With six singers left, we've pretty much left all of the dead weight behind. Sure there are some people who probably shouldn't still be around (Aaron) while other singers left prematurely (Katie). Still, this crop isn't as bad as Idol's detractors would have you believe.
There's a nice article over at MSNBC which summarises what the rest of us know: Being the frontrunner at this point isn't always a good thing. Crystal is the prohibitive favourite at this point; if your options are her or the field, take her. That said, at this point in the show there have been others who we all thought were going to run away with this thing, only to see them ousted and another singer installed as the winner (Adam Lambert being the latest of these).
Look, right now each singer has a core of powervoters who will back their singer because Seacrest implores them to vote for their "favourite" (not the best). Each week, it's up to the remaining singers to grab as many of the most-recently voted off singer's powervoters. Whoever does this will win. If the fave can't, they'll go home (see Daughtry, Chris and Doolittle, Melinda).
I think if this were a pure talent competition, Crystal would be so far ahead of anyone else, they would call the show off and simply declare her the winner. Since it's not, I think it's very likely that she may have maxed out her voters (at least until Siobhán is eliminated). I just don't see any of the other singers's voters going to her.
Of course, that's great for her since she can then take control (financially and creatively) of her musical future.
While Seacrest yaps, let me geek out the blog for a minute. As you may or may not know, I've gotten in to Lord of the Rings Online, an MMORPG where you run around Middle Earth and try to thwart the plans of the Dark Lord Sauron. My main character is Kindelle, an elf hunter who is right now at level 63 (the level cap is 65). I just started out two other characters, a human captain and an elf minstrel. I figured that I should try a couple of different classes just to see what I like.
I'm also trying to figure out the right combination of legendary weapons; right now, I've got a reforged mace of the second age and a reforged bow of the second age with some legacies I'm not crazy about, but the bow is level 37 and the mace is level 34, so I hate to give them up before I start getting some level 65 weapon drops.
If there are any more LOTRO fans out there (besides our friend James), drop me a line if you're on Elendilmir. I just got to Mirkwood, so I need a tour guide.
This week's mentor is über-MILF Shania Twain, who is back for more Idol after making an appearance during the auditions. Three of the judges want to get into her pants. I guess in lieu of country we get a country/pop cross-over. The singers would be wise to listen to her advice (assuming she's on the show for more than the paycheck . . . cough . . . Gwen Stefani . . . cough . . .).
First up is Lee who is singing a song I'm not crazy about (probably because it was played on the radio seven times an hour back when it was just released). He does his usual Lee-with-a-guitar thing. Why don't the judges bash him for doing the same thing each week, like they do to Casey. I still don't completely buy Lee as a performer and this week he did nothing to improve my opinion of him. Boring. The judges slurp him ("One of the greatest songs of all time"? Really, Randy? WTF are you smoking?). This is his second appearance in the Dead Man's Spot but I don't think it will land him in the bottom 3.
Over on ABC, Melissa Etheridge also wants to get into Shania's pants. Maks is almost shirtless, which makes both Mrs. High Lord and our friend Jennifer jealous. If I were a woman, I'd go gay for Melissa. Plus, she can rock. I think Pam will be going home tonight; two consecutive weeks it the bottom two do not bode well. I find her annoying and Mrs. High Lord doesn't like the way she's always preening for the camera.
Next up is Big Mike, who has gone all John Mayer on us (without the incessant tweeting and kiss-and-tell about Jennifer Anniston). He's the guy with the guitar at the party who has all the girls around him (until Bluto smashes the guitar). I think Mike is overrated, but I can see why people are voting for him. I just don't know that if he wins, his voters will buy is singles/albums/downloads (ie-Ruben). His voice has a good tone, but I wish he'd stay away from ballads. And the false. Do they have so much extra time tonight that they can go to a fifth judge? Or is that just to hand Mike a couple hundred thousand extra votes?
I also wish the camera guy who has the tough job of watching Shania Twain all night could keep the camera still. Hey, get your other hand out of your pants!
Back on DWTS, the flamenco dancers are hawt.
