From the Archives: Season 5 Elvis Week

I missed the show that Paris Bennett got voted off as I was at a dinner meeting listening to some boring professor brag about how he knew more about how the World Trade Center towers fell than anyone else. I would have been better off watching Idol.

I read a news story today that says that the debut album from Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks was the worst ever for an American Idol winner. Just another example of why Melinda Doolittle should have won instead. But I'm getting ahead of myself here, I'm still in Season 5. Speaking of travesties...

This report was the one that I feel I really started to hit my stride with these things. It was the week that I made my bold prediction that Chris Daughtry would be voted off, and sure enough he was. I was quite proud of myself for that call even though I felt that he was robbed (the aforementioned travesty). Of course my Mom was very upset with this development (not with me, but with Daughtry getting voted off), so much so that she stopped watching the show (a boycott she continued for all of Season 6) and instead just read my reports.

This was also the first time I mentioned the mentor who appeared on the show, a trend that I would continue into Season 6 along with mentioning Chris Daughtry at least once in every report.

From May 9, 2006:

Can you believe that American Idol airs in 53 other countries? Why don't these other countries have their own version of this show, since after all, American Idol is just the American version of a British show, isn't it?I was wondering if they were going to do an Elvis week. Wouldn't it be something if he showed up tomorrow night and performed like the other guest artists have done? I would bet at least one member of the studio audience tomorrow actually expects it to happen. I thought it was interesting that Priscilla Presley said that if The King were alive today that American Idol would be one of his favorite shows. Normally I dismiss such statements as hooey (you could say the same thing about, say, George Washington, Bing Crosby, or pretty much any deceased American, or for that matter any deceased citizen of the 53 other countries that air the show), but in the case of Elvis I could actually picture him being a fan of the show.Enough of the ranting and on with the judging.

Taylor Hicks: His first song, "Jailhouse Rock", was indicative of everything that is bad about him. He's out there dancing and having a good time and there's something to be said for that, but his singing was karaoke at best. His second song, "In the Ghetto", was indicative of everything that is good about him. Soulful, passionate, and that whiskey tenor bringing it home strong. I think on the strength of his second performance alone he's a shoo-in to advance to next week.

Chris Daughtry: "Suspicious Eyes" was a strong performance but was a little bit short of magical. He's certainly done better, though he did worse with "A Little Less Conversation". I agree with Simon, it was very flat for most of it until he picked it up at the end and showed off the rock and roll passion that he's known for. He was true to the song but I think that actually hurt him more than helped him, especially since in previous rounds he has altered a song to better suit his style.

Elliott Yamin: Needed two breakthrough performances to stay alive in the competition and boy did he ever deliver. "If I Can Dream" is a tough song for anybody because you really have to sell it like Elvis did. Elliott's performance was a little flat at first but he really hit it hard at the bridge when that song demands it. An impressive performance overall when you consider that he only learned the lyrics last week. His performance on "Trouble" was the best of the night by a mile. Strong and passionate, he has shown the most improvement over the course of the competition and he put it all together in that song.

Katherine McPhee: She strayed from her comfort zone by singing "Hound Dog" instead of her usual ballads. I admire her courage to do that this late in the competition but she really didn't sing it very well, including forgetting a line. One would have hoped she would do better with "Can't Help Falling In Love", a ballad that plays better to her strengths, but while she did do better it wasn't nearly up to par with her previous performances.

Fearless Prediction: The morning line had Elliott as the favorite to be the next one voted off, but it would be a crime if that happened given how well he performed tonight. Given that, it's hard to say who will be voted off. Any one of the four is a possibility, and I would have to go out on a limb to pick one. But then again, this is supposed to be a "fearless" prediction, so...I think Chris Daughtry's run will end tomorrow night. Yes, he has been the front runner for most of the competition but I got the impression last night that he's running out of steam while Taylor and Elliott are still on the rise. Katherine McPhee's performance was the worst of the four tonight but I think that the fact that she has by far the best singing voice in the competition, is the only girl left, was by her own admission forced out of her comfort zone by the theme, and fits much better into the classic Idol stereotype than Chris will all buy her one more week to find a ballad that she can blow everyone away with again.

From the Archives: Season 5 Love Songs Week

I kept the comments short this week since I was alternating between writing this and watching a San Jose Sharks playoff game. The Sharks won, BTW, though I think it was the last game they won that year. Sadly the same was said for Kellie Pickler this night.

