AI:5 - 4 Chords & All Those Years Ago

March 22, 2006 · Filed Under popmedia

Now that’s more like it!
One thing last night proved to me is that, for the purposes of AI, Barry Manilow trumps Stevie Wonder. This doesn’t surprise me, as AI:3’s Manilow week was one of the flat out best weeks from the entire run of AI. Barry Manilow is a class act all the way, and is one of the most all-around talented musicians that I could imagine there ever being. Writing, producing, singing, coaching, entertaining — whatever you want, he can deliver in spades! I’m listening to Manilow’s 50’s album (that was mentioned on the show) as I write this, and it’s very, very good…

50s’s week wasn’t quite what I expected going in, but it turned out to be much better & more enjoyable than I thought it would be. It’s not that I was expecting a bad week, it’s just that when I think of the 50’s, I think of sock-hops & the like. In that light, then, only Bucky, Lisa, & Taylor really did the type of songs I was expecting. I’m glad my expectations were exceeded!
This is a much more difficult week to handicap, if only because the quality of performances was much stronger from top to bottom. There was still separation into three groups, but the gap between top & middle and bottom & middle wasn’t all that great. With that said, let’s get on with the rundown…

The Hep Cats: Chris, Paris, Katharine, & Mandisa. These four were HOT, albeit in different ways, which made it all the better & more impressive. Chris, once again, had the performance of the night IMO. His take on Walk the Line was truly impressive. He does know himself, and I’m in agreement with Simon that it’s very impressive just how Chris is staying true to himself & refusing to compromise. Paris — the Paris that made me sit up & take notice back in the auditions — finally decided to make an appearance. She’s a throwback-type of vocalist when she’s at her best, and Fever showed that perfectly — it was tremendous. Vocally, Katharine wasn’t quite as good as last week; however, she still sounded great, carried herself so well, and she looked f-i-n-e FINE! McPhee is McPhine! Mandisa suffered only from going first, which meant it was a little more difficult to remember, at the end of the two hours, just how good her performance was. She is a powerhouse who sounds & looks great, and carries herself with genuine class.

The Almost-There Squares: Taylor, Kellie, Elliot, Lisa, & Ace. These 5 were all quite good, but just not good enough to get to the next level on this night. Taylor suffered by his song choice, as it wasn’t a singer’s song. It was a good & fun performance, but it didn’t truly showcase him in the best fashion possible. He’s in no danger, but I hope he learns from the experience. Kellie, on the other hand, made a great song choice & sang it very well. It wasn’t 100% strong from start to finish, but then she never has been that type of singer. She looked good (though I didn’t like her makeup job — it made her eyes look kinda funny…) and sounded more than good enough to be safe again this week. Elliot also did a very credible job, with another strong performance. He’s so likable and has such a nice, pleasant voice, that it’s always enjoyable to see & hear him perform. That said, his performance didn’t “pop” for me. Even so, he’s still safe. Lisa, fair Lisa. She’s so cute & sounds so good. But, for the first time IMO, she lost the battle-of-the-teen-girls to Paris. I really liked her performance, but there just seemed to be something missing in comparison to Paris’s Fever-ishly good job. I’m worried for her. I’d also like to be worried for Ace, but I don’t think he’ll have any cause to worry this week. Ace’s performance didn’t blow me away — it was ok. However, it played quite well to his fanbase, and he did sound much better than he did last week.

Nowheresville: Bucky & Kevin. For me, these two were the easiest calls to make. Bucky’s song choice & performance were both sub-par — primarily in song choice, but also in execution, especially in comparison to everyone else this week. I like Bucky, and would love to hear him in a Skynyrd or .38 Special cover band, but I just don’t like him in this competition. That leaves The Jester. He pulled out all the schmaltzy stops last night, didn’t he? I am so tired of him & his act. The sad thing is that I’d probably really like him in real life (like if he were one of my student workers). It’s just that in the context of this competition, his whole act annoys me, and the idea that he’s probably going to knock better singers out of the competition is offensive to me. He must go.
The voting at SchloÃŸ TB:
Mel: Mandisa
Deb: Taylor
ghp: Lisa

Bottom 3: Bucky, Lisa, & The Jester.
Note: I’d prefer to see Ace there instead of Lisa, but I just don’t think that’s going to happen…

Going Home: The Jester*

* = Once again, I must stay true to my vow of picking him to go home until he finally & mercifully does. I want him put out of our misery. As to what I think America will do, I think that Bucky will be joining Melissa as the two finalists who won’t be going on the grand AI tour this summer…

-ghp
P.S. to my big sister — have a safe trip to Hotlanta, sweetie!