American Idol Top 6 – Season 11 – iTunes Studio Recording Review

by Rickey
April 26, 2012 at 3:26 am

Here are my reviews for American Idol Top 6 Season 11 iTunes Studio Recordings.

Looks like Skylar Laine is winning this on the live shows and the studio. But how about the vote? Plus, BDND™ FINALLY DELIVERS in the studio and Dave Matthews Dave Matthews lives lives!

Download: Music of Queen

Download: Contestant’s Choice

The reviews:

Hollie Cavanagh – Save Me

This was very good. A good song choice from Hollie – it fits her singing style and voice. Basically, she should sing simple melodies that don’t put a strain on her.

Rating: 3/5

Watch Hollie’s live peformance

Skylar Laine – The Show Must Go On

Skylar can pretty much sing anything. She’s definitely going to record at the end of this win or lose. And I think country music fans will get behind her. I didn’t think I would appreciate nasally singing, but Skylar is making it happen, LOL.

Rating: 4/5

Watch Skylar’s live performance

Joshua Ledet – Crazy Little Thing Called Love

This started out with restraint, then he let go. Omigosh, I think Joshua is finally getting it! Has he been reading my reviews??? Are you Joshua? This was good.

Rating: 3/5

Watch Joshua’s live performance

Phillip Phillips – Fat Bottomed Girls

This was surprisingly good! I know a lot of people really hate Phillip, but this is not bad at all. I really liked it. He’s an acquired taste – and for fans who have tasted the sweet ambrosia nectar, it tastes good!

Rating: 3/5

Watch Phillip’s live performance

Jessica Sanchez – Bohemian Rhapsody

Gah. She takes on one of the most iconic songs of Queen and applies her heartless singing to it. How can we fix her? I’m at a loss. This was so dry, I couldn’t believe this song could actually be boring.

Rating: 3/5

Watch Jessica’s live performance

Elise Testone – I Want It All

Elise sounds great on this. Good job. Unfortunately, this only proves how she has no versatility in music. Not all songs of this type fits her, and she’s lucky this one did. Just a good combination for this one. Again, she needs a simple melody in her vocal sweet spot.

Rating: 4/5

Watch Elise’s live performance

Download: Music of Queen

Download: Contestant’s Choice

Hollie Cavanagh – The Climb

Not the best cover of this song, but Hollie gives a decent effort. Her best track of the season. Good job!

Rating: 4/5

Watch Hollie’s live performance

Skylar Laine – Tattoos On This Town

This was so good! Skylar is so ready. She’s an authentic country singer and she delivers every week.

Rating: 5/5

Watch Skylar’s live performance

Joshua Ledet – Ready for Love

Bravo. See? Who’s the man? Restraint, restraint, restraint is win, win, win for Joshua. Excellent song choice. Joshua’s “Summertime.”

Rating: 5/5

Watch Joshua’s live performance

Phillip Phillips – The Stone

Perfect.

Rating: 5/5

Watch Phillip’s live performance

Jessica Sanchez – Dance With My Father

Personally, it’s evident that this 16-year-old does not have the depth to tackle one of the greatest songs of Luther Vandross. I love this song too much to continue with this critique.

Rating: 3/5

Watch Jessica’s live performance

Elise Testone – Bold As Love

So this is one of those songs that Elise thinks might be good for her — and on paper might be good for her — but again, it isn’t. Parts of this just didn’t work for me, specially when she was speak-singing. The ad-libs were mediocre in my opinion.

Rating: 3/5

Watch Elise’s live performance

American Idol Top 6 Season 11 iTunes Studio Recording Review American Idol Top 6 Season 11 iTunes Studio Recording Review

Download: Music of Queen

Download: Contestant’s Choice

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49 comments

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Airaheta1fan

1 Like

Oh.. Skylar has kinda grown on me.. She gets better every week.. Also pulling for Elise..

Mikhail XO moderator

1 Like

@Airaheta1fan oops...accidentally deleted your post instead of replying to it. forgive me. Read it. So...as far as Skylar...after Lauren and Scotty I don't see her going past top 3 or 4. But the girl has some strong pipes/ talent...just not my taste. She 'rebarizes' everything...but, at least she can sing in key.

