This Is What American Idol Calls Country?
You don’t expect nine amateurs to be able to pull off Dolly Parton songs. But you do at least expect Dolly Parton to.
That’s why I was, in the words of Simon Cowell, utterly appalled at Tuesday and Wednesday night’s episodes of American Idol. Their so-called country week.
First, the contestants’ performances felt about as country as an investment banker with a penthouse view. All butchered up to “make them their own” and basically stripped of their traditional sound in favor of some kind of alt-emo-rock-whatever vibe. And when Dolly herself performed last night, she sounded downright nervous on her just-released “Jesus & Gravity.” A weak and shaky voice, then later an awkward interview with host Ryan Seacrest, showed the world she was way out of her wheelhouse. Even worse was the performance by country trio the Clark Brothers, with the oddly punk take on the Christian preschool anthem “This Little Light of Mine.”
But as always, a few moments did shine. Not for being particularly tied to the roots of country music, but just for the raw talent. Like when Carly Smithson sang “Here You Come Again” and when Syesha Mercado did “I Will Always Love You.” Then there was Cowell, getting his drama queen on, calling Brooke White’s fiddler “someone who’s better in the shade,” and telling David Archuleta that he was “Absolutely. On. The. Money.” As for Michael Johns, my personal favorite because he looks like Mark Wahlberg and talks like Keith Urban, his potentially cool “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” was overshadowed by the fact that he was wearing an ascot. A full-on Hugh Hefner silk ascot. He redeemed himself Wednesday night, though, wearing all black punctuated only with a retro image of Parton on a white-on-black T-shirt.
By the end of the night, Brooke White, Kristy Lee Cook and Ramiele Mulabay were in the dreaded “bottom three.” And then Mulabay was sent home, in the cruelest of cruel Idol ceremonies, being forced to sing one more time despite having to do so through her tears. Pain like that, though, gave the week its one true country moment.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
diane says:
didn’t think Dolly was that bad,,loved the song..but the kids singing was awful..I must say that Dollys songs can only be sung right with that”dolly” voice..I think they should have been given the leeway of singing ANY country song..Dolly could have still coached them..Dont think we have to wait and see if any of these kids are gonna make it in the country “genre”..Aint gonna happen..
Brody says:
The only thing I saw was Dolly’s performance and the interview afterwards. I agree with your assessment that she sounded weak, or maybe the band was too loud. Either way, I thought something was off.
I hope Diane is right about none of these people infiltrating the country genre. We’ve already got what, like five or so former AI contestants to deal with?
Tisa says:
Totally disagree with your opinion of the Clark Brothers. I thought they were great!
Jaycee says:
I thought Dolly ROCKED!!!!! and so did a large amount of people on the IDOL message boards - she was as warm, witty and genuine as always…
shelley says:
If the show produces another “Carrie Underwood” Country will be lucky. She had brought so much to the Country music industry as well as being a phenomenal vocalist. She is a nice girl and is truly an “American Idol”…
kewl girl says:
Yes! Another Carrie wld be awesome! Dolly was terrible IMO. Everyones so psyched about her I kinda thought she’d be really great. I liked Michael, Brooke and Kristy. It was funny she brought the note from her bottom 3 stool!!! lol
arh001 says:
My understanding is that Dolly is REALLY suffering with back pain due to advanced degenerative disc disease. Give my girl a break. Was her performance up to par? No, but look at the catalog of songs she has written and dare to question her AMAZING talent.
Chris says:
I thoroughly enjoyed Dolly on American Idol! She was charming, gracious, and sincere as usual. Her performance was energetic and honest. The only problem was that the band and backup singers were too loud and she had to strain her voice at times to sing over all the noise. However, that problem was not her fault, it was the fault of the American Idol producers who insist on making the whole show over-the-top, overworked, and overdone–I mean, I half expected them to shoot fireworks off behind poor Dolly as she was trying to sing.
As for your comments about her “interview” with Ryan Seacrest after the song, I really do not know what you mean! She simply thanked everyone for letting her be on the show and she engaged in a little friendly and lively banter with Simon Cowell, and that was all. She was not awkward in the least–she was a hoot! Maybe the awkwardness you noticed was Ryan Seacrest’s lame attempt at flirting with her with his comment about her being “hot,” but Dolly gently laughed it off and gave him a warm hug keeping the moment sweet and light.
