46 replies to this topic

[TWoP Gadget]

NBC:

POP GOES COUNTRY AS THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT "NASHVILLE STAR" CONTINUES WITH HOST BILLY RAY CYRUS -- Ten acts remain all competing be named the next "Nashville Star." Week three of the competition proves that America's music crosses all genres when pop goes country. Hear cross-over versions of your favorite top 20 hits interpreted by the competing artists. Host Billy Ray Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") joins celebrity judges/mentors, singer-songwriter and acclaimed producer John Rich, multi-platinum singer-songwriter and three-time Grammy nominee Jewel and acclaimed industry heavy weight and BMI Songwriter of the Year (2006) Jeffery Steele in the search for a true artist. You never know who is going to stop by the Acuff Theater to join in on a jam session.

[sharybeari]

Billy Ray Cyrus is a really crappy host.

[HerRoyalHighnes]

Where was Chet tonight?

Guess he got bored and went home.....

[Hildegard802]

My eyes. My ears.

Solid Gold dancers??? What horrors yet await us?

The attempts to manufacture drama, e.g., Melissa trying to convince us doing "pop" is going to be sooooo tough cuz "I'm country." Uh huh. Aretha has been on the country charts forevah.

Tommy Stanley referring to himself in the third person.

BillyBob can't even wish Justin good luck without looking at the freaking monitor.

Those creepy Shining girls in their bustiers singing about banging PYT. Ick ick ick.

Alyson in her lime-green garage sack was so off-key, I wanted to howl like a dawg.

Edited by Hildegard802, Jun 23, 2008 @ 10:10 PM.

[VAHokies]

Now that? THAT made the first two episodes seem amazing. WTH!

[sharybeari]

What was wrong with the audience? The Coffey performance was maybe in contention for Velveta Star of Cheesiness but not a legit country star. I am glad I opened a bottle of wine I am not sure I could watch any of that without it!

[binturite]

Ok, to be fair, I've never watched this show.

That said, I just caught the recap of tonight's...perfomances. And I...I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the idea that this bunch of mediocre, and/or ear-assaulting wannabes are supposed to be representatives of the same genre of music that gave us Patsy Cline and Marty Robbins?

I mean the Latina-looking chick wasn't bad. But dang, that's not saying much considering what I..dear lord...heard coming out of the mouths of fellow competitors.

The only other one who made an impression (though not for her nothin' special vocals) was the girl who looked to be the result of some kind of Let's Clone Reba project.

[Meanderer]

Ok, this is my first watch this season(though i did watch the one that had Miranda on it a while back, and read the recaps for this season)
Billy Ray is like the worst host in the history of TV. I thought I hated Seacrest, little did I know what horrors awaited me.
I don't get the red head girl though she looks exactly like Olivia Wilde(O.C./House)
Justin was really good, odd song choice but it worked. And he is so pretty i almost had to look away from the screen to judge his performance objectively
That maniac fiasco...no words
Danity Kane was super random, but they sounded good
I thought the two girl groups were the best along with True Colors
Coffey was terrible, plus there have been about hmmm 450 better guitar driven covers of Umbrella. Check youtube, I'm not exaggerating

btw when I say any og them were good its comparative.At this point I wouldn't give any of them a second look were they not on my tv. How is this the same show that produced Miranda Lambert and Buddy Jewel?

Edited by Meanderer, Jun 24, 2008 @ 9:06 AM.

[GilvearSt]

That was rough, but at least Justin went home. I don't care if he was "the most improved" he went from a burning sack of shit to a regular non-flamey sack of shit. Better, but still no good.

I love Tommy and I don't think he deserved bottom two, but this week's performance was less good. Boy can sing, but that wasn't very country. The backup dancers didn't help. I think part of his problem was spending two hours thinking about how he could go home and psyching himself out a bit.

Gabe kind of worked the theme. He was interesting, sounded good and I thought he looked relaxed. Pearl Heart also really impressed me.

Shawn and Ashlee took on 90s pop and did okay. I think Ashlee did much better at turning her song into a country song, but her voice bugs me. I really like Shawn's guitar. I think it's a Luna. I was sad when the dancer took it away. I was more sad when Shawn decided to dance.

