Tonight is the last chance for the Idol contestants to prove to us why they deserve to have a vocal battle next week at the Kodak Theater. They will be singing three songs: one chosen by the judges, one chosen by music producer Clive Davis, and one chosen by themselves. Not only will song choice be essential. Their best bet would be to do an awesome job every single time!
Clive Davis' Choices : Was it just me, or was Clive Davis already making plans to record with some of the contestants? Earlier today, I remarked that Clive Davis seems to pick the cheesiest songs. I mean, he picked "The Greatest Love of All" for Fantasia. Come on!!! But, I was reminded tonight that the man has overseen some major talent from nearly every musical genre imaginable: Alicia Keys, OutKast, Janis Joplin, and Billy Joel. Each of these artists has shined in their own way. He knows what he is looking for. Therefore, with certain songs, no matter how sung-out they may be to us, he was in fact giving each contestant the opportunity to put their own spin on the songs that would erase the played-out versions that exist in our minds. This was probably the best opportunity to prove their marketability to one of the greatest music producers of today.
Elliott singing "Open Arms" by Journey Song Difficulty = 7
First of all, let me specify that Elliott did not forget the lyrics to the song, he reversed them. When he did that, there was a slight hesitation that let us know that he realized he'd made a mistake. I thought that this was a great song choice for Elliott. Although it may classify as a rock ballad, he has the voice to carry it, without a doubt. He was not only stiff onstage, but it seemed like his vocal chords had stiffened up as well, and he really had to push to get the words out toward the end. At the beginning of the song, I got chills. The sound was so breathy and sincere. He also had a better grip on his vibrato - it wasn't as wobbly as it was in previous weeks. I love Elliott in his higher register. When he has to push from his diaphragm more, the sound tends to be very raw. Overall, it was good.
Katharine singing "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly Song Difficulty = 8
As much as I HATE this song (and I actually cringed when I heard the choice) Katharine had the chance here to make it absolutely beautiful! Her natural singing voice is gentle and pure enough to make us sit up and take notice that this ballad, no matter how many times we've heard it, can become tolerable in a whole new way. That being said, Katharine started out beautifully. That run at the beginning was effortless, and she was singing it just right - no yelling, no screeching, just great singing - which is what I will always admire her for. Right at "If I just believe it..." there was a note struggle, and she got a kind of strange look on her face. I don't know if she had forgotten some of the lyrics, or if she was supposed to be ad libbing there and wasn't comfortable with it. I can't quite pinpoint the problem with the song. It wasn't a complete mess at all. But, sometimes if she has a problem in one part, it seems to throw her off, and then she tends to over-sing the rest to compensate for the loss. That's why the "hoo!" at the end seemed so out of place, and she ended on yet another bum note. Not my favorite performance by a mile.
Taylor singing "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen Song Difficulty = 8.5
Okay, now Clive picked the perfect song for Taylor! He really did the song justice; Bruce Springsteen should be proud. I kind of got the feeling that Taylor was really trying to calm himself down at the start and just sing the song. But boy, was I glad when he finally cut loose. And, that dancing with Paula was ingenious! At least one of the judges was moving! I loved Taylor for his delivery of this song. He did seem to be a little out of breath at the end, and he might want to work on that so that it won't be so noticeable, but the song itself was a challenge. He didn't shy away from the fact that it was a rock song by a very popular and established musical artist, but he gave it all he had. And, by golly, that came out sounding like soul-rock! Knowing that Clive Davis contacted Bruce Springsteen himself to ask for rights to the song had to give Taylor just the slightest bit of a boost. This was awesome!
The Judges' Choices : Paula, Randy and Simon did a pretty decent job of picking songs for the contestants. Besides the fact that the judges picked the people that would eventually go into the final, they have been listening to them all season. These are the songs that they think the Idols should sing. Hint, hint.