From April 25, 2006:

Katherine: Having never heard the song before I thought she did a good job with it, though I agree with the judges that she could have selected a better song to show off her talent. In retrospect, she shouldn't have chosen a Whitney Houston song.

Elliott: A very strong vocal performance. It was strong, emotional, and technically sound. At times it sounded like he was channeling Donnie Hathaway. His voice was born for this music.

Kellie: Not a very good song choice, "Unchained Melody" is way too big a song for her and it was obvious, painfully at times. There were some major pitch problems. The only good thing about her performance this week was that it was better than last week, and she wasn't in the bottom three then...

Paris: The singing was kind of flat, but there was some strong moments, particularly towards the end. It was kind of disturbing, though, that was smiling while singing "The Way We Were." It's supposed to be a sad song, isn't it?

Taylor: Almost the same as last week, flat and karaoke at the start, much stronger towards the end, though not as strong as last week. Once again he hindered himself by his song choice. He too could have picked a better song to showcase his talent.

Chris: An excellent song choice and a very strong performance. I would buy an album with that song on it. I was wondering how he would respond to being in the bottom 2 last week. If he's there again this week there should be an investigation.

Predictions: Based on this week's performances the three girls would be in the bottom three, as the guys clearly outperformed them. If there is any justice in the world then Kellie Pickler will be voted off, even though she's really cute. Since she somehow managed survive last week (probably because lots of other people think she's cute too) my guess is that'll survive at least one more week and Paris Bennett will be voted off. If Chris Daughtry gets voted off then this will be my last American Idol report.

From the Archives: Season 5 Standards Week

I believe this was the first sign that Chris Daughtry may not win the competition and that Taylor Hicks could. Hicks was announced as the top vote getter that week, while both Daughtry and Catherine McPhee were in the bottom two. I think it was this week, anyway. I know there was one round when they were both at the bottom before Daughtry finally got the boot. In the end, though, it was in fact Ace Young who was voted off, much to the dismay of teenage girls worldwide.

From April 18, 2006:

Chris: My goodness what a surprise. Who would have thought Mr. Rock and Roll can sing a soft ballad, and sing it so well? Very professional, very solid, and clearly established him as the man to beat in this competition. Consider that hole filled, and I don't know if he has any more holes left.

Paris: Ballads have never been her strongest suit, but tonight she did a good job with one. It was probably her best pure singing performance. It was still a little shaky in spots but it was very strong in others, and once again she showed pose beyond her years.

Taylor: An excellent song choice. It was a little flat at first but man did he pick it up at the end. Like many of his past performances, I felt like he was this close to blowing everyone away, but unlike past weeks when he came just a little bit short of greatness tonight he made it over. I felt like we finally saw him at his best. A few more performances like this and he'll be a serious challenger to win it all.

Elliott: Another good song choice, as his voice is tailor made for this music. While I think he's sung better before, it was nevertheless a solid performance. I could feel the emotion in his voice, particularly towards the end. He's grown as much as anybody in this competition.

Kellie: The beginning was OK but it got really shaky there towards the end, and perhaps that's being too polite. With all the great vocal performances that preceded her it made it sound worse than perhaps it was, but it was clearly not a good performance. I was surprised that she didn't pick a Peggy Lee song or something with more passion and more opportunities to show off her performance skills. Not a good song choice.

Ace: It was a surprisingly good performance, one of his best in the competition. The falsetto parts were awesome as always, and the rest wasn't bad. It was an interesting new look for him with the pulled back hair and the suit.

Katherine: Best performance of the night by a mile. Her voice was born for this music and she was clearly the class of the field tonight. I figured that she would do well with standards and she delivered. Rod Stewart himself couldn't have done that song any better.

Predictions: Kellie Pickler's performance was clearly the worst of the night, so I would be surprised if she were not in the bottom 3 this week. As for the other two, it's hard to say because everybody else besides Kellie did very well. My guess is that the other two in the bottom 3 will be Ace and Elliott, two frequent bottom 3 occupants. It wasn't that their performances were so bad as much as everyone else's was so much better. Paris Bennett is a possibility but she did much better than I expected and thus should make it to the next round.

So is this the week Ace Young finally gets voted out? Maybe, but I have the feeling that it won't be. Clearly he needed a good performance to stay in the competition and he made it happen. It wasn't a home run performance but it was probably good enough to stay another week, though I still think he has the least talent of anyone still in the competition. Judging from this week's performance alone Kellie would be the clear choice, but I think her past performances will keep her alive in the competition just a little bit longer. So that leaves Elliott Yamin, and I think he'll be the one that will be sent home tomorrow night, though I would not be surprised if it were either Kellie or Ace.

