She has nothing but upside. Adam can be a giant star with the right songs and production, but I still don't think he has the same upside potential as a 16 year old who sings that well. Danny is a great artist but I think he's similar to to the grey haired dude that won a few years ago (I can't even think of his name.. which sort of sums him up). What are they going to do with Danny that they didn't try to do with him? Right now Adam seems to be the winner. Danny will be seen as his challenger and there will be a couple close calls until it comes down to those two. Paula actually got that one right. Danny could get upset around the final 4 which happens some seasons, but beyond that, everyone else is simply cannon fodder while they get Adam out in front of the public for a season to build his recognition and following. It would be great if Allison caught on with fans and gave them a run. Lil Rounds blew her shot to rise to the top ranks with that hideous performance. Now we can expect to hear monotonous R&B performances from her week after week. Yawn.

No one will miss or think twice about Alexis. She was cannon fodder.

Brian

valid points made by you two-Larry/Brian

but overall-for every Carrie Underwood (who does indeed have talent) theres way too many (in my opinion) Jessica Simpson types rising to the top for whatever reason......remember the one who showed up wearing a bikini?......I just think that ok-given that its commercial tv and has to do stuff for ratings-the show and the American Idol process has become totally bastardized in favor of ratings and not talent.....but I do have some prejudice I admit-seeing so many truly talented singers in the honkytonks trying to make it the old fashioned-PRE IDOL-way..

Tom

Yeah, I've never been a fan of the blonde bimbo types that occasionally make a successful record or two. Jessica Simpson definitely fits into that mold. Without autotune, I'm sure she is average at best. Even with autotune, I've never been impressed. There was another bimbo type who bombed out when her pre-recorded track started on the wrong song on SNL? Obviously, a forgetable gal.

No doubt there are too many "pagent alumni" auditioning for Idol these days. There were several last year (and we had bikini girl this year). Like I said above, the producers want the short-term ratings AND the long-term artist. There is nothing wrong with "eye candy" per se, as long as there is talent in addition to that.

It's interesting that looks have become so important...I recently had a young gal ask me to find songs and produce a CD for her (I had never met her). She didn't spend any time telling me where she had been performing (very little experience), but she did mention she had been a runner-up in a "Miss Teenage [something or other]" contest.

The key to success today (assuming you have sufficient talent and perseverence) is marketing. It can easily cost $1,000,000 to launch a new artist, with TV spots, VH1 or MTV videos, posters, radio ads, industry magazine ads, tour support, etc. Someone performing in a local honky-tonk will NEVER have that kind of money unless they find a sugardaddy of some type. That could be a record label, but record labels only want "sure things" nowdays so you have to prove you've already had success on your own before they'll sign you.

Wasn't that Ashlee Simpson on SNL? (Just being nit-picky )

Edit: Oops, I thought you were saying it was Jessica Simpson on SNL. That's what I get for reading while asleep.

This week was Motown week. There were some great performances—Adam, Allison, Matt, Danny, Kris and Anoop. I was expecting a better performance by Lil this was her genre--she was good. I wanted to see her blow the crowd away with her big vocal range. She promises next week. The bottom three--Scott, Michael and Megan.

Bottom two
Michael
Megan

My recap of Motown night:

1. Matt Giraud - 9; Let's Get It On; very respectable performance, but didn't grab me; he's safe though.

2. Kris Allen - 9; How Sweet It Is (I didn't know this was a Motown song - I thought James Taylor wrote it); very nice job; he's safe

3. Scott McIntyre - 7; You Can't Hurry Love; other than some nice chords at the beginning, it was trite. I agreed with Simon: he couldn't wait for the song to be over. Why people keep voting for him MUST be out of pure sympathy, 'cause the guy isn't any better than most bar band singers. I have a feeling he'll be safe for another week though...