Alyson and Melissa have great voices, but they lack performance skills. Alyson was very awkward and everything was so laboured. Every week she looks like she's trying so hard; part of the appeal of a great country artist is how easy and cool they look. Melissa bugs, though I haven't put my thumb on why. She just seems kind of phoney. And Melissa, neither Aretha Franklin or Carole King are very country so don't act like Cyndi Lauper is the world's biggest stretch.

Coffey isn't country and I'm glad someone finally said so. That was a mess of all sorts. The beatboxing was awful. He makes Carmen Rasmusen's goat singing look like child's play. Plus, there's nothing original about covering Umbrella. Everyone's done it. And they've all done it better.

The thing that bugged me the most was Jeff handing Laura and Sophie a song choice and an arrangement. I don't know what sort of help everyone else gets, but it seems like they were getting quite the advantage not having to worry about that aspect of the performance while others were. They sounded okay, but they do still look at each other quite alot. Also two outfits can compliment each other without being matchy. The quickest way to end the gimmick is to dress in different clothes.

As of right now the only people I would ever want to see perform live are Gabe for the voice and Tommy for the energy. I wouldn't waste my time seeing the others for free at a county fair.

[quothapril]

I'm going to run for Congress on the platform that we need to pass a federal law mandating that Billy Ray Cyrus is not ever allowed to host anything on television again, ever. Because: wow. He's the only person I've ever seen who manages to look like he's reading cue cards even when he's not. Also, I love how he's adopted the Ryan Seacrest tactic of dragging out the eliminations with long pauses, except that while Seacrest has a knack for timing those pauses so they work, Billy Ray stretches them way past "suspenseful" into "uncomfortable, and maybe a little creepy."

Justin really needed to go. Not that I wasn't amused by the video package that basically consisted of everyone involved with the show scrambling to give him singing lessons so that his mere presence would look like slightly less of an embarrassment to NBC, but still. "Most improved" still sucked. The only thing funnier than Billy Ray hosting was when they put this equally inarticulate dolt next to him and let them close the show together. And I don't think for a second this kid is going to be a star of any kind - good looks or not, he has zero charisma or personality onstage, never mind the talent issue.

Melissa has one of those generic good voices - even when she sings well, there's nothing unique about it. Her song choices have been pretty dull thematically so far, too. Meanwhile, I felt a little bad for Alyson because I thought her song had some good moments, but the vocal was iffy in general and she clearly never came up with an arrangement she felt comfortable with. Both girl groups were probably good this week, but I still think Laura & Sophie are too young, and Pearl Heart sang a song that I can never ever evaluate objectively because I hate it so much, so I'll just give them both a pass to next week.

Coffey was absolutely terrible. I like country, I like soul, I like country-soul, and that was not a good example of any of those things. Even if he wasn't playing the, "You can't criticize me because I'm singing for my kid!" card that I hate, I still would've hated it.

I'd put Shawn and Tommy both in the "good, but not country" category this week. Still, I have to say Shawn has really grown on me from the first week, when I couldn't stand her. She's a girl with some interesting ideas.

Gabe and Ashlee were my favorites by far. Gabe is the best singer and came a long way on the performing side this week, though he's not there yet. As for Ashlee, I can easily see her falling somewhere on the spectrum between Colbie Caillat and Taylor Swift in terms of her fan base. If I were a record exec, she's the only one of these finalists I'd consider signing, because her style is one that might actually sell in the contemporary music market.

Edited by quothapril, Jun 23, 2008 @ 10:55 PM.

[CaffeinatedTV]

Point the first: Where the hell did the Daisy-Duke-shorts-wearing-hussie dancers come from? Better yet, why? Oh, wait...I forgot. That's all we countryfolk can relate to. Thanks for the reminder, NBC.

Point the second: Gabe Garcia is not our "cowboy in residence," Jeffrey Steele. He's our "only actual country singer in residence." There's a difference.

Point the third: Awkward silence. Billy Ray opens his mouth, looks for a nonexistent cue card, and closes his mouth again. Awkward silence. Billy Ray speaks. Awkward silence. Billy Ray tries to make a joke. Awkward silence. And Katie Cook and her breasts fly in and save the day. Welcome to Nashville Star.

