An impressive performance by Lady Gaga tended to take our attention away from the task in hand. Maybe the producers had seen her UK Brits Awards act a little while ago and were worried about revelations upsetting the good old American viewers as there was an abundance of smoke and the camera man seemed to have instructions not to zoom in at any cost and to avoid any below waist shots. Once I'd managed to get over the annoying and pointless audience clapping and cheering at various points I was struck by how much this young lady resembles Madonna in originality and turning tracks into mini almost operatic ideas. She was good.
Back to the five still standing after the night before. They kicked off with a far smoother and less awkward joint rendition with the compulsory few seconds each has to sing alone. Crystal was the lady who is a tramp to the four crooners and you couldn't help thinking that the set gave her a nice high profile: basically it was Crystal and The Others, which isn't far off fact anyway.
Lee gets let off the hook before Lady Gaga appears and we have some very cool Harry rehearsal shots and even cooler singing the Lennon & McCartney And I Love Her which I adore. I can only assume that Lee's doc had written in to the teachers to say he was likely to crap himself on stage if Ryan Seacrest did the usual misleading of Lee thing yet again this week.
Crystal must be wondering whether she'll ever get a chance to sing the stuff she really enjoys ever again and, although she is looking so much better these days, I do hope she can kick some ass in the final few weeks. The last five sing-a-long was rubbish and they'd have been better just getting on with the results for my taste. *Eventually, though, they did, and after Mike and Crystal are duly relieved we're with Aaron and Casey staring at the ceiling.
Mike can't believe his luck again and you have to start wondering what on earth can make people vote Aaron off after some pretty nondescript weeks. Casey's had some good moments but it's becoming increasingly clear that his time's going to be up sooner or later with Cara if not the rest of the US population. will it be tonight?
*I actually wrote this before knowing how the last four would divide up! Hmmm. Didn't see that coming, did I?
Mike still can't believe his luck again. And my initial review was right after all. Bye Aaron.
Showing posts with label Aaron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron. Show all posts
Friday, May 07, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
American Idol: The songs of Sinatra
Really great mentoring by Harry Connick Jnr. I feel Siobhan could have drifted easily through this week (well, assuming she'd agreed that screaming wasn't on for Sinatra) and definitely the wrong person went last week.
Aaron 4
This should have been a good week for Aaron but this was a nervous performance, notes wobbling and being missed. Not good at all. Certainly not the kind of stuff expected of one the last 5 out of ¼ million applicants.
Casey 5½
Well out of his zone but, mercifully and maybe luckily for him, not out of tune. Again not at all impressive.
Crystal 18
Beautiful. Totally at home in this genre which I didn't expect. Gentle and she seemed to mean the words. Very smart and infinitely better than the first two guys, neither of whom came within a mile of her appeal. You could tell that she can react to the band and was part of a whole as well as being the star that she surely will be, albeit in a totally different way.
Mike 6½
Now I'm expecting him to wow the audience this week. He could have picked a huge big band number and crack out of the gloom that he is almost permanently in these days and had huge applause and respect. Instead we got another slow-mo. Sped up after a while but wasn't the song to speed up without losing its whole point and the feel was totally lost and all in all, just amateur and not something anyone should pay to hear. Response was one of the best of the night, though, so maybe I missed something.
Lee 18½
Dressed, finally, to look so much smarter than the car mechanic image presented to date, he has a chance to put this week safely in the bag and move on to that big Last 4 night. He took it, he made it. He even pushes Crystal, tonight at any rate, into 2nd place. Cool, cool performance. well done.
Aaron 4
This should have been a good week for Aaron but this was a nervous performance, notes wobbling and being missed. Not good at all. Certainly not the kind of stuff expected of one the last 5 out of ¼ million applicants.
Casey 5½
Well out of his zone but, mercifully and maybe luckily for him, not out of tune. Again not at all impressive.
Crystal 18
Beautiful. Totally at home in this genre which I didn't expect. Gentle and she seemed to mean the words. Very smart and infinitely better than the first two guys, neither of whom came within a mile of her appeal. You could tell that she can react to the band and was part of a whole as well as being the star that she surely will be, albeit in a totally different way.
