RockStar: INXS keeps getting more difficult, not only for the contestants, but for the band. It's also getting more difficult for me to sit here and listen to the obvious reality show drama crap. But I'll try to control my anger until the end of the recap, so those of you who wish to skip over it can do so.
We started off the show with the standard recap of Sunday's show. If you missed it, you can read Sprout's excellent recap here.
Dave Navarro said the band had fun at the recording studio, but wondered about JD. JD had been going on about wanting to be the lead singer of the band, but didn't bother to learn the song. JD gave some line about wanting to see what INXS wanted rather than putting his own interpretation of the song in. Suzie noticed that JD took a long time in the studio. Mig says that JD has a method to his madness, so don't knock him down until you've heard the finished product. JD wants to know if Jon and Andrew are disappointed in his performance. They didn't seem to be. Jordis thought that the purpose was to interpret the song their own way. Andrew said that had they been collaborating on the song that would have been the case. Marty thought his first time through was terrible, but the second time was good.
Joining the house band and the rockers onstage tonight would be a string section, an orchestra, and a choir.
If you've been here before, you know that I don't like the Rolling Stones. One of the few exceptions to that rule is "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Ty Taylor's performance of the song made me like the song even more. He sounded excellent. His performance definitely had a gospel feel too it, though the choir may have helped a bit. At the end, he was given a standing ovation by his fellow rockers and INXS. Ty added that his mother and some of his favorite people in the world were in the audience. Dave told Ty his voice was spot on. Garry and Jon both said it was well done.
JD Fortune decided to embrace his past as an Elvis Presley impersonator and perform "Suspicious Minds." I've never overly liked that particular Elvis song, but after this rearrangement by JD, I longed for Elvis. JD, I thought, performed very badly - turning a normally okay song into a very creepy performance. The slower spot where he leaned down to sing to the girls in the front row, was just absolutely creepy. It made me want to take a shower. He got a standing ovation from his fellow rockers, but it wasn't shown if INXS gave him one. Dave noted that JD stripped some of the Elvis impersonation from his act. Jon asked JD why he picked that song. JD said that for several years he had to play those songs, this is the first time he's ever done it as himself. Andrew called it a passionate delivery of a great song.
Marty Casey's performance of "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd was completely awesome. Garry was mouthing the words along with Marty, clearly into the song. I've never been overly into Pink Floyd, so I've never heard the song (don't shoot me). Marty's singing of this makes me want to hear it. If this performance doesn't assure INXS that he can tame his inner Angry Beast when given the right material, then they need to get their heads out of their asses. Marty himself got a little emotional at the end, then went out and hugged a woman who turned out to be his aunt. Dave asked Marty how it felt and Marty replied that it was one of the greatest moments of his life. Kirk felt the classic song suited the softer side of his voice. Garry said the song is his alltime favorite song, and it moves him every time. The song is lyrically about a missing band member.
Jordis Unga performed "Imagine" by John Lennon every bit as well as I would have expected. This one suits her voice much better than last week's "Dream On." I think she'll do well musically, but she's not suited for INXS. She did great on this song, but her soulful voice is much more suited for ballads and soulful songs than INXS songs. Dave called it phenomenal. Kirk called it spellbinding, but wondered why she picked this week to play guitar. Jordis answered that she wanted to sit and feel the music. Jon felt she should have been in the bottom three last week (to which Jordis agreed), but she redeemed herself this week. It took a lot for him to not cry as she sang this song.
Mig Ayesa gave up his first choice, "Bohemian Rhapsody," and took "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney instead. His reasoning, he claimed, was that he wasn't here to reaudition for the Queen musical. I thought he did very well to give up Bohemian Rhapsody for this one. This was his best rocking performance yet. His last note was nothing short of amazing. Dave jokingly said he was 17 when that note started. Jon called the song choice "smart." Kirk, however, felt the band was great, but picked on Mig for daring to sing during the instrumental breaks. As a musician, Kirk didn't like that, and the audience let Kirk know that they didn't like his comments.
Suzie McNeil's performance of "Bohemian Rhapsoody" showed exactly why Mig's choice to give the song up was smart. As far as I'm concerned, Suzie shot herself in the foot with that horrid rendition of the Queen classic. It takes a lot of guts to do that song, and she murdered it. The only time she was in the proper key was during the rock part at the end. The rest of the song was carried by the band and the choir. It was completely awful she should be ashamed of herself. Even Liza Minelli didn't murder Queen that badly at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. The band, however, must have heard something different. Dave thought it was awesome. Kirk dared to call it the best performance he has seen on the whole show ever. No, he didn't mean just tonight, he meant ever. Jon was so proud that she wants to be a member of their band.
