Idol Chatter: Can You Say Train Wreck?

EDITOR’S “EDITOR’S NOTE”:  Where to begin?  Last night’s performances and/or train wrecks on American Idol Season 7 were surprising and not so surprising.  Surprising for the one contestant who raised the bar.  And not so surprising in that Andrew Lloyd Weber’s music is not so great for breathy, folksy, singer-songwriter-y voices.  Coworker Chad and I discussed earlier this afternoon. ...

Chad says:  Hey - did you get your Idol fix last night?

Laura Mac says:  Yes.  And I came up with a question/riddle for you that describes how I feel at this point. ...

Laura Mac says:  There’s a train called “Wreck,” and it’s leaving the American Idol station tonight. ...

Laura Mac says:  Problem is, there’s only one seat left.  Who’s going to make it on board?

Chad says:  You crack me up.  Well - I'm afraid to say I'm a little worried about my favorite girl Brooke.  Last week was a train wreck, but it was a freight train in an unpopulated area and most people didn't notice.  This week was more like a morning commuter train full of people derailing in the middle of town.  Brakes squealing, bodies flying, women and children screaming.

Chad says:  Cats and dogs living together.  Well, you get the idea.

Laura Mac says:  Oy vey.  You’ve got too much time on your hands to come up with these word pics.  But yes, it was nooooooooooot pretty last night.  Poor Brooke and even poorer Jason Castro.  WHAT was he thinking?  And HOW did he not know his song “Memory” was about a cat singing from "Cats"? 

Chad says:  Let me say first, I really like Jason Castro.  However, I never thought we'd live to see the day when Kelly Pickler was the smart contestant.  I'm thinking the dreads are too tight at this point.  Yeah - definitely not the right song.  At first I thought with his high range this might be interesting.  20 seconds into it, though, I was squirming and wishing for his sake it would stop. 

Chad says:  I really hate seeing people in uncomfortable situations which is why I felt so bad for both of them last night.

Chad says:  Who do you think had the best performance last night?  And you better not say Ryan Seacrest.

Laura Mac says:  Well, The Amazingly Annoying Seacrest aside, I think it's a tie between Carly and David Cook.  Carly smoked it and rocked out on "Jesus Christ Superstar."  Totally in her element.  And David really surprised me with "Music of the Night."  I love him and all (and want to marry him, if you remember), but I just didn't think he'd do that well this week.

Laura Mac says:  But he polished up a bit and found his inner Broadway diva.

Laura Mac says:  Or whatever the male version of a diva is.  If there is one. ... ?

Chad says:  Once again, I have to agree.  I am also a huge David C. fan and I was expecting to be disappointed.  However, I think last night was good for him.  He really showed that he has a good voice.  The boy can sing.  He also showed a completely different side and a diversity that is painfully lacking from the other David on the show.

Laura Mac says:  He did.  He did.  But I'm starting to wonder about some of these different types of "can you sing this type of music?" tests each week.

Laura Mac says:  Does this concept really show talent or is it just showing good strategy in song selection?  Or is it just purely a popularity competition after all?

Laura Mac says:  In a way, it's sort of Survivor-ish.  A survival of the fittest with some contestants equipped with better skills for certain tests than others.

Chad says:  Absolutely.  At the end of the day, you simply cannot separate the popularity from the talent.  Of course, why should they.  The real goal is to find the next major recording artist and that often has little to do with talent.  Selling CDs and downloads is as much about image and popularity and all the other stuff outside as it is about talent (hello Britney!). 

Laura Mac says:  Sigh.  You're right.  And that explains (probably) why Syesha is still in the competition.  Although ... she did do better last night with "One Rock 'n' Roll Too Many."  I think it helped her cause.

Chad says:  I think it was a good night for her.  I see her getting the boot in the next couple weeks, but she bought herself at least one more Tuesday night.  She is good, but there are too many that are better above her.

Chad says:  One other question that has been bugging me about David Cook.  Is it just me, or does it seem like every time he hits those high notes he's channeling Jack Black from School of Rock?

Laura Mac says:  LOL.  Well ... maybe some facial gyrations and mild contortions are needed (psychologically) in order to get to the upper reaches of his register. 

Laura Mac says:  But ... the bottom line is ... he's the bomb.  So he can do whatever he wants to.  Except wear a tutu.

Chad says:  I'd still vote for him.

Laura Mac says:  Well, maybe if it was a tutu made out of chain metal or something ... that might be okay.

Chad says:  So, the bottom three?  I predict it will be Brooke, Jason, and Syesha.  Jason will be sent back to the couches and Brooke will bid America farewell.

Laura Mac says:  Yeah.  I think it's either curtains for Castro or bye-bye Brooke.  But don't know which one.  We'll find out shortly.

Laura Mac says:  So, more on this tomorrow morning?

Chad says:  Can't wait.

Laura Mac says:  See ya 'round the watercooler.

Chad says:  Later.