On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:38:02 -0500, Zob wrote:
>>
>>Melanie Amaro - "Someone Like You" (Adele)
>>So Melanie has has the First Spot of Death. She stands on a platform
>>and belts the song with a couple of dozen male dancers in silver glits
>>dance around her on the stage.
>>LA says it was really good and congratulates her. Nicole said it was
>>a big risk taking on Adele and she looks and sang it like a rock star.
>>Paula says she looks stunning and it was a great way to open the show.
>>Simon said it wasn't karaoke, and the change in Melanie is great and
>>she could have a hit record with that.
>
>Confident, solid, Melanie looks and sings more like a seasoned
>professional than a talent show competitor.
I don't care how many drummers she has. Not a dance song.
>
>>Marcus Canty - "Ain't Nobody" (Chaka Khan)
>>Marus also stands in one spot on stage surrouunded by dancers and
>>sings, very little dancing. He's very confident.
>>Nicole says he took us to church and to the dance club, and it was a
>>brilliant choice and God has a plan for Marcus. Paula says it's an
>>even playing field. Simon says that he shouldn't be very happy with
>>Marcus but to be fair he has to judge him and that was a very very
>>good performance and he likes people who don't act like victims (dig,
>>dig, Astro!). LA says, "Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote."
>
>This was very good, but... I wasn't inspired.
Had to fast forward.
>
>>Rachel Crow - "Nothing On You" (B.O.B./Bruno Mars)
>>Simon said this was her own choice. LA said she is such a little
>>star. Rachel said she was singing to Paula and Nicole. Nicole said
>>she is waiting for the Rachel doll to come out with its own bathroom.
>>Paula came out with a Paulism, she is "beautifully confident." She
>>loves Drew. Simon is waiting for the Nicole voodoo doll to come out.
>>Simon said Drew should be selling to teenagers not grandmas (sorry
>>Judy) so it was a good choice of songs.
>
>Uh-oh. Rachel was shaky tonight. This was my least favorite song that
>I've heard from her. I so disagree with Paula. Rachel seemed unsure
>of herself and the song... which isn't surprising I guess since she
>had just 24 hours to prepare and she is so young.
Nope.
>
>>Josh Krajcik - " We Found Love" (Rihanna)
>>Josh is alone on the stage at first, dressed in dark jeans and a black
>>leather jacket. The stage is empty except for him and then dancers
>>and flashy light show started halfway through.
>>LA says that he could never hear Josh do that song as a recording so
>>he doesn't buy the song for him. Paula couldn't disagree more and
>>thought it was great. Simon says he agrees with LA and Josh has a
>>good voice but the song was completely inappropriate and he was
>>surrounded by a ridiculous, distracting dance routine and he is very
>>luck that he has a second chance tongiht. Nicole says that Josh
>>killed it and made the song his own. LA says he did not.
>
>To me this was my least favorite Josh performance. He had better do
>better in his second song or he could very well be in the bottom 3
>this week. Like Marcus's song, I just wasn't inspired by this.
Not good at all. I wish it was better. I just don't care any more.
>
>>Chris Ren‚e - " My Life" (Mary J Blige)
>>Chris stands on a moving converyor belt while he sings.
>>Nicole says she loves Chris. He wrote the verses. Paula said it was
>>the most fun peformance from him. SImon says that he is not the best
>>singer but as an overall performance artist he is brilliant. LA says
>>that he made it his own and w rote his own lyrics to the verses.
>
>No wonder I couldn't tell what this song was at first, since Chris
>rewrote the words. I'm not a Chris fan, but IMO of the remaining five
>singers, he has made the biggest improvements since the auditions.
Meh.
>
>>Melanie - "When You Believe" (Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston)
>>Melanie is dressed in a long gown. A gospel type choir comes out
>>behind her on the stage on the chorus of this big ballad. It's
>>perfectly suited for her. She sings confidently. SHe gets the
>>loudest audience applause.
>>She asks if she can say something, and LA says yes. She says she sang
>>that song because she really believed and Simon showed up at her door.
>>LA says, "you really thought of that last night? It was amazing.
>>Safe, but amazing." She gave Nicole goose bumps. When Melanie sings
>>Paula can close her eyes and hear Mariah and Whitney. Simon says she
>>sang incredibly. He says people NEED to vote for her because if she
>>ends up "in the pirhana pool she is out."
>
>Wow! I guess I may be biased because I love this song, but Melanie
>killed "When You Believe." It was gorgeous. I actually could see her
>as a star tonight and not just as another also-ran contest winner.
She looked beautiful.
>
>>Clive Davis is in the audience eyeing Melanie. Simon points him out
>>and says that he made Whitney Houston famous.
>
>Talk about Melanie nailing a big ballad at the right time in the right
>place! Clive Barker, the Queen Maker was looking really pleased
>sitting there.
Oh, how I wish it were Clive Barker. Will he ever finish "The Art" series?
