‘X Factor’ first live show top 17 recap
Melanie Amaro does her thing on the first live show and makes it through to the top 12 easily. CREDIT: Fox
Loading ...I had some personal issues to deal with Tuesday night and couldn’t recap the show immediately. I’ll have to do it in the morning. Sorry ’bout that. Feel free to comment about it though.
Good news from what I heard: the two people Simon should not have put through in the first place, Simone Battle and Tiah Tolliver, were ousted during the first live show. Unfortunately, country-ish teen duo The Brewer Boys were cut while standards singer Phillip Lomax and histrionics-filled James Brown/Mick Jagger sound-a-like Dexter Haygood were rightfully ousted as well.
My DVR last night did not tape “X Factor” so I’m having to watch this on YouTube so I’m watching the 17 out of order.
I was a little taken aback by how many cheesy 1980s songs were unearthed (Dexy’s Midnight Runners? Footloose? Flashdance?) But overall, there was a fair amount of talent. My favorites were Melanie, Drew, Leroy and the Brewer Boys.
The men: L.A.’s team
- Marcus Canty (”Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” Culture Club) – This R&B stylist has some skills. A rather oddball pick of a song but Marcus worked it out, as Randy Jackson might say. A-minus
- Chris Rene (”Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” – Rose Royce) – He’s working the backwards cap a la Eminem while trying to channel a bit of Justin Timberlake. It’s just an okay song and he isn’t half bad. B-plus
- Astro (”Rump Shaker”/”Jump” – Wreckx-n-Effect) – A lot of folks who hate rap can’t stand this guy of course. I like him. He has rap skills. Is he original? That’s the only problem. B-plus
- Phillip Lomax (”I’m a Believer” – Monkees) – Yeesh. Talk about poor song choice on the part of Reid. Obviously, he wanted him not to do Sinatra or a standard but why not something modern. How about a Michael Buble or Harry Connick Jr. song? They try to fashion him as a Vegas act. His vocals simply don’t match the colors and lights and dancers. “On this guy, you totally failed,” Simon said to Reid. B-minus
Who is out: Lomax. Easy pick in my mind.
Groups: Paula’s team
The Brewer Boys (”Rich Girl” Hall & Oates/ “Faith” George Michael) – Who would have thought to turn that Hall & Oates song into a hoe-down? I actually found their vocals strong and this performance very charming. A-minus.
InTENsity (”Footloose” – Kenny Loggins/ “The Clapping Song”) – The sound mix is too loud and processed behind them. This came across as too slick and the lead vocals frequently got swallowed up. I was a little put off by the whole performance. B
Lakoda Rayne (”Come on Eileen” – Dexy’s Midnight Runners) – Paula is stuck in the 1980s with her song picks, isn’t she? These four should not have made it through after their pool-side audition. And what’s with four girls singing this song, anyway? They are cute, perhaps at a country fair, but is this marketable in any way? B
Stereo Hogzz (”Try a Little Tenderness” – Otis Redding) – The group modernizes a classic song by blending in a bit of rap. The lead guy is a bit pitchy at times but the performance itself resonated. B-plus/A-minus
Who is out: The Brewer Boys. Bummer. I would have gotten rid of either of the “fake” groups – InTENsity or Lakoda Rayne.
Plus-30s – Nicole’s team
Stacy Francis (”One More Try” – George Michael) – George Michael – again? She didn’t over-sing it and gave ita nice gospel flair. For the first time, I actually liked her. A-minus
Leroy Bell (”Nobody Knows” – Pink) – Actually, comparing Leroy to Marcus, Leroy is better. He has a more interesting voice. He provides a special depth that only life and experience could bring. Wow. I don’t know what Simon missed. He touched me on the inside. A
Josh Krajcik (”Forever Young” – Bob Dylan) – Sweet, but doesn’t really hit any big emotional notes. Good but not transcendent. B-plus
Dexter Haygood (”Womanizer” – Britney Spears/”I Kissed a Girl” – Katy Perry) – Huh? Nicole? Hello? You thought these were smart song picks for poor Dexter. I almost feel sorry for the guy. He can’t really sing either. What is he doing here? C-minus
Who is out: Easy one here: Dexter Haygood. Thanks for wasting our time, Nicole, and needlessly lifting Dexter’s spirits, only to crush them.