Point the fourth: I like that Jewel can't even get anyone else to pimp her anymore and she's left to do her own self-pimping. "Who wants to fly to Leno with me?" "I see a lot of myself in you." Kiss. Of. Death.

Point the fifth: Shut up, John Rich.

Point the sixth: Shut up, Jewel. Some more.

Point the seventh: "Love Shack." Huh. Actually kind of worked. Let me go reevaluate my life a little bit.

Point the eighth: I think I could see my reflection in Billy Ray's hair tonight.

Point the ninth: Just because you don't like a song, John Rich, doesn't mean that the performance was horrible. I'm sure it had no bearing on your opinion that Alyson ignored your advice to take the song to an ungodly speed and decided to go with her own coherent thought of slowing it down to make it country. Not that I thought her performance was phenomenal, but it was at least tolerable. Unlike your existence, John Rich.

Point the tenth: Ashlee Hewitt -- keep your fucking tongue in your fucking mouth. And keep your fucking mouth closed. Especially around John Rich, just to be safe.

Point the eleventh: I'd like to beat Coffey with an umbrella. And then cuss him out in sign language. In front of his daughter.

Point the twelfth: That's right, Jeffrey Steele. You give Laura & Sophie a free arrangement, but make sure you throw in a free ticket to the finals as well. Go big or go home, man.

Point the thirteenth: That's right, Jeffrey Steele. You go ahead and make the creepiest act in the show that much creepier. PYT my ass.

Point the fourteenth: The Michael Jackson comment? Too far, Billy Ray. Too far. If you're going to make a Michael Jackson joke, at least do it well. It is an artform, you know.

Point the fifteenth: Huh. Danity Kane. I'm pretty sure they failed to make that sound country, but where were the judges' comments on that? Yeah. That's what I thought.

Point the sixteenth: Shawn Mayer's "Bye Bye Bye"...kind of baffles me. I've watched it about three times now, and I have yet to figure out what to make of it. Got to admire her ambition. Could do without the dancing, but I bow to her dedication. Suck on that, John Rich. I'm surprised he didn't try to take credit for *NSYNC.

Point the seventeenth: Melissa Lawson. Meh straight off the plus-sized rack.

Point the eightteenth: For God's sake, Justin Gaston. Put on some clothes. You're pretty, but you're not that pretty. Surprisingly enough, I thought his Cyndi Lauper impression kind of worked tonight. That said, it doesn't bother me that he left. I'll have forgotten about him by tomorrow. There is a God.

Point the nineteenth: Tommy Stanley is perhaps the only creep who outcreeps Laura & Sophie. Except John Rich, but that's a different story; I don't believe creep can even describe that. I thought the nightmares would be over once Third Town left, but Tommy's seen to it they won't be ending anytime soon. Thanks.

Point the twentieth: *snorts* Tommy's backup dancer seemed to be having a tough time of it. Comic relief, my friends. I thank God for it every day.

Point the twenty-first: Jeffrey Steele seems to be the only (non-contestant) cast member of that show who still has the slightest grip on reality. When he isn't chewing a wad of paper like a cow does its cud. Or calling to attention for the umpteenth time that he just chewed a wad of paper like a cow would its cud.

Point the final: God, I hate NBC.

[mooncreek]

This must have been a painful night for Tommy. He finds out he's got a 50% chance of getting eliminated right off the bat, but doesn't know to who so he can't evaluate the situation. Then he does the song Maniac so horribly that he makes it seem that Justin shouldn't have gotten eliminated.

Yes, Justin. The one who did okay things with the most absurd choice of the night. He never did say why he chose that song - and if the kid had a personality, it could have been an interesting explanation.

Cah-fay needs to go home. I do not want to hear you shout random things in the middle of any song.

I am loving Shawn more by the week. I have to give her credit for what she's trying to do. Plus, my ears immediately perked up upon hearing a judge say my three favorite words: original song night.

I agree with quothapril regarding Ashlee. Not my cup of tea but she would be the most marketable of what's left.

Laura & Sophie gave a good performance but I can't get past the idea that they look like girls performing at the county fair because their parents found these two cute frilly outfits.

