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American Idol - Season 13 - UK Pace (NO SPOILERS)
clarky323
Posts: 10,890 Forum Member
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this thread is for those of us who are watching American Idol at UK pace and not looking at spoilers etc... not sure if there are many in the end who are watching at UK pace but I'd like to see at least some discussion of the show when the lives start otherwise it'd be a bit boring as I'm the only one in my house watching it!
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hollywood starts this weekend, previews at the end of the last show look good!
I wrote a lot...I mean A LOT
I like all the judges although I find myself disagreeing with Harry quite a lot! He can be very funny, though.
Looking forward to Hollywood week.
I'm the other way, I find myself agreeing with him a lot.
I do agree with Harry on the main points he's making and the things he keeps banging on about though. They seem to be things that no one's ever mentioned in previous seasons, but things that I've shouted at my tv for years (i.e gratuitous runs, no thought into the lyrics etc). Literally the only time in any singing competition that I've heard a lot of the audition critiques, was when he was a mentor in previous seasons!
Anyone have any favourites from the auditions?
i love harry. a lot. in fact this panel is probably the best ever on a talent show. or on a par with jennifer, steven and randy.
a few stand outs for me but I never have a real favourite until later on in the season, you could predict someone to win in the auditions and never see them again!
I like Jennifer, Steven and Randy, but I don't think they made the best judging panel, although they were miles better than last years (poor Keith...poor, poor Keith). Steven is an amazing performer and artist, but I just think it goes to show that you have to be more than that to be a good judge. He was funny and sweet, but offered very little in actual critique so the contestants could improve, or know why the judges liked it or didn't. I still really love Randy, but more in a nostalgic way than anything. Unfortunately I felt his critiques in recent years had just become clichéd. He was like one of those toys with the string in the back, and when you pull it the toy speaks one of three phrases. I think Jennifer is one of the better judges. I don't think she is especially knowledgeable or articulate, but she tries to be, and puts a little bit of thought and care into her comments. She doesn't seem to take herself too seriously either. That's why her, Keith Urban (a new man now he's freed from last year's train wreck) and someone as articulate, smart and honest Harry make such a great panel.
Yeah, I'm the same. I very occasionally have someone I like in auditions that actually make it through to the lives, but that's only been maybe once or twice in the past 12 seasons. I generally wait till I can hear them perform a song, live, all the way through, that's when I get a better idea. There's been many cases where I've quite liked the sound of someone in auditions and then they're never heard from again! They seemingly disappear off the planet :P
Yes, I don't disagree on that stuff, although his comment on Penatonics (actually Pentatonics) seemed a bit odd.
He seemed to often be the dissenter when people were put through with only two votes when, often, I thought the ones he objected to were better than the ones that he had put through without hesitation! Still, we often only see snippets of an audition which they will have seen much more of, so it's hard to judge, really.
Yeah, I agree. During the auditions a lot of the decisions make no sense to me, even with the huge level of subjectivity that is involved in liking a singer. That's a really good point about the 'snippets' though. Essentially you could be seeing 30 great seconds of an otherwise terrible audition, and visa versa.
What did you think was odd about his comment on pentatonics, just out of curiosity? I thought it was relevant to the conversation they were having at the time, and his criticism of that particular contestant, especially as Jennifer was confused at his critique. I thought it gave him a rudimental way to explain his misgivings.
Ah, I see what you mean.
I think the trouble with Harry is that he's sort of dug a hole for himself in that people think he doesn't like a certain style of music or when singers do runs. Maybe in that sense he hasn't articulated himself properly, or maybe in the editing it has been perceived to be that, as generally he's very clear with his explanations. For my money though, it's not that he doesn't like runs, it's that he doesn't like anything gratuitous in a song. If he can't work out why something is there or why it's done a certain way, then he questions it. I probably have 0.0000000000001% of the musical knowledge he has, so maybe it is for a different reason.
It just seems to me that he firmly believes in building the foundations of a song and making sure they are stable and the artist understands them, before they are embellished. The suggestion was there that the singer in this case, and other cases, went straight for the common pentatonic scales because aesthetically it's pleasing to the ear, but there was no substance to it or purpose, it's just window dressing. He's not against the improvisation, runs or riffing that pentatonics can bring (he is a jazz musician after all), I just get the sense that he feels singers should be able to sing the song with only the original melody first, and take that as a starting point for improvising. I don't think he was criticising the use of pentatonics because of it's limited scale versus a seven note scale. It's just when it's used, as he said 'as smoke and mirrors', it can be to disguise from the fact that the rest of the performance didn't have any quality within the delivery of the melody and the lyrical presentation. It can be missing these vital things, yet people will still stand there and 'ooh' and 'aah' over a lick.
Although, maybe we would have got a more articulate answer from him if Jennifer hadn't have had a brain explosion and halted him mid explanation!!!
I suppose I wasn't really sure what he was getting at. I get that there are certain styles of music which tend to stick within this more limited scale but, given that he doesn't like overly ambitious runs, what was he actually criticising the singer for? The style of music? The limitation in the runs to the more common notes of the scale? Something else?
I didn't really understand the critique even after the explanation of what Pentatonics were!
You're right. I agree that Jen, Randy and Steve weren't the best at critiquing but they were so pleasurable to me. They gelled really well and I loved Steven's faces when he was enjoying a song. Their passion for music really showed, to me. Randy was definitely bored last year. Who could blame him? I feel sad that he ended his run on the show with the worst panel ever.