The woman – Simon’s team
Tiah Tolliver (”Sweet Dreams” – Eurythmics) – With such a mediocre voice and presence, where’s the X Factor? I feel no “realness” in her. It’s all an act. Maybe she can go and do some regional theater. B-minus
Simone “I wish I were Beyonce” Battle (”Just Be Good To Me” – S.O.S. Band) – Her rather pedestrian vocals make Ashanti sound like Adele. Even her rapping is weak. Zzzzz…. C-plus
Rachel Crow (”Where Did My Love Go” – Supremes/ “Baby” Justin Bieber) – This was actually an ingenious mash-up and age apropos for her. She has charm and confidence in spades. The potential is there, but I don’t know if she’s quite there yet. Paula is right. She should have been given a more challenging song choice. B
Drew Ryniewicz (”Flashdance” – Irene Cara) – This singer-songwriter type sings well beyond her years. I love her intonations, the interesting vocal ticks she has. I could listen to her all day. A
Melanie Amaro (”I Have Nothing” – Whitney Houston) – One of the most over-sung songs on “American Idol.” But fortunately, Melanie can pull it off. She doesn’t add anything new to the equation but she has a presence that makes this work. She feels real – and likable. A/A-minus
I missed all the interplay with the new host Steve Jones but the feedback sounds really really bad. The guy has no real personality for hosting and makes Ryan SeacSrest look good. In a way, he makes us appreciate Ryan more, eh?
The production? A bit over the top and in your face but would you expect anything less from Simon?
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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119 comments Add your comment
Mercedes S.
October 26th, 2011
11:16 am
More from RS:
“Scouting for the next singing sensation may be the familiar premise of ‘The X Factor’, but it already has the only star it needs: Simon’s ego. This time around, there is no one nearby to compete with him of block his eyebrows. If he wanted to, he could have recruited a Ceeo or a J Lo. But he didn’t want another outsize personality. He uses his underlings as decoration, like the henchmen in an old ‘Batman’ rerun. It’s all avout one man’s desire to be the Man…
“As for Paula, it’s just good to have her back where she belongs, trembling on the verge of either a get-up-and-noogie frenzy or a crying jag or an incoherently babbled speech about believing in your dreams. (Or all three!”
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
11:18 am
Was a bit surprised that Simon said that his “easiest decision of the night” was to put Drew first. “For me” the easiest decision was “not Simone & Tiah.”
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
11:20 am
Mercedes…great quotes!
Mercedes S.
October 26th, 2011
11:21 am
RS critic has no love for Nicole:
“It’s not clear why SImon wanted a fourth judge, since that never worked on ‘Idol’, but it really sums up his ambitions that of all the divas he could have recruited, a la Christina Aguilera on ‘The Voice’, he went for one of the P-cat dolls. All Nicole Scherzinger knows how to do is quiver like she’s choking back pageant-queen tears. Excuse me, Ms. Scherzinger, but you are sitting at the judge’s table with Paula Abdul, the most illustruous weeper in reality-TV history. You do NOT walk into Paula’s house and try to pull that I-can-cry-harder sh-t. EVER. It’s like wandering into the Yankee’s bullpen and saying, ‘Yo Matino, mind if I finish this one up?’”
Mercedes S.
October 26th, 2011
11:24 am
And, finally, from the RS story:
“Surprisingly, the team’s weakness is the glaring absence of Ryan Seacrest – that is, somebody with an ego as big as Simon’s. The very sight of Seacrest, who liked to make clear whenever he could that he didn’t fear or respect the British b-tch queen, seemed to baffle and annoy iImon. The clashes with Seacrest were a key part of the ‘Idol’ chemistry – that’s really when we saw Simon at his most human, at least once in a while,”
Mercedes S.
October 26th, 2011
11:28 am
Encouraged by D, a last quote:
“‘Idol’ hasmassive success after SImon left, by playing uo the positivity, with Steven Tyer and Jennifer Lopez gushing love at everyone in sight. But it’s reassuring that Simon wasn’t tempted to go that route, because it’d be a waste of his uniquely bilious charisma. The stars of ‘idol’ were always the contestants, just as the star of ‘The Voice’ was teh kid with the voice. But ‘The X Factor’ is all about Simon’s cosmic grudge against the universe. That’s what’s great about it – no matter what talents and personalities get discovered on ‘The X Factor’, none of them can compete with watching Simon revel in his role as the unchallenged king.”
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
11:29 am
No offense, Mercedes… but are those typos yours or RS’ ?