Alyson needed to go either faster or slower. That was even more like muzak than last week's performance.

Edited by mooncreek, Jun 23, 2008 @ 11:57 PM.

[bluenote123]

Point the thirteenth: That's right, Jeffrey Steele. You go ahead and make the creepiest act in the show that much creepier. PYT my ass.

So. Much. Word. I kept thinking to myself, "Is this a revolutionary moment in music history? Are these two female country-music-at-the-county-fair-slash-scary-twins-from-The Shining actually singing a song about wooing and screwing . . . wait for it . . . a girl????" I mean, the arrangement was actually kind of hot (good for you, Jeffrey Steele), and no doubt, the girls can sing, but between the song choice and the matchy-matchy outfits, I was utterly creeped out. Not because I have a problem with girls singing love/romantic/dirty/etc. songs to girls -- I don't, at all -- but because "PYT" is overtly sexual, and I can't contemplate a sexuality of any sort (homo or hetero) at the same time that I am thinking of those two particular young women. Ewww.

Coffey can go home. Now. Forget the fact that I hate the song, I just don't think he's all that good.

Pageant-girl (forgot her name) has a soft spot in my heart, I must admit. There is something about her that I like, but I'll say that her voice sounded far richer in the clip than it did on stage. I think she should have gone either fast or slow, but that middle shit she did just didn't work.

"Maniac?" I barely like that shit as a pop song. Nuff said.

"Love Shack," "Bye Bye Bye," and the Britney song worked. Color me shocked!

Was "True Colors" sung in a country way, or was it simply done in nice fashion by a woman with a very nice voice? It sounded like she sang it well, but I don't recall thinking it sounded very country. Maybe I'll you-know-who-tube it and reevaluate. Or maybe not. I don't really care all that much.

They should fire the dancers and never let them appear again. It was embarrassing.

Edited by bluenote123, Jun 24, 2008 @ 12:07 AM.

[Reality-OD]

The dancing. The dancing. NO.

Please send them back to the General Jackson showboat or wherever they came from.

[argrow]

Wow, that was just so bad. Where to start.....

Like A Prayer? Really? I mean, I wouldn't think any country act would touch Madonna, let alone a song that has such a controversial video behind it. But oh..kay...

Why was Tommy told right off the bat he's in the bottom 2? It's doesn't make any sense at all.

Danity Kane? Well, it's better than Pussycat Dolls who is supposed to be there. But they can't find more country songs? Or even pop country? I would even settle for Jessica Simpson singing her faux country song of hers. Ok, maybe not.

Anyway, good riddance to Justin. Now can we just crown Gabe and forget this whole thing exist? At least the judges starts asking people to be country, but that comes too little too late.

And...WTF is with the dancing?

Edited by argrow, Jun 24, 2008 @ 12:27 AM.

[Lincolnave]

Congrats Tommy. I thought you couldn't possibly suck any more but you proved me wrong. The only thing John Rich has ever said that I thought was worth hearing. "How does it feel to know that Justin out country'd your ass". I don't know what that stilted stop and start style you use is but it sure isnt country. And I know Bush keeps cutting benefits for the military but doesnt the Navy have a dentist they can send that boy to? The only good thing is that I'm pretty sure America agrees with me and you will be gone next week.

I wonder if John Rich has shit on every pretty girl that didnt bow to his will?


Did Coffee think raiding Cowboy Troy's old wardrobe drawer would score him points?

Edited by Lincolnave, Jun 24, 2008 @ 1:13 AM.

[cvbear]

I decided to follow where others have led before and tape and skim past the dead moments and watch just performance and critique, but the show threw a little snag in my plans. See, they took the remaining contestants, and decided to dress almost all of them in these ghastly, ridiculous outfits. Debbie Gibson prom dresses on the Laura & Sophie twins. A rather ugly green Flashdance-like top on the Martina McBride lookalike. Tommy the Sailor Man is in a shirt that looks like electrical tape and crepe paper wrapped around his chest. The airhead who sang "Ring Of Faaah" last week---Ashlee, I was reminded---is in a shirt that looked like it was held together on faith alone. And Shawn's in this top with bedazzled metallic crap all over her that wouldn't let her into any airport without causing a security delay. Who the hell is dressing these people?

