"You can't always get what you want"
That Rolling Stones hit (and Crystal's song choice) is the perfect way to describe last night's performances. Idol may have wanted outstanding performances (and let's face it, so did we), but instead we got mediocre performances, with the exception of maybe three that stood out. I'll say it plainly, I was not impressed with the bunch of them last night. Now granted, it may have been the change to the larger stage, but honestly, I expected a lot more then what I got when Idol decided to open up The Rolling Stones' songbook.
What I'm having trouble understanding is that for so many weeks, song choice is shown to be of the upmost importance, and though most of the contestants last night did in fact choose a good song, they did not perform it very well. (looking at YOU, Mr. Tim Urban)
What I'm having trouble understanding is that for so many weeks, song choice is shown to be of the upmost importance, and though most of the contestants last night did in fact choose a good song, they did not perform it very well. (looking at YOU, Mr. Tim Urban)
On a side note, can I just say this about Lilly Scott's surprise elimination last week; I call shenanigans! I think it very well might have been the dreaded "Chris Daughtry" syndrome, where fans automatically thought she had nothing to worry about, and winds up paying for it because not enough people voted for her. I feel bad, because I really liked Lilly and thought she would get pretty far. Oh well, I still got my Crystal. (Man, I just realized if I would have said that last sentence in a club, it could have been taken totally out of context)
I know, I know, I'm boring you. You want me to get the the reviews. FINE.
I know, I know, I'm boring you. You want me to get the the reviews. FINE.
Stop being so pushy people! Yeesh!
We begin the night with the guy we ended with last week, that being:
1. MICHAEL LYNCHE – sung “Miss You” - Can I just say how weird it was when Ryan walked up to Simon while Michael was being judged? What was up with that? That aside, Michael did a decent performance. I agreed with Kara mostly, in that this wasn't one of Michael's memorable performance, but he had a swagger and confidence about him which helped him deliver a well-rounded performance. I can see a little of what Simon meant by "desperate", but for the most part it was a solid enough performance to keep Michael around another week. SAFE
2. DIDI BENAMI – sung “Play With Fire” - I gotta say, I really enjoyed this performance by Didi. Her voice lent itself perfectly to this rendition of the song. I may be wrong, and please let me know in the comments, but did she or did she not at one point stumble over the words, or possibly even forget them? Still, she showed an emotional intensity that, to me, sold the song. I like how the song displays her range and her vocals, though they weren't perfect, sounded good enough. She's a pretty gal too, so I think she will be sticking around for another week. SAFE
3. CASEY JAMES – sung “It's All Over Now” - I could not have agreed with Simon more on Casey's performance. This was the Rolling Stones' songbook. Casey could have used his song choice to completely rock out and use the stage to the fullest effect. But he' didn't. Instead, he stood there with his guitar, like so many of the performances last night, and instead of standing out from the crowd, he became just one of the crowd. That aside though, it was a good vocal and song choice. It worked perfectly with the kind of sound Casey has, which Randy pointed out was this country blues and soul vibe. Despite not using the stage to his advantage, Casey will most definitely be around next week. SAFE
4. LACEY BROWN – sung “Ruby Tuesday” - I like Lacey's personality, but is it just me when I say that personality really doesn't come out when she performs? I think a couple of the judges were right in saying it was a bit boring. I love the original song, and she managed to slow it down to such a degree, I actually got bored with it. She changed it up by slowing it down, but I think that worked against her in the end. After her performance, only one thing really resonated in my mind; unmemorable. She may be in trouble tomorrow night. IN DANGER
5. ANDREW GARCIA – sung “Gimme Shelter” - Man, this was, as Randy put it, "Pitchy and all over the place". I'm done with Andrew. I had such high hopes for him, but week after week now all I get is disappointed. Not only was it pitchy, but at least to me, it seemed like some parts of the song were shouted. Some of the judges said they were in between liking and hating the performance. I have no such problem. I hated the performance, but it wasn't as bad as some of the others tonight, so hence, I think he'll be around at least another week. SAFE
