Theme for Next Week–Grand Ole Opry Week for the Top 11

This could be bad. I’m never happy with the country theme. I can only shudder to think what Adam will do. hmy_tb:

Adam will pick some country song that’s easy to rockify up. Add some electric guitars, strut around the stage and make sure the song has at least 3 really super high notes. It’s the Adam Special.

Country usually never goes well, but since the rules changed and now all the contestants are supposed to make the sure the songs sound nothing like the actual theme of the show (you’re supposed to change the arrangement now, or else you’re not unique or special), then it could go better for some of them. The problem with changing the arrangements to “fit you” model of the show is that contestants wind up making every song they pick sound the same. I suppose it shows us what kind of album they’ll make, but it makes for boring television.

MJ, here’s the list:
http://www.votefortheworst.com/20090305/spoilers_upcoming_american_idol_8_theme_weeks

I had to google Grand Ole Opry (no idea what it was) but I guess this is the same as country week.
Can be interesting. But maybe we’ll see more of a mess than we saw this week.

I will vote nonstop for ANYONE who will sing “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9VzEulip9Q

Megan, are you taking notes?!

Adam should do “I Will Always Love You” – Diva style!

Choo! Choo! I see a huge trainwreck coming!!!! Ugh.

I suppose it shows us what kind of album theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll make, but it makes for boring television.

Unless the change-ups are really good and interesting, which make for, IMO, pretty good television. I admit there’s a time/place/song/whatever for singing songs straight, and that can yield great performances sometimes, but for the most part, I don’t want every single Idol cover to resemble the original.

Personally, I’m excited about Opry week, and I don’t even like country, simply because I can’t wait to see how the contestants make it work. I might/might not be in the minority here, but I love that AI has theme weeks. I like to see people stretch their creativity within the confines of a theme. Sometimes it’s trainwrecky, sometimes amazing. That’s good TV for me.

I could see Matt G. doing either ” If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Wanna Be Right” or ” I Still Believe In You”. I also think Adam should change up the pace this week and go for a slow song.

but since the rules changed and now all the contestants are supposed to make the sure the songs sound nothing like the actual theme of the show (youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re supposed to change the arrangement now, or else youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not unique or special), then it could go better for some of them. The problem with changing the arrangements to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“fit youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  model of the show is that contestants wind up making every song they pick sound the same.

Oh, I couldn’t agree more! This has been one of my pet peeves! If Idol wants “unique”, then just let the contestants sing original songs to begin with. No need to screw with perfectly goods songs already known to the public.

Hmm, I suspect Adam’s actually going to go for a ballad this week. If he’s as smart as I think he is, it’s going to be very toned down and soft and emotional and all that jazz that comes with ballads.

This would effectively show a different side of his singing and lay to rest, at least temporarily, the “screechy” comments.

The boys can do Alison Krauss’ “When You Say Nothing At All”. Ronan Keiting did a nice cover of that. I bet Michael Sarver would sing that.

^Oh I love that version from the soundtrack of Nothing Hill, really prety one…

I have to admit, I find some of the VFTW’sters are HILARIOUS!

I don ´t know most of the list songs… :/

I want to hear one of the guys sing “You’re Gonna Miss This” by Trace Adkins. It was #1 on the country chart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG9XfJxMY8A

New York Avon Lady, those are good choices for him.

Btw: Matt’s Human Nature is amazing – the studio cut has his riffs perfect. It really could be on the radio now. His vocals are very, very good!

Btw: Mattà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Human Nature is amazing – the studio cut has his riffs perfect. It really could be on the radio now. His vocals are very, very good!

Ooh… that was the only one I was thinking of buying. Hmm…

ETA: wuh? iTunes is telling me the item isn’t available! Guess there’s no rush.

Country week already? It seems so soon. I love country music so I always get excited for country week, but it always turns out to be the worst week every season

The list has some really great choices and some really bad ones. I can see Allison belting out some Martina. Alexis would prob do Reba’s Fancy in a skimpy dress. I can also see Scott doing Garth’s ‘The Dance’ at the piano.

So…I’m not going to get a chance to hear Jasmine sing “Jesus Take the Wheel?” Well…dang.

I expect Alexis and Michael to shine this week. It could mean a major mess for Anoop.

I suppose it shows us what kind of album theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll make, but it makes for boring television.

Not for me. I’m much more interested in discovering if the singers of different genres can make the songs work for them and stay true to their own unique musical identities each week than to hear 10 songs in one genre sung straight.

Okay, so the only songs I recognize on that list are the Johnny Cash tunes, Crazy, and Friends In Low PLaces. I’ve never even heard of Dierks Bently. Bwah. What the hell is a honky tonk badonkadonk?

Dolly’s Here You Come Again would make a great ballad with an acoustic guitar accompaniment and slowed down just a tad. I think it could give Adam an opportunity to showcase his vocal control and keep that intimate connection with the audience. Summertime Blues started as a roots rocker and might seem a more natural fit, but I think Adam needs to tone it down and rein it in for at least one theme night.

Megan or Alexis could redeem Pickler’s vocal assault on Patsy Cline. Allison should do Martina McBride instead of Carrie Underwood. In fact, I hope all the girls stay away from Carrie.

Actually I think this could be a fun week. I’m waiting to see who will pull off a David Cook and do a song that will completely surprise us. I kind of hope that Scott sings “I Still Believe in You”. It’s a pretty song and he has the right voice for it, or maybe Danny. I hope someone sings it that can do it justice. I can hear Allison singing Patsy Cline, maybe “Crazy”, or Alexis singing “Wild Angels” by Martina. Megan would be great at “When You Say Nothing at All” although it was also good on the Notting Hill sound track when it was sung by that Irish guy from Boyzone, so it doesn’t have to be sung by a girl. Really beautiful song though. Do you think Lil will do something like “I Will Always Love You” because it can be a big diva song (a la Whitney)? And, I really hope someone sings Garth Brooks’ “The Dance”. Love that song. Maybe Kris or Michael. There were lots of possibliities on the list. I’m looking forward to it.

Didn’t Carly sing that last year? I liked that, although this was totally when Carly was already going down in a cloud of neediness and desperation.

Jorge! ((((((

That boy could sing his face off.

Adam should do à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Will Always Love Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  – Diva style!

Oh no! Even though I know Adam can sing it very well. I don’t think I ever want to hear another contestant sing this song. The Whitney version has been done to death on the show, and I am tired of hearing it. To me no one can sing like Whitney, but everyone seems to try.

Unless someone can totally change it up, it will be boring.

Adam should do Ring of Fire ala Social Distortion.

Doing Grand Ole Opry week instead of just country makes sure they stay away from Taylor Swift songs, so I guess that’s a good thing. I’d love to hear Josh Turner. And I could picture Gokey singing “When I Get Where I’m Going”.

I guess that means Cook won’t be on next week, as previously thought.

