Rock the Cradle Finale
I’m really late in posting this but I just couldn’t get around to watching the finals…
The MTV show Rock the Cradle is finally over…and the winner is, Crosby Loggins! Son of Kenny Loggins. I was rooting for Crosby over the other two finalist Jesse ‘Blaze” Snider and Chloe Lattanzi. Personally I think the best talent won but overall I think the show was extremely lame. For the most part, most of the contestants came across as marginally talented. I thought the concept was interesting, a singing contest where all the contestants are the famous offspring of music icons..(okay, maybe they all weren’t quite icons), but they were music personalities that had at least a few successful songs. But from the beginning a couple of the contestants were just really not very good. Anyhow this concept got me to thinking if there is a second season cast out there that MTV could tap. The following is a list of kids of famous musicians…I found this reall y interesting, many of hem I’d never heard of as I find more I will add to the list..
American Idol week 4-12-08
The week of three songs is always full of ups and downs. I don’t think it’s possible to get good reviews across the board for all three. From my past three seasons of watching the “three song” week. Its usually two good reviews and one bad or at best so-so. That was the case this year, Randy, Simon and even Paula followed the formula as expected.
David Archuleta (And so it Goes-Billy Joel, With You-Chris Brown, Longer-DanFogelberg) I thought David was pretty strong on his first tune. It was a good choice and I enjoyed his performance. The second song, Chris Browns’ was a little out of character I guess but I really liked it. I mean for the judges to knock him for pushing the boundaries is a bit hypocritical since they always say the contestants should be more bold in their selections. With some updating I think David could be convincing doing something a little more contemporary sounding, like this song, especially if he wants to attract the MTV crowd. David A. did a good job on his last song but it was just too old sounding for him, especially since he doesn’t play the guitar..it might have worked with a guitar in hand.
David Cook (First time ever I saw your face-Roberta Flack, Dare you to Move-Switchfoot, Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, Aerosmith) I thought the first song was amazing, the perfect song and a really great version by David C. I loved the note he held at the end…stunning! On the second song, I didn’t think he got to the meat of the song so I guess the arrangement needed some work but overall he did a good job. I’m guessing David chose this song to once again show us the kind of record he would like to make as a recording artist..I thought he did a great rendition of the Aerosmith tune but I hated the choice because it was so predictable.
Syesha Mercardo (If I ain’t Got You-Alicia Keys, Fever-Peggy Lee, Hit me Up-Gia) I loved the arrangement on the Alicia Keys tune. Syesha played with it enough to make it sound original and it was one of my favorite performances this year. This song is so overdone that I thought for sure that I was going to hate it but I didn’t. I thought doing Fever was a waste of time..unless Syesha was auditioning for a Broadway gig.. I loved the last song, “Hit me Up” very contemporary and I think it was a good contrast to the ballads we are use to hearing from Syesha.
Overall I thought it was a really good top three show. No real surprises..on to the finales. As I predicted many posts ago it should be David vs. David…I’ll say now that I think and hope David C. wins.
The Queen of Rock and Roll is Back!!
Tina Turner is coming out of retirement and will tour later this year, one year shy of her 70th birthday. The announcement came during the taping of an upcoming Oprah Winfrey show which has not yet been aired. Tour Dates have not been announced but according to inthenews.co.uk the kickoff city is Kansas City in October and tickets are expected to go on sale on May 12th, and there will be close to forty shows planned for the North American portion of the tour.
Idol Thoughts week of 5-4-08
Sorry so late with this post…really busy lately. Since I am post elimination I want to say that I will miss Jason Castro. I didn’t realize it until after the fact..as the clips were rolling by of Jason’s journey on Idol. Jason was the only contestant that bought humor and life to the show this season. I loved his off-the-cuff remarks and his genuine state of confusion was hilarious. I said before that I would go see this guy sing but I don’t do Idol tours. I probably won’t see another Idol show because the Tween,Teen. Twenty something shriek-fest is a little much for me at this point..
