04.11.07
Posted in Haley Scarnato, Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 10:32 pm by lfrattallone
American Idol Season Six, Ep. 29, 4-11-07
Laurie Frattallone
Time for Haley Scarnato to find out what to do with several pairs of short-shorts, a handful of six-inch stilettos and a tube of extra-bright red lipstick. I’m sure she’ll put them to good, and safe, use. Haley left us on American Idol tonight, and now we’re down to just seven contestants. I’m sure Haley will resurrect her teeny-weeny wardrobe on the Idol tour this summer, but for the next few weeks she can be spared comments from the judges that praised her outfit, legs and hairdo, but almost never her singing.ÂÂ
Haley was my call to be voted out tonight, and I’m so glad it was her and not Phil Stacey, who deserves to be around for another week. I’m not sure anything he does next week will make him last beyond that, but at least he has one more chance.
I think Chris Robinson was a bit surprised to find himself in the bottom three, but if the voting continues in this pattern, don’t be shocked to see Sanjaya Malakar outlast Chris, and maybe even a couple more contestants.
The results show was expanded to an hour this week, apparently so Fox could sell more ads. Lord help me. I fold laundry during the breaks so I don’t have that horrible feeling that my life is slipping between my fingers.ÂÂ
The extra half-hour also allowed time for some comedy. The bit with Tony Bennett trying out for the judges was pretty funny. I loved it when they asked how old he was and he said, “39″ and then, “80-ish.” But he did look pretty whipped in that bit and maybe that’s when he was coming down with the flu.
Unfortunately there was also time for an extra guest star performance. Akon appeared and sang steamroller flat. I mean he seems like a fun guy and I think the crowd loved him, but, wow, if he is a hit-making role-model for the contestants, no wonder we haven’t seen a lot of spark from some of them — especially the guys. At least we got to hear Akon do more than the “woo-hoo, yee-hoo” he did during the Gwen Stefani performance a couple weeks back.
Also proving there’s a big difference between singers and stars was Jennifer Lopez. Nice flashpots, nice outfit, great hair, semi-creepy dancers and no pipes. Sorry, I think I said I would quit picking on her last night after she was so nice to those contestants. Maybe she should be a producer when she retires from performing. She’s definitely better at coaching others than mustering an inspiring performance of her own. So far Lulu turned in the best show we’ve seen from a guest mentor. A 59-year-old Scottish woman is the only one to really rip-up the big stage this season.
What’s your take on tonight’s show? Did you enjoy J. Lo’s dramatic hair flips and tortured expression during her song? Are you okay with Haley going home? And, as always, what’s your prediction on how long Sanjaya will last?
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04.10.07
Posted in Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 11:10 pm by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 28, 4-10-07
Laurie Frattallone
It wasn’t for lack of good coaching that Latin music night ended up not-so-hot. Jennifer Lopez really worked with the contestants – not only on their vocals, but on pronunciation, interpretation and their groove. Viva J. Lo! I take back everything I’ve said about you being a vocal lightweight. Hey, you probably still are that, but you make the best of your assets, and you seem to understand music, so, really, thanks for trying with the singers.ÂÂ
Too bad most of them let us all down — especially the girls. Melinda Doolittle was vocally flawless once again on “Sway,” but she couldn’t bring the heat. Lopez encouraged her to flip the sultry switch during the performance, but Melinda seemed shy about it, saying “I’m so not sexy!” Well I don’t think anyone wearing Doris Day’s hairdo can pull off the kind of sexy that “Sway” demands. Who did that do? Or should I say who did that DON’T? The dress had potential, but that stiff, ratted hair did not scream hot, Latin songstress. Simon finally got his chance to criticize Melinda, telling her flat out that he didn’t like the performance. Melinda responded with, “He really wanted to say something bad and I’m glad he got the chance.” Still, Melinda should be safe this week. She got a HUGE crowd reaction after her performance and Randy and Paula liked her.
The judges didn’t have quite as much love for LaKisha, who I’m going to now call NoKisha since she NEVER listens to the vocal coaches. Poor J. Lo tried to tell NoKisha it was “cone-ga” not “cawn-ga” but apparently nobody can tell NoKisha what to do and “cawn-ga” it was, over and over again in Miami Sound Machine’s “Conga.” So, NoKisha, that puts J. Lo on the list of coaches you’ve ignored with Tony Bennett (who told you not to put the tag on your song last week), Lulu (who said “Diamonds Are Forever” was not the right song), and Diana Ross (who told you to use a mic stand). I know, let’s have a jazz night so you can tell the ghost of Ella Fitzgerald that scatting is just not for you.ÂÂ
Plus, NoKisha, I feel like you have worn that same dress three times now. Yes, you have found a style that works for you, but maybe you need to change up the color. Randy thought you were having fun, but Paula and Simon weren’t feeling it, and neither was I. You have given a couple of really great performances, specifically your amazing “And I’m Telling You,” but it’s been pretty so-so since then.
If Melinda had Doris Day’s hair, then Haley Scarnato had Joan Crawford’s eyebrows. Did she steal the makeup artist’s boyfriend in order to deserve those brows? Of course, who even looked up that far since her nine-foot-long legs stole the show again in a pair of black short-shorts. And her stage movement looked like a death-defying feat in spike heels that were about five inches tall. Her “Turn the Beat Around” was weak vocally and the judges noticed. Haley should be sent packing tomorrow night with a nice new wardrobe suitable for a streetwalker.
