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March 14, 2007
Tough call tonight
Frank Micelotta/Fox
After seeing the Top 12 contestants perform Tuesday night, I'm not even close to predicting who will go home tonight.
Up to this point, the girls have blown the guys out of the singing waters, but even they were a little off their vocal game.
I still say that it was never going to be easy performing Diana Ross songs, and some of the choices were befuddling. For example, Chris Richardson sang "The Boss." I don't even have that one on any of my LPs! And then there were multiple attempts at rearranging the melodies to - as the judges often request -"make it their own." Most of those attempts, especially Chris Sligh's version of "Endless Love," fell flat. And why, for goodness sake, didn't anyone attempt the theme song from "Mahogany" - "Do You Know Where You're Going To?"
At the show's beginning, host Ryan Seacrest asked the trio of judges what they thought of the guys' chances now that the competition is heating up:
Randy Jackson: "I hope the guys bring their game because the girls are ahead."
Paula Abdul: "The guys are ready to come into their own - now."
Simon Cowell: "This stage changes everything. It can make you or break you."
And so forth and so on.
Meanwhile, Ross, dubbed the "female entertainer of the century," called her role on the show as that of a "trusting, supporting voice."
"I am not a critic. I'd like to see them (the contestants) have longevity after this show," she said. "Mentoring is part of parenting."
"Idol" stuck with its usual theme of having the singers pick a song and meet with "Coach" Diana to get some pointers before performing.
That said, here are some high - and low - notes:
* Brandon Rogers (pictured above): He said: "I've been exposed to a lot of celebrities, but she (Diana) is a different breed." Said Diana: "You need to go to your center." Brandon sang: "You Can't Hurry Love," the Supremes classic from 1966. And, maybe it was nerves and/or going first, but at one point Brandon forgot the words - an "Idol" catastrophe.
Randy: "You reverted back to being a backup singer, and you forgot the words. You got the last two notes, but it just didn't work for me."
Paula: "It's not easy. Nerves play a big part of it."
Simon: "That was a complete letdown. Very predictable version, very predictable arrangement. The dancing was terrible. Absolutely not good enough, sorry."
* Melinda Doolittle: She said: "I'm an old-school Motown girl at heart, so this is huge for me." Said Diana: "I got goosebumps when I heard you sing."
Melinda sang: "Home," from the movie "The Wiz." OK, so I never saw the film, and the song went right over my head.
Randy: "I don't know if it was my favorite performance, but I'm still scoring the girls 1, the boys 0."
Paula: "You're just feeling so much joy. I'm so excited for you." (Break to Paula shedding copious tears.)
Simon (Sneezing attack ensues): "You made a very boring song fantastic. You remind me of a young Gladys Knight."
* Chris Sligh: He said: "I don't have a nervous bone in my body." Said Diana: "This song goes to the heart, so you need to find a melody, a hook that will sell it." Chris sang: "Endless Love." Now, if you remember, this was the song Diana sang with Lionel Richie for that sappy 1981 movie of the same title (starring Brooke Shields). Chris did about as big a 180 as you could do on his version, turning it into a 2007 pop song.
Randy: "So this is the new Top 12 Chris. The bad part is it sounded like Coldplay. It was a weird thing to do with that song, and it was a mess for me."
Paula: "That song is so recognizable because it's a love song. I worry you're trying to be ultra-hip and cool. It needed some kind of melody."
Simon: "I think you murdered the arrangement. You turned a beautiful song into a complete and utter drone."
Note: Chris sang for the first time sans glasses. Simon told him to keep them on. Chris agreed the arrangement stunk, but that he went with his gut.
* Gina Glocksen: She said: "It was so crazy. I was a little star-struck." Said Diana: "Gina has incredible vocal ability. Just work on your pronounciation because you're telling a story. Don't leave any words out." Gina sang: "Love Child." She didn't botch it, but it just didn't have that "Yo" factor. Too rocker.
Randy: "I'm a Gina fan, but it wasn't my favorite performance. It was pitchy in spots, and it felt very boring to me."
Paula: "That's a feel-good song. You're better than you did tonight. It felt like you were shouting."
Simon: "I can't say much about it. It wasn't terrible, and it wasn't fantastic. It was just a middle-of-the-pack performance."
* Sanjaya Malakar: He said: "Working with (Diana) is like having Van Gogh teach you how to paint." Said Diana: "He is love. You care about him. Get your soul in there. This is not about his hair." Sanjaya sang: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The background singers were terrific!
Randy: "Wow, I don't even know what to say. It wasn't very good, but the hair was rocking."
Paula: "You are the sweetest soul. But you've got to grab the audience. Let go. Explode with your vocals."
Simon: "Look, when you hear a wail (not a whale) in Beverly Hills, that's where Diana Ross is watching this show. She'll freak when she hears that. You're very brave, I'll give you that."
Note: Sanjaya went with a very Greg Brady, late-in-the-series look - super curly hair and striped shirt. But, here's the thing, despite the critical comments, I believe he has a steadfast fan base and will get by this week. Stranger things have happened on this show.