From the Archives: Season 5 Queen Week

To this day I don't know why nobody chose to sing "Save Me". It's the perfect Idol song from the Queen repertoire. I also remember to this day how amazed I was that Kellie Pickler was able to pull off singing "Bohemian Rhapsody". Enjoy this blog entry from April 11, 2006:

Bucky: I though it was OK. I liked the way you tweaked the arrangement to make it work for you. The singing was decent, not memorable, but decent.

Ace: That was a poor song choice, especially for you. I don't think you sang it very well, if anything it paled compared to the original version.

Kellie: I had serious doubts that you would do well this week since Queen is so far removed from your comfort zone, and then when I found out you were singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" I thought that this had train wreck written all over it. But, I am amazed at how well you pulled that off. The beginning was a bit karaoke but it got much better as you went along. It was very brave of you to choose that song, and you showed us something that we hadn't seen from you before. From a pure talent perspective it wasn't the best performance I've seen, but given the context it was nothing short of amazing.

Chris: Quite the opposite from Kellie, I had very high expectations for you tonight given the theme, and you didn't quite live up to them. I thought it was a bad song choice, though I will say that you performed that song better than Queen does and it definitely got better as you went along, so you deserve kudos for that. Your vocals were as strong as always.

Katherine: You made the right decision to change songs. That was the best vocal of the night. No one else in the competition could have done that song any better. Power ballads are definitely one of your strongest suits. I got goose bumps listening to it.

Elliott: It was kind of uneven, but it was generally OK. Some parts were really good, while others were kind of flat. It was an ambitious choice to sing "Somebody to Love" given the complexity of the vocal and I think you did fine with it.

Taylor: Mister Excitement is back! I was wondering where he was hiding. Like Katherine, you made a wise decision to change songs. "We Are the Champions" was so wrong for you on many levels, but this song ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love") was much better suited to your style. An improvement over last week.

Paris: The vocals were a little bit shaky in spots, but once again you made up for it with your performance skills. It still amazes me to watch you transform on stage from the shy 17 year old to this confident performer we saw again tonight.

Fearless Prediction: I went 2 for 3 last week including correctly picking the one voted off (Mandisa), so the pressure is on now. So..... my prediction this week is that Ace Young will be the one sent off tomorrow night. I think Bucky will be in the bottom 3. The other bottom feeder this week is hard to say. I think it could be either Elliot or Paris. I'll go out on a limb and say Paris, though in my mind Elliot gave the lesser performance of the two. I thought going in it would take a minor miracle for Kellie Pickler not to be on this list this week, and it looks like she might just have pulled it off.

From the Archives, Season 5 Country Week

Here was my first attempt at being an American Idol judge. From Season 5, which was already 3 weeks into the final 12. Many of the features of future posts were not in place yet, as I was just starting out and making it up as I went. Note my prediction at the end of this post though, which was spot on and thus inspired me to keep on predicting. Sadly my later guesses weren't so accurate until they got close to the end of the season.

From Tuesday, April 04, 2006
The Armchair Idol Judge Evaluates Country Week

Each week until the season finale, time permitting, I'm going to offer up my comments as a "fourth" judge of my new third favorite TV show, American Idol. See you if agree or disagree with these comments, though no booing please.

Taylor: I have a question for you, do you want to win this competition or not? You have a unique talent, a unique singing voice, but you didn't really show us that tonight, or last week for that matter. It was an OK performance, but not something to write home about. Once again instead of picking a song that only you can sing, you picked a song that everyone can sing. I think if you want to win this competition you need to start selecting songs that highlight your unique style, not John Denver songs.

Mandisa: I thought it was a good performance. A little subdued for you, but I think in this case that's a good thing since it shows us some versatility.

Elliott: It really looked like you were fighting it tonight. For a minute there I thought you were going to choke that microphone. I know that it was a really tough song for you since it's so far removed from your comfort zone, but you handled it OK. It wasn't a home run, but it wasn't a strike out either. The singing was just OK; I’d give you a C for that, but an A for effort.

Paris: I didn't think that the singing was very good, but you performed it well. You are a very dynamic performer, which you showed again tonight, and I think to some degree it does make up for what I thought was very average singing.