Megan or Alexis could redeem Picklerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocal assault on Patsy Cline. Allison should do Martina McBride instead of Carrie Underwood. In fact, I hope all the girls stay away from Carrie.

I have no recollection whatsoever of Pickler singing Patsy, but I just had to say that “vocal assault” is my new favorite phrase of the day. That said, I too would like to hear either Megan or Alexis do Patsy.

I don’t know if Megan could do anything but vocally assault something and not redeem it. JMO, though.

I keep seeing people mention “I Still Believe In You” for Scott or Matt… but… Adam… please. I think this would be a great chance for him to take a song, strip it down, not do his OTT rocker thing and just show everyone what a beautiful voice he has and that he CAN be subtle. That song would be GREAT for that.

And though Matt could potentially pull that off, I don’t think Scott has the range.

Adam should do Jolene. I think Matt G or Anoop should rework Come A Little Closer to a more R&B/Bluesy version.

I am looking forward to this week and its challenges. I hope someone does a Patsy Cline song AND a Johnny Cash classic!

Looking at the song list, I wonder if the producers purposely put in songs that could be potential train wrecks if the contestants pick them.

Anything with too many words and not enough space usually spells disaster. There’s just no room to insert your personality, your runs, or even your own phrasing. Honky Tonk Badonkadonk is a perfect example– the words are way more important than the music or even the singing. It’s a big hit and Trace Adkins is out of tune for most of the song.

I would love to see one of the guys hit a home run with a country song and decide, a la Josh Gracin and Phil Stacey, albeit Phil was a little too late on AI, to be the country guy. There are too many blue-eyed soul and balladeer boys, and one smart guy can establish himself with his own niche if he goes country.

Listen up Michael Sarver and Kris Allen. You are the two guys who could profit the most from the switch. Danny and Anoop are more established on blue-eyed soul, Matt on blues, Scott as the sincere blind balladeer, and Adam as the OTT rocker.

You two are also the guys who could be the most believable as country artists.

The three girls have distinctive personas already– though Alexis seems to just be versatile– as her two latest performances have been in entirely different genres.

spencerj
kelli did a song that went……..I go walking, after midnight……..that’s all I remember/

I hope Danny sings “When I Get Where I’m Going” by Brad Paisley.. Its a tear jerker

I deleted my own post…it was stupid, lol

Adam should do Jolene.

He really shouldn’t.

Bwah!

Not for me. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m much more interested in discovering if the singers of different genres can make the songs work for them and stay true to their own unique musical identities each week than to hear 10 songs in one genre sung straight.

Maybe I should clarify. When the singer uses pretty much the same arrangement for every theme night to “change up” a song, then it gets boring. I’m not banking on many of these contestants to be that great with arranging songs.

Country week! yes i love it!.

next week your going to see who can change the song and make it their own.

I wounder who?

Idols i think will-

Kris Allen
Allison Iraheta
Matt Giraud
Megan Corkrey
Danny Gokey
Adam Lambert

(hopefuly)

Matt’s studio version of Human Nature is really good! But Adam’s studio version of Black and White is outstanding! It helps lay to rest the critics who think all he can do is shriek and doesnt sound interesting in the studio that he’s only a live performer. Not true at all! Take a listen to the studio version of Black and White. It’s showcases Adam’s voice nicely, he barely does his high falsetto notes like he does live, and you still hear his unique tone and vocal quality. I love it!

I think Adam should do a ballad for Opry Week, just so he can prove to the haterz he’s got a softer side to his voice.

A good lot of these songs absolutely SUCK.

Uh.

I can’t stand country week. I’ll be pissy right along with Simon who doesn’t like it either.

I hope they change it up because really, ick.

I’m not sure what I’d pick for any of idols because the selection is slim pickins!

62 songs to choose for this 11 finalists and then the judges always complaining when they choose the wrong songs.

Its not easy to choose song suited to your vocal and style with that limited choices.

Country week. Sigh. I usually end up not loving it, but last season with Dolly Parton was pretty great. That’s the week that took me off the fence for good to become a David Cook fan in earnest. “Little Sparrow” was fan-freakin-tastic, and so was Michael Johns’ It’s All Wrong, but It’s Alright”.

I am looking forward to this week and its challenges. I hope someone does a Patsy Cline song AND a Johnny Cash classic!

Absolutely, but please let them be acoustic and not full of inappropriate runs. I love Elvis Costello’s cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”. I think Social Distortion covered it too.

Megan or Alexis could redeem Picklerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vocal assault on Patsy Cline. Allison should do Martina McBride instead of Carrie Underwood. In fact, I hope all the girls stay away from Carrie.

I think Pickler did Reba’s “Fancy” on Country week and Patsy Cline “Walking After Midnight” for 50′s week. I thought Fancy was one of her better performances but she plodded through WAM. Frankly, I think Megan would butcher Patsy worse than Pickler butchered Queen, but that’s me. She should pick something less iconic and “make it her own”.

I think Alexis could do Dolly or Alison Krauss really well if she can tone things down a little. I think this could be good for anyone of the guys who plays guitar – Kris especially.

spencerj
kelli did a song that wentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..I go walking, after midnightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s all I remember/

Okay, it’s coming back to me now. I think Kellie is adorable, but I do remember thinking she was rather bad several times during her season. It’s all just a blur for me now.

MaryS-NJ, I remember her doing “Fancy”. I love that song.

I too would love some good old school country. I think that badonkadonk song is pretty stupid. So, I hope they avoid that one.

I think Danny will sing When I get where I’m going becoz He is evangelical…huh….what if Adam sing’s I will always love you….nyaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh… :tongue2_tb: :rolleyes_wp: :rolleyes_wp: :rolleyes_wp:

“I think Adam should do a ballad for Opry Week, just so he can prove to the haterz heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a softer side to his voice”

Adam will sing I will always love you or How do I live..diva style.

there were actually original performers on the show prior to david cook. not sure if anyone is aware of this…and since david actually used other peoples arrangements…i am not sure how “original” he was…but people like blake lewis do happen to spring to mind when thinking of “making a song your own.”

having said that…country night is not one of those nights when people tend to go all nutso….people tend to play it safe…or at least they have in the history of the show.

and god, this night always produces some of the trainwrecks for the season. could be beautiful.

A song Anoop will gravitate to…and should not do…”Friends in Low Places.”

eta: any songs reference bbq? LOL.

etaa: i love alison krauss. anyone who plays guitar could work this one up nicely http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvKtxTsVoMo

That Dierks Bentley song “Come A Little Closer” is hot and sexy and gooey all at the same time. Anyone who wants to cater to the eye candy vote would have a perfect opportunity to do so. It actually might be interesting to hear a woman do that song.