T J says:
Totally agree with you Chris, sometimes I wonder if Allison was watching the same program as you and I.
Tara says:
Alison, I may be wrong, but I don’t think it was “country week”. It was simply “Dolly” week, in which case the contestants did a great job of taking her songs and making them into their own — even if it meant stripping the songs of their traditional flavor. This is not as horrible as you make it out to be. If the show was all about artists trying to emulate a certain genre every week, there would never be a fabulous performer. The idea is for each contestant to try to put their own twist on a song by exhibiting their own personal style, and their own style isn’t going to blend smoothly in every genre.
Rudely dismissing their own styles as “alt-emo-rock whatever” is a little closed-minded - and country music fans, some of the greatest fans in the music industry, are better than that, don’t you think?
David Nisbet says:
Dolly sounded as great as she always is and i’m looking forward to see her live for the second time in June.
andrew says:
im just wondering where i can get one of those dolly t shirts!! you may have sounded off last night, but she IS the best. her record speaks for itself. (no pun intended)
sunkie says:
Dear Allison,
You have the right to voice you opinion, but frankly for me, I am saddened by your comments deeply. Dolly is an icon and you have tried your best to find ways to put her down and make her out to be “out of the loop”. I know who is out of the loop and it is not Dolly. For all of the Dolly fans and ones that have grown up to all of her ideas, let us rejoice that she is still producing songs that can make us shaky in the knees.
Alice says:
Dolly was fantastic last night. Not sure what show you were watching. And her humor is always on point. Love her!
Steelman says:
Come on you people what is wrong with your hearing? I love Dolly Parton, but last night on Idol she was dreadful. She was out of tune and pitchy and she knew it. She acted very uncomfortable at the end when she was speaking with Ryan. If she has been a contestant they would have never let her into the top 200, let alone the top 12. As for the Clark Brothers, my cats can sing better. They were a complete disaster. My goodness they got paid for that. I would love to be a fly on Simon’s wall and hear what he had to say.
REDNECK50 says:
DOLLY IS DOLLY ONE OF THE ALL TIME GREAT FEMALE COUNTRY SINGER.SIMON NEEDS TO GET OFF THE BUS AN START TO APPRECTIATE THE TALENT WE HAVE HERE NOT EVERYONE ENJOYS COUNTRY MUSIC. P.S. DOLLY CAN SING FOR ME ANYTIME.
Jamie says:
I did not watch the entire show but I caught bits and peices on Tuesday. I thought the contestants did a great job. I did not hear Dolly sing but from what my friend said the song was beautiful. Perhaps, the people that are complaining about it truely have a problem with the fact that it is an inspiring song that leans towards Christian music. From what I have read here, it seems to me that this may be the true issue with both Dolly’s and the Clark Brothers’ performances. I think that they all should be given credit for being willing to stand up there in front of millions of Americans and sing songs that deal with their faith. I give them props. I think it is awesome that they had the courage to do so. More people need to find God and have a personal relationship with him. As for David Archuleta, I saw his performance and I think he did a great job. He is truely a gifted young man and I hope to see him make it to the top. He is only 17yrs old but he has a lot of maturity in the way he sings. He rocks!
MOE HABIBI says:
THIS IS WHAT WE HAPPEN WHEN YOU HAVE A MAJOR SUCCESS IN COUNTRY MUSIC SUCH AS CARRIE UNDERWOOD , EVERYONE THINKS THEY CAN “DO IT” THEY ALL THINK THEY CAN REPEAT WHAT CARRIE HAS DONE FOR COUNTRY MUSIC . BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT THEY CAN’T! COME ON BOYS AND GIRLS PUT SOME EMOTION ON YOUR SONGS. THEY WERE AS FLAT AS HOMEMADE TORTILLA i BOUGHT AT “SOUTH OF THE BOARDER” STORE FOR 10 CENTS. CHEAP BUT NO GOOD! I DIDN’T GET MY MONEY WORTH AT THAT MOM AND POP STORE NEITHER TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN I WATCH AMERICAN IDOL. THEY MADE ME APPRECIATE CARRIE EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE! AS FAR AS DOLLY GOES . I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THE GREATEST RESPECT FOR HER AND I THINK SHE SIMPLY CAN DO NO WRONG.
