My !@#%%&^&(*&^&$%%#&^&(&*%R#$&%^& TIVO freaked out on me last night, and didn't record the show. So my comments are based solely on listening to the audio performances...
Phil Stacey — Where The Blacktop Ends - This was GREAT! I can't believe I'm liking Phil that much this week. I could have done without the money notes, but other than that, I thought this genre really suited him. His voice was great - I especially liked the little "twang" he's got in there. Very, very nice. My fav of his by a big huge freaking MILE!
Jordin Sparks — Broken Wing - Only saw her dress from the recap at the end of the show... Hidious. Now, onto the voice... She doesn't seem to have much control over her lower register... The first time she hits a high note, she's pretty pitchy... But once she hits the chorus... PURE MAGIC. Pure. Magic.
LaKisha Jones — Jesus, Take the Wheel - From the recap, I thought she really didn't look good. Her voice sounds beautiful in the beginning. Chorus - not so good. There were some good parts, but she sounds like she's shouting all throught the really high notes. Not her best.
Chris Richardson — Mayberry - VERY nasal in the beginning. The chorus was good. From the vocals only, not very memorable. I did see a clip of this performance, and I liked it much better. Goes to show that when performing, it's not all about the voice.
It's a bit unfair, as I've seen the last two performances on tv...
Melinda Doolittle — Trouble is a Woman - Melinda looks so good tonight. Voice only - she sounds amazing. I get the Tina Turner comment from Simon. But her performance lacked the energy the song required. She still did really well tonight, and got me much more interested than she has in the last few weeks.
Blake Lewis — When The Stars Go Blue
LOVE his falsetto. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It seems to me like the music was way too loud and drowned Blake's voice a bit. He seemed annoyed to me tonight. Not his best, but it was still pretty darn good.
My fav: Melinda, Blake, Phil Bottom 3: LaKisha, Chris, Phil Going home: LaKisha
I knew I forgot to listen to one performance... Sanjaya! *LOL*
Sanjaya Malakar – Let's Give Them Something To Talk About - Hidious hair do... Damn. From the very first note, it was baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. He's clearly the worst, but will he go? I couldn't even listen to the whole thing, it was really getting on my nerves.
*****EDITED*****
Weird night...
I liked that Simon set the record straight. He even seemed kind sad about the whole thing.
Enjoyed the group song for once. It also reinforced that Phil should sing country. Really good again tonight.
I hate with a passion the two groups and the "lucky" 7th person choose. Good for Melinda for not playing.
VERY surprised that Blake was in the B3. Hopefully his fans will pick it up now and vote more and more for him.
Glad Sanjaya is gone, but I can't even enjoy his departure. The poor boy took it HARD. I really felt bad for him. He has been ridiculed over and over again - granted he did not belong there, but I feel he endured what he did because the judges let him through. I hope this will be a lesson for next season...
Well, tonight was better thn I thought it was going to be, but not as good as it could have been. JLo was good, I thought. I thought it was pretty funny when she called Blake to do the beatboxing on Haley's song!
Melinda Doolittle — Sway - Melinda looked the best she's looked all season. She had the best vocals of the night. But for some reason, her performance was very forgettable, and by the end of the night, all I could remember of her performance was the black dress she wore. She tried to be sexy, but she didn't quite succeed.
Lakisha Jones — Conga - LaKisha looked great in red, but that dress really was not flattering. Not at all. She also looked totally terrified up there. It felt like she was trying to have fun, but she really couldn't get into it. Her voice was thin, and she seemed out of breath...
Chris Richardson — Smooth - Oh I liked, I liked!!! He got the "Chris Daughtry" musicians... *L* I don't know why this guy doesn't sing more in his lower register, which is actually quite pleasant. The second part was much better tho, as it felt like he was finding himself and really getting into the performance. However, I thought the performance was much better than the singing.
Haley Scarnato — Turn the Beat Around - This really wasn't very good. Yeah, she seemed to have fun, but she also seemed really desperate. Simon usually doesn't turn around to look at the contestants up on the platform behind the judges table, but for some reason he did when Haley was up there... Gee, I wonder why. I thought Simon was right in his comments to her, but unecessarly cruel.