4. Megan Joy - 7; For Once In My Life; I wouldn't call Stevie Wonder "Motown", and what she sang was simply cabaret that could have been sung in the lounge on the "Love Boat". Had she made the song really, really campy, then it might have worked. I think she's in danger this week.

5. Anoop Desai - 8; Ooh, Baby Baby; respectable performance; a couple of pitchy moments, but overall, pretty decent. He's safe this week.

6. Michael Sarver - 6; Ain't Too Proud to Beg; this was by far the worst performance of the evening. The guy couldn't find the pocket if you stuffed his hand in it. He shouted it like a rocker and looked like he was at the local karaoke bar. He's my candidate for bye-bye this week.

7. Lil Rounds - 7; Heatwave; Uh...this SHOULD have been her week and she kind of blew it. A bit shouty and pitchy in places and she didn't do anything unique with it: kind of karaoke-style. She's probably safe though.

8. Adam Lambert - 10; Tracks of My Tears; This guy is a bloody genius; week after week he comes up with something that makes me remember him in a very positive way and he passed the "goosebump test" tonight. Smokey Robinson got misty and gave him a standing ovation. Brilliant performance - in a league of his own. He's definitely NOT a "one style" kind of artist. I just hope he doesn't peak too soon. Regardless, there will be a bidding war to sign this guy - I guarantee it.

9. Danny Gokey - 9; Get Ready; very nice, driving performance. I like this guy and he seems sincere about a music career; I just hope he can be marketed better than Taylor Hicks.

10. Allison Iraheta - 10; Papa Was a Rolling Stone; Wow! This girl does NOT sound 16 years old. She has cojonas in her voice and impressive stage presence! 2nd best performance of the night and she could possibly be in the finale with Adam.

Top 2: Adam and Allison
Bottom 2: Michael Sarver and Scott McIntyre

Most likely to go home: Michael Sarver

My take on American Idol:

Meagan should go, Lil will go, Seacrest sings sweetly -
http://myvote-americanidol.blogspot.com/

:o

Adam & Allison were freakin' AWESOME!!!!
My eyes welled up during Adam's incredible performance & arrangement .. geez .. thats talent
Allison .. her stage presence and confidence put her over the top with her incredible voice !!
Sorry .. I think Michael, Scott & Megan had tough nights.

Just a side note - Paul Jackson Jr. was the guitarist that sat right next to Adam. I've seen him on AI a lot over the years. A lot of the recorded and sampled guitars from the Ensoniq keyboards were from recorded sessions with Paul.

IMHO, Adam is head and shoulders above the rest...it's not even close...he is already a star

clearly Adam outshined them all
(although I thought a couple other were close last night)

This was the first time I liked Adam.
in previous weeks he's done good until his vocals went over the edge. Too much shouting, too many runs
and my husband who normally can't stand him.. vocals, hair...everything also liked him last night.
So he even passed muster with some more conservative listeners.

Reminded me a lot of the night last year when David Cook sang a tender song from Phantom of the Opera.
Both had done a fare amount of musical theater and have these chops even if they prefer a harder edge.

and I have to agree on Scott. it must be the sympathy votes because he's blind.... because no way is he in the league with the others. an excellent pianist... but this is a singing contest!

Post deleted by TAMERA64

Well, the bottom 3 (not in results, but in performance) were Scott, Megan and Michael. Scott is about 10 notches below all the others and he's been the worst all 2 of 3 weeks by a large margin and was second worst to Lil Rounds the other week. But apparently a lot of people who are not interested in singing talent is voting for him. At least he should be gone in the next few weeks.

Michael was the one I predicted... I was here watching the show with Linda and our friend Harold Payne (there's a picture of Harold, Tammy and Me on my desk now that I think of it... ) and all 3 of us agreed that Scott was the worst and deserved to go, but that he wouldn't. We also agreed that Michael Sarver, who was never the worst singer, would be going because he was so generic and boring. He had zero chance to win... he wsa cannon fodder. Soon we'll see Megan and Scott gone. But the singer who has fallen the farthest is Lil Rounds who was among the worst the last 2 weeks. She deserves to go soon. They keep propping her up though.

