Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Idol Chatter

Three candidates remain. Who shall be the last? Also, what will happen on American Idol?
  • Casey James, singing Eric Hutchinson's "OK, It's Alright with Me": This is the only song tonight that I've never heard of. Inane, but poppy. Best for Casey is that it was quick enough that he didn't have a chance to go into Goat Boy mode. Maybe his best in the last however many weeks, but that's still not saying much. Am I wrong that the judges will bash Casey no matter what tonight because they want Lee and Crystal to be the final two?
  • Crystal Bowersox, singing Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window": Great song choice. Totally in her wheel house and she knocked it out of the park. No guarantees, especially since females have not fared well on this show, but she needs to just not screw up tonight and she didn't with this one.
  • Lee DeWyze, singing Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man": I just had a realization that, as much as we knock this season, Blake Lewis did get to the finals one year. So, how's that for a decline in talent over time? I'm not a fan of this song, definitely one of the lamer Skynyrd tunes. Great for a beer commercial, though. But Lee's a great, edgy rocker... like mayonnaise is a great, spicy condiment.
  • Casey, singing John Mayer's "Daughters": So speaking of bland, I need to admit something about pop music. I don't believe in guilty pleasures, so Miley's "Party in the USA" is a self-loathing pleasure. It's too catchy and I hate myself more for enjoying it more than anyone can ever make me feeling bad by mocking me. Anyways, Casey doesn't have as pure a voice as John Mayer. This was pretty bad. Totally not a sexual napalm-caliber performance. I said earlier this season that he was really good on the guitar, but I'm not sure. Bad idea to solo a little in the middle of a song by Mayer, who really is a virtuoso. We're into the part I hate the most each season when the judges gush over their own song choices, even when the performances are not good.
  • Crystal, singing Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed": This song takes a poop on all the other songs tonight. One of the greatest songs ever. I actually thought she didn't do too great a job. Maybe the song was too big, maybe the arrangement was weak, but she was out of control. It was good for this season, but not for her. Tony Kornheiser thinks she is the most talented contestant Idol has ever had. Not sure about that (David Cook? Adam Lambert? Sanjaya?) but my expectations for her week to week are very high.
  • Lee, singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah": No. No. No. No. They do this every week, I think. I'm sick of it, it's played out on Idol. Boycott. Here's kd lang singing the hell out of this song at the Opening Ceremonies a few months ago.

Lost:

I'm going to hold off for the most part until this weekend. There were a lot of answers in tonight's great episode, but they certainly saved some mystery for the end. I am now totally confused about the flash sideways. Also, if Jack is now "the one," does that mean that the other three remaining survivors are no longer candidates and can be killed by Locke?

1 comment:

angie said...

Wow, I hadn't heard that kd lang version before. Even if it wasn't overdone on Idol, I didn't think Lee's version was that spectacular. It was good, but certainly not the best ever on Idol, maybe not even the best this season.

Unfortunately all I got to see were the final two songs, but I was not very impressed with either of them. I'm sure Crystal and Lee make the final, though.