>
>>Marcus - "A Song For You" (Donny Hathaway)
>>Marcus has a simple background set of sparlkl curtains, and he is
>>dressed in a shiny silver jacket. He sings this as a straight ballad.
>>Nicole is reminded why they saved him last week. Paula says one of
>>Marcus's best performances and it was superior. SImon thought it was
>>good but he's heard that kind of version so many times and it was a
>>bit boring. LA said Muhammed Ali gotknocked down twice and came back
>>like a champion, and so did Marcus and he has his back.
>
>I really do like Marcus and this was good. I agree with Paula that
>this was one of his better performances ... but at the same time I
>agree with Simon that we've heard this version many times before. I
>guess I've been spoiled by Elliott Yamin's performance of this
>Hathaway classic on AI a few years ago... when he really smashed it
>and it was the highlight of his season. Marcus won't be remembered
>for this song in the same way.
Does anyone care?
>
>>Rachel - " Music And Me" (Michael Jackson)
>>Rachel is nervous because she just has 24 hours to prepare, but she
>>will to the best she can. She stands on a little round platform
>>dressed in a black sequined dress. She doesn't look very confident,
>>but she gives a big grin when she finishes singing.
>>LA loves that Rachel picked that song for herself and her vision is
>>inspiring. He says he's heard rumors that Hollywood is circling the
>>wagons for her. Nicole thinks she is an old soul in a 13-year-old.
>>Paula says she is a good role model and she is fantastic and amazing
>>and Simon is very lucky to have this one. Simon likes the fact that
>>Rachel chose her own songs this week and agrees thgat she is like an
>>old soul.
>
>I noticed that none of the judges commented on her singing; not even
>Simon. In fact, he went out of his way in a CYA moment to emphasize
>that Rachel chose her own song. They talked about Hollywood and It's
>because this was by far her weakest night IMO as far as vocals go.
>Unless the granny vote is out in full force, I'm afraid I see Rachel
>in the bottom three tomorrow night.
Oh, God, my head hurts.
>
>>Josh - "Something" (Beatles)
>>Josh picked his own song tongiht for himself, and he says he needs to
>>nail his song and going out in 5th place is not an option.
>>Still in rumpled jeans with a bandanc hanging out of his side pocket
>>and wearing a leather jacket, Josh stands in a pool of stage smoke as
>>he sings this classic. He slightly changes the melody at the end.
>>LA says thank God that Josh had a 2nd chance tonight, he thought it
>>was really good but slightly karaoke. Paula said that adjectives
>>don't describe Josh's brilliance any more. Simon said it was a
>>massive improvement over the first song, but he looked insane halfway
>>through because his eyes were rolling. Simon says Josh doesn't ned
>>props. Nicole said it was "Krajcik Magic."
>
>This was a smart, smart, smart song choice AFAIC. This Beatle classic
>is a song that everybody has heard and can relate to, and it's not
>difficult to sing. Josh was in full "Lee Greenwood" voice on this (a
>good thing I think). I think that Paula was exaggerating a tiny bit
>when she said there are no adjectives to describe his brilliance,
>however. It was very good and probably has saved Josh's behind from
>being in the bottom two tomorrow night.
Karaoke? It bore damn little resemblance to the original. Not bad, but not
great.
>
>>Chris - "Where Do We Go From Here" (original song)
>>Stevie wonder called Chris and said that Chris is inspiring him. Chris
>>says it's scarey because he is 4 people away from "five million
>>bucks."
>>Chris does something completely different from what we've seen before.
>>He sits on a stool, plays the guitar and sings a simple, pretty ballad
>>that he wrote. Nicole says the sky is the limit for him. Paula says
>>this is what she was waiting for. Simon says at this stage of the
>>show with $5 at stake and singing his song was either stupid, or
>>genius. He says that it was a stroke of genius. LA is so proud of
>>Chris and that he came back to where he started and he could not be
>>more proud.
>
>OK, I have to eat some crow here. ALl along I've been saying that I
>dislike Chris. I've never liked his singing at all, and I never
>warmed up to him personally, I've just kept hoping he would go home
>every week. Tonight I take it all back. Wow! I was uber-impressed
>with everything about him tonight. The original song was brilliant,
>his guitar playing was absolutely beautiful, and his actual singing
>rather than half-rapping was spectacular. (You can borrow my
>adjectives if you want Paula since you ran out, lol). I could see
>this song being a smash radio hit. He looks... different somehow
>than when he started out, and it's not just the makeover. Maybe the
>further he gets into sobriety the more the effects of the drugs are
>wearing off; he's lost that seedy substance abuser look. I really
>loved this. He actually knocked Melanie off the pedestal I had her
>on.
OMG. This was fucking awesome. He sounded like Jason Mraz or something. I
loved it so much I listened to it twice. The kid has talent suddenly. Loved
it. Did I mention I loved it?
--
If there's a nuclear winter, at least it'll snow.