6. KATIE STEVENS – sung “Wild Horses” - Has anyone ever heard of The Sundays' remake of this song? Fascinating, eerie, and nearly perfect. I will give Katie this much; this had to be one of he first time since I first saw her, that I didn't hate her performance. I think she saved herself this week, not only by choosing a perfect song to compliment her voice, but performing it just as eerily as The Sundays' version. I finally saw her connecting to a song, and that's a big step for me to actually cheer you on. Well done Katie, you earned yourself another week. SAFE
7. TIM URBAN – sung “Under My Thumb” - Wow. Just...wow. This guy was starting to be called "the comeback kid", but he just took a whole two step backwards. Rolling Stones fans would pound on Idol's doors for ever letting poor Tim even suggest doing a "reggae" version of this song. And yet, here we are. This had to be the worst possible idea for making a song your own. Ellen nailed it on the head when she said she felt like she was on a resort. I felt the same way, except, I felt like I was on a cruise. You know what I'm talking about, for those of you that have cruised. This is the type of song they would be singing by the pool area. The worst part is, I need to give the kid credit for doing something different, but this is just one risk that crashed and bombed. Sorry Tim, you might be in trouble. IN DANGER
8. SIOBHAN MAGNUS – sung “Paint It Black” - LOVE the original version, and usually any remake I hear never lives up to it. Granted this definitely didn't (in my mind, Guns N' Roses came close), but man, I did enjoy the whole "goth vibe" to it. Like Kara said, it really did remind me of Adam Lambert. The beginning of Siobhan's performance made me think of the opening to one of Tim Burton's movies, with its Danny Elfman like arrangement. And when Siobhan hit some of those notes, I felt it. I think Siobhan is starting to shine, and I can only see her lasting a while in the competition at this point. SAFE
9. LEE DEWYZE – sung “Beast of Burden” - I don't care what the judges said, I thought Lee's voice fit this song perfectly. I know what the judges were saying though. It sort of was "safe" in a sense, considering what a hard edge Lee's voice has. He could of opened up on other Stones' hits, but he chose this one. And even though he sung it well, and I think is one of his better performances, I agree with Kara's assessment that Lee did not have his "moment" yet. I think Lee finally gets what that is, and I think he'll be sticking around next week. SAFE
10. PAIGE MILES – sung “Honky Tonk Women” - Give the woman some props, she has laryngitis and she sings like that?! Wow. The judges were not kidding when they said this girl has a big voice. I liked the arrangement of the song, and I also liked the way Paige used the stage. Her stage presence is definitely a big factor to me enjoying last night's performance. She hit some very big notes during her performance, but I don't think it made her stand out that much. I think though she gave a solid performance and sang big, she might not have been memorable enough to keep her safe. IN DANGER
11. AARON KELLY – sung “Angie” - Perfect song choice. Seriously, when I heard they were doing The Rolling Stones this week, I thought for sure Aaron would have a huge problem. I could not have been more wrong, because not only, like I said, did Aaron choose the perfect song to sing, he performed it brilliantly. Randy was right when he said there was such a tenderness to Aaron's voice, that you felt his connection to the song. This kid is getting good, and now that they've begun the "makeovers", watch the pre-teen girls start their love fest with Aaron. Probably one of the best performances of the night behind Siobhan, and most definitely around next week. SAFE
12. CRYSTAL BOWERSOX – sung “You Can't Always Get What You Want” - I love me my Crystal! (yikes...again, taken out of context....bad). I have to say, much as I love her, however, this was not my favorite performance by her. It was still good, though, because of what Ellen described as Crystal's ease on stage. When Crystal sings, it seems effortless and natural. But I did understand what Simon was saying as she needs to realize that she can't be safe. Having an "off week" can get you kicked off the show, so Crystal needs to make sure she out performs everyone in the weeks to come. Oh yea, she's not going anywhere. SAFE
My Bottom Three Picks: I think I may be wrong about Paige (they might go with Andrew instead), but my choices this week are: Lacey Brown, Tim Urban and Paige Miles.
My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: Of the three, that reggae version of a Rolling Stones song (my God, that's even a sin to say) is gonna send poor old Tim Urban packing. Unless of course, somehow, the comeback kid...comes back.
So what did you guys think? Is Keith Richards rolling over in his grave? What's that you say? He's not dead? No, no he is dead, he just hasn't realized it yet. That, or all the drugs he has taken in the last 50 years has turned his blood to formaldehyde. But I digress.
