And then there were five. So, it's getting down to the end, so I'm being more honest with my comments - there's also a hint of sarcasm.
Without further ado, here are my thoughts on the May 2 "American Idol":
Elliott Yamin - The "Yodeling Gnome" was in full force for his first song. Actually, I didn't know it was possible to have vibrato on almost every note being sung. Elliott, jeans with a tie and suit jacket? And didn't I tell you last week not to have a knot as big as your head and to either button the shirt or lose the tie? Way to go, Captain Sloppy Shirt. Well the show is off to a horrible start. Fantastic.
Now, as far as Elliott's second song - It actually wasn't bad. The yodeling was held to a minimum. There were no runs and little vibrato. Randy said it showed a different side. A different side?!? It was the same as every other song he does week in and week out. He does the same sappy song with the same runs and vibrato each time. It's nothing new. It's not a different side, and Elliott should make sure his bags are packed.
Paris Bennett - She's 18? I thought she was 16. Did I do the math wrong? It wasn't a great song choice to start with, but I liked that she did it without the falsetto a la Tom Jones. She gave it some soul and it was a good first song for her.
Her deep singing voice throws me off each time. She has such a high normal speaking voice, that when she sings these deep bluesy notes, it's like two different people. My volume quit at one point during the song and I thought it was for profanity, but I think it was just a communication failure thanks to Fox. I doubt she'd use profanity on the show without the judges pointing it out. She showed strength, power and soul, but I'm not sure she'll make it in the competition much longer.
Chris Daughtry - It was a great first song choice for him. A nice rocking 70s song. Made Paris and Elliott look like amateurs...well, they are. So, it just made them look bad. I'm still not crazy about the vibrato in his voice - I think he sounds much better without it. He's got the potential for a great rock vocal if he gets the right coaching before he cuts an album.
Shinedown has a lot of good songs, but this wasn't the best to choose. It wasn't horrible, but it just wasn't the best choice. He sounded a little pitchy, but I think it was just his voice giving out. There's no question that he has vocal power, but if he keeps straining his voice, he may be in trouble soon.
Katharine McPhee - She kicked off her songs with a typical ballad. No surprise. She sang it well and showed little personality. Even the bios/montage videos are stale. She's probably the most talented singer this season, but her personality is holding her back. She needed to show more emotion for the song. People can fall in love with a person more easily than fall in love with a voice.
Her second song choice was great for her. It showed a fun side, and I really like the KT Tunstall song. It showed a different side and she did a good job with it. I'm not sure why she sang the whole song while on her knees, but it worked. She showed her range and power while having fun.
Taylor Hicks - He showed his typical vocal style and had fun. It was kind of an odd song choice, but he tore it up, as usual. When he fell at the end, it was a moment in the song and performance. When Ryan Seacrest imitated it, it ruined the fun of the moment. Seacrest out!
His second song was more soulful. It was not the best song choice though. He did a good job with it and made it his own at the end. I'm not sure how he got away with a Beatles song either. It almost felt like he was cheating. I would have rather heard him sing a song from today and show a little more diversity.
Bottom two: Paris and Elliott
Posted by jeffhahnedisabled at May 3, 2006 4:28 AM
