I will take a break from voting for David Cook after tonight's finale to compose this blog. Just a short one, though. There is work to be done. At the time of this writing, 30-odd votes and counting. The mere fact that I'm getting through is a little worrisome.Overall, a very, very enjoyable finale show, one of the best in recent memory...but way over the top favoring David Archuleta. Wasn't this supposed to be a contest? Weren't our votes supposed to count? It sure seemed like from the judges comments that Archie all but had it wrapped up, and that surprised me.
Another two votes for Cookie just placed.
Tonight's song trifecta was an enjoyable offering. The Clive Davis picks were a mixed bag for me, the original songs were pretty good, and contestant's choice offered a surprise. And why did Lord Andrew have a starring role in this evenings festivities? I missed that.
On the one hand, Clive Davis handing Cook a U2 song ("Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For") was awesome, as I didn't think they had previously licensed anything for AI performances. On the other hand, the Elton John song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" was so brilliantly performed by Clay Aiken in Season 2, I wasn't sure how it could be redone tonight and was disappointed it was chosen over something we've not heard before.
Cook did U2 proud and I know Bono was smiling. This song means something to Cook, and it shows. Simon pronounced it "phenomenal" and I agree. Meanwhile, Archuleta does Elton John in a very competent and smooth way, which Paula announces is "flawless" and Simon declares it his "best all season".
Round Two (songwriter competition) was a great surprise, since I was still expecting both to have to sing the same song. I love that they both got to choose from a pool of original songs, and what a thrill for those songwriters! It appeared to me that both chose wisely. Cook's "Dream Big" says just what he's been trying to communicate all season, and was uptempo and record-ready, even though Simon tells him it "wasn't a winning song." Hmmph. Likewise, Archuleta's pick of "In This Moment" suited him perfectly, and this made Randy pull out his phonebookmoltenhotcrazylava over it. Did anyone else find only the sailor-themed jacket a bit of a distraction (Ahoy matey!). I guess Archuleta now hails from Nantucket, Utah!
(FOUR MORE votes for Cook just placed, the final one getting a busy signal). Hmmm.
The final round was the Contestant's Choice. I've read that in seasons past, the contestant has in reality no choice other than to reprise a previously performed song, ONLY because the schedule does not permit learning three new songs. Well, Archie did a song we've already heard but Cook chose to do an entirely new song, and kudos to him for that....talk about inittowinit...this boy's got it. Cook chose Collective Soul's " The World I Know" and it was vintage Cook. (Okay, it was a bit somber.....but....life is somber, people! Still, it rocked!) Archie's final song "Imagine" was predicable and of course well sung. I read somewhere that Archie has been doing "Imagine" since he was, like, three years old. Hhmph.
So, what do I think? If it's just a singing competition, then Archuleta is the better singer. But finding the "diamond in the rough" with Cook is what makes Idol the awesome show it is. He has the whole package: looks, sound, musicality, artistry....no, he hasn't been performing since he could walk and doesn't have the vocal proficiency that Archuleta has, but he is an amazing contestant who consistently impressed week after week and deserved more from Simon than he got tonight, and I feel he deserves to win.
And I totally thought from surfing the web all week that Cook had it coming into tonight with the numbers, but the judges totally skewed things tonight, unfairly, I believe. And I don't know why! Only time will tell. I cannot recall a finale on Idol where the judges, and Simon in particular, said said obvious things for one contestant and didn't compliment the other whatsoever. It makes me wonder about reverse psychology, since his battering of Cook just made this minivan-driving Mom of three run for the phone.
On to the results show!
3 comments:
A friend of mine at the office pointed out a reason why the Idol Machine 'may' be pushing for Archie... If David Cook does not win (God forbid), he WILL have a very bright, successful career, and will sell lots of records. Archie may only sell records IF he's an Idol winner. So the win/win scenario for the Idol Franchise would be Archie 1st, Cook 2nd. Having said that, I thought the judges (Randy and Simon) were despicable with their reviews and final comments, calling it a 'total knockout'. How dare they disrespect Cook that way, given all he's done and worked for leading up to this. As a result, I double-dialed for DC to win it all. (..though it sounds like Idolmama may have out-dialed me... I have this image of her waking up to a phone imbedded into her pillow, and a nice dial-pad impression clear across her cheek :)
A few observations. First, the boxing theme was cheezy to the point of embarrassment. How nice it would have been had the contestants, for once, been able to sing the entire songs, rather than their shortened versions, in lieu of all the filler material. A friend with whom I watched the show said that the opening would have been enough to make her switch the channel. Next, as much as I like Cook, is there any question that Archie won the night? He nailed his songs. Cook did not. The same person I watched the show with, who had not seen Idol all season and thus knew nothing of Archie or Cook, said that Archie was the better performer even though she liked Cook better. What struck me was how unstruck I was by the whole thing. My first Idol ever was the season three finale. Fantasia was so unbelievable that I could not wait for season 4 to begin so I could experience what I had missed. Unfortunately, nothing unbelievable happened last night. No goose bump or teary eye moments for me. Finally, I took note of Reuben's cameo appearance. He can sing! And he sings just like Archie!! I wonder if Archie, who is every bit as competent and gifted a singer as Reuben, is headed down the same lackluster career path because, despite Simon's insinuation, I don't see any star power in Archie. The performance charisma is lacking, just as it seems to be missing from Reuben. Only time will tell.
Wow! You guys are awesome commenters :) Great thoughts all around...Susie's idea about the Idol franchise's win/win scenario is interesting...but if it's at all true, wouldn't that mean the show is rigged? For real?
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