‘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
JTesla
October 26th, 2011
2:48 pm
You can talk about the Adele, Clarkson, McCartney, or others who rely on talent, but others will talk about Gaga, Bowie, Alice Cooper, and Kiss. Both methods work, both methods find success. Some of us can see the greatness with both approaches, this morning my phone decided to play “Rolling in the Deep” right after “Poker Face”. Just for my own amusement: tonight I’ll go for “Here comes the Sun” followed by “Detroit Rock City”.
You can enjoy one, you can enjoy both, but do we need to bash the one that we don’t like?
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
3:07 pm
Well.. they can be… they just shouldn’t be.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
3:13 pm
I don’t mind the razz-ma-tazz when it’s backed up with talent. GaGa has a terrific voice, she doesn’t need the showmanship but she uses it to her advantage.
Last night was an excellent example of using razz-ma-tazz to conceal a lack of talent. So, talent wins out no matter which style rocks your boat.
Sam-A
October 26th, 2011
3:15 pm
JT: Not really “bashing”, but I would take talent over flash any day of the week. Beatles or Kiss – er, Beatles; Kelly or Britney, yeah Kelly; Queen or Zepplin, I’ll take Zepplin. I do love me some “Hard Luck Woman” by Kiss however. And Freddy Mercury had a nice voice.
However, some of the “flashers” actually have talent lurking in there. Gaga has a great voice, just wish she’d focus more on it than the silly-to-disgusting costumes & props. Bowie gave a stunning performance on Broadway as “The Elephant Man”. Pink is often fabulous – for me her voice is the closest to Kelly’s as a perfect rocker. Katy P can sing really well when she does a good song.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
3:23 pm
Good post, JT… but all the show folks you list used the glitz/glam/etc to become more than they would have been without it. KISS as big as they are without the makeup & amazing stage show? Don’t think so. Bowie wouldn’t have been as big as he became without the whole Ziggy Stardust deal. Alice Cooper without the make up, snakes, etc? No chance.
They’ve all used stage show, etc to create buzz and become more than they would have without it – not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Simone wanted to be the next Beonce’ – but doesn’t have anywhere the talent. She relied on attitude & looks because the talent was lacking. Same thing with Tia.
But does recognizing their shortcomings rise to ‘bashing?”
JTesla
October 26th, 2011
3:27 pm
I understand.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
3:33 pm
Beyonce’ even.
JTesla
October 26th, 2011
3:34 pm
Note, I’m not agreeing fully, but it’s good to know where people are coming from.
I read so much disparaging of the short comings of modern music that cite a lack of musical talent, or lack of even writing their own music, and the first name to get thrown out there as an example of what is wrong is Lady Gaga. Current music has the same shortcomings as music in the past. And then, like today people incorrectly look just at the big names in order to find fault with things that are not how they like them. In the past people would bash music by discussing the Beatles when they should probably have looked more to the Monkees. With that in mind, if you want to disparage the state of today’s music, Lady Gaga isn’t the one to look to for that.
Sam-A
October 26th, 2011
3:44 pm
So, JT’s a closet Gagaphyte! I think she’s a really good singer, just wish she’d do more “Paparazzi” stuff and less “give me you disease, your ugly…..” crap! And for the lord’s sake, please have more than a thong bikini,10″ heels and a sheer shawl if you ever board a flight I’m on, Lady!
JTesla
October 26th, 2011
3:48 pm
No closet about it. However, when I’m 90 I’ll be defending the current music scene. Heck just a few months ago I had to defend today’s music because it was being bashed by a 17 year old.
We live in the best time possible, and it’s only getting better.
Rickster
October 26th, 2011
3:53 pm
Paraguay dentist says Aerosmith’s Tyler doing fine
The Associated Press
10:26 a.m. Wednesday, October 26, 2011
ASUNCION, Paraguay — The Paraguayan dentist who treated Steven Tyler says the Aerosmith singer is “doing splendidly.”
Dr. Maria Bastos also says Tyler was “friendly and humble” as he received two dental implants. She told the Monumental radio station on Wednesday that Tyler “surprised me with his cheerfulness.”
Officials of the Garzia Group that is organizing the concert say the 63-year-old singer apparently became dizzy due to gastrointestinal problems and fell in his hotel bathroom. He suffered cuts and broke two teeth, forcing a one-day delay in a concert in the Paraguayan capital of Asuncion. It’s now scheduled for Wednesday night.