Finally for the ladies, Jordin Sparks was okay. Randy was really impressed with “The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” saying Jordin had “the yo factor on blast.” Paula called her authentic, but Simon said the performance was okay, but showed no progression. And with that statement he nailed the problem with the competition for the last couple of weeks: most of the singer are failing to progress. For many of them, the band, the lighting and the sometimes frantic choreography seem to overwhelm their performance and we’re left with no connection between the singer and the audience.ÂÂ
Any progress that was made tonight was made by the boys. Not so much Phil Stacey, whose “Maria, Maria” lacked passion. I shut my eyes during part of his performance as suggested by a former Idol contestant on a blog I read, and I have to say I enjoy Phil more without having to gaze into his bulging eyes under those prominent eyebrows. I’ve actually grown to like him in this competition much more than I expected. He seemed a little resigned to the fact that he might be going home tomorrow night. He didn’t say so, but the way he thanked the crowd and Seacrest looked like an early farewell. Let’s hope not, since Haley should leave before Phil.
I think Chris Richardson genuinely progressed this week. He does well when he gets his accompanying musicians right next to him on stage, as he did with his take on the Santana/Rob Thomas hit “Smooth.” He didn’t quite have the vocal power and punch of Thomas, but he performed it well and Simon said he actually preferred Chris to Melinda and LaKisha, sorry, NoKisha, who had preceded him.
Blake Lewis seemd to be the star of the night. First, gutsy move to take on J. Lo’s husband Mark Anthony’s hit, “I Need To Know.” Randy called it a hot song choice, Paula said it was a very smart performance and Simon said it was the best so far. Given that Blake sang second to last and Sanjaya was the finisher tonight, I guess we were all figuring Blake won the night.
However, Sanaya, while not better than Blake, was, well, decent on “Besame Mucho.” J. Lo seemed to like him, saying, “He impressed me!” Randy called him on one of the smartest contestants he has ever met. I get what Randy means. I think Sanjaya obviously knows someone’s buying what he’s selling, and even if he is not the most talented kid in the competition, he’s already the most famous. In this crazy world, that is probably more significant. S-man knows the different hairdo each week (this week very tight curls and a beard and mustache -grown in six days!) and the fact that he is Simon’s whipping boy are bringing in votes by the tens of thousands. Paula said the song was very nice and Simon, although he claimed he couldn’t understand a word of it (Ahem, Simon? It was in SPANISH!), he declared it not horrible.
Okay, so prediction for tomorrow is Haley goes home; I’ll be mad if Phil goes instead, although look for him in the bottom two. Sanjaya will be safe, and right now I want him back for next week because I think things would be boring without him.
What you do you think? Who will go home tomorrow night? Were you as disappointed by the divas as the judges were? Where do you stand on Sanjaya. We always love to read your comments!
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04.04.07
Posted in Gina Glocksen, Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 10:37 pm by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 27, 4-4-07
Laurie Frattallone
Whenever something unexpected happens on American Idol I find myself doing my best Gomer Pyle impersonation, drawling “surprise, surprise, surprise!” (FYI Gomer was the slow-witted mechanic on the Andy Griffith Show who later got his own show in which he played a Marine.) I was doing my best “surprise, surprise, surprise!” tonight when sorta-fake rocker girl Gina Glocksen got the boot. I’m guessing Gina was more surprised than the studio or at-home audience. I’m sure it was a bit of a shock to find herself grouped in the bottom three with Haley Scarnato and Phil Stacey. She probably thought she was safe since both Haley and Phil have now made multiple trips to the bottom. And maybe she was still basking in the afterglow of her performance last week, which was overpraised by the judges and overhyped by a lot of the blogs. I’ll stand by my opinion that her take on “I’ll Stand By You” was not that great. Plus, she gave a pretty stinky performance of “Smile” last night, and that was enough to send her packing. Sorry if I sound a little smug about this, but Gina has never been my favorite contestant. I didn’t buy the rocker image. She didn’t have any grit to her voice or performances. And she really lacked sincerity and conviction. I didn’t get why she wanted to be a singer. Her final number was an ironic choice, given that the lyrics suited Gina’s circumstances tonight: “Smile, though your heart is aching.” Hey, she finally had some real emotion to work with. Too bad she forgot the lyrics and ruined what could have been a poignant moment.ÂÂ
We got some information tonight on how the voting is going. The contestants were divied up into groups of three: the top vote getters, the middle and the bottom. You already know the bottom three, and I was not doing a Gomer when I saw who was in that group. Gina at the very bottom was a Gomer for me, but a satisfying one.
The middle group made sense. The three “heartthrobs,” shall we say: Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson and Sanaya Malakar (okay, maybe he’s a heartthrob only if you’re under 14, over 45 or Tony Bennett). And then the three divas were on top: Jordin Sparks, Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones. It would be interesting to know where EXACTLY Sanjaya was overall. I mean, was he fourth or sixth?ÂÂ
The voting may continue to look a lot like this right until the end, I’m guessing, with maybe a little movement by Blake, LaKisha and Chris, largely dependent on the strength of their performances. Sanjaya, Haley and Phil gotta go sometime soon, and I have a feeling Jordin and Melinda have a pretty firm grip on the top.
Whoo, it’s finally getting a little exciting!