MIke
October 26th, 2011
11:32 am
Rodney – I have to say your coverage of this show has been really pretty poor and it seems like your not taking is very seriously. I’ve always keep up with your Idol blogs and enjoyed them but these are really not good kinda like a homework assignment you’re just rushing to finish. I’m mean today you didn’t even mention Josh who’s probably the best one there – what’s up with that?
DanJ
October 26th, 2011
11:34 am
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
9:56 am
Quote Deirdre: “Dan, Steve Jones and Nicole were to be co-hosts before Cheryl Cole was fired(BIG mistake, imo) Since neither one of them have much of a personality, I’d guess that it probably wouldn’t have been any better”
Thanks for the info Deidre! The problem I have with Cheryl and Steve Jones is that they’re TOO British.Paula and LA were good choices. Paula for here chemistry and LA for his insight. I would agree Quincy Jones would be a good choice for judge but it may have taken something away from LA. I still think Clive Davis would have balanced the show. Being much older than the other judges might have made him a great judge for the over 30’s and his work with everyone from Whitney to Janis Joplin could have helped mold Melanie and Drew. I think he or any judge other than Simon would have kept Jazzlyn and probably Caitlyn as well. Rachel although the same age as Drew is a little behind her as being an artist. I don’t won’t to say she’s immature vocally but I just did. Simon could have signed her to a developmental deal because in a few years she’s going to be a star.
However I will say this yet again. The talent on XFactor is better than Idol has had in years. They are as many as 8 of the 12 acts who has a chance to win it. Last year Idol’s only had 3 maybe 4 acts who I thought had a chance. I agree there’s issues with the show, judges etc but the talent is above par IMO. So I will watch each week waiting for the train wreck to happen. Dan
Rodney Ho
October 26th, 2011
11:36 am
@Mike. I had personal issues to deal with last night and couldn’t do any live blogging. I’m only now catching up with the show and have not finished my recap just yet. I’m 14 down, three more to go at this moment.
JTesla
October 26th, 2011
11:43 am
MIke, the show is pretty poor, which probably goes a litle ways as to explaining the coverage. Rodney needs to devote his time to a show that people are taking seriously, and this Fall version of Idol doesn’t appear to be it.
MIke
October 26th, 2011
11:56 am
@ Rodney. I’m not trying to be a turd I’m just a little saddened that your coverage seems a little disinterested from week to week.
@ JTesla. I thought I read 12 million viewers – that’s not to shabby
Rodney Ho
October 26th, 2011
11:58 am
@Mike. I understand. I took a two-week vacation after X Factor started (my first two-week vacation ever) and never felt quite caught up. And yes, given that X Factor isn’t nearly as popular as Idol (barely half), I haven’t felt nearly as committed to the show. Once the top 12 begins, I might get into it a bit more.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
12:03 pm
We all just need to get a life, right??
Mercedes S.
October 26th, 2011
12:06 pm
Rickster, it’s type fast and don’t check spelling OR risk having your post not ‘take”. You take too long here, the gremlin eats your text.
Mike, Rodney isn’t very fond of Josh, He’s my favorite and I hated the song he sang yesterday. And:
12 million viewers IS shabby, when you have bragged of twice that amount.
Sam-A
October 26th, 2011
12:08 pm
Did Simon’s two hissy-fits over the bimbo twins remind anyone else of Dickie Smothers’ sthick on the old Comedy Hour, ie “Mom always liked you better”. All that “You all never liked her, you don’t see her potential” blah blah blah.
Mercedes S.
October 26th, 2011
12:08 pm
Rodney, I took a THREE weeks “vacation” (mostly work, so I’ll refer to it as absence from the US) and I still haven’t caught up with my mail, magazines OR TV-shows. At this point I don’t feel a “need” to be completely caught up with “XF”
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
12:12 pm
My cable line just got cut through by the septic tank guys…no cable no phone no internet…so how am I talking to you, you might ask? One of my neighbors apparently has an unlocked wifi. Let this be a lesson to us all! But in the meantime…I’m pretty happy!
kelly&carriefan
October 26th, 2011
12:20 pm
Mercedes, I’m with you. There was too much going on for me to keep up in “real time” and after hearing all the “Meh” feedback, I just deleted what I’d recorded and removed it from my DVR. It’s now a “If there’s nothing else, I’ll watch. Not a must see.”