Judy says:
Wow, I thought The Clark Brothers were amazing!!! So soulful and giften instrumentalists. Do they have a CD out yet? I looked everywhere for more about them this morning, but couldn’t find much. I think the public will go nuts for these guys when they get going. I too wish that Simon would have critiqued the Clark Brothers - I think he would have thought their performance fantastic. Poor Dolly - she is so wonderful, just getting up there a bit in age, but, still talented and always charming.
Julie Ann says:
Well…as a mere Brit watching the show…if the Clark Brothers are Country then Country is HOT! And if Dolly is an example of American Christianity/Church then God Bless the USA and thank you Jesus for Dolly. I think she’s inspirational and utterly genuine - the real deal - just my opinion :0)
Angela says:
I really enjoy watching American Idol. These young adults really have guts! I could never have courage to get up and sing in front of millions of people. I can only say keep on,keeping on and God will take each one of you on a road to success.
Dolly was really great last night, she has a really great song and I really enjoyed it. I just think the band and the backup singers were really loud. Keep on singing Dolly, the world needs more people like you. You can only find people like that here in the mountains of Tennessee. (Just really love the mountains), but really they are geniune people all over the world.
Kathleen says:
Cruelest of cruel? Puleeze, you think Ramiele was the very first person in American Idol history who sung her last song with tears in her eye? Looks like that was the first episode of American Idol *you* ever saw. Plus, singers are allowed the option of not singing if they don’t want to. She chose to sing. If Ramiele wants to blubber like a two year old, that doesn’t make anyone cruel, it makes her immature.
Katie says:
I was also disappointed in Dolly’s performance. If she had been a contestant, I think Simon would have torn her performance apart!
marie says:
Now that ramiele was voted off in AI, we don’t like to watch the remaining AI season 7 anymore. this girl has talent, charisma and good attitude. she should have stayed for more weeks.
Jerome says:
I thought Dolly Parton was insporational, and very funny and charming during the interview. And I have never really followed her career. So to people like me who don’t know much about her, she came off in a very positive light.
I also watched the Clark Brothers on the other show they were on and really liked them, so I am a bit biased. They are really good performers. I think they are better on some other songs, but liking their performance of “This Little Light of Mine” may be a matter of taste. I could understand some people not liking it, but I am one who does like the Clark Bros style!
In conclusion, I agree with the person who said that maybe the writer of this article is the one out of the loop!
Allison J says:
I thought Dolly did a FABULOUS job as did the other 9! Can you imagine how nervous you would have been if you had to take one of Dollys songs, make it your own and then perform it for her and everyone in America?? I think the head mic she was using probably made it harder for her to really let loose and belt it out as well as the loud music, Plus she probably had nerves about singing in front of Simon, Randy & Paula! She looked AMAZING and she was as down-to-earth and sweet as she always is! She has such Great Talent and I don’t think she’s getting enough credit!!! Way To GO Dolly!!!!
Magdalena says:
I think Dolly was brilliant,charming,funny as she always is.
Jonathan says:
I am appalled that anyone affiliated with CMT would put Dolly Parton down. If Alison is an employee on the payroll she should be fired for being so disrespectful to Country Music Royalty. I agree it was not Dolly’s absolute strongest performance and I have seen many! She still however is an ICON and kudos to her for singing live when so many performers lip synch now. I agree with many of the other bloggers, I think the band and backup singers were too loud and she really had to almost yell to keep up with them. She looked like an angel and what the heck was wrong with her interview with Ryan? She was typical Dolly, the same Dolly that AMERICA and the ENTIRE WORLD ADORE! Alison, go jump off a bridge.
mike says:
I tuned it just to see Dolly…and I was not disapointed…. Maybe not her best performance vocally, but she did a nice job. Her interview was her normal, cute, funny self!
Donovan Edwards says:
I will agree that it may not have been Dolly’s best performance, I belive that due to the fact the band and back up singers were too loud. Somebodt fell asleep at the mixing board! But Dolly being the superstar she is kept right on sining! The show must go on. Those wo want to critical stop and ask your self could you have done a better job? I also agre that if allison works with CMT ahe should be fired! Have some respect! Allison even though Dolly may have tiny shoes you would never be able to fill them! Staing an opion is fine if it is done tastefuly and respectfuly, yours has left a nasty taste in our mouths!
