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Lyle said:
IAs far as the guys go, I think Kevin (a.k.a. "Chicken Little"), Bucky and Elliott will be among the next to leave.

For as long as Bucky remains, he may have to endure being known as Bucky (a/k/a "Jessica Simpson") in the aftermath of Simon's comment about his hair last night. There was some merit to it.
 
I personally want Ace to get the ax. I know it'll be Kevin, but at least he's entertaining. Ace is annoying as hell.

Any of the girls can go except for Mandisa and Paris. The girls have been unbelievably uninteresting this year.
 
5{\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0hler]I personally want Ace to get the ax. I know it'll be Kevin, but at least he's entertaining. Ace is annoying as hell.

Any of the girls can go except for Mandisa and Paris. The girls have been unbelievably uninteresting this year.[/QUOTE]

i think mandisa can have a good moment here and there

and katherine, while good, is a fairly boring performer to watch...but she could make it as a good studio backup singer since she hits all the notes right on

toto was a studio band and hit every note right on, but somehow they were boring (like a perfectly shiny, new shopping mall) and katherine seems to remind me of that...her training makes her practiced and controlled but does not allow her to improvise and have a persona

kelly has a persona, big time -that x-factor if you will, but she simply isn't that good of a singer most of the time

besides his looks, ace is the only male without the x-factor, but he still can use the next few weeks to bust out and do something

last season, bo bice greatly improved each week, from a fairly weak starting point, and almost won the whole thing
 
So Melissa was sent packing last night, which wasn't a huge surprise. What was a surprise to me, however, was to see Ace and Lisa in the bottom three.

Kevin ("Chicken Little") seems like a nice kid, but he is clearly in over his head. I have to believe that people are just spoofing the voting process somehow to keep him in the competition. He reminds me of another red-headed teenage boy that made it pretty far on American Idol a few seasons back -- John something? I remember a particularly disastrous rendition of Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" from that kid.
 
Lyle said:
So Melissa was sent packing last night, which wasn't a huge surprise. What was a surprise to me, however, was to see Ace and Lisa in the bottom three.
I thought Ace and Kevin had the worst performances of the night. I was surprised to see Ace in the bottom three because of the hunk factor, though. Lisa was indeed a shocker, but every time I see her, I can't help thinking of the Lion King, which isn't doing much for me thinking of her as a pop star.

Kevin ("Chicken Little") seems like a nice kid, but he is clearly in over his head. I have to believe that people are just spoofing the voting process somehow to keep him in the competition. He reminds me of another red-headed teenage boy that made it pretty far on American Idol a few seasons back -- John something? I remember a particularly disastrous rendition of Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" from that kid.
You hit that nail on the head. As Simon says, he's getting the granny vote. And the little girls.
 
wordmunger said:
You hit that nail on the head. As Simon says, he's getting the granny vote. And the little girls.

if grannies and little girls are actually voting that much for chicken little, he could win this competition

i think some major demographic groups voted carrie over bo in last season's final and i think bo was clearly the better singer and performer

the william hung experience has shown that even a non talented person can capture a nation and if chicken little catches on in the same way, he could win

he is outclassed by most of the singers but he still can sing some things good for short moments during a song, but it's unlikely he will put together a whole song and be great from start to finish
 
wordmunger said:
As Simon says, he's getting the granny vote. And the little girls.
Kevin is also receiving some of the traditional AI sympathy bounce given to those who absorb the harshest comments from Simon, plus others may have also called in to vote for him because he stood there and delivered his own version of a snide comeback. Given the mixed feelings that Simon generates, a contestant who zings him back might be viewed favorably much like the kid who finally dishes it back to the resident schoolyard bully. I do not see Kevin remaining too long, but he may squeeze another 2-3 weeks out of it.

Lyle said:
Kevin ... reminds me of another red-headed teenage boy that made it pretty far on American Idol a few seasons back -- John something? I remember a particularly disastrous rendition of Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" from that kid.
That was the young crooner named John "Red" Stevens and he did mangle that song from Elton. As I recall, he was also consistently one of Cowell's regular targets.
 
Deepdale said:
Kevin is also receiving some of the traditional AI sympathy bounce given to those who absorb the harshest comments from Simon.

well, now chicken little is gone as only the second person voted off of the top 12

but i do miss melissa, the first one to get voted off, and i think she was better than kevin or bucky...but i think bucky and lisa are the next two to go leaving the field with only four men and four women

after that, i think all the women will go quickly except for mandisa or mandiva as she is now being called by american idol fans

ace the girl magnet is getting better and he may give old man hicks, soulful elliot, and grunge rocker daughtry a run for their money
 
jefhatfield said:
... but i think bucky and lisa are the next two to go leaving the field with only four men and four women ... after that, i think all the women will go quickly except for mandisa...