This is where the rant begins. If you agree with everything INXS said on the show, I'd suggest skipping down to the reply section right now. What the heck were they listening to tonight? Do they even have hearing anymore or are their ears fried from too many years of abuse? Last week I complained about their comments to Mig and Marty, wondering what they want from the two of them. Tonight my fury is greater. Most of my fury is aimed at that little bitch Kirk. Mig gives one of the best performances he's done on the show. I'd even put it in the top 5 of the entire series. What is Kirk's comment? Kirk whines that Mig sang during the instrumentals. Hello, half the original song is instrumental! If he hadn't sung during it, they would have bitched because they didn't hear him enough. They can't go back and say this was a test too, I'm sorry but that manure won't work this week. And then to turn around and call that crap that Suzie sang the best thing he's seen on the show, I'm sorry but that man is on some serious drugs if he truly thinks that piece of manure that Suzie sang tonight was anywhere near what Mig did with "Baby I Love Your Way" or what Jordis did with "Man Who Sold The World." I have heard many versions of "Bohemian Rhapsody" over the years, and I would take any one of them over Suzie's. Sure, Suzie can sing. Her take on the recording studio song was probably the best of the remaining 6 rockers, at least from the pieces we've heard. But Suzie did not do that song well or justice. If I was Brian May, I'd sue.
I'm kicking myself right now, because I bought into the show. I actually believed that, despite being a reality show, this would have some degree of truth in it. I had hope that the end wasn't scripted, that the comments weren't scripted. But after tonight, I'm just kicking myself. It could not be more obvious to me that the whole thing is a farce. INXS never wanted to know what their fans wanted in a lead singer. I was an INXS fan. I feel taken advantage of. INXS only wanted the money and the publicity. How dare I expect integrity from an artist. I should know better.
actually I agree with INXS and felt Susie did a great job with a tough song and put on a great performance. I think your bias toward Mig and Marty is showing. Mig in my opinion was just ok. IMO he is lacking something..some sort of charsima. Paul Mc Cartney he aint. If I were to vote bottom 3 it would be Ty Mig and JD. Marty did well with that song but there is something about him that is not right. I dont think the faux British accent he sings in will be suited in the end toward INXS. I think Susie stands a great chance of winning this competition. I think Mig and Jordis have really fallen off in favor in the past couple of weeks. JD didnt do too well this week and it will be between him and Ty to see who goes. Im guessing that it will be Ty as the band will attempt to give JD another chance.
I think the producers are extremely smart, because oh my god, so much was edited and in a way, I am glad, because that would have started 'Save XYZ' campaign!
I literally am worried about tomorrow, I have been since Sunday!
In a way, the harsh critique of MiG works in two ways - one - he lands in bottom three and sings INXS song and remains safe or he is saved by his fans and remains safe.
However, he is not going home!
J.D. was actually reduced to tears at the end of it all, which was amazingly edited!
INXS did not give him Standing Ovation! The remarks of INXS were so severe that I think I would be literally surprised if J.D. survives bottom three tomorrow!
More Later!
Thank God, I was literally worried that you might miss the show!
Suzie was off in the softer part of the Queen song. Exactly the most important part of the complete song in my opinion. Suzie can rock, however she was way off key and she didn't do the song justice.
I'd rather hear Liza Minelli "sing" We Are The Champions again. *searches for ear plugs*
edit: dusty - 2005-08-31 04:23:16 GMT - spelling a name correctly=good
I was uncomfortable when Susie was singing Bohemian Rhapsody. It doesn't help that the key of the song is a tad lower for a woman singer, making it sound unnatural. I am surprised by Marty's performance for I didn't know he can actually...sing. But he sure is smart, giving all the right answers to INXS' questions and learns fast to tune his performance to INXS. Even though Mig is overall a whole package, Marty shows a much better potential to develop...this guy looks like David Bowie, is mysterious, sometimes crptic, and clearly has several dimensions to his voice. Though would like to see him win, better that he kept his own style.
I suspect that many of us will simply have to agree to disagree at this point. At some point in any competition, your bias and personal opinion starts to show. INXS is, in my opinion, biased towards Suzie. They want a female lead, it's the only explanation for why they saved her so often. Perhaps in the morning I will be less angry and more inclined to listen to Suzie with a sympathetic ear. At the point that Suzie came on I was still fuming with Kirk for his inane comments to Mig about singing over the instrumental part (I still want to know what the heck the band wants from Mig - he's done everything they've asked and more, and it's still not enough. If I was him and they finally did pick me I'd just reply "Thanks, but no Thanks."
