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

Unrelated question. AI isn't going to do a song contest this year, are they? (I was so looking forward to getting rejected again...)

Joe

Yeah, and I don't want to tune into a soap opera of Paula and Simon's latest romp in a hotel room or how their "relationship" is doing either.

Maybe it's time to bring in some new blood to the judges desk. Kara is not impressing me: she's off the mark as often as on - and I'm kind of P.O.'ed that she gets to write the winning song because she threw a hissy fit about it last year. Nice negotiating, but bad for the "gene pool" of fresh songwriters.

Best in Order:

Adam
Alison
Kris
Danny

Best Duet:

Adam/Alison

Danny was truly horrible. He gives the same performance every week and always has. Sure, he can sing in that one narrow style and he can't seriously do a different genre, unless he can still sing exactly the same. If this was fair, he'd be long gone.

Kris was much better than they said. I actually thought he did a great job being faithful both to Rock and his Singer-Songwriter style. He came off legit 100% where Danny was an imposter. Speaking of imposters.....

Adam can hit any note high or low you want to throw at him. He has power to burn behind that. But he's not a rocker. As massive as his performance was, it wasn't true to rock or even that song. There was no grit in the performance and it sound like a guy with a world class gigantic voice singing out of genre. Freddie Mercury had a similar range and power but he made it work in context of the threatrical rock songs they did. Adam can do the same thing, but Robert Plant has that rock vibe when hitting the same giant notes.. Adam does not. I always look forward to seeing/hearing him and would be happy to see him in concert. He's so much more polished than any previous contestant (including all previous winners) that it's laughable. It's like bringing in the NFL player to perform against really good ALL Star high school football players. But in this case, he used that skill to try and play Rugby and it didn't really work... (except for the duet.. more on that in a second)

Alison looked great (Adam knows his hair) and performed amazingly and was by far the most authentic of the 4 in the genre (followed by Kris). He stage presence was great and she seemed ultra confident to me, until the moron judges once again trashed her and trashed her. Sorry.. but they can only be doing this because they've been told to or have a personal agenda (maybe they don't like her personally or something). Oddly enough the only weeks they were all supportive were the 2 really bad weeks she's had this season. Outside of those 2 weeks, she's either been the best or second best every other week.

This week she was not the best vocalist. Adam sang 100% great (outside of genre) and Kris sang excellently in his song. But Alison really IS a rocker, and a seasoned one at that, and the music industry DESPERATELY needs more legit female rock singers. (Kelly Clarkson is pop rock and could easily have been country like Carrie Underwood). Alison is old school 1970's rocker chick and if they don't blow it and try to make her a Pop/R&B singer like they seem to try and make EVERYONE for the last 10 years, she could be a huge star. It will all come down to handling.

The duets were night and day. Kris and Danny were two ducks out of water. Their harmonies were great, but when that stopped, they both came off as lame and awkward. Kris did sing poorly no question, but Danny was way out of his element. And there was ZERO chemisty happening.

On the other extreme, Adam and Alison were AMAZING. It wasn't just singing, though both sang really well... but they were 100% legit and Adam lost his pristine perfection and sang like a rocker, which he didn't do on his solo song. He really had no choice as he had to sing WITH Alison, but it really served him well. It gave him a personality and connection to what he was doing that really worked. For me, that was him most impressive performance. It wasn't vocal pyrotechnics, it was him becoming the artist that he could be and being legit and not a fish out of water who can sing better than any previous AI contestant.

Danny should be gone. Kris problably will go though. And I agree that he seems like he's ready to go. All of them know they don't DESERVE to win over Adam. They just don't. I like Alison a lot, but she doesn't deserve to beat Adam. And Danny has only done this well all season because of his back story and nothing else. If you'd never heard a word about any of these folks before this started, we'd all agree that Danny had outstayed his welcome. But if the media and AI staff has anything to say about it, Danny will be in the final no matter what.. even more likely than Adam apparently at this point. And that is a shame.

