I just got done watching 300 again, and MAN do I love this flick!!!!
Yes, it has a lot of gore, which isn't generally my bag, but the historical significance, coupled with Frank Miller's storytelling and the beautiful artwork make this a classic to behold.
So enjoyable...So very Enjoyable.
On the exact opposite plain was last nights American Idol...
First of all, It's always a dagger to the heart of the contestant when Paula Says " You look beautiful tonight..." it tells them that what's next to come is gonna suck from both her, and Simon right after.
So let me start by saying this...American Idol, with that pretty new stage of yours, you looked beautiful last night.
But the way 80% of the contestants butchered the virtual gimme that was the Lennon/McCartney songbook, wow...just, wow.
It's Lennon/McCartney! It's The Beatles! These are the greatest songs in Rock, and arguably MUSIC history. How so many could fuck them up SO badly is unbelievable. it's brings a tear to my Eye...let's just get started on the review, so I can get over with it.
First of all, did anyone else find it funny that like six contestants said that "Yesterday" was their favorite Beatles song in thier interview packages, and yet NOBODY performed it? Awesome.
I'm not gonna go into a full blown column of who did what here, Because, well I don't want to. I just want to talk in depth about Six of the Twelve contestants: Chikieze, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Cook, David Archuleta, and Kristy Lee Cook. The rest we're too on the average side of Good or awful.
First, Chikieze's version of "She's a woman" was exactly the right song to take and put it in a different style. His County-no-just-kidding-Rock version of the song was so much fun I watched again this afternoon and smiled. And since it's plucked right off the Beatles '65 B-Side album... nobody would cry too much if it was twisted a tad. That's the Joy of B-Sides. and I'm okay with interpretations in different styles of music of songs, just as long as the original intent of the song is relayed. "She's a Woman" is a fun song, and Chikieze had fun with it. Kudos!
On the other side of this Coin is the trainwreck Kristy Lee Cook. Her Country-no-just-kidding-Hootenanny verion of "Eight Days a Week" was so bad I just wanted for one of the over produced Pink shooting starts that were going off behind her on the background to miss it's orbit and crack her in the head so she would stop. (By the way, that is the first time that it think the obnoxiously bad backgrounds we're better than the performer itself.) If she just HAD to super countrify a song, she would have been so better off taking one of the beatles already kinda country-esque songs like "Act Naturally" or "I've Just Seen a Face" and rock those out in that style than taking a classic like "Eight Days a Week".
Now I have to apologize to someone here. Carly, I'm sorry. There I said it. I still think you have no business being on this show, but your version of "Come Together" was so good tonight that I will apologize for saying you are awful. It was very reminiscent of (Dare I invoke the Holy Idol Name? Okay, I shall) Kelly Clarkson. Keep doing stuff like that, and you just might win my favor one day... might.
Someone who has already won my favor, and not because she's smoking hot in her Faux-Virginity, but also because I really dig her musical vibe, is Brooke White. "Let It Be" is one of my favorite Beatles songs... and until I saw "Across the Universe", I never thought that anyone could match Paul's Intensity. After that movie, I had two favorite versions of an awesome song. Now, I have three. She poured so much of herself into that song last night that she burst into tears at the end and had to get a hug from Ryan to calm her down. Didn't change the song at all. Just sat at the piano and worked it out. Fan-Fucking-Tastic.
Also really good tonight, and has been since he rocked out the un-rockable song "Hello" last week was David Cook and His rocked-out version of "Eleanor Rigby". I can't wait until he gets a band behind him and go on tour with Daughtry, because that will be one really great Idol-Alum based Rock Tour.
And finally, What the fuck happened to David Archuleta last night? Did we finally see his Achilles Heel? I mean, it's not like he can't kick ass on songs written by a beatle... he Killed singing "Imagine". But then, to go through the ENTIRE Lennon/McCartney Songbook, and pull out one of the weaker songs they had, and then doing the F-ING STEVIE WONDER VERSION of the song? and then, on top of that, he missed quite a few notes and then performs Idol Sin number one, Forgetting the lyrics of the song 3 times???? Et Tu, D-Arch? were you trying to commit Idol Suicide there, kiddo? Or was this just your youth finally showing through. And don't tell me it's the stage, because YOU WON ON STAR SEARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!!!ELEVENT-ONE!!!!!WTFBBQ!
Sheesh!
Okay, quicky comments on the rest:
Syesha Mercado: You are not Jordin Sparks. pick a good song and just fucking sing it. "Got To Get You Into My Life" is not that song, and your smile can't save you forever.
Ramiele Malubay: Just, No. Way to wreck a gimme like "In My life", One of John's best works.
Jason Castro: I like this dude, and liked his version of "If I Fell"...but it wasn't nearly as good as "Hallelujah" was last week.
David Hernandez: His version of "I Saw Her Standing There" was crappy.
Amanda Overmyer: Blues rock is your thing... but sadly, You can't sing anything else. still " You Can't Do That" was a good song choice for you, even though I didn't understand a work you said.
Michael Johns: "Across The Universe" is a great song. You are awful. P.S. You aren't Jim Morrison, and you vibrato is annoying at best.
Enough Blogging. I'm gonna go do laundry again.
-G
