David Archuleta - Season 7

[Uncle David]

I realize that since David's detractors have taken over this thread I'm waltzing into the lion's den, but I figure someone has to lend a little balance to this nearly one-sided diatribe. As a moderately intelligent musician with a degree in music and several years experience as a successful, professional musician/performer, I can assure you, it is possible to like David A. based solely on his talent.

[Google]

 

[Jezebella]

While I voted for David Cook, I am impressed with Archie's ability to produce pure, clear melody. His a cappella portion of "And So It Goes" was crystal clear and resonant. In a few years he may develop into something really special. For now, he just has an amazing instrument but he hasn't got a feel for how to make the music believable. (Did that make sense to anyone?)

[bbnbama]

He got all 450 of my votes last night...don't get me wrong, I love David C too but I'm pulled more to David A...

[Uncle David]

Originally Posted by Jezebella

While I voted for David Cook, I am impressed with Archie's ability to produce pure, clear melody. His a cappella portion of "And So It Goes" was crystal clear and resonant. In a few years he may develop into something really special. For now, he just has an amazing instrument but he hasn't got a feel for how to make the music believable. (Did that make sense to anyone?)

Not only did it make sense, it was an opinion that, even though I may not entirely agree with, I can respect and admire.

Of course I'm just one voice in a maelstrom of negativity. I wish you luck with the others.

ETA: bb, did you do know that for every vote you cast for David A., an angel gets their wings?

[Blues Songstres]

Makes sense to me.

[BuckeyeGal007]

Originally Posted by Jezebella

While I voted for David Cook, I am impressed with Archie's ability to produce pure, clear melody. His a cappella portion of "And So It Goes" was crystal clear and resonant. In a few years he may develop into something really special. For now, he just has an amazing instrument but he hasn't got a feel for how to make the music believable. (Did that make sense to anyone?)

I think it makes perfect sense. I think that's how a lot of feel. No one disputes lil David's talent, he's got a beautiful instrument. I personally feel that with a few years of maturity and training, he could be great, but I don't feel that he's ready to be thrust into the music world right now.

[TopCatDC]

Originally Posted by Jezebella

While I voted for David Cook, I am impressed with Archie's ability to produce pure, clear melody. His a cappella portion of "And So It Goes" was crystal clear and resonant. In a few years he may develop into something really special. For now, he just has an amazing instrument but he hasn't got a feel for how to make the music believable. (Did that make sense to anyone?)

I agree… and I’ll expand on that.

David is a musician more than he's a performer. A gifted musical artist with an uncanny sense for melody, rhythm, and how to take something ordinary and make it soar. He also has a vocal instrument of amazing timbre and range. (But to fully grasp his range you have to go back and listen to recordings he did before his voice changed and his vocal paralysis.) The male voice doesn’t mature until the late twenties, early thirties. So the voice we are hearing now is still immature, and will develop more range and color if he continues to study and exercise.

People talk about David’s career track being in the boy band or Hannah Montana mold. That’s very short-term thinking. I see David following more in the footsteps of an Al Jarreau or Bobby McFerrin. But that’s over the course of a career that lasts many decades.

I'll wager that David's fans are people that are moved by melody; that we cry when we hear the slow plaintive violin in Shindler’s List and can’t stand still when we hear in Irish band pulling out the stops in a pub.

However, other people are more in tune with a song’s lyric; its message. If you’re a lyric person, you ain’t gonna like li’l David. David is… I was going to say he’s terrible at interpreting a lyric, but that’s not it. He has the good sense to stay away from overworking a lyric and taking it in the wrong direction. He just tends to pretty much deal with the lyric as little as possible and concentrate on making his beautiful music.

Which drives some people nuts. “There’s nothing there!” “He’s boring!” “Every song sounds the same!” “He has no soul!” And from the lyric interpretation perspective, they are right. He’s not giving them much of anything to hang on to. That’s why I say David appeals to people who hear the emotion in the notes. He’s giving them a aural feast, but unfortunately leaving no crumbs behind for the “word nerds” (to use David Cook’s self description).

While time will give him more life experience to color his lyric interpretation, David’s interpretation issues go beyond just his youth. As DetGuy and JustSayin pointed out, Jordin Sparks was David’s age and had no such problem. David needs to work hard on this. He can’t go on turning off half of his audience. I see therapy and acting classes in his future.

But for now, and maybe forever, David is more a jazz artist than a pop artist. And as his iTunes recordings show, he’s incredible in the studio even on those numbers that were lacking on stage. (Listen to the new recording of Longer. I gagged hearing it in performance; but the recorded version is a lovely cover.)

[TopCatDC]

Re: Entertainment Weekly interview with Nigel Lythgoe

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

First hand knowledge ... and a clear agenda, and reason to say whatever he has to say to protect his property and not alienate fans.

Yeah, but think about it. Dean Kaelin's explanation earlier in the week was that Nigel was just being fair to the other contestants. From a PR perspective, that's kind of a win-win: everyone comes out looking good, including AI.

But Nigel went out of his way to say that Kaelin got it wrong. As a matter of fact he said that the opposite was true: Papa's presence was unfair to David. Jeff was exorcised to give Li'l Archie a break.

Now, back to PR: It seems to me that AI's self-interest was best served by not saying anything and letting Kaelin's version of events stand. That way there is no direct quote from AI, it all happened last week, so it can just die as yesterday's news and everyone can concentrate on the finals.

But by "setting the record straight", Nigel kicked the story up a notch, risked an escalating PR skirmish with Team Archuleta, and at the very least put the story back in papers for another week.

Obviously something motivated him to make a statement, but it doesn't "protect his property and not alienate fans". I think details of backstage machinations devalues AI and risks alienating fans. And Nigel knows it. But he put the info out there anyway.

[Unklescott]

Originally Posted by TopCatDC

But by "setting the record straight", Nigel kicked the story up a notch, risked an escalating PR skirmish with Team Archuleta, and at the very least put the story back in papers for another week.

Which gives more more free publicity for the upcoming finale. Mission accomplished.

[TopCatDC]

Originally Posted by Unklescott

Which gives more more free publicity for the upcoming finale. Mission accomplished.

So there's no such thing as bad publicity, eh Unk?

Maybe. Personally, I think Nigel is more protective of the AI brand than that. I need another explanation.