Last night was '50s night on American Idol and I think it redeemed last week's rather poor showing with the Stevie Wonder songs. Nothing against Stevie Wonder, of course. I would have loved to see Kevin Covais singing, "When I was a nappy-headed boy, hangin' out with those hoodlum friends of mine..." And, although I have the utmost respect for Stevie's music on the whole, his own performance on the boot night show came across as a bad Boz Scaggs imitation. The song didn't hold to the high level of his works from the '70s. Sigh.
But, to last night — a quick take on the songs and singers:
Mandisa sang "I Don't Hurt Any More" with such natural talent that it's sure that if she doesn't make it to the end (which I don't think she will), she will be able to hold onto a singing career. While I'd like to see their fashion folks do a bit better with her outfits — they're way too tight — she looked much better this week. Her hair and make-up were perfect, highlighting her beautiful face.
Bucky Covington sang "Oh Boy." Oh, boy...get him gone this week. He should have never made it this far. He's not horrible or anything, but when they talk about having "it" he thought they said something else and told them he already went. What the heck is going on with his hair? Someone put on net on that!
Paris Bennett sang "Fever." I thought she sang the song very well; she had the notes, the moves, the act down pat. She looked cute, she sang cute. Ho-hum. I like her and I think she'll keep on going, but in the long run she (like many previous and present AI contestants) isn't going to be anyone whose music I'd run out and buy or whose performance I'd feel I have to watch. Sweet kid and talented, but...!
Chris Daughtry sang "I Walk the Line." Now, here's where AI is growing on a musical level. While it was the song Johnny Cash sang, it wasn't that song at all. Chris changed it around and interpreted it on an entirely different level. No, it wasn't his own personal best vocal, but it was one of the most intriguing things ever done with a song on the show. If this guy wins it all, he's someone who I'd be interested in watching perform or perhaps even buying his music. This is what happens when AI goes beyond the teenybopper kiddie show contestants.
Article comments
1 - trinket
Agreed on all points!
2 - Ty
You are kidding yourself if you think Bucky is going home. Bucky has the country/white trash vote. He isn't going anywhere.
If there is ANY Justice in this world it will be Paris because she has no business being on AI when her grandma is her connection to a record deal, but honestly, Lisa is going home.
Remember, on AI you vote people ON, not off. That makes a difference. Doesn't matter if millions of you hated Bucky, you can't cast a negative vote for Bucky. You can try to cast positive votes for everyone else, but a million people casting 100 votes for each person other than Bucky isn't too likely.
Lisa is going home tonight. Hopefully next week Paris will be gone.
3 - Ty
Maybe I am on crack, but my dream final 3 is Taylor, Chris, and Kevin just so that the final will undoubtedly be Chris vs. Taylor.
4 - Christina
Only someone who does not understand how AI works (the Game Theory behind it) would naively think that Bucky is going home.
People ALWAYS think that the so called "Worst" performance from the "ugliest" contestant is a ticket home.
But in AI, where you vote people on, Bucky has a huge fanbase. Bucky fans, mostly from the South, are going to rally to keep him as long as possible. And with 11 contestants, AI fans as a whole have their vote split among favorites like Chris and Katherine.
I don't think Lisa has much of a fanbase, and even if she does, they are not going to rally to save her. In fact, they probably arrogantly think she is "safe."
Well she is not. I agree with Ty. Lisa will have the lowest number of votes, and go home.
5 - Dan Roesser
Chris's version of "I Walk the Line" was the version done by Live. Chris did not reinterpret anything.
6 - Scott Butki
Kevin aka Chicken Little was just knocked off.
Did anything else find it painful to watch a Johnny Cash song made poppy, regardless of who reinvented it?
7 - Jackie
Well, I had the bottom three nailed, just not the right order. It was Lisa, Bucky and Kevin with Kevin going home. Ty has somethng on the voting. Unfortunately, now that Worst Singer site will focus on voting for Bucky now that Kevin got the boot. He may be around for a while to come. I updated on my regular blog for West Coast viewers, but with publishing lags here, it's not possible.
Meanwhile, I'm watching Lost - I had AI taping and on with no volume within sight on another TV just so I'd know. But, to me, a new ep of Lost is the "live watch" while AI results gets the glance/tape treatment.
8 - Jackie
Scott - I'm assuming by "poppy" you mean pop music? If so, that's not quite what I would call it. I've never heard of Live, so I can only go by Chris's version. I love Johnny Cash's original and I've been a Cash fan since about the mid-sixties or so. I'd call the version Chris sang almost Pink Floyd-ish, rather murky and surreal. I thought it was interesting. I couldn't compare the two as I'd always go with the Cash version as my favorite just because.
9 - Tanda
Right on, Dan Roesser. Although a very good performer, Chris Daughtry did nothing but a 'karaoke' version of 'Live's rearranged rendition of 'Walk the Line'. He did fool a lot of people tho when he conveniently forgot to credit 'Live' with the originality and took the praise for it himself. As did the judges on Tuesday, A LOT of writers are now gushing with praise for Chris's originality.
10 - JD
Please give credit to Live for THEIR version of "Walk the Line." It is upsetting to see that so many people are giving Chris credit for this interpretation. He performed it almost exactly like Live.
I have included a link to a clip, but please listen to the full song if you can find it.
11 - Ty
This Chris thing is starting to piss me off. First off, in STEVIE WONDER week, he does RHCP's version of Higher Ground, and now with 50's week he does Live's version of I Walk The Line???
With next weeks theme of songs of the 21st century he doesn't have to pull this stuff, but come on!
I love his sound, but this is ridiculous. He is showing no versatility whatsoever!!!!!!
12 - Caren
I agree with Ty. Why is it that he gets kudos from Simon for not selling out, when I see it that he can't sing a variety of ways - only HIS way. He is undoubtedly a great singer, but why not try to sing other ways?
13 - NR Davis
Exactly so. Wow, was I pissed to hear Simon talking about Chris' integrity after he did nothing more than ape the Chili Peppers and Live versions of, respectively, "Higher Ground" and "I Walk the Line" (and Live with no attribution). Simon himself has said in years past that the Idol must be versatile. Chris is anything but, and he is neither innovative nor original. Paula swooned and said she could hear him on the radio right now. Well, duh: He sounds like an amalgam of Scott Stapp, the Nickelback singer, Eddie Vedder and Scott Weiland all in one and his "treatments" of songs all sound like the same shit polluting mainstream radio 24/7. Sure he sings well, but YA-A-A-A-A-W-N.
Taylor. Mandisa. Ms. McPheever. Elliott. Those are my favorites. Who, ultimately, will win? Hard to say. Probably (yawn, again) Ace or (double yawn, though she did surprisingly well with "Walking After Midnight") Kellie Pickler - for which I blame Cowell & Co. and some gullible mainstreamers with fast and toned dialing fingers. My estimation of the judges' intelligence wasn't all that high to begin with; when they praised Chris for "not compromising" and originality, that estimation dropped even lower. Bugs me a lot.
14 - SmokinEmber
To reiterate, Chris' version of the Walk the Line was NOT ORIGINAL or his own. It was a Live cover.
15 - NR Davis
Uh, thanks for the reiteration, Ms./Mr. SmokinEmbe, but that fact was made quite clear. I sense you're upset about what Chris did, and trust me, you aren't alone. Check out all the essays covering this weeks's AI ep.