Which final show would be more fun to watch? Adam and Alison, who seem to actually like each other and are by far the 2 most polished acts, or Danny and anyone else where Danny will once again sing exactly the same as he always does no matter what they are singing? Yawn. And that yawn is exactly how much anyone will care about him as an artist. I actually realized that Taylor Hicks is even BETTER than Danny when they were both on the same episode. And he's done nothing either. Danny's back story can only carry him so long. His best bet is to become a CC artist where I think perhaps he could become a star and sustain it. It's a natural fit and that's where he should go.

It was very clear that this was by far the best final 4 in AI history.

Brian

PS: In past season, anyone finishing their song like Danny did would have been run out on a rail by everyone. It was pre-season Idol cringe worthy. The way the judges all glossed over the disasterous performance was all you needed to know about what their agenda was.

I think they realized it wasn't the big money maker they thought it could be... now they can still pick the exact same songs they would have anyway and not spend so much money on the contest which probably cost as much as they made and more. (Since they wasted tv screen time mentioning it and they can do better promoting more major label artists who pay them for performance slots and to promote their movies...)

See my last post above. Kara gets to write the winner's song this year. She entered last year and didn't get picked so kicked up a fuss about it. Apparently, she managed to negotiate it into her contract, so if the song does well, she'll get some nice royalty income over the next few years. Nice job if you can get it: guaranteed song placement

At least the above is what I read on an Idol site blog. Since there is no contest this year, I'm assuming it's true or at least mostly true.

I thought Kris performance was very good. But the way the judges trashed him. That made me think they had a agenda of who the want in the top three. Then they trashed Allison. It looks more and more like a set up. Danny was the worse but I think they want him and will send Kris or Allison home. Danny deserves to go home. He has no artistry, originality or “wow” performances but will he? He reminds me of Tyler Hicks.

Interesting that Kris was #1 in the voting - at least according to how they gave the results. Allison went home, that's cool for me - I did appreciate her style, but didn't feel she was as appealing a performer as the others.

Pretty lame.. but not surprising. They emphasized over and over that the results were not in order. I bet it was Danny, Adam, Kris, Alison in votes (if you can trust previous results as being true). I bet Adam will get nearly all of Alison's votes. So that may propel him to a much deserved win. It was predictable very early on that Kris and Danny would compete for second, but I guess there's a chance it is Adam and Kris competing. They should definitely be in the finals before Danny. But part of me hopes Danny will win just to spite AI. Just what they need, a slightly weaker version of Taylor Hicks.

But the smart money is still on Adam as it always has been. His looks alone would have taken him far, but his voice simply dwarfs all the rest. The next couple weeks will be far less interesting without Alison in it. Ho hum.

Brian

I could do without hearing another week of Danny, but I was sorry to see Alison go. She went out proudly though, didn't she?

She'll get a deal. Daughtry is the perfect example of not winning, but doing better than the "winner".

Next week the judges pick one and the performer picks one. What in the world could they pick that would make Danny stand out?

I NEVER watch the show. I do watch the rewind auditions sometimes with my wife cause they are funny.

This week I heard THEE RIFF "Whole Lotta Love" so i had to go see what it was. And I watched my first full episode of American Idol

And since it was ROCK week I thought lets see what's what.

What I caught was a LOT of them doing the WRONG songs. Do they have a choice?
Or do they have to choose from two? I don't know the rules.

All I had to do was hear them for 10 seconds to know what songs they should be doing and not doing, Besides having some strategy.

I have NEVER heard any of them before but here's what I thought.

ADAM - Has a face I would like to take a little swipe at, gentle like but ya know LOL... But he has GREAT pipes. And his range and control are both terrific. He does have some theatre in his voice and style. The BLUES is what's missing from him and of course Robert Plant has that... But he was the best of the night no doubt.

If your allowed to pick a song...

