'American Idol': Top 11 take on the Beatles
Tonight, the remaining finalists will once again slaughter -- um, I mean perform songs from -- the Lennon-McCartney songbook.
You know, because last week was just awesome from start to finish? Yeah, not so much, but regardless, here we are again. We can only hope that the Top 11 handle it better this week. Let's see, shall we?
Host Ryan Seacrest claims that this is "by popular demand," but I guess they aren't listening to me (or most of the commenters from last week).
Ryan clarifies that this week's theme is actually the songs of the Beatles, though that's not what he said on Wednesday. And then we get another history lesson, reminding us who the Beatles are. (Of course, one of our aforementioned commenters claimed to have not known the Beatles' music until seeing some of it on last week's Idol, so perhaps I am being judgmental?)
Amanda Overmyer says her most memorable moment thus far was performing on the big stage last week. She's taking on "Back in the U.S.S.R." this fine evening. Her goal is to give it a bluesy, Southern rock feel, and while she clearly has a blast on stage, it still doesn't feel like she does anything new with it. (But I have a feeling this is going to continue to be an issue for most of the contestants tonight.) Randy Jackson says this was the perfect song choice for her, though a little pitchy at the beginning. Paula Abdul agrees that "it was sketchy at first," but when she connects, she is "quintessential." Simon Cowell says it was "predictable, it was a bit of a mess in parts, it's just the same thing week after week after week." Amanda tells Ryan that she thinks she has a minute and a half a week to show the audience what it would look like if they came to see one of her shows, so she's trying to show them a good time. Simon seems to think she means Idol tour tickets or something, but she clarifies that even if it's "some bar in Lafayette," it's all good.
Kristy Lee Cook talks to Ryan about how every night she looks through her photo albums every night to stay connected with home. Aww. She's singing "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," which she says she picked based on the title even though she didn't really know the song. She's turned it into a cheesy power ballad, which is an interesting choice. She brings some decent big notes, but I predict the judges are going to use the word "pitchy," too. Randy says this is one of his favorite Beatles songs, and the arrangement was "interesting" (we're on the same page), but kind of boring. Paula picks up on something else he says about messing with the melody and that sometimes it works better if you stick with the original arrangement. But it's OK, Kristy Lee, because "this is the best you have ever looked." (Does she ever say this to the men? "Oh, that was a weird choice, but gosh, you look so good in those pants, so don't worry your pretty little head about it?" Sorry about the eye-rolling digression here; I'll get back to the show now.) She adds that it was a little safe but good. Simon says she needs "something like hypnosis because the problem is you are not a good a performer. ... It's like musical wallpaper in that you notice it, but you can't remember. You're making no impact, apart from last week, when you were terrible."
David Archuleta says he has had a ton of memorable moments, good ones like singing "Imagine," and bad ones like forgetting his lyrics last week in front of millions of people. His choice is "The Long and Winding Road." He's back to his usual form, remembering his lyrics and hitting all of his notes. The audience goes cuh-razy. Randy says, "David Archuleta has brought the hotness back." He says he could take some liberties and add some runs if he wanted to. Paula says the purity of his sound is indentifiable (or something like that) and also, he can "rise above adversity." Simon says last week was a complete mess; "this week, I thought you were amazing. You absolutely made my point." He adds that you have to sell a song and make it memorable. "That was a master class," Simon says. Wow!
Ryan then is forced to do an "impromptu" iPhone commercial. Nice.
Michael Johns says his memorable moment is his performance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" during Hollywood Week. I agree that that is the best he's been so far and that he needs to try to capture that again. His song this week is "A Day in the Life," though he says condensing it to 90 seconds is definitely a challenge. For me, it's kind of a mixed bag. Parts are good, parts are pitchy, parts he's dancing around kind of goofily (and killing his stage presence), parts are OK. All that in a minute and a half. Randy says it wasn't his best performance, and that he hasn't yet found the right song to show off his big voice. Paula says that during a dress rehearsal she heard, he was better, and that maybe the big stage or the ear monitors or something are throwing him off. Simon says it was a mess. "You didn't hit the right notes, the song went all over the place." He tells Michael he needs to sort himself out. Then Ryan brings up the ear monitors again, but it turns out Michael isn't. Then Michael adds that he chose the song to honor a friend of his who recently passed away.
