Thursday

American Idol 2006-the Top Two

American Idol 2006-Three Songs, Many Surprises, One Goes Home
Pic of the Day
Seals




Quote of the Day
The most damaging phrase in the language is: It's always been done that way.
--Grace Hopper



Quotations

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Always forgive your enemies - Nothing annoys them so much
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If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
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When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
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I used to have an open mind but my brains kept falling out.
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I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.
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For Sale: Parachute. Only used once, never opened, small stain.
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Do you have trouble making up your mind? Well, yes or no?
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If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
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Many people quit looking for work when they find a job.
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When I'm not in my right mind, my left mind gets pretty crowded.
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Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
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You know the speed of light, so what's the speed of dark?
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I poured Spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
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Three Songs for the Three Finalists

It was a good night on 5/16/06 for American Idol 2006's final three. Each competitor sung three songs each. One was chosen by song producer Clive Davis. Another was chosen by an AI judge. Another was chosen by each contestant his or her self.

Before, let us bow our heads and wonder what the hell was going on with the booting of Chris Daughtry?

From the WAPO:
After weeks of patiently watching, obsessing and praying for Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks to reveal some sense of personal aesthetics, there has been nothing but disappointment. McPhee lacks zest and stage presence and the capacity to distinguish style from an assemblage of unedited trends. Yamin and Hicks lack Daughtry's supremely fine bald head and ability to wear a thick, macho wallet chain and not look as though he should be bicycling across K Street making a super-rush delivery.

Daughtry glared. He glowered. He did the rock-star growl during which he looked to be at risk of popping his jugular. He wore cool shades. Oh sure, he was cocky. But he should have been. He was the best. America, have you no soul?

Okay, so the above is only one person's opinion. I can understand that Chris lost to Katharine McPhee. She is very pretty with a more than passable voice. America loves pretty young women. I can also understand, on some level, that Chris lost to Taylor Hicks. Taylor does that herky-jerky thing on stage and America loves rebels. Taylor, with his salt-and-pepper hair, crazy white-boy-dancing gyrations, did garner a devoted following just because he was different.

I will never understand how America chose Elliott Yamin over Chris Daughtry.

Speaking of...right now, with this writing BEFORE the elimination down to the final two, I predict that Elliott will be sent on his way tonight. Which will leave the two finalists for this year's American Idol to be Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee.

If I'm right, and read on down to the end where the elimination will be posted right after it occurs, then I predict Taylor will win the thing.

I've never liked Taylor Hicks much but by me, Katharine is way too generic to be an American Idol winner.

I've been wrong about most everything else in this competition so I'm probably wrong about this.

Let us begin with Elliott Yamin.
Elliott Yamin


Davis chose "Open Arms" for his song choice for Elliott. This is a song I really like. I won't say I hated Elliott's rendition. I will say that it did nothing for me. Judge Simon warned Elliott that he had to "loosen up", whatever that means.

Paula Abdul chose the song "What You Won't Do For Love" for Elliott. She described the song as being right in his range. Simon declared the performance "pretty good".

As his own song choice, Elliott chose "I Believe", a Ray Charles song and I admit I am not familiar with the tune.

Simon declared, in a roundabout way, that Elliott would likely be eliminated, that his song choices won't save him. Kind of odd for a judge to say before any votes were even cast.

Katharine McPhee, however, was thoroughly saved by one of the song choices. Simon chose "Over the Rainbow" for Katharine and give Simon credit, he knows his stuff. For if ever a song fit an American Idol contestant it was this Judy Garland original to Katharine McPhee.

Katharine McPhee


Katharine sang the tune beautifully. Even more surprising, at least to these ageing ears, was how the song showcased Katharine's depth and richness in the lower notes of the musical spectrum. McPhee's voice tends to get pitchy when she reaches for the higher notes but this tune presented a singer with a richness that frankly I didn't know she possessed.

Speaking of pitchy, I thought Davis' choice for McPhee, "I Believe I Can Fly", to be just such a song that brings McPhee to fevered heights of music that her voice just can't handle.

For her own song choice, Katharine sang "I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues", an old-time blues type of song that Katharine said she chose just so she wouldn't be compared to a modern day singer.

Yet the first thing the judges said was how that song choice was chancy in that McPhee risked being compared to the great Ella Fitzgerald. I thought her performance was great on this song. All in all, I consider that Katharine gave the best performances of the evening and her personal best performances during the entire competition.

Taylor Hicks was assigned the song “Dancing in the Dark”, a mighty Bruce song. At one point during the song Taylor danced with Paula. Sucking up to the judges can’t hurt. Simon dryly said the performance “paled compared to the original”.

Taylor Hicks


Heh.

Randy chose the song “You Are So Beautiful” for Taylor. I thought was a good choice for Taylor; kept him from dancing around too much.

Simon said Taylor’s rendition of the song was his “best performance” while Randy declared Taylor “did the song proud”.

Taylor chose the song “Try a Little Tenderness”. Paula declared the performance an “incredible job”.

By the Way, Curmudgeon husband's choice of winner: Katharine McPhee.

The Eliminations-5/17/06

Eliminated on the evening of 5/17/06-Elliott Yamin.

Each contestant was in the 33% range.




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