Rock Euphoria » TV reviews

Cook delivers knock out on American Idol Finale

John Remlinger — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:15:19 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA – So I pull up a seat with my wife and get ready to see one hour of American Idol: The Finals. I don’t expect much and that’s pretty much what I get.

It started with David Cook singing a Police cover. Anybody watching the performance could see that this kid could not even sell himself that song, let alone the whole country. His voice was not so bad but I would have much rather been making myself a corn dog; and the show had only just begun.

The second contestant, David Archuletta, kicked off his set with Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” one of my favorites. He was boring for an old school Elton John Motown feeling, but he started forcing it and ultimately burying it 6 feet into the ground.

Back from a commercial break, Cook kicks off his second song, U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and I think to myself, “Wow he’s playing guitar,” rather than thinking, “Jesus Christ, this kid gives no kind of energy.” Then here comes the chorus…”someone kill me,” I think to myself. His voice was way off. And the guitar playing? All I can say is that he’s not playing for three high school girls at a keg party. He’s playing for the world and he’s not giving his all. Simon gives him a six and a half score out of ten. I would have given him a five, and if this were a test, it would have been an F. The kid’s not bad, but he sure is no entertainer.

Archuletta now steps onstage for his second go-around with “In This Moment.” Ready, set, go! Awkward silence. Boring! Good voice though, this kid could do something if he only had a crazy person as a mentor, but he’ll figure it out on his own. What’s funny is that Simon tells him that he’s winning two rounds out of three so far. Well, that’s not so hard to do when you are against the ordinary.

Cook starts his third song, Collective Soul’s “The World I Know,” and it’s sounding very nice. Very, very nice. It’s just him and his guitar and that boy was feeling it. Cook kept his cool and it sounded good. Cook is a coffee shop all star in my book. Simon started running off at the mouth about how he picked the wrong song for his style. But Simon was dead wrong, and the performance was truly sincere.

Last but not least, Archuletta goes in for his last round. The lights go down, the crowd goes calm. Toes are crinkling wanting that last song. Everybody’s on the edge of their seats, when a young man opens his eyes to the sky and starts belting out a bunch of crap out of key. Attempting to sing John Lennon’s “Imagine,” the young Archuletta starts holding notes for far longer than he should be.

Ladies and gentleman, this is a very risky trick in real music and if not done right, its disastrous. Soul cannot be forced; it’s a feeling, not a music lesson. Simon said the performance was a knock out. I say the guy just threw in the towel.

Now onto the last episode of the season: The results show. Who would be the new American Idol?

They open the show with all the contestants singing “Get Ready.” Everyone’s dancing and there’s a very high level of energy filling the air. The only thing entering my mind is “Christ, this show is a cash cow!” Both David’s take the stage and sing “Hero” together. Archuletta’s voice is way off and the others aspire to be singing to a brick wall. I’m sorry but there’s nothing behind Cook’s face. No passion, as if LA was watering this kid down and getting beneath his skin.

A perfect example of a “California wannabe” would be a Jason Castro with the dreadlocks. Jason, following a good performance by Seal and Saisha, looks as if he’d rather be in a fashion magazine than singing music for the world.

Another hotshot performance was on its way, and it would be a fantastic display of energy by missy Carly Simon. She and the girls would sing “Hard For The Money” together, and she would single-handedly steal the show from everyone else on that stage.

Shortly after, Donna Summer would join the ladies onstage and Ryan Seacrest would be dancing side stage – and he would look good doing so.

The girls were through and now came the guys. They started singing a Bryan Adams medley, only to be joined by Adams who performed at the show. I think to myself, Cook could learn a thing or two from this guy. He was soulful, and carried himself with great confidence, but most importantly a smile.

The show cuts to their 400^th – or so it seems – commercial break, and as I am coming back from a very satisfying cigarette, I hear ZZ Top playing and I get goose pumps. Those guys looked fantastic! The song? “Sharp Dressed Man,” with Cook a tow. Cook was standing there, not doing much, but his voice was good. The band sounded great and just as groovy as ever.