Sadly, Tony Bennett got the flu and couldn’t perform tonight. Which of you naughty Idols gave the nice old guy a bug? So instead we got Michael Buble. I don’t really get him. I guess he’s kind of cool. I have to admit I’ve only seen him perform on TV a couple other times. Does he always chuckle his way through his performances? That’s quite a thick French Canadian accent he has. I kind of like that. To me he sounds better recorded than live. Oh well, I’m just sore that Tony couldn’t sing.
Okay, well somewhere tonight there’s a girl with a tongue stud, a really baggy pair of boots and a figure-mangling stretchy dress crying in her tap beer. Sorry, Gina, I guess the third time you try out for Idol is not the charm, although I think you should feel very lucky that you got this far.
By the way, I think another prize gets added to the Sanjaya Must Go Contest since he managed to stick around another week. Be sure to check that out on the allyourtv.com main page. ÂÂ
What do you think? Am I the crabbiest Idol blogger you know? Are you sad to see Gina go? How long will the Sanjaya madness last? Post your comments!
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Posted in Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 9:22 am by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 26, 4-3-07
Laurie Frattallone
Let’s take care of the most important piece of information first: Sanjaya’s hair was straight and slicked back tonight. He wore a fitted, white suit. He sang better than last week. Probably one of his better performances overall.
His rendition of “Cheek to Cheek” featured some pretty wobbly notes, and the standard Sanjaya whispery vocal in spots, but he was stronger in some parts of the song. Plus, he did some things many of the other contestants have failed at: he can walk, play the crowd, and even twirl Paula Abdul around and sing at the same time! The weirdest thing is that Tony Bennett, tonight’s guest vocal coach, seemed genuinely taken with the kid. He told Sanjaya he thought he was terrific and he said he liked him because he dares to be different. So, where do I stand on Sanjaya this week? Because I do have bi-polar disorder when it comes to Sanjaya. Well, I have to say I don’t think he’ll go home this week. I expect him to outlast at least Phil Stacey and Haley Scarnato, and perhaps even Gina Glocksen. That said, I will be bitterly disappointed if one of the legit singers is eliminated before he is. Please see the allyourtv.com Sanjaya Must Go Contest if you want him out sooner rather than later.
The judges seemed softer on Sanjaya this week. Randy and Paula said they appreciate him as an entertainer. Simon, probably ready to jam pens in his ears every time the kid comes on stage, gave a one-word critique. “Incredible,” he said. Sanjaya, ever naive, thought that was a compliment.
On to the real singers. It’s a weird season of Idol, because we’ve got one contestant who’s always perfect, and that would be Melinda Doolittle. I don’t think any Idol contestant has ever achieved her level of consistency. We would expect her to be flawless singing a standard, and that she was on “I Got Rhythm.” The tempo and mood changes of this song were expertly molded in her performance. Her perfection is actually somewhat of a problem, however. Simon alluded to this when he said, “I don’t think we’re ever going to be able to criticize you.” Face it, we watch Idol partly in hopes that some contestant will really crash and burn on a performance, and Melinda is just not going to do that. It makes her a little boring. Weird.
Chris Richardson, on the other hand, is the kind of Idol contestant we love. A bit of an underdog. Already a bottom dweller in the voting once since the finals began, yet steadily improving as the competition rolls. He had his best performance yet tonight with a modern take on “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” I liked the cool beginning, with him in silhouette with his back to the audience. His hat and suspenders were great, and his dance moves much more creative than in the past. He certainly blew away all the boys in the competition.
Jordin Sparks was also solid tonight on “On a Clear Day.” Her vocal was great. Randy called her controlled and Paula was quite tongue-tied in her review, finally spitting out, “I’m just so frickin’ proud of you I don’t really know what to say.” Simon was not as bowled over, calling the performance sung well but traditional. I thought she was very, very good, but I wish she would pay a little more attention to interpreting the lyrics. She could take a lesson on this from Melinda. Jordin’s expressions and gestures often seem random. If she could use them to convey meaning she would be unstoppable.
LaKisha Jones gave us a powerful “Stormy Weather.” She should have listened to Tony Bennett and ended the song on the big note rather than with that vocal tag and the awkward finish by the band. Since when do people not listen to Tony Bennett? That was a mistake! I really love LaKisha, and I want to root for her, but I always feel like she really would rather be somewhere else — not so much when she’s performing, but when she’s receiving her critiques or talking with Ryan Seacrest after her songs. It’s hard to get a handle on her personality, and the vote on this show is largely driven by personality.
Blake Lewis was another one who didn’t listen to Tony Bennett. Tony suggested he slow the tempo of “Mack the Knife” in order to get to the meaning of the song. This is a tricky number. It’s partly menacing but partly an ironic celebration of the return to town of a killer. Such a weird song, but such a piece of art in the hands of someone like 1950s great Bobby Darin. Blake did his best, but I don’t think he really “got” the song. He seemed to spend a lot of energy concentrating on remembering the lyrics, which, judging by Ryan’s comments after the performance, must have tripped him up in rehearsal.