HERE"S the mistakes- ENERGY SONGS! After Adam does Whole Lotta Love you HAVE to do songs with a non stop energy no coming down and then building up.

Alison - What are you thinking with that song? Do "MAGIC MAN" by Heart or Barracudda. These songs ROCK and they belt as Ann Wilson is what you;ll need to even get into Zeppelins world at all at least. Bad song I knew that as soon as she said what she was going to sing,

Chris - NO BEATLES! As a Beatles freak but even more as a music LOVER.I KNOW The BEST Beatles songs are mid-tempo ones and ballad like. They have great unique middle feel songs that is totally original to the Beatles.
They are not the best Fast or Hard Rock Band.
What are your choices - Helter Skelter,BAck In The USSR, Revolution, Get Back..
HELLO! None of these work. Dumb move! he was out of Rock night anyway If I were him I would have just went for Peter Frampton's "Show Me The Way"

Danny - he would have done WAY better doing Renegade all by himself than "Dream On"
Plain and simple after Adam you must do "BABBA O RILEY" for those who don't know "Teen Age Wasteland" lol by The WHO or another WHO monster Rock song.
Actually Danny could have even went basic with a Southern Rock style song like ZZ Tops "Tush" Or Rock N Roll Hootchie Koo"

C'mon guys "Highway Star" or something. Ya gotta be high energy after "Whole Lotta Love"

The main reason why the duet of Renegade sounded so good if your wondering when they sang together was those GIRLS singing in the background.
Even on that they should have planned it better, Not line for line but let Chris back uo on the harmony only and then just take the smaller lines, leading too
"I'm a Wanted Man"

Bad choice of songs! but the first guy can have his pick with that range. Only he's theatre bound from what I hear. It was like going to see a GREAT ROCK PLAY and they are performing "Tommy" or something. You leave going wow those singers dancers and musicians were GREAT!

But never could be the Actual artists or writers but..... very well done!

Ok so listen dog, Paula's got mad ventriloquist skills! There was a few times that she was singing (if you want to call it that) and her lips didn't even move. She still has the moves and looks good on stage, but why don't they let the contestants use the over-processed vocal toys like she and jamie foxx get to use??? Danny's scream would have been better, and with that technology, you don't even really have to be able to sing anymore, do you?

As much as I don't like the style, "No Doubt" was FANTASTIC!!! They were live and you could hear Gwen's real voice. Great stage presence, great energy, and a bit of fresh air to the usual typical and boring performances.

Did someone else perform too...? I just don't remember.

No, he was probably second from the bottom. For the sake of drama they put him in the 'safe' seat first to make us think that even Adam might be in trouble.

Had Allison sung Cry baby Cry like she did in her farewell song, she might have stuck around. She sang it Wednesday with the abandon of Janis Joplin. My favorite performance from her.

I wanted Danny to go because I don't think there is anything else he can show us musically, unless it is an even more hideous scream. I will say that he is a really nice guy with a great self deprecating sense of humor. His scream will go down in history like the famous Wilhelm scream of the movies. Here is Danny Gorkey 12 second nightmare scream. Listen for it next summer in your favorite horror thriller at your local movie theater. He will probably be getting royalties for the next 50 years!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOAKLuAcOXA

Here is the Wilhelm scream soon to be replaced by Danny Gorkey's blood curdling contribution to movie sound effects http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PxALy22utc&NR=1

Chris has got a lot under the hood that he isn't showing so I am still intrigued by what he might do. Mike Caro had some great suggestions for what the AI final four should have sung. Peter Frampton's "Show Me The Way" would have been perfect for Chris.


I wanted to see Adam and Allison in the final showdown but I think all four will have careers. I know that Adam is the best singer but I am actually less interested in hearing an album by him that Allison or Chris. That is not to say that I wouldn't want to hear him live or in the theater though.

If they all released an album, here is the order of my interest. 1. Allison 2. Chris. 3. Adam 4. Danny.