John's now a prick. I used to have a lot more respect for him, but hearing him "pep talk" the hamsters after last week just was a major turn-off.

Gabe should have resisted whoever gave him an idea that Ricky Martin was a great idea for Pop Goes Country. He's maybe the only true country singer of the bunch, but giving the Latino a Latin-pop song to cover with those deranged cheerleaders frolicking behind him onstage just was ridiculous. And yet, it might have been the best of the night anyway considering some of what was coming.

Oh, Pearl Heart. I feel so horrible for them---there's no Fred Schneider in that trio, and he IS "Love Shack". Without him, all you have is "Tin roof rusted" and a dozen Elly Mae Clampetts doing whatever Elly Maes do behind them. Their harmonies were very good, but this isn't a song where there's much for a lead singer who isn't Fred to do. This was an endearingly terrible idea. And I can't believe these girls picked something so ill-conceived on their own.

Alyson and her torn green shirt do Tiffany, and at least this one made more sense for her---but it was in a very bad key for her at the start, and worse than that, it was kinda boring. It actually sounded like a reasonable song, but she should have aimed for a faster tempo so that it didn't sound so deadly dull. It's a hard song to breathe life into anyway, but aiming for a Tiffany-like pace shoulda been the best way to go. If you have to cover Tiffany('s cover), at least do it in a way that gives it life. And John, if he ever liked her, is back to hating her.

Ashlee covers Britney, and it speaks for itself. Remarkably, it's better than it has a right to be, but there's not a lot of life in a song that was dumb even back when Brit was sane. Her "stage performance" looked silly, because she listened to John. She's got enough sex appeal without acting like a tramp on John Rich's say-so. But it wasn't a bad performance at all.

Coffey does Rihanna. He beatboxed, he R. Kelly'd the crowd, he sings "Umbrella" with zero credibility in either country or R&B, and it doesn't register. It's all a gimmick with him, completely insincere, very unreal. Who'd buy anything performed by him in the real world? Pile of meh. He's not a country-soul singer, because you have to have soul inside you and you have to have an idea of what country music is, and he's a chameleon, in a bad way, because he can change musical styles, but he's rather inept at all of them.

Laura & Sophie try to turn "P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)"---not a huge pop song, in fact it was the least successful hit from Thriller, if you call peaking at #10 a flop---into country, and it's as if Jeffrey Steele has this perverse glee at sticking it to the groups. He's less successful at sticking it to them as the NBC stylists, who think 1987 was big for fashion. They looked terrible, but he had a decent idea by changing up the musical arrangement to make it work. It sounded fine musically, but they kinda lost both their harmonies and their charm singing, and that's the fault of the vocal arrangement that had them crashing into each other a lot. It might have been the single most country-sounding of the pop songs, but the vocals were a bit of a mess. Oh, and John's now not just an ass, but a perv as well.

I keep waiting for the voting public to get the memo on Shawn---she's not very talented at all, oversinging everything, her ambition always outreaching her meager abilities. "Bye Bye Bye" wasn't remotely country, vocally messy, and didn't amount to much under any circumstance. She wants to win more than I think she wants to sing.

Melissa sings Cyndi. I never believed, shrieky as she was last week, she was ever in any danger. I think NBC is a little more fearful of "plus-sized" women being more successful than a guy in his underwear. But "True Colors" was a low-risk song, since at its heart it's acoustic enough to pass for country. When she's more restrained, she's infinitely more appealing than when she yells at me. Hands down the best of the night.

Tommy the Sailorman sang "Maniac", but not once did he mime pulling a cord, arching his back, with water splashing his nether regions. He's costumed like he wants to join the Cuban army, or at least Coldplay. As a ballad it was surprisingly good. When the tempo got faster, it got a little more ridiculous. For about a minute he got my attention. Not country either, but more interesting than some of the ones that sounded more country.

Sanjustinya cannot sing anything. Particularly Cyndi Lauper. Turning "Girls Just Wanna..." into Southern fried biscuits and gravy was appalling on every level. That he went home is the first rational thing I've seen on this show in three weeks. If we can just somehow swap out Rich for someone who isn't a Neanderthal, then the show might get better.