I believe the next five to go will be Lisa, Bucky, Elliot, "Nerve Cell" Taylor and Paris. With Mandisa, Kellie, Chris, Katharine and Ace remaining, I have a feeling that this season's winner may be Chris. He seems to have the look and persona that may go the distance.

I was not overly impressed by his rendition of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line," but felt Mandisa, Kellie and Katharine delivered very strong performances. Ace is a bit more inconsistent and needs to carefully watch the song selections.

My early guess for a finals battle would be Chris versus Katharine, but Mandisa casts a very large shadow over everything (no, that is not cheap shot at her size). And North Carolina's Kellie Pickler can charm the daylights out of anybody watching her on TV, and that endearing quality will benefit her in the quest for votes.
 
topgunn said:
What has American Idol come to when I am rooting for the bald guy and the grey haired guy?

they are perhaps the most entertaining singers...combining talent and showmanship

i think mandisa is almost as good as them and could be the wildcard

elliot has the talent and a little more umph in his showmanship can give him the title this year
 
My take on Season Five. I'm just going to go through the contestants:

Ace Young - Eliminate Him! Quick! Bad voice, annoying personality, no passion.

Bucky Covington - Eliminate him too! But Ace first :). Bucky is just too mediocre to last much longer.

Chris Daughtry
- Chris is a bit of a sore subject between me and LeeKohler :D. Every episode he annoys me more and more. The judges say he takes risks when he takes none at all. He sings a ballad-ish rock song every. single. week. He might as well sing the same song from week to week. I think he's as musically dynamic as Brittney Spears. I must admit, he is hot as hell though :p :eek:.

Lisa Tucker - I like Lisa, but I don't think she'll make it much further. I think she has a ton of potential, but her vocals are a little out of control at times. She reminds me of Diana Degarmo. A powerful voice that needs training.

Elliott Yamin - Was my personal favorite. He totally blew me away on the episode where he sang "Moody's Mood for Love". His vocals were impeccable! One of the best live vocal performances I've ever seen. And that's a very difficult song to sing. He totally killed it! Simply amazing. However, he hasn't been able to perform at that level again though. His voice is still leagues better than the other men, IMO. Also, he has a really nice personality. He's tied for my favorite now with Mandisa.

Katherine McPhee
- She's improved a lot but she doesn't stand out much. She won't make it too much further.

Kellie Pickler - She's cute, but she can't hold a candle to many of the other contestants when it comes to singing. I hope she doesn't make it too much further unless she steps up her vocals, which I don't think she's capable of.

Mandissa - The reason I like Mandissa is because she's consistently very good. She never blows me away like Elliott did, but she always impresses me. Her voice is very dynamic and powerful, she could sing a number of styles and artists with ease.

Paris Bennett
- She has a naturally amazing voice. Really strong, but not weak in the lower and softer notes like Lisa Tucker. She's also very cute, but not in an annoying way like Fantasia was. Paris is definitely one of my favorites.

Taylor Hicks - I don't know what to think of Taylor Hicks. His voice has incredible tone, and he has a very natural, organic singing style. He has been pretty inconsistent though. The passion in his vocals seems contrived to me, at times.


I'd like to see Ace eliminated this week, Bucky next, and then Kellie Pickler the week after that.

e
 
scem0 said:
My take on Season Five. I'm just going to go through the contestants:

Ace Young - Eliminate Him! Quick! Bad voice, annoying personality, no passion.

Bucky Covington - Eliminate him too! But Ace first :). Bucky is just too mediocre to last much longer.

Chris Daughtry
- Chris is a bit of a sore subject between me and LeeKohler :D. Every episode he annoys me more and more. The judges say he takes risks when he takes none at all. He sings a ballad-ish rock song every. single. week. He might as well sing the same song from week to week. I think he's as musically dynamic as Brittney Spears. I must admit, he is hot as hell though :p :eek:.

Lisa Tucker - I like Lisa, but I don't think she'll make it much further. I think she has a ton of potential, but her vocals are a little out of control at times. She reminds me of Diana Degarmo. A powerful voice that needs training.

Elliott Yamin - Was my personal favorite. He totally blew me away on the episode where he sang "Moody's Mood for Love". His vocals were impeccable! One of the best live vocal performances I've ever seen. And that's a very difficult song to sing. He totally killed it! Simply amazing. However, he hasn't been able to perform at that level again though. His voice is still leagues better than the other men, IMO. Also, he has a really nice personality. He's tied for my favorite now with Mandisa.