I love that on idol it's near impossible to have a fave after auditions. 99.9% of the people they put through can sing, that's why. And they show so many auditions in an episode unlike x factor which only really shows one good one before each break and one just before the show ends...
The Idol producer they poached from Swedish Idol has worked wonders, as he did with his native version.
Jen, Randy and Steven did gel well. It was sweet and harmonious judging panel; all that was missing was the 'judging' part
What I love about Idol is how focused on the performer it is. The auditions are still done in the same way (once they go through all the initial off camera stuff obviously) ; just stand in a room and sing. No big audience, and this year very little sob stories. I've always liked the Live Rounds of Idol too. Again, even with a panels who are a little ego centric, the focus has been hugely on the performer an their decisions and choices. The judges are there to critique, not battle each other over who has done the better job. I love the fact Idol has a live band and, apart from the odd choir turning up here and there, the staging is completely about the contestant. No big showy production numbers that are more style over substance. If a contestant wants to stand out, then it's up to them to use their skills to do it.
Idol is by no means perfect, and it is a 'show', so of course there is production manipulation there. I just feel that the uncluttered structure of it means there is more transparency and focus on the act than other simular shows.
Yeah, there was definitely something 'classier' about the whole audition process, which the Swedish producers implemented. Idol's in it's 13th season now, which is quite a long way into it's life, I don't know how long it has left, but I appreciate the shake up and trying to leave a legacy that's more filled with substance than bickering judges and crazy contestants.
i agree. i like the realness of it. the backing tracks on xfactor can ruin a song and a performer. do you remember joshua ledet's performance of you raise me up and this is a man's world? imagine those, done the xfactor way. ew. harry's critique this year has made me realise how void last year's comments from nicki and mariah were. "you have lovely shoes darling." pointless.
as for tonight's episode - stephanie's mum was so overbearing. i'd be embarrassed. and i really dislike the way emmanuel zidor (?) sings, acts, everything about him is just.. and did you see the way how when he was getting angry last night, he kept crossing his eyes? what was that? i'm afraid to go on youtube to find a clip of what i mean in case i see spoilers. ^_^
Yes, I felt really sorry for her daughter there
and Jessica for that matter!
I know in 'real life' some singers, especially pop singers, have to sing with a backing track when doing promo shows ext, but there really isn't a substitute for live music. For me it actually helps to show the contestant's musicality and individuality. On something like The X Factor they just get a stock backing track, or something the judges created for them and work with that. But it's actually hard for the contestants on Idol to choose a song and have to arrange it with the band. I think the ones that aren't as experienced or don't know the sound they want as an artist have to pretty much give way to the arrangement that the band thinks best, and suffer the consequences. They've also got to perform with them. It may sound harsh, but it really does sort the wheat from the chaf. I know people say it's manipulation on the show' s part to shove arrangements on the kids which they aren't happy with, but I've never seen it happen with the more 'musical' contestants or the ones who have their own clear identity. It's difficult to speak up, especially to professionals, but that's something they have to start doing early if they want any control over their career.
Yeah, Mariah and Nikki are good at what they respectively do, although I'm not a fan of either. However, they didn't have a proper critique between them last year. Randy' s comments had become so cliched that they actually had preprepared hashtags on the screen ready for when he said them. I do love Randy though. It's said from a place of love, because it just felt like he wasn't sure how to judge the show anymore. Poor little Keith occasionally got a chance to mutter out a relevant and helpful comment, but he just looked so damn scared, like he didn't dare speak up much. Harry in comparison can at first seem very blunt, but ultimately he's just getting to the point fast rather than making a half hearted point that's encased in pointless imagery and platitudes. He's challenging and educating which is refreshing. If he doesn't understand why a contestant is making a choice on how they sing the melody or lyrics of a song, then he will call them out on it. He's genuinely very fixated on the contestants really thinking about musical & lyrical choices, and believes that these solid foundations are needed for a convincing performance. I'm 100% with him on that.
Stephanie' s mum was a nightmare!! Sad thing is that Stephanie seemed an ok girl. I feel really sorry for her. I hope she moves far, far away when she's 18. I personally feel that Emmanuel is too full on. He's actually got a good voice and a nice personality, but he needs to learn how to take control of both within a performance to make it feel more organic and have some light and shade.
Yup.. Mind you I have just watched it
This thread is like a matryoshka doll! You have to go through about five other threads to find it!
Whole heartedly agree about this year. The good thing about American Idol was always that the judges had limited control, screen time and influence compared to other shows which make judges more important than the contestants. However, with the panel this year, I'm happy if they choose to spend time on them.
I would of sent some home who got to live shows as to me few sounded like they were in great pain
No, every year there are a few who get through and I have no earthly knowledge why! I always try not to judge too much until I've heard them sing a whole song on a Live show though. Seeing just clips of people's singing here and there can be misleading, because you could be seeing the very best or worst of them.
Of course usually at the Lives there are still a few that sound like drowning cats, but at least then I'm sure they sounded bad the whole song and we weren't just shown a dodgy 10 seconds of an otherwise good performance.
although I won't, I'm away till Tuesday so will have 5 hours worth to catch up on before Saturday :eek: