StoneRose Valley My Thoughts, Expressions, and Passions

Once again, it’s that time of year. The Finale of finales’ has arrived.

We have Rod Stewart, Black-Eyed Peas, Cyndi Lauper, Lional Richie, Keith Urban, Queen Latifah, Carlos Santana, Jason Mraz, and David Cook, all gracing the stage tonight (reportedly).

Right now, we have the top thirteen performing Pink’s “So What”; great to see some old faces-Alexis Grace, for example! That was interesting; hearing the last words uttered by these thirteen contestants “I want to start a fight!”, while all decked out in white….yeah, this is american idol.

David Cook is performing “Permament” in honor of his brother, Adam, who passed away a few weeks ago. All the proceeds from the I-tunes sales of this song will go to charity.
It is wonderful to see David on this stage again…this man, is, IMO, hands-down the BEST american idol winner ever. He is the embodiment of everything that an A-I is supposed to be. He was obviously very touched by this song. That was another thing I loved about DC, the emotion he showed during his performances.

Now we get a tribute…Norman Gentle, anyone?
And I was right, Nick Mitchel, aka, Norman Gentle wins the male contestant tribute. And he takes the stage, singing for us one more time…wasn’t that something.

Queen Latifah is singing “Cue the Rain” with Lil Rounds…this is the kind of music Lil should be singing. But I’m tired of it already; can we move on now?

The top thirteen (minus Adam and Kris) are performing “I’m Yours” now with Jason Mraz; love Alexis Grace, as usual. She and Anoop each got their little solo’s.

Now we watch Kris’ journey through A-I…was so proud of him as I watched this.
We get to hear Kris perform with Keith Urban, “Kiss A Girl”.  These guys sound great together! Great choice putting Kris with Keith. Thoroughly enjoyed this performance.

The girls are performing now. Not liking Megan Joy or her outfit. Allison looks nice; Jasmine is darling! And Allison introduces Fergie…not one of my favorite singers out there. Now that number is over; Allison introduces Black-Eyed Peas. A-I blacks out a bit of the number…and when they brought it back, I changed the channel.

Back to the “Golden Idol”; tribute to those with the “best attitude”. Katrina; Tiffany Shedd; another girl in there; are the contenders….but the winner is Katrina. Yeah. Wasn’t a fan of her, either. So, once again, the channel changed.

Allison Iraheta takes the stage with Cyndi Lauper, singing “Time After Time”. Great performance by Allison. There’s something about this night; maybe because it’s no longer a competition, but more a time to have fun. Just much more relaxed.

Ryan talks with both Kris and Adam’s parents.

Back to the stage is Danny Gokey, singing “Hello”. Awesome song-one of my fav’s ever since DC did it last year. Danny’s performance is no David, but still quite enjoyable. Good song for him. Now Danny introduces Lional Richie for their duet; they’re doing a medley of Richie’s songs. Loved this! Also, this was the sort of music Danny said he wanted to do. I would definitely buy his album.

Now we get a glimpse of Adam’s journey….What in the world is he wearing?! That was a boring song….Now he’s singing with Kiss. All I can say is…did we just get transported to the circus?! These people are seriously disturbing. But Adam fits right in. I can’t say anything more about this. The scream in the middle didn’t even sound like it fit in the song, but it was like they said, “oh, we have to put an Adam signature scream in”, and so did. Just weird.

Guitar legend Carlos Santana is performing “Black Magic Woman”….we hear an awesome solo by Matt. Now we get the top thirteen for “Smooth”. Adam heads the group up; Jorge follows with some creepy moves; and then some awesome solo’s by Kris and Danny. Great number! Absolutely loved it!

Ryan promises the results soon. Final Ford Music Video…nice one; featuring clips from all the video’s this season…the song is “I Will Remember You”. David Cook shows up to hand over the keys for the guys new Ford Fusions….man, I need to get on this show.

Steve Martin, Megan Joy, and Michael Sarver are all on-stage singing “Pretty Flowers”…Steve with a banjo. What is this? Hilarious…my fam called it the “Clampett’s”. lol  Enjoyed Micheal…but he and Megan didn’t sound good together…I think that was Megan. Steve slips in a joke; when asked who he hope’s is the winner after tonight, Steve replied “I know it’s kind of a long shot, but I hope I do!”.

