Karaoke Forums

I forgive the singers on American Idol for picking the wrong songs to sing. I just saw the exit interview with David H...he said they only had 24 songs to pick from..his 1st pick was taken by someone else.
How can the judges say "you picked the wrong song" ?
I think it really sucks if that is the case every week..for example the 60's week had some pretty lame song picks, but, if they were given a restricted list how can the singers be blamed? It seems like the show can control the process by selecting a song list tailored for their favorites...why am I surprised?

Why waste your time watching that crap?

I've always found it disturbing when AI limits the universe of songs that contestants can sing to a particular artist.  It's even more annoying to now learn that the show then further restrict the selection of songs that can be chosen.  

There have been IMHO several previous incidents of artists that should never have been showcased, whose selection resulted in less than stellar performances on the part of most of the contestants; the Beatles weren't the first.

I think this has something to do with finding true talent - it is easy (relatively) for a person who sings the same song for years to do a great job on that song...or maybe they have 5 songs that they really have polished and do an excellent job with.

I have always thought that the whole flaw with karaoke contests was just that. In reality, to test a person's talent means you throw things at them that they wouldn't normally ever sing - and I think under those circumstances (like on AI), when they have been stuck with a song that they wouldn't have normally chosen, because someone else got it first, they are put in the position of really stretching the bounds of their talent...and this is taken into consideration by the judges (probably not by the general public who, as I understand, are the ones who vote?)

AI isn't about singing one song or one genre well, though of course all the winners have had their chosen genres. Personally I think AI is a just a vehicle for Simon to continue to make a ton of money - it is about ratings. There are very few who are positively impacted by their experience with the show.  Think about the number of people who have stars in their eyes, wait at the chosen audition location for hours, and are then told by someone who LOOKS AT THEM, says  you're not what we're 'looking for.'

Gotta give FOX and Simon credit for coming up with something that keeps the masses totally glued to their tubes ... and talking about it for hours on end with friends ... and dreaming about fame. So little of the whole thing involves singing...and no, I don't like running or participating in local karaoke contests either in case you didn't get that!  :oh yeah:

Every time I tune in to AI I find myself saying the same thing.  "Where's House?  This crap has pre-empted House again!"

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Okay, who took my pants?

Well MrD LOVES AI....period, but I also can't wait for house to start back up.  That show is hilarious.  Ready for another genre to hit though, enough Beatles!  Other than Law and Order(s), I watch about nothing else!
MrD

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[highlight=midnightblue]MrD - KJ/DJ Specialist
Visit MrD on facebook - mrdsentertainment
& on myspace - larrynance[/highlight]

AI went and did it again tonight and even Simon is wondering if it was such a fabulous idea to limit the evening to the Beatles, again.

Personally, I can't see any benefit to limiting the performers in such a way.  On the other hand, I wouldn't support that the polar opposite - no limitations as to what material can be selected.

I don't think anyone can judge a singer's talent if that singer is limited to songs they CANNOT sing, and when AI limits the choices, as it has done on occassion to one artist, that possibility is clearly in play.  

And, furthermore, while we surely would like the contestants to be challenged by singing material they have never done before, the limitation of choosing from the material of just one artist does not guarantee that outcome.  If one of the contestants is familiar with and has sung a song of the selected artist while the others have not, then that contestant has an unfair advantage.

I sing country, pop, standards, folk, reggaie, oldies, etc., but don't limit me to the Beatles, or to the Beach Boys, or to Stevie Wonder, or to AC/DC.... It doesn't make me less of a singer if I can't sing that material as well, don't enjoy doing that material ("can't connect to it"), or can't highlight my talent as much with one of those songs!

To just throw at song blindly at anyone in a contest is stupid.   How do you know the arrangement is in their vocal range?   Are you going to take the time to find the right key for the singer?

The whole AI thing is stupid.  As someone mentioned how many AIs have there been in the last how many years?    He is trying to make a lot of money from the TV show, trying to discover talent for him to make even more money.   You get to watch the losers and no talents as "entertainment."

In the old days you submitted a demo and the record producers reviewed it in private.    Here you get to publicly watch their humiliation.

As you have seen true vocal talent doesn't come from a TV show contest.     99.9% come from paying your dues in little dives and honky tonks for many years of starvation and dedication.   And being in the recording capitols as daytime waiters and waitress' and prostitutes.  AKA Governor Spitzers gal pal.

Yeah... I gotta say.... it sucks when they limit the song choices to just one artist... or group.

I like it when they get to choose from an entire genre or era. At least there's SOME variety there. listening to 12 contestants sing Beatles songs TWO nights is pretty frickin' boring if you ask me.


speakin of AI... anyone find that the judges are being particularily contradicting this year? I mean for one person they say "You should sing country" so she sings country and then it's "too country".

Then they tell one person to "get out of your comfort zone. You're too predictable" but they tell others to "Sing songs like the one you auditioned with. It's more YOU"

And another example: "You should change it up a bit, make it your own so you sound fresh and relevent" while another sings and they say "You over-sung it... try to stick to the original melody a little more. Don't change it too much"

Man.... I'd be about ready to strangle the judges if I were a contestant!

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I can think of very few major artists that have excelled in doing widely different styles of music.

Why should we expect non-pros to have a range of styles that is better than many professional highly sucessfull singers.

People specialize because they are good at one or another genre.

My total AI experience has been about 15 minutes of one show I watched about 3 years ago. (in addition to the media bombardment on other shows and the news).

The whole concept of picking the best is also silly.
How can one compare someone good at two widely different styles of music. It is going to be mainly personal music taste as well as the tallent.

Talent is talent and you can see that by the different singers at your shows.  Some people are exceptional and others are marginal.

Side, Crystal & Fred

Thanks for some great thoughts.  Particularly like Crystal's evaluation of the judges comments.

AI, it seems, is starting to take itself too seriously.  I didn't watch it much last year.  This year started off much better this year with the best talent so far of any year.  

Now I'm pretty much done with it

y'know I've heard a lot of people saying that the talent seemed to be bigger this year.... I dunno if I agree....

Usually there's a few singers who really jump out at me and who I'm a fan of from the very start.... but this year? I like one person at the beginning, then he/she start to go downhill (like the australian guy.) Then others who I never cared for are suddenly catchin my attention (like Brooke.)

The only one who I think has been pretty consistent is Carly (Can't remember her last name) The Irish one... I love her voice and her personality... she looks like a fun rocker chick with her tattoos and black hair.. the accent seems to help that image, but she sings these incredible ballads like nobody's business!! AND.. she's interesting to watch (it helps that she's gorgeous!) Somethin about her... makes me wanna hang out with her!

I'm SO glad Amanda, the rock n roll nurse is gone. She's another one I liked at the beginning, but holy crap.... her voice was startin' to grate on my nerves. There's NO way in hell I could buy an entire CD of just her voice.

MY TWO CENTS

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