Gina Glocksen had a rough night. Someone needed to tell her to remove that tongue stud when singing a standard. She was so forced on “Smile” that I felt uncomfortable. What a strange song choice for her. She obviously practiced all her on-cue smiles in the mirror for hours before this performance. Paula called it flawless, and I have no idea what she was talking about. She must have been reading all those articles from last week when everyone was falling all over Gina for her performance of “I’ll Stand By You,” which also failed to bowl me over. Simon was living in the real world and told Gina that two other girls outsang her (that would have been Melinda and Jordin at the time — LaKisha hadn’t performed yet). Let’s face it, Gina is not the real thing.
Haley Scarnato was cute again on “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” but Simon was right-on when he called it “pageanty.”
I do not know what Phil Stacey was doing tonight on that over-enunciated take on “Night and Day.” Paula called him a young Frank Sinatra, but Simon said, “Which Frank Sinatra are your referring to?” He said Phil’s performance had “all the joy of someone singing in a funeral home.” Poor Phil said he was concentrating on his wife while singing. We gotta wonder about the level of passion in that marriage.
Hey, is Phil growing his hair out? I saw some stubble there, I think. That might increase his appeal if he can stick around for a couple more weeks.
Okay, bottom two for this week. I have given up guessing what will happen with Sanjaya, so we’ll leave him out of the predictions. I say Haley and Phil are in the bottom, with Haley going home. I’d like to see Gina in the bottom, but still think Haley deserves to go home.
What’s your take on Standards Night? Who was the best in your opinion? When do you think Sanjaya will go home? Post your comments here!
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03.29.07
Posted in Chris Sligh, Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 7:20 am by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 25, 3-28-07
Laurie Frattallone
American Idol contestant Chris Sligh was not successful in bringing chubby back. The plump, curly-haired guy with the great sense of humor was immensely likable, but back-to-back shaky performances did him in and he ended up at the bottom of the pile this week.
The bottom three also included Phil Stacey and Haley Scarnato, who had been there before. Sligh had not been part of the bottom group until this week, although last week only the bottom two were announced. Of course it’s always a shock to the contestants to be eliminated the first time they are called to the center of the stage with the bottom dwellers.
Sligh was defeated by a progressively weakening vocal talent, and an ever-more-apparent total lack of rhythm that made it impossible for him to deliver an inspiring performance. The good news is that he will be on tour with the rest of the Idol contestants, and his personality and humor will add a lot to the show. Now if he can just get the hang of dancing and singing on beat. Not easily done. You either have rhythm or you don’t.ÂÂ
My prediction was a little off. I said Sligh and Chris Richardson would be the bottom two, with Richardson going home. I am a little surprised Chris R was not in the bottom three. I have a feeling not many votes separate the bottom six contestants. I’m guessing the top four are Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks. If there is a God, that is. Who knows where Sanjaya Malakar is? Lordy, I suppose he might be getting the most votes, and that is just too bizarre to imagine. One tip for Ryan Seacrest and the producers of American Idol: maybe it’s time to stop playing chicken with this whole Sanjaya thing. I mean, you are paying a lot of attention to him (tonight Seacrest came out with a fauxhawk wig version of Sanjaya’s Tuesday night hairdo), and that can only be egging the voters on. Maybe it’s time to start ignoring him and he will just go away. Either that or there has to be a big, big sale on pink stuff at every mall in the U.S. You know, pink cell phones, pink digital cameras, pink ponytail holders, earrings and t-shirts with pink sequins. If that happens next Tuesday from about 7 to 11 p.m. maybe we can keep the little girls away from the TVs and cell phones.ÂÂ
I’m sure the producers know that the whole Sanjaya thing is now a huge hook for a show that is more than a little uninteresting this year. They have to be really careful, though, that they don’t end up crowning him the Idol. Oopsie!
What are your thoughts? Are you sad to see the Sligh one go? What do you think of the whole Sanjaya thing? And was I or was I not telling the truth about those heels on Gwen Stefani’s shoes?ÂÂ
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03.28.07
Posted in Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 7:13 am by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 24, 3-27-07
Laurie Frattallone
Let’s give this episode an “Ehh” with a big shoulder shrug. Yeah, it was that blah for me. No single performance stood out. There were a lot of almost good moments, but all in all, I had a hard time sticking with the show.
Gwen Stefani was guest vocal coach tonight, and the loose theme was apparently songs by Gwen or her band, No Doubt, or by bands or artists who have inspired her. I think the fact that this is a much narrower category than last week’s British Invasion night perhaps got some of our intrepid contestants in trouble.
I’m gonna have to say that my favorite of the night was Blake Lewis, who up until now has often entertained me and even amused me, but I can’t say I’ve really liked him. Tonight I truly liked his take on “Love Song” by the Cure. It was a bit of a bold move — you can always count on Blake to make an interesting song choice without being cheeky about it, the way Chris Sligh is. For some reason he looked different tonight — maybe because his hair seemed more tame, and I believed him on this song. Thank God he didn’t beat box on it! What a mistake that would have been. The judges liked him, too. Paula said she wanted to see him in the finale and Simon called him the strongest guy in the competition.
