Before you read this, a warning. These performances are not ranked, and I am sure uproar will ensue as to the inclusion or exclusion of certain performances - I haven't put Anthony Callea in, I just noticed. I know everyone won't like this list, but Idol is subjective, and when I hit Youtube to look up old Idol classics, these are a few of the ones I turn to most. Here are ten performances in no particular order - complete with corresponding videos - to keep that Idol fix at bay for a while.
1. Guy Sebastian - Climb Every Mountain
Idol's original king now has four albums in the bag; he almost blew the competition out of the water early on with his version of When Doves Cry, and then hit the pinnacle with - strangely - a number from Rodgers and Hammerstein. Holden went Touchdown and there was no way anyone was beating the man with the 'fro. The vid is worth watching solely to see Mark Holden's outfit, Marcia Hines' crazy whooping, and Dicko's ghastly hair.
2. Natalie Gauci - Man In The Mirror
Yeah, she's disappeared back into relative obscurity, but this performance, arguably, was the one that put her into the Idol-lover's consciousness. A slow, yet gloriously soulful portrayal of Jacko's smash, this was the first of Natalie's piano "interpretations", which included Rihanna's "Umbrella" and standing on the instrument itself for the Divinyls' "Boys In Town". Brilliant.
3. Chanel Cole - When I Get Low, I Get High
Chanel Cole is possibly my favourite contestant on Australian Idol, ever. Period. Why she was never offered any kind of record deal beyond her collaboration with fellow Idoler and sometime boyfriend Daniel Belle (Spook: The Dusk Sessions) is beyond me. Word is she's now working in Canberra as a receptionist. Ah, how sad. Nevertheless, I still rate this as probably the greatest Idol audition the Australian competition has ever seen: a divine voice with just the right amount of whimsy. Perfect.
4. Jessica Mauboy - Beautiful
The previous week she was labelled a Jelly Belly by the porkiest member of the judging panel, Kyle Sandilands, following a scorching performance of Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away". So what did she do? Sang Christina Aguileira, dang. It may have been cliched and almost too corny, but that was all forgotten when she hit some absolutely spine-chilling notes as the song reached its climax. A truly deserved touchdown.
5. Damien Leith - Crying
Dee-diddly-dee-potatoes! Damien Leith, who won Idol without Australian citizenship, melted the hearts of many a female with his swooning falsetto throughout season 4, despite his terrible teeth. "Crying" showcased Damien at his best - a soaring vocal, heartfelt performance and the first of two touchdowns in one evening, something never seen before, or since, on the show. Apparently even Roy Orbison's family were calling for a recording of the performance afterwards.
6. Bobby Flynn - The Boy Had Trouble
Known best perhaps for his eerie resemblance to Sideshow Bob, strange Bobby wooed the judges with this sensational acoustic performance of his original song. Marcia's jarring comment that it "was the best song I've ever heard" seems somewhat farfetched, but it's an undeniably understated, pretty melody backed by an almost flawless vocal here. Somehow, Bobby managed a touchdown on the Disco Week show; but was hit, as Ben McKenzie would be the following year, by the "Ricki-Lee 7th Place Curse". Ahh, such is life.
7. Paulini Curuenavuli (please tell me I spelt that correctly) - Freeway of Love
Paulini's a bit of a sad story as far as Idol's concerned. Undoubtedly the best vocalist in Season 1, but without the charisma of Guy, the ocker appeal of Shannon and the...the...something of Cosima, she finished fourth. After a successful first album and a devastatingly unsuccessful second, she joined the Young Divas. Big mistake. Now she's in limbo-land, having reportedly left the group. Despite its cheesiness, and Paulini's hideous costume, this was a stunning vocal performance, rightly rewarded with Holden's early version of the touchdown.
8. Emily Williams - I'm Every Woman
Season Three, as all Idol fans will tell you, was the worst of the lot. A genuine lack of ostensible talent; Kyle Sandilands' terrible hair - oh, woe betide me. Runner-up Emily Williams provided a few bright spots, however; whether you like vocal gymnastics or not, this was a powerhouse version of a big, big song. Unfortunately, the performance is unavailable on Youtube: hit www.australianidol.com.au/video.html instead to have a look. And do. It's worth it.
9. Casey Donovan - Beautiful
I still maintain that Casey Donovan is a great musician. I still do. No matter how much hate is dished out towards Idol's most corpulent victor, you only need to watch the video below to understand how much talent Casey Donovan possessed. Sadly, too much KFC and smoking lost Casey a record deal, but this performance, along with "Special Ones" and "Here's Where I Stand", rank among the all time greats of Australian Idol. I hope that wherever she is she's losing weight and making music, because she's got skills. Like, serious vocal skillzzz.
10. Matt Corby - The Blower's Daughter
Ahh, Matt Corby. The campest sixteen year old churchgoer in Australia. Unfortunately, Matt's constantly hideous wardrobe selections often masked his undeniable musical talent - he really was something of a prodigy. On Acoustic night he stripped himself back and wore a simple "flanno", and it worked. No Touchdown for Corby on this night, but he won a place in the hearts of more than just the screaming tweenyboppers. Fantastic stuff.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Australian Idol....yeah, lame, I know...