About five minutes later, an Asian guy from the ‘reject’ tapes fids his way back to Simon’s presence and gives him some wonderful salutations and he breaks out into song with Randy and Paula joining on stage. Who could forget “You are my brother, best friends forever.” We are sure going to miss him.

David Archuletta takes the stage with One Republic, singing their hit song “Apologize.” All I can say about this song is that Archuletta sings it better than the very guy who wrote it.

There were other two performances by former Idol winners, Jordan Sparks and Carrie Underwood. Jordan was not bad, but she had kind of a Disney Channel vibe to her performance. Underwood just about stole the whole show. She was dressed all in white and carried herself as a warrior princess - strong and powerful. She would have stolen the night had it not been for an earlier duet by Brooke and Graham Nash twenty minutes prior. Now that was music! It was everything that everyone who plays music wishes to capture. I was truly proud for both of them.

The night is now ending and everyone’s getting ready for the big announcement. “Who will be the next American Idol?” I would much rather hear which one of my rock idols will be touring this summer, but because I’ve invested three hours of my time for this moment, I must admit my curiosity has been perked.

One final song from all contestants singing a George Michael tune, and then the man himself takes the stage and delivers a mild hint of his new album. Not bad at all.

In the end, Cook wins, as we all know. I know he’s going to need a lot of work with his showmanship, but he can sure sing.

Then again, I can dig a hole but that doesn’t make me a landscaper.

Photo by © WireImage

The Next Great American Band

Erika Remlinger — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 03:19:11 +0000

If you are anxiously counting down the months until another round of American Idol returns to the small screen, wait no more. The producers of Idol have created The Next Great American Band, a show that might just hold you over well into next year.

Or it might just turn into your new guilty pleasure.

Unlike Idol, FOX’s new hit show focuses on new bands, not sole individuals, to perform original material and woo the judges, as they compete to get a record deal with 19 records (home of Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood).

As they sizzled in scolding Las Vegas 110 degree heat, the judges, Goo Goo Dolls lead singer John Rzeznik, percussionist Sheila E. and music-industry veteran Ian “Dicko” Dickson, spent four days in the audition process as they narrowed down to 12 finalists who would enter the competition.

But you won’t find the arrogant smart-ass remarks, or the sugar-coated opinion of the Idol judges. These judges are well-known, respectable people in the music industry who have been there, done that. They tell you like it is, weather you like it or not.

Also, we were left with the urge to see those hysterical audition tapes. You know, the ones where people show up in funny costumes and leave our judges busting their gut as they laugh with (mostly at) the contestants. Hopefully a lost audition tape will resurface in the near future.

The two-hour premiere showcased a number of bands that most unfortunately, were still lacking charisma. From the KISS wannabe goth band, to the all-girl L7 look alikes, less than a handful of bands left me wanting to hear some more. Why is it so hard to find good music these days? Hopefully our judges will help us find the answers.

After all, who wants another factory-made rockstar? We have a lot of fabricated talent out there already.

Where is the next talent? Is this show really going to help us find it? That is a question that is yet to be seen throughout the show. There are not a lot of raw, long-lasting talent out there. We just hope that among all the hidden talent a treasure is found. I can’t remember the last time that I found a band that left me wanting to hear more.

One of the highlights was a band of 12-year-olds who said their major influence was Iron Maiden. Although in a different genre, they made me think of Hanson. It may be cutsey, or sentimental that these teenagers could rock so hard; but they definitely had a talent that a lot of the grown up musicians at the auditions did not have.

In order to succeed in this business these bands will have to grow some thick skin, which is what it all comes down to. As to the one contestant who was crying because John Rzeznik laughed at her. He was just doing his job. He did not laugh at you, he laughed because you were lacking talent. Clearly, something that is essential for this competition.