Just, y'know, not if they have any more rotten ideas like Pop Goes Country.

Post-script:

And I don't think for a second this kid is going to be a star of any kind - good looks or not, he has zero charisma or personality onstage, never mind the talent issue.

In America, if you can look good in underwear, there's always a career path for you.

Edited by cvbear, Jun 24, 2008 @ 3:58 AM.

[sundodger78]

I asked last week not to allow any of the songtestants to ever "dance" again. So what do they do? They bring in some hootchie dancers. NBC - go figure.

I thought Laura and Sophie would sing D.I.V.O.R.C.E this week to showcase innapropiate song choice and spelling abilities. I'm a big enough person to admit I was completely wrong. Instead, they chose to sing P.Y.T. - to showcase innapropiate song choice and spelling abilities. Maybe I should go back to calling them Sapho and Sophie. Will Jeff and John please self-edit themselves around these two youngsters? Take your fantasies and go away.

I'm going to admit I liked Justin this week. I thought he had the most cleverest take on countrifying a song. And he was cheek squeezing cute singing it, too. I wear glasses. Please, don't hit me.

John, I know I'm older than you, but don't trash a fun song from my childhood. If it helps, think of Tommy James and the Shondells instead of Tiffany. There's a huge differance. On the other hand, Alyson, don't ever compromise. Either stick to your guns and sing it slow or rock out as John wanted. Personally, I would have probably enjoyed your original version best. Instead, you compromised it right into boring.

[A Beaverhausen]

First the purple haired punk guy and now the pretty guy. This is my first year watching this show, but my interest is rapidly dwindling.

[GilvearSt]

Melissa sings Cyndi. I never believed, shrieky as she was last week, she was ever in any danger. I think NBC is a little more fearful of "plus-sized" women being more successful than a guy in his underwear.

They kept mentioning the bottom two appearance this week, but Billy Ray never said that to Melissa. He only referred to them as the final two. Now I know he's no Seacrest, but someone made that distinction and put it on the cue cards. She and Jewel pulled bottom two out of the air. Melissa is getting a very good pimp job so far this season. Of the people in the competition (so not counting the eliminees who get to sing before they know they're booted) Melissa has sang last, last and second-last. She was the big ending to the show week one, in the final two week two and because of calling Tommy out at the start of the show this week, she was one of the last two waiting to hear if she was safe or not. This sort of thing riles up a fanbase and makes them vote. The producers are pushing hard for Melissa.

Plus this week she got a chance to share her incredible weight-loss story. She looks different from last week? I guess; I didn't have to look at her pasty arm fat. Totally random comment from Jeff, but weight-loss is inspiring so the judges set up that moment for her. Plus she got the "real artist" comment for singing True Colors basically the way it was written while others who really worked at their arrangements this week were passed over.

Unrelated, it really bugs me that they put the name of the person who is safe up on the teleprompter so that the contestants see it and start reacting before Billy can read the name. Can he not handle opening an envelope?

Edited by GilvearSt, Jun 24, 2008 @ 6:39 AM.

[etexlady]

Oh my, what does one say after two hours or horror? NBC certainly lives up to its moniker as the "peacock network" as all of those attempts at performance were all style and no substance. Coffey, I assure you that "old people" can remember the lyrics of a song without your assistance. S&S were just really absurd, PYT sang by two girls??? It's a shame that Billy Ray is having to ride his daughter's coattails to get a gig. He so bad. Anyone else think that the whole show is taking a "muzak mafia" turn - dancers gyrating behind the singers, gaudy costumes, crummy vocals? Next week they'll add a lady drawing at an easel and a monkey to run across the stage and ogle all the female contestants.

[Skittl1321]

I only watched the first hour of this show. I really enjoy country music, but they butcher it so badly that I have no choice but to switch to The Mole. Some of them are good enought that I hope they show up on my radio someday.

The group number was horrible. There was nothing good about it. Is it possible that there was some tuner that was wrong and was warping their voices to a different key? Coffey sounded exceptionally bad, but oh the horror.

