Before
I watched tonight's episode, I had planned on voting for David Cook.
Now, I don't think I will. Not because I think David C did worse than
David A. To the contrary, David C's performance tonight reinforced my
belief that he is the only true talent to emerge from this season.
Still, I am not going to vote for David C because I've decided he's too good
to win American Idol.
Perhaps the Idol producers realized this too. (Could Daughtry have ever been taken seriously if he'd sang "Do I Make You Proud" while being showered with balloons and confetti?) The deck certainly seemed stacked against David C. from the outset tonight --- when David C. came out in the red robe and David A. came out wearing blue. That's OK. I've decided Simon, the screaming tweens and David A. deserve each other.
Everyone's been talking about how badly the Idol producers wanted this David v. David finale. I guess they had planned this boxing motif since week two -- and, boy, did they beat that horse.
Did anyone else find it strange that when Ryan said that the American Idol crown was reserved for "champions," the screen flashed only three people: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry? I get the omission of Taylor Hicks. (He has truly been disappeared (though I just saw he's starring on B'way in "Grease.")) But doesn't showing Season Five's 4th Place finisher sort of undermine the idea that the finale and Idol title are reserved for the best?
Here's my round-by-round analysis:
ROUND ONE
David C: When was the last time Clive Davis discovered a successful rock band? I ask because usually I love Clive Davis' song choices for Idol contestants. But I think his selection of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was terrible to the point where it makes me question whether Clive actually understands rock and roll. And I say that as a huge U2 fan. The thing about U2 is they are a band (one of the best in rock history). Bono is a great singer, but he is merely one piece of the puzzle. So while David C. did an admirable job trying to sing Bono, Ricky Minor and his crew could not hold a candle to The Edge, Larry and Adam. The arrangement was terrible. (The very fact that this song was subjected to "an arrangement" says it all.) Given that, David C. did pretty well. He moved around and had presence. Simon said it was "phenomenal." I guess I agree -- it was phenomenal that it was not a complete disaster. I attribute that to David C's talent and sheer force of will.
David A: In contrast to his choice for David C, Clive's choice for David A was a complete softball. In retrospect, it's hard to believe David A hadn't already sung "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" because it's so in his wheelhouse. I thought this was David A's best performance of the season. He had energy, presence and (as always) pipes. It was pretty great. Not George Michael/Elton John great. But pretty great nonetheless.
Simon pronounces Round One for David A. I guess I agree. But that's sort of like declaring Virginia Tech #1 in college football because they're undefeated, even though their toughest opponent was Kansas State.
ROUND TWO
I'm still hopeful the song I submitted for the Idol contest, "Reaching for the Stars in Heaven at this Moment (Right Now)" might win. Maybe next year. Needless to say, the rockers are always disadvantaged in this phase of the contest.
David C. It's hard to say that David C "lost" this round. It wasn't good by any means. And yet, I can imagine hearing it on my car radio, which is more than I can say for any song done by David A ever (including tonight). Simon told David C that it "didn't feel like a winning moment." That's putting it mildly, though we really can't blame C for that.
David A. This song was as bad as David C's song, though admittedly David A seemed a lot more comfortable singing this kind of tripe. Still, you know it was weak when Randy fell back on his "you could sing the phone book" shtick. (When was the last time someone sold a record singing the phone book, Dawg?) David A. tried to add some emotion to equation by generating tears to choke back. I guess it worked because Simon proclaimed this round going to David A. (So C maintains some ounce of credibility.)
ROUND THREE
David C: I hesitated when I heard David C. chose "The World I Know" by Collective Soul because I didn't think C. could bring anything new to it. I thought that even though C. hadn't sung this song before, it would sound tired. I was wrong. This was hands down my favorite performance of the night, and possibly the best of the season. I always liked this song, but I never thought it was particularly moving-- until tonight. This is the genius of David Cook. Yes, David A sang well tonight. But it's not a revelation that "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a powerful song. C's rendition of "World We Know" -- like his versions of "Hello," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," etc.-- made the songs emotionally richer and more satisfying. Isn't that what it's all about?
Not according to Simon. He gave David C. a patronizing pat on the head (saying he was a genuinely nice guy), then told him that he should have re-done a song that he'd already sang earlier in the season like "Billie Jean." I couldn't disagree more. No contestant has ever improved upon an earlier song in the finale. And some contestants have really hurt themselves (e.g., Katharine McPhee rehashing KT Tunstall).
David A: David A probably didn't hurt himself too much with his retread of "Imagine," but he can't have helped himself much. This version was not as good as his earlier version--- which was special primarily because it was unexpected and fresh (and, we subsequently learned, ripped off from Eva Cassidy). Tonight's version was OK. It wasn't terrible until the end when David A. took the liberty of changing the lyrics, singing "Take My Hand/And the World Will Live as One." "Take My Hand?" Lennon may have thrown down that lyric when the Boys from Liverpool stormed the States in '62. But he never would have used that phrase on "Imagine." It sounded out of place and clunky. It brought home to me how young David A is and how little he understands so much of what he sings about.
Regardless, Simon pronounced that David A had achieved a "knockout" and that Idol had found a star. Then, shockingly, Ryan chimed in with "Well said, Mr. Cowell." And sure enough, the Fat Man (aka Ruben) sang. And it was over.
We might as well shut down the phones because David A has already been crowned the winner. I suppose that's the way it should be. Idol will seal its fate as the show for very young viewers and very old singing stars trying to jump start their careers. David A will win. And David C sell far more records.
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Perhaps the Idol producers realized this too. (Could Daughtry have ever been taken seriously if he'd sang "Do I Make You Proud" while being showered with balloons and confetti?) The deck certainly seemed stacked against David C. from the outset tonight --- when David C. came out in the red robe and David A. came out wearing blue. That's OK. I've decided Simon, the screaming tweens and David A. deserve each other.