After Blake there was a little pile of contestants in the middle who didn’t excite me but did a nice job. Melinda Doolittle, as usual, gave us a great vocal on “Heaven Knows” by Donna Summer, but Melinda’s gotta watch the fact that it can actually get boring for us to watch her be so spot-on every week. Especially when she picks songs that are so obviously in her comfort zone but not chosen for their entertainment value or riskiness. At least this number was up-tempo, but it’s still 30 years old and not exactly one of the first songs one thinks of when they dig back into the tunes of that era. I would have loved to have seen the Melinda spin on something from the last five years. ÂÂ
Jordin Sparks was pretty darn cute on No Doubt’s “Hey, Baby.” The vocal was awesome, too, but really if you take a hard look at that performance it was totally high school talent show. Simon was right when he said she was a bit of a Gwen copycat.  What I really hated about it was that horrid grey skirt that should have had a poodle sewn on it. Also, Jordin can’t really move like Gwen Stefani. I say if she was going to pull a Gwen, she had to go all the way and put forth a whole lot of energy on the stage. Really good pop stars make something extremely difficult look so easy. My daughter and I saw Gwen in concert during her last tour. She RAN up and down the stage for 90 minutes, most of the time in eight inch platform shoes — I’m not kidding. Plus she made about 10 costume changes and danced her butt off. All with great breath control on her vocals. Oh, and she was pregnant. Yeah, we didn’t know it at the time, but later we found out she was about three or four months pregnant when we saw her. That’s a star, baby. ÂÂ
Lakisha Jones seemed back to her old form tonight with Donna Summer’s “Last Dance.” Loved the print silk dress and the boots. Loved the voice. Wished she would have lightened up a little. The pathos in this song is for the beginning, slow part. The speedy part should be delivered with a lot of joy, “come on baby, dance that dance!” LaKisha just couldn’t let loose and have fun with it. But it was miles better than that matronly take on “Diamonds Are Forever” from last week.
Phil Stacey got props from the judges for “Every Breath You Take,” by the Police. This is a song just made for lyrical fumbles, but he didn’t make one misstep and sounded fabulous on the big notes. The judges liked it, too, especially Simon. Phil is no star, but he’s getting better as the competition continues.
I was not as in love with Gina Glocksen as the judges were. Yes, I agree it was her best performance, but I think it was because she stood completely still while singing “I’ll Stand By You.” When she walks the stage or dances she gets out of breath and hits a lot of clinkers. I don’t see Gina as a voter fave.ÂÂ
After Gina performed, I was feeling like I was going to need a nap, but then Ryan Seacrest teased the next segment and we got a peek at Sanjaya Malakar’s latest coiffure. Hey, if that didn’t keep you tuned in, I don’t know what would. A fauxhawk created with a series of seven (for good luck, he said!) tiny ponytails running up the center of the kid’s head. Bathed in orange light as he sang, it looked as if he had also gotten a wicked dye job, but no, it was just the lighting effect. I am now announcing that I am officially over Sanjaya. That wimpy, clumsy performance of “Bathwater” by No Doubt completely did me in. Yeah, he’ll probably still be around next week, unless little girls are scared of fauxhawks, but jeez I wish he would get voted out now. I think the judges are just as exhausted by him and exasperated with him as I am. At least he showed a glimmer of chuztpah last week with his shouting take on “You Really Got Me.” But this week he was right back to being one of those teenagers to whom you say, “You’re not really wearing THAT are you?” And, “Your father and I know you can do better than that. What the heck is wrong with you?” The judges pretty much said just that to him tonight. Paula said, “You can sing. You can do it if you want to.” Simon, doing his best impersonation of a cranky dad said, “I presume there is no mirror in your dressing room.” Sanjaya, you’re make us old people tired. Time to go home.ÂÂ
Chris Richardson did okay with part of No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” He was all whiny and nasally at the beginning, and he really needs to find another move besides that jerky head-bob thing. I liked his voice as the song progressed, but he could be in the bottom this week.
I thought Haley Scarnato actually did quite a lovely job with “True Colors.” Simon thought it was sweet, but forgettable.” But she looked fabulous again, playing up her legs as her best physical asset. She may last another week if the boys are voting.
Chris Sligh really stunk on “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.” Gwen noticed he has no rhythm and he demonstrated that in his performance once again. It’s really tough to be a musician when you can’t stick with the beat. The guy rushes almost every song he sings and tonight it was really obvious. Plus, what was with all the reverb in the sound system? Good Lord was he getting a lot of help from that. I also heard some reverb on Phil Stacey’s song but not as much as on Sligh’s. It was pretty distracting.
So who will be out on Wednesday? It’s a tough call. Sanjaya should be, of course. But since we haven’t seen him hit the very bottom yet, I’ll pick two others for the bottom two. I’m going to say we’ll see a double-dose of Chris in the bottom: Sligh and Richardson in the bottom two with Richarson going home — but let’s keep our fingers crossed that Sanjaya gets sent packing with his blowdryer, curling iron, straightening iron and ponytail holders.
What do you think? Are you Sanjaya fans still with him or have you had enough? Did you think anyone was great tonight? Who are your bottom two? Post your comments!