I have decided I would be happy spending a full night just listening to Kris Allen sing Michael Jackson songs. He looked so happy singing them. I hope he can find something that equally suits him on this list. Maybe Come A Little Closer (although it takes some raw sex appeal to sing that song and Kris more “cute” than “sexy”)

I have changed my opinion on !!Gokey!! and have decided that he is a very smart man — all this deduced from the darts of death he eyeballed Ryan with as Ryan was determining safe/or not. !!Gokey!! will shine this week because he will be very smart in his song choice. I’m think ballad — maybe I Will Always Love You?

eta: Anoop will not gravitate to the novelty song this week. Hopefully he will find his backbone and shove it in the judge’s face (realizing that the judges screwed him over with “be the fun guy” — he’s pretty much sunk though, because he is the targeted “getting more votes that TPTB think he ought to” guy this year.)

I hope they don’t go too far to “make the song their own”. You don’t have to mess around with the song so it’s not recognizable from the original, just adjust a little. It can be a hard theme for a lot of them so should be interesting in a scary way. Remember Mandisa doing a Shania song? You have to have a really good voice to do a Patsy Kline song and Kellie Pickler didn’t. I could imagine Alexis doing well, though.

Yeay Carrie! Is it Tuesday yet? lol

ADAM MUST DO THIS!

- ShamelessUploaded by tressage

Randy Travis is also the mentor next week.

Carrieunderwood.fm

CARRIE TO PERFORM DURING à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“GRAND OLE OPRY WEEKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  ON AMERICAN IDOL WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 2009

RELEASE OF à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I TOLD YOU SOà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  DIGITAL SINGLE WITH RANDY TRAVIS TO COINCIDE WITH IDOL PERFORMANCE

NASHVILLE à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ (March 11, 2009) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ 2005à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s American Idol winner and Grand Ole Opry member Carrie Underwood will return to the Idol stage for a performance on Wednesday, March 18. American Idol will feature a Grand Ole Opry theme March 17 & 18, as contestants will select and perform songs popularized by Opry members as part of the showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ongoing competition to name the next American Idol. American Idol airs on FOX Tuesday, March 17 8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed and Wednesday, March 18 at 9:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed.

Underwood will perform her current hit single à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Told You Soà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  with fellow Opry member Randy Travis, who will also be participating as Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Opryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  mentor for the showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s contestants. Carrieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s version of this 1988 #1 classic by Travis can be found on her Carnival Ride album, and fans will soon be hearing another version on the airwaves as a new studio recording pairing Carrie and Randy arrives at country radio next week. A digital single of that recording will be available for sale at online music providers everywhere to coincide with their American Idol performance.

“I am so excited that two of my musical passions, American Idol and the Grand Ole Opry, are joining together to create a really special week of music,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  says Underwood. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I am always thrilled to return to the Idol stage, and am so proud to this time be bringing with me one of my heroes, Randy Travis. I knew the Opry first, but Idol gave me my start and helped lead me to the Opry stage. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a great feeling to be able to help bring these two worlds together.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Carrie Underwood made her first live performance on the Grand Ole Opry on June 10, 2005, just two weeks after winning American Idol. Her love for the Opry started as a child as she grew up watching and listening to the show, dreaming of one day performing there and even becoming a member herself. She was invited to become a member by Randy Travis in March 2008 and her official induction took place on May 10, 2008 by Opry member Garth Brooks. Since winning American Idol in 2005, Underwood has become one of the most popular performers in the nation. Her debut album, Some Hearts, is the biggest selling American Idol debut project to date, having sold more than seven million albums in the United States. With the release of her current album Carnival Ride, she has now sold 10 million albums in just over three years and has had nine No. 1 singles. Her many accolades include 8 Billboard Awards, 6 Academy of Country Music Awards, 5 Country Music Association Awards, 5 American Music Awards, 4 CMT Music Awards, 4 GRAMMY ® Awards, 5 Peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Choice Awards, 2 BMI Songwriter Awards, and many more.

I really hope Danny does NOT do When You Say Nothing At All, it’s one of my all time favorite songs and he will ruin that forever.

God help Anoop.

God help Anoop.

I actually think Anoop could pull off “How Do I Live” – it’s not actually that different from “Angel of Mine” but if he settles down and does a good vocal, it could work. I hate the song, but I hate most country songs. He wouldn’t even have to sing it straight, the song has a bunch of (hideous) club remixes.

Of course, he’ll probably try to do a straight cover of Ring of Fire or something. Heh.

Joss Stone and LeAnn Rimes sing How Do I Live on Crossroads

“I still believe in you’ would fit Adam’s range perfectly. I hope he does a ballad this week and shows everyone it’s not all about belting the high notes.

I agree with those who think Adam will do a ballad and keep it simple. I hope he does When You Say Nothing At All. It’s a beautiful song that would be a great opportunity for him to show us his soft side (which I know he has!)

Just as long as he doesn’t do If Lovin’ You Is Wrong… :smile_wp:

Hmmm, if that list is accurate, Anoop could do well singing one of the softer ballads like Garth Brooks‘ More Than A Memory or Shameless.

Garth Brooks – More Than A Memory
Garth Brooks – Shameless

Pretty ironic to have country week when there are no country singers on the show. (Michael insists he is not a country singer. Hope it comes back to bite him.)

The judges should have put Kendall in on the wild card show.

This season is the pits. I’ll enjoy seeing Carrie though.

Someone has to sing “Stand by your Man”. I think it should be Adam!

I would like to hear Meghan do “I Will Always Love You”, in the original Dolly style. It is a sweet and lovely song and she might do that sort of thing well.

Similarly, Kris could sing it with just guitar. Sweet and simple. He would do that well, imo.

I think it’s a mistake for Anoop to do a drippy song like How Do I Live. He really bombed with Angel of Mine. You know, maybe he has more to give personally, but it just doesn’t seem so. I don’t think he’ll connect on a song like that unless he can think outside himself. I was into Anoop at first because he has a cool name and he’s got an awesome smile and his voice is pretty good, but he just doesn’t seem very genuine. His personality reminds me a bit of David Hernandez. And his thoughts about being an only child–more for me–whoa.

Country week is always my least favorite week b/c the songs are usually quite drippy, repetitive, story songs. Verse/chorus/verse/chorus. Or in the 90 second version–verse/chorus/chorus repeat with big note. Blah.

Is there any bluegrass at the Grande Ole Opry? Someone who does something lively is going to be the winner of the night in a night of sappiness.

Similarly, Kris could sing it with just guitar. Sweet and simple. He would do that well, imo.

I agree with this, if Kris is a strong enough singer and willing to share himself personally with the audience. Frankly, I feel like we haven’t seen enough of him to know. He is super good-looking, and there’s more than one gal in the audience jealous of his wife for sure. If he can love us all through the camera, I think it would do a world of good for him in the competition.

I don’t think Megan can sing anything well. I bet she will do “Fancy”. I think it is pretty easy to sing(it seems to be a popular karaoke song). But I would love to see her sing”Crazy” and compare her trainwreck to Taylor Swift’s trainwreck when she sang it on some award show. Megan is absolutely gorgeous particularly now that the makeup people on AI have gotten hold of her but if I have to watch her swinging her arms like a baby for too many more weeks I may shoot myself. Never have I been so invested in someone leaving Idol.