* Haley Scarnato: She said: "The lyrics to this song are beautiful." Said Diana: "Haley has a recording-studio voice, not so much a performing voice. She needs to show some emotion with this song." Haley sang: "Missing You," which Diana recorded after her dear friend Marvin Gaye's death. This performance - or better yet Simon's comments afterward - might keep Haley, who has been on the bubble from the get-go, around another week.
Randy: "You already know what I'm going to say. You gave it a valiant effort, but it was pitchy and all over the place."
Paula: "You look lovely (natch). Probably forgetting the words isn't great." (Unlike Brandon, I didn't catch Haley messing up. Did you?)
Simon (who last week said he didn't know her name): "Haley, I didn't think it was that bad. We will remember you now. You look like a star. You did better than I thought you would do."
* Phil Stacey: He said: "I didn't have a game plan. I just want to get the song right." Said Diana: "Look at the audience (when you're singing). They're real people, just like you and me." Phil sang: "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me." I liked it. I absolutely have no sense, however, of what Phil's fan base is, but I'm going to say this performance keeps him around.
Randy: "Are you glad that's over? A positive is that you get the voice of the night. You were hot."
Paula: "The vocals sound really good, but I thought it needed to be more up-tempo."
Simon: "I disagree. He chose the right tempo, and it was a very good song choice. However, when you try to hit the big note, it's like you shout in my ear."
* Lakisha Jones: She said: "It's not every day you get to meet a superstar like Diana Ross." Said Diana: "You picked a Billie Holiday song that I sang in 'Lady Sings the Blues.' I would wear something long and simple and hold the microphone." Diana also called Lakisha by her nickname, "Kiki." Lakisha sang: "God Bless the Child." Wow. That's all I can say, "Wow!"
Randy: "Kiki's in the house! It was the perfect song choice. I love the outfit. It was an unbelievable vocal."
Paula: "Your heart comes through. You're a beautiful girl and a beautiful performer."
Simon: "Either you've got it or you haven't got it. You've got it. It was a controlled performance. You weren't intimidated by the stage or the orchestra. You performed like a star."
* Blake Lewis: He said: "To get prepared, I went on the computer and tried to make (the arrangement) my own." Said Diana: "The song has been covered a lot, but you're bringing it from the '60s to today." Blake sang: "You Keep Me Hanging On." I honestly think Blake could actually sing with the Supremes if the group was still around.
Randy: "I'm a huge fan. There were some good things about it. But you don't have to 'Blake-ize' every song. Let classics be classics."
Paula: "The difference between what Blake did and what Chris (Sligh) did is that you (Blake) could have a hit with that."
Simon: "I didn't get it at all. You put your own take on it, but if you were isolated and heard it on the radio, you wouldn't have liked it. But, you'll be fine."
* Stephanie Edwards: She said: "This is the biggest mentor season for me." Said Diana: "She's a tiny little thing, but she has star quality. The key is to deliver the song with a sexy quality, then build out." Stephanie sang: "Love Hangover."
Randy: "It's an interesting night for forgetting the words. It was a good vocal with a strong finish. I was waiting for the up-tempo part to start."
Paula: "Keep striving for better. That's what arranging (a song) is for."
Simon: "It was a strange arrangement. Basically, you sang an intro and no end. You chose the wrong song. And you need to make a much bigger impact in the competition."
Note: For those disco divas in the "Idol" fan club, the Diana Ross version of "Love Hangover" starts slow - like Stephanie did - and builds to an amazingly fast song. She essentially didn't have "time" to get to the fast part. But that's not her fault.
* Chris Richardson: He said: "I didn't want to get star-struck, but I was. I asked myself if I was butchering her song." Said Diana: "I'm not different from you, I'm just older. Define the hook in the song, and then work the audience." Chris sang: "The Boss," which was an Ashford and Simpson composition from the late 1970s. For me, it was definitely a risk.
Randy: "You're holding the line for the boys. But it was kind of half good/half bad. I think you overdid it a bit."
Paula: "You nailed the blend between great dance and vocals. It was contemporary."
Simon: "It was dreadful. If I isolated you (like Blake) and had you listen to it on the radio, you would switch to the nearest channel."
Note: Chris R. was the first contestant to come out into the audience and sing on the platform behind the judges. Will that get him through? Maybe, just maybe.
* Jordin Sparks: She said: Nothing. She just smiled and gave Diana a huge hug. Said Diana: "You're absolutely gorgeous. You see the inner light in her. With this song, you must project. Don't lose your way." Jordin sang: "If We Hold On Together," from the film "The Land Before Time." Loved the dress, not so sure about the song. I never watched this movie with my kids because I wasn't into dinosaurs.
Randy: "At age 17, I'm so very impressed. We thought it was a two-girl race (Melinda and Lakisha), but tonight, you made it a three-girl race."
Paula: "You are a natural gift and a breath of fresh air. I wasn't familiar with the song, but it doesn't matter."
Simon: "It was a little bit gooey, but a very, very, very good vocal. Absolutely you have put yourself in with a shot at the finals."
Posted by Leigh Grogan at March 14, 2007 11:11 AM
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