TOP 3- 12May09

DANNY (Dance Little Sister), I thought he rocked it up, he had fun, the voice was spot on.

KRIS (Apologize), thought the voice was a bit stressed in the chorus, but there was some very nice quality in the rest of the song.

ADAM (One), tremendous breath flow, great range, bright clear tone.

DANNY (You are so beautiful), interesting voice, from a singing teacher's point of view. Very breathy/raspy to start, but then finds beautiful clear tone in the higher notes. Tastefully ornamented, great sense of musicality. I thought it was a wonderful interpretation of the song. Showed control, range, and heart.

KRIS (Heartless), I enjoyed the song, well sung, well performed. Voice has a bloom on it, a warm vibrato that is appealing. Refreshing and different.

ADAM (Crying), ohhh I loooove Aerosmith. I couldn't sing it, but he sure can. Couldn't hear anything not to appreciate.

For me, vocally and performance-wise, these three singers are very close. I do think Adam has an amazing instrument and great musicality, I think Danny also has good range and musical sensibilities, I think Kris is very talented and has great artistry. How do you choose between them? If by vocal ability alone, then I have to choose Adam, with Danny a close second.

If the voting is based on last night's show alone, I actually think Adam should be the one going home.

I picked Adam and Danny to be 1 and 2 way back on the first "competition" program of the sentence. Adam is definitely the best performer so far, but his voice lacks the rasp or edge to be the "Rock God" everyone wants him to be. He comes across as an actor portraying a rock star.

Danny has a nice voice and has the rasp, but his voice is much more limited. He doesn't seem to be comfortable on the stage and comes across as a music teacher trying to be a star.

The surprise for me has been Kris. I didn't pay much attention to him at first, but he has been consistent throughout the competition. He has a clear, pleasant voice and seems comfortable on stage. He doesn't seem to try to be anything other than what he is, a talented pop singer.

At this point, I honestly think any one of the three could win. I think the panel wants Adam, and Simon was smart enough to realize that the votes could end up going for either of the other two, hence his plea for people to vote for Adam.

I agree. They each have their strengths.

Gotta say I really thought Adam's rendition of "One" was horrible. I tuned in just in time to hear about how they got Bono's permission to do the song...then got to hear what must've been Adam's worst performance I've seen.

Didn't hang around to catch the rest of the show, but it doesn't surprise me if always-steady Kris steals this thing.

-Ethan

I wasn't blown away by anyone in particular last night, but thought they all did a fairly decent job. Adam had a few pitch issues that bugged me - especially on the U2 song. I think Danny is still the weakest of the three.

I'm pretty sure the finale will be between Adam and Kris - either one could win because Danny's votes will probably go to Kris, not Adam.

They are all winners at this point ! In fact, the added pressure of being "idol" might be a negative...ya know..? It could be better career wise to NOT win ! !

Don't be so quick to count Danny out. He is the only one who has never been in the bottom three- well technically he is now because the bottom three are also the top three.

I hated Adam's Aerosmith's "Crying". His normally high range was annoying lat night.

Danny and Chris were OK.

I would put the performances in this order 1. Chris 2. Danny 3. Adam. I would be a bit surprised if Adam went home but not shocked. But generally I am losing interest.

I get a Dish Network news letter that said some interesting things about each of the three. When Chris was in Mozambique he give away his Takamine guitar to Christian singing group.
The article said that Adam was the first openly gay AI contestant. I didn't detect any "openness" about it. Danny was minutes from pulling out of the audition when friends talked him into sticking with his plans after his wife's death.

Ah yes, the finale will be with...Adam and Kris.

Although I have to admit, Danny did a really nice job on "You Are So Beautiful" both last night and tonight.

Katy Perry...well, she can't sing very well, but does write songs with memorable hooks (Ur so Gay, I Kissed A Girl, etc) and puts on a good show. I believe we said the same thing about Madonna 20 years ago.

