Official AI 2006 Thread

[daBowsa]

I didn't have my critical ear on last night, as I had a few kid-interruptions, but I thought the judges were off their rocker last night. It sounds like the producers are turning the screws for them to be more critical.

 

• I missed Kat, so I can't comment. She did look hot in the post interview though. Best cleavage of the season, for sure.
  
• Taylor was very good - I heard no problems and thought he respected the song. If I heard that in a hotel lounge, I'd be shocked. I don't know what Randy and Simon were talking about.
  
• Pickler was bad. Boring and whiny - she won't survive two in a row, she's gone.
  
• Yamin was very good. What was up with Randy hammering the arrangement? Woah.
  
• Paris was very good. Again, quite confident but slightly over-sung.
  
• Chirs was very good. Actualy the first time I've liked him. I thought it was cool that they told him he had a throaty voice, because I've been saying that all along - I think he actually listened and had much better tone last night.
  

[kad]

Originally posted by daBowsa:

I thought the judges were off their rocker last night.

What the hell is up with Paula?? Every emotion in the human spectrum - in rapid succession. I hope she gets the help she needs...

[RABid]

Paula needs her meds adjusted. She got the same way for a while last year.

 

Kat - hurt herself by doing a Whitney song and not doing it as well as Whitney. She could have chosen a song by a lesser singer and really made it shine.

 

Taylor If I heard this in a hotel lounge with a bunch of friends I would probably ask the group if they are ready to leave.

 

Kelly wrong song. Horrible song. I think she has lost her confidence. Throughout the performance I kept thinking that she has the best voice and does not know how to use it. Lessons or stage experience would do wonders for her.

 

Yamin his best performance so far and I like the arrangement.

 

Paris also had a good night. While I dont quite like her enough to buy a CD she may release, I look forward to hearing her after she matures. She is 16 and has a chance to be really great. How many musicians are that good at 16? She has not come close to peaking yet.

 

Chirs his best slow song and one of the better performances last night. The instruction did help his voice.

 

Kelly should go but I think she may survive on popularity. Im guessing that Kat leaves.

[Felix_dup1]

Kat won't leave - she'll enjoy "Judge Backlash" voting popularity (but I don't think she should have done that song - too cliche)

 

Kelly should leave - nothing redeeming last night (not even bumpkin dialog or a super-hot look). She's got a hell of a voice, but doesn't consistently know how to use it. I think a knock-off of the Paris Hilton road trip TV show would be perfect for Kelly - send the country bumpkin to big cities everywhere and see what happens.

 

Paris - pretty good, I think she is safe

 

Chris - best one last night, plus he went last. This will be remembered as one of his standout performances of the season. I think he's safe this week.

 

Yamin - still doesn't know how to not go overboard. It was good, but I'm not sure that it was enough to carry him through. Probably safe, but maybe in the bottom three.

 

Taylor - I thought it was going to be great, but it wasn't. Maybe he should have done "You Are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker) instead. I thought it was gonna be a great song for him, but it wasn't good. I think he'll be in the bottom three this week.

 

The mixes just don't sound good - wonder what their monitor mixes are like...

[meccajay]

Originally posted by daBowsa:

[*]Pickler was bad. Boring and whiny - she won't survive two in a row, she's gone.

Your ears do not decieve you, unfortunately, she is somewhat immune from elimination due to ridiculously phoney support from places like this .

 

I missed most of the show, but did hear Chris sing. His performance was very good. He seems to be growing a bit.

 

Felix, that was a pretty good concept of a show for Pickler. I must say it would be far funnier if she were in Europe though! Imagine her trying to order food on camera, and trying to fugure out exchange rates for Euro money etc.

[Corner Pocket]

I'm a guitar forum regular, but AI seems to be unmentionable over there.

 

I liked Paris the best last night, and here's why:

 

She reminded me a LOT of Claudia Linnear, the woman who sang "Let it Be" on Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen". She was the only one who looked like she was enjoying herself. I'm sure Bocelli could hear her smile when she sang.

 

Pickler managed to show how good The Righteous Brothers were. The only thing she could have done worse was try Nilsson's "Without You". When she sang "I hunger for your love", she sounded like she just polished off the all-you- can-eat-buffet at the Sizzler. I don't think you can sing a song like "Unchained Melody" unless you've had your still beating heart ripped from your chest, and are willing to re-visit that emotional place each and every time you sing it.

[kad]

Originally posted by rockincyanblues:

I'm a guitar forum regular, but AI seems to be unmentionable over there.