Mike 6½
Now I'm expecting him to wow the audience this week. He could have picked a huge big band number and crack out of the gloom that he is almost permanently in these days and had huge applause and respect. Instead we got another slow-mo. Sped up after a while but wasn't the song to speed up without losing its whole point and the feel was totally lost and all in all, just amateur and not something anyone should pay to hear. Response was one of the best of the night, though, so maybe I missed something.
Lee 18½
Dressed, finally, to look so much smarter than the car mechanic image presented to date, he has a chance to put this week safely in the bag and move on to that big Last 4 night. He took it, he made it. He even pushes Crystal, tonight at any rate, into 2nd place. Cool, cool performance. well done.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
American Idol Top 6 Review
This is a big week as 6 become 5 and things really should be starting to heat up a bit. Shania Twain certainly contributes to some of the heat but I can't see how the competitors are going to take her songs and really inspire us but let's see what happens. Hoping to be surprised . . . much depends on how Siobhan and Casey manage to claw back what I reckon has been quite a significant drop in screen impact over the last few weeks. They haven't come across as real potential stars as they so did at the outset but I have a feeling one or both should make that break to put some distance between them and Aaron and Mike who, by talent reckoning, ought to be the bottom two and heading home. Can't see Lee closing the gap on Crystal this week.
Lee 8
A good earthy performance, cut short as ever in these programmes, which didn't really allow him to get going. Sounds like the kind of thing he could do himself. Doing Shania Twain was never going to be an easy ride for Lee but he did pretty well. Simon was absolutely spot-on too. Star quality lacking tonight but 8/10 for what he did.
Mike 7½
Another of his high-end-of-the-range efforts. The guy gets the crowd on his side all right but I didn't know this song and couldn't really latch on to it at the same time as watching this big guy on the screen. A quality job but did it work? Needed a few more verses again. Just cutting these tunes in half to allow for the ads is very annoying and doesn't give them much of a chance. Loved Simon's comment of 'wet'. No-one there seemed to get it but I did and agree totally. Summed it up very very nicely! Will phoneland like it? Probably. But Mike needs to pull something heavier out of the bag if he's to get much further.
Casey 17
At last, the guy's done something right! His best of the series. Casey's back in the running.
Crystal 7½
Have to say I didn't really get this at all. Would have been better without the support musicians but she did 'country' so there you go. On another week she'd be in trouble but hopefully she'll be around to make up for this another day. I suppose there is a risk that Aaron doesn't screw up and Siobhan makes the most of what ought to be a cool week for her and she's dropped in the doo doo with someone with a large fan club like Mike. She could have made herself a lot, lot safer.
Aaron 17
Actually a very mature and smart performance. Looked good and he's competing with Casey on style and presence. That could even be bad news for someone.
Siobhan 7
OK, she can do the long high notes but somehow this didn't quite work. Looking good and she certainly tried but I'm not so sure she'll be such a hit with the voters. Bags of talent there and she looks great but seemed all a bit mixed up. Again, I have a feeling that, given a full length of the track to get people tuned in to what she's doing and to start joining in, tapping feet or whatever, she'd have gone down a storm. As it was, this was a shower, albeit a pretty cool shower after which I need a cold shower!
This is most definitely not a week I'll be betting on. I guess the results are out now in the States and it'll be really difficult not peeping into Tweetdeck tonight or tomorrow. If I have to plump for someone, though, it's between Mike and Siobhan, with gasps from the audience and the big guy on his way home.
[Surprised to see Casey in the bottom two and Mike must be thinking he had a lucky escape. Sorry to see Siobhan go but watching her farewell performance you can see that the squeal that has become her trademark was actually what spoilt an otherwise superb and inspired version of Think. She'll get plenty of opportunities though and will be popular on tour where I predict Didi will also come into her own and make a great career.]
A good earthy performance, cut short as ever in these programmes, which didn't really allow him to get going. Sounds like the kind of thing he could do himself. Doing Shania Twain was never going to be an easy ride for Lee but he did pretty well. Simon was absolutely spot-on too. Star quality lacking tonight but 8/10 for what he did.