Brooke White tells Ryan says she got to go home this weekend and visit with family. In the interview, she says her "Let It Be" performance is probably one of her most memorable moments of her entire life. Her song this evening is "Here Comes the Sun." So, hmmm. Her voice sounds good, as usual, but her performance is a little weird. She has no guitar and no piano, and she kind of dances around the stage, which ends up being pretty awkward. Randy says the performance "was really awkward for me," which hey, same page again. He says her little "woo" was really weird, and she totally agrees and says she didn't mean to do that, and wishes she hadn't. He adds that she really wasn't ever connected with the song and it "never quite gelled." Paula says it's good that you can't help but smile when she performs and that she showed off her low tones, which was nice. Simon says, "I thought the performance was terrible ... from the horrible dancing to the lack of conviction." She starts talking over him to tell the audience that it is OK that they can say these things since they have been so nice to her. Brooke, who needs to stop talking, says that, "This week was inevitable after last week."
David Cook says last Tuesday is his most memorable moment because of the rock concert feel. He says he is going to do "Day Tripper," based on a Whitesnake performance from back in the 1970s. That description kind of scares me, but this peformance I liked much better than last week's Nickelback-esque generic rock yawner (except for the part with the vocoder or talkbox or whatever it was; that was a little self-indulgent). Still, I will be glad when we get out of Beatles territory. Randy laughs and says he keeps it interesting and that even though it might not have been his best performance, it was solid. Paula says he is ready to go sell records. "I want to," he says. Simon says, "I don't think that was as good as you thought it was, actually. You looked smug throughout, and I thought the vocoder in the middle was just stupid." He says this was predictable.
Carly Smithson also says her most memorable moment was last week's performance. Her song for the night is "Blackbird," which her brother used to sing to her when she was a child and which she thinks will show off a softer side. And it does -- this sounds more like a performance than her much-praised take on "Come Together" last week, which felt like karaoke to me. Randy says it was another great performance, "very controlled, very emotive, very cool." Paula says she has amazing tone and that the arrangement was beautiful. Simon says it wasn't a very smart choice because it was "indulgent." I don't agree until she explains that the lyrics mean so much to her and the others who have been trying to break into the industry for so long (though she admits that is pretty corny). Simon says now he's very uncomfortable, but she clarifies that she means that now she feels like she is free and thankful for that.
Jason Castro says his most memorable moment thus far was singing "Hallelujah" -- particularly that his last note was bad and no one cared. He says he's singing "Michelle," and hoping he does OK with the French. He does (at least as far as I can tell), and the performance is typically sweet and heartfelt but very him. Randy says it was a good choice, thought a little subdued. Jason agrees that the week came very fast. Paula says he has a lot of charm, but that this was a little awkward. Simon says this is a weird show tonight -- "and I'm not sure it was such a good idea doing Beatles again because we had such a good memory of last week." But, he goes on, "Your face sold that. ... Your goofiness makes it work. ... But on the radio, it would be 'off.'"
Is it just me, or is this the longest episode EVER?
Syesha Mercado tells Ryan that this is a special week because her parents are here for the first time. She says her memorable moment was being in the bottom three last week, which gave her a kick that she needed. Her song this week is "Yesterday." I feel like maybe she starts too high or something -- her voice is really thin at the beginning, and except for a couple of power notes (and even those aren't exactly where they should be), it's boring. Randy says she took some liberties, and "in my estimation, very, very, very good performance tonight." Paula says she allowed herself to be very vulnerable, and that sets her apart. Paula adds that she should connect with the audience with her eyes more. Simon, "I thought that was probably your best performance so far. It wasn't incredible, but you chose the best song. ... That song and that performance should keep you in the competition."
Chikezie's most memorable moment was the first round in Hollywood Week. His song is "I've Just Seen a Face," and he plans to play an instrument even though he doesn't know how to play it yet. Say what? Said instrument is the harmonica, and after he plays a short riff, he speeds up the song and somehow seems to be singing it with a rock vibe, even though some of the instrumentation is very country. It's strange, and in stark contrast to the first part, which is slow and traditional, and not as interesting. Randy says there were good or bad parts -- he says he didn't get the slow parts, and the harmonica was weird, but the fast part was good. Paula says it is pure and on pitch when he sings a ballad and that he shows the whole scope of who he is by speeding it up. Simon: "It started off OK, and then you played the harmonica, which was literally atrocious, and it turns into 'Achy Breaky Heart' at the end." Randy says he was about five artists up there last night. "It was gimmicky," Simon closes.