The next step is for the 12 bands who made it to the next round perform their original music week after week. The show will be taped at CBS studios in Los Angeles during the following months.

Although this show is clearly yet another way to find talent, we all get sucked into reality television. We like to see how musicians evolve week after week. We find amusement in their failures and cheer in their conquests. We sing along, we follow week-after week as we cast our votes in hopes that our favorites end up successful.

I only hope that a good quality band comes out of this. We know we need it as music has become cliché and sadly, almost all bands sound the same these days.

A little bit of tough love is not a bad thing, and these judges are doing just so. They are not here to hand pick music that comes out of a can like some fabricated formula. Hopefully, they will do just the opposite, as they help mold talent into the best band to come out of the country these days.

I just hope they find it. We will see who comes out at the top in the weeks to come.

The Next Great American Band airs on Fridays at 8pm on FOX.

Photo by © Getty Images

MTV’s Musical Milestones

Erika Remlinger — Sun, 12 Aug 2001 16:58:55 +0000

If your early memories of Michael Jackson consist of a zippered, red leather jacket or a sparkling white glove, it’s probably because you saw one of the King of Pop’s videos in the early days of MTV, the original music television station.

Before MTV (and cable) the only contact young audiences had with music was watching Soul Train, Solid Gold or American Bandstand.

On Aug. 1, 1981, the history of music on television changed forever when MTV became the first station to feature music videos as its prime source of programming. MTV immediately appealed to the younger generation of music fans, fans who felt their interest in music was being ignored.

“When we went on the air,” Tom Freston, chairman and CEO of MTV Networks told Entertainment Weekly magazine, “we had 168 clips. And 30 of them were Rod Stewart.”

Of course, the reason MTV only played a few videos early on was that no one was making videos at that time.

It wasn’t long before record companies saw the power of MTV. Kids across the nation began imitating the artists they saw on MTV, as Michael Jackson’s moonwalking became a de rigeur dance step for any party. In 1984, Dire Straits’ hit “Money for Nothing,” with satirical lyrics on what it was like being an MTV star, had people in the streets singing the verse “I want my MTV.” Rock stars Bon Jovi and Axl Rose made promos for the channel with the now-famous tag line.

The channel also opened the door for “rockumentary” profiles on MTV’s featured artists, including Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and Rod Stewart, catering to the hunger for music information among the younger generation.

During the ’80s MTV grew from being a strictly music video station to a three station network: MTV, VH1 (Video Hits One), and Nickelodeon, spreading their generational reach. The station also began producing their own programming–Headbanger’s Ball, MTV News, Remote Control–in addition to airing music videos.

Ultimately the videos showcased on MTV increased an entertainer’s popularity, promoting the record, the producer, and a physical image. Artists’ record sales would increase based on the expanded exposure. Time magazine wrote in 1993 that MTV’s “diverse but irresistible mix of sounds has brought the kids back not only to the record racks but to the clubs and concerts as well.”

MTV is the link between the artists and their fans. It gives fans an immediate and up-close picture of their favorite rock star and that star’s music.

The network, which has now expanded to Latin America, Europe and Asia, knows that their audience will watch anything or anyone as long as they’re told it’s hip, fresh and current.

Over the past 20 years MTV has become the voice of an entire generation of fans. To celebrate their double-decade anniversary, we’ve highlighted ten of the best moments/creations in MTV history.

The launch of MTV

The Buggles’ 1979 tune “Video Killed the Radio Star” launched MTV and kicked off a revolution in youth-oriented programming. Loud guitar chords played in the background as a hyperactive spaceman bounced across the moonscape, putting an MTV banner on the surface of the planet. A voiceover saying, “this is MTV, music television,” launched one of the most popular channels in television history.

Jackson becomes a werewolf

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” a mini-movie that was more a pop culture event than a mere music video, was much hyped before its 1983 premiere on MTV. Clocking in at 17 minutes and directed by feature film director John Landis, “Thriller” helped catapult Jackson’s album of the same name to the top of the all-time best-seller list. The video featured Jackson turning into a werewolf after going on a date to a scary movie. Jackson became the first black artist to have a video aired on the music channel.