Elliott singing "What You Won't Do For Love" by Bobby Caldwell Song Difficulty = 8.5
I love the fact that the judges are SO mature! Really! Did I actually see Simon blush and mumble "Sorry" after Ryan scolded him? Gosh! Talk about stealing a moment!!! Anyway, Paula's explanation as to why she had chosen this song for Elliott wasn't exactly clear except that "the funky white boy who has soul and rhythm can get into the song." Huh? Sigh. I just remember them allowing her to choose Jasmine Trias' song as well. Grrrrrr. Elliott really tried to loosen up on this song. He came trotting out and had a bit of a jazzy bounce. And, you know what? Although he appeared to be a little stiff, the sound was pretty darn good. Should he release this type of album, it'll do well, I think. This neo-soul-jazz thing seems to be his niche. Once again, great control of the vibrato. Gotta give it to Elliott - always wonderful singing.
Katharine singing "Over the Rainbow" sung by Judy Garland (and others) Song Difficulty = 7
Okay, Katharine borrowed a couple of things from previous seasons. She lounged on the floor like Fantasia did for "Summertime," and she started out a cappella like Bo Bice did for "In a Dream." But, it just might have been the smartest thing she has ever done. Simon Cowell - congratulations to you. You just may have had the greatest judges' pick of any of the five seasons of American Idol! It made me forget all of Katharine's messed-up performances from previous weeks. It even made me forget the mess that she made of "I Believe I Can Fly." She was slightly sharp near the ending of the song, but this is absolutely the kind of music that she should consider singing. I really did love it, and when she releases her single, she might want to include this song. I haven't typed this for quite a few weeks, but Katharine, that was magically well done! This song right here just might have given her the edge that she needed.
Taylor singing "You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Cocker Song Difficulty = 9
Great job, Randy Jackson! This was another good judge's pick. Taylor Hicks has the ability to make his voice chillingly beautiful, and I agree with Simon. Last week, I fell in love with "In the Ghetto," but this song took first place in my book tonight. I think that Taylor has the lead here, but he did something even more amazing tonight. He took a calm, classic love song, and instead of him struggling because he wasn't able to be his usually entertaining, energetic self, he connected with the audience in another way. I mean, just hearing Joe Cocker sing it gave me chills - the cracking voice, the rawness, it was all there. Taylor put a whole new spin on it. Even the facial expression was there. I also enjoyed my second glimpse of his falsetto, and I loved it - made me realize why I loved this guys' talent. It is so far reaching. With a simple song like that, all of us could have easily been dozing off. But, instead, he proved to me who the contender really is!
The Contestants' Choices : As they have been doing for most of the season, the contestants had another opportunity to pick a song that they want to sing. There has never been a moment when song choice was so, so, so important.
Elliott singing "I Believe to My Soul" by Ray Charles (asb)Donny Hathaway Song Difficulty = 9
Can I just say that I loved that jacket on Elliott??? So snazzy!! Elliott's choice of music also suits his voice very well. Another question: Were the background singers absent tonight? The song sounded a little bit empty. I love the fact that he appreciates older soul singers. For the most part, their music was a great deal better than today's soul. It was more meaningful and heartfelt - kind of like they could identify more with what they were singing. As much as I love Ray Charles, I was not very familiar with the song. But, I do recognize the mixture of gospel and blues, and that has a very specific sound. This is the kind of singing that I grew up hearing. He has that very sound without even trying. That's not something that can be taught. It's a God-given gift, and it's almost unexplainable. I still didn't feel that he was able to get a grip on his uneasiness, and there were several pitchy problems throughout. But, I love Elliott Yamin to death. He sounds good singing pretty much anything.
Katharine singing "I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues" by Ella Fitzgerald Song Difficulty = 8
Older, bluesy, jazzy songs are a plus with me. I probably should have been born in that era. I was okay with Katharine's vocal performance at the beginning because for a moment, I felt like I was transported back a few decades. Songs like this create such moments for me because they are reminiscent of different, simpler times, when music wasn't the means to get rich quick, but it was a means of successful communication. I felt that Katharine could have portrayed that a little better with this song. It just seemed a little over the top, and when she hit that piercing falsetto...it was really over for me. I don't like her singing these types of songs. It just kind of throws me off. Of all of the contestants, song choice just might be the most essential to Katharine McPhee. Give her the right one, and she'll blow us away, just like with her previous song. I don't like these play songs. I'll take song #2.