Howdy hey hey hey!
What a hectic year I've had so far; it's gone so terribly fast. I am now officially an adult; I now know there's no such thing as a school night; and university, and college particularly, has opened me up to so many amazing people and places.
But amongst all this, I've still managed to find some time this year to have a squiz at Australian Idol.
Yes, Australian Idol. That musical institution known for blandness and mediocrity; heavily criticized by "real musicians", and perhaps with good reason. No Idol anywhere in the world, other than Kelly Clarkson and Leona Lewis (who is actually an alumnus of British spin-off "The X-Factor") have achieved what you could call genuine worldwide success. I'll admit to having more than a soft spot for last year's winner, Natalie Gauci; but as yet, she's not released any kind of follow up album, almost a year after her victory.
Nevertheless, it's Australian Idol. It is trashy, bogan, mind-numbing, glorious television. And hasn't it produced some fabulous moments.
At college I am currently sans regular access to the TV - and certainly if I did want to go down and watch the box, there's no way I would make it out of the room alive if I announced I wanted to watch Australian Idol. Thankfully, most of the show is posted on the website, and in between readings on global diaspora and the French Revolution, I've been catching up on this year's crop of auditionees. Surprisingly, there actually appear to be some talented musicians out there who are still convinced that the Idol franchise is an avenue to musical success.
From the auditions I've seen, here are three guys and three girls that have stood out to me as favourites so far. Bear in mind that the early auditionees are not always the best. Last year, my favourite audition was Brianna Carpenter's. Enough said.
Boys:
Wes Carr (Sydney): Wore a hat, which I find nauseatingly bogan, and was hidden under a mound of shaggy head and facial hair; but surprisingly, this guy "who's been gigging around forever" sounded good. Busted out the Jimi H to devastating effect (he even made Marcia Hines say "Jimm-ehhh!", which TOTES made my day), and Dicko graced him with a hug. The favourite to win already.
Mark Spano (Melbourne): Another one of those "gigging around forever" guys. Has had problems with his vocal chords and such but now he's ready to rock. His style's not what I'd go for; he sounds like he could potentially front one of those bland bands like Hinder or Nickelback, but I did like the song he sang. Another unbackable favourite for top 12-hood.
Tom Williams (Adelaide): I wasn't going to mention this guy, but he's all the rage already so I thought a comment was needed. Just to set the record straight for all those hyperventilating fifteen year old girls, he's not anywhere near as good as Matt Corby, who he's already receiving slightly too-favourable comparisons to. He looks like he's about eleven years old, and I'm undecided as to whether that will work for or against him. Nevertheless, he admittedly did show that he could carry a tune rather well; but all is set for a photoshoot at Dolly and a run on next year's season of Neighbours if his musical career doesn't work out.
Other guys that were reasonable enough were Vietnamese-Australian Thanh Bui, a former boy-bander who I'm sure could sing Celine Dion with his eyes closed; Matthew Parsons, who had possibly the worst hair ever seen, but sung the Goo Goo Dolls and Michael Buble and could play the didgeridoo (now that's versatility); and David Crump, a guy who won a cruise-ship karaoke contest and then decided to audition for Idol, and, surprisingly, actually had a half-decent voice.
Girls:
Bianca Long (Perth): She apparently suffers from bipolar, but seemed like the blandest, most nondescript girl I've ever seen. That was until she started singing, and I was genuinely impressed, possibly more than I have been for any other audition this season. Whether she can sing anything other than jazz and blues remains to be seen, but if this girl can write a song, she could potentially be Australia's answer to Adele. Watch out kids.
Sophie Paterson (London): Now, I know this girl only played an excerpt from one song, but I'll go out on a limb here and say that she's possibly one of the best songwriters the show has ever seen. Having said that, songwriting skills aren't exactly a guarantee for Idol success; Bobby Flynn and Marty Simpson are exhibits A and B. Nevertheless, this was a sublime audition, and Tina Arena was rightly impressed. Whether she can tackle disco is another matter.
Chrisalyn Hamilton (Brisbane): If you don't know her, she's the one from the ad. You know, the one from the ad. The big girl, who says "Can you feel it in your booooooooooooooones". She's got pipes, she's a total Aretha clone, but what I worry about is whether that's really marketable in 2008. Who actually releases records in the style of Aretha Franklin anymore? Blew Tarisai out of the water, in any case. She's young and it will be intriguing to watch her develop.
Other ones to watch include Roshani Priddis, an adopted Sri Lankan who sung some John Legend nicely, Nicole Banks from Melbourne, who, despite saying the word "like" far too many times for my liking (yeah, that was a pun), had an actual personality, a rarity on idol. Finally, keep your eye on Casey Freeman, from Nowhere Creek, who could barely string a sentence together. I wonder about her longevity in Idol and whether she can sing a rock or disco song, but in sitting on the floor with her guitar, she matched it with the best of them.
So that's a wrap, kids. I'll post again very shortly; I'm compiling a "Ten Great Australian Idol Performances List". Comment and debate please; until then, listen to Vampire Weekend and MGMT, go Cats and I'll see you soon.
