Greetings, friends! I'm Darci Monet, singer/songwriter/freelance writer, and this is my weekly critique of the Idol contestants' performances. I don't bring up what I do for a living to make anyone feel inferior; rather so you are aware of the angle from which I write my reviews. I welcome everyone's opinion who cares to share. So here's my gut-reaction, one-listen-only review for this week.
Alrighty campers...Tuesday night again...and here I sit in my living room that looks like a tornado hit it (redecorating is FUN! ), with a little pink wine (I'm a cheap date) and my big new flat panel monitor that's about to blind me (I'm quite used to squinting). Anyway...it's down to the wire! TWO songs apiece now. One from their birth year and one from the Billboard top ten. Now...I recall last year's show of this nature was rather a bummer. I also believe it was the week Constantine was unceremoniously ousted for butchering a Nickelback song (like that's so hard in the first place). So, let's hope things look up a bit this year. I'm ready to go, gimme a mic!
Oh a glimpse of little Anthony from last season. Cutie patootie. I'm sure his fans went bat guano.
And Elliott opens the show with George Benson's "On Broadway". And WHO has upped his confidence? ELIOTT HAS! Man, he just sang the hell out of that tune! What a sublimely perfect choice for him. What in the hey was Randy hearing, "it started rough for me man"...? Paula? Simon???? OH COME ON!!!! Can you smell an apology tomorrow night? I thought that was definitely one of his stronger performances and my personal favorite so far.
Anyone recognize Kelly Clarkson's voice on that Ford commercial? If it isn't her, it's quite a drastic sound alike. Does that mean a new album soon? Hope so...if CDs could wear out, my copy of Breakaway would be toast by now.
Little Miss Paris is up next. And she's going to work some Prince. Well...hmmmmmm. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. But was it screechy and annoying? Uh...not even close. She didn't play around with the melody enough for it to have become screechy or annoying. Had she done that screamy "ain't no pah-ti-koo-lah sign I'm compwaaaatable wit" at the end like Prince does, it might have been screechy. But it didn't show her off. I'm with Paula tonight...she's made for those glorious old jazz-flavored standards.
Wasting no time, here's Chris pulling out one of my favorite Styx songs (hey there's Nikki McKibbin! appearing for the first time since she competed? DOH!) and he absolutely pulls it off. Man, it's hard to live up to Tommy Shaw but Chris did what he does and it worked for him. He looked pretty tasty, too. I'm not sure I was exactly moved per se, but I enjoyed it.
Driving by a theater near where I live, there's a big yellow sign that says, "Get the McPheever! Vote for Katharine!" I'm guessing she's performed there or something (since Sherman Oaks, where she's from, is only a mile or two down the road from me). Alright, this is one of my all time favorite sappy songs in the whole wide world. And even though I liked Scott Savol's performance of it last season A LOT, I still haven't heard anyone on this show really give it even half of what Phil Collins put into it. And I already know Katharine can't, with her perma-smile. *sigh* Where is the devastation, Kat? Where's the heartbreak? Aside from that, I am really bothered by her phrasing and aggravated that she's consistently flat throughout the whole thing. YES RANDY, not the right key, either. Too low for her to really show herself off. This song was completely wrong for her. Gotta move along...moving quick tonight...
Bring it, Taylor, dadgummit. YES, YES, YES!!!! That was the Taylor that makes me grin ear to freakin' ear like a drunk woman with a secret. Shut up Simon. Shutupshutupshutupshutup. For god's sake, SOMEONE has to put a little energy into this season's absolute drudgery of a show!
Well, Elliott, I think you're singing beautifully on this Michael Buble song, though you're floating slightly sharp on that chorus, but the "I want to go home" message might be a bad omen for you. Not much more to say but that, I'm afraid!
Paris back up with some Mary J. Blige. Now...I am soooo not a fan of hip hop or Mary J. actually, but one thing I will give that woman is that every time I've seen her live she is feeeeeeeeling what she's singing. I think Paris did as well as she could with as little of the song as she had time to sing. I felt like if she had been able to just fly that coda out it would have been FIERCE. So I suppose my only complaint here is that there just wasn't enough time. And I feel like it will send her packing tomorrow. No worries for her career, though. Let's just hope she gets with the right people who will really milk her strengths and put out a gorgeous album.
Here's Chris again with a song I don't know. And I call myself a rock chick? :lol Well I can tell you right now that Simon's gonna hate this. And so's everyone who argues that all Chris does is scream. Yeah, I do have to say he could have used a little Bocelli/Foster coaching to work that properly. Chris...LOVE YOU, get some voice lessons or you will not be able to do that every night for 2 hours at a time on tour. Seriously, dude.
Okay Kat...where have you been all season? THIS is what you should have brought every week! EVERY week. That was a great song for her voice and who knew she could put all that personality into it? She sounded great, got into it and smacked it down. Good on ya, sugar. It's about time!
An American Haunting is about the Bell Witch legend, native of my beloved Tennessee. CAN'T WAIT to see it! Sorry...got a little sidetracked there during the commercial...
I can only imagine what Taylor's gonna close the show with. Beatles..."Something". And I must say, of all the ballads he's sung (or was FORCED to sing, I should say), this is definitely my favorite. This seems to be the only one that truly suited him in all these weeks. I thought that was quite lovely. But yeah...how DID he get a 30 year old song from a current top ten chart? *scratching head*
Folks...I think Paris has left the building. Based on tonight's performances, she just couldn't hold up to the others overall. What do you think?
~Darci Monet
Professional vocalist/songwriter/freelance writer Visit my profile! "Any girl can be glamorous, all you have to do is stand still and look stupid." ~Hedy Lamarr
I think that EVERYONE is trying to figure out the whole, Taylor/Beatles song... and we're scratching with ya!!!
I wasn't impressed with Kat this week And she is who I want in that number two spot. I LOVED Chris, as usual. I could listen to him singing "Rubber Ducky" in the bathtub! Ohhhh, the naughty thoughts
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
I believe it was settled that a Beatles' album was released on CD recently or else it was pulled from a compilation album that hit the top ten or something. Sneaky little sucker.
~Darci Monet
Professional vocalist/songwriter/freelance writer Visit my profile! "Any girl can be glamorous, all you have to do is stand still and look stupid." ~Hedy Lamarr
A Beatles compliation album was at number 6 I think, on the Album chart. It was completely within the rules. After them yanking his song again last week, I say "WOOO" to him getting to do this. It was a "Billboard" theme, not a modern music theme.
), with a little pink wine (I'm a cheap date) and my big new flat panel monitor that's about to blind me (I'm quite used to squinting). Anyway...it's down to the wire! TWO songs apiece now. One from their birth year and one from the Billboard top ten. Now...I recall last year's show of this nature was rather a bummer. I also believe it was the week Constantine was unceremoniously ousted for butchering a Nickelback song (like that's so hard in the first place). So, let's hope things look up a bit this year. I'm ready to go, gimme a mic!
05-03-2006 05:14 AM
And she is who I want in that number two spot. I LOVED Chris, as usual. 
I could listen to him singing "Rubber Ducky" in the bathtub! Ohhhh, the naughty thoughts 