Madonna plays “Virgin”

Madonna kidnapped the first MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 14, 1984. At first she appeared on stage sitting atop a wedding cake dressed as a bride. But within minutes the singer dropped to the floor, writhing and moaning erotically. “You could feel this collective gasp,” Judy McGrath, president of MTV told Entertainment Weekly magazine. “You didn’t know if something really dangerous was going to happen.” Her appearance on the show spiked Like a Virgin record sales, reaching number one on the album charts and staying there for six weeks.

Total Request Live

The streets that face MTV’s studios in Times Square have police barricades almost permanently set up on the sidewalk. Teenagers from all over the U.S. descend upon the studio in hopes of catching their favorite performer making an appearance on the show. If not, there’s always Carson Daly.Total Request Live has become MTV’s most popular video countdown show. The teenagers who watch the station choose the top 10 videos of the day. TRL is the only place where rock band Limp Bizkit and boy band the Backstreet Boys can be featured on the same bill. TRL caters to the youth market, airing weekdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m., just when kids come home from school.

“I am zee STUDBOY!”

Fans have described Remote Control as “the only MTV show that was any good.” Starting in 1987, this MTV game show featured future stars Colin Quinn and Kari Wuhrer. Adam Sandler, who has scaled TV (Saturday Night Live) and movie (Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy) heights, launched his career with the minor character “Studboy.” Remote Control combined comedy with video music knowledge. The show had it all–great trivia, good laughs and an original premise.

Unplugged

When MTV decided to showcase artists sans electric guitars, keyboards, and other musical accouterments in MTV Unplugged, little did anyone expect the overwhelming buzz it would create. The first MTV Unplugged, starring Crosby, Stills & Nash, was recorded at the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York on Aug. 11, 1990. “Our first taping at Ed Sullivan Theatre. Such history. Such nostalgia. Such a dump,” an excerpt from the book “MTV Unplugged” reads. The show premiered Sept. 30, 1990, on MTV. Among the now legendary performances from Unplugged: 10,000 Maniacs’ “These Are the Days,” Soul Asylum’s “Black Gold” and The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven.” The series, which hasn’t aired since mid ’90s, is set to return on Aug. 9 with a set by REM.

“I am the great Cornholio!”

Former musician Mike Judge, who supervised the show’s production and did most of the characters’ voices, created a titular pair of adolescent metalheads, Beavis and Butthead, who became household names across America. The cartoon premiered in September 1992, on MTV’s Liquid Television, with an episode entitled “Frog Baseball.” You guessed it–the pair tried to kill frogs with a baseball bat. Funny stuff, then and now. The cartoon moved onto the big screen in 1996 with Beavis and Butthead Do America. Beavis and Butthead, along with The Simpsons, paved the way for prime time animated series on TV.

Spears strips at VMA 2000

Befitting her then squeaky clean image, Britney Spears appeared onstage wearing a suit with a top hat, while the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” started to play. As the song progressed, the 19-year-old singer began to perform a strip tease at the MTV Music Awards last August. That performance pretty much dispelled any preconceived ideas that Ms. Spears was an innocent. Co-host Marlon Wayans was (almost) speechless after her number, gasping how Britney had suddenly gone “from the Mickey Mouse Club to the Strip Club.” If Spears wanted to show that she does not want to be seen as a 20th-century Lolita, she certainly transmitted her message effectively.

