The eye of the lens

"I'll come back stronger, can't help but remember
That it's easy when it's done being hard"

~ Axium (David Cook's old band), "Therapy"

why be a song when you can be a symphony
don't give your power away, don't give your power away
-believe, booth & the bad angel

I just got a full-time editing/writing job!

This is a test of the Blog It for iPhone broadcasting network. Had this been an actual post, there would be actual content.

Lots of tasty cookies, cookies for meeeee! And youuuuu! :D

I knew he'd make it. For weeks, I've had this feeling in my gut. Once again, my favourite makes it to the finale! I just hope he fares better than my previous horses. :) And I have to say that I loved the way he got all teary-eyed again, and the fact that his brother Andrew (the reason Cookie is even on Idol) got to be in the spotlight for a moment. I hope Andrew tries out again next year. :)

I may add photos to this post once I get home. In the meantime, CONGRATULATIONS TO DAVID COOK, AI FINALIST!

I have pogo-brain, so I've just copied and edited my LJ comments about last night's Idol. You have no idea how scattered my brain has been lately.

Admittedly I'm biased, but if David Cook can make a fuckin' Roberta Flack song interesting, then he deserves to win, OK? Simon Cowell is some kind of evil genius for picking that song for him to do. I could kiss Simon for it. I was hoping he'd be the one to pick Cookie's song. I've only been watching since season 5, but Simon seems to be the one with the best picks on top 3 night. Could be related to the fact that Simon is right about 99.999% of the time. ;) After "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," I melted, then regrouped for "Dare You To Move" (which was less than fantastic, but not bad), and then melted again on "Don't Want To Miss A Thing." It's a cheesy song, but he showed why he is already a rock star. He even got the best light show, as if the powers that be want him to win. I got the mp3s from the LJ community and have listened to them a few times. "Dare You To Move" is actually better than it came off on TV. "Your Face" is making me all verklempt this a.m. in my cubicle - hard to get any work done. LOL. My non-Idol watching friends and my friends who are casual viewers are unanimous in their admiration for Cookie and all of them seem to want him to win.

I loved the fact that Randy chose Alicia Keys for Syesha, because she did an excellent job with it. I thought she was great on "Fever" - it's one of the hottest songs ever, and I don't care if it's "cabaret" (I must be a fan of "cabaret" performances, because those are the only times I seem to disagree with Simon). They just threw her under the bus with that song about penguins or whatever. She deserved better than that. I used to want a David & David finale, but I've started to like Syesha more every week for the last month and Archie has bored me to tears nearly every time. A Cookie/Syesha finale is not going to happen; I predict Syesha will go tonight.

Paula chose a snoozeworthy song for a snoozeworthy contestant. It was Billy Joel, I've heard it a lot, but I can't remember the title anymore. Archie's decision to sing Chris Brown... what was THAT all about? Caucausians should not sing or say the words "My boo" without irony, and Archie doesn't have an ironic bone in his body. :D Basically, Archie is a one-trick pony who can't do the uptempo songs like he tried to do with whatever that Chris Brown was. I think he screwed up the words at one point, but no one really called him on any of his flaws (maybe a bit in Simon's critique). Of course they didn't. I don't even remember the name of the Dan Fogelberg song that the producers chose for him - again, I've heard the song many times, but never knew what it was called and I still don't. "Longer?" Anyway, who needs Ambien? Nobody who watches Archie.

Cookie has beat Archie in the votes before, if Ryan is to be believed - he said last week that three of the top four had been top vote-getters in the competition, and I'm willing to bet that when he did "Billie Jean," Cookie was the winner of the night. So if he has a show-stopper next week like he did on "Hello" or "Billie Jean" (or "Eleanor Rigby" or "Music of the Night"), then I think he can win. Anecdotally? No one I know talks about Archie anymore, but if they have a favourite, it's Cookie. If he's the runner-up, well, that never hurt Clay Aiken any. :)

This... is Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night! I know there are people who find some of the song choices questionable. I say that all of these songs did indeed have an impact on the course of rock history. Duran Duran is one of the most enduring and beloved '80s bands, with both commercial and critical acclaim; Creedence Clearwater Revival and later Tina Turner had an evergreen with Proud Mary; Bob Marley is undeniable; Stand By Me is admittedly boring in the wrong hands, but a real classic; the Who are just rock gods that I dare anyone to question; Sam Cooke is another genius; Bob freakin' Dylan (though there could've been a better song); and Elvis. How could anyone have an issue with any of this? I just don't get that. On with the shewww!