Katherine McPhee
- She's improved a lot but she doesn't stand out much. She won't make it too much further.

Kellie Pickler - She's cute, but she can't hold a candle to many of the other contestants when it comes to singing. I hope she doesn't make it too much further unless she steps up her vocals, which I don't think she's capable of.

Mandissa - The reason I like Mandissa is because she's consistently very good. She never blows me away like Elliott did, but she always impresses me. Her voice is very dynamic and powerful, she could sing a number of styles and artists with ease.

Paris Bennett
- She has a naturally amazing voice. Really strong, but not weak in the lower and softer notes like Lisa Tucker. She's also very cute, but not in an annoying way like Fantasia was. Paris is definitely one of my favorites.

Taylor Hicks - I don't know what to think of Taylor Hicks. His voice has incredible tone, and he has a very natural, organic singing style. He has been pretty inconsistent though. The passion in his vocals seems contrived to me, at times.


I'd like to see Ace eliminated this week, Bucky next, and then Kellie Pickler the week after that.

e

Ace Young absolutely must go.
 
Yes, for sure. Am I the only one who thinks his falsetto is sharp? It's on pitch for the most part, but hardly pleasant. A softer, airier falsetto is much more pleasant. Last week when he hit that final note, I cringed majorly.

And to address the looks thing - I couldn't find Ace less attractive. He's so corny looking. Ew ew ew.

And I thought Kevin Covais was going to get all the teenage girl votes!

e
 
I don't know if this was mentioned yet but didn't Chris steal that rendition of Walk The Line? It was originally done by Live in 2001 I think. He'll probably won't last much longer because of it.
 
scem0 said:
Taylor Hicks - His voice has incredible tone, and he has a very natural, organic singing style. He has been pretty inconsistent though. The passion in his vocals seems contrived to me, at times.

Taylor's exaggerated and twisted gyrations will bring his run to an end with the public before anything having to do with his vocals.
 
Deepdale said:
Taylor's exaggerated and twisted gyrations will bring his run to an end with the public before anything having to do with his vocals.

here is why taylor will get past his strange movements and still capture america:

1) baby boomers and the wwII generation will relate to his hair
2) young girls will not have kevin to vote for and ace will probably go very soon
3) people who wear suits badly/sloppily can relate to taylor
4) there are many owners of african gray parrots who will somehow be drawn to the singer
 
jefhatfield said:
here is why taylor will get past his strange movements and still capture america:
... 4) there are many owners of african gray parrots who will somehow be drawn to the singer

Finally, a reason that makes perfect sense. :)
 
First, good seeing you again! Missed you all, but so few hours to spend on other sites.

scem0 said:
My take on Season Five. I'm just going to go through the contestants:

Ace Young - Eliminate Him! Quick! Bad voice, annoying personality, no passion.

He is "The American Idol" IMO; not the the best singer, but the best "Idol". Two weeks ago one would only have to look at how he played to both the woman and the men in the audience.

Elliott Yamin - Was my personal favorite. He totally blew me away on the episode where he sang "Moody's Mood for Love". His vocals were impeccable! One of the best live vocal performances I've ever seen. And that's a very difficult song to sing. He totally killed it! Simply amazing. However, he hasn't been able to perform at that level again though. His voice is still leagues better than the other men, IMO. Also, he has a really nice personality. He's tied for my favorite now with Mandisa.


It appears that you are at odds with the pundits on this one. His saving grace seems to be looks.

Kellie Pickler - She's cute, but she can't hold a candle to many of the other contestants when it comes to singing. I hope she doesn't make it too much further unless she steps up her vocals, which I don't think she's capable of.

She is my odds on favorite. Though there is a side of me that hopes that she does not make it - for I would be upset that fame destroyed that wholesome girl.

Mandissa - The reason I like Mandissa is because she's consistently very good. She never blows me away like Elliott did, but she always impresses me. Her voice is very dynamic and powerful, she could sing a number of styles and artists with ease.


I think she should be the next Idol. Good voice, and a good grounding.
Paris Bennett
- She has a naturally amazing voice. Really strong, but not weak in the lower and softer notes like Lisa Tucker. She's also very cute, but not in an annoying way like Fantasia was. Paris is definitely one of my favorites.

Taylor Hicks - I don't know what to think of Taylor Hicks. His voice has incredible tone, and he has a very natural, organic singing style. He has been pretty inconsistent though. The passion in his vocals seems contrived to me, at times.

Taylor is the only one that I would go to Best Buy this week for an album of his.

To be honest everyone of them has what it takes to sell albums on singles on iTunes; if they are given the chance.
 
leekohler said:
Ace Young absolutely must go.