Didn't Alicia Keys look absolutely stunning? She's a real class act and I was hoping to hear her perform, but oh well.

They mentioned a 2-day finale next week? Huh? Anything to stretch the advertising income I guess. With 88 million votes, they can sure charge a lot for a 15-second spot.

Madonna sings far better than Katy Perry.. but that's like saying mud tastes better than dirt I guess. = )

The performance by the kid with Alicia was pointless. At best it was exploitation with good intent.. but it just all felt wrong. I'd much rather have had a talented peformer perform something in their native tongue with music that wasnt' Americanized. Blech... Alicia is the real deal though.

Danny is finally gone. About 3-4 weeks late, but better late than never. Kris is a worthy finalist. I thought he blew Adam and Danny off the stage on both performances. Adam I thought had his worst week of the season. His performance of "One" was particularly terrible. He screamed it (albeit in tune at least) and it had no qualities to it that were musical or artistic. Really terrible.

Danny was exactly as he was every week. Same sound, same performance, same dull and boring result. He's the only one in the top 4 that NEEDED to win to be successful going forward.

Kris is the most polished and relevent of the top 4 and he might just pull the upset now that Danny is gone. I believe he will gain far more of Danny's voters than Adam will because Adam has been seen all season as Danny's arch rival. That plays perfectly into Kris's hands. Adam is going to need one of his midseason performances where he surprises you to win I think. If he's predicatable and just screams his way through a couple more songs, then Kris will have a shot.

I miss Alison, but I can't be unhappy with Kris or Adam.. both are worthy and deserving artists.


Brian

It was interesting to read back through this thread because Kris Allen flew completely under the radar until the final 10. Some early folks didn't even include him in there top 54 and later 36. There was buzz about Adam before he even went to Hollywood. Matt, Anoop, Lil Round and Danny were all mentioned early and often. Nary a peep about Kris- and now he could take it all. My first post on this thread was when the field was narrowed down to three groups of 12. I wrote:

"Just for the fun of it I would like to make a prediction. Because this guy's voice seems to not have a limit, and because he looks like Elvis a little, and because watching him reminds one of a concert instead of an audition (Paula's observation), I will put my money on Adam Lambert. While other contestants are trying to find their "stuff", this guy has so much of it that he has to notch it down".

I think what happened is that Kris grew. He did find his "stuff". I think Allison did to, and she is the one that I would have liked to see on top.

I'll probably stick to my prediction but I want Kris to win.
It is interesting that no one, myself included, could see Kris in the top 10 much less in the finals for so long. He reminded me of a nice college kid who likes to sing at the local campus coffee house on the weekends. It turns out that he has a songwriter's instinct about "message". He may be the most connected to the material he sings. Adam impressed me because he is always so respectful of the musicians and writers. America got it right I think. Stick Allison there in the middle and you have the cream of the crop.

You couldn't see "Kris" in the finals because you'd never seen or heard of him. He didn't get the background push that Danny got. Danny was only there in the final 5 because of that. Sure, he sang well, but was boring boring boring. The same can be said of the partially blind guy who was an embarrassment.

AI are masters of manipulation. From the subtle (like which key weeks to do which genres of music) to the performance order of the show, to the clearly staged judges comments meant to push the right buttons (sometimes harsh criticism can help as much as praise if done at the right times). But their ultimate weapon is how much face time people get pre-Top 12. Danny and the partially blind guy got way more than Kris ever did.

I wasn't a huge fan of Kris from the tiny amount of footage I was allowed to see. I wish they would put clips at least of the Hollywood week contestants up so folks could really see them. But they like this sort of invisible unless you're paying attention manipulation and it has worked well for them over the years (in their minds). Sadly, I think if they were more balanced with their converage, they might have better results at the end. They are lucky this year that they had a handful of really good singers that didn't collapse under the pressure. Lil Rounds and Scott were the two worst in the Top 10. (Not even mentioning the people that finished 13th, 12th and 11th.. all were pretty terrible). They left several true talents by the side of the road after Hollywood week was over and they were picking the final 13. We'll never know why exactly. The girl that finished 13th was totally a set up. She was cute and looked like an already famous actress but couldn't sing AT ALL. In the end, they found 4-5 really talented singers/performers, out of the 100K or whatever the number was that they auditioned. You decide if that was enough or not.


