New Obsession

I've been introduced to Guitar Hero on Playstation. This is bad....really bad!
Now, to many of you I complain about "The Game" that Ashton plays, so I really shouldn't confess any of this!
We stayed up until about 1:30 AM playing. Needless to say, I was very tired this morning!

If you haven't played GH, you should. There's a guitar that you actually play to great songs. Many are old school guitar heavy songs & some are some newer guitar songs. My favorite is "More Than a Feeling", of course, but I can also play a mean Judas Priest song. I'm only on the easy level, but I'm sure with hours of practice I'll move up....

Another game that we've purchased is "Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Edition". Need I say more????? It has Randy & Simon rating your singing. I guess Paula wouldn't get on board. It's really fun. You can choose many songs & make up your fun character. My competitive nature took over any stagefright I had. Last night Ashton & I played for so long, we unlocked "Piano Man" & "Straight Up".

Check them out. I'm sure half of you have already discovered these games, but if you haven't they are worth hours of fun! Thanks for introducing me, Leah!

American Idol Results03.28.07

WOW! What can I say? Chris Sligh is really good, but had a bad night.

I just don't even know what to say about Sanjaya. The song he sang was absolutely unrecognizable. I know Gwen was cringing, as I said before.

OK fans, we need to stop this immediately. Can we at least get him in the bottom three? If we don't do something soon, he's going to be the American Idol. So, we need to vote for everyone else many times. We've got to counteract the "Vote for the Worst" people. I know they are the ones throwing it all off. In fact, I was listening to 105.3 today & Big Dick Hunter(what a stupid name) said he had all his fans voting for Sanjaya and they put in at least 1000 votes. I very quickly e-mailed him & told him he was an idiot, which he is.

I know I'm becoming obsessed,but it's not fair to those who are serious about the competition. Clearly, Sanjaya knows what's going on & is playing right into it. I think I might make a get rid of Sanjaya website tomorrow and spread the word.

Hopefully Chris will get a record deal or something & at least we'll see him on tour.

Keep your fingers crossed for next week!

American Idol Review 5

We're into the top 10! Gwen Stefani proved to be a tough vocal coach. She certainly didn't sugar coat anything!

I was lucky enough to view Idol with a few friends last night, which always gives some extra insight to the contestants' performances.

The people I thought that did well last night were LaKisha, Gina, Phil, Melinda, Blake, and Chris R.

LaKisha and Melinda can definitely tackle Donna Summer songs and make them their own while doing a great job. I really think it's all going to come down to them. Gina was awesome. Great song choice! She definitely listens to the constructive criticism given. I really like that about her. Phil chose the right song & really made it sound great. I liked Blake's version of "Love Song" & I'm glad he showed off his voice & didn't beat box. I agree with Leah, that it could have been a little more up tempo. Chris R. really did a great job with "Don't Speak", I thought. I was worried at first, but I liked the more R&B feeling of the song.

Jordin was just OK for me last night, although the judges loved her. I guess it sounds different in the theater.

Sanjaya was horrible as usual. Don't even get me started on what Matt Lauer called a "fauxhawk". One clue for Sanjaya, if you're going to sing the guest vocal coach's song, you better know the words!!!! When he sang "Bathwater" it was completely unrecognizable to me. I'm sure Gwen was cringing every second of the performance. I swear, if Sanjaya does not go home tonight, I may have to stop watching. (We all know that won't happen.)

Haley just needs to try out for season 2 of "Grease: You're the One that We Want"! She took Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors" and turned it into a Broadway ballad. It's not that she didn't sing well, she just is so forgettable & is not a pop star, if I'm being honest. (Read that last part with a British accent. :) )


Chris, Chris, Chris....I really like Chris Sligh, but he just took on a song that was too difficult for him. It's so rhythmic & syncopated that less than a week's worth of practicing probably wouldn't do it. I hate that because I really like him. I guess they all have their bad moments. Let's hope it isn't his last night.


Two other things...

One, why do they have to end most of the songs with a "Love Boat" arrangement. I can't describe it any other way, but that. They all seem to end the same way & I hate it.

Two, has anyone heard or gotten Elliot Yamin's album? It's great!! Get it!!

Check back after results!!

American Idol Results03.23.07

I'm a little late on my comments for the results show. It took me a bit to "cool off" about Sanjaya. Has everyone in America gone deaf? He absolutely should have gone home this week & should never have sung a Kinks song. I'm sure when the band members (whichever ones are still alive) heard that song they just cringed. The Today show called him the "Comeback Kid". Everyone is talking about how well he did. Am I in an episode of the Twilight Zone? He "sang" the song completely off key. It was awful. Stephanie may not have had her best night, but she is more talented than he is. Now I will have to see him on the tour. Looking on the bright side, that's when I'll be able to get drinks without missing anything!

American Idol Review 4

British Invasion night: ugh! Notice not one person chose a Beatles song. I wonder if that was because they didn't want to touch them or if there's some licensing/copyright issue there. Not my favorite theme night, although I thought Lulu in particular gave some great constructive criticism.

