Rosado's Recaps-American Idol - The Cultute of Pop, DVD, Movie, TV, Pop Culture Review

Rosado's Recaps-American Idol

Posted: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:57:32 PDT

     Michael Becker/FOX

Week Of April 20^th, 2011

Okay, I'm gonna confess to this right off the block. Most new musical artists and groups, since say 1994? Foreign to me; like languages I don't understand...

Cases in point:

Maroon 5: Is that the former cinematic in-place to be which now plays box office failures for a buck at the ticket windows?

Muse: I thought this was my fantasy girls like Eva Longoria, Dana Delany and such...Wrong again eh, Alex Trebek? I know; need to phrase it in the form of a question.

Adelle: Not a go-to fashionista shop on New York's 5^th Avenue?

See what I mean, kids? So please go easy on the not-THAT-old guy on the Idol blog go-round, okay?

Scotty: I just knew he was gonna find an oldie but a goodie as the 21^st Century theme lovefest began...and kid, you better send a box of chocolates Leann Rimes way for doing a remake of this John Anderson song last year to juuuuust make it qualify for this week's theme.

That said, same 'ol, same 'ol...and for perhaps the only time of the night, I thought Jennifer and Randy were gonna get their storm trooper masks out for once; they actually offered real constructive criticism! In the words of the great Carole King, “I felt the earth move under my feet”, kids...Mr. McCreery hasn't had an innovative moment since doing Stevie Wonder's For Once In My Life weeks back...and although I love him to death/he's gonna get a record contract no matter what, enough already!

Jeff's Grade: C+

James: Despite knocking 'em out of the park week after week, still a crucial night for Durbo who doesn't have the rock and metal warhorses of his youth to fall back on. Yet, he's ready for it via his comments in the pre-performance video package indicating his desire to be “contemporary” and show he's not just an oldies machine.

Well, like I said at the top of this blog dispatch, Muse means something a bit different to me (insert eye winks to Eva and Dana, here)...So to my ears, James' mission for sounding current. Accomplished. How he hits those high notes is amazing...and his stage presence grows more commanding week by week...If I could zap forward into the future via a sometimes trusty Delorean, I'd so be buying his first album, stat.

Jeff's Grade: A

Haley: Adelle is another artist I'm not too familiar with (save for a couple tunes which have really impressed me), this was like hearing a Haley original. From toning down her sex kitten-ism' s, resting the arm waving routine, and actually concentrating on singing, she did really well this week.

No vocal clunkers, the song fit her range more than comfortably, and her dress was stunning (okay, okay..but remember, I'm a guy here...at least I'm not putting myself out there like Steverino who must have a lot o' 'splainin' to do to his girlfriend every week).

Jeff's Grade: B

Jacob: A contender that has struggled with consistency in my ears, he almost got the Jacob I loved back in fighting trim with his cover of Luther Vandross' Dance With My Father...but it didn't really catch the gospel fire and brimstone until the end, which was a pity...but it was a stone cold classic compared to Scott Savol's Godawful rendition of a few years back...Unless his following comes thru, Jacob's time could be up this week.

Jeff's Grade: B-

Casey: Okay, this happened at the end of the performance, but I'm gonna call him out at the start, here.

Don't be doing a blatant points gainer move like playing kissy-kissy-kissy with Jenny From The Block, dude!

Performance wise, his take on a Maroon 5 tune was okay, but I can just picture his fellow contenders going so-not-fair backstage (hey, it can't be all lovey dovey like those prettied up video packages and Ford Focus commercials would have you believe, folks).

Soapbox mode out, what is up with Casey's extreme shifts in musical moods these last few weeks? One week going all Joe Cocker at the end of Your Song, winning back my faith with a gutsy Nature Boy next, and now adult rock? Man, I'm about as eccentric a music lover as you're gonna find, and I live for diversity, but you gotta do it carefully and not potentially alienate your fan base...if that makes any sense.

Jeff's Grade: C

Stefano: From the classic variety show twirl at the start with his back to the audience and zap (!), train wreck, kids (at least to me). All that movin' around, those shaky falsetto notes and a couple of additional vocal clinkers (which I pray at least one of the judges heard on the West Coast playback; a trait I so admired Simon Cowell in doing/pointing out mistakes to contestants on elimination night, even to those he'd championed).

Can the Team Longone fan base take the night off from calling, texting and web voting and let this guy's inconsistency quit grating on my nerves?

Jeff's Grade: C

Lauren: Love, love, LOVE that my teenage country queen is getting what folks are starting to refer to as the Pimp spot of the night this eve...aka the last performance of the night, which if memorable? A shoo-in on elimination night for the comfortable SAFE (!) side of the stage...and to me? She just nailed a Sara Evans tune (ah, an artist I actually know; hooray!!): Born To Fly...not only nailed it, she may have out sung the originator of the original..

But, in my best Adam Carolla mode, were the judges high at show's end, tonight?! Good God, they were sooooooo underwhelmed to the point that if I'd had popcorn nearby, I would have flung it at the screen...and did you guys notice how hurt Lauren took their critiques? Steven has no clue how good, or who Sara Evans is (perhaps the most underrated singer in country music to me), and he's rattling off female singers to Lauren to emulate whose styles have been copied/done to death (and I love Steven, but come on Demon of Sceamin'!)...and Jenny and Randy pushing her to do better? What's wrong with the old “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” stock answer in applying for Lauren, huh?

Yet, the judges have used that same old saying for some of the weakest performances of the season...Do they wanna force this poor girl into attempting a range she possibly can't attain, and potentially ruin her chances of possibly winning this thing? Maybe I'm wrong and overreacting...but this whole deal SO reminds me of a classic scene from Citizen Kane...

Those of you who love old movies out there: Remember the trophy wife who attempted an opera career and bombed on stage? Hey, I know Lauren is a vocal goddess compared to that poor tart in director Orson Welles cinematic masterpiece, but to me, the judges are trying to make Miss Alaina be something she's not...and I don't want Lauren to attempt to hit notes she's not made to hit; going beyond her range and potentially permanently altering those vocal chords, you know?

Good Lord, have I just typed four paragraphs on this kid? It must be love... (just kidding, police officials).

Okay, another performance night in 'da books...Who do YOU think is taking the plane to New York to meet Regis and Kelly on Monday morn? My bottom three picks: Jacob, Haley, and Stefano...and my pick to get that lucky plane ticket: Jacob...

Hit me back with your thoughts/picks at my Twitter and Facebook hangouts...and don't forget to subscribe to my I-Tunes feed so you can hear my weekly Idol podcast with my bud Lee Marshall just as soon as it's hot off the grill on Friday...See ya!

Oh wait! Yeah, I know...I forgot about the opening bit with Paul and The Idolettes: Please, haven't the painful numbers I've written about caused me grief enough? Have mercy, Miss Percy!

And Seacrest? The ghost of Ulysses S. Grant just contacted me. He wants his beard back. Out.

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