Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Idol View From Here

I have not been a big American Idol watcher until recently. I kept up with this season. I didn’t see every episode, but we watched most performances. Jason Castro was an early favorite. Starting, I really liked Michael Johns, David Archuleta, & Brooke White. I can’t believe Johns got booted. Archuleta lost a little of his sparkle with me. It was eventually almost painful to watch Brooke. She always looked like she was anticipating something horrific or that she was about to cry.

I have to say most of the contestants lost me as a fan if they back talked the judges on their critiques. I think you can tell a lot about someone’s personality by how they handle criticism. Some were quite mouthy & ridiculous. Most received the good reviews with gusto, but got lippy with the negative stuff. David Archuleta seemed to handle his negative reviews with the desire to use them as a tool for improvement. Jason was the most humble recipient of his critiques, good or bad. High marks for this ability!

Overall, I believe this was a very talented group. Syesha was beautiful with a voice to match. David Archuleta was a cutie. He had this amazing, huge voice! David Cook has a real knack for arranging the music to suit him. My favorite thing about him was the improvement made to his hair. I really liked what they did with it. At the beginning it was not so great. At the end, it was awesome. Bottom line…none of these people captivated me. I enjoyed some of their performances, but I wouldn’t buy their albums or watch their concerts. Yes, that is my opinion & many people disagree.

Now, let me explain what draws me to Castro. First off, he seems genuinely a humble person. He was always smiling with a bit of aloofness that was very appealing. His attitude & remarks were unaffected & endearingly goofy. He has the same easy-going charisma that pulls me to another…Dean Martin. Do I think Jason sounds like Dino? Of course not, but he has the same distinct ability to entertain me with a simple voice & character. Neither of these singers have the best voices, but they have the charisma that is lacking in so many. They are magnetic to me. It is a joy for me to hear them sing. Their performances ooze with charm in a relaxed manner. They are pleasing to watch while they sing. Again, this is what appeals to ME. World view? No.

Jason has the Dino-esque charisma, but his style is completely different. He is in the same vein of two of my favorites….Jack Johnson or Tracy Chapman. Just give me Jason, Jack, or Tracy with their guitars & I am satisfied. They have a bit of a modern, folksy style, with more of an edge. It’s a kick back & enjoy type of thing for me.

I watched a video of Jason at his home church doing Chris Rice’s Clumsy. This makes me think he could do some stuff like my favorite Praise & Worship band, The David Crowder Band. Now, that would be the music to listen to!!

Jason is not the stuff for American Idol, but definitely the stuff for me. Will I buy a Jason Castro album? Absolutely!

Yes, these are my personal views & what appeals to me. Let the backlash begin…

4 comments:

Becky G said...

I think I'm probably the only person in America who has never seen that show. Not that I think there's anything wrong with it, it just doesn't interest me.

The Friendly Neighborhood Piper said...

I thought Castro was cool and all but...you would think that a guy with dreds would be able to do a little Marley. I eagerly anticipated the night, and when it finally came...well it was painful. I mean, just bad. At that point, his spiral finally hit the ocean for me. He just didn't strike me as extremely intelligent. I'm not trying to be ugly...just...well, Andrew Lloyd Webber summed him up pretty well. I'm like you, Archuleta just wore on me. Syesha?...feh, she should have a great career on Broadway, it fits her. I really liked Brooke, i really liked Carly. Would i go see them...probably not. Would i go see Cookie? Depends on how far and how much. IMO he was not just the right choice...he was the only choice.

But its cool you liked Jason...the Queen liked him too. He's definitely a likable guy, i'm just not real sure on his completeness as a mainstream artist. With that said...Over the rainbow was killer.

Junk Diva said...

I also was a Jason fan, hated to see him go. He was not a polished artist going in, had not sang in public but a few times. He does what he does well, he will never sing show tunes, or some of the other things required on the show. I will buy his album, Chara and I loved him.

Course of Perfection said...

Becky: I may not watch next year.

Piper: He just didn't strike me as extremely intelligent.

He seemed like a real doofus. It beats arrogance...I think. Also, he said he received a scholarship to Texas A&M in petroleum engineering. Weird...huh?

Diva: He does what he does well I absolutely agree.


I was wondering if you guys like watching the try-outs. My family LOVES 'em. It is just too painful to watch for me. I get embarrassed for them.