StoneRose Valley

Ryan opens the night with his usual spill….all about the final group…etc…etc…

Ryan and Simon wonders why Simon can’t just pick the songs for the contestants….and Simon mentions how that would make a great song night! Something to think about in future…I hope they do something like this-would be great!

Von Smith has an amazing voice…a very powerful voice. I just want to see him control it. Singing ” You’re All I Need”, I am missing a bit of the big voice notes, but am enjoying him nevertheless. Perhaps, though, he should stay a little true to himself….I know he could do better. Still, a great performance.
Randy said “this is the way to kick off the performance. Better than Hollywood week.”
Kara thought he seemed more comfortable. “It’s not about how high you can go, but doing it with meaning!”
Paula mentioned how hard it is to go first in the night. But, she said, this was a “memorable first.” She also complimented him, saying “you know how to hold back, and when to push forward”.
Simon came out with the compliment to top the others, saying “you remind me of Clay Aiken. You sang very well; much better as Kara said (he meant Randy) than Hollywood”.

Taylor Vaifanua chose “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alecia Keyes. I wasn’t sure when I heard the song choice…she did better than I thought. But I’m not sure this was the best song for her, she could have picked a better one.
Kara said it was obvious that Taylor has a good voice. “I’m still trying to figure out who you are though. What’s it like to go shopping with Taylor. Your performance leaves me a bit cold”.
Paula mentioned how Taylor has such a ‘beautiful gift, beautiful voice’. But added “I just want to see where you can go”.
Simon doesn’t get the shopping thing. “I genuinely couldn’t remember you. It was very generic; a bit bland. You are going to struggle a bit”.
Randy agreed with the others, saying it was “kinda boring. Good voice though”.

Alex Wagner-Trugman has a sweet, funny personality. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” was an interesting song choice for him, but, after hearing him, definetely a good one. Well, the first half was, at least. The second half sounded a bit off pitch.
Paula thought Alex certainly the showman, saying “You gave us our money’s worth; don’t know how much will be spent. But certainly had fun watching you”.
Simon said “we did have fun watching you, just not listening. The growling, along with kicking over the microphone, was just stupid”. To which Alex replied that the mic was a total accident! I do like this guy-as I already mentioned, great personality.
Randy couldn’t finish his sentences. He’s turning into the new ‘Paula’. Moving on…
Kara gave out the positive. “You are you; great choreography by the way”.

Arianna Asfar is singing “The Winner Takes It All”. Big song. But Arianna rose to the occasion. And honestly, not having heard this girl in Hollywood or her audition, this girl wowed me!
Simon thought there was a certain irony in that song, calling it “way too big for you”. Oh, no no no no; I totally do not agree with Simon here. No at all.
Randy said it was not the right song, saying it “wasn’t good”.
Kara recalled the audition; “you were like a beam of sunshine. Tonight was dark and depressing. Be young, touch people. This was too serious and gloomy”.
Paula said she wouldn’t go as far as the others had, saying she thought Arianna “had some bright moments. But the song was too old fashioned”. Paula mentioned that she thought it sometimes better to stick to the melody.

Next up is Ju’not Joyner, singing “Hey There Delilah”. My sister likes him…I’m still trying to make up my mind. I’m afraid he’s going to be forgettable. Or maybe not. The last bit was much better.
Randy commented on how Ju’not switched up the song…calling it a “smart choice; I loved it.”
Kara liked the spin on that song. “You could bust it out even more on the next time. Felt like you were holding back.”
Paula loved the liberties Ju’not took, saying they paid off.
Simon sometimes is sooo…blond. And annoying. Oh, well. Simon thought it was better than he thought it was going to be. But called it “a bit safe”.

Kristen McNamara is up, singing “Give Me One Reason”. I like her gritty sound. There were moments that were both good and bad. Kristen might be another victim of the new format. I think she could definetely get better, we just might not see it. And that last high note! Wow!
Kara called Kristen a great singer, saying “you hit the notes, great tone. Need a little more rock edge though…”
Paula mentioned how Hollywood showed Kristen has big range, and thinks Kristen has only reinforced that!
Simon thought her just a little bit vague, asking “who are you? Odd song choice, but good voice”. He thought Kristen needs to become more comfortable.
Randy thought she tried to do too much.