Crystal says:
I thought Dolly looked and Sounded Great! The band was too loud for her and I don’t think she could her herself! That happens a lot when the band is too loud - especially on award shows! Either way, she did a great job! GO DOLLY!
American Idol Headlines for 4/4/08 says:
[...] CMT [...]
Reba says:
I think Dolly was fabulous with the kids. She’s such a sweetheart and a great singer and song writer. I think that David A., David Cook, Michael, Ayesha, Jason, and Kristy did a fab job singing her songs. Dolly, who I postively adore, however, was not her usual self. She did a very poor job of singing and she was shouting the song. I think that she looked very uncomfortable singing. I felt very bad for her. She would never had made it to the top 100. To bad, I still love her - you go girl.
pattie says:
You are so wrong about the CLARK BROTHERS THEY WERE LETTING
THERE LIGHT SHINE IN JESUS! AND SO WAS DOLLY, IT MADE MY HEART SO OVER JOYED, THAT SUCH A SHOW AS AMERICAN IDOL WOULD LET THAT HAPPEN!!!
Paul says:
Admittedly, I am big Dolly Parton fan so I’m biased, but I thought it was wonderful to see her featured on this show which only claimed that it was “Dolly Parton Week,” not country week. Sure, to many people those are synonymous, but American Idol is predominately about pop-music — I thought it was a testament to the transcendence of her songwriting and pop culture appeal that her songs were interpreted this way. By taking such a country-purist stance, I find it quite surprising that one of your favorite performances was “I Will Always Love You,” which owed more to Whitney Houston than anything south of the Mason-Dixon line! As Dolly herself said when people like you threw a hissy-fit over her crossover success, “I’m not leaving country, I’m just taking it with me!” As for her own performance on the show, you’re entitled to your opinion but I thought she was spectacular and her new single, “Jesus and Gravity,” deserves to be a big hit even though I’m afraid that the country industry’s preference for younger pop-singers with southern accents will make it an uphill climb for her. She’s an original, and she’ll always be my American Idol!
Derek says:
What, was Dolly’s performance not slick and polished enough for you? Hypocrite.
RUSS says:
I don’t think Dolly’s performance was as bad as you make it out to be. I definitely agree something was off..not sure if Dolly was hoarse or couldn’t hear herself over the band or what. However, I think that we are so used to hearing Dolly sound fantastic that when she does have a little blip that things get blown out of proportion. I’m sure we will see stories in the tabloids soon that Dolly is losing her voice and other tall tales. As for the interview afterwards…I totally disagree. Dolly was..well Dolly…witty, engaging, sassy!
mosmom says:
I loved Dolly (not a country fan, though) and felt her lyrics were very personal. Sometimes like on Broadway, it’s not the the purity of the vocals, but rather the delivery. And boy, did she delivered!
Chris says:
This article is garbage. Dolly had a wonderful performance on Idol. The crowd couldn’t stop cheering, the room was full of energy. Her performance just keeps getting better and better everytime I watch it!
Been There, Done That says:
There is no Alison at CMT. It’s just a puppet the Music Row Mafia is using to try to brainwash us all. If a corporation can make money off an unsuspecting artist, they’ll do it.
They can’t make any (more)money off Dolly. She’s too smart. And as for the Clark Brothers, it is refreshing to see the REAL DEAL get some recognition in music. These guys would have been superstars years ago if they had chose to sell their souls to a record company.
This is a pathetic attempt to play down Music Row’s biggest enemy: real talent from a star that they don’t own.
Steve says:
As a non-Christian American Idol fan, I enjoyed Dolly’s performance but was offended by her song choice. I think if Simon were to critique it, he would say that she sounded like a Sunday morning televangelist in between sermons. If they were looking to alienate the segment of their audience that does not believe in Jesus, they succeeded with flying colors. I really hope that this is not a new direction in which AI is headed, or it might not be long before it completely jumps the holy shark.
Allison J says:
OHH, Don’t worry, It won’t be!! Most of this world seems all to eager to head straight to Hell!!! I think Dollys song choice was great, possibly the only way SOME will hear about JESUS!! So here’s another sermon!!!!!