The Quick Rundown
David Cooke (Hungry like a Wolf/“Baba O’Riley”) I hated the first song choice. My first thought was: “David you’re deeper than that..” I’ll bet that of all the songs everyone speculated David might sing, “Hungry like a Wolf” was on no ones list. I loved the second song, Baba O’Riley or Teenage Wasteland”as most folks call it, was originally written by Townshend, for a rock-opera and it has that type of grandiose feel to it which I think fits David’s style perfectly. I love when he gets a chance to show the power in his voice. On the second tune, David looked and sounded like the American Idol. Altogether though, he seemed a little distant, like he was not in the moment, but no worries he is a professional and always pulls it out.
David Archuleta (Stand by Me/Love me Tender) Wow, David had his best week since they’ve been on the big stage, at least for my taste. I have never felt compelled to vote for him until tonight. I saw the emotional connection during “Love me Tender” that I’ve been waiting for. Usually he looks pained but not tonight, he actually seemed to enjoy himself on stage this week. On “Stand by Me” his performance was the most soulful he has been all season; and I loved the Sean Kingston “Beautiful Girl” reference he threw in to the mix.
Syesha Mercardo (Proud Mary/A Change is Gonna Come) Syesha has grown more than any other contestant this year. I think that is why she is still in the competition. I appreciated her bravery in taking on Proud Mary..that took guts. I didn’t love the performance it looked a little like a Tina Turner Revue to me. Also, I’m with Randy on “A Change is Gonna Come” I wish she would have sang it straight. It’s a beautiful song already so tweaking it is difficult; and the arrangement she used was strange for me and didn’t do anything to enhance the song or the singer.
Jason Castro (I Shot the Sheriff/Mr. Tambourine Man) Well now we know what type of music Jason digs..and maybe what he will put out as an artist. I have to say that of all the final four his style of performing and the musicians he tends to emulate are pretty close to some of my musical tastes. I don’t know what kind of songwriter he is but if this is the path he chooses he better be pretty good. Jason flubbed a line, for I think the first time this season and Simon Castro-ated him for it…but I seem to remember Simon calling Brooke White brave for the exact same thing..maybe Jason should have started over? I don’t think Jason wanted to win, he actually looked very relieved to be going home. All and all I didn’t ever think Jason should win but he sure was entertaining.
The Final Four
So Idol has been on long enough that we can actually compare performances of the same song. Here are Trenyce and Syesha performing “Proud Mary”. Who did the better version?
Trenyce
Syesha
Rock The Cradle
The final five all got to perform one song this week and then only the three not voted off got to perform a second song. Ryan “Seacrest”-Develin kept saying that only the second song would be judged but since the judges couldn’t make anyone safe there was no real point in giving any scores at all. I guess this week the public just votes for whoever they want to win and next week they announce the winner. I’m not sure if anyone is actually performing next week?
Crosby Loggins _ (Weezer- “Beverly Hills,”:The Fray “Over My Head”) The judges first pick for Crosby was really not anything I’d think he would perform or who he seems to be, as an artist. Larry gave him the sage advice that this is the “Music BUSINESS” with apparently more emphasis on the business part, see this is where music went wrong..when it let businessmen take over. Anyhow Crosby sort of rap/sings Beverly Hills, my opinion is this song is for fratboys and pretty stupid but Crosby made the best of it and got into his performance. I can’t really focus on his vocals because there was no real singing involved. What a waste of time to do this song, completely inappropriate for his style. On the second song Crosby started out playing the piano. At first I didn’t like the vocals, he seemed to kind of mumble. But by the chorus it got better and I loved when he grabbed the mic and went into the audience for the ending. I think Crosby has grown the most since the beginning. He has stepped out of his comfort zone and has gotten progressively better week after week. If this show is about growth and development as an artist Crosby should win.
