MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2008, Season 7
American Idol, from
the perspective of a former national-level talent booker, demo screener, and
performance coach: who we like in the
competition, what works and what doesn't, what contestants can do to improve
their chances of success, and advice you can apply to your own career.
Editor's Note: Much has been made in the media about some of this year's
contestants having had label deals in the past. After much discussion, we at
MBADC made a conscious decision not to use this as a factor when rating each
contestant's performance in the MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback
column...including the new "most signable" section.
Season 7
Top 24: The Top 12 Guys
Perform Songs From the
60s
Air date: Tuesday, February
19, 2008
David Hernandez: David
Hernandez's version of "In the Midnight Hour" had a great vocal, but we
hated the Bland Band's lackluster arrangement. Performance-wise although he
sounds great, David needs to work on his stage presence and charisma,
because he reminds us more of a mailroom guy than a pop star. Tips
for success: With his voice, David could probably make an excellent
living as a commercial jingle singer...a profession often far more lucrative
than that of recording artist.
Chikezie: Chikezie's version of "More Today Than
Yesterday" was very Telethon. Thanks to a terrible arrangement, everything
that had been catchy and dynamic had been stripped from what had previously
been a good song. Vocally, Chikezie was off at first, but had a nice tone in
moments. Unfortunately, we were bored. Tips for success: Choose a
dynamic song and make sure the arrangement is attention getting as well.
David Cook: David Cook's version of "Happy Together" was good. We
liked the arrangement a lot, and liked the rasp in his voice, although he
rushed it a bit at times. Performance-wise, he had decent presence for the
first night, and we weren't bored. Tips for success: Don't let your
nerves get in the way of your timing--especially on upbeat songs,
which can fool you into rushing through them when your adrenaline kicks in.
Jason Yeager: Jason Yeager's "Moon River" was sung with a great
voice. The problem? What would you do with that voice in today's
music industry? With that particular song, with that straight-forward
arrangement, it's hard to visualize David in a current, contemporary
mindset. Tips for success: Song selection! Even within a theme,
always find the song that fits your personality, to show them who you are as
an artist.
Robbie Carrico: Robbie Carrico's version of 3 Dog Night's "One" was
sung well, and Webmaster Extraordinaire liked it a lot. Performance-wise,
although he looked great and connected with the camera, Ed in Chief (the
former talent booker) wanted to see him let loose a bit more and added, "I
get what Simon's saying about not being convinced he's really a rocker. He
moves like a pop guy instead of a rock guy, and he doesn't sing with
attitude." Tips for success: Be true to yourself. Says Ed, "You're
either a rocker, or you're not. It's not something you can just decide to
be."
David Archuleta: David Archuleta's version of "Shop Around" had a
good vocal, but it was very Telethon. There was no real problem, per
se, but we just weren't entertained by it. Tips for success: Song
selection might be the key here. Again, good voice, now what do you do
with it?
Danny Noriega: Danny Noriega's version of "Jailhouse Rock" had a good
vocal, but there was nothing rock about it. Apologies to Zac Ephron, but it
was very High School Musical and was the most milk and cookies
version of that song we've ever heard. Tips for success: Song
selection, people...
Luke Menard: Luke's performance of "Everybody's Talking" had a week vocal, poor song
selection, and he needed to work on his performance. When he's on the note
he has a pleasant sound, but those moments were unfortunately few. Tips
for success: When you're trying to "wow" a crowd, choose a dynamic song
that fits your style.
Colton Berry: Colton Berry's version of "Suspicious Minds" had a good
vocal, but was a really bad song choice for him. The song just didn't fit as
a gauge of choosing a recording artist for today's music industry, as
Simon said. Tips for success: We know we sound like a broken
record, but yep. You got it. Song selection.
Garrett Haley: Garrett Haley's version of "Breakin' Up is Hard to Do"
was very telethon and didn't show us anything about his personality. He has
an OK voice, but what does this guy do exactly? Who is he as an artist?
That's what we want to know. Tips for success: Ditto...
Jason Castro: Jason Castro's version of "Daydream" entertained us,
and we liked it a lot. The song seemed to fit his personality, we like his
vocal style, he has a unique look and style, and he has an engaging
presence. Well done! Tips for success: It's not just about perfect
vocals; it's the total package. Are there better singers this year?
Absolutely, but having a great voice won't help if you're boring to watch.
Jason is not boring.
Michael Johns: Michael Johns' version of The Doors' "Light My Fire"
had a great vocal, and he has a good voice. But for whatever reason, that
song doesn't really work for anyone but Jim Morrison...especially with the
Bland Band playing it. There was something lacking charisma-wise about the
performance, and the performance didn't seem to match the passion of the
lyrics. Tips for success: Song selection will be key here. Yes, we
know Michael was a signed recording artist, but that particular song didn't
show us why someone signed him.
We voted for: David
Cook and Jason Castro.
Most signable: Based on tonight's performance, we'd sign...David
Cook, and we'd ask to hear more from Jason Castro.
The MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback is intended as commentary and
is not affiliated with Fox Television, American Idol, or its producers or
judges in any way. Tips should be taken as a suggestion only and are not
intended as a substitute for qualified vocal coaching or artist management
American Idol
Armchair Quarterback |