1. MICHAEL LYNCHE – sung “Miss You” - Can I just say how weird it was when Ryan walked up to Simon while Michael was being judged? What was up with that? That aside, Michael did a decent performance. I agreed with Kara mostly, in that this wasn't one of Michael's memorable performance, but he had a swagger and confidence about him which helped him deliver a well-rounded performance. I can see a little of what Simon meant by "desperate", but for the most part it was a solid enough performance to keep Michael around another week. SAFE
2. DIDI BENAMI – sung “Play With Fire” - I gotta say, I really enjoyed this performance by Didi. Her voice lent itself perfectly to this rendition of the song. I may be wrong, and please let me know in the comments, but did she or did she not at one point stumble over the words, or possibly even forget them? Still, she showed an emotional intensity that, to me, sold the song. I like how the song displays her range and her vocals, though they weren't perfect, sounded good enough. She's a pretty gal too, so I think she will be sticking around for another week. SAFE3. CASEY JAMES – sung “It's All Over Now” - I could not have agreed with Simon more on Casey's performance. This was the Rolling Stones' songbook. Casey could have used his song choice to completely rock out and use the stage to the fullest effect. But he' didn't. Instead, he stood there with his guitar, like so many of the performances last night, and instead of standing out from the crowd, he became just one of the crowd. That aside though, it was a good vocal and song choice. It worked perfectly with the kind of sound Casey has, which Randy pointed out was this country blues and soul vibe. Despite not using the stage to his advantage, Casey will most definitely be around next week. SAFE
4. LACEY BROWN – sung “Ruby Tuesday” - I like Lacey's personality, but is it just me when I say that personality really doesn't come out when she performs? I think a couple of the judges were right in saying it was a bit boring. I love the original song, and she managed to slow it down to such a degree, I actually got bored with it. She changed it up by slowing it down, but I think that worked against her in the end. After her performance, only one thing really resonated in my mind; unmemorable. She may be in trouble tomorrow night. IN DANGER
5. ANDREW GARCIA – sung “Gimme Shelter” - Man, this was, as Randy put it, "Pitchy and all over the place". I'm done with Andrew. I had such high hopes for him, but week after week now all I get is disappointed. Not only was it pitchy, but at least to me, it seemed like some parts of the song were shouted. Some of the judges said they were in between liking and hating the performance. I have no such problem. I hated the performance, but it wasn't as bad as some of the others tonight, so hence, I think he'll be around at least another week. SAFE
6. KATIE STEVENS – sung “Wild Horses” - Has anyone ever heard of The Sundays' remake of this song? Fascinating, eerie, and nearly perfect. I will give Katie this much; this had to be one of he first time since I first saw her, that I didn't hate her performance. I think she saved herself this week, not only by choosing a perfect song to compliment her voice, but performing it just as eerily as The Sundays' version. I finally saw her connecting to a song, and that's a big step for me to actually cheer you on. Well done Katie, you earned yourself another week. SAFE
7. TIM URBAN – sung “Under My Thumb” - Wow. Just...wow. This guy was starting to be called "the comeback kid", but he just took a whole two step backwards. Rolling Stones fans would pound on Idol's doors for ever letting poor Tim even suggest doing a "reggae" version of this song. And yet, here we are. This had to be the worst possible idea for making a song your own. Ellen nailed it on the head when she said she felt like she was on a resort. I felt the same way, except, I felt like I was on a cruise. You know what I'm talking about, for those of you that have cruised. This is the type of song they would be singing by the pool area. The worst part is, I need to give the kid credit for doing something different, but this is just one risk that crashed and bombed. Sorry Tim, you might be in trouble. IN DANGER
8. SIOBHAN MAGNUS – sung “Paint It Black” - LOVE the original version, and usually any remake I hear never lives up to it. Granted this definitely didn't (in my mind, Guns N' Roses came close), but man, I did enjoy the whole "goth vibe" to it. Like Kara said, it really did remind me of Adam Lambert. The beginning of Siobhan's performance made me think of the opening to one of Tim Burton's movies, with its Danny Elfman like arrangement. And when Siobhan hit some of those notes, I felt it. I think Siobhan is starting to shine, and I can only see her lasting a while in the competition at this point. SAFE9. LEE DEWYZE – sung “Beast of Burden” - I don't care what the judges said, I thought Lee's voice fit this song perfectly. I know what the judges were saying though. It sort of was "safe" in a sense, considering what a hard edge Lee's voice has. He could of opened up on other Stones' hits, but he chose this one. And even though he sung it well, and I think is one of his better performances, I agree with Kara's assessment that Lee did not have his "moment" yet. I think Lee finally gets what that is, and I think he'll be sticking around next week. SAFE