Good to se you back; but I disagree. He can melt my butter any time!!! :)

Keep in mind an Idol does not mean they are the best out there. But they can play to to the market that can make money.
 
Chip NoVaMac said:
Keep in mind an Idol does not mean they are the best out there. But they can play to to the market that can make money.
That's the important thing to keep in mind. Despite Simon's protests that American Idol is a "singing competition", it is a popularity contest, plain and simple. The person who gets the most votes wins.
 
Chip NoVaMac said:
Good to se you back; but I disagree. He can melt my butter any time!!! :)

Keep in mind an Idol does not mean they are the best out there. But they can play to to the market that can make money.

Don't say that Chip! He and Bucky are so far below the other contestants when it comes to vocal talent. He is sharp all over! Trust me, I love falsetto, but this is not falsetto, this is a cat being strangled:

The week he sang "If you're not the One" by Daniel Beddingfield it showed how he can ruin a perfectly good song. It was seriously wretched.

Check out these vocal samples (for some reason it's downloading with a .txt extension after the m4a extension. Delete the .txt from the end of the file name and accept that you want to change it to an m4a file to listen to it):

Ace Young

Option Click - Ace sounding like a Cat being Strangled
Option Click - Ace being very sharp
Option Click - Ace's very dull, tired chest voice

Now Check out how a male should sing falsetto. It's a million times more pleasant when Brian McKnight sings falsetto:
Option Click - It's soft and relaxed, not sharp and tense. Falsetto at the beginning and end of the clip.

You even see Ace's shoulders go up and the strain on his face when he sings falsetto, that is so bad! He's going to hurt his voice singing like that. You can hear the strain in the notes, it's bad to strain your chords so much. How the boy who sounds soooooo karaoke has stayed in the competition so long is beyond me.

e
 
scem0 said:
Don't say that Chip! He and Bucky are so far below the other contestants when it comes to vocal talent. He is sharp all over! Trust me, I love falsetto, but this is not falsetto, this is a cat being strangled:

The week he sang "If you're not the One" by Daniel Beddingfield it showed how he can ruin a perfectly good song. It was seriously wretched.

Check out these vocal samples (for some reason it's downloading with a .txt extension after the m4a extension. Delete the .txt from the end of the file name and accept that you want to change it to an m4a file to listen to it):

Ace Young

Option Click - Ace sounding like a Cat being Strangled
Option Click - Ace being very sharp
Option Click - Ace's very dull, tired chest voice

Now Check out how a male should sing falsetto. It's a million times more pleasant when Brian McKnight sings falsetto:
Option Click - It's soft and relaxed, not sharp and tense. Falsetto at the beginning and end of the clip.

You even see Ace's shoulders go up and the strain on his face when he sings falsetto, that is so bad! He's going to hurt his voice singing like that. You can hear the strain in the notes, it's bad to strain your chords so much. How the boy who sounds soooooo karaoke has stayed in the competition so long is beyond me.

e

cats probably actually sound very bad being strangled, but ace isn't that bad...he just does not project and sometimes looks lost onstage and sometimes does not move well

as for falsetto, i love earth wind and fire and ace certainly is not on that level, but at least he tries to do falsetto, even if it's sharp (but i wouldn't say very sharp)

ace was in the bottom three before (this early) so he's fighting for his life on this show from now on

as for people thinking he is idol material...if that means the rest of america buying his albums, then yes, he could do very well and he looks like the perfect packaged image...i don't think britney spears, for instance, is that much better of a singer than ace...of course beyonce, alicia keys, or christina aguilera can sing circles around ace

if ace won the whole thing, i would be disappointed, but i know anything he does would be bought by fans which would overwhelmingly contain teenage girls
 
Lyle said:
That's the important thing to keep in mind. Despite Simon's protests that American Idol is a "singing competition", it is a popularity contest, plain and simple. The person who gets the most votes wins.

For some of us it is not a popularity contest, I try to look at the best singers each week.

In the past two weeks,believe it or not, I had the bottom three picks. So America is voting this time around by the talent. at least IMHO.
 
scem0 said:
Don't say that Chip! He and Bucky are so far below the other contestants when it comes to vocal talent. He is sharp all over! Trust me, I love falsetto, but this is not falsetto, this is a cat being

I'll have to watch this week and see the total body movements. I will say that two weeks ago Ace played to the female and male audience perfectly. And playing to the audience is what sells the records in the end.

A proper voice can sell the music, like with Barry Manilow. But even his voice would not have sold the records he has, if it weren't for his connection to his fans. I saw him last year at the MCI Center. And he made 20+K people feel that he was singing just to them.
 
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