Dave Karger and I address these issues of vital American (Idol) importance on the latest installment of Idolatry. Ch-ch-check out our two-parter, then post your own opinions in the comments section below!
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Comments (1-30) of 63 Add your comment
The KLC Godzilla robot almost made me choke on my soda. Thank you Slezak!
I am seriously tired of hearing people question Cook’s use of Cornell’s arrangement. Seacrest credited Cornell before Cook sang, and hardly anyone on AI has ever done a successful original arrangement outside of Blake Lewis. DC’s cover of a cover is no bigger deal than someone doing Joe Cocker’s version of “A Little Help from My Friends” or Tina’s version of “Proud Mary.”
David Cook is amazing. As long as it’s mentioned on the show that he is doing someone else’s cover, then I don’t see the big deal. And why is there no uproar about little Archuleta doing a cover. Double standard, much? Minutiae, you are 100% right.
Here’s the thing about David Cook and what the caller said: It’s not like when Fantasia sang “Summertime,” you immediately thought, “Oh, she’s doing Nina Simone.” Yes, the contestants are all doing cover versions of old songs. But what Cook does is slavish, note-for-note impersonations of *other people’s covers* and that’s why he’s a hack.
that was so great–the untouchable monster. great.
I love watching these things.
enough of the controversy already. as you all pointed out, isn’t EVERYONE doing a cover of SOMEONE??? even if they sing the original, they are COVERING someone else. credit was given where due, and no one did anything unethical. but isn’t that how it always is? if someone is doing well, pounce on them. thanks, slezak, for your amazing coverage week after week.
I loved those little docudrama’s you guys do and for the most part all of your comments are right on the money ! I am glad to know this little website exists I will def check back next week!
we know they are all essentially doing covers so it doesn’t bother me at all that david cook picks these rock covers for variations on the week’s theme. what kills me is how the judges then go on and on about how original he is. he is no more original than anyone else, he simply has a well-defined style and therefore a relatively narrow pool of interpretations to choose from. moreover, since those interpretations are not usually the best known version of the song, they sound original. but he–as an artist–is no more original than anyone else.
I think David Cook is brilliant. He is hands down the best performer this year. He has shown that he can sing and own the stage. He has no pitch problems DAWG (LOL) he is as good ore better than Chris Daughtry, and he doesn’t have the attitude Daughtry had that made me not like him. (THE I’M THE BEST I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU STUPID PEOPLE WOULD VOTE ME OFF ATTITUDE) HE’S HUMBLE TO AN EXSTENT BUT ALSO HAS THAT CONFIDANT SWAGGER OF A ROCK STAR. I THINK HE WILL DEFINITLY WIN IF ALL THOSE DAMN TWEENS DON’T BLOW UP THEIR PHONES VOTING FOR OTHER DAVID.
I think David Cook is brilliant. He is hands down the best performer this year. He has shown that he can sing and own the stage. He has no pitch problems DAWG (LOL) he is as good ore better than Chris Daughtry, and he doesn’t have the attitude Daughtry had that made me not like him. (THE I’M THE BEST I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU STUPID PEOPLE WOULD VOTE ME OFF ATTITUDE) HE’S HUMBLE TO AN EXSTENT BUT ALSO HAS THAT CONFIDANT SWAGGER OF A ROCK STAR. I THINK HE WILL DEFINITLY WIN IF ALL THOSE DAMN TWEENS DON’T BLOW UP THEIR PHONES VOTING FOR OTHER DAVID.
david shmavid
one is smug, while the other is guy smiley
David Cook is very talented. What I have a problem with is this pretentious notion that he’s doing anything OTHER than pop. Just because you have a guitar in the backgroud, you slow the pace down and slink around the stage doesn’t make you somehow more artistic or that different. I get sick of this notion that the rock that comes out of AI is some pristine art. It’s product, just like the pop rock fans so malign. It’s AI! You’re feeding from the same trough.
hey moroccomole that doesnt make him a hack that makes him a kick ass artist if he can impersonate every note that another artist can do, and by the way people just because simon said that dave cook was “brilliant” i think we can all come up with another term for it what do you think? work on it!
If you morons would actually go and listen to both versions of Billie Jean or whatever, you will see that they are not ‘note for note’. Cook added some suble changes on his own. Please end this stupid conversation and get back to more important things like say, world hunger?