Haven’t read ALL the comments…but where is COOK? WAAHH! I thought he’d be on next week. OK maybe later… INNYWAY. I’m amused that “Shameless” is on the country song list. It’s a Billy Joel song. BUT Garth did have a big hit with it, true true! I would love for Adam to sing it. Or a lovely ballad. I listened to country almost exclusively for about 20 years…until last year. I know most of those songs. I love that they put a bunch of Carrie’s on the list! heehee. Nobody can sing like her though.

Oh what will Adam do? That’s what I’M waiting for!

I think Adam should either sit on a stool or stand behind the mike and do Patsy Cline’s Crazy. Let his vocal sell it. Not that he asked me. Has a guy ever covered that song on AI? I don’t think so, but I missed a couple seasons.

I askeered for the Johnny Cash covers. I am a huge, HUGE JC fan. I don’t mind it being changed up, as long as it’s not for the worse.

there were actually original performers on the show prior to david cook. not sure if anyone is aware of thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦and since david actually used other peoples arrangementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦i am not sure how à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  he wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦but people like blake lewis do happen to spring to mind when thinking of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“making a song your own.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Huh? I didn’t see anyone equate “making a song your own” with David Cook here. One poster mentioned pulling a David Cook and surprising everyone, but was referring to Little Sparrow, because a) that was his own arrangement, and b) you gotta admit, a soft, folksy take on country night by the “rocker” guy known for belting was unexpected at that point.

And I speak for myself when I say that I enjoy when contestants make a song their own, and I don’t mean they have to create their own arrangements from scratch ala ABMB or Blake’s Bon Jovi spin, cuz who has time for that every week? But I think that part of excelling in this competition is having the smarts/knowledge to choose the right existing arrangements that suit your voice and style and pulling it off well, so that it doesn’t sound karaoke. The best contestants have been “making songs their own” on Idol and giving us fresh takes on old covers for years without arranging things from scratch. Hope we get that next week.

What did Blake do on country night, anyway.

Crazy is a hard song–the singer has to have really good pitch and sing through each entire note to sell it. (Except for Willie Nelson–songwriter gets a pass on that.) I don’t think Megan has the voice or singing skill for that song.

I’d love to hear Lil sing Crazy. Or Alexis–that would tell us more about her singing ability. Or maybe a guy–like Kris (I’m so thirsty for a heartfelt song from him–I hope he delivers).

I wonder what Scott will do. He’s got to step it up.

I think the winner of the night will be someone who really changes a song b/c country can be so bland. Like Michael Johns last year. I think we’ll see who’s really innovative this week.

Blake did “When the Stars Go Blue” on country night. It was meh.

Blake did Ryan Adam’s When The Stars Go Blue, which is alt/country rather than country/country, and scored points with me because Ryan Adams is one of my favorite singer/songwriters, right up there with Buckley. One thing I will give Blake…he had pretty decent taste in music. He also covered the Cure and I think that was a first for AI.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mean they have to create their own arrangements from scratch ala ABMB or Blakeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Bon Jovi night, cuz who has time for that every week?

Right, right, but I will admit, the instances where they succesfully pull off an original arrangement are always my favorite moments. Creativity is a huge turn on for me, musically speaking. Da Brainz plus da voice= epic win. I’d hate to see that kind of thing discouraged now that it’s made it’s way to the AI stage. So, yeah, I’m hoping somebody picks a surprising song and makes it work for them (like Adam selecting Crazy) or does something really cool and different with one of these country tunes.

ETA: Karen, we must have been posting at the same time. See how perceptions can vary? Blake is the only one I remember from country night in Season 6 because he covered RA. Different strokes, y’all.

I am so psyched for next week! Did not care for Carrie in Season 4, but man, she has grown on me. Like Kelly, I so respect that she is as great live as recorded, and does NOT lip-synch. I would love to see Simon hug her or something, as he predicted she would go far.
What I would love to hear:
Lil – probably will go the “I Will Always Love You” route, but wish she would change it up and maybe do a soulful version of “Walkin’ After Midnight”
Kris – “When I Get Where I’m Goin’”, esp. since Paisley will be on Wed. My all-time favorite Dolly song
Matt – a soulful “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, at the piano, a’ la Ray Charles singing “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Alexis – girl needs to lighten up a little, how about “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”

That’s all I got for now, but I think touching any Underwood songs would be like stepping on a landmine. They are too familiar and in our heads with Carrie’s voice.

I think the winner of the night will be someone who really changes a song b/c country can be so bland. Like Michael Johns last year. I think weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll see whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really innovative this week.

Yep, and like Chris D. did “Walk the Line”.

Hee Hee…Adam singing “Stand By Your Man” How effin awesome would that be!??!!!

Please Lord above don’t let Megan butcher any Patsy Cline song. I would love to hear Adam tone it down and sing A Patsy Cline song: fter Midnght, Crazy and I Fallto Pieces would be perfect choices for him. I absolutely adore Patsy Cline!

Maybe Adam should sing “I’m so lonesome I could Cry..Hank Williams-lovethat song.

I actually would like to hear Alexis sing “A Broken Wing. i bet that she would sing the crap out of that song.

I think Anoop is in BIG trouble!

Megan is absolutely gorgeous particularly now that the makeup people on AI have gotten hold of her but if I have to watch her swinging her arms like a baby for too many more weeks I may shoot myself. Never have I been so invested in someone leaving Idol

.This.

I really hope no one sings Carrie. I bet at least one person will though, and they will pale in comparison. The only Carrie song I would like to see done is Allison singing Last Name… but that may be a little inappropriate for a 16 year old to sing.

I would like to hear Megan sing a Dolly Parton song – maybe 9-5.

Anoop is going to sing something silly like Celebrity, Friends in Low Places, or Honky Tonk Badonkadonk. But, I bet his fan base will vote for him one more time, just to get him in the tour. They they’ll give up on his, unless he finally delivers an awesome performance.

Alexis, Lil, or Adam needs to sing Patsy Cline (though not Crazy, a little too overdone).

You know what would be really funny, is if Danny sings Honky Tonk Badonkadonk.

Never have I been so invested in someone leaving Idol

LMAO.

What if Adam sang Carrie’s “I Know You Won’t”? That would be amazing. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Adam!

Yay for Carrie! I love “I Told You So”. I haven’t listened to Randy Travis in a while, but it should be interesting.

David Cook did his own arrangement of Dolly Parton’s LilSparrow. Actually, most of his performances from Top 7, aside from Music of the Night, which he sang straight, were arranged by him. “All I Really Need is You” and”The World I know” stand out for me. Anyhow, that was last season.

Good luck to season 8 peeps. There’s a lot of wonderful songs from which to choose. Probably should avoid “Walk the Line” since that is a Chris standout – but there are other Cash songs that would be fabulous. Wonder if anyone will do “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. This could be great or really really bad.

