March 01, 2006

Top 20 - The Boys

By Tanya

Kenny Rogers?

Yeah, wave goodbye Brenna.

The seating change last night really improved Paula's judgment. I was thinking about that earlier this evening. They should switch permanently.

Taylor - He has a magic hat. (Spear and magic toboggan!) Not... Faith No More. Who is this by? Commodores - Easy Like Sunday Morning. Nice. Not thrilling, and I wouldn't have picked it for him, but I love it when he busts out. He made it his own.

Elliot - Moody's Mood For Love. Smooth. Michael Buble, look out. That was gorgeous. I would *never* have guessed he had that in him. Smokin'.

Ace - Ok, the security beanie thing is cute. Daniel Bedingfield - If You're Not The One. See, this is why I called him Federov Lite. Not too rough, but so cloyingly, sickeningly sincere. Please go back to the fun, libertine thing. Gag.

Gedeon - Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come. Much better. Yes. His expressions creep me out, but I could listen to this all day. Beautiful.

The boys are kicking the crap out of the girls tonight.

Kevin - Marvin - Heard It Thru The Grapevine. Oh. No. Far, far too white. Too much e-nun-ci-a-tion. Ok, this is just painful. I like this kid, but what? They could get permission to do Right Said Fred? Oy.

Sway - Stevie - Overjoyed. Ok, I'm ready to ban Stevie now. Not that I don't love him, because I do, but do we need to hear three covers a night? Ugh. This is just a bad copy. Not even the tiniest thing to make it unique. Yawn. (It frightens me how often I agree with Simon lately. I do write these in a notebook while they're singing.)

Will - He does like cheesy but nostalgic songs from before he was born, doesn't he? Kenny Rogers - Lady. Huh. I usually cringe when they sing dead slow ballads, but that was actually a good showcase for his voice. I forgot he had pipes. Yikes. Will's going to be filing sexual harrassment charges in the morning. Down, Ryan. Down.

Bucky - Garth - Thunder Rolls. I want to hear him do something not country, because I really, genuinely *love* his voice. Very nice. Good choice for him. I'd love to hear him do something a little more neutral. Bad Company or Clapton or... god, even the Eagles.

David - Nice dorky story about the phone cord belt. Sinatra - The Way You Look Tonight. Eh. It's a little much for him. He just looks nervous. He keeps really getting in the zone but then slipping back into the nervousness and wrecking it. Nice if he did Bobby Darin's More.

Chris - Fuel - Hemorrhage. Man, even Chris isn't reaching me tonight. It's cool and awesome and rockin' and his voice blows me away and I'm just not feeling it at all.

Randy works with Chris Cornell? I think I might have just developed a tiny amount of respect for him.

 

Comments

Jackson was actually a quite successful producer and record company executive for years after working as a musician. He really has known Mariah Carey since she was a teenager, and really has been in the music business from pretty much every position for most of his life.

Somehow he comes off as a goof, only I think because somehow Simon comes off as the big expert, but he's actually more accomplished in the music industry than Cowell is. He also is clearly more at home with a much wider variety of music than the other two are. He's underrated as a judge.

I think your instincts are right though: just changing the seating might improve things.

I agree with virtually all your comments on the performances, except I was feeling it with Chris.

Posted by: Dean Esmay at March 1, 2006 10:46 PM

I understand that he's a well known and successful session musician and producer. Because he talks about it on every. single. show. That's just the first name in five seasons of literally constant namedropping that impressed me.

His connections mean nothing as long as his taste blows. If you have real talent, you don't have to rely on other people's names.

Posted by: Tanya at March 1, 2006 11:34 PM

Oh, and I definitely didn't think Chris was bad. That song is just so dreadfully freaking emo, I guess it made my mind wander. But I love his voice.

Posted by: Tanya at March 1, 2006 11:42 PM

LOL! Yeah Tanya, I hear ya. Randy Jackson constantly gets under my skin because he really is an extremely talented bass player, arranger, and producer (pop and rock). But he acts so damn amateurish. That can only mean one thing: he's smoking the good crack. :)

Posted by: T-Steel at March 2, 2006 11:14 AM

I dunno, I guess I like him more than you guys do. I find that unlike the other two he's got pretty broad tastes and is more open to styles that go beyond the simple pop or R&B stuff. It may also be that his tastes are closer to mine than others. Simon Cowell, while he's right 80% of the time, has a very narrow range of stuff he looks for and once something's outside of it he's not sure what he thinks.

It's also been interesting to see how the show has evolved. The first year it was very very focused on bubble gum, but as time has gone on the array of styles and genres they're willing to admit has expanded, and it's clear to me that Jackson is far more comfortable with that than Cowell is, which is probably why I like him.

Posted by: Dean Esmay at March 2, 2006 11:27 AM

I respect Randy Jackson. Don't like him much. heh heh heh...

Posted by: T-Steel at March 2, 2006 02:05 PM