A note on the poll - it does include an extra option at my request. Please note it's done with a humorous intent and I expect the only person voting Kirk off the show will be me.
Great Review…I think your analysis is right-on!
Marty’s performance not only brought him to tears at the end, I was equally touched!
It looks like Mig and Marty are the only performers who “look” like the emotions they are singing. I am tired of the other’s American Idol-esque smiles all the time.
I think the producers are extremely smart, because oh my god, so much was edited and in a way, I am glad, because that would have started 'Save XYZ' campaign!
I literally am worried about tomorrow, I have been since Sunday!
In a way, the harsh critique of MiG works in two ways - one - he lands in bottom three and sings INXS song and remains safe or he is saved by his fans and remains safe.
However, he is not going home!
J.D. was actually reduced to tears at the end of it all, which was amazingly edited!
INXS did not give him Standing Ovation! The remarks of INXS were so severe that I think I would be literally surprised if J.D. survives bottom three tomorrow!
More Later!
Thank God, I was literally worried that you might miss the show!
Well I'm glad they were mean to JD, he deserves it. And if the editing is what makes INXS looks so bad... they should sue. Yes, I'm American and when we're mad, we SUE THE *S! Sorry... still angry. Only sleep will make it go away :P
Curlio, you are right-on-the-money!
It is starting to look like the show was written to promote INXS with their new singer Suzie….but then three unexpected things happened:
- Suzie tuned into a baby
- Mig, the perfect choice appeard
- Marty, a guy actually too good for INXS showed up as well
All the responses sound like they were written ahead of time, and don’t reflect reality!
They were cought once already, and had to take-back their comments of Marty...hmmmm what will they do now?!
I think MiG to well, Live and Let Die is not an easy song to sing with so many instrumental parts, and yet he was able to sing it well and that last note! I haven't heard anyone sing like that in this competition.
As for Suzie, I think she has to get down fron that pedetal where she is right now because she is not the best singer in this group. You know what they say the bigger they are the harder the fall.
They should take some lessons from MiG about being humble, and having both feet firmly on the ground. And that is good upbringing. The Filipino way!!!!
I think this week the singers showed why they are in the top 6, good vocals overall, however for me the best of the night was Marty and the rest were left fighting for second.
Ty gave a forgettable performamce that picked up at the end but not enough to be remembered. He adopted a "soul" anthem a few weeks ago and ever since he forgot that INXS isn't a soul band. Also he had no soul with this song although he attempted to add it.
JD for me was second with his vocals, he gave a decent Elvis rendition and carried the song, also showed some strong vocals in points. Hard to say he was as good as Elvis, if he was he wouldn't be here, right?
Marty as I said gave a vocal performance on par with the original, he had a clean sound to this song that the others failed to show, and it was worthy of a recording. At the end the voting had him in the bottom three so perhaps others heard if differently, still he should get a band out of this show one way or another.
Jordis sat down and strummed a guitar to get as far away from the stage as possible here, picking a rather easy song for her that has no rock to it by any means. Yes it is a somewhat teary song but she smiled throughout and had some good sounds, but also some raspy sounds. For her this was the best song to suite her style, not sure why they would place this up for a Rock show here however.
Mig gave a try at live or let die and had a few squeals that I was amazed to hear. Yes he held a note longer than any other has, however his voice seemed shakey to me, not great although he had his usual good stage movements to keep the crowd going.
Finally Suzie attempted a rock anthem and had a slow start but did finish it off properly. I doubt her version makes the airwaves ever and that is the standard for this show, so she failed as did all the others except for Marty this night.
However, as far as voting and who leaves, I expect it to by Ty as from following AI you get group voting and the two females will last this week in all likelyhood, expect one of the guys to leave to even things out. My pick is Ty.
GUEST said: Never heard "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd?
Don't think you're capable of critiquing any rock performance...INXS should probably vote you off writing on this site.
Oh please! I am sorry I don’t buy this logic! There are so many bands, which have tremendous popularity and can be legendary, but if they don’t interest me, or perhaps if I am not acquainted with the band, chances are I might not know all their songs! And to be truthful, at times, I don’t even know all the songs of a band I love!
That does not mean I am not qualified to have an opinion! What most don’t realize is reporting on such deals can never be constituted as facts, they are opinions!
Besides, even if I were to jump in just one genre of music, chances are I would never actually cover everything in one life-time, because music is like an ocean that can never be truly fathomed!