The guys from the top thirteen are back singing a pretty cool (and a bit funny) version of “Do You Think I’m Sexy”. Adam introduces Rod Stewart  after the guys are finished. Stewart is singing his “Maggie May”.

Last Golden Idol of the evening we are told…”Outstanding Female”….nominees are Chelsea, Irene, Dana, and Tatiana Del Torro. Tatiana is going to win this one….I was right. Of course, there’s a lot of drama here; Ryan says he’s out of time and has to cut to the commercial…Tatiana forces her way on stage, grabs the trophy and bursts into song…some escorts try to get her off-stage, but we cut to the commercial before anything else….this was so totally staged.

One of the best numbers tonight, Kris and Adam sing “We Are The Champions” together. Queen joins onstage with the guitar. The top thirteen join the chorus. Must be nearing the very end. Love watching the comraderie between the two guys as they share the stage here at the end. These guys sounded great together.

Soon, we will hear the results. My guess is that Kris wins….but it really could be either of them.

Simon said that either one could win and deserve it. 100 million votes…wow.
And the winner is….KRIS ALLEN!!!!! So totally deserved…and he still remains humble.
The judges make me so embarrassed…they really had a look as if to say “this is SO wrong”. I think Kris has shown amazing artistry this season; consistently growing each week, more so than any other contestant.
He sings once more “No Boundaries”…I like him singing this; and despite what others say, calling it a ‘corny’ song-I like it. Afterwards, before the station cuts, we see Kris locked into a hug with his wife. This man is amazing, I’ll say it again.

And so ends another season of american idol. I have to admit, I’m relieved that I don’t have to keep up with this show twice a week anymore. It will be nice to have my Tuesday and Wednesday evenings back.

“American Idol Hall of Fame”

Kelly Clarkson
Reuben Studdard
Fantasia Barrino
Carrie Underwood
Taylor Hicks
Jordan Sparks
David Cook
Kris Allen

“These names will go down in musical history as some of the best. Congratulations to each of you. And welcome to Kris Allen. Sometimes, slow and steady still wins the race.”

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, 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

It’s the night: Songs of the Cinema! And we have Quentin Tarantino working with the contestants. I’m not expecting him to be lenient with them.

Missed the intro due to my TV not receiving the channel correctly…same ole’ story.

OK, so same format as always, right? I’ll sum up my thoughts on a contestant, tell you what they’re singing, and what the judges said. After that, I’ll share which were my favorites, and who was a dissapointment. And finally, I’ll include a poll or two at the end…a little interaction, since you all are scared stiff to leave any sort of comment…lol

Allison Iraheta picked, from the movie Armaggedon, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing”. My initial thought: Read More…

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Expressions, Music, Polls

The Ford Music video featured the song “Mixed Up”…and it lived up to it’s name! Quite strange…

The top nine are singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. I love the group numbers as the group actually diminishes in size…it affords everyone a chance with their own little segment, a chance to showcase their individual voices.

We also get a chance to hear the contestants impersonating each others voices…pretty hilarious! And they all handled the jokes with fun and grace.

Tonight we will be treated to David Cook’s new single, “Come Back To Me”…as well as Lady Gaga’s hit “Poker Face! Lady Gaga, haven’t been looking forward to so much….but Cook? Oh, yeah!

Dim the lights, etc…
We’re dividing into three groups…? So, Kris, Megan, and Matt in one. Adam, Lil, and Allison in another. Leaving Scott, Danny, and Anoop in the last grouping. There is no way that either Kris, Danny, or Adam are in the bottom three; so I’m going to put out an early guess that one out of each group actually make up the bottom three…?

So good to see and hear David Cook again…so what if it was pre-recorded? Watch the music video for Come Back To Me. And David is presented with his platinum debut album commemorative whatever-they-call-it…nice. Of course, no new news, but great to watch him receive this. Loved his performance, as always.

Back to the results: Kris is safe, as everyone knew he would be.
I think Matt will be safe too. And he is after Ryan pulls an April Fools on him.
Megan is in the bottom three. But the girl handles it with grace. And perhaps a bit of cornyness.

Second group is up.
Lil is safe!
Allison is next…I’m going to have to say that I think she’s going to find herself in the bottom three. And she is.
Adam is of course (at least this week) safe.

