People Underestimate the Value of a Good Ramble

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Did You Ever Think Queen Would Perform On American Idol?

I've given  up on watching the Thursday night ep of American Idol entirely.  I was just finding a way to watch it later online, but I realized that all I want to know is who got kicked off. So all I have to do is check Twitter. I don't miss seeing the show at all, cause I mostly fast forwarded through everything but the eliminations anyway.

My husband asked me who was going to sing Bohemian Rhapsody and Crazy Little Thing Called Love tonight and I wept a little. I just don't care about any of these people and it seems like every year it gets worse and worse. Where are the people I love?? Granted, last year I liked Casey Abrams, but I'm talking about love. Real, honest to goodness, they-just-better-win love. Like the kind of love I felt in years past for people like Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, Constantine Maroulis, Jason Castro and Adam Lambert. Or even people you just love to hate, like Sanjaya Malakar.  At least he made things interesting.

Right now I'm sitting through this Queen medley and I'm sobbing quietly for what we've lost as human beings. These boring, lackluster children should not be singing with Brian May and Roger Taylor. Freddie is turning over in his grave right now.

The kids are all singing two songs again tonight. Cause they have to fill up two hours. Cause they hate me. I truly believe it's personal, too. Does it ever occur to anyone that if they let them just do one song, they can do a longer version and it would give them more to work with?

Jessica Sanchez - Bohemian Rhapsody - Her eyes are blank; she just has this empty stare at the camera. It's like she has no idea that she's actually singing about anything at all. Does anyone else remember when Constantine sang this on American Idol for the very first time? It was amazing and it changed the show forever. This was not that.


Skylar Laine - The Show Must Go On -  I wouldn't have thought of that song for her, but then I don't know what Queen song I would have picked for her.  As it turns out, this actually wasn't that bad.  I hate to have to say it, but as much as I hate country music and country singing, she's sorta OK.

Think anyone will sing anything good, like Gimme The Prize or Seaside Rendezvous? No, probably not.

Joshua Ledet - Crazy Little Thing Called Love - I've said it before and I'll say it again, no one who isn't Freddie Mercury should ever attempt to sing the word "jellyfish" on a live stage.  Joshua didn't, so good on him. Or if he did, I completely missed it, so even better.  I like Joshua and, although I kinda wish he'd picked a song that hasn't been done and done and done, I liked that. I hope he hangs around until the finale, but I'm not betting on it. (OK, I just went back to watch this over on Rickey and he did say "jellyfish" but he did it so well, it didn't stick out in a terrible way, like it did for David Radford in S5.)



Elise Testone - I Want It All - OK, now this song just makes me think of that car commercial or JC Penney commercial or whatever.  She sounds pretty good, but it was a little anticlimactic somehow. Not sure what it was missing, but something.

Phillip Phillips - Fat Bottom Girls - I don't get it. Maybe I just don't like his sound, cause it's just not...like-able. He sounds the same every week; exactly, exactly the same.

Hollie Cavanagh - Save Me - If I know this song, I have no idea. I seriously don't recognize it, even though my research shows that it came out while I was in high school and, therefore, definitely listening to the radio.  Now I'm gonna have to go listen to it on YouTube, cause I need to know what it really sounds like.

And now we start the second hour of this unbelievably long, long show.

Jessica Sanchez - Dance With My Father Again, Luther Vandross - This is an R&B song? Whatever. Once again, I think she just has no connection with anything. Her voice is nice, but I don't think she brings anything new or interesting or refreshing to any of these songs.

Skylar Laine - Tattoos on This Town, Jason Aldean - It's time for me to take a drink break. But before I go, isn't this guy the same one who did a duet with Kelly Clarkson last  year? Or someone?

Joshua Ledet - Ready for Love, India.Arie - Let me just say first that the back lighting makes his ears look like he could use them to fly around the room. But, otherwise, that was just beautiful.

Elise Testone - Bold as Love, Jimmy Hendrix - I'm having a hard time understanding what she's saying. It's like she's slurring all her words together or something.  I didn't like that at all. And I like Jimmy Hendrix.

Phillip Phillips - The Stone, Dave Matthews - Maybe it's something with  my TV, cause I can barely understand him either. Don't they realize I have to look up the names of these songs and I can't do that without the lyrics?? That did nothing for me and I guess people just like him cause they like him and the rest doesn't matter.