Besides, Curlio could have just reported what Marty sang, without confessing the truth! Think about that!
Curio, I am with you.
I didn't understand some of the critiques tonite either. I still don't know why INXS would pick Suzie.....she has a nice voice, is terribly sweet....but just doesn't have that "it" factor.
Jordis is a beautiful singer......but not a band lead singer. I am sure a record label will grab her as soon as this show is over.
Ditto for Ty......love his voice.
JD - no comment
Mig and Marty are the ones and should be in the finals. Both are mature, dedicated, talented and downright sexy. Marty has been more consistant, tho.....and definitely more versatile. If INXS wants to comeback with the same type of music I would pick Mig. However, if they want to comeback with a new style....Marty is definitely the one......I would prefer the latter!!!!
Marty was great...why is he in the bottom three...I guess there are quite a few people who don't know "Wish you were here" I thought he sang it great. Marty is my pick for #1 this week. JD is my pick to be kicked off. Boot him quick, swift and hard! Suzie's showboating and facial expressions gag me! Hope she's next to go. Insincere phoney. Her head is so big I'm amazed she made it through the door to the stage! Die Hard QUEEN fan here...she didn't do the song justice. What was that croak at the beginning of her song? Send her packing with JD.
I take it from your posting that you know a lot about the details of the show that we don't get to see on TV. Tell us more! How long are INXS' comments usually? Are we only seeing a small bit of what they are saying? How edited is everything? Curlio... great website! I love reading it! Please tell us more about why you think this whole show is a farce! I believe it is all scripted up the whazoo, but I am not seeing what you are seeing. Fill us in please!
Sorry I have to go against the flow somewhat. While
Marty's effort was decent enough, Wish You Were Here
is not a difficult song to sing, but is emotional. I don't
think he approched the level of emotion that David
Gilmour does on the original.
For a song compressed to half it's length, Suzie did
an impressive rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. When
Queen did it live, they used a lot of backing tape. I
think people are comparing her version too much to
the studio original which had Freddie's voice mutli-layered
to great effect.
stupid inxs, suzi screwed up and they called it the best performance on the show ever?? just vote jordis, mig, and marty off this competition because they deserve more than to be this stupid band's lead singer, especially Jordis because her voice is simply flawless.
Suzi screwed up BIG TIME, she just murdered by fav Queen song. She should be voted off!
Jordis, work on your range and face expression, and you'll be without a doubt the best of the 6
Suzie's performance was awful. It was off key from start to finish. However, I think the singers are good enough to start their own careers than just be a lead singer of an aging rock band.
Mig and Marty are so talented they deserve more than that!
I also seem to go against the flow. I liked Suzie's performance even though I am not a fan of her's.
Also I can't understand the good stuff about Marty. He screams way too much, and off key as well. Even in tonights performance I felt he was off key at times. Stage presence - yes, a good singer - maybe, a great singer - no
RockStar: INXS keeps getting more difficult, not only for the contestants, but for the band. It's also getting more difficult for me to sit here and listen to the obvious reality show drama crap. But I'll try to control my anger until the end of the recap, so those of you who wish to skip over it can do so.
Dave Navarro said the band had fun at the recording studio, but wondered about JD. JD had been going on about wanting to be the lead singer of the band, but didn't bother to learn the song. JD gave some line about wanting to see what INXS wanted rather than putting his own interpretation of the song in. Suzie noticed that JD took a long time in the studio. Mig says that JD has a method to his madness, so don't knock him down until you've heard the finished product. JD wants to know if Jon and Andrew are disappointed in his performance. They didn't seem to be. Jordis thought that the purpose was to interpret the song their own way. Andrew said that had they been collaborating on the song that would have been the case. Marty thought his first time through was terrible, but the second time was good.
If you've been here before, you know that I don't like the Rolling Stones. One of the few exceptions to that rule is "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Ty Taylor's performance of the song made me like the song even more. He sounded excellent. His performance definitely had a gospel feel too it, though the choir may have helped a bit. At the end, he was given a standing ovation by his fellow rockers and INXS. Ty added that his mother and some of his favorite people in the world were in the audience. Dave told Ty his voice was spot on. Garry and Jon both said it was well done.
JD Fortune decided to embrace his past as an Elvis Presley impersonator and perform "Suspicious Minds." I've never overly liked that particular Elvis song, but after this rearrangement by JD, I longed for Elvis. JD, I thought, performed very badly - turning a normally okay song into a very creepy performance. The slower spot where he leaned down to sing to the girls in the front row, was just absolutely creepy. It made me want to take a shower. He got a standing ovation from his fellow rockers, but it wasn't shown if INXS gave him one. Dave noted that JD stripped some of the Elvis impersonation from his act. Jon asked JD why he picked that song. JD said that for several years he had to play those songs, this is the first time he's ever done it as himself. Andrew called it a passionate delivery of a great song.
