StoneRose Valley My Thoughts, Expressions, and Passions

Yes, the long-awaited night has finally arrived. We have Adam Lambert and Kris Allen here at the end.

Again, each guy gets to perform three songs; their favorite of the season, Simon Fullers’ pick, and the coronation song written by Kara DioGuardi, “No Boundaries”.
Carrie Underwood is also scheduled to perform tonight; her hit-Idol-boot-off song, “Home Sweet Home”.

I already posted spoilers; check them out.

Adam Lambert is back with “Mad World”. Good choice…creepy entry with all the fog and green glow…Steller vocal-his best to date, IMO.

Randy said, “this is it. We’re down to the wire. You’re showing your sensitive side. That performance…I’m giving you an A+!”
Kara told Adam, “I’m so happy you chose that.  You rocked it again tonight”.
Paula said she was “unbelievably proud. This is your moment. Brilliant job”.
Simon called it all “a little bit over-theatrical, maybe it was the coat. Reminded me of Phantom of the Opera”.

Kris Allen is performing, once more, his incredible hit, “Ain’t No Sunshine”. I absolutely love this song! I’ve said it before, this guy is so moving. I love the ambiance of his voice; the incredible way he has of touching your very soul with his music.
I love this ending! This has got to be among my all-time favorite A-I moments.

Randy loves that he can “tell exactly what kind of artist you are. One of your best ever on this stage!”
Kara said she had “to agree with Randy. If Kris doesn’t move you, there’s gotta be something wrong with you! Kris, you have a way of moving and touching everyone who hears you”.
Paula thinks Kris leaves his “trademark on everything [he does]“.
Simon reminded everyone that “this is a competition. I wasn’t sure when your name was announced. I absolutely take all that back after that performance”.

Simon gave Round One to Kris.

Adam Lambert starts Round Two with Sam Cooke and Patti LaBelle’s “A Change is Gonna Come”. I could envision this being performed at Vegas….maybe a couple years back. Good, but rather old-fashioned in my taste.

Randy called that song “an amazing R&B classic. You showed the real reason you’re here; you can sing your face off; unbelievable!”
Kara declared this Adam’s “best performance and interpretation from the beginning. [That's your strong point], using both sides of yourself”.
Paula was ecstatic; “best I’ve ever heard you sing! Ever, ever, ever! You looked like a superstar up there”.
Simon told Adam “you are 100% back in the game; congratulations”.

Kris Allen is singing Simon Fullers’ choice, “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. Great song for Kris. Allows him to show off his individual artistry and phrasing that is so unique to him. Also his instrumental talent-playing his guitar. He accompanied himself on the piano with “Ain’t No Sunshine”.

Randy was excited, “we’ve got ourselves a real live dual competition; I love it! A little lite for this room and competition though”. Come on, Randy! Kris had no say in choosing this song!
Kara told Kris, “you have not wavered. You’re the kind of artist who makes people look, feel, and change!”
Paula declared Kris had “made Marvin Gaye proud!”
Simon said it was somewhat “like three friends in their bedroom, strumming along to Marvin Gaye. Too laid back for a night like this”.

Simon gave Round Two, hands down, to Adam.

Adam Lambert is first up to sing Kara’s new song, “No Boundaries”. I really like the song. Not a great fit for Adam’s voice, though. Well, the verse wasn’t…I was going to say the chorus was a better fit; but there were some off notes there. This really doesn’t sound right. I know that I don’t usually like Adam, so you’ll say ‘no surprise’, but I really don’t like this at all.

Randy said, “Dude, you can sing the phone book….that was not my favorite, just alright. It was a little pitchy”.
Kara told Adam, “I’m moved and proud. Thank you for giving me that moment here at the end”.
Paula was, as usual with Adam, tearing up. “Can’t express what you’ve brought to this show here in season 8. I’ll be a fan forever”.
Simon, choosing to ignore the pitchiness, IMO, said “I’m not going to judge that song, I’m going to judge you. You are one of the best contestants found so far. Congratulations”. What, Simon! You who never fail to mention pitchiness or when an artist is off-key…no mention of it here?!