I thought Gabe was fantastic vocally, but quite boring to watch. I don't go to concerts though, so I'd love to have him on my radio. Same thing with Pearl Heart- boring as anything to watch but a fantastic sound. And I didn't understand what they did with the frontwoman at all this week. The group is criticized by not having her stand out and show personality, so they stick her in the middle of a large mic set up that so overwhelms her you can't even actually see her behind it?

I really enjoyed Alyson. If she had said it was a Tommy James and the Shondels song instead of a Tiffany song do you think Rich would have liked her more? I thought his idea for the arrangement was horrible- speed it up would not make it sound country. Not to mention his critique was "she didn't rock". What does rocking have to do with country? Although the vocals aren't quite good enough for the comparision, I could hear Allison Krause doing this song- I thought it was fantastic and very country.

My favorite of the first hour was Ashley. I actually liked the song when Britney did it, but the arrangement was such that it wasn't until the chorus that I was able to place "oh this was the video with the green top and chair dance" So I thought Ashley did a great job of making the song her own. It was very very twangy- and I'm not sure that just adding twang makes it country, but I still liked it.

Coffey was not good. The song I guess sounded like something that might pop up on country radio, but it also sounded like something I'd change the radio on immediatly. I usually like Lauren and Sophia, but this performance was boring. And they've got to stop looking at each other.

It was interesting to see John Anderson in the audience. I loved him a long time ago. Has he done anything relevent recently? Do you think he minded that the judges formed an opinion for him?

And last- why did Jewel have a key wrapped around her wrist? Was that to the dressing room since she wasn't carrying a purse? Very weird.

[allyboohome]

• The Solid Gold dancers looked like it hurt to think. "And 1 and 2 and ....uh, what's the next number, y'all?" PLEASE, NBC. Don't turn Nashville into Las Vegas.
• Coffey - I believe you love your daughter. I believe you're a good looking guy. But I don't believe you're into country music...not one second. It feels like you tried out for 20 shows and this one accepted you so you put on a cowboy hat.
• Justin - You can't make country folk like you just because you parade around in your undies. They have ears.
• Alyson - You're flat. Cringingly flat. I sense that you've got a good voice in there somewhere. And I say this as a singer with studio experience, breathe from your diaphragm, girl!
• Sophie and the other girl - Good voices. But please ask your mama to take you to the mall and buy some clothes so you don't look like my daughter's Barbie cake.
• Jeffrey Steele - That thing growing on your chin (shudder). Your ego. (shudder) Your Farrah Fawcett hair. (shudder)
• Billy Ray - See above. Times 10. Please leave the stage...immediately. And, your hair? I want your mullet back too. Even it was better.
• Melissa - Good job this week. The weight loss countdown has begun. You didn't think they would judge you on your voice without making comments on your weight gain/loss, did you?
• Pearl Heart - My faves so far. I really like you, I do. But, lead singer, please stop the the swaying. It's making me a little seasick.
• Shawn - Why, oh, why did join the Solid Gold dancers? I want my female country singers with a guitar and grit. Leave the dancing to the silicone girls.
• Couldn't NBC find anyone better? Where's the Miranda Lambert? Or is she in the American Idol line?
• Did I mention how much I loathe, loathe, LOATHE the Solid Gold dancers?
• Sigh. Disappointed.

[Rachel RSL]

Wow, that episode was even more Idolized than Idol! And that's not a good thing. The entire episode was cringe-worthy. Please God let them never have the Solid Gold dancers ever again. Pop night would be a fun concept if it weren't for the fact that every week seems like Pop night this season. Plus, it really irks me that Amy Chappell was booted basically because her original song was deemed too "pop" yet, now here we are, watching crap like this. (Yes, I hold a grudge a long time.) Ashlee's was the only performance that didn't make me want to dive for the mute button.

Just because you don't like a song, John Rich, doesn't mean that the performance was horrible. I'm sure it had no bearing on your opinion that Alyson ignored your advice to take the song to an ungodly speed and decided to go with her own coherent thought of slowing it down to make it country. Not that I thought her performance was phenomenal, but it was at least tolerable. Unlike your existence, John Rich.

Yes to every point! What an asshat! So what if he thinks it's the most bubblegum pop song ever? This is coming from a man who's biggest hit is called "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy".