Brian

Adam Lambert doing Sam Cook (a change is gonna come)- that pretty much sealed the deal tonight I thought. The song, was chosen in 2007 by the Library of Congress to join the National Recording Registry and voted the #12 Greatest Song of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2005

Lambert's last song, written by kara and some accomplices, wasn't very good, but he had two good performances and Kris had only one good one. Unfortunately Kris sung last and couldn't hit the high notes which was too much of a contrast to the easy way Adam hit his notes.

It's not over until the contracts are all signed. I would bet that Kris will have the better first album and Adam will have the biggest concert tour.

Hi Samuel,
Those were pretty much my thoughts also.I was thinking if I was to go out and buy a CD,it would probably be Kris's,but If I were going to a concert,Adam would be the better performer.

I wasnt really impressed with Kara's song.and it kinda reminded me(lyrically)of miley cyrus's new song.

I guess it could go either way tomorrow night.It would seem after tonights performances that Adfam would have sealed the deal,but there is the chance that Kris will now be getting all of Danny's votes also.

IMO both finalists have their own strengths, and a lot of appeal. Vocally the match has to go to Adam, he has fantastic range, power, and terrific mastery of his instrument - and he sings from the heart. I think Kris is original, is musically talented, and has a lot of artistry. No matter who wins, if they have their heads on straight and use the exposure effectively, both will have long careers. My vote is for Adam.

At this point, I don't think it really matters who will win. They've both proven what they can do, and likely they both will have good recording contracts. Being the winner of AI hasn't proven that you will get a better deal than the first-place loser.
I think Kris will win though, most likely because he gets Danny's votes.

And the winner is......


KRIS ALLEN!!!

Big upset I think...would've preferred Adam myself, but they'll both do well. The finale show was actually pretty decent, a lot of big names showing up.

Great season!!

Beth

You can all bet I was pretty hopping-up-and-down excited when Queen came out of the fog to back up Adam and Kris on "We Are the Champions." :-)

We picked Kris to win in our house because he would get Danny's leftover votes. Adam seems to be polarizing. You either love him (we do) or you can't stand him.

I felt all season that AI somehow caught a REALLY BIG FISH in their net when Adam auditioned.

And I'm with Brian on the "not-so-subtle" manipulations they pull too - why not REALLY let America vote - from Hollywood week? Let them get even coverage. It's so skewed. Skip the zany goofy bad auditions - I mean, if they were TRULY SCREENING FOR TALENT ONLY at these auditions these horrible singers would not get in front of Paula and Simon et al in the first place. It is for the sake of TV drama and that's all. (Which I hate: they're messing with people's lives, hopes and dreams here - but I digress)

I'm happy Kris won.
I think he'll need the publicity more than Adam will.
I also think Kris was truly shocked. Adam held his composure really, really well and I was pleased to see that he was such a good sport about it. (Then again, with his 17 years of actor's training, he may just know not to break character. Who is the REAL Adam Lambert - do we know that yet?)

And Simon looked decidedly ticked.

I hope that not-winning, actually, gives Adam a more fair artist contract than he may have gotten with the win.

Let's see where they go from here, what kind of songs they write or sing. Then again, Adam could sing about his favorite tomato and I'd listen to him.

I'm excited to see where Allison goes from here, too. I have my fingers crossed she and Adam will record a heavy-duty rock album together. Hehe, with Queen backing them up. We haven't seen rock voices like this emerge since the 70s. IMHO.

In the back of my head though I'm wondering if there was some sort of a secret-audition where they've been sending scouts out to make SURE they have great talent on the show in the finals.... I'm skeptical that way....