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03.21.07
Posted in Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 9:56 pm by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 23, 3-21-07
Laurie Frattallone
I’m starting to scare myself with the accuracy of my American Idol predictions. I was right about Brandon Rogers last week and this week I said either Stephanie Edwards or Phil Stacey would be a goner and it was Steph. Simon told her last night she had lost her edge and he was right. For two weeks in a row she couldn’t find the soulfulness she poured into her semifinal performances and the voters were not kind. I was surprised to see Chris Richardson side-by-side with Steph in the bottom two, especially after he gave what the judges and I thought was his best performance last night on the ballad “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying.” Maybe he lost the girly-vote because he didn’t jive and do the vocal runs, but he was solid and I hope his position in the voting this week doesn’t shake him up too much. I would have put Gina Glocksen, Chris Sligh, Phil and, of course, Sanjaya Malakar in the bottom two before Chris R. Chin up, Chris R!ÂÂ
After those two-hour shows on Tuesdays I’m so Idoled-out that I just want the durn results and don’t care too much what else they pack into the results show. Peter Noone was cute. For a while I thought he was lip-synching, but I think that’s a no-no on Idol. Lulu was actually riveting. The contestants seemed transfixed by her performance of “To Sir, With Love.” Maybe they had actually heard that song or seen the movie! Loved Lulu.ÂÂ
Then after Idol was over I unfortunately flipped to MSNBC, where on Scarborough Country the heavy-weight issue of the day was whether the “crying girl” from last night’s Idol show (Her name is Ashley or perhaps Ashleigh or Ashlee.) was acting. Oh, Lord! No, I think she really was crying, and who the heck cares if she was or wasn’t? Isn’t there a lost Boy Scout or some deadly dog food or an Anna Nicole offspring DNA test we can obsess about instead of the crying girl? For the record, I did read from a reliable source that the crying girl got a seat for the show because she was at the rehearsal earlier in the day (she had apparently won tickets to the rehearsal), bawled her eyes out and the producers spotted her and thought she might make for some good audience cutaway shots. So, they got her a seat for the live broadcast. Hey, it’s TV. Whether you believe in the REAL part of the reality label or not is up to you, but talking about it too much gives me a headache and makes me not care. I just want to hear the kids sing and offer my opinion, maybe vote, see who gets eliminated the next week and ultimately find out who the winner is. Debating the ethics and sociological impact of the whole spectacle kinda takes the entertainment out of it.
By the way, after great minds including Danny Bonaduce and season two contestant Carmen Rasmusen (Yeah, I know, Carmen who?) took apart the crying girl, they started in on the inside scoop on the Simon Cowell/Ryan Seacrest show banter. Apparently it is scripted. Horrors!ÂÂ
Okay, time to move on to more pressing things in my life, like the bathroom needs cleaning and there are some dirty dishes in the sink. I am looking forward to next week’s Tuesday show. Seriously. After this week I have hope and the expectation that the performance shows will be mostly good.ÂÂ
What about you? Are you more interested in Idol after this week’s mostly good performances? Do you think the crying girl was for real? (I can’t believe I’m even asking that!). Did you think Simon and Ryan were naturally witty? I thought Simon was! Please weigh in with your comments.   ÂÂ
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Posted in Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 8:57 am by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 22, 3-20-07
Laurie Frattallone
Finally, this season of Idol wakes up! What did it? Was it the great material the contestants had to pick from on British Invasion theme night? Was it the honest coaching from guest mentors Peter Noone and Lulu? Was it just the determination of the final eleven to make the final ten (because only the final ten do the American Idol concert tour)? Who knows, but I liked it! In fact, I liked it so much, I’m going to give out some awards:
I’ll bestow the I Really Do Have a Pulse Award on Sanjaya Malakar, who shocked and awed everyone with his fun and, believe it or not, LOUD take on The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” During his coaching session Sanjaya was torn between performing a Herman’s Hermits tune, “I’m Into Something Good,” or the Kinks number. Peter Noone, the lead singer of Herman’s Hermits, wisely suggested Sanjaya let loose on the Kinks, obviously knowing that the soft and poppy “I’m Into Something Good,” would have been just more of the same from Sanjaya. It was great to find out that Noone and Lulu actually watch Idol and had a lot of insight into each performer’s strengths and weaknesses. How did Sanjaya’s new, nasty personality go over with the judges? Well, I think they thought the performance was pretty awful, but they seemed too dumbfounded to really give a helpful critique. Randy complimented the S-man for coming out of his shell, Paula said she was glad to see him having fun and Simon referred to a certain audience member in his critique, a little girl named Ashley who stole the show a bit last night by screwing up her face and sobbing in Beatlemania ecstasy while her favorites performed. Simon said wryly, “I think the little girl’s face says it all.” By that he meant Ashley looked horrified or perhaps in pain. Ryan Seacrest astutely pointed out that Ashley LIKES Sanjaya. A whole lot. And of course Ashley, who is probably 11 or 12, and all her buddies dial and text like crazy each week to vote for their favorites. Sanjaya, meet your fans. They are why you will be in the competition next week and perhaps for a few weeks to come. Frankly, even though he didn’t so much sing as scream that Kinks song, I enjoyed Sanjaya tonight, just because I was relieved that he showed a little personality just in time. I think another weak performance may have been the end of him, and remember I was a big fan of his in the early auditions. And he CAN sing! So if he can find his voice again and give another crowd-pleasing performance maybe he’ll blossom.
The Awkward Rawker Grrrrl Award goes to Gina Glocksen. She looks better every week (loved the punky bob tonight) but Simon was right when he said there were “moments of complete torture” in her version of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.”