Have to give Kudos to Randy for speaking the truth. It WAS pitchy. Quite dissapointing; obviously pitching for Adam here…is it just because Simon doesn’t want to lose face after he, once again, declared the winner (Adam) before-hand?

Kris Allen also gets his turn to perform “No Boundaries”. I like the beginning of this one much better. Was a note in there that sounded a bit off to me…nothing like Adam’s though. Did he forget his line? Excepting that, this is really, really good. My sis-in-law liked the musical arrangement of Adam’s song, but agreed with me that Kris was much better.

Randy told Kris “you should be very proud of what you’ve done in this competition. You’re an amazing competitor. I think that song fit your voice better than Adam”.
Kara thought “that song was a bit high”, but wants Kris to be judged on his overall performances throughout the season. “You are an incredible artist”, she commented on how he’s grown better and better from week to week”.
Paula said he did an “amazing job. This has been one of the best show-down’s”.
Simon again, thought that Kris’ “highlight was your first. Watching you tonight has been incredible. You have thoroughly deserved to be standing on this stage tonight”.

Honestly, it almost seemed like they’re were giving Kris the “good job, but you’re going home” speech. I totally call the last round Kris’. Was pimping still going on tonight?
IMO, Kris was the best tonight…we’ll just have to see if the majority of voters agree with me or not.

As the show closes, we get to hear Carrie sing….with the TV cutting out before she’s done. Oh, well. Was great to see Carrie again.

Numbers to call are: 1-866-IDOLS followed by

For Adam Lambert: 01, 03, 05,

Kris Allen: 02, 04, 06

Of course, it being the last voting night of the season, I have to add a poll. What do you think?

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Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Links, Music

Here we are; the last chance to perform for the title. Who will win? I think it’s gonna be extremely close (no-duh!).

Some spoilers I gleaned from MJsBigBlog today…..
Performing first, Adam Lambert is said to be singing “Mad World” as his personal choice; while Kris Allen chose “Ain’t No Sunshine”. All I can say is ‘way to go, boys!’ They each chose their best songs of the season…question is, can they top them, or will it be just another re-run?

Both guys will be performing a song chosen by Simon Fuller….and the new coronation song, “No Boundaries” written by judge Kara DioGuardi, and co-written by Cathy Dennis and Mitch Allen. This will be cool.

Carrie Underwood is set to take the stage as well, with her hit “Home Sweet Home”.

Tomorrow night, we will see all of the top thirteen group return, singing (reportedly) Santana’s “Smooth”, and Pink’s “So What”.

Also reported for tomorrow night is Cyndi Lauper (possible duet with Allison), Queen Latifah, Black-Eyed Peas, Lional Richie (possible duet with Danny), Keith Urban (possibly the duet for Kris), Carlos Santana (to perform on his hit with the top thirteen), Jason Mraz, and David Cook (performing “Permanent” in honor of his brother, Adam-all proceeds from I-Tunes sales to go to charity).

That’s all I have for now…come back when the show starts, as I will be blogging live! See you then!

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music

Polls are at the end of this post.

Danny Gokey starts the night out with Micky Gilley’s version of “Stand by Me”. Not Danny’s best, but a solid performance nonetheless. His voice is carrying him straight through this part of the contest.

Randy told Danny “You…came out with the gospel/jazz, r&b chords. Even though I didn’t love the arrangement you made me love the song”.
Kara was thinking “what kind of arrangement is this?” but said Danny “killed it…turned it on it’s head; really unique!”
Paula said he “opened the show, and set the bar so high, everyone’s going to have to run to catch up”; also loving his “creative liberties, and the chord subsidies”.
Simon called the beginning good, the middle lazy, and the end terrific; saying that overall it was “great!”

Kris Allen chose “All She Wants To Do Is Dance”. Kris also chose to sing in the pit, playing his guitar; this gave off a very relaxed atmosphere during his song. I didn’t think this was Kris’ best either, but it was also a solid performance. Nothing stood out greatly to me, unfortunately.