Mike 7½
Another of his high-end-of-the-range efforts. The guy gets the crowd on his side all right but I didn't know this song and couldn't really latch on to it at the same time as watching this big guy on the screen. A quality job but did it work? Needed a few more verses again. Just cutting these tunes in half to allow for the ads is very annoying and doesn't give them much of a chance. Loved Simon's comment of 'wet'. No-one there seemed to get it but I did and agree totally. Summed it up very very nicely! Will phoneland like it? Probably. But Mike needs to pull something heavier out of the bag if he's to get much further.
Casey 17
At last, the guy's done something right! His best of the series. Casey's back in the running.
Crystal 7½
Have to say I didn't really get this at all. Would have been better without the support musicians but she did 'country' so there you go. On another week she'd be in trouble but hopefully she'll be around to make up for this another day. I suppose there is a risk that Aaron doesn't screw up and Siobhan makes the most of what ought to be a cool week for her and she's dropped in the doo doo with someone with a large fan club like Mike. She could have made herself a lot, lot safer.
Aaron 17
Actually a very mature and smart performance. Looked good and he's competing with Casey on style and presence. That could even be bad news for someone.
Siobhan 7
OK, she can do the long high notes but somehow this didn't quite work. Looking good and she certainly tried but I'm not so sure she'll be such a hit with the voters. Bags of talent there and she looks great but seemed all a bit mixed up. Again, I have a feeling that, given a full length of the track to get people tuned in to what she's doing and to start joining in, tapping feet or whatever, she'd have gone down a storm. As it was, this was a shower, albeit a pretty cool shower after which I need a cold shower!
This is most definitely not a week I'll be betting on. I guess the results are out now in the States and it'll be really difficult not peeping into Tweetdeck tonight or tomorrow. If I have to plump for someone, though, it's between Mike and Siobhan, with gasps from the audience and the big guy on his way home.
[Surprised to see Casey in the bottom two and Mike must be thinking he had a lucky escape. Sorry to see Siobhan go but watching her farewell performance you can see that the squeal that has become her trademark was actually what spoilt an otherwise superb and inspired version of Think. She'll get plenty of opportunities though and will be popular on tour where I predict Didi will also come into her own and make a great career.]
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
American Idol Top 7 Reviews Pt I
Casey 5
Don't Stop a risky choice and he sounds strained at the top end, not only during practice with Alicia either, unfortunately. Performance lacked character, although he himself comes across well. Difficult to judge as he's first up and he's been well-supported so far. I was disappointed as I'd seen him as a winner but don't now.
Lee 16
The Boxer a great song, one of my all-time favourites. Cut ridiculously short but what there was was so much better than Casey's effort and moved him well ahead of that rival in this competition. Improving every week and no sign of stopping. Looking better too.
Tim 7½
Better Days suited him well and would be his kind of song. Again, way too short to have a proper impact but well-presented and believable. A little plain. Good but plain.
Aaron 7
If I Can Fly was one big risk. Seemed hurried, a song that needs to be laid out for us to consider and move with. Passion appeared and you could tell that he'd been singing this for years in a pretty professional performance. He might get away with it but someone has to go and he may not have taken the best bet for this week.
Siobhan 7
When You Believe Multi-patterned and quite beautiful in places. A tough song which worked well for her but may not appeal to a wide enough audience or fan base. She spoke really well afterwards which was courageous and intelligent.
Mike 6½
Hero was a bit muddled and, whilst a cool choice yet again, it wasn't his best week. Eventually he took control and got the song in order and, as Randy said, 'it worked out'. Just.
Crystal 20
With People Get Ready, taking a further step away from her comfort zone of playing tracks she knows well on a dusty stage with friends as backing singers and an audience a few feet away, a fantastic performance, worthy of the competition just stopping now and celebrating her brilliance. Emotion at the end just showed how real she is. Totally different league to everyone else tonight.
Don't Stop a risky choice and he sounds strained at the top end, not only during practice with Alicia either, unfortunately. Performance lacked character, although he himself comes across well. Difficult to judge as he's first up and he's been well-supported so far. I was disappointed as I'd seen him as a winner but don't now.
