NBC's The Sing Off Finale

So am I good, or am I good?  Let's go back to my post after the first episode.  I picked three teams, Committed, Street Corner Symphony and the Whiffenpoofs.  Now, the latter team I selected because my son's former freshman roommate was a member of the group, so I'm not sure that counts as an official pick.  Favoritism, bias, hearing with my heart and not my ears -- something else was at play.  But the other two groups -- made it to the top two.  And the winner is...

But first.  Let's have a bunch of songs highlighting our featured guest performer while the purported stars of the show, the a cappella groups, are relegated to background singing.  Committed is overpowerd by BoysIIMen and the Backbeats barely get noticed even though they have a 15-to-1 advantage over Sarah Bareilles (for the record, I spelled Bareilles right on my first try, but not Sarah) on  her song King of Anything. 




But then it's the producer's favorite, Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town and suddenly the contestant group gets a co-lead on the song Ain't No Mountain High Enough.  Shocker.  Jerry actually did a nice job and I thought maybe giving him such a big role was not because they've been pimping him from day one but because they worried Nicole Sherzinger couldn't stand up to comparisons with Diana Ross (hey, who could)? 


When Street Corner Symphony came out with the adorable and talented, but let's not add singer, Ben Folds, and were only given the job of backup, I was dumbfounded.  Someone must have heard Ben's "voice" and realized he needed a lot of vocal support, not subtle background harmonies.  He's talented and gifted, but from the Neil Young/Bob Dylan school of I don't have to be great at everything.


So the winner is...

But first, we have two more guest performances.  First, by Sheryl Crow, in the spotlight.  What's that in her hand. IT"S A GUITAR!!!  Call the police!  This is an a cappella show and I may not know what a cappella means (to hair?), I know what it doesn't mean -- with instruments.  She has violated the sanctity of the show, she has made a travesty, sham and mockery of an all singing competition.  Yes, this performance was an actual traveshamockery!  Actually she sounded pretty good and looked even better.  Over not in the spotlight, sitting on a stool, a familiar looking left handed guitarist.  It's Doyle Bramhall, II, getting no mention as he was not assigned his own spotlight.  He toils in the darkness with his six string as Talk of the Town and the Backbeats sing all around him.


If you're looking for a new drinking game, take a swig every time the cameraman hits a close up of Courtney, the beatboxer from the Backbeats.  You'll be in a coma before the end of this song.  There are some thirty, forty other members of the Backbeats (or maybe ten) and four of them could go undercover right now and pretend to be atonal mutes because no one has ever seen their faces!  Courtney, on the other hand, has been on my TV more than the Geicko gecko. 

The next superstar song was fronted by newly elected Rock'n'Roll Hall of Famer Neil Diamond.  After discussing which was the favorite Neil Diamond song for the various singers and realizing that Neil Diamond has written every song recorded over the last thirty-five years, host Nick Lachey announces Neil and company will be singing -- Ain't No Sunshine, by Bill Withers.  Go figure.

They did a tremendous job on the song and you can tell why Street Corner Symphony and Committed would later be the top two teams.  They have seamless transitions, sparkling harmonies, good backing percussion and strong lead vocalists.  I was waiting for the obligatory Courtney close up, but my cup remained untouched for two entire minutes.


And the winner is....

But first, one last performance from each of our groups.  Except when it got to the last group, Street Corner Symphony, who sang Coldplay's Fix You better than the original, the other three teams were allowed to come out and steal their thunder, I mean join in the song.  It was beautfiul and moving, but I felt that their moment was taken away.  But not to worry, it probably meant that they were going to win the whole thing.


So it's time to announce the winner.  And the winner is....

Well, it's not Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town or the Backbeats, because those two teams are given the bad news first.  Jerry et al. go out in style with the most perfect exit song ever, Hit the Road Jack.  Now that they didn't win and all the producers' efforts to shove them down my throat is over, I really appreciate how talented they are.  They don't really do current a cappella, it's more old time doo wop, but they have great voices.  And after hearing Paul McCartney try to sing on SNL, I realize that being able to sound that good when you're not in your prime ain't easy. So kudos to the old guys!