The Idols have lip synched every single week during the group performances... it's been quite obvious. They aren't very good at it either. They don't understand that if you swing the mic away from your mouth, it would be noticeable.. someone should suggest they learn that little fact.

I thought Alison was the best this week. I thought she was the best in the first two weeks as well. Glad that the judges finally reconize it. I think Adam is clearly the most "star" ready right now, but Alison has WAY more upside because Adam is already nearly too old to appeal to the core audience he will attract.. the Disney tweens and those who love Zach Effron. And he's flamboyantly gay, so that will limit his older pop appeal among the mainstream a bit. He'll have a great next few years for sure.. but you have to wonder why he hasn't broken out with that supercharged vocal overdrive he can kick into. Has anyone seen his drag queen photos they were talking about in the news? I haven't seen them.

Danny is strong and may well finish second.. but he's a strong but only 1 trick pony at this point. He always sounds the same.. good but predicatable. I think outside those 3, Kris is the only other that might get in the top 2. But it's already Adam's to lose. Alison might take one of the two final guys out if they split the vote. I'd still sign her before any of the others. You could count on 20 years of solid rock appeal with her.

Brian

Post deleted by TAMERA64

I didn't notice the lip syncing last week, but definitely noticed it tonight. The vocals were too smooth and perfectly in tune - and I saw a couple of of "out-of-sync" lips. The mix was way better than usual as well. I'll go back and watch the recording of last weeks' results show and see.

I predicted that Michael would go tonight, so no surprises there, but I was surprised that Matt was in the bottom three.

Did I miss the cake and ice cream...?

When it comes to the bottom line-- mine is: what act did I rewind because I wanted to here the song again? Alison easily. I rewound tattoo girl because I wanted to see if it really was that bad- it was. I rewound Adam because my wife said it was "amazing". I wasn't as impressed but he has the star package and I was impressed with his interaction with his musicians and that he asked Smoky R what inspired "Tracks of my tears". I think he is a thoughtful musician and it would not disappoint me if he took it all.

But, Alison- wow! she is the definition of "gifted"

Mar 31/09 - TOP 9

I think the AI band is great but I think the producers need to work a little on sound, several times tonight I felt the band and back-up singers overshadowed the lead. I know they want to fill the theatre with sound. I’d like to actually hear the contestants. This is not the first show I’ve noticed this with. Doing sound for a live televised show is a big challenge…. but this is not their first season.

Here’s my ranking, from bottom to top:

*9-MEAGAN (Bob Marley) – I have yet to be impressed with Meagan’s vocals. Her voice seems weak… there is tone, but she tends to sing so that it resonates nasally or she crunches it back in the throat. The colour of the voice is then dark and metallic. I think she needs some serious vocal coaching, and IMO she doesn’t belong in the top 10.

*8-SCOTT (Piano Man) – as a voice teacher I just itch to work with Scott for a few weeks, lol. There is potential– but Scott’s way of singing is getting in his way. He tends to either sing closed, through the teeth, or big & wide AND pushing; there is tightness in the jaw; he tends to lift his head up which stretches the neck & causes tension; these things cause an unnatural and unattractive vibrato. However, I do appreciate his spirit.

*7-MATT (You Found Me) – Vocally Matt was pretty good, his voice shows promise, but the song didn’t thrill me.

*6-ALISON (Don’t Speak) – she sang off pitch and off beat. I wrote down that she shouted the song – and then Simon mentioned it. I do think she tries too hard. She needs to understand dynamics. But I could give a hoot about what she chooses to wear.

*5-LIL (I Surrender) – Lil is a singer in search of her vocal identity. She’s got fabulous pipes but every week they tell her, it’s not the right song. Yet she works incredibly hard to produce a good performance. She has good depth & warmth of tone, although I heard the odd pitch issue, I thought she really came to life in the second half. She’s a diva in the making, if the right people could help her figure it out.