Megan is absolutely gorgeous particularly now that the makeup people on AI have gotten hold of her but if I have to watch her swinging her arms like a baby for too many more weeks I may shoot myself. Never have I been so invested in someone leaving Idol

:lol_tb:….only with the Power of the Veto, they could bring her back.

and since david actually used other peoples arrangementsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦i am not sure how à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“originalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  he wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Hmm… Let’s see. Out of 20 songs David did during the competition, a whopping total of 3 songs were done based on other people’s arrangements. All of the others were either his own arrangements or done straight. I feel just fine calling him “original”.

About this week – Since I’m not American, Country is a really foreign genre to me. I don’t know the songs, I don’t really get the appeal. Last year’s Dolly Parton theme was a nice introduction to her work, but last year I really enjoyed most of the contestants and was invested in how they did, regardless of theme. Can’t say the same for this year.
I hope Adam goes soft and bares a little soul this week, other than him I don’t really care.

Of course, I don’t need to remind anyone that we won’t be fighting Season 7 fan wars in the Season 8 threads…

The topic is next week’s theme, the Grand Ole Opry. Please stick to topic.

PS: The pile-on stops here.

well i thought this week was going to be a trainwreck for most and that didnt’ happen…though it was boring…i really expect this grand ole theme and that song list to really mess everyone up…but that probably won’t happen ..and they will all do well…

The boys can do Alison Kraussà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“When You Say Nothing At Allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Ronan Keiting did a nice cover of that. I bet Michael Sarver would sing that.

Alison’s was also a cover as the fantastic original was by the late, great Keith Whitley

Country week has always been my favorite. It’s partly because simon dislikes and does not understand country so it sort of neutralizes his comments. And it’s party because it takes most contestants so far out of their comfort zone that it separates the singers from the stylists.

And I speak for myself when I say that I enjoy when contestants make a song their own, and I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t mean they have to create their own arrangements from scratch ala ABMB or Blakeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Bon Jovi spin, cuz who has time for that every week? But I think that part of excelling in this competition is having the smarts/knowledge to choose the right existing arrangements that suit your voice and style and pulling it off well, so that it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sound karaoke. The best contestants have been à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“making songs their ownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  on Idol and giving us fresh takes on old covers for years without arranging things from scratch. Hope we get that next week.

This. The whole “making songs your own thing” has been a staple of the judges for years, and your statement sums up exactly what I think they mean by that. It means knowing your voice and who you are as an artist, and choosing songs that fit into that – making the changes in phrasing, delivery, and (sometimes) arrangement that bring out what is special and contemporary about you. It is NOT that you have to re-arrange songs every week. I would add that to win Idol, you also need to show diversity, so if you ALWAYS do things – arrangements included – in the same style you will get boring. Singing an unexpected song straight and well (Jordin with “I Who Have Nothing”, Blake Lewis with “Mac the Knife”, Carrie with “Alone”, Cook with “Music In The Night”) is a great way to gain buzz. This year, I think quite a few of them have the ingredients to pull something like that off.

Country night is tricky. There is almost always an somewhat surprising boot that night. I think offending that audience can be suicide, so whatever you do don’t be seemingly disrespectful to the material. Adam can not do his regular shtick. He needs to dial it back and sing a song no one though he could sing, and sing it well. I think there are a number of songs that lend them selves to a jazzy interpretation a la Megan, so I hope she chooses wisely. I have no idea what Anoop will do. I want to see him make the tour, so I hope he pulls it through. The most expendable person to me right now is Sarver, but I think if anyone can survive Country night its him. I want to see what Alexis does the most. Oh and Kris. I think Kris could do well to for some reason.

I actually expect everyone to do well this week, and oddly, I don’t expect Megan to crash and burn at all. She has a really unique tone to her voice that appeals to me, something special that should translate really well in a country song. But, then, I’m in the minority when I admit I enjoyed Rockin’ Robin (sans final Caw!) If someone falters, I suspect it may be Gokey. But, who knows.

Tough night though. I hate when #11 leaves, as that’s just a hair away from making the tour and has to be so, so disappointing.

Adam can not do his regular shtick. He needs to dial it back and sing a song no one though he could sing, and sing it well.

I agree with this, and see that many others are saying something similar. I find it really interesting how Adam’s trajectory on Idol is paralleling DC’s a bit. A lot of folks were saying early last season that DC was decent but was starting to seem one-trick and needed to show a different side before he came out with Little Sparrow. After that, people were atwitter that the dude needed to show he could sing a song straight, and he pulled out MOTN. I think Adam, like DC, is smart and knows who he is, so I have hopes that he will win over/surprise people the same way. Just like I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care for DCà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Happy Together at first, I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t care for Satisfaction, but Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s already starting to win me over. Big difference with this season is that new format seems condensed and sped up, so I have less time/performances to figure Adam out– weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve only seen Adam perform twice, and already people are clamoring for surprises. Could be a lot of pressure for him.

I think touching any Underwood songs would be like stepping on a landmine.

I only want a Carrie song done if it’s by a guy– preferably someone like Adam or Anoop cuz that has the potential to be awesome. If a girl does Carrie, it’ll seem more copycat if she does it straight and almost disrespectful if it’s changed because Carrie herself will be there that week… I dunno, that just seems like potential for an awkward situation to me.

Since Adam is, by far, the most musically intelligent of the bunch and knows what suits his voice and how to sell it I have the least concern for him than any of the contestants. Personally, I agree that I would like to hear him sing a ballad. His softer side is awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu_dPnRzbRQ

I, too, would like him to sing Vince Gill’s “I still Believe in You” since that is his range.

Is there any bluegrass at the Grande Ole Opry? Someone who does something lively is going to be the winner of the night in a night of sappiness.

Allison Krauss is a bluegrass artist, at least when she performs with Union Station. I love her to bits.

Huh? I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see anyone equate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“making a song your ownà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  with David Cook here. One poster mentioned pulling a David Cook and surprising everyone, but was referring to Little Sparrow, because a) that was his own arrangement, and b) you gotta admit, a soft, folksy take on country night by the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“rockerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  guy known for belting was unexpected at that point.

Yeah, I’m not sure if Folk was referring to my comment but I mentioned Little Sparrow specifically, not because “OMG!DavidCook!! isliek the most original Idol evar!!1!!”, but because I usually am not wowed by Country week performances and his song choice was acoustic, bluegrass, his vocals were pristine and it was just a really beautiful performance.

I kind of hope that all the contestants stay away from Patsy Cline. I think it takes a lot of subtlety but not so much that the audience wants to go to sleep during the performance. That’s a tough balance to find especially when the judges are not looking for “artistic” singers, apparently. The girls left in this competition seem (so far) to specialize more in up-tempo rock, blues, soul and… whatever Megan does. Having said that, I’ll power vote for anyone who can sing Patsy’s music with style and convince me otherwise.

I think the ones who will struggle to make this style their own are Anoop, Adam, Scott and possibly Matt, in that order. The ladies will do fine, although Megan could crash and burn easily with bad choice or silly mannerisms. This style is easily right up the alley for Michael, Danny and Kris.