Hollie Cavanagh - The Climb, Miley Cyrus - While she hits all the notes adequately, she still doesn't seem connected to the song the way she should be. But maybe that's just me.  At this point, I just wish I could have the last hour of my life back.

The bottom three, for me, are Jessica, Elise and Hollie. And Phillip.  Basically, I only liked Joshua, but Skylar wasn't terrible, so she can stay another week.



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

American Idol Searches for Soul

They're performing two songs each tonight on American Idol. This is so they can find a way to fill up two entire hours of my life, even though they only have 7 people singing.

Hollie Cavanagh - Rolling in the Deep, Adele - Please, hasn't this song been done enough?? And who dresses this kid, her grandma? She could not look more "old lady" if that's what she was going for. As for the song, that was the best she's sounded since, like, forever. I still don't think that's gonna save her, but maybe I'm wrong.

Colton Dixon - Bad Romance, Lady Gaga - This choice surprises me a little, since I don't think of Colton's voice as being high and full enough for this.  I'm right, it's not.  The effects were interesting, but I don't think that song did him any favors. If he wanted to rock it out, couldn't he have found something....more better?

Elise Testone - No One, Alicia Keys - She sounds pretty good this week, but the way she's standing there, with her knees together and kinda bobbing up and down, looks like she has to pee and is just trying to hold it in until she's done singing. What confuses me the most, however, is how Randy is glad she's sticking to the melody and not concerned that she "make it your own" like they usually say.  I guess it just depends on his mood. Either way, Elise's time is nearly done, I think.

Phillip Phillips - You Got It Bad, Usher - OK, maybe it's just me, but he sounds exactly the same as he sounds every other week. He's like Dave Matthews Lite. Maybe he should have tried the Gaga. I can't believe he has as big a fan base as everyone seems to think. He may actually be in trouble this week.

Was there seriously no good music in the last decade?

Jessica Sanchez - Fallin', Alicia Keys - I'd say the disconnect is that she just comes across as an entitled brat. But that didn't hurt little Lauren Alaina last year, so it shouldn't really be that big of an issue for Jessica, especially since Jessica can actually sing. She's safe, at least for this week.  But you can see what I think about her chances here.

Skylar Laine - Born This Way, Lady Gaga - She always sounds good in her country way and that's true even when she's singing country Gaga. I don't get country, but people seem to like it, so I'd say she's safe for a couple more weeks, at least.

Joshua Ledet - I Believe, Fantasia - Joshua was made to sing Fantasia. Look, I don't mind going to church every week, and I think Joshua is probably the best this year. But I don't think he's gonna win and he may be looking at the end sooner rather than later, especially if two people are going to be voted off tomorrow night.

Alright, the saddest part of right now, is that there's still another hour left to this show.  Maybe I could just stop right now and call it a night?

So now we go on to the Soul Train part of the evening....

Hollie Cavanagh - Son of a Preacher Man, Dusty Springfield  - I was looking down at the keyboard when she came down the stairs so I missed it, but my husband was scandalized, cause he said the angle of the camera allowed all of America a look up her skirt. Um, I guess the theme here is really just songs from the 60's, cause as far as I know, Dusty Springfield was not known as a soul singer. Anyway, I think Hollie would have been better to have stopped after the first song. The judges can't say that, though, cause they have to pump her up in a weird kind of reverse psychology. They so want Hollie gone.

Colton Dixon - September, Earth, Wind &Fire - So is anyone going to make any snotty remarks about Colton playing around with the melody. I like Colton, usually, but so far tonight he hasn't hit it for me. My husband said, this doesn't bother me at all, and I said, I don't like what he did with this song, then my husband said, I don't know this song, and I said, of course you do... (in falsetto) "do you remember, the 21st night of September" and then he joined me, (also in falsetto) "ba de ya, say do you remember..." YES, THAT SONG! This wasn't that.

Elise Testone - Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye - That was good. I had some doubts about her pulling it off, but she did it.  If the judges are still using that reverse psychology thing, then they want people to vote for Elise this week.  Paula Jennifer needs to stop drinking from the Coke cup, cause she's starting to make less and less sense.  I have nothing to say about Randy and his Al Green comment.

Phillip Phillips - In The Midnight Hour, Wilson Pickett - Please, please tell me how that sounds any different from that other song he sang earlier? Seriously, I'll bet if you laid every song he's ever song on this show over the top of each one, they would all fall into the same exact pattern, with the weird stretchy-faced grimace and the one long drawn out note near the end. Someone do this for me. I beg you.