Ramiele Malubay is the last singer of the night. She says her most memorable moment is making so many friends who are going through something that no one else can understand. Her song choice is "I Should Have Known Better" in an attempt to make the judges smile again since she bored them last week. She busts out some big notes at the end, but I think she would have been better served coming up with some of those at the beginning, too. Randy said it was "happy-go-lucky" and she showed off her confidence. Paula says ballads show off her range and she wants to see her back in the zone like when she sang Dusty Springfield. Simon says he likes her a lot, but "the track sounded terrible." He says she chose a mediocre song that didn't show off her abilities.
Somehow this wasn't quite as tragic as last week, but I will still be thrilled once we get these kids away from the Fab Four.
Who do you think is out? And who wowed you?
Comments
Thank God THAT'S over. Who would have thought that Idol could find a way to make Barry Manilow Theme Night seem good?
(And Kristy Lee, before you head home this week, you should smack whomever did the arrangements for your last two performances. He/she cost you a summer tour.)
Posted by: bucky | March 18, 2008 11:23 PM
I, too, am relieved that this group is finally DONE with the Beatles. The bar is just set so high that most 'covers' just fall incredibly short. Only David A. redeemed himself and did a great version of "the Long and Winding Road". The rest of the group fell flat. I did not like Carly's rendition of "Blackbird" at all. I think Ramiele or Kristy could go home tomorrow.
Posted by: Hetty Haden | March 18, 2008 11:44 PM
I enjoyed David Archuleta and David Cook this evening although I agree David Cook is a bit cocky.
The problem was, these kids are too young to identify with the Beatles. My goodness, I'm 44 and the Beatles completed their last album when I was 7!!
Posted by: Kelly Wright | March 19, 2008 2:28 AM
I think Simon is a little punk with money.Kristy Lee is a good performer, I have watched her live.I also would pay to watch her kick simon's butt which I think she should do on national tv. Kristy keep going, I think you are thru another round.
Posted by: bruce | March 19, 2008 2:34 AM
Is David Archuleta hearing impaired? or was he using a device to remind him of the lyrics... saw it for the 1st time on the show a hearing aid type device in his ear.
That's a monitor of the type that was widely discussed during the episode. I believe all the contestants are wearing them except for Michael Johns.
Posted by: SMS | March 19, 2008 6:36 AM
Just saw the rest of the show and now get it that they were wearing some sort of monitors in their ears..
Posted by: SMS | March 19, 2008 6:57 AM
David Archlotta-best
Kristy Cook-worst
Posted by: Anonymous | March 19, 2008 7:55 AM
we will still vote for ramiele. she's got talent, exotic looks and good attitude. she's an amateur compared to the other contestants. but isn't AI all about "undiscovered" talents? at least she's doing well compared to those who have had previous recording contracts.
Posted by: marie | March 19, 2008 9:00 AM
Overmeyer is so trashy I wish she'd go back to the scroungy bar she came from.
Leigh Cook has it going and Simon is intimidated by a beautiful woman who has no interest in his mega ego. Simon clearly has a penchant for younger feminine boys, and women who fawn all over him like the anorexic Brook. She's so phony.
David A. has a fantastic voice but all these perfomers need their own venue off the Idol stage to really get a feel for what they are capable of doing.
I'd really liked Chikezie's song once it picked up. He may have the best male vocals.
I liked David Cook too.
Enough Beatles. The songs need a band because that's the way they were intended. Enough with the Sarah Vaughn stuff. Too bad the judges demand the same impressionistic upbeat versions to get a solid vote from them.