Love “Shameless”, but y’all know that it is originally a Billy Joel song, right?

So can you see Adam singing Billy Joel?

Maybe he could.

As far as Adam changing it up, I think this is more the Daughtry effect, where every week he would do that shouting and I had to turn my TV down. That I think is the real reason he got voted off early…people got bored and annoyed. That is why Adam needs to show he can sing simply as well.

Personally, I can totally doing something like Big and Rich.

Oh, and I LOVE Randy Travis!

I mean “totally see Adam singing something like Big and Rich.”

That I think is the real reason he got voted off earlyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦people got bored and annoyed.

LOL. You know I always thought that too. Daughtry could sing is arse off, but unfortunately his personality didn’t pop off as much as some of the others his year, and his performances got boring after a while because he always did the same type of thing vocally. I think the same thing happened to Melinda Doolittle and to some degree, Archie. Its one of the way ways the contest can find it self in a situation where stronger vocalists don’t win (or even make it to the finals) because it really is as much TV show as it is a singing contest, and you have to be an interesting character that plays into the whole “turning into a star before our eyes” thing to win it all. At the end of the day, Idol is a gameshow.

But, that factor has little to do with post-idol success, so I think it all works out in the end.

Maybe this’ll be the week we see Danny on an instrument…

I really hope someone sings Brad Paisley’s Celebrity. It would be hilarious.

I’m so excited about Randy Travis and Carrie singing together!

I am not a big fan of country and haven’t really looked at the list of songs but I think the ones who struggle this week will be Anoop, Matt, Scott and maybe Megan.

I think Adam has good enough musical sense that he will be able to choose the right song for him. Michael, although he says he is not a country artist, still has the twang and voice to do well on country night. Kris should be fine.

Of the remaining contestants, I think Megan could blow it if she’s not careful. Someone above said Alexis should sing “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me”. That’s an example of a song Megan should not pick. It would probably come across too campy.

I only want a Carrie song done if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s by a guy

I think Sarver could do “Wasted” justice, now that you mention it.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m so excited about Randy Travis and Carrie singing together!

You and me both. Girl can harmonize, looking forward to them big time.

1. I love Randy Travis. I think he’ll really be able to help them out, he’s had a very long and established career.

Ohh boy, what do I want them to sing? Country is probably my favorite genre so lots of potential to be disappointed, haha. Right now I just want Adam to sing Shameless. I’ve, so unfortunately it hurts, never seen Garth live but I have a DVD set of his concerts and Adam could get a little crazy with this during the chorus, but show with the verses that he can reign it in. It needs passion, and he has that. (And may I say I’m shocked Garth cleared his songs for this show, he’s notorious for keeping his stuff off iTunes and even had an exclusive deal with Walmart for awhile.)

If a girl does Carrie, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll seem more copycat if she does it straight and almost disrespectful if ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s changed because Carrie herself will be there that weekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ I dunno, that just seems like potential for an awkward situation to me.

IIRC, Carrie was present and game when Teri Hatcher (and crew) butchered “Before He Cheats” on some charity show. So, I’m thinking she’ll be ok and understanding if it happens on Idol. LOL

IIRC, Carrie was present and game when Teri Hatcher (and crew) butchered à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Before He Cheatsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  on some charity show. So, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m thinking sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be ok and understanding if it happens on Idol. LOL

The charity show was IGB lol

I keep seeing people mention à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I Still Believe In Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  for Scott or Mattà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ butà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ please. I think this would be a great chance for him to take a song, strip it down, not do his OTT rocker thing and just show everyone what a beautiful voice he has and that he CAN be subtle. That song would be GREAT for that.

THIS x100

Perfect song for him this week.

Maybe thisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll be the week we see Danny on an instrumentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

For some reason this cracked me up…had a flash with Danny standing on top of a piano! Anything for attention! Heehee.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m amused that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Shamelessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is on the country song list. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a Billy Joel song. BUT Garth did have a big hit with it, true true!

It’s a great song. I’m not a huge fan of Garth’s rendition, but when Billy does this song live it’s not dull at all. There’s also a rocking screamy part in the original that Adam might like. That part is actually sung by a female band member. Billy can’t hit that note (LOL) but I think Adam might be able to.

She has a really unique tone to her voice that appeals to me, something special that should translate really well in a country song. But, then, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m in the minority when I admit I enjoyed Rockinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Robin (sans final Caw!)

I’m with you there in the minority. I love Megan’s voice, and I enjoy seeing what she picks each week.

I have no idea what Anoop will do. I want to see him make the tour, so I hope he pulls it through. The most expendable person to me right now is Sarver, but I think if anyone can survive Country night its him.

While I think that Anoop has given us a couple of lackluster performances, I think the first half of his song this week was vocally very good. He’s got a good voice, and a good personality – he just hasn’t figured out how to put the whole package together yet. I would not be surprised to see him do really well on country night.

I understand that a lot of people see Sarver as a lightweight in the competition, but I disagree. While I thought that Adam had the most energetic and fun performance of the guys on Tuesday, I believe that Michael had the best vocal of all of the men. He can sing. He may not be as showy as some of the rest of them, but I find him really appealing.

The charity show was IGB lol

LOL, well I kinda thought that, but then I thought, or was it Stand Up To Cancer (or whatever it was called)? So I punted! Thanks for picking up the ball.

x100000 I still believe in you! Please Adam, listen up!

Adam should sing “Last Name”. Can he say “I don’t even know HIS last name” ? LMAO.

Oh, Kris with the guitar and singing “All-American Girl” might work!

Honestly? I think that Anoop could really knock “I have Friends in Low Places” out of the ballpark. It’s a fun song, it’s kind of goofy and silly like he is but it also shows great vocal range. I think that Anoop has a great voice, he just needs to pick the right song.

My picks for Grand Old Opry Week: Please somebody have some fun with Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline for once!!!!

Kris Allen: “Walk the Line” Why I don’t know? Maybe it’s just the guitar vive I get with this song. It’s one of my favorite songs, so he should be complimented I want him to sing it.

My other favorite song of all time I actually gave to MEGAN JOY: “Ring of Fire” she has the perfect voice to sing the lesser known, more gentle version of the song created by the actual writer herself, Miss June Carter Cash.

Lil: “She’s in Love with a Boy” I have no idea about this one I just gave her one.

Scott: “The Dance” He has to milk the inspirational hits week after week if he wants to stay in the show.

Adam: Folsom Prison Blues—this was actually my first reaction when I heard the week before I even saw it on the list. It’s a perfect song for his over dramatic, showy stage presence. If he can preform his behind off apparently the world forgets that he’s off-pitch most of the time.

Alison: “All American Girl’ I actually originally picked Crazy by Patsy Cline Ally, but I changed it to the more fun and youthful All American Girl. I think she is way too old-fashioned up there. The only thing keeping her from getting that critique is pink hair. Sorry but it’s true. However, I think this would be a fun song for her.