Mikhail XO moderator

2 Like

@Airaheta1fan I agree with you on Skylar ...didn't care about her at first... but she is a good little vocalist. Elise is awesome. Dare I say that I didn't completely HATE Philip's 2nd song last night. Hope that doesn't get me killed. I'm growing soft in my 30's. Next week I might even like Jessica!! :D

Airaheta1fan

2 Like

So far David Archie and Allison Iraheta.. have been the only youngies.. who can connect with their craft.. Crazy David will be turning 22 this year.. And Allison 20 this year.. Time flies.. I do like Jessica though.. At this point it doesn't matter who wins.. They're all good..

vjwilkinson

@Airaheta1fan Agree about David A and Allison--not a Jessica fan, though.

Kaylo

Just listened to Dave Mathews Dave Mathews Recording again, and I got to say, It was really really really good. Any other season, this would be the one of the best recordings of the season, but this season, it isn't even the best of the night. That honor goes to Joshua, With Phillips a close Second. These guys this season are so good, its unreal. Kudo's to Nigel. Though the season started off rough and shaky, he and his team picked out some pretty darn good contestants, and that's helped bring the season back on course. Best Top 6 Ever In My Opinion.

MichaelMishaKachingwe

The Best For Studio Versions for me were has follows in this order :

1. Joshua Ledet – Perf 2

2. Jessica Sanchez – Perf 2

3. Phillip Phillips – Perf 2

4 . Skylar Laine - Perf 1

5. Hollie - Perf 2

The rest were just ordinary. I.M.H.O

KelseyDobbins

I couldn't agree more about Phillip's studio recording of The Stone being perfect.. I can't stop listening to it and it may be the best studio recording from an idol EVER. I love that he actually sings the entire song with no growling at all.. I'm still in awe.

Kaylo

4 Like

Richard Marx Co-Author and Producer of Dance with my father tweeted this.

"Hey @JSanchezAI11 Just watched you sing "Dance With My Father" online. Killer job! You did Luther and me proud. Good luck!"

At least she got approval from the Grammy Award Winning Producer.

Kaylo

5 Like

I Guess I'm the only one who would give a 5/5 to Jessica's Dance with My Father. That was perfection.. Got it on repeat for the next one week. Agree with the rest of you reviews.

Rickey moderator

@Lombe American Idol star Tamyra Gray: http://youtu.be/cDV8HqdLh2w

Kaylo

@Rickey Just watched Tamyra Gray's rendition and I honestly think Jessica > Tamyra. Maybe that's my bias. But heck, I love me some Jessica, and I'll defend her to the death the way @Mikhail XO would defend Elise.

Storm

@Mikhail XO You are correct Mikhail as to the scope of the definition of bias. I agree with you 100%.

Idol cookie

@Mikhail XO @hrstump Mik, you are right with that explanation of BIAS, but I still like Jessica! Don't hate me!

Idol cookie

1 Like

@hrstump pretty rude.

tere

@Rickey Hey Rickey, why put Jessica's Link here if it doesn't want to open. I've tried since last night. This is what comes out and it doesn't open.

http://pinoy.rickey.org/jessica-sanchez-dance-with-my-father-american-idol-11-top-6-video-mp3/

Mikhail XO moderator

@Lombe As did I. Thanks. :)

Mikhail XO moderator

1 Like

@hrstump ditto.

hrstump moderator

@Mikhail XO Does it make sense? Yes. Do I think you are correct? Not really. Do I care to continue the conversation. Not at all.

Mikhail XO moderator

2 Like

@hrstump Hmmmm...allow me to rephrase...not true, as was your original assertion...does that make sense?

Okay...back to work for me!

hrstump moderator

@Mikhail XO Well, okay, except I would disagree with that definition. Objective opinions take away all opinion, while subjective opinions are based in them.

Kaylo

2 Like

@Rickey JACOB????? Cant believe you went there. Now Im laughing like a mad man. With Tamyra's version it might or might not be technically better than Jess's and it was certainly much more heartfelt but Jacob's ?? No Way !! It will be a cold day in hell before some1 does a worse rendition of that song than Jacob Lusk did !

Mikhail XO moderator

2 Like

@Rickey @hrstump @Lombe Don't make me suffer through the Lusky experience again...

