Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2006, Fox Broadcasting

Taylor Hicks and Chris Daughtry

Taking the stage for the first time, the male American Idol contestants tried to prove that judge Randy Jackson was right when he said this year it's the guys' contest to lose.

After the evening's performances, they showed that some of them are definitely going to be serious contenders to win.

Patrick Hall started off the evening with "Come to My Window" by Melissa Etheridge. He was too reserved and too sweet for the song, though, with no real passion. It sounded like a boy band singer trying to rock out.

Randy observed that Patrick was nervous. He said that he'd started rough but did his thing. Ultimately, he said it was "not your best." Nice judge Paula Abdul said that the song choice was wrong for him, and advised him to stay with what he does best, which are emotional songs and ballads. Tough judge Simon Cowell called the song choice terrible and said that Patrick was fidgety and anxious on stage. He said he'd showed no emotion or star quality.

David Radford, this year's crooner, was next, singing "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Unlike previous crooner contestants, not one of whom has won, he was very affected and smarmy on-stage, which overshadowed a nice voice.

Randy said the performance made him feel like he was in high school in Baton Rouge and that it showed no originality. What's more, he said the pitch kept changing. Paula said that the "Paula Poodle Pound," her answer to Randy's "Dog Pound," loved him. She called the performance "not horrible" and complimented him on his charisma. Simon said his performance "came over as a joke." But he said that the audience would like him. He advised taking himself more seriously in future performances.

Country boy Bucky Covington had an easy manner on-stage as he sang "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, the first song he'd ever learned on guitar. His raspy country voice was pleasant but a little pitchy at times. He sounded like he was straining.

Randy gave him props for "doing the South proud" but cautioned he doesn't have to sing that hard, because it makes his voice go sharp. Still, he called the song a cool choice. Paula said it was a good song, through he was off in parts of it. Simon said that he sang better with a band than a cappella. He said that he sounded very raw and very much like the thousands of singers in bars all over the country.

Sixteen-year-old Will Makar chose "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5, the song that previous contestant Nikko Smith performed much more soulfully. The song was a poor choice for him, since it only emphasized how young he is, and his pseudo Michael Jackson moves fell flat. He does have a great voice, though.

Randy complimented him because, even though he's not a dancer, he gave it a shot. He said that the performance entertained him. Paula called him adorable and said high school girls will love him. She said he reminds her of Bobby Brady. Simon provided the reality check, saying that while Will is nice looking and enthusiastic, vocally the performance had been average.

Next was Jose "Sway" Penala, who sang "Reasons" by Earth, Wind and Fire, which had been a favorite song of his parents. Most of the song was out of his range, forcing him to sing it in a pinched falsetto until he finally dropped into his range.

Randy said that he'd done himself proud and that the performance was hot. He said it showed originality and range. Paula called him "truly amazing" and said he deserved to be on the stage. Simon, however, in part commenting on his white fedora, said that the performance was "a really pimpy third rate copy of Earth, Wind and Fire."

Chris Daughtry raised the stakes with a smoking rendition of "Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. He has a strong voice and was very comfortable on stage, and he even managed to show some musicality in his voice despite the song.

Randy said it was really, really good and complimented him for being very current with a great recording voice. "You've got it," he said. Paula said she was wowed by his confidence and artistry and predicted he will go all the way. Simon said it was a good choice and that he could finally tell that he had potential. He agreed that he has a great recording voice and said now he needs to believe in himself and show his charisma.

Opting for a ballad, youngster Kevin Covais sang "One Last Cry" by Brian McKnight. He has virtually no stage presence, and while his delivery was earnest, his phrasing was off.

Randy said that he likes him and called him a talented kid. Paula said, "You make me beam and feel proud." She complimented him for being "poised without arrogance." Simon said that while he likes him, the performance would appeal to anyone over 90 who is hard of hearing. He said that vocally, it was verging on excruciating.

Perpetually smiling Gedeon McKinney, who has great teeth, by the way, gave a high energy performance of "Shout." He was very comfortable on stage with a smooth delivery.

Randy called the performance unexpected and said he has a good singing voice and good energy. He said he was entertained. Paula said the rendition was a great surprise and reminded her of a throwback to some great performers. Simon, however, said it was as if he were watching a warmup for the Chippendale's. He also said, "Your smile bothers me."

Elliott Yamin took the stage next with "If You Really Love Me" by Stevie Wonder. His delivery was sweet and heartfelt, even a little reminiscent of Stevie himself.

Randy said that, while singing Stevie Wonder is hard, he'd sounded brilliant. "You've got it," he said. Paula called the performance effortless and said it was great. Simon said that in five seasons he's potentially the best male vocalist they've ever had.

Playing up the cheese factor, Bobby Bennett delivered an over-the-top performance of "Copacabana" by Barry Manilow. With his deep, raspy voice, he sounded a little like Louis Armstrong.

Randy said that it was like someone from another era, such as Wayne Newton. He called him a good entertainer but said that vocally, he was here and there. Paula said she'd enjoyed the showmanship and the fact that he'd made a risky choice. She said she loves his passion. Simon said, "If you hear a scream from a hotel in L.A., that's where Barry is watching the show." He called the performance a nightmare and said that, while it might be entertaining, so are horror films.

Pretty boy Ace Young delivered "Father Figure" by George Michael. He has a good voice, one of the strongest in the competition, and managed to bring some soulfulness to the song. Randy called him a star and gave him props for working the camera. "You can really sing," he said. Paula also called him a star and complimented his nice eyes. Simon said it was not the best vocals they'd heart tonight but that he has the X factor. He said that once he gets through his nerves, he'll sail right through.

Finishing off the evening was Taylor Hicks, who sang "Levon" by Elton John. He not only did the song, one of my all-time favorites, justice but also backed off his previous borrowed mannerisms and let some of his real personality shine through.

Randy said that he's loved him since day one but said it wasn't a perfect song choice because it didn't show how talented he is. Paula praised his "powerful passion" and said it shows that he loves what he does. Simon backed off a previous statement, saying, "I said I didn't think you should make the finals. I was wrong." He called the performance interesting and said he likes the fact that Taylor gets into singing.

The top performers of the night were clearly the highly original and entertaining Taylor and the solid singer Chris, with props to Ace. Elliott also showed he has potential and definitely deserves to stay in the competition. Gedeon, while a great singer with good energy, needs to work on being more natural on camera. So far, he's come across as fake, which could account for Simon's "Chippendale's warm up act" comment.

On Thursday, the most likely guys to leave are Patrick Hall, who was fairly forgettable, and Bobby Bennett, whose over the top performance seemed very out of place for this contest. Others who should be biting their fingernails, according to online chatter, are Bucky Covington and David Radford, whose names keep being mentioned among those likely to leave.

At this early stage, Taylor and Kevin are already attracting loyal fan bases, so expect both of them to appear in the final 12, with Ace likely to join them.

More on American Idol:

Musings on American Idol Season 5 (2006)

Musings on American Idol Season 4 (2005)

Musings on American Idol Season 3 (2004)

Copyright 2005 by Alyce Wilson

Musings Index

What do you think? Share your thoughts
at Alyce's message board (left button):