Jessee Blaze Snider (Jet- “Are You Gonna be my Girl”: The Living End “Prisoner of Society”) Of course Jesse gets two songs that are perfect for his style… in the pre-tape, Jesse has his usual brat moment and blasts Belinda for criticizing him and then whines about how it’s unfair that Crosby has a “free pass” into the finals. Then finally he stats his performance and I think his vocals were very good on the Jet tune, probably the best they have ever been. His stage presence is always good but he was better than good this time even though he moved around less than usual. I really felt that he had the best performance of the year so far on this tune and for once didn’t come off like a throw back to the eighties. The second song was fantastic for Jesse, he completed two backflips for a perfect ten. No actually since the judges’ picks for his songs, were right in line with what he does anyway, he could and did take full advantage of that and had a killer final performance. Jesse is a performer and if that is what this show is about he should and will win.
Lara Johnston- (Fergie’s -”Big Girls Don’t Cry,”) So now we find out that Lara has anxiety issues when she performs on stage. That explains a lot of things, especially the pitch issues she always seems to have, I’m pretty sure it’s nerves. This week she is really strong and there are no real pitch issues. She had her best performance. I think Lara has a huge upside once she gets more comfortable performing onstage.
Lucy Walsh (Evanescence’s “My Immortal”) After a really uncomfortable segment with her father Lucy took the stage with My Immortal. I still don’t dig her phrasing but it was a pretty good job overall. I think Lucy connects better with the audience when she accompanies herself on piano. I would have liked to hear her second song, Lucy should have made the top three.
Chloe Lattanzi (Brittney Spears- “Toxic”: Sheryl Crow, version “The First Cut is the Deepest”) Chloe was almost inconsolable when she found out she would be singing a Brittany Spears tune. In order to center herself she visited her Dad, who lives in a Tepee. Well, that explains a lot. Actually Chloe was pretty good on Toxic…or maybe it was so awful it was actually good; Complete with a bondage moment.. I did notice she seemed to have effects on her vocals, but whatever. On to her second song, great song but a horrible choice for her style, although I’m not really sure what that exactly is? Larry finally told her to lose that vibrato thing that she does…I guess that would help a little???? Overall I don’t get Chloe at all but I wouldn’t be surprised if she won the whole thing.
So who should win? for my taste Crosby Loggins..but who will win? my prediction: Jesse Snyder.
American Idol Thoughts…week of 4/27/08
I’m really running late this week. I actually considered not doing a review at all since I didn’t have time to watch the show. But that never stopped Paula Abdul and I won’t let it stop me either…just kidding I watched the show. I have to say, that was the worse produced Idol show I have ever seen. I’m not commenting on the singing here, I’m talking about the rush job and the holding off on the comments, what a complete disaster! As a matter of fact, this year’s Idol has been a disappointment. It’s not that the contestants can’t sing, because they all can, but something is laking and I can’t quite figure out what it is? Perhaps, it’s the lack of back stories, that always helps me get more engaged. Or maybe this year they are all too safe in their song interpretations. There is not a lot of risk taking by most of the contestants. Maybe it’s the fact that by now we know that many of this years group have already had record deals or won major contests prior to Idol…and that win or lose the best or most popular of the bunch will enjoy success beyond Idol, so the drive to see your favorite win is not as strong as it use to be.
David Archuleta ( “Sweet Caroline” and “America”) The first song “Sweet Caroline” was just really boring for me and I really love that song; it’s just that David’s track record for faster tempo songs is not too good. There was absolutely no emotional connection to any of the lyrics, and for my taste, everything is just too neat. His second song, “Coming to America”, Simon called it a smart choice ..considering David’s voting demographic, Simon is probably correct. But Simon hasn’t had a disparaging word for David A. all year, he probably realizes that it wouldn’t matter because David is finals bound no matter what. Personally I didn’t really enjoy his performance, but, full disclosure here, that was the one song I hoped no one would sing. Overall, I guess I am tired of David’s safe choices as a singer. He has never wowed me, because I don’t see any artistry shining through, just generic Disney type of song deliveries every week, but he has a huge following and will make the finals.