I could have given Gina the I Can Raise My Left Eyebrow Without Raising My Right Eyebrow Award, but I’ll give that to Jordin Sparks instead, who also has this ability (as does Season Four winner Carrie Underwood, by the way — an omen?). I admire this talent in people mostly because I don’t have it. Seriously, though, Jordin should get the Complete Idol Package Award for her fabulous, controlled performance of the Shirley Bassey song, “I Who Have Nothing.” It was very good — almost great. She just needs a little more maturity to really own this number. I give her the edge tonight over Melinda Doolittle, just because Jordin has the potential pop star commercial appeal that Melinda doesn’t.ÂÂ
Melinda gets the I Can Do No Wrong Award. She took a pretty obscure song, “As Long As He Needs Me” from the musical “Oliver,” sang it perfectly and made us care. Her hair was much improved with a sleek bob, plus she also had little Ashley in tears, so perhaps we should not underestimate Melinda’s ability to capture the youth vote. I’d like to see Melinda do something fun and up-tempo next week. We’ve had two heavy, emotional songs from musicals in a row, Melinda, so please change it up next time.
Let’s give the What’s Not To Like Award to both Blake Lewis and Chris Robinson. The judges said they both delivered their best performances of the competition so far. Blake was really cool with his take on The Zombies’ “Time of the Season.” His cute update of this song was sexy and had just enough beat-boxing in it. I thought the tune was out of his range a bit and that he really had to work for the high notes and couldn’t hold them as long as he should have, but it was still a really neat performance. I think I liked Chris Robinson even better on “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying,” a Gerry and the Pacemakers song. It’s a fabulous piece of music and he did a great job with it, performing with an acoustic guitar accompanying him.ÂÂ
The Legs Award goes to Haley Scarnato, who figured out that sex appeal is her strength. Sporting REALLY short shorts, she bopped her way through “Tell Him” and gave a performance that Randy said “had the yo factor all over it.” Yo is Randy’s new word for the “it” factor. If Haley can keep dishing up performances like this and get a handle on her vocals a bit more, she may erase the awful memory of “If My Heart Had Wings” and prove to us why she’s in this competition. I was strangely happy for her tonight. Everyone’s a sucker for a good comeback story. She has shown a lot of guts in this competition.
On the opposite end of the spectrum from young, sexy Haley was old-looking, dramatic LaKisha, who gets the I Wore My Mother’s Dress and Wig Award. Simon was right when he said he felt as if he were watching LaKisha in 50 years time. She just didn’t seem that into the song, “Diamonds are Forever,” and although the big notes were great, no one would buy that record. I worry that LaKisha doesn’t have a good handle on her musical identity. She seemed quite thrown by this theme night.
Chris Sligh gets the I Don’t Know What to Do With This Mike Stand Award. He started his number, “She’s Not There,” by The Zombies, walking through the crowd, nearly accidentally poked Simon with the mike stand, then playfully jabbed it at Simon, then removed the mike from the stand on stage and awkwardly held the stand in his other hand like some kind of jousting pole. Weird. This guy has no moves, no rhythm. I still like him, but I’m starting to question why.
Phil Stacey wins the Underrated Award, in my book. Tonight’s performance was the best I’ve seen him do. Peter Noone seemed impressed with his rehearsal of “Tobacco Road,” but the judges were a bit underwhelmed. While I thought the band covered his vocal too much at the beginning of the song, he stood out in the middle and the end and I liked it.ÂÂ
Finally, Stephanie Edwards sadly gets stuck with the I Just Got Myself Kicked Out Award. What the heck happened to her tonight? She sounded weak and out of breath on “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.” Maybe she was going for some stylistic thing at the beginning, but when the song failed to payoff with a big build or finish, I was confused. Her last couple of performances have absolutely erased my memory of everything she did well in the semifinals. And when Haley Scarnato stands out more than you, Steph, you know you’re in trouble.
So, my prediction for tomorrow night’s elmination: I think a girl will be in the bottom three for the first time. My picks for the bottom three are Sanjaya, Phil and Stephanie, with either Phil or Stephanie going home.ÂÂ
What did you think of British Invasion Night? What awards would you hand out to the contestants? Did you like or loathe Sanjaya’s wild side? Does Melinda have what it takes to win it all, or will teenager Jordin Sparks sneak up on her? Post your comments!
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03.14.07
Posted in Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 9:10 pm by lfrattallone
American Idol Season Six, Ep. 21, 3-14-07
Laurie Frattallone
So, I’m watching the results show tonight at my mom’s house. Let’s call her “Grandma S.” She’s a big American Idol fan. She had clipped from the newspaper a little four-by-four-inch square that featured the photos of the final twelve. After the results were revealed tonight, poor Brandon Rogers had a big “X” right over his cute little face. Ruthless, that Grandma S! Apparently this is her weekly ritual during the final round.ÂÂ
There was no screaming and shouting in front of the tube tonight. I predicted Brandon would go, and Brandon did. The bottom three were not terribly surprising — all boys, all shaky through the competition so far. Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar and Brandon deserved their positions tonight. I guess one could argue that perhaps Chris Robinson or Haley Scarnato could have traded places with Phil, but I have absolutely no passion for an argument about that right now.
 If the rest of America is feeling anything like Grandma S and me about Idol, they’re thinking it’s all a little ho-hum at this point. Grandma thinks they could just give the prize to Melinda now and we could all get on with our lives. She and I both share the hope that since America continues to keep Sanjaya around, maybe, just maybe, he will shock us one week by really singing out and giving the performance he is capable of if he loses his inhibitions. And Grandma and I both thought that tonight Diana Ross kind of, oh, I want to say something mean, but she was so nice to the contestants that I’ll just say she was not in her best voice tonight. She screeched the high notes. Grandma even thought she was “pitchy.” Zing!