Onward -

Linda

PS - Sub, I'm with you on the song choices - I'd like to see the LIST they had to pick from. And HELP them, for pity's sake. Allison definitely could have knocked "Barracuda" out of the park. It was cool to see her perform with Cyndi Lauper tonight - but man - neat as it was to see and hear Cyndi looking and sounding so great - I would have preferred to see her with Heart. I haven't heard a voice like hers since Ann & Nancy took the stage. WOW.

Actually Linda, Fergie sang with Ann Wilson last year on AI and Fergie not only held her own, but actually upstaged Ann on Barracuda and from that moment on, I was a Fergie fan whereas before that I thought she was just the hot chick in Black Eyed Peas.

I thought the show was throroughly entertaining start to finish. They FINALLY stopped taking themselves too seriously. They had a lot of humor, they brought back the two most talented and dramatic rejects who were both funny and had no problem making fun of themselves, and they even brought out Steve Martin who made two of the forgettable losers look and sound excellent. (I will actually buy his album now because of it.. I was already a Steve Martin fan anyway).

The best moment of the night was KISS in full regalia. That was AWESOME. Also, one of my least favorite contestants Lil Rounds did a nice job with Queen Latifah.. neither sang well, but they entertained well and I really liked the song they sang (is that Queen Latifah's new release or what?). The Keith Urban match up with Kris was good but it was interesting to see how much more comfortable Keith Urban is with his stage presence. But Kris will quickly catch up I think.

Was it an upset? Not really. The reason is that it was predictable that the fans of Adam's arch rival would mostly go to Kris. Had Adam been paired against anyone else, he would have won. Danny's fans are the reason Kris won. They "slayed the dragon" so to speak and voted against Adam more than for Kris.

But both were deserving. I actually think Adam needed AI more than Kris. Ironically I think it may hurt Kris in the long run. He's a much better dark horse than leading man.

Adam should join Queen and go on tour. He's perfectly suited to replace Freddie from a vocal and stage presence point of view. I was sad to see only 2 members of Queen remaining. Though they wrote a lot of the songs (Guitarist and Drummer).

The vocals through the night were not the best ever, but as entertainment it was by far the most entertaining live show I have seen on TV since the last Farewell tour of Cher years back. (That was the best live show on TV I have ever seen).

Good for AI for using their power to put together not just a star studded line up, but well thought out entertainment finale. I was a little disappointed that Alison didn't get a big rock song to sing, but did anyone else notice she was by FAR the most enthusiastic person on stage all night no matter what she was doing? Imagine just turing 17 and being featured in the middle of all that. WOW.

Kudos to AI. The season never seemed as good as it should have been but the finale was worth it all by far.

Brian

Steve Martin had John McEuen accompanying on the mandolin. John taught Steve the banjo and is most famous for his work with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
I wasn't shocked when I saw KISS, but it was a highlight for me too. By that point in the show, I began noticing that the outfits and songs performed suggested who would appear next. Adam's weird wings made me immediately think of Kiss (I guess singing "Beth" helped too), but the costumes played a big part. Speaking of costumes, I loved Ryan's comment about what Bikini Girl had been up to (as she showed off her new implants).
I thought it was great to see a more uncommon instrument (the mountain dulcimer) being used. Cyndi was really playing it too, but I think they faded her playing out towards the end, as Paul Jackson Jr. was stronger on guitar.
Overall, an extremely entertaining show - AND I'm glad Linda got to see the new Adam-ized Queen.