David Cook- (“I’m Alive” and “All I Really Need is You”) I liked his take on “I’m Alive” everything he does has his own stamp on it and I loved the modern rock feel he gave the tune. The second tune “All I Really Need Is You’ was a great vocal for David and again his arrangement really showed us who he is as an artist; I’ll head over to iTunes and buy that one. I think David has consistently shown us who he really is as an artist. He chose two relatively unknown tunes and delivered on both. They were not cookie cutter performances (no pun intended), he approached both very differently. I know he has been accused of being a ringer but the truth is eight of the top ten could be considered ringers this year. Apparently this is the direction the show is headed in and David is just the guy who seems most ready to become a recording artist because he has taken full advantage of the exposure and opportunity presented to him.
Brooke White - (“I’m A Believer” and “I Am I Said”) Thank goodness Brooke made it through both of her songs without any incidents, this week. Her rendition of “I’m a Believer” was forgettable and it reminded me of a camp counselor at sing-along. Conversely, she was wonderful on her second song; “I Am…I Said”. This year Brooke has been somewhat of an enigma, first she is mediocre and then she is brilliant. The vibe she gave on the second tune is what I want from Brooke as a performer, she seems most comfortable and always gives us a good, if not perfect performance when she is behind the piano. I think that, behind the piano her vulnerability as a performer is palatable..when she is alone, with no instrument, behind a mic that same vulnerability is almost painful to witness. Also, there is less emphasis on Brooke getting every note right vocally; and more attention on how she comes across as a performer.
Jason Castro (“Forever in Blue Jeans” and “September Morn”) I actually liked his first song “Forever in Blue Jeans” really suits his layed back style, although I wish somehow he could work the ukulele in just one more time..His second song was uninspired and it felt like he was just going through the motions..but considering the fact that the judges (or at least Paula) has “pre-judged” him before his performance, he probably felt that there was no point in really giving it his all. Jason has a niche audience that gets him, and he should do well after Idol. Jason is also one of the most likable contestants this year..he’s kind of a male version of Kelli Pickler. I have enjoyed his candor..although, I don’t think the dude has an edit button.(smile)..I predict he and Syesha will grace the bottom two this week.
Syesha Mercardo- (“Hello Again” and “Thank the Lord for Nighttime”) Last week Syesha was magic. This week she was strong but not amazing; truthfully, I think she had to be better than she was last week to stick around, considering that performance landed her in the bottom two. The first song seemed a little stilted….and honestly that song, “Hello Again” is already kind of slow and plodding. I thought the second song, Thank the Lord for Nighttime” had potential to really bring the house down, it sounded great in the piece with Neil Diamond, and Syesha really went for the Broadway “belt-it-out” vibe that worked so well for her last week. I don’t know if it is too little too late for her, although she could pick up some votes from Carly’s fan base. I will say that I appreciate the fact that she has started to sing a little more soulful lately, and with Carly gone she and David A. are the only ballad/belter type singers left and if she sticks around she should exploit that fact if possible to try and make the top three.
Rock the Cradle…Week 4
With the double elimination the ranks are shrinking fast. I still stick to my original statement that this double elimination was a last minute decision to speed up the end of this series. Actually I missed the show this week and had to watch the online stream. Again the backstage interplay was the most interesting part of the show. Jesse Blaze Snider continued to impress everyone with his candor, regarding everyone else’s performances. The first victim of the double elimination was Lil Al B, followed later in the show by Landon Brown.
Lara Johnston -Lady Marmalade ( Moulin Rouge version) Belinda knocked her for the song choice. They also questioned her “star quality” onstage. I actually thought it was her best vocal performance. There were fewer problems with pitch; but she opted out of some of the really big notes in the song.
