Idol Nasty Thoughts 3/28

Dean said the following about yesterday’s terrible American Idol show:

Okay, so this episode sucked. I think part of it is simply that if you pick songs that have been released only in the last 5 years, then, you’re very limited. don’t know what the classic familiar songs of this decade will be because we’re still too close to it. Also, as much as people make fun of him, Barry Manilow probably helped last week, since he really is a world-class producer and arranger (entirely outside his own work, which I don’t care for, I recognize his talent).

On his 2nd point, I agree. Barry Manilow helped the Idol contestants alot because of his superb production and arranging skills. But I disagree with his 1st point. No, you aren’t limited by songs released in the last 5 years. Your limited because of the abundance of poorly arranged and poorly produced music that has been released the last 5 years in America. We have digressed musically in America (especially in the pop, R&B, and rock genres). Everything is so cookie-cutter, empty, and/or safe. Most of these “popular” music producers can barely play a musical instrument or read music. Melodies? Blah! I even heard a stupid music reviewer for Rolling Stone magazine criticize a song for being “stupidly melodic” and not being “empty enough”. What the @#$%?!?!!?!

Anyone who watched American Idol last week saw the great performances and then saw what bad songs can do to good singers this week. It makes the singers dumb down themselves and come off looking bad. That’s why Mandisa seemed out of breath. Why Paris had to resort to some “sexy jiggles” (now I like “sexy jiggles” but c’mon Paris). Why Katherine was boring. Why Chris just sounded blah blah same. So on and so forth.

But there is great music being made in America and around the world. I’m not just talking jazz. I’m talking great R&B, pop, and rock. But it is sadly underexposed. Artists such as Finland’s Quintessence; the UKs Incognito, D’Nell, and Swing Out Sister; Japan’s Soulhead; Canada’s Ivana Santilli; and right here at home with P.J. Morton, Brad Mehldau, and Cassandra Wilson. I’ve barely nicked the surface of great music artists that are making great music today but are pushed to the back. One can only hope a change is gonna come…

[zing! to Dean Esmay]

Comments are closed.