Here are my thoughts on Elvis night of "American Idol":

Taylor Hicks - He opened the show with "Jailhouse Rock" which was a great choice for his style. He added a little of his own flavor to it. While it wasn't the best choice for a vocal showcase, it showed his personality and style while allowing him to be himself. It was a good way to start the show.

Chris Daughtry - Chris came out to sing "Suspicious Minds." It was a great vocal - probably one of the best of the night. I didn't like the sunglasses. I mean, unless you went to the eye doctor and were required to wear them because the light hurts your eyes - no sunglasses indoors should be a rule. The song was a good choice because he didn't have to strain his vocals.

Elliott Yamin - "The Yodeling Gnome" came out for "I Can Dream." Wow, he's in full effect on this one. Elvis must be rolling in his grave...or throwing stuff at the television if he's still alive. I'm sure impersonators are offended, too. It just wasn't good. Of course, while the judges said it was his best performance, I think it was one of his worst. Do they need batteries in their hearing aids. The vibrato doesn't sound good when it's on EVERY note and EVERY syllable.
E-e-e-e-e-e-v-e-e-e-e-e-e-r-y-y-y-y-y-y-y S-y-y-y-y-y-ll-a-a-a-a-bl-l-l-l-l-l-e. Maybe I should write all of my comments about him in that wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ay.

Katharine McPhee - Katherine did a kind-of medley of "Hound Dog" and "All Shook Up." I liked the combination idea. She showed more personality than she has all competition. It was a great choice, but, oops!, not good when you forget the words. Ouch. That could be her ticket home. Otherwise it was a great performance.

Taylor Hicks - Taylor's second choice was "In the Ghetto." It was a good soulful selection and it helped tone down his performance to show off his vocals. I thought it worked well. He should be in the finals.

Chris Daughtry - His second choice was "A Little Less Conversation." It wasn't the best to show off vocals, but it added a little diversity to his style. He's got a great stage presence and should easily get to the finals.

Elliott Yamin - Here we go again... Elliott's second song was "Trouble." He started out talking, not singing. Holy Vibrato! His voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. He does not need vibrato on every note he sings. Without the vibrato he could be a good singer, don't get me wrong, but there is such a thing as "too much vibrato" and Elliott passed that standard three notes into the song. Again the judges call it his best performance. How? He's getting worse! It almost sounds like the CD is skipping.

Katharine McPhee - Katherine went back to her comfort zone for "Can't Help Falling In Love." It was a bit of over-singing. She's got the vocal power and ability, but it's the same kind of ballad we always here from her. Doing the same thing over and over won't win the contest. Even Chris had to show more diversity. For me, every ballad of hers sounds the same.

Katherine's probably on her way out, however, I would prefer to see the "Yodeling Gnome" outta here.

Bottom two: Katherine and Elliott

Posted by jeffhahnedisabled at May 10, 2006 9:22 AM