You've come to the right place - everything is fair game here. For example, there seems to be a collective preoccupation with sheep here that I haven't quite figured out yet.

[Mr. Nightime]

Pickler butchered her song two weeks in a row. Everyone else is improving, while she's getting worse. Begone, Stupid country Bimbo!

 

I don't know what the judges were thinking. Kat was phenominal.

[Dave Pierce]

I also that Kat was pretty good, and was surprised by the judges reaction. Although my wife didn't think she was so great, and was NOT surprised by the judges. Gave me her "I told you so but I'm not going to say it" look.

 

Of course, it's completely possible that I was looking at Kat rather than listening to Kat.

 

--Dave

[eric]

Gear spotting update. I just received an advertising email from Yamaha with this little snippet:

 

YAMAHA GEAR ON AMERICAN IDOL

 

Each week as millions of viewers tune in to Foxs smash hit American Idol, look for the following Yamaha products: (3) AW16G, (3) pair HS 80M speakers, (3) HS 10W subwoofers, and (3) Motif ES 8s. Yamaha artist Rickey Minor serves as this years music director.

 

As for last night, I missed a couple of them due to a phone call I had to take, but was not impressed with Kelly. I am still gunning for Elliott, Katherine and Chris.

 

Regards,

Eric

[Mr. Nightime]

OK, America got it right, and the stupid country bimbo is gone. And Kat was one of the top 2.

 

My question about the show tonight is what the hell was that noise at the beginning of Andrea Bocelli's song? Caught my attention, and not in a good way. There sure have been a lot of musical miscues this season.

[MidLifeCrisis]

The show is starting to restore my faith in the American public. They nailed the top 2 and the botton 2.

I have always thought Kat and Chris were the front runners. But Elliot is growing every week. Taylor has that special charisma.

Paris is gone next week.

[daBowsa]

I think the problem with Paris is her over-confidence. Everyone says how great she is and when she sings, she holds herself like she knows it.

 

When the judges have told Kat how great she is, she blushes and acts shy/embarassed. I think this goes a long way in the eyes of the voting public.

 

Eliott has a bit of this in him too - this year it could be the most humble takes the prize.

[RABid]

I think this is the earliest that all the duds are gone. Even Kelly was good until the last two weeks. Any of the contestents left could win it. There is not that big of a spread in talent. While there is more balance this year there is no clear vocal master in this group.

[beatnix]

Originally posted by MidLifeCrisis:

But Elliot is growing every week.

It was very impressed with Elliot's performance. He is becoming a good performer. Talent wise I think he is the best, but he lacks the charisma of the others. Just my .02

[RABid]

I wonder if Paris really enjoys singing? With her talent and connections she chose not to follow that path. Her family had to talk her into this.

[meccajay]

I love Elliot's Voice. As people have mentioned all over the web, it would be so easy to buy a well made CD of his and play it so much you wear the digital off it!

 

Paris, yes, I think she loves to sing. She seems to love the family heritage in the art form. I think that's where her pride and confidence stems from. Mosty people seem to think it's arrogance. I don't. I see it as a girl full of the pride and confidence her family has instilled in her. Much like any american family that happens to have a 17 yr star athlete that universities are fawning over. Sometimes the kid gets arrogant, sometimes they don't. When they do it's usually much much worse than anything Paris has displayed. I also think the best of her is yet to come. Once a few heartbreaks and real life experience's come into play, the true level of her artistry will be unleashed.

[DanL]

Rabid, I agree with you to a certain extent, but Pickler has less talent than a couple singers who are were gone before her- Melissa McGhee and Mandisa were both better singers than Pickler. Melissa McGhee was much hotter looking (to me) and she had an even worse parent/ upbringing story than Pickler but they didn't hype that for her. Even that tall basketball player girl was better. They just didn't have the fan base/ marketing factor that Pickler rode the entire season. There is always one like that. The one season there was that Jasmine chick who always had the flower in her hair- she was not that great but lasted well into the competition (top 3? I can't remember.)

[RABid]

What I miss from the group that is left, there is no one that can really hold a note. No long sustain. Some don't even try. Even Kat bails out way too early with a short, out of breath run. In the past four years, someone in the last two contestants could really hold the notes.

 

Robert

[daBowsa]

Anyone watch last night? My take...

 

First Songs:

• Yamin - great. I may be crazy, but I thought he had some choice runs in there - great song choice. Not sure what the judges were listening to.
  
• Paris - ok. It was good to see her having a little fun, but I was hoping for a little more Princey-ness to sneak in.
  