So, really, turns out the absence didn’t make my heart grow fonder, Simon. Sorry.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
12:21 pm
I guess they didn’t call before they dug, huh you’re queeness?
kelly&carriefan
October 26th, 2011
12:22 pm
D, glad that you’re able to “sneak” in, but be careful…Open wi-fi’s are good for getting intruders in your computer.
MIke
October 26th, 2011
12:22 pm
Why was everyone singing early 80s songs?
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
12:23 pm
Mercedes, when I have a long post to type… I always type in Word, spell check and then copy & paste.
harrylarry
October 26th, 2011
12:28 pm
The right decisions were made on the show last night. Simone was very dissapointing last night. I feel she can do better. Tiah is not ready for this. But if she ever develops her ability to sing on pitch she will be a decent performer. From watching her earlier performances, she is a very passionate when she performs but just is not ready vocally at all. She should not have made it to the live show. Melanie did good but it wasn’t her best performance. Rachel did the wrong song. Drew was the best out of this crew. The lead vocalist of the stereo hogs should probably go solo. He is one of the best male voices on the show. Enjoyed the little rap boy. Contrary to what a lot of you think he is good and very marketable. Cris Rene will probably be not pan out on this show if they dont start letting him do better songs. He is talented but he has o sing the right song for him. Marcus will be one of the top 4. Top singers are Melanie, Drew, Marcus, Rachel, the heavyset white guy, and lead singer for the hogs.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
12:42 pm
To generate a little conversation…
Comparing Kelly to Carrie is kinda like comparing John Smoltz to Greg Maddux.
While Smoltz had enough off-speed stuff for variety, he was primarily a power pitcher who blew batters away. Kelly is primarily a power singer, who can go softer when she needs to.
Greg Maddux was a technical pitcher with a great deal of skill – who rarely made a mistake. He had a decent fastball when he needed it – though the offspeed stuff he threw made his fastball look faster – but he was technically a better pitcher. Carrie won’t blow away a song – though she has no problem hitting big notes – but I think her vocals are a bit more technically perfect. I’ve never heard a Carrie song where I couldn’t understand every word she sang.
Two different styles… two Hall of Fame pitchers.
Two different styles… two GREAT singers.
JTesla
October 26th, 2011
12:43 pm
So are the cable guys going to come out and battle the septic guys? You got your cable in our septic! You got your septic in our cable!
As for Fall Idol… I haven’t watched the last few episodes. I’ll catch the first live show where everyone can vote, but it just hasn’t done anything for me. I’m going to try and pay attention to see if there really is a host, because of all the shows I’ve watched I didn’t even know there was one.
DanJ
October 26th, 2011
12:43 pm
I don’t think the rating for XFactor should be considered at this point. The show has been on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights. It’s been interrupted by baseball as well. So the scheduling is all over the place. I think the fan base will grow and if not then the show won’t survive.
The problem I see is that they’re too many singing competition shows. It’s going to be dog eat dog with only the strongest shows surviving. The problem with XFactor is they’re not solely basing their choices on voice; they’re looking for the XFactor. XFactor is simply marketability IE the total package. Simone and Tiah had the look but no to little vocal talent. Those who do IMO are Drew, Chris, Marcus, Melanie, Stereo Hogs and Lakoda Rayne. Josh is one of my favorites but I see him appealing to only one demographic, women age 28-58.
For XFactor to succeed it’s going to have to get water cooler talk to generate interest. That will happen if there’s controversy or incredible talent on display. I think next week we’ll find out one way or the other. Dan
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
12:52 pm
Fortunately, I’m only using my laptop which has nothing of importance on it.
Rodney…I can’t believe you had to youtube all the performances(Rodney’s review is up on this thread now for those of you who haven’t noticed). I like Josh a lot better than you do. Very happy with Melanie, Drew and Leroy as well.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
12:54 pm
JT, re cable vs septic…that might make an interesting cable show.
Rodney Ho
October 26th, 2011
12:54 pm
Deirdre- all the performances were up on YouTube with the judges’ comments. I just missed the part where they eliminated folks and anything the lame host said.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
12:57 pm
Dan, I think you have to take ratings into account because the lower than expected viewership is having a direct effect on the way Simon is responding on the show. The nastiness between the judges is Simon’s way of generating interest because he actually seems to believe that having some good talent on the show won’t do it.