Phil Stacey — Maria Maria - I can't watch him, I just can't. So, with my eyes closed, his voice was pretty good, and the genre really suited him I thought. It's too bad his voice cracked at the end, he was doing well vocally wise.
Jordin Sparks — Rhythm is Gonna Get You - I like Jordin, but I did not like this performance. Her age really showed and how inexperienced she is performing. Her voice was fine tho. Maybe it's because I don't like the song, but I thought she made poor choice, as this really isn't a singer's song. She looked amazingly good tonight tho!
Blake Lewis — I Need To Know
This genre really suits Blake. He was very good tonight. Very good! There was a little bit of passion missing from him - I would have loved to see him really painfully telling this girl he needed to know.... But, he was sexy, oh yes he was - he looks really good in red... Yum! *what's the matter with me???* His voice was spot on and his performance, the dancing and everything was really good. My personal favorite tonight.
Sanjaya Malakar — Bésame Mucho - WTF? Sanjaya gets the pimp spot??? He actually was good tonight. Pretty good I might even say. He looked and sounded believable. But again his voice was too low on the english part. The spanish parts were really, really good.
Best of the night: Blake Worst of the night: Haley
B3: Haley, Phil, Chris (althought he doesn't deserve it IMO) Gone: Haley, but Phil could easily go, too....
*****EDITED*****
So, the bottom 3 was Phil, Haley and Chris. And Haley went home. I think it's the first time this season that I am right in my predictions! I thought for a little bit that Phil was going - he was pretty "zen" about the whole thing, so that fooled me into thinking he was going. Blake got a huge reaction from the crowd everytime his name was mentioned... I think he's a favorite! *L* I purchased his latest song from American Idol "I Need To Know". He beatbox at the beginning of the song, which I think is pretty cool. Blake records really well, his voice sounds great on record.
Can't wait to hear and see what he'll come up with next week, as it is country night!
Avril and her band recorded this studio session in march 2007. In total, 5 songs. LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of Jimmy in all 5 of those clips, but especially on I'm With You and on When You're Gone. His voice is put to the forefront with Avril's, nd the two voices mesh well together. Check it out on my video page!
I was a bit disappointed tonight. I was expecting a better show given the theme. We still got a pretty decent show, but I thought it could have been better.
I thought that was one of Blake's best vocals. I was a tiny little bit disappointed he didn't try to make it a bit more his own. I liked the scat at the end.. Not my fav performance of his, but I think he did really good. He looked great - I love his Colgate smile! :) And I really love the way he moves on stage.
Phil Stacey — Night and Day - Phil looked awful tonight. He looked sick. I just can't watch him, he creeps me out. Listening with my eyes closed, it was actually a lot better than the judges gave him credit for. But the line "spending my life making love to you" really did me in. Blech. Sorry, Phil fans! He just doesn't do anything for me vocally.
Melinda Doolittle — I Got Rhythm - LOVED the dress, hated the hair. I love that style of music for Melinda. She was great! I think this was my favorite performance of hers. She seems to have finally gained confidence!
Chris Richardson — Mr. Saturday Dance - He looked great tonight. The hat really suits him. He's got beautiful blue eyes and a great smile. :) I LOVED his voice tonight. No nasal stuff at ALL tonight. Fun performance, and yeah, he put lots of himself in this one. One of his best, and my fav from him.
Jordin Sparks — On A Clear Day - She did good! Her breathing really bothered me on the softer part of the song, mainly at the beginning. That money note at the end was really impressive. This was young and fun, just like her. Very good!
Gina Glocksen — Smile - Her tongue ring and her hair really distracted me tonight. Listening to the audio only, her voice was really good on this. The arrangement is horrendous tho... Yikes. All in all, good vocals, but a bit boring.
Haley Scarnato — Ain't Misbehavin' - Well, she's a smart girl. She knows she's got a great bod, and she's using it. She made me think of Jessica Robinson in that performance. Her voice was good, and I thought her performance was good, too. It was fun, and she seemed to have had fun with it. All three judges were asses with her. I felt bad for her.