Marty Casey's performance of "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd was completely awesome. Garry was mouthing the words along with Marty, clearly into the song. I've never been overly into Pink Floyd, so I've never heard the song (don't shoot me). Marty's singing of this makes me want to hear it. If this performance doesn't assure INXS that he can tame his inner Angry Beast when given the right material, then they need to get their heads out of their asses. Marty himself got a little emotional at the end, then went out and hugged a woman who turned out to be his aunt. Dave asked Marty how it felt and Marty replied that it was one of the greatest moments of his life. Kirk felt the classic song suited the softer side of his voice. Garry said the song is his alltime favorite song, and it moves him every time. The song is lyrically about a missing band member.
Jordis Unga performed "Imagine" by John Lennon every bit as well as I would have expected. This one suits her voice much better than last week's "Dream On." I think she'll do well musically, but she's not suited for INXS. She did great on this song, but her soulful voice is much more suited for ballads and soulful songs than INXS songs. Dave called it phenomenal. Kirk called it spellbinding, but wondered why she picked this week to play guitar. Jordis answered that she wanted to sit and feel the music. Jon felt she should have been in the bottom three last week (to which Jordis agreed), but she redeemed herself this week. It took a lot for him to not cry as she sang this song.
Mig Ayesa gave up his first choice, "Bohemian Rhapsody," and took "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney instead. His reasoning, he claimed, was that he wasn't here to reaudition for the Queen musical. I thought he did very well to give up Bohemian Rhapsody for this one. This was his best rocking performance yet. His last note was nothing short of amazing. Dave jokingly said he was 17 when that note started. Jon called the song choice "smart." Kirk, however, felt the band was great, but picked on Mig for daring to sing during the instrumental breaks. As a musician, Kirk didn't like that, and the audience let Kirk know that they didn't like his comments.
Suzie McNeil's performance of "Bohemian Rhapsoody" showed exactly why Mig's choice to give the song up was smart. As far as I'm concerned, Suzie shot herself in the foot with that horrid rendition of the Queen classic. It takes a lot of guts to do that song, and she murdered it. The only time she was in the proper key was during the rock part at the end. The rest of the song was carried by the band and the choir. It was completely awful she should be ashamed of herself. Even Liza Minelli didn't murder Queen that badly at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. The band, however, must have heard something different. Dave thought it was awesome. Kirk dared to call it the best performance he has seen on the whole show ever. No, he didn't mean just tonight, he meant ever. Jon was so proud that she wants to be a member of their band.
This is where the rant begins. If you agree with everything INXS said on the show, I'd suggest skipping down to the reply section right now. What the heck were they listening to tonight? Do they even have hearing anymore or are their ears fried from too many years of abuse? Last week I complained about their comments to Mig and Marty, wondering what they want from the two of them. Tonight my fury is greater. Most of my fury is aimed at that little bitch Kirk. Mig gives one of the best performances he's done on the show. I'd even put it in the top 5 of the entire series. What is Kirk's comment? Kirk whines that Mig sang during the instrumentals. Hello, half the original song is instrumental! If he hadn't sung during it, they would have bitched because they didn't hear him enough. They can't go back and say this was a test too, I'm sorry but that manure won't work this week. And then to turn around and call that crap that Suzie sang the best thing he's seen on the show, I'm sorry but that man is on some serious drugs if he truly thinks that piece of manure that Suzie sang tonight was anywhere near what Mig did with "Baby I Love Your Way" or what Jordis did with "Man Who Sold The World." I have heard many versions of "Bohemian Rhapsody" over the years, and I would take any one of them over Suzie's. Sure, Suzie can sing. Her take on the recording studio song was probably the best of the remaining 6 rockers, at least from the pieces we've heard. But Suzie did not do that song well or justice. If I was Brian May, I'd sue.
I'm kicking myself right now, because I bought into the show. I actually believed that, despite being a reality show, this would have some degree of truth in it. I had hope that the end wasn't scripted, that the comments weren't scripted. But after tonight, I'm just kicking myself. It could not be more obvious to me that the whole thing is a farce. INXS never wanted to know what their fans wanted in a lead singer. I was an INXS fan. I feel taken advantage of. INXS only wanted the money and the publicity. How dare I expect integrity from an artist. I should know better.