Kara said it “felt like jazz/funk homework. It kinda lost a lot of it’s youth”.
Paula called it “heartfelt and genuine”; also calling Kris “one of the most likable contestants we’ve ever had”.
Simon agreed that Kris is likable, but called the performance “indulgent, boring, and forgettable. You came over as a guitarist who wanted to sing instead of a singer playing guitar”.
Randy agreed with Simon that the “arrangement was a little self indulgent”. He said that Kris got lost; reminding him “You’re the singer; you’re in the competition, not the song”.

“What’s Love Got To Do With It” was the song Lil Rounds chose this week. Personally, I’m not a fan of her stylist; I feel like the personality of Lil has been lost in her ‘new style’. But as regards her voice and performance: I think the girl is finally getting back to picking the right songs! The note at the end broke, but other than that, one of Lil’s best performances; certainly better than the last couple of weeks.

Paula called Lil a “brilliant vocalist, but that only gets you so far”. Paula felt that Lil didn’t make the song her own.
Simon said “we’re not looking for a second or third rate Tina Turner…other than some nice parts at the end, it was literally like we’ve lost you”.
Randy said Lil has “mad, mad talent”, but said she just was “not clicking right now”.
Kara said this competition is “about making that leap from a singer to an artist’, and didn’t think Lil has made that leap.

Anoop Desai is singing “True Colors”; I think this was a really wise choice for him. I thought his transitions from chest to head voice went very smoothly overall. Very nice vocal tonight from Anoop.

Randy thought the vocal “very nice…very controlled” and told Anoop “you can actually sing!”
Kara said that Anoop showed that he “can take a pop song and interpret it with soul!”
Paula thought the “choice of song: flawless. Phrasing: beautiful. You showed your true colors”.
Simon called him “a singing yo-yo. Last week was [terrible]; this week was very good. Take a song and make it your version. Wasn’t fantastic though”.

Scott MacIntyre went with “The Search Is Over”, also playing guitar. I have to say I love seeing a new side to Scott; he’s keeping things interesting. And I enjoyed his vocal.

Kara said he “took on a very difficult song; it had some good moments but also had some off moments. Not your best; there were parts I liked and parts that were too ambitious for you”.
Paula gave him credit for stepping away from the comfort zone of the piano. When she commented on the guitar, Scott remarked that it was his “punk side coming out”; Paula laughed and said he had a “wonderful sense of humor”. She thought some of the high notes came out a “little bit screeching, but overall good”.
Simon recommended he “go back to the piano”, calling the song “atrocious. The guitar and song didn’t go together…the choice was wrong”.
Randy said it was all just “OK. The song, vocals…Didn’t show you as a star. I want to see you leap off the stage vocally”.
I totally had to disagree with Simon here….

“I Can’t Make You Love Me”, to me at first thought a strange choice for Allison Iraheta, I have to change my mind. I think she put her own touch on the song. Good vocal, great interpretation! Also, the outfit was 10 x’s better than last week!

Paula said the “great thing about having you in this competition is you just hear one note and it’s undeniably Allison. You gave all of your heart in this song. This was the same arrangement as the original, but you made it our own”.
Simon thinks “you’re really good, I really do. We need to sort you out and make you more likable though. I still don’t know much about you”.
Randy said Allison “remind[s] me so much of a contestant from season one; she can sing her face off and so can you”!
Kara said that “to take adult content like that song and make it believable and young; that’s talent”.

Matt Giraud is singing Stevie Wonder’s “Part Time Lovers”.
Not as good as ‘So Small’ or “Who’s Loving You’, so not Matt’s best, but better than most of what we’ve seen tonight…

Randy said that it was “vocally one of the best of the night”.
Kara called Matt “incredibly talented”.
Paula gave Matt a “standing O”.
Simon had two words; “well done”.

Adam Lambert is singing “Mad World” by Tears for Fears; this is honestly his best vocal EVER! This performance, for the first time, made me think that Adam really could make it in the music industry. This was amazing!

Simon said “the bad news is we’re running out of time. Good news is I’m the only one who is going to say anything. Words aren’t necesarry but I’m going to give you a standing ovation”, and he proceeded to do so.
Totally deserved!