Original programming that changed the faces of pop culture

MTV was said to be the first to embark on the phenomenon now known as reality TV. With the show The Real World, an entire new genre of TV was born and before we knew it, all there is to watch is reality shows. Pioneering this form of entertainment, MTV has programmed such shows as The Osbournes, Newlyweds-Nick and Jessica, Punk’d, Pimp My Ride, Cribs, andI Want a Famous Face…

The Real World: The series that launched the reality television craze, MTV’s revolutionary soap opera placed seven strangers in one house, filming their lives almost continuously. Sexual, racial, and general roommate tensions led to frequent blow-ups and crying jags, while extreme camera angles, jumpy edits, and a non-stop soundtrack of overly literal pop music gave the show its edge.

The Osbornes: The king of reality show families with out a doubt is the Osborne family. Their crude language and rehab stories are enough to keep America hooked on the hit show, even after it has ended.

Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica: Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson started their own trend in reality shows by putting their new marriage on cable TV. Newlyweds showed America’s favorite airhead, Jessica doing what she does best, making us laugh. Our Favorite “Jessica Moment” would have to be the infamous Chicken of the Sea debate, is it chicken or tuna? The world may never know.

Punk’d: Ashton Kutcher’s celebrity prank show, Punk’d has every superstar paranoid that they will be next. Pranking such celebrities as Justin Timberlake, Hillary Duff, Carmen Electra, Zach Braff, and Eva Longoria, this show was a runaway hit for MTV and Ashton Kutcher. No one is safe.

Pimp My Ride: stars rapper Xzibit and transforms broken down Ford Escorts into hot pimp mobiles. Everyone wants to be pimped; as Xzibit puts it they “pull drivers off the road who are guilty of committing heinous vehicular style crimes.”

Cribs: The show everyone loves to hate, Cribs has been making people jealous of celebrity homes since its premiere date. As if we did not already know that celebrities have everything, this show enlightens us every week about the things we want but will never have.

I Want a Famous Face: In the midst of a plastic surgery craze, this show tells the up and down side to plastic surgery in a very graphic, stomach-turning manner. It makes you wonder why people go through hell to look like Jennifer Lopez. Consider Jennette who wanted to have a body like Kate Winslet, she got her wish but wanted girls to know that, “I do not think you should have plastic surgery unless you have a strong sense of self.” Oh, the irony.

The kiss that shocked the world: Britney Spears and Madonna surprisingly locked lips in the opening act of the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. In fact, Christina Aguilera was part of the act to, kiss included, and received little to no recognition for it. Apparently, it was much more shocking for squeaky-clean Britney to be involved than scandalous Christina. It is amazing how things have changed. Now known as “the kiss heard ’round the world,” Britney is quoted to have enjoyed herself immensely. “It was just a kiss, a nice kiss,” straight out of the mouth of our favorite schoolgirl.

Super Bowl XXXVIII Half-Time Show: Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, and the infamous wardrobe malfunction that shocked the country, made for dull half-time shows for years to come. The MTV produced half-time show also included acts by P. Diddy, Nelly, and Kid Rock, whose performances were a little less revealing. Even though apologies were made, even by MTV, who said that the “malfunction” was neither rehearsed nor planned, it would be fair to say that MTV will not be producing any half-time shows any time soon.

Previously published on hollywood.com

Singin’ the Body Electric

Erika Remlinger — Sun, 12 Aug 2001 16:39:36 +0000

If looking at Ricky Martin shaking his “bon bon” or seeing Britney Spears dancing seductively with her navel exposed makes you hot, it’s because these artists have learned that mixing sex with music makes for a powerful tonic.

As proven in VH1’s new series From the Waist Down: Men, Women & Music (airing Monday-Friday, August 6-10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT), music and sexual attitudes have long been intertwined, from the rock ‘n’ roll early ’50s through the hip-hop culture of today.

In the early phases of rock, girls that screamed over Elvis “The Pelvis” or the “Beatlemania” phenomenon were craving a taboo they could not easily describe: sex.

From Robert Plant to Jim Morrison to Lenny Kravitz, tight leather pants, an exposed chest, and the intensity with which these performers sing their music continues to be extremely sexual to this date. Although they may not consider themselves sexual, musicians transmit carnal desire through their work.