DanJ
October 26th, 2011
12:58 pm
I disagree with Rodney on Lakoda Rayne. I think they have huge marketability. They sing Country and lets face it THEY’RE PLEASING TO THE EYES! Sorry ladies I’m really not a sexist. A big one anyway. Even LA Reid said he sign them on the spot. Dan
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
12:59 pm
Cable v. Septic…. both serviced by Zombies! Now THAT would make a good show.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
12:59 pm
Rodney, “lame host” is an understatement. He actually nearly told Paula to shut up. He focused ONLY on bringing the show in on time. I get that but he didn’t do it in a charming, interesting or even professional way.
kelly&carriefan
October 26th, 2011
1:11 pm
Rickster, totally loved your Kelly/Carrie and Smoltz/Maddux comparisons. You could even add that like Smoltz, who turned from starter to dominant closer, so can Kelly change up genres.
Oh, and the host is terribly dull.
Btw, anyone else think that Melanie looks a LOT like JLo in that pic at the top? For a sec, I thought Rodney was mentioning her “stage breakdown.”
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
1:44 pm
Michael Slezak compares XF to a sci-fi movie.
No one ever gets eliminated on The X Factor. Instead, they are assimilated into Intensity, a Borg-like collective that operates with a single consciousness and questionable pitch, and is fueled entirely by the power of Tweets with the hashtag #xfactor (as well as as Nicole Sherpazumba’s eyelash flutters). Its leader, a tall, menacing, personality-free being called “Steve Jones,” has one mission: To keep the telecast to its allotted 150-minute running time without displaying the slightest bit of charm or good humor. Oh, and in case you were trying to find them on YouTube, Simone Battle and her saucy/hilarious debut single no longer exist: She, too, has now been assimilated. Resistance is futile.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
And here, for your reading enjoyment is the rest of Mr Slezak’s commentary:
http://www.tvline.com/2011/10/the-x-factor-recap-season-1-episode-10-top-17-performance/#more-264396
Seth T.
October 26th, 2011
1:51 pm
When you look at the more successful female artists generated by the Idol exposure, we see Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler – one of the things they have in common I believe, is that they were single and focused completely on the early and important aspects of a career.
Who would you want to invest 5 million dollars into from this group?
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
2:06 pm
Kat McPhee may be about to join that list of successful females from Idol if her new tv show is a hit.
Slezak: referring to InTENsity: Children of the Corn: The Musical LOL!!!!!
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
2:12 pm
So far, the only ones I’d invest $5 million in would be Lakoda Rayne. Split 4 ways… that’s only $250,000 a year for five years for each of them.
They could definitely recoup that investment – as long as they keep the individual egos in check and think “Team.”
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
2:16 pm
More like Children of the Cheese, to me.
Sam-A
October 26th, 2011
2:20 pm
The Kelly interview that K&CF posted yesterday quoted Kelly as saying she believes people should just sing – that all the Lady GaGa, Katie Perry razzmatazz (my word – this isn’t vebatim) gets blown away when an Adele steps up to a microphone with just a piano and kills it. Can’t agree more. A great voice is a great voice, and doesn’t need meat costumes, 12″ eyelashes, 50 dancers and flashing lights all over to be entertaining.
DanJ
October 26th, 2011
2:27 pm
Having rewatched the show I think Rickster may be right. Lakoda Rayne may be the next Dixie Chicks. I didn’t care for Come on Eileen 25-30 years ago but I thought LR version was great. Being a country group will cetainly help. I thought they stole the show after the rewatch.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
2:28 pm
I keep thinking that before Steve Jones can speak or move, he has to say “oil can’ through clinched teeth.
And I thought I was a stiff white guy.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
2:32 pm
Of course… I’m not British… so I don’t have that excuse.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
2:34 pm
Wow… now I’m agreeing with Sam!!
Josh, Melanie, Drew… they just sing. They don’t worry about – nor do they need – things that distract from the performance. They just sing… VERY well.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
2:40 pm
At least the “coaches” were smart enough to realize that a good voice needs no razz-ma-tazz and didn’t gum up the performances with it.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
2:41 pm
Humph! I need to speak to my neighbor about getting a faster internet service!
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
2:45 pm
Drew auditioned with the same song that Rachel Crow sang part of last night. Most of the folks remember Drew’s audition. Much fewer will remember Rachel’s performance.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
2:48 pm
Stealers can’t be choosers, your queeness.