Jill, I couldn’t disagree more. Daughtry himself in his pre-song interview credited The Chili Pepper’s for the version he sang of “Walk The Line” (which he sang brilliantly). Daughtry’s comments and credit got axed by the producers. Daughtry took huge criticism over this, so as I see it, Cook should get the same. And David Cook is just smug enough to want to take the credit for the Cornell arrangement of Billy Jean. Note all the talk in his interview about finding songs on iTunes, but failing to mentioning anything about how he came to find the lesser known version of Michael Jackson’s mega hit. I’ll give credit where credit is due, and do agree that Cook did sing the song very well, but I just can’t seem to find a liking for him. Cook makes Daughtry look humble to me !! I don’t think for one minute that Cook won’t look shocked if he finds himself in the Bottom 3 … I’d love to see that boy eat some humble pie.
i completely agree w/ u about kristi lees evil plan. what was up with that? i think that it doesn’t matter what she sings, she just has to get voted off. NOBODY VOTE FOR KRISTI LEE! GO BROOKE WHITE AND DAVID ARCHULETA!!!!!
i completely agree w/ u about kristi lees evil plan. what was up with that? i think that it doesn’t matter what she sings, she just has to get voted off. NOBODY VOTE FOR KRISTI LEE! GO BROOKE WHITE AND DAVID ARCHULETA!!!!!
Uhm, I think you wandered into the wrong site. We care about AI here, but when we want to post comments on world hunger we go elsewhere. Here’s two sites you can look at: http://fieldnotes.unicefusa.org/
or http://ifpriblog.org/ http://worldhunger.typepad.com/
Slezak – the KLC robot was brilliance – said it all. Scary stuff. Another thing – re David Cook, I think we’ve seen this guys confidence/stage presence soar, especially when compared with his early footage, and i don’t have a problem with that, considering his Billie Jean’s apparently been number 1 on iTunes (over Mariah Carey, etc) and all this must be heady stuff. There has been the buzz that off-stage he’s the most arrogant of the lot, and if true, that would be different, but I think of all the performers, he’s the one most held back by the confines of AI, and if his success/popularity continues, will be interesting to see how he plays the AI-requisite humble act. He’s not Daughtry yet, though, in my book.
KG–I’ve never heard anyone slammed for smiling too much. Hmmm.
I feel for David Archuleta these days. I loved him for the first two weeks of the competition–Shop Around/Imagine. Adorable, sings great. But since then, he’s still adorable but struggling. Song selection is everything in AI, and he just doesn’t seem to have the maturity/experience for it.
KG–I’ve never heard anyone slammed for smiling too much. Hmmm.
I feel for David Archuleta these days. I loved him for the first two weeks of the competition–Shop Around/Imagine. Adorable, sings great. But since then, he’s still adorable but struggling. Song selection is everything in AI, and he just doesn’t seem to have the maturity/experience for it.
double post. man, I hate that.
EW is milking this ’story’ for all it’s worth. It’s getting old really fast so please move on people.
So who’s gonna sing ‘I Will Always Love You’ next week? Sounds like a Rami move.
Suzanne – agree with you re David A. Also dislike how Seacrest has teased him – the girlfriend schmalz came across as unprofessional – and maybe a smarmy attempt by Stage Dad to dispel the gay rumors – all of which had no place in the competition (& cost David A a hunk of his tween fan base). David C got on-air kudos when Richie & Cornell liked his covers – but when Yoko Ono called re David A’s Imagine – not mentioned. Also not mentioned that he had strep throat when he flubbed the lyrics – and geez how they keep reminding us that he flubbed them with their vid clips. Haven’t repeated anyone else’s vocal mistakes like that. Strange.
i think one thing everyone has going for them this week (except for KLC) is that our expectations are incredibly lowered! So if anyone does pull off a Parton song well – it could mean a bigger than usual boost.
OK you know what??? David Archuletta over David cook!!! i love david Archuletta! but david cook is way to smug right now for me. He used to be really cool until he started getting good feed back. Then he started thinking “hey. i am really good” then he got all smug about it and now…. HE GETS ON MY NERVES!
re: retiring songs – SUPER IDEA!
Rami will definitely sing “I Will Always Love You.” Just another Mullaby Lullaby! she needs to change it up if she wants to stay in this competition! I can’t take another week of slow songs from her! I’ll explode!
Oh Lil, get over yourself! ‘SMUG’??
What are you, his best bud or something? You seem to know him so well!
You’re the one who’s smug.
Slezak and Karger, my EW crushes, in not only the same Idolatry, but a two-parter that also features subtitled Kristy Lee Cook robot footage? Heart be still! Best. Idolatry. EVER.