T J says:
I just e-mailed Alison telling her about all the negative responses her blog is getting, do you think she really cares? I think writers play us sometimes just to get a response(howbeit negative) and I for one hate it. I’ve been told that whatever a writer writes they get paid just the same.
Dolly your a living legend and you should be written about respectfully.
I am sorry this blog is even out here for you to read.
Mark Hastings NYC says:
1 David Archuleta
2 David Cook
3 Carly Simonson
4 Brooke White
5 Michael Johns
6 Syesha Mercado
7 Kristy Cook
8 Jason Castro
Mark Hastings NYC says:
Sorry, tried to do it from memory
1 David Archuleta
2 David Cook
3 Carly Smithson
4 Brooke White
5 Michael Johns
6 Syesha Mercado
7 Kristy Cook
8 Jason Castro
floridale86 says:
It’s great to hear Dooly Parton sing on ‘American Idol.’ The band and backup singers were ‘drowning’ her voice.
The contestants were doing fine with their country renditions of Dolly Parton song and it was sad to see Ramiele go. Good luck to her in her future undertaking.
And good luck to the rest of the remaining contestants.
Steve says:
Allison, I think you missed my point. Some members of the audience do not necessarily believe in hell or that hearing a song is going keep them out of it. I am just hoping that the producers were not using this past week to promote a religious bias. They will be sorry if they continue to broadcast performances like this, because they will lose their audience outside of the bible belt.
Linda says:
Steve I thought YOU missed the point. Dolly is unabashedly a Christian Country Music Star. She is a Christian, even without the Country Music. She was expressing HER feelings with HER writing and HER arrangement of HER song. Likewise the Clark Brothers are unabashedly Christians. The fact that it was NOT “COUNTRY music night” but “DOLLY PARTON night” lends credence to their choices of performers AND songs. Doesn’t mean that FOX or Circle19 or even American Idol are promoting any one group of people over another. However, be prepared. Next week the theme is “inspirational songs” in light of the “Idol Gives Back” theme, and SOME of them may indeed also be “Christian” songs. A little of the famous “tolerance” that people talk about might be in order TOWARD Christians as well as FROM Christians!!
James says:
I would have thought with Rick Hendrix and Randy involved country music would have been well represented. Who knows
karen says:
Ummmmm Rick Hendrix site says he is mainly a Christian promoter http://www.rickhendrix.com
Steve says:
Linda, I am not denying that Dolly Parton is the amazing talent that she is, but do not be fooled into thinking that she had editorial license the other night. As big a star as she is, American Idol is bigger (at least for the moment) and the producers give her the green light for what she is going to sing. This, along with the other music act was an apparent case of the producers promoting a religious agenda and that deviates from prior episodes and prior seasons.
My point is not that I am at all surprised that this is happening (we are seeing it more than ever), but that American Idol’s producers seem to be taking this concept in a direction that it does not need to go. And what is just as strange is that people don’t realize that it is not the artists, nor the kids in this competition, that are in control of what America watches.
And by the way, with the billions (yes, billions) in advertising revenue that Fox takes in from Ford and Exxon and the others, why do they need to reach into the pockets of to their loyal viewers, who have given them huge ratings and made them rich, by having a telethon? I am not alone in feeling that this is an insult to the viewers’ intelligence. A better idea would be to have Fox kick in one night’s revenues (it would far exceed $100 million)and be done with it, but they would never do that. They would rather take it from you, the viewers.
Allison J says:
Well said Linda!! I Completely agree with you!
Scott says:
Alison Bonaquro, SHAME ON YOU!!!
Linda says:
I have to agree and disagree, Steve… i do not believe that AI is or ever WILL be “bigger” than our li’l petite Dolly. AI will not last 40+ years, and i sincerely doubt that ANY of it’s contestants will be rejoicing to still be producing at anywhere NEAR the level Dolly STILL produces after a lifetime of musical input.
I do not consider the Idol Gives Back to be an insult to the viewers. There ARE major contributions from not only the sponsors of AI, but also from other mega corporations. However, the whole IDEA of IBG is that the people who watch are given a “chance” … SHOULD THEY SO DESIRE … to contribute to the effort. Jerry Lewis has been doing this for 40 years with regard to Muscular Dystrophy. Again, there, many corporations make mega-donations, but the “little guy” is given a chance to do what he or she can… Many extremely liberal people have adopted the same concept with Farm Aid and Live Aid and other Aid campaigns, calling on the people to give what they can, IF they want to and IF they believe in the ideal offered, to make a difference, even just a little one.