Third group…Danny is safe.
Scott should be safe too…and I think we’ll see Anoop joining the girls in the bottom three.
Anoop is indeed in the bottom three. Anoop has been accused of being arrogant, but tonight he was anything but. Very gracious, and that put him far in my opinion.

Yeah; we get to watch Lady Gaga! Kidding-April Fools (lol)! not really excited about her; just not a fan. Honestly, I don’t think they should have allowed her on a ‘family-friendly’ show. So no more about her.

Back to the bottom three…Simon says that ‘only one of these three (Anoop, Allison, or Megan) are worth saving’. That would be Allison, I’m sure.

Allison is sent back to safety…leaving little hope that the bottom vote-getter will receive a save from the judges.
Anoop is safe. Simon tells Megan that they’re not even going to attempt to evaluate her performance or save her. That was harsh…don’t think she deserves a save, but she does deserve the respect of an evaluation.

Megan was called hip, relevant, and the most original artist ever to grace (my new word for tonight!) the A-I stage. I think this girl was just plagued with bad song choices, like several others have been throughout this competition. Unfortunately, she caught a lot of flack; but definitely a contestant full of originality, and talent. Kudos for going out with grace, Megan!!

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Music

It’s been brought to my attention that I should have compared “Crush” not with “Time of My Life”, but with “Light On”. So just consider this an extension of that post…

This single definitely shows us all that DC is staying true to his individual style. I wasn’t dissapointed by ‘Light On’; all the more excited at getting his album!

You know, both Archie and DC are so talented in so many different ways, you really can’t compare the two. At least, I can’t.

Let me know what you think about the singles that have been released so far. If anyone knows of one I’ve missed, drop me a line so I can add it-Thanks!

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Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Video's

Comparing “Time of My Life” and “Crush” as singles.

I don’t know why I’m writing this. Millions have already expressed their opinions on David’s new single; and millions more couldn’t care less. But here I am, nonetheless, to give my belated thoughts.

By all means, Archie has me hooked. I love the kid, I really do. He has incredible vocal talent, and great prospects. But one thing has me wondering. His single peaked at #2 on the charts, while A-I finalist, David Cook’s single peaked at #3. Does this once and for all prove that DC’s winning was just a fluke? That indeed Archie is a far more talented and popular young man?

I’m not so sure. Look at the singles; the actual songs, if you will. Who wrote “The Time of My Life”? Who wrote “Crush”?

“T.T.M.L.” was written by a previously unheard-of songwriter, whereas “Crush”…well, I’m not sure who wrote “Crush”. But I assume that it was someone who’d had experience in this line (writing songs) already. Come on, would they really have stuck Archie with an amateur?!

My theory is this; the song (Crush) itself appeals to a wide range of audiences, and when coupled with Archie’s voice (which, by the way, this song was written expressly for); what you end up with is magic.

Take another look at DC’s single….”T.T.M.L” wasn’t written for DC…it had to be written for any number of potential finalists. So, we could say that it may not be the best match for his voice. Already, with that reasoning, Archie’s single should be above DC’s.

Another thing; all the hype that DC got about his single was…well, it was only from winning A-I. So, yeah, that could be a lot. Or not.

Personally, I didn’t know about DC’s release till I was surfing through i-tunes one day; and believe me, the die-hard David Cook fan that I am not to know beforehand…well, I’m not sure how that was accomplished.

Archie’s single, on the other hand…I knew of his upcoming release weeks in advance. I wasn’t even looking for any news of it; the coverage was everywhere.

Honestly, it would seem, all things considered, that Archie’s would come out ahead. But does this mean he is a better artist?

I’m waiting till their albums come out to pronounce anything final. Come November, maybe the debate will be settled. Or maybe it won’t. Some things never are, you know.

Until then, share your thoughts here! I welcome comments and interaction.

As of today, David Archuleta’s album is scheduled for release on the 11th of November. David Cook’s is set for three days later, on the 14th. Here’s hoping they don’t push the release dates back. I can’t wait to get these albums in my collection; I’ve already pre-ordered them!

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment

Leslie Gray Streeter shares a question/answer session with some of our favorites…at least, some of my favorites, from American Idol. YEAH! Just what we need, right?

Plus, a little snippet on Kara DioGuardi. And yes, that’s again. She sure is generating a lot of buzz.