Taylor singing "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding Song Difficulty = 7.5
In my opinion, Taylor got it three-for-three tonight. Every song for him was nearly perfectly suited. He had just the right amount of rawness in his voice at the beginning, and I realize that I just looooove Taylor singing the old soul and blues as well. I know he's young, but he is such an old soul. He's got something deep down inside that belies his age and communicates his music. He had just one almost-flat note, and a slight hesitation. I'm not sure what that was all about. But, other than that it was great. His ending to the song was a tad bit over the top, but hey, that's why I love him!
Elliot Yamin overall - I felt so much for Elliott tonight. Why, you ask? He was the first one out on the biggest night of the semi-finals of the competition, and what is probably the biggest night of his life. Well, I'll tell you. Coming into this competition, Elliott Yamin was not a favorite to win. He's got unconventional looks, he seems to be extremely shy, but he's got this voice that is just Heaven-sent. His nervousness definitely showed on all of his songs. I went back and actually listened to all three of Elliott's performances. He gave three solid performances. They were not star-making or breakout performances, but they were very consistent. I am now, and always will be an Elliott Yamin fan.
Katharine McPhee overall – She entered this night of competition between a rock and a hard place. Not only did she have two weeks of not-so-good performances, but she was also in the bottom 2 with one of the favorites, and she managed to slip by. She would have to work extra hard just to solidify her place in the finale. I personally think that she is an excellent vocalist - one of the three best female voices of the season. I did not like Katharine's exchange of words with the judges. The point being established here was that what makes a good vocalist a star is that they can take a common song and make it seem like it was written specifically for them. There is no doubt in my mind that Katharine has been told for the majority of her life what a wonderful singer she is. But, that simply cannot be enough. Her statement that "You guys have been hard on me these past couple of weeks" just brought a point home for me. She's past the stage where she can expect to just skate through. That was evident last week. She was given another chance this week, and to think that that one performance was good enough was in error. That's kind of like a straight-A student asking the teacher what she has to do to make a "C." All of that aside, all three of Katharine's performances were not good, but to her credit, she had an amazing, enviable moment tonight. That just might give her the edge that she needs.
Taylor Hicks overall – Taylor caused me to do something unbelievable tonight. I'm going to take a very BOLD step and CALL IT. The game's over. He will literally have to fall flat on his face next week not to win the whole thing. He's just got that perfect combination of charisma and energy and personality that attracts people for miles. It doesn't hurt that he sings like he's lost his mind!
At the beginning of this season, I predicted a Top 5. It included Taylor, Elliott, Chris, Katharine, and Mandisa. I was only off by one. Ladies and gentlemen, this Top 3 looks pretty darn good to me. Congratulations to each one of them!
Taylor Hicks is my top pick of the night.
Elliott Yamin and Katharine McPhee will battle it out for second place.
Gwen4791 said this in post #1 : Taylor Hicks overall – Taylor caused me to do something unbelievable tonight. I'm going to take a very BOLD step and CALL IT. The game's over. He will literally have to fall flat on his face next week not to win the whole thing. He's just got that perfect combination of charisma and energy and personality that attracts people for miles. It doesn't hurt that he sings like he's lost his mind!
I believe that you're right. No matter what I think, it's Taylor's show now, and he would have to severly screw up, to not win. I mean, the guy could stand on the stage, next week, say "hi" and get all the votes.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
I LOVE Gwen's reviews. I love how she places a difficulty score on each song. And she really digs into their vocals. Obviously, I don't know THAT much about music, except whether it's pleasing to my ears, and soul... and sometimes I know when they are sharp, flat, off key, etc... but, Gwen really touches on those things, and it makes reading her reviews that much more enjoyable.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Why does it hurt? Because music is the key to our souls. It touches places that NOTHING else can. And Elliott's voice, and his music, touched that special place.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
05-17-2006 07:54 PM