JTesla
October 26th, 2011
4:02 pm
Hopefully he kept the teeth, so we don’t have to go after them later.
DanJ
October 26th, 2011
4:11 pm
Hi Deidre, sorry I missed your response on ratings. I do think the next two weeks are key for the direction of the show. I think the nastiness may be in part to drum up the ratings but the shots from LA Reid to Simon about Simone and Tiah were in part because the judges other than Simon felt they shouldn’t be there. And lets face it Simon and LA have huge egos and egos clash. I also don’t think it was ever an mystery which judge got which groups. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the show get an overhaul after this season. Fox may even insist on certain changes!
I do think in the near future maybe not this year XFactor will overtake Idol. Idol has grown stale IMO. I didn’t buy any CD from an Idol contestant this year.Although I may buy Lauren’s where based on what I’ve heardso far I’d seriously consider buying CD’s from 5 or 6 acts on XFactor. Maybe two more if Jazzlyn or Caitlyn get picked up. Since there’s little on television I will continue to watch XFactor and overlook the flaws. Dan
Harriett
October 26th, 2011
4:37 pm
Time to go, not that I said much today. See y’all tomorrow.
Deirdre
October 26th, 2011
5:04 pm
Dan, try to keep in mind that on Idol, we’ve fallen in love with singers based on one performance and then have been sorely disappointed later when we see more of them. Not saying that is true of Caitlyn or Jazzlyn, just that it would be difficult to judge how good they actually are based on the 2 or 3 times we’ve seen them. I would have picked them both over Simone and Tiah but that doesn’t mean I would have remained loyal to them.
On Idol, we loved Matt something-or-other after a fantastic version of Georgia On MyMind during Hollywood week…he never lived up to that performance. I hated Haley at the beginning of last season and loved her by the end.
And yes, I will continue to watch as well. If you hang around here you’ll see that we can be just as critical of Idol. Give us a try!
DanJ
October 26th, 2011
11:47 pm
Hi Deirdre, I do agree it’s easy to go ga-ga (no not the lady) over a performer then start to see the flaws. Caitlyn could have been a one trick pony. However Jazzlyn I think was the real deal, however she had nervous issues and another year to gather herself could be a good thing. So I’m not upset that they didn’t make it.
As far as Idol goes I did watch and followed along with the live blog the first 6 weeks even posting some but a family medical emergency kept me away after that. Honestly I didn’t see great talent there. I did pull for Lauren and while I think Scotty was good I didn’t think he was great. But then again I’m not a huge fan of country music only average at best. So I never had a real favorite last year like I had with Crystal Bowersox the previous year. But yes I will check in and add my two cents.
While I live in Auburn Alabama all my family still live in the Gwinnett area and of course I follow the Atlanta sports teams and all the goings on in the ATL. I just hate I can’t get the paper in my area anymore. So to get my news fix I have to read the AJC online. And of course follow Rodney’s blog. Dan
nonchalant
October 27th, 2011
7:43 am
If Paula wants to nix Simon all she has to do is arrange some Dixie Chix songs for Lakoda Rayne since the viewers love country. But on the other hand, Simon seems to change the rules of the show for his convenience when things aren’t going his way.
DanJ
October 27th, 2011
9:20 am
They are 8 of us ( 2 bowling teams) made up of 4 men and 4 women that have each put up 100 dollars with the winner picking the chairity the money goes to based on who wins XFactor. I have the 5th pick. The drafting order was picked from a hat last night. And of course I’m holding things up by not choosing someone. The top four already picked and off the board in the number they were picked are:
1) Chris Rene 2)Marcus Canty 3) Melanie Amaro 4) Josh Krajcik I’m torn between Drew and Lakoda Rayne. I have until tonight to make my pick. Any thoughts on who I should pick? I’m not sure a 14 year old can win but the same applies to a group. Dan
Seth T.
October 27th, 2011
5:05 pm
I believe that Drew will outlast LaKota Rayne. That is based upon the idea that Drew will have an “identity” right now, has a better voice than anyone in the LaKota group, while LaKota does not have a distinct identity yet.
It’s true that if LaKota really pushes into the Country personna, they could gather steam, as that audience has no one to gravitate to.
Drew would also be wise to nail a good Country or cross-over Pop to Country tune. The power of the Country market could make a big difference – enough to carry both #1 & #2 spots on Idol for Scotty & Lauren, also saved Kris Allen in his year, by doing Country Friendly looks and songs.