I also disagree that the producers TELL the guests what they can … or cannot … perform. Again, read my prior post. Both Dolly AND the Clark Bros. are emphatically and unabashedly and unashamedly Christians. It is right in their wheelhouse to perform something that expresses their souls. Dolly’s song was from her new album. This Little Light of Mine a la Clark Brothers was THE song that (1) got them in the finals on Next Great American Band AND (2) the song they performed in the finale that got them the title “Next Great American Band”. There was no reason to expect either to NOT do what is current and important to them, nor that Fox would demand or dictate otherwise!
Should Fox donate a night’s proceeds? SURE! that would be great. Maybe someone will pick up on the idea and actually do something like that. Who knows.
Frankly, I somewhat am feeling a little sorry for you that you live in such a cynical state of mind… or heart. Or should I say, you appear to. I cannot judge from two posts, LOL. I admit that I sometimes am a bit naive about people, and sometimes a bit of a ‘pollyanna’ when it comes to peoples’ motives. But I prefer the glass half full to the glass half empty.
leda hoffman says:
Is this what American Idol calls country? This is what I call country and the kind of country that I could really get on board with. I loved getting to know Dolly Parton. Even though I am close to her age I never really gave her a chance because I am not a big fan of a lot of C and W. But wow, when I saw what a presence she is and how she built up and appreciated the way the contestants took her songs and converged those songs with their own style and made them their own. I never heard of the Clark Brothers but I am now one of their appreciative fans. I used to be embarrassed to tell people that I am a fan of AI but now I think they have become one of the best shows. I love that they perform a service for not only the contestants who get a chance to develop and expose their talent but also we the audience who get to be inspired by beautiful music, great personalities and many have a spiritual message to relay. Their stories tell us that they have been preparing for this time. I hope someone realizes what a good thing it would be to put together some of the better performed songs as well a collection of the songs that have a spiritual message. I would love if my Christian radio station, The Candle, in Nor Cal, would play Dolly’s song, Jesus and Gravity, The Clark Brothers, This Little Light of Mine, there have been others over the seasons.
leda hoffman says:
P.S. I didn’t say it but Alison, I can’t believe they pay you to write that negative, criticle crap. I’d like to read a review by someone who had an understanding of the genius of converging different music styles, bringing together different generations and able to see the beauty of sharing and encouraging others. True convergence. You just don’t get it. Can’t feel it or maybe you think you’ll get somewhere behaving like Simon who is over the top with his negativity. The sad thing is maybe you will have an audience. I can only hope more will wake up to the power of love and in regards to talent the power to prepare, develop and express themselves. How sad that you come along and throw “dirt” on such a grand thing.
Jonathan says:
Steve - Dolly performed “Jesus and Gravity” because it is her new single. And I can tell you for a fact that she had total control over what song she chose. Had she appeared on Idol earlier she would have sang “Better Get to Livin” the previous single. As an entertainer, of course she is going to choose to sing the song she is currently promoting. “Jesus was released to radio just a few days before her Idol performance.
American Idol is not trying to become the next PTL starring Jim and Tammy Faye!
Jonathan says:
I also want to say that whether it was the band being to loud, the back up singers singing too loud or just that Dolly may have been a little hoarse, the new CD Backwoods Barbie and especially the new single Jesus and Gravity are amazing. Don’t let this somewhat flawed performance hinder your decision to go out and get this CD.
Dolly is 62 years old and the fact that she is out there still making music is amazing. She has enough money to just lock herself inside the gates of one of her many fabulous homes and rest. However she chooses to still get out there and make people happy whereever she goes.
GO BUY THE CD or download it. Show her the world is still rooting for her.
Paula says:
First of all, I have to agree with one of the comments above…how can you blatantly put down Dolly like that? It’s one thing to say that she was, perhaps, not quite up to par…but to be so bitter and derogatory was just plain wrong.
Second, I think that the Idols trying to make their songs their own shows their creativity and allows them to showcase more of their vocal ability. Who wants to hear someone sing every song in the world the same? How boring your life must be.