Mikhail XO moderator

2 Like

@hrstump To be fair, I disagree. A bias can be a unwavering opinion in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary...un unfair 'personal policy'. Not just a "subjective" preference or an inclination. :)

Rickey moderator

@hrstump @Mikhail XO @Lombe I was gonna add Jacob's here too, but I didn't want to go there anymore. Though I didn't like Jacob's, it was still better than Jessica's in my opinion.

hrstump moderator

2 Like

@Mikhail XO @Lombe @Rickey To be fair, that is what subjective opinions are. Frankly, I am not sold on Tamyra's version either. Or when Jacob put his Lusky Stank on it last year...

Mikhail XO moderator

1 Like

@Lombe @Rickey As usual Lombe, it is your bias.

Rickey moderator

@Lombe American Idol star Tamyra Gray: http://youtu.be/IwHbF8BAN7M

AprilJ

1 Like

@Lombe

You're not the only one. Dance with My Father was a great vocal performance. I would have actually bought the whole thing if 1. her father had passed away, or 2. if her father was deploying somewhere that was actually dangerous. The whole thing seemed contrived to squeeze the tears out of her. I think the judges are purposefully holding back their love for her b/c of all the backlash it gets.

Mikhail XO moderator

5 Like

@AprilJ @Lombe Poor Jessica!! Didn't you hear? Daddy was being deployed to Singapore?...one of the wealthiest countries in the world with the world's highest percentage of milionarie households, and the world's 2nd freest economy (after HK); great duty free shopping, excellent eateries and a new 60 billion dollar casino complex, not to mention a non-existant acute-poverty and totally 'war free'! ! It's pulling on my heartstrings... ::sniff::

#sarcasm

Kaylo

5 Like

@Mikhail XO @AprilJ Oh so blame 16 year old Jessica for doing what the producers are telling her to do. They saw an opportunity to milk something out of the whole singapore scenario and they did just that.

Its only fair that Jessica gets some exposure and people know what's going on with her family and in her life.. Every other contestant has had that kind of exposure. Heck, they showed every other contestant's audition and we got to hear all their back stories, but when they give us Jay's back story, you find a way to complain about it. The man was in Iraq 5 years ago , where over a Million people have died as a result of the conflict since 2003, The least you could do is cut him some slack.

Jessica's performance was Near perfect I.M.O the best of the night.

Mikhail XO moderator

1 Like

@Lombe Technical perfection isn't everything, Lombe...and I'm not so sure it was even "technically perfect." I thought it a bit dull...but to each his own!

Kaylo

@Mikhail XO I did not say it was technically perfect. As a matter of fact it was far from that. But I felt the connection, like she was singing about something that mattered to her. I really connected with her more than I have this season. That's why, I have it on repeat.

AprilJ

1 Like

I won't be able to stand another week of Jessica Sanchez. They are trying too hard to make her happen.

Kaylo

@AprilJ I dont think they are trying anything at all with her.. Look at all the signs. They gave the Kiss of Death Spot. She got genuine critic for her Queen Performance and if you aggregate last night's judges comments, she had the worst comments of the night. I think they are trying to make Joshua happen, but I dont think he'll make it all the way.

mwk89

@AprilJ "That is so fetch" "Stop trying to make fetch happen"

bwatt27

Rickey... I just can't even with this review. Elise is way beyond the others, in all aspects. Her "Bold as Love" is incredible; Skylar, P2, and Hollie's recordings are not good at all. I just can't.

Mikhail XO moderator

2 Like

@bwatt27 I agree with you. 'Bold as Love' was the best! 5/5 from me!

Rickey moderator

@bwatt27 I was specific at the parts I didn't like with Elise. So let's just leave it at that.

gordillo

rickey r u bipolar?? sometimes you love jessica and sometimes you hate her?? lol ..

PimpSpot

He didn't like Jessica from the start. :)

He likes Philipp. Why? You know why. :)

This comment has been deleted

Rickey moderator

@Lombe @getitfromboy Yup. Let's not get too out of hand here.

Kaylo

@getitfromboy I Have a feeling this comment will be deleted soon!

Mikhail XO moderator

3 Like

@PimpSpot Well, if he didn't like her form the start, then he's not bi-polar. Right? Get it?

takakupo

@gordillo I didn't like her till "Stuttering" soooo....

takakupo

I'm looking forward to listening to these :] It's the first batch without anything below a 3 so lets see what they've got! Rickey, did you ever listen to Hollie's "Power of Love"? I don't think you did a review for that week's itunes release but that one was definitely her best track of the season (I can say that without listening to "The Climb" cause it was just superb). I'm going to go run and listen now :D