Everyone's been talking about how badly the Idol producers wanted this David v. David finale. I guess they had planned this boxing motif since week two -- and, boy, did they beat that horse.
Did anyone else find it strange that when Ryan said that the American Idol crown was reserved for "champions," the screen flashed only three people: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry? I get the omission of Taylor Hicks. (He has truly been disappeared (though I just saw he's starring on B'way in "Grease.")) But doesn't showing Season Five's 4th Place finisher sort of undermine the idea that the finale and Idol title are reserved for the best?
Here's my round-by-round analysis:
ROUND ONE
David C: When was the last time Clive Davis discovered a successful rock band? I ask because usually I love Clive Davis' song choices for Idol contestants. But I think his selection of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was terrible to the point where it makes me question whether Clive actually understands rock and roll. And I say that as a huge U2 fan. The thing about U2 is they are a band (one of the best in rock history). Bono is a great singer, but he is merely one piece of the puzzle. So while David C. did an admirable job trying to sing Bono, Ricky Minor and his crew could not hold a candle to The Edge, Larry and Adam. The arrangement was terrible. (The very fact that this song was subjected to "an arrangement" says it all.) Given that, David C. did pretty well. He moved around and had presence. Simon said it was "phenomenal." I guess I agree -- it was phenomenal that it was not a complete disaster. I attribute that to David C's talent and sheer force of will.
David A: In contrast to his choice for David C, Clive's choice for David A was a complete softball. In retrospect, it's hard to believe David A hadn't already sung "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" because it's so in his wheelhouse. I thought this was David A's best performance of the season. He had energy, presence and (as always) pipes. It was pretty great. Not George Michael/Elton John great. But pretty great nonetheless.
Simon pronounces Round One for David A. I guess I agree. But that's sort of like declaring Virginia Tech #1 in college football because they're undefeated, even though their toughest opponent was Kansas State.
ROUND TWO
I'm still hopeful the song I submitted for the Idol contest, "Reaching for the Stars in Heaven at this Moment (Right Now)" might win. Maybe next year. Needless to say, the rockers are always disadvantaged in this phase of the contest.
David C. It's hard to say that David C "lost" this round. It wasn't good by any means. And yet, I can imagine hearing it on my car radio, which is more than I can say for any song done by David A ever (including tonight). Simon told David C that it "didn't feel like a winning moment." That's putting it mildly, though we really can't blame C for that.
David A. This song was as bad as David C's song, though admittedly David A seemed a lot more comfortable singing this kind of tripe. Still, you know it was weak when Randy fell back on his "you could sing the phone book" shtick. (When was the last time someone sold a record singing the phone book, Dawg?) David A. tried to add some emotion to equation by generating tears to choke back. I guess it worked because Simon proclaimed this round going to David A. (So C maintains some ounce of credibility.)
ROUND THREE
David C: I hesitated when I heard David C. chose "The World I Know" by Collective Soul because I didn't think C. could bring anything new to it. I thought that even though C. hadn't sung this song before, it would sound tired. I was wrong. This was hands down my favorite performance of the night, and possibly the best of the season. I always liked this song, but I never thought it was particularly moving-- until tonight. This is the genius of David Cook. Yes, David A sang well tonight. But it's not a revelation that "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a powerful song. C's rendition of "World We Know" -- like his versions of "Hello," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," etc.-- made the songs emotionally richer and more satisfying. Isn't that what it's all about?
Not according to Simon. He gave David C. a patronizing pat on the head (saying he was a genuinely nice guy), then told him that he should have re-done a song that he'd already sang earlier in the season like "Billie Jean." I couldn't disagree more. No contestant has ever improved upon an earlier song in the finale. And some contestants have really hurt themselves (e.g., Katharine McPhee rehashing KT Tunstall).
David A: David A probably didn't hurt himself too much with his retread of "Imagine," but he can't have helped himself much. This version was not as good as his earlier version--- which was special primarily because it was unexpected and fresh (and, we subsequently learned, ripped off from Eva Cassidy). Tonight's version was OK. It wasn't terrible until the end when David A. took the liberty of changing the lyrics, singing "Take My Hand/And the World Will Live as One." "Take My Hand?" Lennon may have thrown down that lyric when the Boys from Liverpool stormed the States in '62. But he never would have used that phrase on "Imagine." It sounded out of place and clunky. It brought home to me how young David A is and how little he understands so much of what he sings about.
Regardless, Simon pronounced that David A had achieved a "knockout" and that Idol had found a star. Then, shockingly, Ryan chimed in with "Well said, Mr. Cowell." And sure enough, the Fat Man (aka Ruben) sang. And it was over.
We might as well shut down the phones because David A has already been crowned the winner. I suppose that's the way it should be. Idol will seal its fate as the show for very young viewers and very old singing stars trying to jump start their careers. David A will win. And David C sell far more records.
You have completely read my mind and have said exactly what I felt after watching last night's show. I agree that David C. would sell more records; I can't wait for him to make one. I think David A. would be great on Broadway but will not sell many records. This has been my first time watching American Idol from start to finish....if David A. wins (it seems set up to me) I will never watch this show ever again. It is a bunch of crock! David A. has a great voice but as a musician is not well rounded and it almost made me puke listening to him sing 3 ballads. That is all he can do...you cannot call that talent!
Posted by: Hel | May 21, 2008 at 07:55 PM
Yipeeeee! David C rocks! He is so amazing! Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Hel | May 21, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Phonenomenal song to end the show...Woweeeeee! David C. is a Star!!!
Posted by: Hel | May 21, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Hey dude, how does it feel to be so wrong??
Posted by: Paul | May 22, 2008 at 07:54 AM