Danny: “It’s a great day for being alive” just a fun, chipper song.

Matt S. I don’t care what he sings oops. Chattahoochie.

Matt G. I actually forgot about him completely. That is very bad, poor Matt. He’s not bad..he just gets lost in the shuffle. Also, apparently if you have brown curly hair in Randy’s mind that makes you look like Justin Timberlake. Hmmm “I fall to Pieces” Patsy Cline. It’s a nice song…and if he can pull that off he might become memorable.

Alexis Grace: “Crazy” Patsy Cline. I’m so sick of this fake “dirty” girl thing she has going on. It’s odd and strange. Why can’t she just be herself? Isn’t that what you are suppossed to do on this show? Odd. Anyway, behind that goofy dirty diana song there is a very soulfully sexy Alexis just waiting to come out. I would love to hear her sing that .

Adam: Folsom Prison Blues

I’ve yet to here Adam’s lower register– may be wrong, but so far, don’t think his voice is suited to Johnny Cash.

I agree that Matt is good but still gets lost in the shuffle. He needs to kill it soon, and I hope he does, cuz I really like him.

I was just going on the performance aspect of Folsom which could be changed to meet Adam’s register. It’s the TYPE of song that Adam would do well with..who knows.

Who knows….maybe he should sing a ballad.

I’ve actually changed my mind after looking up the high quality lyrics to Honky tonk badonkadonk. What on Earth???

We don’t care bout the drinkin’
Barely listen to the band
Our hands, they start a shakin’
When she gets the urge to dance
Drivin’ everybody crazy
You think you fell in love
Boys, you better keep your distance
You can look but you can’t touch
That honkey tonk badonkadonk
Keepin’ perfect rhythm
Make ya wanna swing along
Got it goin’ on
Like Donkey Kong
And whoo-wee
Shut my mouth, slap your grandma
There outta be a law
Get the Sheriff on the phone
Lord have mercy, how’s she even get them britches on
That honky tonk badonkadonk

That honky tonk badonkadonk
Yeah, that honky tonk badonkadonk

(That’s it, right there boys, that’s why we do what we do
It ain’t for the money, it ain’t for the glory, it ain’t for the free whiskey
It’s for the badonkadonk)

Ummm yeah…actually you know who I see picking this song actually is Anoop. LOL Hopefully not. It definitely needs great stage presence to sing this song well. If you can sing it well at all. At least nobody will be singing about their tractor being sexy we call all breath a collective sigh of relief.

Matt — Diamond Rio’s “Beautiful Mess” please.

Seriously if someone (except Adam) would sing Celebrity by Brad Paisley I would dial the whole 2 hours for them

Adam could score with a girl song, Stand BY Your Man. It has a certain poignancy, like with this guy Ivri Lider who sang The Man I Love. I always love it when girl singers sing guy songs, and vice versa.

Speaking of Stand BY Your Man, this was used in a gay-themed Guinness ad.

I detest the “new country” that list seems to be crammed with. I guess I’d most like to hear the real old stuff … Patsy Cline especially. Or some altcountry, but that’s not on the list, I guess it woudn’t be Grand Olde Oprey. I wonder how accurate the list is.

I do think the Vince Gill song would be a good choice for Adam, if this is the week he wants to go all sincere ballady.

Seriously if someone (except Adam) would sing Celebrity by Brad Paisley I would dial the whole 2 hours for them

Ok…just found my absolute new favorite video!! And my new favorite line “the best part of the song was the end…no the end!”

In case the VFTW list isn’t completely correct, here’s the Wiki list of GOO members …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Grand_Ole_Opry_members

And the former (dead?) members …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Former_Grand_Ole_Opry_members

Sorry I don’t know how to do a clever link.

Seriously if someone (except Adam) would sing Celebrity by Brad Paisley I would dial the whole 2 hours for them

:lol_tb: :lol_tb: FTW! Well, except for the lack of Adam love. LOL

Adam could score with a girl song, Stand BY Your Man. It has a certain poignancy, like with this guy Ivri Lider who sang The Man I Love. I always love it when girl singers sing guy songs, and vice versa.

Lyle Lovett has a great version of Stand By Your Man. He sings it straight, so to speak, and the words take on a whole new meaning.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve actually changed my mind after looking up the high quality lyrics to Honky tonk badonkadonk. What on Earth???

That song makes me laugh so hard! I remember hearing it for the first time in 5th grade I was like, :blink_tb:.

I’m glad they’re doing GOO week. I gives them a totally different, not over-done (for the most part) song list. No Whitney! Yay! (I love her songs but not when other people cover them)

ETA: Darn it, I Will Always Love You is on the list…

I know Adam fans want a ballad, but if he does an uptempo I think it should be T-R-O-U-B-L-E. It could be a show-stopper and it suits his energy level.

I was looking at the list today and thinking who should sing what, and I really, really, really want Allison to do Reba McIntyre’s “Why Haven’t I Heard From You.” I think they could get the band to ramp up the guitars and rock it out a little (not too much), and she could totally nail it. Alexis could kill it too. But I kinda would like to hear her do some Dolly. Jolene, maybe?

Lil could probably do well with either “Stand By Your Man” or possibly “How Do I Live.”

I’d love to hear one of the guys tackle “When You Say Nothing At All.” Maybe Matt, or possibly Adam? Megan might be able to do it justice too.

I bet one of the guys does George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” My guess is Sarver.

To mjsbigblog: Sorry about my last post!, I’m new to posting on sites. I didnt mean to offended you.

So, I’m quite an avid Megan Joy fan, haha.

My other favorite song of all time I actually gave to MEGAN JOY: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ring of Fireà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  she has the perfect voice to sing the lesser known, more gentle version of the song created by the actual writer herself, Miss June Carter Cash.

I totally agree with princessmela! That would be a good choice but I think Megan could showcase more of her unique talent with a Pasty Cline. I know people doubt she could pull it off but she doesnt have to live up to the original singer (because no one really can) .. she just has to be herself. She was able to take an old classic song like “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man Of Mine” into a “That’s so Megan” song. I am so freakin’ excited to hear her sing, let’s hope she goes “Crazy” with Pasty Cline!

I’m hoping Anoop follows Michael John’s lead from last years Dolly week – reworks a song in a bluesy tone. Looking thru the list, Dierks Bentley – Feel That Fire would be a good fit with the first few bars done without the band so he can remind folks that he really can sing.

That’s a big ol list…I would love it someone pulled off What Was I Thinkin’ by Dierks Bentley. Jolene would be my choice for Allison. Adam should totally do Before He Cheats, or some Dolly

Honky Tonk Badonkadonk *cringes* I would hope no one goes near that POS. It’s quite possibly the stupidest most gagworthy song I’ve ever heard.

ETA: He Stopped Lovin’ Her Today…I agree Sarver could do it, and I think Danny would sound good on that too. Or maybe Matt could do it at the keyboard, ohh yeeah.