Unrelated, it really bugs me that they put the name of the person who is safe up on the teleprompter so that the contestants see it and start reacting before Billy can read the name. Can he not handle opening an envelope?

Thank you! That really bugged me too! BRC just gets worse every week. Between, the awkward pauses, the creepy stares and the cringe-inducing Britney joke, it's becoming really uncomfortable to watch. No wonder they don't allow him to tell Chet when to vote anymore!

[marie caroline]

I am at a loss for words. Hopefully, since they change up the show every week, they will review the ratings and ditch the dancers. And wasn't the show shorter last week? I have a feeling we are watching the rejects from America's Got Talent. Including the dancers.

I have no favorites any longer. These people have no pride in themselves, no backbone. They are just puppets in the hands of two rather cruel and vulgar mentors. Jewel is tolerable and I would have preferred her to host the show as she did last year.

I, too, am holding out for original song night. Then perhaps I can have a favorite. Until then I will just tape and fast forward, as I did last night, pausing ever so often in horrified fascination. This show makes Hee Haw seem like classic television.

I have to think the brains behind this NBC version of Nashville Star really hate country and the people who love it.


It might be fun to wonder what they will do next week to change up the show - Gymnastics to suit the Olympics? Cirque du Soleil style?

[Ninja Bunny]

Melissa did a very good job. I could tell once she saw she had the audience on her side she lit up light a christmas tree. Aw!

Shawn just demonstrated how good 'NSync really was. I can't believe I just said that but with Shawn's suckitude I couldn't help it.

Navy Guy - WTF?

[CaffeinatedTV]

Navy Guy - WTF?

Made me spray my coffee across my entire desk. Once again, why have I not learned to put the beverages down when TWoPping?

And poor Chet. No one even cares enough to tell him not to vote anymore.

[SweetSable]

From the review:

Billy Ray asks Justin what he would have done differently. Justin takes a second to even realize that Billy Ray’s talking to him. I think that says it all.

It says nothing about Justin and everything about Billy Ray. BRC can't even talk to the person standing next to him without staring straight ahead reading the teleprompter. It looked like he was speaking to the judges.

There are so many things wrong with last night's show (and this entire season in general, quite frankly), that all I can really say is this: Put this show back on the USA Network where you don't have the NBC execs ruining it. I watched the last 2 seasons and there was actual talent and the audience had a vested interest, and there was actually country music singing going on. What a concept.

[FourEyedNerd]

From Potes’ weecap RE Cof-FAY:

Why is Jeffrey Steele the only one who realized how dastardly terrible that performance was?

For real! The Cof-FAY situation is what bugs me the most. I don't know why John Rich is up his butt, but Cof-FAY is neither country, nor soul; he is just plain bland. Laura and Sophie have more soul in their matching birthday-cake square-dancing dresses. Putting on a cowboy hat and holding a guitar does not make you a country singer. And I also don't see the charisma the judges keep speaking of, either. I see fakity-fake-fake-fake.

I am completely astounded that John Anderson was even there, and how he felt about John Rich calling that poser "country-soul."
Actually, I am completely astounded that any real country musicians would be in the audience at all.

When Jeffrey suggested the girls sing "PYT", I was like WTF?!? But I was pleasantly surprised by the arrangement and how pretty Laura and Sophie's voices sound. Yes, it was a somewhat odd choice for two young girls to duet to, but I can't help it - I have a special place in my heart for anything from "Thriller." Then effing Billy Ray had to go ruin it with that effing creepy comment about MJ writing a song called "Pretty Young Thing" - was that scripted, or did he come up with that on his own?? I know Jacko is now completely whacko, but I think it's disrespectful to Quincy Jones and eveyone else who worked on that album, one of the greatest albums of all time, to take it to that level. Hell, Michael Jackson probably didn't even write the damn song himself. And stupid John Rich wasn't helping with his comments about their performance turning him on - musically that is. I would be creeped out if John Rich wrote a song called "Pretty Young Thing." (It would probably be secretly dedicated to Cof-FAY.)

[Hildegard802]

I think it's safe to entitle last night's episode, "OMG, They've Killed Chet."