Sanjaya Malakar — Cheek to Cheek - One of his best vocals. But why oh why doesn't he sing in a higher register, and louder? He's actually pretty good when he kicks in! His personality is showing through, and he seems to have so much more confidence this week - seems like he's believing his own hype. Again, the judges were being total assholes in their comments to him. They clearly want him out - and so do I, please dog have mercy - but do they really need to be that cruel?
LaKisha Jones — Stormy Weather - I HATE her lower register. On the first phrase, when she sings weather... ARGH! It really is grating to my ears. She looked great, she sang great... But it was not anything that really wowed me.
Best of the night: Melinda, Chris R Worst of the night: Sanjaya, Phil
Bottom 3: Phil, Gina, Haley Going home: Phil
*****EDITED*****
Wow. I have to admit my jaw dropped. It was clear to me that the last two would be Haley and Gina - Phil looked way to chipper and Gina looked way too gloomy to suggest otherwise. But I never expected that Gina would be the one to go.
Yea, it doesn't really matter in which order they go - the F4 will be Melinda, Lakisha, Jordin and Blake, bearing an enormous surprise. So yeah, it's ok that Gina's gone. But it's hard to take that she went before Haley, before Phil, before freaking Sanjaya!!! I'd rather listen to her until the F4 instead of the others.
She knew it was coming, too, she looked so sad and just exploded when it was revealed she was going home. She still sang really well - which she had sang like that last night...
I'm the one reminding everyone not to forget the show's gonna run late, and I'm the one who forgets to cancel the recording of House right after AI! *LOL* So I missed Chris Richardson. But that's ok, there's this gorgeous guy on House: he played Riley in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marc Blucas. *swoon*
It was a good night! Aside from Sanjaya who was at his all time worst, it was the best show of the season so far.
Lakisha - Let's Dance - She looked great tonight, and vavavavoom on the boots and cleavage! She sang great, she looked younger, and she performed well. It was nice to hear her do a more fun, up tempo song. But she still sounded much older than she really is.
Chris Sligh — Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - It was good to hear Chris telling jokes again tonight. I think this song really suited his voice and his style. But like everyone else, it was him not following the beat that made this song sound bad. It could have been great...
Gina Glocksen — I'll Stand By You - Ok, I'll sound like a total dork, but Gina gave me chills and my eyes welled up as she was singing. This was beautiful, believable, vulnerable, her best vocals, her best performance, it was the best of the night. That was GREAT!!!
Haley Scarnato — True Colors- - Her soft voice is nice, and yes, she did perform it well. But like Simon said - forgetable.
Phil Stacey — Every Breath You Take - I still can't watch him perform. The hat makes it a bit better. He sounded good tonight, and I actually liked his vocals. The bridge was especially good. Probably my favorite from him.
Melinda Doolittle — Heaven Knows - Damn she's good. She is a pro. She's awesome! But like Lakisha, she sounds old. Everyone tonight sounded young and contemporary, but her and Lakisha didn't. It was still a good performance, and great vocals. She has a warm tone to her voice that I find quite nice!
Sanjaya Malakar — Bath Water - The only positive thing I can say about Sanjaya tonight is that it's nice to see him with a bit more confidence than before.
Blake Lewis — Lovesong
This was a very controlled yet very sexy rendition of this song. I LOVED his softer tone, and thought that was his best vocals so far. His performance lacked a bit - I guess we are too use to seeing him upbeat and all. Tho I admit I missed the beatbox tonight, I was kinda glad he didn't do it. I don't think it would have worked for this song. Good job Blake. I just re-listen to it (audio only) and this sounds AWESOME and damn sexy.
Jordin Sparks — Hey Baby - Fun performance, but that didn't do anything for me tonight. Her outfit made her look much bigger than she really is.
Chris Richardson — Don't Speak - I just listened to the audio, so my critic is based on that. The beginning was not nasal at all and tho a bit boring, it was kinda nice to hear his voice. Based on vocals only - I didn't like it. He flubbed the lyrics too.
