Missed seeing this week's "Idol" live on Tuesday- we were out for a family dinner at a Japanese steakhouse. Sidebar- there's a story itself. Not the cheapest night out, but for dinner and a show, you can't beat it. Kids love watching the flaming onion volcano and the corny accented jokes of the chef. Brendan caught a shrimp in his mouth before realizing that it was a shrimp- he probably wouldn't have eaten it otherwise- and loved it. Maybe the only way to get him to try new foods is to toss it into his mouth from 6 feet away.
Back from the digression. Watched the Top 3 show last night off the DVR. Others have written that the producers seem to have stacked the deck in favor of Lee, and it's hard to disagree with that point. Everything from the judges' song choices to their word choices in their critiques to the order of performances in the show worked in Lee's favor. Maybe there isn't a level playing field for all the contestants.
But that performance of "Hallelujah" by Lee on Tuesday night was hands down the best performance of the season. Strip away the lights and the orchestra and the choir, and you're still left with a passionate, intense vocal performance that was so good, I went and bought the single off iTunes within 15 minutes of hearing it. (The live performance is actually better than the studio single on iTunes, but the studio version is still fantastic.) Granted, the song lent itself to a lot more passion than the John Mayer song that Casey was handed, and I might be a little biased because I love that song to begin with, but you have to give Lee credit for taking a fastball down the middle and slamming it out of the park.
Watch it, if you haven't already, and see if you agree:
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4 comments:
I don't watch Idol. I refuse. But so many people have been fussing about this song that when you posted the link, I figured I should have a look/listen.
Meh.
What he did with that song is exactly what's wrong with American Idol, and what had bled over into other live singing opportunities (especially the national anthem at virtually every baseball game). I refer to it (crudely, sorry) as "vocal masturbation." I'm not interested in hearing how people can slide up and down the register, extending notes into minutes that seem like hours. Sing the song, people. Sing it the way it was written. If you can do better, write your own damn song, But stop torturing the proven works of others.
Rufus Wainwright did a much better version Hallelujah on the Shrek soundtrack. But hey, that's just me.
Hey, at least you watched it before critiquing. Thanks for that.
Your point about "vocal masturbation" applies well to the anthem, where you're expecting a certain performance. But (not to sound like a shill for the show) as the judges on Idol like to say, this isn't karaoke. They're not looking for people to sing a song just like someone else.
Every good cover song modifies something about the original to make it special and unique. The best Idol performances are the same way. (Some day, I'll have a post- or likely a series of posts- on cover songs. Probably my favorite genre if you can separate it out as one.) Even orchestral performances of 400 year old songs are lauded for their interpretations of the work of masters, and certainly there have been eclectic performances of Shakespeare that are celebrated for their uniqueness.
One of the columns I linked to in the original post had similar comments to yours- that he just put a rocker-type vibe into a classic song and ruined it in the process. But I don't know why using vocal styling is a bad thing. It all comes down to taste.
Watching the show and identifying with Lee as a "character" in a program that I've followed probably biases my opinion a bit, but I still feel that this version stands up to Wainright and Buckley's versions.
I'm not opposed to interpretations. As an example, if you like covers as a genre (I do as well), check out an album called Two Rooms: The Music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. I find that I like many of those covers better than the originals! These are other artists who put their own spin on some classic EJ songs, making them truly their own.
But the "Idolization" of live vocal performances is more along the lines of screeching up and down the musical scale. A raw demonstration of one's range is just annoying. Sadly, my (very limited) experience with Idol is that such stylings are what wins. Well, that, plus youth and weird hair.
I haven't watched "Idol" at all this season, but this was a nice performance. Thanks for sharing.
My wife and I watched the show together for 2-3 seasons before giving up on it a few years back. If you like covers, I'd encourage you to watch this clip of Chris Daughtry singing, "I Walk the Line'. To date, it remains my favorite performance from that show. He does a nice job of infusing some of his own style to the classic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJXwm150umQ
Also, if you're interested in someone staying true (somewhat) to a classic, but still doing a great job interpreting it (the acoustic guitar is a nice change of pace), check out this take on "Imagine". It got a lot of pub right after it was performed...but deservedly so in my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bXg7EIatPY
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