*4-ANOOP (Usher) – I agreed with Randy that Anoop sang well but the song choice didn’t thrill me.

*3-DANNY (What hurts the most) – in the first verse, I wrote ‘wonderful bloom in the voice, great texture, very expressive. But when the song hit the chorus… the sound was unbalanced and my ear couldn’t pick out his voice from the mix & the performance didn’t seem as strong. I also thought the arrangement was rather strange.

*2-KRIS (Ain’t No Sunshine) – Another singer with good potential, if he would open a little bit more (sing less through the teeth). Excellent arrangement, good singing, solid performance.

*1-ADAM (Play that Funky Music) – Great vocals, of course. Everything a voice teacher would want. Thought he made it his own, lots of fun, good stage presence. What can you say but ‘wow, Steve Tyler move over’.

My recap with 1-10 ratings for 3/31:

1. Anoop Desai - "Caught Up" by Usher; 7; This guy just doesn't realize he can't sing R&B. Not the worst performance tonight, but close. I predict he'll be in the bottom 3.

2. Megan Corkrey - "Turn Your Lights Down Low" by Bob Marley; 8; I think her vocals still need a bit of work, but she has a very identifiable (and likable) sound and style. Cheryl Crow isn't a great singer either, but I hear a similar quirkiness in "All I Wanna Do" - and Cheryl's off-key on that one. The judges really panned Megan, so she'll probably be in the bottom 3 as well.

3. Danny Gokey - "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts; 8; The judges loved this, but I thought it was only good, not great. He's very safe this week though.

4. Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak" by No Doubt; 9; I don't care that the judges hated her outfit. They probably would have hated Cyndi Lauper and Madonna's clothes, too. I think she sounded great. This girl has a lot of long-term potential and I don't care if she dresses like a rocker-girl. She should leave the guitar at home though.

5. Scott MacIntyre - "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel; 6; worst performance of the night. I am convinced now that the judges are either deaf or they are being paid to sell out and give this guy kudos for some reason. I couldn't believe Simon didn't jump all over him for doing a version no better than you'd hear in any Holiday Inn lounge in the country. It was a sappy 30-year-old song and he just made it sound sappier. The guy has to go. He has no imagination and he's not a very good singer.

6. Matt Giraud - "You Found Me" by the Fray; 7; another decent performance of a bad choice in songs. Was this song really a hit? Matt seems to be popular, so he's safe...but IMHO, he's skating on thin ground unless he does something really cool next week.

7. Lil Rounds - "I Surrender" by Celine Dion; 8; I don't know what the judges want out of this girl. They told her to do something to show off her big voice and she did. She showed them that a Celine Dion song was NOT too big for her and they still panned her. I thought she did a very good job - not brilliant, but respectable.

8. Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry; 10; Another brilliant arrangement of an old R&B tune. I only wish the song had been longer...the guy is already a star.

9. Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers; 10; Wow! The band I jam with every couple of weeks does this song and it sure doesn't sound like this! The weird expressions on his face seem to have tamed down and we can all now concentrate on his amazing voice and control. He closed the show with a great performance.

My Top 3: Kris, Adam, and Danny
My Bottom 3: Scott, Anoop, and Megan

Who SHOULD go home: Scott, no question; he's out of his league

Who will go home? Megan (unfortunately)

American Idol was disappointing tonight. No one really stood out.

Scott was actually good this week. And Kris keeps growing on me. I expected more from Danny, Allison, Adam and Lil. The best of the night were Scott and Kris. Adam has no appeal for me—he is a great performer but his high notes irritate me.

The bottom two:
Megan
Matt

I was really impressed with Kris this week. He's not a great pianist, but didn't need to be. Having the string section right there made it a bit more intimate. The arrangement was beautiful, and he's definitely moving up. I noticed less facial contortions too. I thought his was the best performance of the night.