I do agree Adam needs, at some point, to do a straight (eta, ew, sorry no pun intended!), great range ballad to shush the naysayers and expand the fanbase. I’m not at all certain it has to (or needs to?) be this early though. But, who knows, maybe it does — I’m not all atune to the haters yet. ;-P I happen to think he’ll shine no matter what — unless he tries like, a chopped up Our Lady Peace song or something. LOL j/k

IMO

nobody should touch a Carrie Underwood song or the song “i will always love you”.

The last person failed miserably when they did!

cant wait to see Carrie,Brad,and Randy!

no Martina McBride songs? that’s odd.

She was able to take an old classic song like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t Help Lovinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Dat Man Of Mineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  into a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s so Meganà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  song. I am so freakinà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ excited to hear her sing, letà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hope she goes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Crazyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  with Pasty Cline!

No No No..a thousand times no! I flove this song and megan is the last person i want to hear singing it. I bet my eyeballs start bleeding and i will have to bleach out my ears!

Matt Giraud just HAS to do this version – he needs to play up his sexy side and this is just the song to do it with – the ladies will be melting, might have to pick Kara and Paula up off the floor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UNyeCn8DiY

Anoop will knock it out of the park next week. He said so himself. I dont understand why people (on other sites) are already calling his failure this week. These are the songs that I can EASILY think he can do amazing on.

Alison Krauss – When You Say Nothing At All
Dierks Bentley – Come A Little Closer
Josh Turner – Your Man
Garth Brooks – The Dance
Trace Adkins – You’re Gonna Miss This
Travis Tritt – I’m Gonna Be Somebody
Travis Tritt – Tell Me I was Dreaming
Vince Gill – I Still Believe In You

I’m so excited for the Carrie/Randy duet. I love Carrie’s version it’s my favorite on Carnival Ride.

If anyone touches I will Always Love you I hope it’s a guy. I wanted Jason to sing it last year, but no luck. Honestly, I think Kris Allen or Anoop could do a fun spin on the song.

As for Megan and Patsy…I think she should stay away from anything that is going to sound kareoke. That’s just me.

Also, I wanted to add that I’m not sure if this is going to be dedicated to just the members of the Grand old Opry or people that preform on the show regularly. For example, Dolly Parton was never a member but as my dad pointed out to me it basically was the start of her career when she went there to sing with Porter Wagner. Loretta Lynn was never actually a member either, according to this list. However, she was a regular performer on the show. Modern artists such as Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are technically not on the show..but are also there often. I think the Grand Old Opry is a much better theme than just general country night…much of the music is in a higher quality league than ummm certain artists with the initials T.S. who I shall not mention is constantly played on the radio.

Also, it’s fair to say while artists like Ms. Cline and Johnny Cash are technically country they both have sounds that have gone on to influence all types of music. Patsy’s music especially sounds much more like basic jazz/blues than country to me.

According to the Opry press release, the contestants have to sing songs popularized by Opry members.

Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are all members of the Opry. You can scroll through the list here:

http://www.opry.com/MeetTheOpry/Members.aspx

I don’t think any song or singer is off limits as long as the cover is done well. Very few can do that though.

Most of David Cook’s covers were successful, regardless of who did the arrangement. Maria Carey’s “Always Be My Baby,” Neal Diamond’s “I’m Alive,” the unforgettable “Hello”, as well as the infamous Billie Jean and Eleanor Rigby. He had the advantage of being an experienced musician who had made cds, toured with bands, and performed before audiences. He knew who he was as an artist, and knew how to take almost any song and make it work for him.

Most of the kids this year are not very experienced and I think that will make it harder for them. Adam is experienced and it shows. It’s not just the talent but also knowing what works and doesn’t work for you.

Carrie was pretty inexperienced when she was on Idol (but not totally) and she did falter at times and made mistakes, she didn’t know how to work a stage or a live audience very well, but because she’s such a good singer she was able to overcome that lack of experience and the rest is history.

Daughtry, like Cook, had experience, and was able to make every genre work for him. He had a musical identity and knew what he wanted to do and who he was.

People like Anoop can have terrible weeks despite having some talent because they really don’t know who they are or what they’re doing. They might be able to sing some songs well, but find it hard to be flexible with unexpected new material and don’t know how to mold it to themselves, don’t have an artistic identity.

Bottom line I don’t think that country is necesssarily a good or bad genre, it can be quite interesting, and it will be interesting to see who rises to the occasion. Even though I’m not excited about this season’s contestants I know I’ll have to watch to see how they all fare. I have a feeling that Allison, Adam, and a few others will be able to make most genres work for them.

Some find Country weeka boring ones….but fro me it is the most interesting week….
Huh..i guess the songlist for Grand ole opry from the Idol spoilers is unfair…there are many good songs that is not on the list..

I hope Danny would sing- WHen I get where I’m goin or Jesus and Gravity coz I think He is an Evngelical and it suits this kind of songs for him..

and Anoop should sing Celebrity coz this one is appropriate for his personality…

for Megan- 9 to 5 or Tall Tal trees—sequel for Black horse and a Cherry tree,,,or Pam tillis song MI Vida LOca,,

Michael- I hope he will do a remake of Alan’s Here in the real world,,,or George’s He Stopped Loving her today…

if Alexis sings Where would you be by Martina and if she can pull those high notes then she will be saved for the next round,,,,

as for Adam- i think he should sing I will always love you…diva style (lol) co he likes to boast his high register…nyahhhhhh.. :devil_tb: ANyways…Chrome is good for him…any party songs////from opry members..KIng of the road I also suggest…

Allison should sing Concrete Angel or any Reba’s songs…please stay away from Carrie ….

the Blind pal Scott- I think Vince Gill songs is good for him…like When I call Your Name or I still Believe in you…or Go Rest High on the mountain…coz this songs were really good on the piano///

for Matt- When you say nothing at all coz I think girls would love it,,,please dont sing a fast song…

Lil rounds- please no I will always love you version..it has been so overdone on the show,,,,,Cleopatra Queen of Denial….this song really fits her voice,,,and its bluesy ….

and for Kris- Littel Moments by Brad- coz He is married and I think she should dedicate this to her wife,,,and He should use Electirc guitar,,,

Hey MJ – This is from a friend of Anoop’s

Chris Melly’s comments on facebook:

Chris wrote18 hours ago
what about always on my mind by willie nelson?

Chris wrote11 hours ago
his song choice is already selected… and from what i hear a former idol contestant may or may not have sung it as well…

My picks for Grand Old Opry Week: Please somebody have some fun with Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline for once!!!!

That would make it a perfect week for me! It is good to see how many want to hear one of Patsy’s songs, I have mentioned that Crazy was the Number One Song for the 20th century that was played the most in Jukeboxes. Later, there were those flippy things that you put a quarter in for a selection of songs.

I am so hopeful that Anoop WILL pick the right song to show that he does belong on the Idol Tour. There are so many that I bet he could do – and do them well.