Posted under American Idol, Links

So, a fourth judge is to join our infamous trio on American Idol next spring? Well, I think it’s about time. Hopefully, she’ll add a breathe of fresh air to our current judges critiques.

I confess I didn’t know much about her, except that she had indeed worked with Celine Dion (arguably THE most talented female recording artist to date), Carrie Underwood, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Kelly Clarkson, and new favorites, the Jonas Brothers; among others.

A few little facts about Kara that I dug up, if you’re interested.

Kara co-owns Arthouse Entertainment, a “resource business for record companies and other music entities seeking compositions, productions, artists, and related music services”.

She works with Phoenix House, a non-profit substance abuse service organization.

Kara has had over 264 songs released on major labels worldwide, quite a feat, if you ask me. Her songs have been featured on several major motion pictures, film soundtracks, and television shows, to name a few.

She has worked with the following American Idol contestants: Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson (as already mentioned), Bo Bice, Carrie Underwood (already mentioned), Katherine McPhee, Taylor Hicks; and she is also working currently with both David Archuleta and David Cook.

Are you excited? Personally, I’m looking forward extremely to next years A-I; Kara will prove an irreplaceable asset, I’m sure of it.

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Thanks to MasterClassLady for the Entertainment News Updates.

Posted under American Idol, Entertainment, Links

WOW! What a night! And that was some way to start it off….but I’m not sure I really enjoyed the whole boxing metaphore. Just me though. This really was an amazing night; amazing performances. These two young men are extremely talented; all I can say is “Watch out, music industry! These two guys are taking you by storm!”

As Ryan said, “It’s a three round contest”; and Clive Davis, “the man with the golden ears”, picked the first round songs.

David Cook lost the coin toss, so he went first, singing “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (by U2). Clive Davis sure knows how to pick great songs for individuals! I thought, as always, that the vocals were good; his performance was nice. But I felt like he was holding back. He looked like he just wasn’t in it. Due to exhaustion? That could certainly be true, as the pace for these guys is frantic.
Randy thought it was “A great way to start off this duel”. He also complimented Clive Davis, saying it was “A very nice song choice”; but he thought DC “didn’t do everything you could have, but I love the scoop note at the end.”
Paula didn’t “Know if you’ve found what you’re looking for, but we have found what we’re looking for. David Cook has arrived!”
Simon thought DC looked “very tense, very emotional at the start of tonights performance. Taking all that together, it was phenomenal.”

David Archuleta sang Clive Davis’ pick “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”. I really loved this song! It sounded new and young, vs the ‘older ballads’ he usually sings. I absolutely loved the ‘textures & colors’, as Paula says, in his voice. This one put me immediately in mind of a Star Performance. This kid has beautiful, simple vocals. What you hear is what you get.
Randy declared it “One of the best performances of the season. That was flawless!”
Paula was full of ’sunshine’, saying Archie “Bring[s] out so much sunshine. Beautiful, beautiful sunny performance. Tonight is unbelievable!”
Simon reminded everyone that “It’s very easy to get excited. Last week, David, you were only OK. Tonight is arguably your best ever.”

Simon then went on to declare Archuleta the winner of ROUND ONE.

David Cook started the second round (song contest; personal choice) singing “Dream Big”. I really love this song. I’ve been singing it ever since last nights show…it just sticks in your head…”If you don’t dream big, what’s the use in dreaming? If you don’t have faith, there’s nothing worth believing!”….yeah, I think this was/is a great song! I thought DC’s unique vocals really made it take off and soar. And I loved the suspension on that last note, way to hold it DC!
Randy said David was “singing your face off! Your voice really made it work”, despite the fact that he wasn’t a fan of the song. Oh well, we can’t expect every producer to know what makes a good hit every time. (Like I know what I’m talking about?!)
Paula had a lovely little speech to give; “A song in your heart, a guitar in your hand; and we millions all mesmerized by you. This is a great way to take a song we don’t know and make us fall in love with it.” ‘She said with a smile’.
Simon thought DC “made the most of what you had. The end was OK. But it didn’t feel like a winning moment”.

David Archuleta sang “In This Moment” as his song contest choice.
Archie’s vocals were in fine form the whole night, really. He was just great. The song melody was suited perfectly for his voice. It was like the writer of this song had David A. in mind the whole time.
Randy seemed pretty excited, crying out “You are so in the zone, you could sing the phonebook! Another hot performance!”
Paula was beaming; “It’s like you’re on fire tonight. It’s pure magic. Why you’re here in the finals.”
Simon thought Archie “Definitely chose the better song tonight. Much more in keeping with the night.”