• Chris - awesome. Great song choice - you can tell he's continuing to use the lessons learned last week.
  
• Kat - bad. Horrible song choice. She's trying to hard to find that "moment" and missing.
  
• Taylor - awesome. Simon is stupid - this is what people (or at least I) want to see. Fun, entertaining, putting it all on the line.
  

Second Songs:

• Yamin - boring*.
  
• Paris - boring*.
  
• Chris - boring*.
  
• Kat - awesome. Fun, upbeat, and hot. I like her vocal better than the original (which I've only heard once).
  
• Taylor - really good. I'm still hearing some Joe Cocker runs that he's not delivering, but it was very musical and a great song choice.
  

 

* My caveat - I've never heard these 10-top songs before, so maybe thats why I was bored? Maybe their not good songs, or maybe these contestants were drained having to rehearse and sing 2 songs in one week and experienced a little let down? I don't know - they were all good, but nothing stood out and grabbed me. At least not like Kat's 2nd.

[meccajay]

Judging from what Chris said, they'd been sent thru the ringer in dress rehearsal.. He mentioned singing his second song 4 times that day or something.. You could tell they took the dress rehearsal clip from Taylors final song too, which sounded much crisper to me.

 

Loved Kat tonight, but this is Taylor's competition to lose in my opinion.

[daBowsa]

I think Paris gets voted off tonight.

[RABid]

You could tell they used rehearsal clips on Kat's second song because the clip was not as good as the performance. She mentioned in the interview that she could not hear herself sing. It sounded like it. I had never heard her sound so bad. She saved herself with that second performance. It was really good and really sexy.

 

Chris sounded good on the first song but I did not like the arrangement. It sounded very chopped and hurried. The second song was a bit high for him. While singing it for the fifth time he sounded a bit strained.

 

Taylor had a good night. The second song was supposed to be a CURRENT top 10 choice. I think Taylor fudged there by what, 30 years?

 

Paris was a bit boring. Yamin was OK, nice runs but without emotion. I think it will be Paris or Yamin that leaves tonight.

 

Robert

[MidLifeCrisis]

daBowsa, I agree with your assessment. Kat's first song placed her in danger. She was nervous and blew it totally. Her second song was great.

Chris's first song should be enough to keep him around. Elliot had good and bad moments. Taylor was just plain old Taylor. He was enjoyable and entertaining. I always look forward to what he will do next. Paris left me cold. She is just too young to bring it. She has great pipes but I dont ever see her being a star. She is too plastic to me.

My vote is Paris is gone.

[Phred]

I am surprised by how many people love Elliot. I really do not like his voice, his vibrato, or his singing. I have tried, because others really do. I am not a fan of Paris' whiny stuff either. My favourite are Taylor, Chris and Kat. However I would be surprised if Taylor wins. I think Chris' sound and style will make him the most successful following this competition. He is the most current.

[meccajay]

Originally posted by Phred:

I am surprised by how many people love Elliot. I really do not like his voice, his vibrato, or his singing. I think Chris' sound and style will make him the most successful following this competition. He is the most current.

You mention bad vibrato then say you like Chris?

 

I love good rock singers, but that machine-gun vibrato of his drives me out of my mind!! There are dozens of current rock singers who have good tone, AND can control there vibrato. We can do better!

 

I get a feeling that Chris will find work, and he'll go onto make records etc, but sooner or later his fans will become strangly annoyed with him and not know why... That damn machine gun vibrato.

[Phred]

I guess I don't hate Chris' vibrato. I can honestly say I have not been bothered by it, or really noticed it. Now that you pointed it ou however... I bet it will stick out like a sore thumb.

[meccajay]

I like Chris don't get me wrong. That's just his flaw, all the singers this year seem to have a major flaw or 2.

[kad]

Originally posted by Phred:

I guess I don't hate Chris' vibrato. I can honestly say I have not been bothered by it, or really noticed it. Now that you pointed it ou however... I bet it will stick out like a sore thumb.

I've noticed it since day one, and it makes my skin crawl! It's a shame too because he has a good tone and good pitch.

 

Is it just me, or are the performances getting collectively worse each week? They all seem to be choosing songs (and keys) that do nothing for their voices...

[meccajay]

They have been on a down slope regarding songs & keys..

 

I'm wondering if Ricky Minor's people are affecting this? In other words picking songs the band has either done before, or easier to chart.

 

Also the vocal coach lady possibly "advising" the young vocalist's what will work for them based on the bands comfort zone, instead of the other way around.