David Archuleta's Imagine on American Idol

[Hector]

This 17-year-old kid is running away and smoking the competition in American Idol.

He sings John Lennon's Imagine with a different rendition:

YouTube - David Archuleta - Imagine - American Idol Season 7

I think this kid is awesome.

I also think John Lennon would've liked it.


BTW, for all of you who think I hate all the Fab Four lads...I think Imagine is the greatest song ever written...John Lennon is GOD.

I bet you guys are shocked by that one, eh?

[miguet]

David Archuleta is an amazing singer and gets my vote. He better watch out for Paula Abdul because she wanted to squish him, squeeze his head off, and dangle him from her rear-view mirror. That girl is on some serious stuff!

[huedell]

Too much vocal gymnastics---takes all the sincerity out of what (as Hector basically
said) is one of our greatest pop treasures in song form.

I was so turned off by that performance---it made me wonder if many of the successful
AI singers are so "all over the place" showing off their vocal skills----if so--- its a real shame.

I saw a MOTOWN AI special while I had a TV in a hotel room----and the songs were alot
less "flashy" vocally----but then again, most of the songs were much more upbeat than IMAGINE

[Mikey]

He sings like Aaron Neville ... and that's not a plus

[JPkempo]

He had a singing contract as a little kid. So he knows what he is doing. The rules only say you can't have a contract now. So any of the Hanson brothers could try out. (there the only former kid stars I could think of)

[Goblin19]

I thought that was amazing. Not too much vocal histrionics. He was pitch perfect.

[Sideshow Spock]

He won on Star Search when he was younger, and was selling his CD on his website until AI yanked it all down.. there's also this video from a few yrs ago of him performing for Kelly Clarkson and some other season 1 contestants:

YouTube - David Archuleta

It doesn't matter if he wins or loses, he's talented and (more importantly) highly marketable, and I'm sure he's already signed a $$$ deal with Clive Davis and the AI machine..

[huedell]

I thought that was amazing. Not too much vocal histrionics.

Not too much?

The song couldn't have contained MORE "histrionics" unless someone
would've mistakenly dropped a lead weight on the kids' foot...
---regardless of what "pitches are perfect" (as if perfect pitch
is an excuse for that horrid arrangement).

[toys2cool]

The kid's had an amazing voice since he was a little kid,just look at Kelly's face and reaction,and her voice is bad ***!! This guy's the one to beat this year.I too think that Lennon performance was freakin' awesome

[Hector]

Hue, I thought since you are a singer as well, you'd appreciate this kid's vocals, they are far and away the best in American Idol, and he's superior to the vast majority of already established pros as well (most of them are not even classicaly trained and it shows).

You are just hatin' on the kid.

He's only 17-years-old for Christ's sake.

How many 17-year-olds can sing like that?

The FACT of the matter is that it's refreshing to hear someone who has some semblance of a proper vibrato. He actually has the beginnings of a decent vocal production outside of the super high larynx.....but that's pop. He actually partially covers on his top notes.....which also isn't normal in pop singing. Most pop singers sing their tops wide open.....and just end up yelling.

...and I'll repeat it again, the whole point of the song was NOT to mimic Lennon...it was to sing a DIFFERENT RENDITION of Imagine.

Is that so hard to comprehend?

I thought you knew your stuff, Hue.

[Hector]

Seems we have some posters who appreciate talent...and a couple who are just hatin' for no reason.

Folks, American Idol is a singing contest, they have to show vocal ranges.

Some are missing the point of this contest.

And great acts have appeared here as well, from Queen, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, etc...

Not exactly Micky Mouse stuff here.

[huedell]

Seems we have some posters who appreciate talent...and a couple who are just hatin' for no reason.

Folks, American Idol is a singing contest, they have to show vocal ranges.

Some are missing the point of this contest.

And great acts have appeared here as well, from Queen, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, etc...

Not exactly Micky Mouse stuff here.

What's wrong with Mickey Mouse? I'd prefer a punk/garage band
version of AI to what I'm seeing on You Tube 99 out of 100 times.

No offense Hector---we're all allowed to like what we like---and
I respect your love for this kids work.

Call it "hatin'" or what you will---but, yeah--I...um..."dislike" that
style of singing...especially when the guy seems so vanilla---
Some people feel THAT'S soul? Nah---to me "soul" is more like
what James Brown, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker etc. have
when they sing (or HAVE sung)

Artists like you mentioned, Hector, as far as I'm concerned cheapen
themselves by going on AI---only due to the sterileness of the program---
as I have nothing against television appearances themselves----incidentally
Hector, guys that WE like that were on the show, like Stevie Wonder, Prince
and Freddie Mercury (who WASN'T on the show, obviously) can get away
with some histronics here and there because they have virtually undeniable soul,
they have experience---and they have also offered our culture some original
song gems on their own....

That teen has very little of that as far as I'm concerned. Maybe my view on him
will change if he hangs in for another 10 years and builds a reputation
based on being a creative artist....hey, I may not have loved his IMAGINE
---but at least he's giving it a shot by taking it into a different direction

Still, I'm convinced that the vocal gymnastics he added to the song
(IMAGINE) take away from it rather than add to it

And, yet still again,
I'm humble enough and honest enough to admit I'm in the minority
with this opinion---and therefore my opinion doesn't maybe carry as
much weight--- but I know the "creeps" when I feel 'em---and that's
what I get listening to that kid's singing on that particular song

Maybe its BECAUSE I'm a singer I feel so passionate about this?

Maybe I feel this way because I think the AI show in general is detrimental
to musicians and their ideas of what being "musicians" in today's society means?

I don't know. But most of what I like about singing is about SONG WRITING,
(or in a cover tune's context SONG "CHOICE") and original character to the voice-
---not VOCAL PITCH PERCISION (the sterile thrust of the AI contest)

Well, at least I can admit he did well choosing the song...God Bless him and
his fans--- and all apologies for my "hate"

[monkey tennis]

Sorry, I can't risk it, can't take the chance that everytime I hear Lennon's Imagine that I will think of American Idol, Pop Idol or X-Factor. These guys maybe talented but whilst on the shows they are being judged on who is the best or most original karaoke singer.
Just my opinion.

[huedell]

Ah yes, monkeytennis---as I was writing my latest rant up there---I started to
realize that maybe a big part of my problem with that IMAGINE performance
wasn't solely rooted in the kid---but, in addition, what the whole AI show really
stands for.

The thing is though---amazingly---just like kareoke---AI is mesmerizing to millions
of people, and therefore, a HUGE success

Ah well...its (almost) harmless

[monkey tennis]

Ah well...its (almost) harmless

I'm not so sure, because if people start to believe that to be a singer all you have to do is show-off your vocal range in every line of the song then where will the next Lennon, Dylan, Simon, Marley etc come from ?
Lyrics sung by the writer mean so much more and can (try to) change the world, I mean Dylan was never able to sing and wouldn't have even passed the first round in one of these shows.
Maybe this type of show just isn't aimed at me.
But as you said once the artist leaves the show, and maybe starts to write their own material or record some original songs then they can be judged.
I might even like some of there music, but whilst on the show, I think I'll read a book instead.
Again just my opinion.