Third. The Clark Brothers performance was inspirational and outstanding. They are accomplished musicians with quite a background. If you don’t get that, maybe you should NOT be blogging on CMT. Why don’t you find a job writing for the National Enquirer? I hear they need someone who can produce good BullSh-t…and that’s all your blog is. Perfect match.
And why should Michael John’s ascot matter, in any way, to his performance? I find your train of thought and your review quite asinine.
Figment says:
This is a truly mean-spirited article that undermines the credibility of CMT. The opportunity for country (in this case Dolly) to be showcased should be applauded. Any exposure to the genre is a positive! I could have understood the focus on changing the songs but slamming one of the most amazing legends of country music is unforgiveable, especially from a site/station that promotes itself as Country Music Television. Dolly always has and always will be an amazingly talented singer/songwriter/performer and wonderful, generous role model. How many others performers can still bring people in after 40+ years in the business?
Melissa~ says:
I respectfully disagree *completely* with you.
Loved Dolly, *loved*loved*loved* The Clark Brothers. Can’t wait to buy their album, already bought their performance on idol at itunes.
Did I mentioned I *loved* them?
David says:
Dolly is a timeless talent but she looked like a fish out of water on American Idol. She doesn’t need AI, although she probably went on to promote her new music and validate herself as being relevant to the Ipod generation. In retrospect she would have been better off staying away. I doubt if she converted any urban “tweens” to her music.
leda says:
David, David, David! Dolly may have been a little off of her game for whatever reason but you failed to see that Dolly connected with her audience and the contestants. I’ve noticed that the performance of several of the legends didn’t quite live up to our expectations but what they gave during their time there has been incredible. Dolly may have been glad to promote her song but she also came to teach, to build up and challenge. She did a great job. Dolly’s music transcends country as Whitney Houston and several of the contestants proved. So glad that you and the “tweens” aren’t the only ones out there buying music.
Bobbi says:
I agree with Tara up there, the week was about Dolly, not nessesarily “Country”…
as for Wednesday’s reveal night, literally the best one I have ever tuned into!! I usually just skip to the end to see who is booted, but thanks to that show I have seen The Clark Brothers for the first time and I am ADDICTED!!! (and thanks to YouTube) They are amazing. I am sure Simon was disgruntled with the spiritual atmosphere of the evening (I can just imagine him telling The Clark Brothers if he could “that was very self indulgent”) BUT I LOVED IT! Seriously, find me a country singer who does not have God or Jesus on their album somewhere!
Dolly’s songs were great and The Clark Brothers were great…and the right person left the show…STELLAR!
Been There, Done That says:
Here’s a short lesson in how a recording corporation exploited the Clark Brothers. It is common practice for a record company to run up the production costs of project, only to claim they need to be paid back for all their “investment” thereby controlling the artist for the rest of their career. And by control, I mean they have the ability to “make” you a number one star, or put the lid on your act until you are no longer a threat to their other “investments” (translate: artists). I applaud the Clark Brothers for getting out of the grips of one of the Music Row Mafia.
(Sadly,this is a true story):
A year after the release of their debut album, The Clark Family Experience filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy; the band owed more than $800,000 in debt to Curb (Records), citing mismanagement and unfair contracts from the label as the reasons for their debt.
Curb then attempted to dismiss the Clark brothers’ bankruptcies, claiming that the band was trying to exit its contract.In addition, the label tried to seek an injunction to keep the band from recording for any other label. By August 2003, the label had dropped the suit.
Trevor says:
“A weak and shaky voice” is all this story said about Dolly’s performance and yet so many of you are getting all bent out of shape. It’s just one sentence. This story has probably done more for Dolly’s career than all of you buying her new CD has. As one of you pointed out, she’s 62 years old and is an icon. That, however, does not make her flawless. She was off that night and if you didn’t hear that you may want to get your hearing checked.
Allison J says:
Umm.. I believe it said a little more than that about Dolly!!! It’s not all about the money either, it’s the principle of it all and showing such disrespect for Dolly and all of her hard work!! Who cares if she was off a little bit?? We’re not trying to take Simon’ place as judge, so why pick her performance to pieces?? You could tell she was having to shout over the music anyways!! It wouldn’t have mattered to me if she had of sang Mary Had A Little Lamb, she still would have been great, because she is just an all around beautiful person inside and out! She brings such good energy everywhere she goes!