Ace: I must confess, I thought you had no chance this week since country is so far removed from what you usually excel at, but I think you did a very good job this week. It was good to see you work that falsetto in at the end. I think it was an excellent song choice and you made it work. I was pleasantly surprised.

Kellie: I figured that you would do well tonight and you did. A much better performance than what you did last week. You are a dynamite performer when you are in your comfort zone and you were clearly there tonight.

Chris: I was wondering if you were going to try and do a rock version of a country song this week or try something new, and I'm glad to hear that you tried something new. I think you did a very good job with that and showed us all something we hadn't seen before from you. It bodes well for your potential for success in this competition.

Katherine: Once again your vocals were all over the map, not as bad as last week but not as good as what you have done before. Some parts were excellent and some were not so good. I admire you for taking something of a risk with the song choice, but I think you can and have done a better job with the vocals.

Bucky: It was OK, not great, but OK. I was expecting something a little more 'twangy' from you this week given your country roots so I commend you for not falling too deep into your comfort level and instead try something a little bit different.

My predictions for the bottom 3 are: Mandisa, Katherine, and Elliott, though it wouldn't surprise me to see Ace up there again given that he's been in the bottom 3 two out of the last 3 weeks. I think Mandisa will be voted off this time, but it's a tough call this week as no one really stood out on the bad side. Chris is still the man to beat in my opinion, even more so now that he's shown he can sing something else besides hard rock songs.

In the Beginning There Was Darkness...

It all started out innocent enough. I was stuck at home trying to repel an invasion of a determined army of ants marching around my living room, and the only thing on TV that fateful night in January 2005 was the Season 5 premiere of American Idol. This is how I documented the experience in my now-departed social blog that I had at the time:

January 17, 2005:
"I must confess that I've never been a big fan of reality TV shows. Indeed, out of protest I've deliberately avoided watching almost all of them. I think I've seen maybe 3 episodes of The Apprentice and probably half a show of Survivor way back when just to see what the hubbub was all about, but that's it. These shows just seem so stupid to me that I want to do my part to get them off the air, and this is from someone who used to watch pro wrestling shows religiously.

Then there's American Idol. I must admit that I took some interest in the show a couple years ago as a sociological study when there was all that controversy surrounding the fact that the talented African-American girls were getting voted off and a much less talented Filipina from Hawaii was still kept on. The fact that one of the girls voted off was from right here in beautiful Oakland made it almost impossible to ignore, but it was interesting to me to see, hear, and read about who people were voting for and why and how some thought there was a conspiracy to keep the Hawaii girl on and the African American girls off that I had nothing to do with how well these girls sang, but instead because of their racial identity. Thus we had a group of girls not old enough to drink booze representing different racial and ethnic groups in America in what was essentially a remake of Star Search. Fascinating stuff. Then, of course, there was the saga of William Hung, which was water cooler material at work for a number of weeks since he was a UC Berkeley student (like many of my co-workers), was from China (like some of my co-workers), and became famous because he couldn't sing worth a damn (like almost all of my co-workers dream about doing)."

"Despite my curiosity I never did actually sit down and watch the show. That is, until tonight, and I must admit it was an entertaining two hours of television. Despite the ants crawling around my living room I couldn't keep my eyes off of the TV. It amazes me to what lengths some people will go to get on television, and how some of these people actually think they have talent when it's clear to everyone except perhaps deaf people that they don't, and there were a few that even deaf people would say no to in an instant. Is this what I've been missing all these years?"

"I must confess that it is likely that I'll be watching again, at least until baseball season starts."

Little did I realize at the time that I would miss all of one episode of American Idol for the next two years. Thus began the saga that led to the creation of this blog (the fact that my favorite baseball team has stunk for the last 2 years probably helped). I decided that year that I would post comments after the show each week as if I were the 4th American Idol judge. Slowly the format evolved into a cavalcade of good times as I used my podium to bash the contestants, the judges, Ryan Seacrest, the guest mentors (especially the mentors), Chris Daughtry, and finally myself as I tried to predict who would be voted off the next night. I'm still proud yet disappointed that I predicted Daughtry's departure the night before it was announced.

Now that my social blog has passed on to the next realm (as have the ants, at least for now anyway) I've created this new blog to continue the fun and frivolity. To whet the appetite I'll be posting my judging from both Seasons 5 and 6 here until January when lucky Season #7 starts. I hope that those of you who've found this blog enjoy what I'll be writing as much as I'll enjoy typing it, though it'll mean no social contact on Tuesday nights for about 5 months.