Best of the night: Adam. Usually, I think he’s so overrated with all the talk of “in a league of his own”…but tonight, he truly was.
Other standouts: Matt Giraud, Danny Gokey, and Allison Iraheta.
People in Trouble: Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, and Kris Allen. I’m worried about Kris, not that he did badly tonight…but it was forgettable. He has put so much in the past weeks, rising head and shoulders above the rest; I just hope people remember the past couple of weeks, “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “How Sweet It Is“, and “To Make You Feel My Love” while they’re voting.

Note to self: I wonder how much Adam’s standing ovation from Simon had to do with the fact that they cheated him on the time and had to end the show instead of letting al of the judges comment…? Think about it, would Simon still have given him a standing O? I really don’t think so…I think Adam did deserve an ovation, possibly by Paula or Kara, maybe even Randy…but hardcore Simon? I think that was just to keep people happy. What do you think?

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Links, Music, Polls, Quotes, Verses, Video's

So, I hear that the contestants will be performing songs from Itunes top charts….that bodes well for many of them.

For me, though, this show doesn’t look good. I’m starting this night out very irratated. The TV keeps cutting the sound on and off.

Starting the night off is Anoop Desai, singing something by Usher….at least I think that’s what he said. As I already said, the sound is there only every once in a while. And what I do hear, I don’t recognize. But back to Anoop; he’s bringing back some of that energy and attitude we saw several weeks ago. As far as the vocals went, I didn’t think he stood out with them. They were only OK, which just doesn’t cut it with this group.

Randy said Anoop’s “vocals were really good” but thought it a bad song choice. He said he felt “a little torn”.
Kara pointed out that “when you pick Usher you’ve got to do crazy stuff” but didn’t hear that from him; instead felt “like a bunch of frat guys dared you to sing Usher”.
Paula loved that Anoop went back to the playful side; “Your vocals sounded really good”, but recommended he “work on the stage presence”.
Simon called it a “complete and utter mess”; saying Anoop “came over as a wannabe”. He said “the arrangement was a mess”, and complained that the performance gave him a headache.

Megan Joy is singing Marley’s “Turn Your Lights On Low”. I have to say that this is definitely an improvement over the last two weeks…actually, three weeks. But this didn’t turn me into a fan of hers by a long shot.

Kara really likes Megan but thinks she is in trouble. “Here’s the thing: Not the right song choice for you”.
Paula thinks Megan really needs to “take us by surprise”.
Simon called the song boring, indulgent, monotonous; and all the things we liked about you are disappearing. It wasn’t you, and it is about song choice”.
Randy said it was “like watching paint dry”, and told Megan she had better artists to pick from than Marley.

Danny Gokey is singing “What Hurts The Most”, by Rascall Flatts. I’m so glad he chose this song! Much better song choice than the last two weeks for sure!! This is getting us back to the real guy! His vocals were spot-on, and the interpretation in his voice brought me completely into the song.

Paula said “this is where you thrive; from the first note to the cadence”, and told Danny he left her “wanting more”.
Simon’s thoughts on Danny’s performance; “this week, if I’m being honest, this was your best performance. So much better than the first two…So far away better. Get a great song, sing it brilliantly, and do your version; that’s what this is about”.
Randy said “it’s about choosing something that you can do well”, and thought Danny did just that.
Kara told Danny, “You moved everyone in this room emotionally…That’s so hard to do; you gave so much of your heart and soul”.

Allison Iraheta chose “Don’t Speak”, her vocals are fairly good, but I’m totally distracted by how she looks. Not in the same ball park as last week, IMO.

Randy knows Allison can sing, but thought she was a little ahead of the beat; but he did like the guitar. His biggest thought: “What are you wearing?!”
Kara told Allison “the rock in you comes out no matter what you’re wearing, so you don’t need to dress it. I felt like you were trying to be something, and you don’t need to try, you already are”.
Paula said Allison’s “vocal prowess rivals singers twice your age. You are serious about this. think you’re skating by and going right to the finish line”, she predicted.
Simon simply couldn’t ignore the outfit. He thought it looked like “dressy-uppy; trying to be a rock star. Plus you shouted the song”.

