Reviews I Like

The best part about this blog is that when I have nothing to say, I can totally cheat by posting reviews I like from the site.

Sometimes, it's especially handy when the subject is a very, very popular one that yours truly could not care less about. Simply put, if I wanted to see pimply, long-haired dudes sing cringe-inducing KC & The Sunshine Band covers, I'd go to my local karaoke bar and mock them in person. But it seems I'm in a teeny tiny minority about that, especially when it comes to the rabid popularity of American Idol (question- when does it get to the point where we realize we're scraping the bottom of the talent barrel? In terms of America's Next Top Model, we came to that sad epiphany around Cycle 9. There are no potential models left in America. Period)


American Idol
by Scott Campbell (check out more of Scott's reviews at www.cultureclique.com)

Idol Thoughts: Volume 3, No. 7

Today's Idol Thoughts focuses on last night's performances celebrating the music of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber (who, in my humble opinion, was delightful, insightful and encouraging).

The Top Performances: I once again loved Syesha Mercado. She worked the stage and interacted with the band in a way few contestants have all season. Although she is still not my fave (that has to be rocker, David Cook), Syesha can sing and, if there was justice, she would make the final three. But despite her showstopping performance that was oozing with sass and sex appeal, America did not hear one word from the judges implying that she's in any way a threat to crack the top three--only the nagging implication that she'd be better off pursuing a career in musical theater. I also thought that David Cook would be in trouble last night with the Webber-inspired theme, but he shocked me with his fantastic, vocally strong performance. Sure, he could've put a rocker twist on ''The Music of the Night'' or some other Lloyd Webber number, but after weeks of unexpected arrangements and heartfelt deliveries, he needed to show America that he could sing by delivering straightforward, spot-on vocals--which he did.

Middle of the Road: Little David Archuletta only gave a fair performance. Not only did he forget the lyrics (but muddled his way through), but it was forgettable. I thought that this would be David A's night--the kid is so ready for Broadway shows. Nevertheless Paula used the phrase ''absolutely perfect,'' and Randy dubbed David ''the one to beat''. I speculate that the judges and producers are grooming America for a David & David finale with these favorable comments on an okay performance. Only Simon got it right ... He agreed with me. David's performance was forgettable but still enough to get him to next week. Carly Smithson's performance was better this week. She belted out an up-tempo rock number from Jesus Christ Superstar, but I still felt that she screamed parts of the song (Simon felt the same). I appreciate that this girl has a powerful voice but she just hasn't picked the best songs to show the beauty of her instrument in weeks.

Bottom Three: Jason Castro, a fave of mine, was just outsung last night. Jason has an incredible voice but the dreadlocks and soft spoken demeanor will leave him in jeopardy. His performance was nothing like the last two weeks where his soft voice coupled well with those song choices but not in last night's Broadway theme. But the train wreck of the night was made by Brooke White. She started over (for the second time this season) and from there, she seemed shaken to the core, and it made the performance uncomfortably tense. It's clear that Brooke's escalating nerves over the last few weeks seem to indicate that the Idol stage isn't the right venue for her. And although I hate to admit it, Syesha may round out the bottom three. For some reason, people don't like her, but, if it were up to me, the last spot in the bottom would go to Carly.

Going Home: Brooke should have gone home last week, so her time on Idol is done.