So now Brandon has to go begging for more work as a back-up singer. And worst of all, Diana Ross blabbed a little too much, something else was possibly off in the timing of the show, and Brandon did not get to sing a note of his farewell on live TV. That is too bad for someone who seems like a really nice guy. Too nice. He never put any teeth into his performances, and as a result, most of us just didn’t care. He must have had a large rooting section in the auditorium tonight, though. There was a big chorus of “boo” when his fate was announced.
Feel free to weigh in with your take on tonight’s results show. Were you disappointed that Brandon is out? Did you think Miss Ross was in danger of rupturing a vocal cord on some of those high notes? Why does Ryan Seacrest smile so big (Grandma wants to know!)?
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Posted in Laurie Frattallone, Reviews: Season Six, Season Six at 7:34 am by lfrattallone
American Idol Season 6, Ep. 20, 3-13-07
 Laurie Frattallone
This season of American Idol is becoming too predictable. Every week we have two singers, Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones, who are perfect or near perfect, and then the rest of the field strives for whatever they can manage — some glimmer of vocal talent, a bit of originality, a new hairstyle. I really don’t know if I can bear 12 weeks of this.ÂÂ
I’m not naive enough to believe that Melinda or LaKisha will win, of course. Perhaps that’s where the season’s drama will come through — WILL or WHEN WILL the best singers get eliminated? And for which pretender to the AI throne will they be sacrificed?
Melinda was transcendant on this Diana Ross-themed night. Simon was bowled over by her, telling her she made a boring song, “Home” from “The Wiz,” fantastic and comparing her to a young Gladys Knight. Just give Melinda the prize now! She is what Idol is all about for those who really focus on this as a singing competition. Now that she’s been discovered, she’ll always work and those of us who are amazed by her will be able to buy her records and watch her on TV, Broadway, wherever she lands. Paula sobbed after Melinda’s number, and I was right there with her. She so naturally connects with the audience, the song’s meaning — everything! I think she’s the best singer and best performer to ever compete in Idol.
LaKisha, now dubbed Kiki (Miss Ross discovered this is what her mama calls her), was great but not superb. She held back on “God Bless the Child” on purpose to show her ability to control her voice. I though she was a little boring, but I appreciate her performance skills and confidence.
And then there were the rest. Heavy, heavy sigh. Well, I actually liked what Chris Sligh did with “Endless Love” much more than the judges did. I hate, hate, hate that song, so he could only improve on it in my view. Yeah, maybe the arrangement was reaching a little, but he showed some guts with what he did and I thought his voice sounded good. I also thought he was rather cute without his glasses; Simon told him to put them back on. When such things are being debated in the AI studio we know it’s not really a singing competition for MOST of the contestants. Melinda and LaKisha already won that prize and the other ten need to find a hairstyle, pretty dress or pair of glasses to set them apart. Heavy sigh again.
Who else was at least decent tonight?  Jordin Sparks was okay for me. The judges liked her much more than I did on another selection from her childhood video library, “If We Hold On Together, ” from “Land Before Time,” a movie about cartoon dinosaurs. I thought the song was out of her range and that she strained for the high notes. Simon called it a very, very good vocal and Randy and Paula were impressed. It could be the judges are pushing Jordin because she’s more marketable than Melinda and LaKisha. I think she can be very good on decent songs.  She just needs to stop raiding her favorite animated movies for song selections.
Aside from those four, there was not a lot to like.ÂÂ
Gina Glocksen was at least more on-key than usual with “Love Child,” but she seemed to get a lot of support from the background singers.
Brandon Rogers faded into the background singer he once was and will forever be with “Can’t Hurry Love.”
Blake Lewis did some cool dance moves on “You Keep Me Hanging On,” but I hated the slow tempo and his unemotional performance. He seemed a little like a marionette in some coin-operated machine. “Drop in a quarter and watch the boy sing and dance!”
Stephanie Edwards was a major disappointment with “Love Hangover.” I don’t like that song, and she was one of several contestants who forgot lyrics tonight. Even her adorable look couldn’t sell her performance.
Haley Scarnato made things interesting. She actually started out nicely with “Missing You,” a good song for her. She fell apart later with pitch problems and a major brain freeze on the lyrics. She was speechless afterward, bracing for a tongue-lashing from the judges. But she was shocked when Simon said he didn’t think it was that bad and told her she had “real presence up there.”
Chris Robinson was as dreadful as Simon said on “The Boss,” but he looked like he was trying not to cry afterward, so I’m not going to pick on him. He does seem like a sweetheart.
Phil Stacey was probably at his best, but he was still boring.
Sanjaya was a little more animated, but could you even hear him? Good Lord, he was swallowed by the band! I was afraid Diana Ross was going to grab him and set him on her lap during their coaching session, having found the second coming of her old pal, Michael Jackson. Sanjaya rocked some major curls tonight, probably his best hairdo yet, but it was still pretty weird. I feel for the kid.
 I think Brandon will go home this week. That’s fine with me. We can keep Sanjaya around a little longer to see if he ever will shave his locks and sing above a whisper.
Tell me what you thought of tonight’s performances. Who was your favoritie? Will Melinda and LaKisha continue to blow the competition away? Did you think Miss Ross was as kind and un-diva-like as I did? ÂÂ
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