So, I'll go in order and mix good and bad this week.

Haley, I thought was weak. She obviously has trouble making those notes staccato like Lulu suggested. She gets an A for effort, though. She definitely tried to do that. She was off in some places & sounded out of breath. Not my favorite.

Chris R. had great control & picked the right song. I liked how he changed up the song a little to be more contemporary, but didn't lose the melody as so many did last week.

Stephanie did OK. I actually like that song, but I'm not convinced it was the perfect song for her. I have been writing in my notes each week that she has a Beyonce quality to her voice...

Blake was great. I really love how he didn't make the same mistake as last week, but put his spin on the "Time of the Season." Perfect song for him. I agree with Paula; that song could be popular today.

LaKisha made a mistake. She should have taken Lulu's advice about the song choice. She did a great job & was very controlled, but I think the other song was perfect for her.

Phil's song, I hated! He did ok, but I don't like that song & Simon is right, Phil doen't have that "edge" to his voice. I believe he called it grit. Chris Daughtry or Bo Bice could have handled that song well.

Jordin is amazing for any age, but it's insane that she's only 17. Great job with a hard song. Simon's comment was kind of dumb, though. If she made him feel like he should jump off a bridge, then she did her job with the song! It was supposed to be gloomy & depressing. It is called, "I Who Have Nothing"!!!

Do I need to say anything about Sanjaya??? He better go this week. What would ever think he could take on "You Really Got Me?" by the Kinks????? Talk about not having any grit! He should have taken the advice of Peter Noone and sing a more "poppy" song! It was awful & the judges were not that critical about him. Maybe they are trying some reverse psychology on middle America???? I can't have him in the top ten. I absolutely don't want to see him on the tour this summer. Although, if he was there, it would be a good time to go and get drinks....

Gina chose a good song for her personality. She was off in places. Will the rest of America get it? I thought she sounded a little like Cher in a few places. I want to see more of her.

Chris S. picked a great song. I think he did a great job & I'm glad he listened to the criticism last week.

Melinda was amazing. She really worked that song, starting so quiet & sweet in the beginning & then working up to the finale. She is just awesome. I agree with the judges on their comments.

We'll see what happens. OK, the little girl, Ashley, in the audience,,,,that's so me! I was like that as a child & still like that as an adult. I get so emotional over music, etc. that it makes me cry. (Many of you already know this!) I can totally understand that little girl's feelings.

Just a side note, Elliott Yamin's album is out today! It's on iTunes also & is really great!

Check back tomorrow night for recap of results show.

Answer to the question!

OK, they showed the vote for the worst website on the Today show this morning. Also, Howard Stern is promoting voting for the worst. So, that's the answer to how Sanjaya is getting the votes.

So, what this means to real Idol fans is...VOTE! Make sure you vote several times for your favorites. Or, maybe we should all just vote for everyone except Sanjaya! I don't sound too obsessed, do I? :)

American Idol Results03.14.07

I ask the question again....WHO IS VOTING FOR SANJAYA? Is there some warehouse with a bunch of phones with a million lines that people are manning? I can just picture the headline for the scandal when it comes out... OK, maybe that's a little far-fetched, but there's no way that he got more votes. Too bad Brandon forgot his words last night. I bet if he didn't Sanjaya would have been on the chopping block.

For goodness sake, I could have sung his song better and that's not saying much! Next week, he better go. Unbelievable!

By the way, was it just me or did Diana Ross not sing very well? Maybe it was song choice!

Karen...out. :)

American Idol Review 3

OK, the theme for the night should have been "Forgotton Lyrics and Crazy Arrangements."
I think a subtheme for the night could be Randy's comment, "I don't think it's your best, but it was ok." It was something like that with some other comment about how it didn't sound like her songs. I can't quite remember how he put it. Newsflash, none of these songs should be sung by anyone but Diana Ross (with the exception of Melinda & LaKisha). She's pretty distinctive & no one is going to sound like her.

Where do I start? Good news or bad news? We'll go with the bad news first.

What is up with Brandon? He's a good singer. I think the nerves got to him.
Chris Sligh...I really like him, so I cringed at the syncopated "Endless Love." Hats off to him for trying to do something different with it, although I wrote down that it sounded like Coldplay. I think Randy said the same thing.
Sanjaya just doesn't have it & it is a crime that Sundance didn't have his spot this week. I'm still in mourning over that. I'm not taking my black armband off until Sanjaya goes. :)
Haley did better this week, but still was off-key & we know she forgot words. Simon must have felt badly for her, those comments were so out of character for him.
Blake...I really like him too. Totally agree with Randy, not enough vocals.
Chris R. sounded nervous, but not bad.