Allison J says:
…..AND If YOU can’t see that, then maybe you should have your eyes checked!!!
ya mamma says:
i think the clark brothers are amazing. Simon thinks so too and so do Randy and Paula. They both went out of their way to congratulate them. I think they will tear up the country charts. God has his hand in it. look out.
SoundEngineer says:
I just listened to the myspace version and the youtube live AI version. Dolly’s voice is fine, the problem is the mixing: the bass, strings, guitar, snare and bass drum channels are too low; Dollys channel could use some mids on about 8 o’clock. The bass really should be kickin’ on this particular song, It does on the studio version on myspace. There are 2 sound engineers one for the live audience and one for tv video feed audience. The tv sound engineer gets his feed from the live sound board. If the live sound engineer doesn’t have it set right, the 2nd engineer can only tweak so much, he can’t pull an over abundance of base if that isn’t being sent to his board.
Not being there, I still believe it was the Live Audience Engineers fault, because when performers are using In-Ear monitors they look for the bass feel to thump them in the back. I don’t believe Dolly was getting that thump and she tries to get it from tapping her hands and making other movements. She, still being a seasoned performer and performing in various acoustic venues pulls her part off. She is on key and her vibrato and dynamics are above par even with the lacking of mixing. To critique this performance, you need to listen to the studio version (myspace) and the live version on youtube twice each.
Most of you I think are probably use to hearing Dolly’s studio versions of songs and weeks of mastering the mix of music have taken place. The live on AI could have been as Great, but it takes a Sound Engineer accustomed to the band playing for her to hit it on money on a one shot deal.
This sound Engineer is use to mixing for Ricky Minors Band,
and probably thought well here is slower Country Song, let’s kick the bass down, lower other channels, etc. And it may have sounded alright during Soundcheck when the audience wasn’t seated, but once people come in an arena, they absorb the mids and lows, so you have to know how to compensate during sound check and you need to listen to the studio song or know the song and music that the guest is going to perform, so you know what to turn up when and which instruments are dominate in the song, and which ones may have lead breaks etc. By the way, I just went and bought this song on walmart.com for 94 cents. It kinda grew on me after listening to it 4 times.
SoundEngineer says:
Here is something awkward, on Dolly’s myspace page, CMT is her number one FREIND. With friends like this, who needs enemies??????? I guess Dolly is just a thoughtful person and sees good in everyone.
Denise says:
I agree with the blogger, Dolly is the one of the best songwriters in the history of music, she is a fabulous singer but Weds night was not one of her best performances, I guess people hear what they want.
As far as the Clark Brothers, I am a huge fan of Carrie Underwood and their lead singer used to be her fiddle player and back up singer and I loved/love him. However this performance tonight was awful, they sounded like 3 alley cats in the middle of the night howling in the alley, I thought they were awful and I was shocked they one the Great American Band, Gifted as they are with their instruments they leave alot to be desired vocally and they always seem to be a little over the top and scattered when they perform high energy songs like this one.
I give Dolly an A- for her performance and the Clark Brothers and F, Sorry Ashley I love you but you guys even had my dog running for cover with that mess of a performance.
mike says:
Just to say that I thought the Clark Brothers were best act that I have ever seen on Idol .
I would buy their cd in a minute.
If you dont like this then you dont like country.
Brenda says:
I think The Clark Brothers knew exactly what they were doing when they performed on Idol. For those who had not seen them before, they had made quite an impression. They have a knack for doing that. Good or bad, still publicity in their favor. There has been so much controversy and conflict surrounding this band already, that by the time their CD drops in June, even those who hated their performance, will purchase their music, if only for curiosity’s sake. Having had a huge dislike for country and gospel music, I have turned into a huge fan of The Clark Brothers. That’s what makes them so unique. They are a great blend of country, southern gospel, blues and rock. I have watched them since day one on NGAB, and I am rooting for them with all of my heart. Not only are they extremely talented musicians, The Clark Brothers connect on an emotional level, with the audience, every time they perform. Watch them on My Space and listen to their story from the beginning. You’ll fall in love with them, too.