The judges are either idiots or are being told who to trash ahead of time because they sure didn't give honest opinions based on the performances in front of them.

Lil Rounds was HORRIBLE. She was flat throughout and can't hit any of the high notes at all. It was BRUTAL. They decided to attack her song choice instead of her terrible singing. Even her "highlight" clip was terrible and flat. I can't stand Scott, but she was even worse than him this week. Why are they propping this woman up?

And on the other end of that, why are they trashing Alison? They couldn't, with a straight face, attack her singing, so they spent half the show attacking her clothes which were 100% age and style appropriate. She looked great and she performed great. They just hate her for some reason.

Most honest and accurate judge tonight? Paula. Yup. I said it. She was the only one to be consistent throughout and at least not prop up the bad performers with 1 expection.. her LOVE And LUST for Scott. Ack.

The best performance of the night was easily Kris. Adam was also great. Alison was third, her weakest finish, but still clearly in the top 3. Danny was flat and couldn't hit the big notes at all. He really exposed a lot of weakness tonight and Kris just took away his second place spot in the pecking order with a bullet.

Best performances:

Kris
Adam
Alison

Worst performances:

Lil Rounds
Scott
Meagan

Should go home:

Scott or Lil Rounds, both in the bottom 2 consisently

Will go home:

Either Meagan or Anoop.

They haven't trashed a great contestant like Alison since they trashed Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks unfairly until they jumped on their bandwagons late. Alison can't win this year because Adam is just too much of a force. The race is for second, third and forth between Alison, Kris and Danny. I think Danny's stock is slipping and he better have a good week and Kris have an average or bad week next week or Kris will clearly enter the 2 horse race at the top. Alison can't get a fair break. She's been in the top 3 every single week and she was the best performer at least twice.

It would be nice if the judges simply told the truth without the prefab agendas. We all know it will take something shocking for Adam not to win already. He's a mile ahead of the others. Only Kris's performance tonight showed any chance of taking him out.

Brian

Hi Brian,

I noticed a little flatness, but I think in that high register, for most listeners, you have to be flat at least 25 cents (a quarter of a half-step) for the brain to signal the wince muscles. Wouldn't you at least agree there can be "pleasurable" flatness/sharpness?

LOL...You must not care for Dionne Warwick very much...


I thought Kris Allen made a lot of little timing and pitch errors, but he was self correcting amazingly well, like he's got some monitoring system from the future...Really, it's all about where self-confidence can take you, "mistakes" morph into genius before the brain signals "mistake"...Kris was the best, imo, last night...

Whereas Scott MacIntyre really was not good at all, a very studied, careful, dull performance. I cussed the judges. What were they hearing?

Mike

ya what were they thinking...you can walk into almost any piano bar and hear a more original version...of anything...Scott needs to go badly...for like 3 weeks now...

Redlady....Adam's high notes for me, do the opposite of what they do for you....I would call it...shock and awe...I looked at the people I watched the show with, and EVERYONE had a HUGE smile on their face during his entire performance...I don't think that Mick Jagger EVER could go that high...and it's effortless !

I am with you Herbie ... Adam hits those high notes with smoothe accuracy .. there is neve a shrill! i am amazed ... i am jealous

Post deleted by TAMERA64

APR 1ST RESULTS

We know that Alison & Meagan are in the bottom three. The last two people on stage waiting to hear which group they are in? Scott & Anoop. Randy says Scott should stay, but that’s bullshit, the better singer is clearly Anoop. Nope, Scott is safe.

They’d save one of the bottom three, Simon says. I think they’d save Alison. No worries, she’s safe.

Now Anoop and Meagan. Yes, Meagan is last. Okay, finally. She should go, IMO. She certainly has a wonderful look, but she needs some serious vocal training if she expects to have a career. Her final performance didn’t change my mind. But she’ll tour the group, so her journey is not over.

I totally agree with the final result.