Posted by: Tuner | March 19, 2008 9:13 AM
Simon was particularly acidic last night; he ripped Carly and Cook a little too much because - let's face it - they gave solid performances whereas the others (except Amanda) were dishwater. Why Kristy Lee Cook was allowed back on that stage is anyone's guess especially since she was saddled up to butcher another Lennon/McCartney classic. (Someone should have played the original for her so she could at least get a hold of the MELODY, for god's sake.) Let's hope she gets the boot tonight. I'm still most impressed with the Rocker Nurse. At least she pumps some LIFE into this listless bunch!
Posted by: Joanna | March 19, 2008 9:45 AM
GET A LIFE , WHY WASTE INK ON THIS
Tis the beauty of the Internet: No ink needed.
Posted by: larry g | March 19, 2008 9:54 AM
Overmeyer: Way Over-Rated and 1-dimensional.
David Cook: Nice job, but nobody likes a guy with a comb-over.
Malubay: I thought she was already off the show!
Syesha: Doesn't work hard. Didn't listen to the original. She's lazy.
Castro: Weak vocals, and NO Stage Presence.
Johns: Has potential, but doesn't show it.
Archuleta: He'll get a record deal on Disney.
WINNER: Brooke White
Carly: back to the tattoo business
Kristy Lee: She'll be working for the Televangelist Network next year.
Chikezie: Final two, but beaten by Brooke White. He'll get a record deal and sell more product than Brooke.
Posted by: Ted E. Kraycik | March 19, 2008 10:29 AM
I really liked the first part of Chikezie's performance, but Randy was right, it was kind of frenetic.
There was something missing in David A.'s delivery of The Long and Winding Road. It was technically quite good, but he doesn't have the emotional maturity/life experience to really understand the song, and I could hear that in his performance. But maybe that's just because I'm comparing him to Paul McCartney, which as others have mentioned is a problem when covering Beatles songs.
Ramiele was so karaoke it killed me. She reminded me of David H. last week.
Posted by: AEH | March 19, 2008 10:37 AM
I disagree with those that say the contestants are too young to relate to Beatles songs. My son is (almost) 14 and he has many Beatles songs (mostly from the later albums), Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, etc. on his iPod. For me, it’s just that the Beatles songs are just too identifiable with John, Paul, George and Ringo. I didn’t even like Elton John doing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds back in the 70’s.
But, yeah, enough with the Beatles. Move on already!
Unfortunately, I missed the first five performances so can only comment on the last six. I thought Carly was too way over the top with “Blackbird.” I thought David Cook sounded great but agree that he is a little too cocky. Jason’s version of Michelle was sweet but I thought he actually looked a little high on something the way he was singing. I love the song “I’ve Just Seen a Face” so I was glad when Chikezie said he was going to sing it. When he started singing it so slow I was pretty disappointed. Then when he picked up the tempo, I didn’t like how it sounded so country. I have to admit that I like watching him perform.
When they did the wrap up and showed snippets of all the songs, I literally cringed when I heard Kristy Lee Cook’s version of “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.” I thought she should have gone last week and I still think she has got to get off this show!
Posted by: Cyndy | March 19, 2008 10:46 AM
if anyone didn't like how chikeze made "i've just seen a face" a country song, go back and listen to the original--thats what it is!! its a fast paced, rockabilly vibe, which is what he should have done for the whole song!
what he shouldn't have done was blow on that harp when anyone, including a little kid, can just pick one up and do the same thing on the first go. really stupid...
Posted by: angus | March 19, 2008 11:33 AM
Jason went on a limb and tried to do the stand up and perform thing last night. The bad thing is, the song was bad to start with and he's not exactly comfortable without something to hide behind. I commend him for stepping out of his comfort zone and I agree, he's a goofy, happy-go-lucky kind of kid, so he made his song work. And I'm happy he attempted it, I hope he does it again. It wasn't a stellar performance by any means, but if you listen to his voice, he nailed it. I will continue to vote for him because I think, of all the others (except for maybe Carly), he has the most potential to be interesting post-AI.
Also, I'm glad someone else thinks David Cook is smug (but usually only when he's singing...which is wierd), and that Brooke is fake. I wonder how many times she's used that pouty look to get her way with her daddy and boyfriends. I'm guessing a lot.
Posted by: Jen | March 19, 2008 12:02 PM
Oh, and btw. THANK GOD THAT'S OVER! I HATE the Beatles, so one week of the torture was enough for me...but TWO weeks? AI please never do that again...EVER!
