MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2006
American Idol, from
the perspective of someone who's booked artists at the national-level: who we like in the
competition, what works, what doesn't work, what contestants can do to improve
their chances of success, and advice you can apply to your own career.
Week Six: Guys Live Performance 2
Wednesday,
March 1, 2006
Taylor
Hicks:
Taylor Hicks’ version of the Commodores’ “Easy (Like Sunday Morning)” wasn’t
bad, but it was actually boring. Taylor Hicks is more dynamic of a
personality than that, so it was a poor song choice. Tips for success:
If you’re quirky, work it instead of suppressing it. Mick Jagger is one
of the quirkiest performers in rock and roll history, and it works for
him.
Elliott Yamin:
Elliott Yamin’s
version of James Moody’s
“Moody’s Mood for Love” was jazzy and nice,
and he sang
it very well, but damn we were bored. That particular song is more of a
mid-set mood change for one artist’s show…not a song to highlight yourself
in a talent competition with competitors who have strong, memorable voices.
Some other place, some other time, but not here. Once more our webmaster
fell asleep. Tips for success: Dynamics, people!!! When you have one
song to shine, singing something subdued isn’t usually the way to go.
Ace Young:
Last week, we said Ace Young was our all-time favorite American
Idol contestant. The operative word here is was. Thanks to his
response when Ryan interviewed him, we’re over him. More on that in a
minute. Musically, Daniel Bedingfield’s “If I’m Not
Made for You” was a bad song choice for a
really good performer, and it made Ace, a good singer, look like a poor one.
We love the song, but it just isn’t right for his voice and style. Now for
that interview part…Ace lost major points with us when 1. Simon flat out
told him what to do to win the competition and Ace politely but definitely
blew him off, then turned to the audience for backup (which was ridiculous,
because the AI studio audience is mainly family and friends, who love
and agree with you even when you bomb) and 2. when Ryan asked Ace if he’s
still happy with that song selection, he said yes because “you have to stick
to your guns.” Last week we wondered why Ace hadn’t been signed yet. This
week we probably know why: Every artist we’ve ever met who’s said that has
been a complete nightmare to work with. Tips for success: Know
when to stick to your guns, but also know when to take constructive
criticism and when to listen to those who are trying to help you. Being true
to yourself is important, but blindly maintaining your position without
listening to the playback of the vocal first is never a good idea. The notes
were off, dude.
Gideon McKinney:
Gideon McKinney’s
version of Sam Cooke’s “Change is Gonna Come” was well done, and he has
great stage presence, but keeping in mind the producer’s purpose of American
Idol, will it sell today? We think it’s too retro-perfect, and that the
novelty may wear off.
Tips for success:
If you’re in a talent competition to win a contemporary recording contract,
sing something contemporary so the judges and audience know you’re not a
one-trick pony.
Kevin Covais:
Kevin Covais’ version
of Marvin Gaye’s “Heard it Through the Grapevine” was a poor song choice,
because it’s such a well known classic that everyone who sings
it will be compared to the original, and Kevin just doesn’t have the stage
presence to make it come even close to working. Simon’s comment about it
being la la land was right on. It just wasn’t a good song choice for
a serious competition. Tips for Success: Don’t choose a well known
classic for anything but a karaoke performance at your favorite dive bar.
Jose Sway Penala:
Sway’s version of
Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” was a poor song choice in terms of its
difficulty to sing well, and because it’s a signature, Stevie Wonder
stylized classic. Who could do it better? To make things worse, Sway sang it
off pitch. Even worse, to Ryan he said he thought it was “well-known by a
great artist,” so he’d “take a stab at it.” Tips for success: In
explaining his song choice, Sway gave himself (and you) advice without even
realizing it: If it’s a “well-known song by a great artist,” don’t “take a
stab at it.” Respect the artist enough to leave the song alone and develop
your own style.
Will Makar:
Will Makar’s version
of Kenny Rogers’ “Lady” was much better than the judges’ feedback would
indicate, and we’re considering sending them a box of Q-tips for Christmas.
The next American Idol? No. But it was a nice interpretation and
was sung with very good voice, and was a nice, recordable version. Lack of
edge was probably the problem. But he’s young and finding himself as an
artist, and it’s not easy to find material that suits a male teenage artist
without seeming cheesy. Tips for success: Continuing on with decent
song selection is key. We still think Will is perfect for a rom com
or sitcom if he can act, though.
Bucky Covington:
Bucky Covington’s
version of Garth Brooks’ “The Thunder Rolls”
was an excellent choice for his voice, range, and
style, and the first verse was even better than Garth’s version. Then we
think the nerves kicked in. It went a bit downhill during the second half of
the song, but overall it was very good, and we love Bucky’s attitude of
“learn and grow.” You go, Bucky. Tips for success: Continuing to work on his
stage presence will grow the confidence Bucky needs to shine. He has great
moments; he just needs confidence to bring more of them out. We’d still like
to hear him sing Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page”.
David Radford:
David Radford sings
“The Way You Look Tonight” very well and hits the notes, but it was boring
and had no dynamics. It was very sleepy, after-hours back lounge, way off
the strip, which isn’t a good thing. Randy Jackson was right on this one.
Tips for success: When singing a laid-back song, only the song should be
laid-back. To pull it off, the performer has to create excitement by
projecting extra personality into the performance.
Chris Daughtry:
Wow.
Chris Daughtry did everything right on his performance of Fuel’s
“Hemmorage (In My Hands)".
Brilliant song choice for his range, he knows how to place each note
perfectly while making it seem effortless and keeping his personality in it,
and he’s improved his stage presence 100% from last week. Randy Jackson and
Simon Cowell were right on with that one. It could be released as is and be
a huge hit.
That was one of the best performances ever on American Idol, and one
of the best musical performances we’ve seen on TV in quite some time.
Last week we had some reservations about whether or not Chris Daughtry is a
total package performer. Those are gone now, and he’s replaced Ace Young as
our favorite. Great work, and an excellent job!!!
Tips for success:
If Chris
continues with the excellent song selection he exhibited tonight, continues
to work hard on his stage presence, doesn’t let positive feedback go to his
head, and has good management and a good team around him, and is pleasant to
work with, he’ll have a very long career.
We voted
for: Chris
Daughtry. No one else came close.
Ryan Seacrest Smart quip of the Night:
None, but
something about the endearing way he pointed out adjusting his sock so his
shin didn’t show on camera made us chuckle. Yep, that’s the guy we’ve been
listening to on the radio all these years…
American Idol
Armchair Quarterback
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.
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