Lee 16
The Boxer a great song, one of my all-time favourites. Cut ridiculously short but what there was was so much better than Casey's effort and moved him well ahead of that rival in this competition. Improving every week and no sign of stopping. Looking better too.
Tim 7½
Better Days suited him well and would be his kind of song. Again, way too short to have a proper impact but well-presented and believable. A little plain. Good but plain.
Aaron 7
If I Can Fly was one big risk. Seemed hurried, a song that needs to be laid out for us to consider and move with. Passion appeared and you could tell that he'd been singing this for years in a pretty professional performance. He might get away with it but someone has to go and he may not have taken the best bet for this week.
Siobhan 7
When You Believe Multi-patterned and quite beautiful in places. A tough song which worked well for her but may not appeal to a wide enough audience or fan base. She spoke really well afterwards which was courageous and intelligent.
Mike 6½
Hero was a bit muddled and, whilst a cool choice yet again, it wasn't his best week. Eventually he took control and got the song in order and, as Randy said, 'it worked out'. Just.
Crystal 20
With People Get Ready, taking a further step away from her comfort zone of playing tracks she knows well on a dusty stage with friends as backing singers and an audience a few feet away, a fantastic performance, worthy of the competition just stopping now and celebrating her brilliance. Emotion at the end just showed how real she is. Totally different league to everyone else tonight.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
American Idol Top 9 (again) reviews
Crystal 10½
For some reason this didn't seem to suit her, excellent though she was in almost every way. Kinda thing you might find on a B side. Top marks for quality and solid performance but no extras this week. I wonder how the public voters will take it, bearing in mind the big teenage fan numbers building up for one or two others who really ought to be going but may not.
AndrewG 4
So good to see Adam Lambert being so honest. This was not good. OK, in tune but eminently missable. I've never rated this guy who for some reason was favourite at one point. With two departing this week, surely he has to be one of them, and I'm writing this without having yet seen the others.
Tim 14
That worked well. Possibly his best effort so far and making up for several weeks of average. Again, great advice from Adam who seems to be right on contestants' wavelengths. His fans will like that and the judges' complimentary remarks will boost his confidence of making the final few. Need to see what Aaron comes up with, though, who could split his support vote. People will remember that and I can see him going down a gentle storm during the tour with that simple track. He always looks a bit out of place doing the Glee smiley stuff, as does Crystal but for different reasons.
Lee 8½
If this track hadn't already been done that way a few years ago this would have been brilliant. Unfortunately, it had been and he just seemed to be doing a copy, admittedly very competently. Not a good week for him but not a bad one either. Solid, not inspiring. Judges seemed to love it so maybe it was better in the studio that on the screen.
Aaron 7
Hmm. Where's he going with this. Break half-way through made a difference and just rescued it. No mistakes and a decent performance although he just couldn't really grab the song and make it his, which would have been damn difficult anyway. No idea about this one really. He may be in trouble as Tim did so much better. Way better than AndrewG though.
Siobhan 10
Terrible ending. She almost went in a fabulous direction that would have had everyone raving about good she was but, instead, may have lost a lot of people. Who is she? Bit mixed up and confusing. Sheena Easton meets someone else. That won't do her much good this week but she does look fantastic and, with someone telling her what to do, this girl could be a star. Hence my marks (5+5).
Mike 11
He (or someone) is picking great songs to perform. This seemed too short to tell the story, though. Nicely presented and one of a few that have that extra spark so far this time. The 'save' made sense.
Katie 14½
That was the best performance so far. Great look and style. Well done. Not at all familiar with the track which may cause her some problems but she deserves to stick around and actually out-Crystalled Crystal in my view. I don't see her winning (unless she's dead lucky with selections and happens on some tracks that just suit her and no-one else as can happen as we know!) but heading for a place in the last few and comes across as someone who could sell records and deliver some goods.
Casey 9
Rounding off the week and with generally pretty average competition preceding his stroll on stage, he had every chance of walking off with a huge smile and securing that good solid place in the last 7 which ought to see him through to a final. He didn't really take it, just cruised, again. Pity.