Crosby Loggins- Foo fighters (Long Road Home) Crosby, Kicked it up a notch, and ditched the coffehouse vibe. He played electric guitar and challenged himself vocally by reaching for some high notes. The judges loved him and rewarded him with the highest score of the night. I liked the different sound but I liked him from the start, I still think he is the only contestant that deserves to win and now that his stage presence has improved he should be the winner. I was happy to see him try something new and happier that it worked out so well.
Jesse Blaze Snider- Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash) Continues to work the stage well. Vocally he sounded really thin tonight. There were no tricks, no broken guitars no backflips it was just a straight performance. I don’t think taking a Johnny Cash song and doing a punk inspired version was a good move, it was a less than spectacular and didn’t work for my taste. Still Jesse is probably the front runner and will no doubt make the finals.
Lucy Walsh - Secondhand Serenade (Fall for you) Lucy decided to play the piano this week, giving us an acoustic performance. She was off pitch slightly at times which really shows without the whole band backing you up but it was a good performance; I don’t love her tone, but that’s probably just me but I think she did the right thing this week by slowing it down and showing us her ability to play the piano. She played to her strengths as a performer and that was smart.
Chloe Lattanzi- Korn -(Freak on a Leash) How is she still in the competition? Sorry, but I don’t get her. Belinda called it surprisingly bad…really surprisingly bad???I wasn’t surprised. She has been bad every week. Based on her song choice I think she is playing the whole damn show and riding her freak-on-a-leash-mobile all the way to the finals. That would be the perfect ending to this disaster of a series.
More Pre-Idol music
Kristy_Lee_Cook-Devoted
01 - Good Luck
02 - Clean Break
03 - Devoted
04 - Hold Your Horses
05 - Rebel Rose
06 - Perfect Love
07 - Stand By Your Man
08 - Blue
09 - Put Your Heart Into It
10 - Unchained Melody
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password: coyote
David_Cook-Blindsided
01 Feed Your Ego
02 Hold
03 Clean Break
03 Testament
04 Just In Case
05 Clean Break
06 Thought You Knew
07 Leave Behind
Creep (Radiohead Cover)
hxxp://leomade2.mywebsitetwo.com/blindsided.rar
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Note: I’m only leaving the Idol music up for a short time…
Webcast from Coachella this weekend 4/25-4/27
AT&T Blue room will be streaming live from Coachella this weekend. You can catch some great acts like Jack Johnson, The Raconteurs, and The Jon Butler Trio on 4/25, Hot Chip and Portishead on Saturday 4/26 and Brett Dennen and Manchester Orchestra on Sunday 4/27. Plus many more, that I didn’t mention here.
At&T Blue Room Live from Coachella
The AI Thing
It’s no secret that this year AI “stacked the deck” by giving us many contestants that have already had exposure. The first one I was aware of was Carly Smithson, who according to VFTW had a prior working relationship with some of the people responsible for AI. As it turns out many of the top twelve were “discovered” before Idol. There has been a big debate about the whole thing. The big question I think is if AI is being deceitful in any way by not publicizing that fact? And does this change the concept of the show? I have mixed feelings on one hand the original concept of the show was to find an undiscovered talent, an unknown, someone who had not previously had a shot at making it the music business. That “American Dream” Cinderella story was what originally made me tune in to watch. But I think when the age limit was increased to 29 it became harder to keep with that idea. Most people, if they are serious about making it have had made some inroads by the age of 29. Whether it’s releasing independent CD’s or being signed to a label they most likely have some music already out there. I think that’s acceptable to a point. For instance former Idol contestants Chris Daughtry and Taylor Hicks both had independent releases prior to AI, but they were not signed to any label and there CD’s were not available on Amazon or iTunes. This year at least four contestants have CD’s that were released prior to Idol. Here are some Pre-Idol release from some of this years contestants.