David Cook - Hungry Like The Wolf: I was hopeful that he would do this song on Year You Were Born night, so I was excited to see it. I don't know what the judges were smoking, because I loved it. The man can't rearrange both songs for the week, given how little rehearsal time they get and how many other things they have to do. Anyway, it was smexy and he really played up the prowling. There were sound issues that made his voice much louder than the band, and I think he was holding back in order not to sound shouty. He knows what he's doing and I have faith in his ability to learn from any screwups and improve upon them. Good job, Cookie!

Syesha Mercado - Proud Mary: I saw this one coming a mile away. She really has blossomed, but I felt this was "a bit karaoke," as Simon loves to say. And as Paula would say, she looked beautiful. I see a bit of Beyonce in her. There's no denying her vocal talent; she just needs to connect emotionally.

Jason Castro - I Shot The Sheriff: I was expecting some Bob Marley from him, but I hoped it would be better than this. That was just a mess. He obviously didn't take it seriously enough to work on his performance.

David Archuleta - Stand By Me: This is the first time I've actually liked one of his performances in about eight weeks. It was still a little yawny for me, but his voice sounded beautiful. He's still being hyped to the stratosphere.

David Cook - Baba O'Riley: That's what I'm screamin'! Hale yay-uh! Oh lordy, this was a Moment. I wish the judges had acknowledged that he accomplished another solid arrangement of an iconic song. This is one that I would've considered untouchable for anyone else, but when he said in his pre-performance interview clip that he was doing this song, my heart raced in elated antici.............pation. He sounded fantastic, he looked heart-stoppingly gorgeous, he had all the right moves, and even the lighting and camera angles were perfect. I want to watch this one again and again, and please, gods, let this be the studio recording that they'll sell on iTunes this week! I would do just about anything to hear Cookie do the full song, because the opening of the song was left off in the performance and it's one of the most exciting song openings I've ever heard. I feel a powerful sense that David Cook is going to be a star. His voice is beautiful and he connects viscerally with every word he sings. Cookie, I can't stop loving you.

Syesha Mercado - Change Is Gonna Come: I understand where Randy was coming from, as it did seem that Syesha was forcing it at various points throughout the song. This is a legendary song with a powerful meaning. She needed to take it to church, and I think she just got to the front steps. Again, her technique is wonderful but, for an actress, she sure isn't feeling the songs. I was a little offended that she kept equating her personal changes throughout the competition to the revolutionary civil rights movement that inspired this song. Having said that, I nearly cried myself when she openly wept after Paula's praise.

Jason Castro - Mr. Tambourine Man: ...erm... wow. I've never seen anyone fsck up this badly in the top 24, let alone top 4. It was as shocking as any of Brooke's flubs. He's apparently skipping out on rehearsals, if rumours are true, and that was obvious when he completely forgot at least one line of the song. If he doesn't go home tonight, there is no justice in the Idol world.

David Archuleta - Love Me Tender: Again, I don't know what the judges were smoking. This was the most soporific version of this song I've heard in my life. I couldn't even pay attention, as I had already started voting (the lines open during the last song, and I can usually get in about 20 votes before the show ends). He is just a modern Christopher Cross, but without the songwriting ability. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I feel nothing when he sings and I can't stand his mannerisms, the way he stands and the way he holds the mic and scrunches up his face in such an act of earnestness. I'm not sure what it is that makes him look like he's about to start preaching at me (or take a dump).