Did music help trigger a sexual revolution? Definitely.

Who better to explain of the effect musicians had on society than those who lived it? Slash, CC DeVille, Ted Nugent and The Go-Go’s Jane Weidlin all contribute to the series by giving their insight how music, especially their own, had an effect on society.

CC DeVille, guitarist for 80s rock band Poison, waxes eloquent about living in the fast lane– a hobby for the band that had the biggest groupie list in the nation. When it came to music, however, CC DeVille wondered about his role in the music industry back in the day.

“How come I look like a transvestite, am getting laid, but am not getting respected as an artist?” he pondered.

Jumping on that bandwagon is legendary rocker Ted Nugent, who says that every musician joins a rock band just for the girls. Using a guitar as a phallic symbol–a musician can easily holds a guitar between his legs as he strums the instrument in a sexual manner–becomes second nature to budding musicians, continues Nugent’s theory.

Believe me, from the clips shown the man knows what he’s talking about.

VH1 gathered video clips from performers and interviews with both artists and rock critics (although The New York Times‘ Ann Powers has become a tedious, boring regular on the network’s “rockumentaries”) and tells the tale of the fine line between sex and rock and roll well.

Over the years, the tight clothing, the not-so-discreet sexual acts onstage and the suggestive lyrics have served as an easily attained admission pass to many newcomers in the music industry.

From the Waist Down: Men, Women & Music will be presented in five themed, not-necessarily-chronological hour-long episodes as detailed below:

Dance to the Music

Elvis Presley caught the attention of young girls as he moved his hips from side to side and sang such tunes as “Sweet Little Sexteen,” on the Ed Sullivan Show. The concern of parents watching their teenage daughters see him perform was so severe that CBS executives forbade their camera crew to shoot him below the waist.

Similarly, American Bandstand camera operators were under strict instructions to avoid filming couples who danced too closely to each other. Thus begins music’s challenge on propriety, social mores and sexual attitudes.

Whole Lotta Love

The most entertaining episode of the series, this episode spotlights 80s glam rock and the sexual liberation these artists forged. Def Leppard band members designed a special backstage pass for roadies to give to sexy women in their audience they wanted to meet. With groupies known for their devotion, Poison installed a condom machine in their tour bus and logged the groupies’ contact information in a computer database. For Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Slash or Duran Duran’s John Taylor, music in the 80s was about living the ideal rock star life, including women and music to excess.Sisters are Doin’ It for Themselves

Who said men were the only ones who could play music, and sexually at that? Tina Turner was well known across the country for fondling the microphone while on stage. Girl groups like The Bangles or The Go-Go’s said they “dressed up for themselves, not for men,” during concerts, but their short skirts, makeup, and good looks, always drew male fans into their music. Cher, with her tattooed derriere exposed (everyone remembers the “If I Could Turn Back Time” video) and hot romance with Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, was just one of the “bad” girls in rock and roll.

Are You a Boy or a Girl?

Musicians also explored gender-bending styles. Artists such as David Bowie and Elton John had fun playing dress-up while performing onstage. Bowie often claimed to be the founder of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Longhaired Men… wow! It was during this era that gay clubs began getting attention (and acceptance) across the nation, as it became legal in 1969 for two men to dance together in a nightclub.

I Fought the Law

Hip-hop gains popularity among white teens. Think Vanilla Ice. Teenagers listen to rappers as a form of rebellion against authority. In 1989, 2 Live Crew’s song “As Nasty as They Wanna Be” contained 226 instances of the “f” word, 87 references to oral sex, and 163 insults to women, leading a Florida judge to rule the album legally obscene and that selling the album would be considered a crime. Undeterred, the cover of Jane’s Addiction album Ritual De Lo Habitual showed three people naked together in bed. Their record label refused to print the cover, and the grouped was forced to change the image. The final product was a total white cover, which included only the band’s name at the top and the text of the first amendment at the bottom as a statement.

Previously published on hollywood.com