Ooh, I just saw John Noble from Fringe sitting in the audience behind Kris Allen.  I met him at NY Comic Con. John Noble, not Kris Allen.

Jessica Sanchez - Try A Little Tenderness, Otis Redding - Even my husband had to say she's over doing it now. I don't like her any better than I did before she sang.  And the judges are still trying to confuse us by not showering their favorite with praise. How else to get stupid America voting for all it's worth?

Skylar Laine - Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye - That almost didn't sound country. Well, except for the fiddle player. I think I almost liked that.

Joshua Ledet - A Change is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke - That was good and it was right in his wheelhouse, as they say, but I think I still like Adam Lambert's version better. I just hope Joshua is safe this week, cause he deserves to stay for longer than he's probably going to stay.

OK, so picking a bottom three based on what I want, it would would be Hollie, Jessica and Phillip.  But it will probably be Elise, Hollie and Colton. If we are losing two people tomorrow, I'd have to say Hollie and Elise are in trouble.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Judges' Save Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be

From AmericanIdol.com
I did a little research.

Not one of the three people who was saved by the judges on American Idol went on to win.

The first season there was a Judges' Save was Season 8 and Matt Giraud was saved at Top 7. The next week two people were eliminated and then he was again voted off at Top 5.

In Season 9, they used the Judges' Save for Michael Lynche at Top 9; he finished in fourth place.

Season 10 was unusual in that they saved Casey Abrams at Top 11, so that they had eleven people on the tour. Casey made it to sixth place.

Things don't look too good for little Jessica Rabbit Sanchez.



Thursday, April 12, 2012

So Who Actually Watched American Idol This Week?

No, these aren't the Idols as babies.
Sorry about the lack of American Idol review this week.

I've just been feeling achy and sick, what with my broken nose and all, plus work has been...weird...and we opened the consignment shop (which I am managing) this week, too.  So I've been busy.

Also, I'm kinda over Idol this year.  I may care more next week, but I'm not making any promises.

And those little cuties in the pic? They are my great nieces and nephews: Joey, Natalie, Emma, Nathan, Carter and Matthew.


Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Falling, Just Not In Love

I fell yesterday.

On my face.

I'd post pictures but, really, no one wants to see this. My nose took the worst of it, which I suppose is actually a good thing, cause it could have been ankle and then I'd be unable to walk or drive, or my wrist and then I'd be unable to type, which would be the worst thing, cause then I couldn't work. Or blog.

So if I had to break something, for the first time ever in my entire life (and I'm closing in on 50 at such an alarming rate, that by May, I'll be able to count the months using just my fingers and toes), I guess my nose isn't a bad place to start.

I don't really know that it's broken. It's swollen quite a bit, and bruised looking, and a bit rug burned. But it may not actually be broken. It doesn't look crooked or anything like that. As a matter of fact, it looks straighter than before, if that's possible. My husband, who has absolutely no sympathy for me whatsoever, said I basically just got a free nose job. (He's only disappointed that no one took video of the event. But it happened so fast there wasn't really time. Plus, I was with all adult women who don't really think about things like that in time, the way guys and younger people tend to.)

I think it makes me look like some sort of strange woodland creature. Like Avatar maybe, cause my nose is swollen wide across the bridge, so it brings my eyes closer together and, because of the swelling and bruising around my eyes, they look sort of smaller and hooded.

So this is me, only with a more purply, redish area on the bridge of my nose and dark, dark circles under my eyes:

But the miserable expression is the same.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Oh Yes It's 80's Night

I was ready to stop watching American Idol. Really, I was. But then they decided to do 80's night. I love 80's music. I love it. As much as I hate country music I love 80's music. Even more.

So once again, I'm sitting here watching.

But I have a massive headache today, so the sound is way down. Even more so than usual. I may even hit mute once in a while.

Did you know that only 7 Idols have gone on to win any awards. Ten years worth of Top 12 (or pretty close), which is 120 people (give or take).  So that's like 5.8%. And they were all from the first 6 seasons.  This does not bode well for anyone on the show right now.

On to the singing....

DeAndre Brackensick - I Like It, Debarge - There's no escaping it. This kid is basically easy listening elevator music. So that wasn't bad, but I wouldn't call it good either. It was acceptable. But I'm thinking little girls really like him and they will keep voting long beyond when they should really stop.