10. PAIGE MILES – sung “Honky Tonk Women” - Give the woman some props, she has laryngitis and she sings like that?! Wow. The judges were not kidding when they said this girl has a big voice. I liked the arrangement of the song, and I also liked the way Paige used the stage. Her stage presence is definitely a big factor to me enjoying last night's performance. She hit some very big notes during her performance, but I don't think it made her stand out that much. I think though she gave a solid performance and sang big, she might not have been memorable enough to keep her safe. IN DANGER
11. AARON KELLY – sung “Angie” - Perfect song choice. Seriously, when I heard they were doing The Rolling Stones this week, I thought for sure Aaron would have a huge problem. I could not have been more wrong, because not only, like I said, did Aaron choose the perfect song to sing, he performed it brilliantly. Randy was right when he said there was such a tenderness to Aaron's voice, that you felt his connection to the song. This kid is getting good, and now that they've begun the "makeovers", watch the pre-teen girls start their love fest with Aaron. Probably one of the best performances of the night behind Siobhan, and most definitely around next week. SAFE
12. CRYSTAL BOWERSOX – sung “You Can't Always Get What You Want” - I love me my Crystal! (yikes...again, taken out of context....bad). I have to say, much as I love her, however, this was not my favorite performance by her. It was still good, though, because of what Ellen described as Crystal's ease on stage. When Crystal sings, it seems effortless and natural. But I did understand what Simon was saying as she needs to realize that she can't be safe. Having an "off week" can get you kicked off the show, so Crystal needs to make sure she out performs everyone in the weeks to come. Oh yea, she's not going anywhere. SAFEMy Bottom Three Picks: I think I may be wrong about Paige (they might go with Andrew instead), but my choices this week are: Lacey Brown, Tim Urban and Paige Miles.
My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight: Of the three, that reggae version of a Rolling Stones song (my God, that's even a sin to say) is gonna send poor old Tim Urban packing. Unless of course, somehow, the comeback kid...comes back.
So what did you guys think? Is Keith Richards rolling over in his grave? What's that you say? He's not dead? No, no he is dead, he just hasn't realized it yet. That, or all the drugs he has taken in the last 50 years has turned his blood to formaldehyde. But I digress.
So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Let’s chat it up!
Until next week my readers, I bid you farewell for now!!
Until next week my readers, I bid you farewell for now!!
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2 comments:
I don't think Crystal thinks she's 'got this in the bag' at all. I think the judges are mistaking her laid-back demeanor and self-confidence for cockiness.
Besides, If she believes in herself, why shouldn't she think she has a shot in winning?
at the beginning of Michael's perfomrance i was like "oh yeah" miss you is my fav stones song - but just as Randy said as soon as the arrangement started I was ready to excommunicate him from the church of soul.
Casey has a big problem in my opnion and the problem is this Simon and Randy do not agree on what knind of artist he should be. Do you notice how Randy loves the guitar Casey and Simon, not so much. I think now matter what he preforms he is going to have mixed reviews from the judges.
Tim Urban- here is my problem. It's not the reggae it's the song. He should have picked another song and changed it. I actually thought Tim would be singing "Angie" glad he didn't becasue Aaron did a fine job. "Under my thumb" is a bad ass song. It's degrading a woman. So not Tim Urban, So not deserving a happy laid back raggae mix.
Siobhan is the best. She did great. As she was singing I was like - "please tell me she is wearing boots!" it was perfect. She's the person I look forward to seeing every week.
Crystal - simon was hard on her. i am not sure if he meant to help or hurt her when he said that she thinks she's got it in the bag. Nick I agree with you she has a laid back vibe and that's her style and artistry. And she's really good at it.
Also - I finally saw what the judges see in Lee. I thought it was his best. However he really needs to look more confident and own it. Confidence is attractive.
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