The star of the show, however, has to be Adam Lambert who was really good both as a mentor and in communicating so well on screen. Amazing guy, but when is he going to break into the UK?
For some reason this didn't seem to suit her, excellent though she was in almost every way. Kinda thing you might find on a B side. Top marks for quality and solid performance but no extras this week. I wonder how the public voters will take it, bearing in mind the big teenage fan numbers building up for one or two others who really ought to be going but may not.
AndrewG 4
So good to see Adam Lambert being so honest. This was not good. OK, in tune but eminently missable. I've never rated this guy who for some reason was favourite at one point. With two departing this week, surely he has to be one of them, and I'm writing this without having yet seen the others.
Tim 14
That worked well. Possibly his best effort so far and making up for several weeks of average. Again, great advice from Adam who seems to be right on contestants' wavelengths. His fans will like that and the judges' complimentary remarks will boost his confidence of making the final few. Need to see what Aaron comes up with, though, who could split his support vote. People will remember that and I can see him going down a gentle storm during the tour with that simple track. He always looks a bit out of place doing the Glee smiley stuff, as does Crystal but for different reasons.
Lee 8½
If this track hadn't already been done that way a few years ago this would have been brilliant. Unfortunately, it had been and he just seemed to be doing a copy, admittedly very competently. Not a good week for him but not a bad one either. Solid, not inspiring. Judges seemed to love it so maybe it was better in the studio that on the screen.
Aaron 7
Hmm. Where's he going with this. Break half-way through made a difference and just rescued it. No mistakes and a decent performance although he just couldn't really grab the song and make it his, which would have been damn difficult anyway. No idea about this one really. He may be in trouble as Tim did so much better. Way better than AndrewG though.
Siobhan 10
Terrible ending. She almost went in a fabulous direction that would have had everyone raving about good she was but, instead, may have lost a lot of people. Who is she? Bit mixed up and confusing. Sheena Easton meets someone else. That won't do her much good this week but she does look fantastic and, with someone telling her what to do, this girl could be a star. Hence my marks (5+5).
Mike 11
He (or someone) is picking great songs to perform. This seemed too short to tell the story, though. Nicely presented and one of a few that have that extra spark so far this time. The 'save' made sense.
Katie 14½
That was the best performance so far. Great look and style. Well done. Not at all familiar with the track which may cause her some problems but she deserves to stick around and actually out-Crystalled Crystal in my view. I don't see her winning (unless she's dead lucky with selections and happens on some tracks that just suit her and no-one else as can happen as we know!) but heading for a place in the last few and comes across as someone who could sell records and deliver some goods.
Casey 9
Rounding off the week and with generally pretty average competition preceding his stroll on stage, he had every chance of walking off with a huge smile and securing that good solid place in the last 7 which ought to see him through to a final. He didn't really take it, just cruised, again. Pity.
The star of the show, however, has to be Adam Lambert who was really good both as a mentor and in communicating so well on screen. Amazing guy, but when is he going to break into the UK?
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
American Idol Top 9 Reviews Pt I
Aaron 4½
Long and long-winded, uninspiring. This is from someone in the top nine of hundreds of thousands in 2010?? Surely not. Saving grace: it was in tune.
Katie 14
Crystal clear and accurate, a confident performance. She looked good and you felt you were watching someone who cared. Definitely in her groove at last this week. Well done, with even some, just a little, star quality for the first time that should see her back next week.
AndrewG 7
OK, sort of. More fun than for many weeks but not much more than a sing-along really and certainly not finalist material which is just another reminder of the shortfall in expectations this year, so many seeming to peak at the auditions. He should have gone last week. May not this week, though.
Mike 16
I'm starting to expect something great from this guy, a bit like waiting for Adam to perform in 2009. And he's close to delivering the goods too. Not all of it worked and it wasn't my favourite rendition of Eleanor Rigby either but he's shown that there's a huge difference between him and the other two boys who preceded him tonight. I can see that as an album track.
Crystal 16½
Now hear is someone I really do look forward to seeing each week, and I can well imagine buying her album(s). I couldn't figure out what on earth she could do with Come Together but she built it up and up and was really getting into the groove when it stopped. Shame, but I can see that going down a storm on a real stage without ad breaks coming up. Nice work, although not so sure she should be 'nice'. Beat Mike this week.