Is it just me or is Len grumpier than usual? (The correct answer is "yes"). I know that's kind of his schtick (like it is for Simon and Piers on their shows), but the stick seems to be a little further up his bum than usual.
Wrapping up the first half of the show is Casey who is sitting on a stool and playing his guitar. [sarcastic voice=on]Way to change things up![/sarcastic voice]. He goes the ballad route instead of with the rockabilly routine. As much as I hate all the ballads they do on this show, I understand why many of the guys are doing them; it's hard to do a woman's songs that are as recognisable as Shania and come across as a believable guy. I didn't think it was bad, but it was good; at least better than Lee's bleating and Mike's sappy songs that his wife likes. Casey knows that as a vocalist, he's middle of the pack (at best) and has to cover it with a good performance and his good looks.
Mrs. High Lord has the remote and she just flipped to my second favourite Melissa Etheridge songs, "Come To My Window", which also features a barely-dressed Edyta (is there any other kind?). In case you're wondering (and I know you are), my favourite Melissa song is "I Want to Be in Love", the video for which features the always-yummy Jennifer Anniston.Look, it's the first ad for SYTYCD. I know our friend Kristi is happy.
Next up is CBX. I like this song; it's one of Shania's early songs before they all started sounding overproduced. I like the faux-bluegrass sound of this arrangement; it's not for everyone, but it's different. I think right now, Crystal could whip out a flash-frozen salmon and slap everyone on the judges panel with it, and they'd still slurp her. She's just that good. This was my favourite performance of Crystal's, but it was still the best of the night so far.
Crystal's boyfriend is waiting until she makes more money before he pops the question.
Is this an hour of ballads or not? Aaron is also right in his comfort zone, which will please his tweenie fans, but makes me cringe. Is Kara going to tell him that she didn't believe his performance because he's too young to be in love? Like Lee, I thought it to be vapid and boring. Pitchy in spots, too. And he can't keep his eyes open. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but I thought he was the worst of the night (so far).
This leaves Siobhán to pick up her second Pimp Spot in five weeks. In case you hadn't heard, she's now the pick for Vote For the Worst, which I clearly disagree with (it should be Aaron). They're running long because Seacrest is rushing. And Siobhán starts off flat. At least it's not a ballad. My great aunt Mathilda is wondering what happened to the throw pillows on her couch . . . Aunt Matty, Siobhán stole them! The song stars slow, but it picks up at the end, just in time for the screaming. I thought it was aiiiiiiiiight, but not worth the pimpage.
The Good
no one tonight
The Bad
Crystal, "No One Needs to Know"
Casey, "Don't"
Siobhán, "Any Man of Mine"
Mike, "It Only Hurts When I Breathe"
Lee, "Still the One"
The Ugly
Aaron, "You've Got a Way"
I wish they had gone with the broader theme of country rather than Shania Twain songs. I think the singers were undone by a very stylised singer that limited them creatively and vocally.
Who should be in the bottom 3: Aaron, Lee, Mike
Who will be in the bottom 3: Aaron, Casey, Lee
Who should be in the eliminated: Aaron
Who will be eliminated: Aaron
Casey is also in the mix, but I don't think he'll be eliminated. Since this was her weakest performance of the season, I think Crystal might also make a bottom 3 appearance, but this is about two weeks to early to predict a "shocker".
Over on DWTS, more dead weight was released as Jake got his walking papers. No shock there. Let me know when Nicole wins.
High Lord. Out.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
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8 comments:
I agree with you about Aaron. What were the judges smoking? He needs to go...NOW! Shania was a pretty boring and limited theme but I would have paid cold, hard cash if one of the guys sang "Man, I Feel Like a Woman"!
I originally picked Aaron to go, but switched to Mike. I'm trying to be like George Costanza and go against my first instincts, which seem to have been wrong all season. I think Aaron is getting all of Tim's votes and maybe even Katie's. Plus, the judges seem to really like him for some reason.
But if I changed my damn pick and it turns out to be Aaron, I will smash something.