Best of the night: Gina, Gina, Gina! Worst of the night: Sanjaya and Chris R and Chris S
B2: Haley and Chris R Going home: Haley
*****EDITED*****
Well, seems I was wrong... The bottom 3 was Phil, Haley and Chris S, or as Simon Cowell called him so affectionately, Curly. *L* I thought Phil didn't deserve to be in the B3. I don't really like or dislike him - although I really can't watch him perform - and I thought he had his best performance this week. I predicted Haley would be in the B3, and she was there, rightfully so. It's not that she's bad, but this weeks' performance really didn't have any YO factor, to borrow words from The Dawg. And Chris, well, he was plain bad this week. He was not gonna win this competition, so it really doesn't matter if he went home this week or the next... Of course, it should have been Sanjaya who was sent home, but we all know this is not going to happen for quite some time, so let's not waste energy on this...
It's too bad Chris had to go tho - he's a good singer, has a nice voice and a great personality. Oh well, good luck, Chris!
I've done a bit of research and found a few clips of Blake doing his thing on stage pre-Idol. I especially like the first one - Jealousy. He plays the guitar and I like his voice very much on it.
Over all it was a much better night than last week! The guys really upped their game this week. Ryan was so funny, imitating Blake with the beatboxing! That little girl who was crying and sobbing had such a grat night, too. I mean, she's what, 89yo? She got to see her idols live and she got a hug from Sanjaya (who seems to be her fav) AND she got to go on stage and hug all of them at the end! That's a night she'll never forget!
I am way over all those antics between Ryan and Simon. I mean it was funny at first, a few years ago... Now it's annoying, it takes away from the performance of the contestants, and it makes everyone uncomfortable. Plus it doesn't make for a very professional image.
Ok, on with the performances...
All pictues courtesy of rickey.org
Haley Scarnato — Tell Him - That was really good! It was not the best vocals, but she was into the performance and she did it really well. She looked gorgeous tonight - WOW, she's got legs! Simon called her a naughty little thing... *LOL* All in all, I really enjoyed Hailey tonight.
Chris Richardson — Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying - That was beautiful. I agree with Simon - it was a bit nasal in places, but overall, his voice was beautiful and controled. When he doesn't push it too much, I find his voice very soothing... Paula was right - very sexy, very, very nice. I could picture a sunset, me sitting on a chair sipping some girlie drinks and him, sitting on a stool, singing this song to me, looking straight into my eyes. Yep. He's gotta watch the ceepy eye fuck at the end tho...
Stephanie Edwards — You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - That was a bit rough. She looks gorgeous, I love the shorther hair, and that blue really suits her. But she seems like she had to really concentrate on her song, and her performance suffered because of it. I felt like she had no power or depth to her voice tonight. Not great.
Blake Lewis — Time Of The Season
According to some spoilers, Blake was having problems with his song during rehearsal. Well, he certainly didn't have any problems with it tonight!!! That was AMAZING. And I don't even like that kind of music! I agree with everything the judges said - he made the song contemporary, he made it cool, his voice was great... I LOVED that he was looking at the audience more than in the camera... He gave a serious eye fuck to someone at some point... *L* But the pants were HIDIOUS! But hey, that's his style, he's being true to himself - per the vids I found earlier this week (I'll post them later) - and he's great! Who's your daddy, indeed... *fan self*
LaKisha Jones — Diamonds Are Forever - I didn't like it at all. It sounded old. Flat. I HATED her lower register, when her voice totally changed tones. I get that she didn't know the song very well, and for that, she gets kuddos... But it could have been much, much, much better. I really like LaKisha, but this performance was far from her best.
Phil Stacey — Tobacco Road - I actually enjoyed Phil this week! Maybe because he was singing something that is much more my taste... He seemed comfortable and like he was having fun up there. There was some grit missing in his voice to really deliver that kind of song, but I think it was good!
Jordin Sparks — I Who Have Nothing - That was brilliant. Amazing. Beautiful. I get what Simon said - it was depressing, because the song is depressing and because Jordin totally sold it to all of us, him included. So I see this as a very positive comment! She was believable, she wasd powerful when needed and soft when needed... She was truly, truly amazing tonight. Her best so far. WOW!
Sanjaya Malakar — You Really Got Me - He did pick the right song. He did get into it. He did shock me. This guys is not going anywhere this week. That little girl was so cute... Too cute!
Gina Glocksen — Paint It Black - It was not bad, but it was not the greatest either. There were great moments throughout the songs, and there were totally flat moments. I really like her, I like her voice, but that was not her best. I LOVE her hair, and she looks great! I loved the last few sentenses (or is it phrases?) when she was crouching and walking towards the front of the stage - that was great!
Chris Sligh — She's Not There Fro Patro and Brining Chubby Back... *L* I liked it! Not his best vocals, but I feel this style suited him very well. I wish he didn't walk through the audience tho - that was a bit ackward with the camera and all, and it was distracting me and him with his vocals.
Melinda Doolittle — As Long As He Needs Me - Melinda was awesome again tonight. But I'm getting a bit bored. Her facial expressions bothered me tonight, too.
Best of the night: Jordin and Blake
Worst of the night: Sanjaya, Gina, Stephanie Bottom 3: Stephanie, Gina, Chris R Going home: Stephanie
ETA: Well, the results are in, and Stephanie is going home. I was 2/3 right, and Chris R was standing next to her as the bottom 2.
I wrote this entry a little bit ago for a website dedicated to Jim McGorman's fans. It's called "On The Rebound", and it's great! check it out at THIS ADDY.
So here is how and when I became a Jim fan...
I became a fan of Jim and his music when... It traces back to a while ago...
Sometimes in 2004, actually. I didn't know Jim at the time, but I had just watched a re-aired episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Tabula Rasa". I had fallen in love with Michelle Branch's song, Goodbye to You, and had noticed the cute keyboard player.
Fast forward to the summer of 2005.... Rockstar INXS... As the season went on, I started noticing the fabulous House Band more and more, and Jim always stood out for me. I've always loved watching Nate bang on his drums like his life depended on it, dreads flying all over the place... I've also always enjoyed the way Rafa seemed to make love to his guitar, and how intense he always is on stage... But somehow, it was the rhythm guitar and beautiful back vocals from Jimmy that got my attention. He was alwys so into the music, rocking out on stage... A few of the best Jim moments for me were, of course, Bohemian Rapshody, but also Pretty Vegas acoustic, You Can't Always Get What You Want, and a few others earlier in the season.
September 2005 - RockStar INXS Finale Week. JD, Marty and Mig, along with Nate, Paul and Jim from the House Band (I think it was only those 3, but I may be mistaken) are doing a radio interview and performing. At the end of the show, Jim sings lead on You Can't Always Get What You Want. I'm in love! I loved Jim's voice on this song from the moment I heard the first few lines.
Fast forward to the summer of 2006... RockStar Supernova... I'm excited for a new season! I'm excited to see the new contestants, and of course to hear my beloved House Band (and Jimmy) every week again. Gosh I missed them! A few stand out Jim moments are of course his interactions with Zayra. I love how Jim's face cannot lie on how he feels... On stage, I've enjoyed every single Jim moment, but particularly Time after Time with Dilana. Jim was showcased for the brilliant musician and singer he really is... I love this particular performance. And of course we were treated to a few Jim performances at the City Walk show... Jesse's Girl was just an amazing performance!!!
Sometimes in august 2006, I became aware that Jim had his own band, Jamestown Ltd. I listened to his album, The World Is Falling Down, on his website. When I listen to an album the first time, I like to get a quick feel of what the album is all about, so I usually listen to about 30 seconds of each song before listening to the whole thing. Not with Jim's album. From the first note of You're Not Alone to the last one of You and I, I listened to every single second of every single song rigth away.
That was it, I was totally won over. I am now a fan for life. Whatever he does in the future, I'll support him. Now that he will be touring with Avril Lavigne, I'm looking forward to having a chance to see him on stage in Canada... I'm also very much looking forward his next album. In the meantime...
Don't cover it up All the streets of America oiled in blood I'm sorry my love There are some things that happened that can't be undone Is our love enough? When there's nowhere to hide breathing ashes from above
If this world is falling down If this town is underground I wish you were here Singing along with me...
Mom Has Stacked Dinner Party Roster
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GOLDEN, CO—Their eyes widening in amazement as the 43-year-old rattled off
the names of heavy hitter after heavy hitter, impressed members of the
Dreesh...
