05-13-2009, 06:59 PM
Well, Plain Black T is flying solo today. Lil' Dawg still has her Tuesday night commitment and Seacrest's Hair is quite under the weather. So, on with my complaining. I mean review. 
Plain Black T
Last night's show was number 300 for the AI franchise. If there's another 100 I'll be surprised given how absurd this show has gotten. Then again, the American public loves a good train wreck, so it will probably last another 300.
Two things got to me last night – too much focus on the judges bickering and the inconsistent standards that are applied to the contestants. Yes, I realize neither is new, but last night they seemed to be magnified 300%.
Judges Choice
Paula's Choice
Danny - “Dance Little Sister” - Terrence Trent d’Arby
Paula's choices usually come from out of left field – this one was no exception. To be honest, she's not doing the contestant any favors by choosing a song that nobody knows. The American public wants to hear songs they are familiar with – over, and over, and over again.
I had heard this was the choice and listened to the original last weekend. I personally had never heard the song and didn't think it was that great when I did. To be honest, I think Danny's version was actually better than the original, but that's not saying much considering I thought his vocal left a lot to be desired. I felt that he yelled through most of the performance and lost the qualities of his voice that I enjoy.
Randy and Kara's Choice
Kris - “Apologize” - One Republic
When I heard about this choice over the weekend, I rolled my eyes. I don't know what those two were smoking when they picked it. Oh yeah, they thought that it was the perfect song because it fits with the type of artist he should be. So, he goes ahead and does a pretty straight-forward arrangement, quite close to the original, and he gets slammed for it. Well people, listen, I'm not sure what can be done with that song, and you did say it was the type of song he should be doing, so . . . I was glad he abandoned the falsetto after the first verse because it was weak, but otherwise it was a nice vocal.
Simon's Choice
Adam - “One” - U2
So according to Simon, he personally made contact with Bono about allowing Adam to sing this song. While I don't doubt that, I question whether he would have done it for any other contestant. Nothing against Adam, it's just part of my annoyance with how this show works. I am not a fan of U2 at all, but this is one of two U2 songs that I actually like. My absolute favorite version is with Bono and Mary J. Blige. If you've never heard it, find it. But I digress. Adam's performance was like two different songs for me, and the pieces didn't fit. I liked the slow beginning, but he lost me, and the melody, as the song went on.
Contestant Choice
Danny - “You Are So Beautiful” - Joe Cocker
Taylor sang this in the semi-finals, in my opinion, one of his finest performances of Season 5. So, it was with some bias that I listened to Danny's version. I wanted it to be good, but it just wasn't. Simon called it a vocal master class. I don't disagree with that, his vocal was great. I just felt like the arrangement, which he apparently worked on with friends when he was home over the weekend, was a complete mess and it really distracted me.
Kris - “Heartless” - Kanye West
OMFG! The performance of the night. Kris' version just kicked some ass. They talk so often about Adam being fearless, but damn, that right there was fearless personified. You've got to have some balls to, in the final three, take a very well known rap/R&B song and strip it bare. It could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn't. The boy showed why he made it to the final three and why Danny should be watching his back. My viewing companion made a very astute observation, saying that Kris has done the best job this season of rearranging songs. I have to agree.
Adam - “Crying” - Aerosmith
So here's where the double standard came in. Adam told Ryan that he wasn't going to change the song much because it’s a classic. It did sound very much like the original, but Adam took the end vocals further into the stratosphere than Steven Tyler. But basically, it was no different. So what did the judges have to say? They gushed all over him. It didn't matter that it wasn't different. You can come back with the argument that Adam's vocals were better. But the judges didn't criticize Kris' vocals, they called him out on the arrangement. Again, nothing against Adam, he's just stuck in the middle of the judging mess.
Who will go? I am rooting for Kris to stay, but I'm not hopeful. Danny has had the fan support all along and I doubt his fan base will falter now. Even if Kris leaves tonight, I see great things for him!
Plain Black T
Last night's show was number 300 for the AI franchise. If there's another 100 I'll be surprised given how absurd this show has gotten. Then again, the American public loves a good train wreck, so it will probably last another 300.
Two things got to me last night – too much focus on the judges bickering and the inconsistent standards that are applied to the contestants. Yes, I realize neither is new, but last night they seemed to be magnified 300%.
Judges Choice
Paula's Choice
Danny - “Dance Little Sister” - Terrence Trent d’Arby
Paula's choices usually come from out of left field – this one was no exception. To be honest, she's not doing the contestant any favors by choosing a song that nobody knows. The American public wants to hear songs they are familiar with – over, and over, and over again.
I had heard this was the choice and listened to the original last weekend. I personally had never heard the song and didn't think it was that great when I did. To be honest, I think Danny's version was actually better than the original, but that's not saying much considering I thought his vocal left a lot to be desired. I felt that he yelled through most of the performance and lost the qualities of his voice that I enjoy.Randy and Kara's Choice
Kris - “Apologize” - One Republic
When I heard about this choice over the weekend, I rolled my eyes. I don't know what those two were smoking when they picked it. Oh yeah, they thought that it was the perfect song because it fits with the type of artist he should be. So, he goes ahead and does a pretty straight-forward arrangement, quite close to the original, and he gets slammed for it. Well people, listen, I'm not sure what can be done with that song, and you did say it was the type of song he should be doing, so . . . I was glad he abandoned the falsetto after the first verse because it was weak, but otherwise it was a nice vocal.
Simon's Choice
Adam - “One” - U2
So according to Simon, he personally made contact with Bono about allowing Adam to sing this song. While I don't doubt that, I question whether he would have done it for any other contestant. Nothing against Adam, it's just part of my annoyance with how this show works. I am not a fan of U2 at all, but this is one of two U2 songs that I actually like. My absolute favorite version is with Bono and Mary J. Blige. If you've never heard it, find it. But I digress. Adam's performance was like two different songs for me, and the pieces didn't fit. I liked the slow beginning, but he lost me, and the melody, as the song went on.
Contestant Choice
Danny - “You Are So Beautiful” - Joe Cocker
Taylor sang this in the semi-finals, in my opinion, one of his finest performances of Season 5. So, it was with some bias that I listened to Danny's version. I wanted it to be good, but it just wasn't. Simon called it a vocal master class. I don't disagree with that, his vocal was great. I just felt like the arrangement, which he apparently worked on with friends when he was home over the weekend, was a complete mess and it really distracted me.
Kris - “Heartless” - Kanye West
OMFG! The performance of the night. Kris' version just kicked some ass. They talk so often about Adam being fearless, but damn, that right there was fearless personified. You've got to have some balls to, in the final three, take a very well known rap/R&B song and strip it bare. It could have gone horribly wrong, but it didn't. The boy showed why he made it to the final three and why Danny should be watching his back. My viewing companion made a very astute observation, saying that Kris has done the best job this season of rearranging songs. I have to agree.
Adam - “Crying” - Aerosmith
So here's where the double standard came in. Adam told Ryan that he wasn't going to change the song much because it’s a classic. It did sound very much like the original, but Adam took the end vocals further into the stratosphere than Steven Tyler. But basically, it was no different. So what did the judges have to say? They gushed all over him. It didn't matter that it wasn't different. You can come back with the argument that Adam's vocals were better. But the judges didn't criticize Kris' vocals, they called him out on the arrangement. Again, nothing against Adam, he's just stuck in the middle of the judging mess.
Who will go? I am rooting for Kris to stay, but I'm not hopeful. Danny has had the fan support all along and I doubt his fan base will falter now. Even if Kris leaves tonight, I see great things for him!