Nathaniel Marshall is singing something by Meatloaf…“Anything For Love”…?…I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have…unfortunately because he annoys me. He has a good voice, but I have trouble getting past him to that. I like his voice; really is quite good.
Simon thought some people will quite like that. The majority will not. On a positive note, people will remember you. You are fun, and I like you.
“I like you too” Randy said. “Curious song choice, though. You definitely can sing; but it’s hard to imagine what kind of record you’d make”.
Kara said “the thing is, you have a voice; but if you want to be taken seriously, you need to pick a song to reflect that”.
Paula said he knew she loved him since Hollywood; “you were serious; sang Disturbia and that made you cool! That was a bold choice, this song takes that coolness factor away though”.

Felicia Barton chose another Alicia Keyes song, “No One”. You already know how I feel about Alecia Keyes-great artist, but don’t take her songs on right off. I thought Felicia did a good job. But it’s hard to get people past thinking of those current artists, such as Alicia. Felicia did not stand out to me. I kept thinking of the original artist. Felicia has a good voice…just bad song choice.
Paula thought Felicia’s talent, her gift, is unbelievable. “So glad we brought you back!”
Simon thought the first half was better than the second; also calling it a bit copycat.
Randy said Felicia has an amazing voice. “You have something a little different in your voice than Alicia, go with that.”
Kara said it was “by far your best look. Attitude, presence; noticed you for the first time. You stepped into it!”

Scott MacIntyre chose “Mandolin Rain”. Started off iffy to me, but he more than redeemed it. This guy is amazing! His voice, and his life! Wow! I’m nearly speechless.
Randy is unable to speak for a while due to the cheers. “The parts that were great were really great. I can feel the passion poring out of you. Job well done!” He declared.
Kara admired Scott, “you do what you love; you’re passionate about it, and you don’t have issue’s!”
Paula said she was so happy and proud that Scott made it this far! “You’ve blessed us all with your gift and you’re one of our finest.”
Simon wasn’t crazy about the song, but declared that Scott was growing on him. He thought “there are better singers in this competition, but in a sea of forgettable people tonight, you aren’t. I’m going to be amazed if you don’t sail through tonight”.

Kendall Beard chose “This One’s For The Girls”. She does have a good country sound. I actually like this better than Martina McBride’s…and I’m a huge fan of Martina’s.
Kara thinks she showed big personality, and picked the right lane in country. “But”, she said, “there were some issues with the notes…however, you got that personality that we really like.”
Paula gave her the prize for the best outfit tonight (typical of Paula); saying “I hope you enjoyed it”. (wha-?)
Simon thought Kendall probably did the right thing tonight. “Though honestly, halfway through I couldn’t wait for it to end; was a bit shrilly towards the end. You could have picked a better song. Just not my cup of tea.”
Randy likes country, and thought it a good song choice and that she looked good. But said it “wasn’t your best vocal performance. You did tell us who you were tonight”.

Next up is Jorge Nunez singing “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”, and all I could think of was David Archuleta singing this last year and totally knocking it out of the park. Jorge has talent, though. And I didn’t notice any problems with his pronounciation tonight. Was touching; he really showed his vocal talent tonight…even if he isn’t Archie.
Paula said she is “so proud of you. You took our advice; you worked so hard and sound so good!”
Simon admitted they were wrong to say Jorge shouldn’t sing with an accent, “because why should we? That’s who you are”.
Randy said “it’s the vocals that matter. That wasn’t the perfect vocal, but it was really really good”.
Kara said Jorge was born to sing.

Lil Rounds finishes up the night with “To Be Without You”. I’d forgotten about Lil temporarily; and she has quite the voice. No way she isn’t walking away with the top girls vote. And she would deserve it! Every season there are a few contestants that stand out head and shoulders above the others, and this girl is one of them! Great performance by Lil.
Simon comes to the stand with a grin on his face, calling it brilliant. “Wouldn’t have chosen that song, but I think you have great great prospects in this competition. You are undoubtedly one of the best singers we’ve found so far.”
Randy agreed with Simon. Complimenting Lil with “you kept your swagger; got unbelievable vocals; and we know who you are. I loved it!”
Kara called Lil a “powerhouse”; saying it was great, “you have been steadily you”.
Paula said Lil was “first class. I think we’re going to see you for many more ‘lil rounds’!”

That’s it folks! I’m calling Lil and Scott in safe; with Von rounding it out. But Jorge and Kristen might give Von a run for his money.

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?