I think you're right about Tim and Katie's voters; Aaron is the logical choice for them (although Mike could also be a destination). As we know, it's teenage girls with unlimited text messaging plans that drive the voting on the show, so expect them to flex their collective muscle.
Based on sheer merit, Aaron deserves to go, but there are a couple others I could see being eliminated tonight.
All in all a disappointing night. Crystal was not up to her usual standard, Siobhan was pitchy and kind of all over the place. Aaron was boring, as was Mike. Casey was the best last night but only because he did something a little bit different from his normal "I'm a rocker" thing. I liked Lee a lot too, not at first but when he got into it he was good.
I'm all for having a country music night, but I hate it when the themes are for a single artist.
Either the person's catalog is so specialised that no one can do it well (Queen) or the originals are so good there is no chance the Idols can match up (Stevie Wonder).
I think Shania was a reasonably good mentor, but the theme should have been country. That way the guys wouldn't have had to all perform ballads.
I still think the best ever mentor was Barry Manilow a couple seasons ago. He did wonders with that group that week. He's wasn't sappy with them, he made them work to get better. They should have hired him full time! :) it's not a matter of liking his style and music, it's about his knowledge of the business and how to work "it".
as for the singing, none blew me away, though I'd say Casey at least sung for one. I'd like to see a limit on instruments, no more than 6 uses starting at the Top 12, so they HAVE to sing half their songs as 'singers' rather than hiding behind their crutches.
Ideas to better the show: Drop the judges, as permanent fixtures. for the voting shows, have a singer, songwriter, and producer of THAT genre be the "guest" judges AND mentor's for the week. Have them work with the contestants teaching them how to perform THAT genre correctly. Allow the contestants to grow through experiences and teaching they'd never get without a lifetime of effort otherwise.
add a vote limit.
Dave, on the LI front, basically, I wouldn't worry about maxxing out LIs right now.
Hopefully you've found out by now that your should build your DPS rank first and foremost, then the LIs you want to use. Also, hopefully you know that LIs give the best return on Relics and IXP runes at the 1 lvls such as 11, 21, 31 etc. And if you get one to 60, you get the best IXP returns.
It's really a waste of time to worry about maxxing out a sub 65 LI, as you'll be 65 too quickly for it to matter. If you are getting IXP runes, save them for your 65 3A (since a 65 2A is almost impossible to get). If you have a 63 or 64 3A, just keep building it the best you can, and at 65, put the best 65 bow you've found in the LI box to get it growing (I stuck with my 63 until I got my 65 to the mid 20's I think). By that time, you'll be able to max out the 65's DPS and pick up a few other ranks in LIs you like. I love the % Bleed dmg leg, think I have it maxxed on my current bow, so it ticks for like 130 / 2 secs for 20 secs as I'm built (1300 over 20). Works great with Bards Arrow and traps
If you are still using lvl 60 bow or melee, it's well past time to drop them. Well, stop using, and just let them keep naturally lvling to 60 so you can decon for max relics and ixp.
Remember to do the Lothlorien and Mirkwood daily quests each day, as the IXP from those will speed up your LI leveling a lot. Plus you'll likely want their rep rewards later on, such as the Beleriand Dmg + Orc that the Loth elves sell, it's the one of the best title scrolls in the game. Bele dmg is the least resisted, so you do want to get that on any bow when you get the chance. Ancient Dwarf is the next best as I recall.
If you build up decon LIs correctly, you should have a ton of IXP pts to lvl your first 65 probably past 30 immediately, making it almost immediately useful. otherwise, stick with what you have until the 65 out DPS's what you are using.
I for one was shocked that Casey was in the B3--equally shocked when Mike was sent to the couches.
I never was a fan of Siobhans..ive
actually wanted her gone for a few weeks now,so i did the happy dance,lol.
What i DONT understand is why soooo
many people try to predict who the
latest voted off's votes will go to
in my opinion and my past Idol faves,i totally STOPPED voting when
my fave went home.There will be some whom will still vote,but id say 80%(maybe more give up voting altogether).
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