Long and long-winded, uninspiring. This is from someone in the top nine of hundreds of thousands in 2010?? Surely not. Saving grace: it was in tune.
Katie 14
Crystal clear and accurate, a confident performance. She looked good and you felt you were watching someone who cared. Definitely in her groove at last this week. Well done, with even some, just a little, star quality for the first time that should see her back next week.
AndrewG 7
OK, sort of. More fun than for many weeks but not much more than a sing-along really and certainly not finalist material which is just another reminder of the shortfall in expectations this year, so many seeming to peak at the auditions. He should have gone last week. May not this week, though.
Mike 16
I'm starting to expect something great from this guy, a bit like waiting for Adam to perform in 2009. And he's close to delivering the goods too. Not all of it worked and it wasn't my favourite rendition of Eleanor Rigby either but he's shown that there's a huge difference between him and the other two boys who preceded him tonight. I can see that as an album track.
Crystal 16½
Now hear is someone I really do look forward to seeing each week, and I can well imagine buying her album(s). I couldn't figure out what on earth she could do with Come Together but she built it up and up and was really getting into the groove when it stopped. Shame, but I can see that going down a storm on a real stage without ad breaks coming up. Nice work, although not so sure she should be 'nice'. Beat Mike this week.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
American Idol Top 10 Reviews Pt II
Andrew G 7
OK, better than the last few weeks but forgettable and there's something about the guy that just doesn't say 'winner' in my book. I'm really beginning to wonder how this can possibly be the best 10 that America can find out of x hundred thousand applicants. I must be missing something but the sooner we get rid of these interruptions on the way to the semis with people like the real contenders the better.
Lee 19
This guy's definitely in his element. I can see him as The Boss 2010 version. Nice work. He'll be back, no worries, next week. Excellent all round - in his groove, natural and he almost looked cool.
Katie 6
I just didn't get her this week. Neither one thing nor the other and neither particularly well done. She can sing but can she star in an Idol way? No, 'fraid not. If the public like Didi better she's in trouble.
Crystal 16
Brave move. I guess she had to show she could be different and not a one-style girl. Not a song that'll be on her album and whilst she looks really pretty now, Simon's comments absolutely spot on. Still a class act. I almost wonder whether she's discovering for the first time what money can buy and just hope she doesn't get taken over and lose that rawness that would eventually earn her far more in the long term. The backing group also could have been dispensed with as I felt at one point they almost threw her off beat and took away the emphasis on what she does so well on her own. I'll buy her CDs if she doesn't change.
Aaron 8
Sound performance but not so sure I could believe he knew what he was singing about. Didn't do much with it but competent and should keep him away from the bottom. It was 'OK'
OK, better than the last few weeks but forgettable and there's something about the guy that just doesn't say 'winner' in my book. I'm really beginning to wonder how this can possibly be the best 10 that America can find out of x hundred thousand applicants. I must be missing something but the sooner we get rid of these interruptions on the way to the semis with people like the real contenders the better.
Lee 19
This guy's definitely in his element. I can see him as The Boss 2010 version. Nice work. He'll be back, no worries, next week. Excellent all round - in his groove, natural and he almost looked cool.
Katie 6
I just didn't get her this week. Neither one thing nor the other and neither particularly well done. She can sing but can she star in an Idol way? No, 'fraid not. If the public like Didi better she's in trouble.
Crystal 16
Brave move. I guess she had to show she could be different and not a one-style girl. Not a song that'll be on her album and whilst she looks really pretty now, Simon's comments absolutely spot on. Still a class act. I almost wonder whether she's discovering for the first time what money can buy and just hope she doesn't get taken over and lose that rawness that would eventually earn her far more in the long term. The backing group also could have been dispensed with as I felt at one point they almost threw her off beat and took away the emphasis on what she does so well on her own. I'll buy her CDs if she doesn't change.
Aaron 8
Sound performance but not so sure I could believe he knew what he was singing about. Didn't do much with it but competent and should keep him away from the bottom. It was 'OK'
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