Posted by: Jen | March 19, 2008 12:07 PM
Maybe this proves that the Beatles are overrated. They have some songs that are great, but they also put out a lot of crap and apparently last night they were only allowed to pick from the LSD influenced songbook. Speaking of which, why didn't anyone sing Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
Posted by: greg | March 19, 2008 1:00 PM
Amanda Overmyer is the best thing that came out of Lafayette, Indiana, after Axl Rose. She's following in the footstep of the heavy metalist in her blusie-rock career. Hoosiers can [deleted] rock! And she's a biker, too, ummm, sexy! I just hope her parents are not the sort of religious hypocrites as Axl Rose's ones, the sort that every small town in the midwest is full with. Girl u rock!
Posted by: William Crawley | March 19, 2008 2:04 PM
Kristy Lee Cook has great legs but needs to improve her performance. David Cook, Archuleta, Carly, and Brooke are the best.
Posted by: pstroms | March 19, 2008 2:07 PM
I've never quite liked David Cook but didn't quite know why until people started saying things like "smug" and "cocky." That's it! Plus he has the only ugly Les Paul I've ever seen. What's that about?
Posted by: Lizzie | March 19, 2008 4:09 PM
When Chikezie started singing after the harmonica playing, I made the comment to my husband,"I didn't realize that song was so country." And after I posted my comment earlier, I listened to that song and it does have a little bit of a rockabilly thing going on. LOL!
Posted by: Cyndy | March 19, 2008 5:29 PM
I also agree that Simon was a bit harsh this week, which can cause intimidation and inhibit their performances while asking them to take liberties of self-expression.
On that note, I happen to be acquainted with Brooke and the interesting thing is that she truly is without one ounce of phoniness.
In fact, her artistic abilities in many areas is quite phenomenal. She can illustrate (draw/design) professionally, play piano, guitar, arrange and sing so naturally, it's a pure gift, cut and design hair (charging a nominal price because she loves to do it and help people look and feel their best), is so down to earth, independently strong yet sweet.
Very understated in her presence in real life, openly expressive, smart, smart, smart, and really cares about people! You wouldn't even know she is so multi-talented!! She's the real thing!
Posted by: Maryann | March 19, 2008 5:34 PM
I COMPLETELY disagree that younger people cannot identify with the Beatles. Music is the one thing that can bring people together all over the world, young or old. It is a common thread that people share. I am 27 and I can honestly say that when I first began listening to the Beatles at age 12 it changed my life and will live on as a music legacy for me just as it does for those who were around when they first came out.
PS. People that say the Beatles are "overrated" or that they hate them are obviously musically ignorant.
And David Cook is extremely annoying and full of himself.
Posted by: Jamie | March 19, 2008 5:37 PM
The problem with performing Beatles songs on American Idol is that the Beatles were a guitar-based rock and roll band. American Idol is cheesy and tacky and schlock of the worst kind. It is essentially a Barry Manilow type of show, pure schlock,
The Beatles were not only based in rock, but many of their songs were experimental. Moreover, the Beatles combined many different musical styles and genres. They didn't just release Engelbert Humperdinck type of songs. In fact, Engelbert songs would work much better on Idol than Beatles songs because Idol is in essence elevator music and karaoke.
Having said all that, the performances of Beatles songs on Idol were impressive. Some performances were better than others. It is difficult trying to top the greatest band in history and a catalogue that is the greatest in music history. These are songs everyone knows.
All in all, the contestants did an excellent job.
Posted by: Carl Savich | March 19, 2008 10:54 PM
are you kidding?? Syesha's performance of "Yesterday" was the best by far this evening!!! There really isnt much talent on this season of Idol. There is no excitement at all, its a big disappointment and a far cry from last season. I think they need 3 fresh judges. They let some incredibly gifted singers get away this season, but I digress..I like David, but he is in danger of doing the same thing the rocker chick does...singing the same type song every week, its getting really old and boring. BTW, did anyone happen to notice when they did the song recaps at the end of the show that Ramiele's song ended differently than when she sang it during the show?? I thought this show was live. Something here is fishy. My TIVO doesnt lie!
Posted by: BmoreMan | March 20, 2008 10:38 AM