Scott MacIntyre chose a song from Billy Joel, “Just The Way You Are”, and it was perfectly suited for him! Great choice! He stripped it all down, and just gave us his honest soul in that performance. Very well done!

Kara said Scott “made some very smart song choices tonight”. She loved that he came “from an honest place, which you know how to do well”.
Paula told Scott that “of all the contestants which have graced the stage, I am most proud of you. It has nothing to do with your challenge, but everthing to do with how you’ve faced that challenge!”
Simon called it Scott’s “best performance by a country mile. This is a different Scott. You are lucky you didn’t listen to madam’s (Paula) advice about not playing the piano”.
Randy declared it “one of the best of the night; nice one!”

Singing “You Found Me”, Matt Giraud is fighting to gain his footing back on the show. He chose to play keyboard actually in the audience! What a way to make it personal! This isn’t my favorite performance of his, but was a good one nevertheless.

Paula thinks Matt is “bored with the magnificant riffs and beautiful falsetto” that he is so good at.
Simon said Matt “should be happy ’cause we don’t like you this week”. He felt it was all “very put on, very up-tight. You’re becoming like all these different people just to try and stay in the competition”.
Randy thought it was “just the wrong song for you. You got more chops than that; let all that flavor out”.
Kara didn’t like how Matt seems to “keep going between the rock r&b and the pop r&b”.

Lil Rounds wanted to really nail her song choice this week, and picked Celine Dion’s “I Surrender”. I love this song, and am a huge fan of Celine. I’m very back and forth between this song….there are times I feel are magnificant, and others that are just less than what I’d hope for from her.

Randy thought it, once again, not the right song choice. “But you sang it really, really well. You’ve got unbelievable vocal skills”.
Kara pictured a Mariah or Mary song, but was “surprised too. You hit a few notes that I was like….whoa! We got a glimpse of what we saw in the beginning which is this singer who can let it out and wow us”.
Paula….well, I actually didn’t catch what Paula said.
Simon felt like it was Lil “singing to stay in the competition”, and thought it “quite similar to a wedding performance”.

Adam Lambert chose “Play That Funky Music”, a song that I normally like, but not his version. I really think that Adam is someone you either love or hate. I just don’t get him. But he does have a good voice, and I think this performance was a very good one. So, no, I didn’t like it. But this was the best performance of the night so far!

Paula declared that “true genius does not fulfill expectations; they shatter it!”
Simon called it “very brave!” and said it was original.
Randy admitted that when he heard Adam was doing this song, he thought “this is going to be corny;  But you got it going on!”
Kara told Adam that each week she “cannot wait to see what you are going to do next. And that’s a big compliment!”

My favorite, Kris Allen, is closing the night with “Ain’t No Sunshine”. I love the simpleness he brings with just the keyboard and a strings quartet accompanying him. This guy improves by leaps and bounds each week! I’m so excited by him! And this week, I really and truly feel like I’ve seen an artist, equipped with charisma and personality. Did I say Adam’s was the best performance so far? Wrong! Kris stole the night!

Randy: “Yo dude! Right now in this moment; for the last couple of weeks you’ve been slaying them; that was definitely in the zone! Slay it!”
Kara said she has three words; “That was artistry!”
Paula said Kris “played to your strengths; your best to date”.
Simon brought up what he talked about last week with “showing some confidence; you brought that tonight. Very clever and cool performance; Your best so far”.

Here’s my ranking of the night:

1. Kris Allen–by far the best of the night
2. Adam Lambert—followed very closely by
3. Danny Gokey
4. Scott MacIntyre
5. Lil Rounds
6. Anoop Desai
7. Matt Giraud
8. Allison Iraheta
9. Megan Joy Corkrey

I really think that Megan will be leaving…but I say that every week, don’t I? It’ll be Megan, Matt, and Allison/Anoop in the bottom three tomorrow night….maybe even ending with Matt leaving us. But who really knows? No one will until tomorrow at the results show.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music