Elise Testone - I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner - First of all, let me say that this song is way, way better than that tired Hallelujah song that every one has been singing ever since Jason Castro did it in Season 7.  But that being said, Elise didn't go anywhere with it. That song has so much potential, but it felt like she was holding back instead of going for it. Plus, she's in second place and she got the deadly "You look beautiful tonight" from Paula Jennifer. I think she may be in lots of trouble tonight.

Another duet this week. What's up with that? Colton and Skylar are Kenny and Dolly. But maybe not in that order. Islands In the Stream. Not my favorite Kenny/Dolly song, but I guess you  have to take what you can get. My husband just asked if this was for judging or just a treat. I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm. I explained it was just to waste time. Although Skylar does sound like Dolly, this song is pretty lame and these two kids have no...chemistry. Which is not the right word, but you know what I mean. Symmetry? Whatever it is, they don't have it and they should never, ever, ever sing together again.

I did not need Skylar's announcement that, "Me and Colton are not dating" to know that they aren't a couple, but apparently I'm the only one. Also, Skylar? It's "Colton and I."

Someone will eventually sing a good 80's song and do it well, right?

Phillip Phillips - That's All, Genesis - Although I don't really like him too much, I'm holding out hope that P2 can pull it out for me tonight. A Genesis song has to be good, right? Except maybe not. That wasn't too bad, but it did feel like he started out shaky and just wasn't too sure of the words or something as he went along. But clearly everyone loves him, like they do every week, so I'm sure he's safe.

Hollie and DeAndre are up next with a Pointers Sisters duet of I'm So Excited. My husband asked, "There's another duet??" and then said, "That ain't fair." I could not agree more. At least this song is upbeat and they even sound pretty good together.  But there's a serious disconnect between the words and meaning of this song and these teenagers. Do they even realize they're singing about having sex? Together?  Honestly, I kinda hope not, cause that makes it even creepier than it is already.

Joshua Ledet - If You Don't Know Me By Now, Simply Red - Has Joshua ever sung anything on this show that wasn't actually a cover of an earlier song? And without a gospel choir as back up? But never mind all that, cause Brother. Tore. That. Up.

Jessica Sanchez - How Will I Know, Whitney Houston - Well, another Whitney song. I'm shocked. But whatever.  Ooh, see that keytar (the keyboard guitar) that guy is playing? Well, my Uncle Anthony created that. He seriously did. I have pics of him with the first one. I blogged about it when he passed away this summer.  Of course, Jessica was good, but I still don't like it, cause she's way too full of herself. Plus, if anyone else was singing Whitney, they'd tell them that they need to be as good as her or do it differently. She's singing it just  like Whitney and I have news for Jessica, she's no where near as good.

Our third duet of the night is Elise and Phillip with Stop Dragging My Heart Around by Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks. PhillipSquared sounds exactly like he does on every other song he sings, but Elise sounds way better here than she did on her own song.

Hollie Cavanagh - What A Feeling, Irene Cara - She definitely has a big enough voice to tackle this song, but she gave the impression that she was slightly behind the lyrics a bit, like she just couldn't keep up with the cadence and rhythm of the song. It just lost some of it's fun pop song feel. Not to mention the bad notes.

Jessica and Joshua team up for the last duet of the evening with I Knew You Were Waiting For Me, Aretha Franklin and George Michael.  But don't tell my husband cause he won't allow any George Michael music to be sung in his presence. Or anything by Duran Duran. Or Boy George. He actually just hates the 80's, I think. That was good, except that I suddenly hate Jessica even more.

Colton Dixon - Time After Time, Cyndi Lauper - Tonight it's Colton's turn to sound like he's in pain when he's singing. I love this song, but I didn't think that arrangement was too great, really. Plus, it felt like it was just out of his range or something and also kinda mumbly. Sorry, Colton. I love you, man, but that just didn't do it for me tonight.

Skylar Laine - Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler - Personally, I would have gone with 9 to 5, since we already know that she sounds like Dolly Parton. But I guess props are in order for not singing the country star song. I wish she could lose the twang, cause it just makes her sound nasally. That was a nice solid performance and when you add to it that she was in the bottom three last week and she's in the pimp spot tonight, I'd say she's safe as houses. Whatever that means.

Bottom three are Elise, Hollie and probably DeAndre, not cause he deserves it as much as cause he was in the first somewhat forgettable spot and he wasn't that memorable in any case. If it was just me, I'd almost put Colton in there, but I hope not, cause I do like him. I'd guess Elise is going home, but it could actually be, surprisingly, Hollie.