Peace/love/ya/ya/ya
me.
What a hectic year I've had so far; it's gone so terribly fast. I am now officially an adult; I now know there's no such thing as a school night; and university, and college particularly, has opened me up to so many amazing people and places.
But amongst all this, I've still managed to find some time this year to have a squiz at Australian Idol.
Yes, Australian Idol. That musical institution known for blandness and mediocrity; heavily criticized by "real musicians", and perhaps with good reason. No Idol anywhere in the world, other than Kelly Clarkson and Leona Lewis (who is actually an alumnus of British spin-off "The X-Factor") have achieved what you could call genuine worldwide success. I'll admit to having more than a soft spot for last year's winner, Natalie Gauci; but as yet, she's not released any kind of follow up album, almost a year after her victory.
Nevertheless, it's Australian Idol. It is trashy, bogan, mind-numbing, glorious television. And hasn't it produced some fabulous moments.
At college I am currently sans regular access to the TV - and certainly if I did want to go down and watch the box, there's no way I would make it out of the room alive if I announced I wanted to watch Australian Idol. Thankfully, most of the show is posted on the website, and in between readings on global diaspora and the French Revolution, I've been catching up on this year's crop of auditionees. Surprisingly, there actually appear to be some talented musicians out there who are still convinced that the Idol franchise is an avenue to musical success.
From the auditions I've seen, here are three guys and three girls that have stood out to me as favourites so far. Bear in mind that the early auditionees are not always the best. Last year, my favourite audition was Brianna Carpenter's. Enough said.
Boys:
Wes Carr (Sydney): Wore a hat, which I find nauseatingly bogan, and was hidden under a mound of shaggy head and facial hair; but surprisingly, this guy "who's been gigging around forever" sounded good. Busted out the Jimi H to devastating effect (he even made Marcia Hines say "Jimm-ehhh!", which TOTES made my day), and Dicko graced him with a hug. The favourite to win already.
Mark Spano (Melbourne): Another one of those "gigging around forever" guys. Has had problems with his vocal chords and such but now he's ready to rock. His style's not what I'd go for; he sounds like he could potentially front one of those bland bands like Hinder or Nickelback, but I did like the song he sang. Another unbackable favourite for top 12-hood.
Tom Williams (Adelaide): I wasn't going to mention this guy, but he's all the rage already so I thought a comment was needed. Just to set the record straight for all those hyperventilating fifteen year old girls, he's not anywhere near as good as Matt Corby, who he's already receiving slightly too-favourable comparisons to. He looks like he's about eleven years old, and I'm undecided as to whether that will work for or against him. Nevertheless, he admittedly did show that he could carry a tune rather well; but all is set for a photoshoot at Dolly and a run on next year's season of Neighbours if his musical career doesn't work out.
Other guys that were reasonable enough were Vietnamese-Australian Thanh Bui, a former boy-bander who I'm sure could sing Celine Dion with his eyes closed; Matthew Parsons, who had possibly the worst hair ever seen, but sung the Goo Goo Dolls and Michael Buble and could play the didgeridoo (now that's versatility); and David Crump, a guy who won a cruise-ship karaoke contest and then decided to audition for Idol, and, surprisingly, actually had a half-decent voice.
Girls:
Bianca Long (Perth): She apparently suffers from bipolar, but seemed like the blandest, most nondescript girl I've ever seen. That was until she started singing, and I was genuinely impressed, possibly more than I have been for any other audition this season. Whether she can sing anything other than jazz and blues remains to be seen, but if this girl can write a song, she could potentially be Australia's answer to Adele. Watch out kids.
Sophie Paterson (London): Now, I know this girl only played an excerpt from one song, but I'll go out on a limb here and say that she's possibly one of the best songwriters the show has ever seen. Having said that, songwriting skills aren't exactly a guarantee for Idol success; Bobby Flynn and Marty Simpson are exhibits A and B. Nevertheless, this was a sublime audition, and Tina Arena was rightly impressed. Whether she can tackle disco is another matter.
Chrisalyn Hamilton (Brisbane): If you don't know her, she's the one from the ad. You know, the one from the ad. The big girl, who says "Can you feel it in your booooooooooooooones". She's got pipes, she's a total Aretha clone, but what I worry about is whether that's really marketable in 2008. Who actually releases records in the style of Aretha Franklin anymore? Blew Tarisai out of the water, in any case. She's young and it will be intriguing to watch her develop.
Other ones to watch include Roshani Priddis, an adopted Sri Lankan who sung some John Legend nicely, Nicole Banks from Melbourne, who, despite saying the word "like" far too many times for my liking (yeah, that was a pun), had an actual personality, a rarity on idol. Finally, keep your eye on Casey Freeman, from Nowhere Creek, who could barely string a sentence together. I wonder about her longevity in Idol and whether she can sing a rock or disco song, but in sitting on the floor with her guitar, she matched it with the best of them.
So that's a wrap, kids. I'll post again very shortly; I'm compiling a "Ten Great Australian Idol Performances List". Comment and debate please; until then, listen to Vampire Weekend and MGMT, go Cats and I'll see you soon.
Peace/love/ya/ya/ya
me.
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