It was a thoroughly entertaining show, and we really enjoyed it...I think Adam is better off in 2nd career wise, as I believe he's only under 19 entertainment's wings for one year...the winner is in for SEVEN. Kelly Clarkson just got realeased from hers ! I think Adam is a PERFECT replacement for Freddie Mercury... Queen could actually make a comeback with Adam...Paul Rogers never fit with them IMHO...Hopefully Kris will grow into the "idol" tag and prove Brian wrong about being better at being the dark horse than the winner...He's a very humble and nice guy, and I hope that is works out that way...winning has NO correlation to success in terms of idol...just getting in the public eye by finishing in the top 6 or so is enough

Carlos Santana, Kiss, Black Eyed Peas, Keith Urban, Lionel Richie, Cindy Lauper and a surprisingly nice sound from Steve Martin performing with Megan Joy (tatoo arm girl) and Michael Sarver (oil rigger cowboy).

I skipped Rod Stewart so I don't know if he was good or not (just overexposed)- but overall, a good night for music.

It got outrageous when Karla surprised bikini girl and showed her how to sing and then stripped off her clothes revealing a bikini of her own- which I think completely embarrassed her because she kept trying to put the package back in the wrap.

A splendid time was had by all and of course Henry the horse danced the waltz- that would probably be "Norman Gentle".

Oh - that's right, Brian, Fergie did sing with Ann - I forgot about that. I guess I've never been as impressed with her as I've been, watching Allison (could be the songs she chooses to sing, though, I just don't like her stuff much).

I think Adam would be PERFECT with Queen too. Brian May is quoted somewhere as saying they never wanted to "replace" Freddie, since you just can't replace him anyway - and that with Paul Rodgers they felt a chemistry and enjoy working together. I like Paul - he *can* sing - but Adam feels like a much better fit overall for the frontman slot.

BTW - in case any of you didn't know - Queen has a new album out with Paul Rodgers, with all-new songs, "The Cosmos Rocks." It's a hit in the UK but isn't getting any airtime here, although there's some good singles on it. They never really "left" fame in England to have to 'come back' to - over there, they're second only to the Beatles. Just huge. They sold out a 4-month European tour last fall. Here in the US, they pretty much flopped after the Brit-humor video for "I Want to Break Free" failed to go over with US audiences.

FYI - for Brian Whitney et al on Queen post-Freddie's passing - Brian May & Roger Taylor are left active with the band, picking up Paul Rodgers as a third plus a solid set of musicians that tour with them. John Deacon (bass) is formally retired and it's a bit of a mystery where he is or what he does these days, but the word is that their current stuff has his approval - he just wants to be retired. (I can't imagine leaving music behind like that, but, that's me. Shrug.)

Anyway, I'd love to see what they could write with Adam. IF they went for it - which is doubtful, I suppose. Nice to know they've met, though. :-) One can dream.

Linda

i enjoyed both shows and the superstar line up
Think Adam is the better singer but Kris got more teen girl votes because he's cuter.
I'm curious how everybody's CDs are going to do, I'm sure at least 6 maybe more of this seasons will make a CD.

One friend said she bet's Kris' Cd will be easier to listen to.
Curious to see what's going to be on Adam's.
Bet Kara's gonna to get a bunch of cuts on this crop of albums.

Now the real game begins.

ande

...late to the party. Been out of town (and gigging a lot) and didn't even get to watch the recorded show until Sunday.

I can't think of a better finale than what they ended up with. I enjoyed everything except the Black-Eyed Peas...and Rod Stewart was drugged up or something - he kept tripping on stage.

Other than that...Queen, KISS, Cyndi Lauper, Keith Urban, Lionel Ritchie, Carlos Santana, Steve Martin, Norman Gentle, Bikini Girl (Katrina something) with an enhancement she didn't need IMHO, and Kara letting us hear a nice set of pipes as well as showing a nice six-pack stomach herself, and the whiney Tatiana, all made a very entertaining show. I think it had better overall talent than many of the Grammy shows I've seen. I'm glad I have my Tuesdays and Wednesdays back, and am looking forward to seeing if we'll have the same judge lineup next year.

they shoulda done the contest
no boundaries
Kara's 'Idol' Champ Tune Cut From Tour
http://www.popeater.com/music/article/american-idol-tour-kara-dioguardi/

good, it was NOT a good song