Good news next...
Melinda was wonderful as usual. (As I was watching, I jotted in my trusty notebook, "Sounds like Gladys Knight." Simon said the same thing. I still say they need a fourth regular judge....)
Gina chose a good song. I liked it, so I disagree with Randy. She's really strong & I like her attitude.
Phil did better this week. I thought he chose a good song.
LaKisha....WOW. She had awesome control (also written in my notebook before any judges said anything). For those Idol Junkies, you may remember Mikayla Gordon sang the same song during her season. She did an awesome job, I thought. I think that's the song that went on the Idols' soundtrack.
Stephanie...It's hard to believe she's only 19. I thought she had a very "Beyonce" sound tonight. I really like her. I thought it was a good song choice & she was strong. I agree with the judges on waiting for the more up tempo part of the song.
Jordin is amazing for 17. I thought the song sounded a little too "movie soundtrack", but she was still very strong. I think Simon said it sounded, "Gooey."

So, prediction....I think only one goes home now. Is that right? I think it's got to be Sanjaya or Brandon. We'll see.


On another note...has anyone ever heard the word "pronunciate"? Just checking. Get Ms. Ross a dictionary!!!

American Idol Results03.08.07

Are you kidding????? You know what I'm going to say. How did Sanjaya get enough votes to stay in? Sundance is by far the better singer of the two. This is just wrong, wrong, wrong! On the women's side, Haley should be gone. Sabrina is much more worthy of being in the top twelve. What happened??? At least Antonella went home, but I am heartbroken about Sundance. So I predicted one person correctly. I'm losing my touch! More Idol next week.

American Idol Review 2

It's definitely going to be a woman idol this year. They are soooo much stronger than the men! A league above! I also feel that I could be the 4th judge on the show. I take notes while watching ( I know a little obsessive) & as the contestants sing, I write down my thoughts on the song choice, the actual performance, etc. On most, I could read the judges words almost verbatim. Funny. I'll keep waiting for the fourth judge position to become available.

OK, down to business. The men were in a word, boring, last night. The 3 that I liked were the following: Blake, Sundance, & Chris S. Not all perfect performances, but somewhat memorable. Blake chose the correct song for his style, despite some of the off-key parts. I still thought he was true to himself & showed a younger style. (I was also proud of myself when Randy said he didn't know who or what that song was & I shouted to the TV, "It's 3-11!" It made me feel just a little more with it.)
I think Sundance chose a good song, but it wasn't perfect. I hope he'll be in the top 12. I'm sure with a little direction he will really shine. Chris Sligh was the best of the night. He just did a great job with his song. I didn't know what song it was, but I really liked it.
The rest were OK. Sanjaya...I'm going to die of boredom watching him. Don't even get me started on the fact he should not be here this week.... Jared is good, but it's so hard to pick a Stevie Wonder song. Leave Stevie out of it!
I think that Sanjaya and Brandon will go home tomorrow.


A lot more to say about the women. My favorites, and not necessarily in this order, are Stephanie, LaKisha, Gina, and Melinda. Stephanie picked a great song. That is absolutely one of my favorites, whether Chaka Khan or Mary J. sings it. It's just such a great song. Stephanie did a great job putting some of her own touches into it, so I didn't totally agree with the judges on that. I keep forgetting that she is so young with her great stage presence. What do I need to say about LaKisha? She brought tears to my eyes. She has permission to take on Whitney!! Gina was great tonight, I thought. She's very powerful and I really just like her personality. I think she chose a great song tonight. Melinda was truly the best of the night. She has an amazing voice & when she gets on stage, it's like she's playing a role. I just think she's wonderful. I predict her to be one of the top 2, if not the winner.
The rest of the women were pretty good. I just felt that most of them were nothing special, as Randy said, they didn't have the "Yo!" Admittedly, Antonella did better tonight; she definitely picked a better song than previous weeks. Again, how is she still here? She cannot compare to the other strong perfomers. Haley's song was cheesy & not a stand out at all. She strikes me as a Disney World singer or something. Can't you just see her performing as Cinderella or Snow White? She has a good voice, but she is not the American Idol. That will be due to poor song choice. I think that Antonella & Haley will go home tomorrow.

At this point, I'm looking ahead to the top 12 so I can see who will be singing on tour this summer. Hopefully, all my favorites. Until tomorrow night, Karen....out. :)

American Idol Results03.01.07

One question...Who voted for Sanjaya & Antonella??? OK, yesterday I said that no white girl should scat sing, but Leslie is by far the better singer than Antonella. And AJ????? He is by far stronger than Sanjaya. Maybe it was the song. Leslie & AJ sang the same song I just realized tonight. Very different versions, but nevertheless the same song. I am very surprised that Sanjaya & Antonella escaped. Maybe next week. I guess when you think about it, Bucky stayed in last season & made it to the top 10. He should have gone early too. At least Alaina went. I felt bad for Nick. I kind of liked him, but Simon was right, he didn't stand out.

Just a side note, Elliott Yamin's album is released on March 20th. He has one song out now, "Movin' On". I like it. Can't wait to download the whole thing. I just love him!