Again, Simon declared Archuleta the winner of the ROUND, TWO.

David Cook chose “The World I Know” (by Collective Soul) as his third song and personal choice. I was awed and inspired. THAT was his song. This is what he does best. This is what he’s phenomenal at. The note at the end…! I have officially fallen in love with David Cooks’ voice (musically speaking). And the emotion he shared at the end…it was so special to be a part of that, even if only by TV with a million other viewers; this guy has ever been the gentleman, and while holding his emotions in check, you still know they’re there; he just doesn’t normally flaunt them for all to see. I admire that. I also have to admire that David C. chose a new song to sing, rather than pulling up a ‘formal glory’. Yes, I was hoping he’d pull out “Hello” again, but this was better.
Randy said DC did a “very nice job. Very nice; you showed us a lot of different sides to David Cook.”
Paula had some positive feedback too; “You’re delivering unbelievable songs with integrity and originality.” That seems to be who he is.
Simon complimented David, saying “You are one of the nicest, most sincere contestants we’ve had.” But then he got serious; “I thought it was a beautiful song. It was the wrong song choice on this night; you should have done Billie Jean or Hello”.

David Archuleta closed the night with his previously done “Imagine”. His vocals were still good on this one…but….it just wasn’t as good as the first time. I listened to it several times, and just couldn’t get over that. I do wish he’d picked one that hadn’t been quite so good the first time he sang it, then you could tell the difference in a positive way. I think this song choice was just safe.
Randy thought Archie was just “So good tonight. You are exactly what this show is all about. The best singer in Season Seven’s standing right there!” Isn’t that pulling it farther than you’re supposed to go, as a judge on A-I? Though, I do think, vocally, he’s correct.
Paula, “You’ve left my speechless tonight. You were stunning. What it’s all about.”
Simon closed the judging session with this; “This show is about finding a star. You came out here to win. What we have witnessed is a knockout”.

Such special words for Archie to hear. I think, personally, that Cook won the last round; but that still left two rounds in Archie’s court. After the vocal performances Archie put in last night, I think he should be the winner of this season. But it’s too close to call. Cook has been amazing since Hello, and pretty good before that. Archie, as I said early, has beautiful, simplistic vocals. What you hear is what you get.
Cook, on the other hand, has intricate, beautifully crafted vocals. You hear one thing the first time; the second time you hear something totally new. His voice is like a new place to explore, you never know what may lie around the bend. That’s what I love so much about him. It never gets old.
So, Archie is a better vocalist. Cook, a better artist. Who will win?

Posted under American Idol

Oh, man; I am so mad! Why, oh, why do people have to pick others apart?!!! Even on some of the most civil A-I sites they are doing it! Let me re-phrase that; the commenter’s are doing it. Not the blog owners. At least someone knows how to be civil out there.

OK. I just finished reading all of the comments; and they did get better. I feel much better now. But I do hate how people are bashing the two David’s. ‘One is great, the other awful!’ It’s been going both ways.
“Dave Cook mumbles; he can’t even sing!” What an obvious exaggeration!
“David A. is a deprived child; he has no personality and isn’t even normal!” I hate to break it to you, but a teen can be sweet and humble AND be normal; take a look at any one of my teen-aged siblings (I have five); all of whom are perfectly normal.

Oh, and I don’t know why everyone seems to think the producers chose a bad song for David A….that song (Longer) was just perfect for him. And if he had chosen a song the producers had chosen for another contestant…the logical course (to me) would be that he would have to pick another song.

I was pleased with the results last night….but there was a sour taste left in my mouth; due to the treatment of Syesha the night before. She really did a great job; personally I think her vocals were better than David A’s, and perhaps even DC’s.
Overall, I think the other two are better vocalists; and DC is definitely one of the most talented artists/musicians/arrangers I’ve ever seen/heard. The David’s just seemed to have a bit of an off night.

And Fantasia. All I can say is that Simon’s face completely summed up everything I felt. And I’m not a Fantasia hater. I actually have enjoyed her every other time I’ve seen her. Last night was just….unexplainable.

Posted under American Idol