I also want to offer a shout out to the Backbeats.  I ragged on them big time for their first two performances.  I felt their lead singer (who isn't Courntey, but have you seen Courtney, cuz there she is, and there she is again) was overwrought when she sang and her forced angst took away from her voice. As soon as she turned it down, she improved.  And when they spotllighted other singers in the groups -- look, there's Courtney, gulp -- you realized they weren't just blowing smoke when they described themselves as a supergroup.  The leader, the mastermind who put the group together, took his first real lead (joking around on Love Shack doesn't count) and showed what an amazing voice he has as well.  All really fine singers -- especially those from UCLA!!!


And now for the winner.  No, seriously, there's nothing left.  I was hoping for Street Corner Symphony.  Jeremy Lester's story of his hard times trying to make it the first go around with a record label made me root for the underdog, but when they announced the winners were Committed, I wasn't that upset.  Okay, I tweeted one Boo, but that's it.  And I rallied quick.  Committed has a lot of depth, has some of the purest voices I've ever heard and seem like really nice guys.  So congrats to them!

And congrats also to the runners up.  I really liked you, even if you sing that country-flavored music that is all the rage right now.  I liked how Ben Folds correctly identified you as the sort of rebels in the group.  You have a little rock in your soul -- stick with it.  Keep pushing.  You've made a lot of fans, don't let them down.  Hey, the plus is, you don't have to sign with Sony!  :) 

Review of Farmer's Daughter by Crystal Bowersox

Crystal Bowersox' post-American Idol debut "Farmer's Daughter" is available to listen in full here at the AOL listening party.  Expectations were high because Crystal was such a force to be reckoned with on the TV talent show and anyone with ears realized she was immensely talented.  Could her first record live up to the promise?  It could and it did.

The album opens with the rousing country-pop, Ridin’ with the Radio. I was surprised because I never thought of Crystal as a country singer, but she does a great job. It’s bouncy, it’s fun, and, in appropriate Crystal fashion, it basically challenges you. Keep an open mind, she says, give this a fair listen. Okay, point taken.

For What it’s Worth was an unnecessary cover. It doesn’t improve on the original and it fails to use Crystal’s ample gifts well. Her vocals do nothing to elevate the song and it lost the urgency it had when it first was released. The music overpowers the song and demonstrates the "less is more" adage.  But it is the one and only dark spot on this otherwise illuminating record.

Farmer’s Daughter is the title song. It’s her signature song, it’s her life story, it’s her connection to the audience. She’s in her element when she’s allowed to sing from her heart and not forced into a particular musical genre. This is a Crystal song, not folk, rock, country or anything else.  She wears her heart on her sleeve and can be both tough and vulnerable at the same time. 

Holy Toledo is the highlight of the record.  Passionate, heartfelt and beautiful, it's hard to imagine that this song wasn't enough to get her a record contract and that she had to jump through the American Idol hoops to get noticed.  Her voice goes from angelic to fervent, she shows range both vocally and emotionally that separates her from the pop chanteuse du jour.  This is real and raw and if it were on an old LP, it would be worn down smooth in no time.

Lonely Won't Come Around is catchy, but a little too pop for me, somewhat aural cotton candy.  But her vocals are strong and assured.   I could have done without On the Run and Kiss Ya.  There's nothing wrong with these songs, her voice is great, but the songs just are flimsy, unsubstantial and perhaps I expect more from Crystal.  It may not be fair, but when you can write Holy Toledo, songs that could be on Sugarland's next CD pale by comparison. 

About the time you hear Hold On you decide that democracy was a good idea.  One man, one vote.  Not one prepubescent teen, a gazillion votes. There is no reason that Crystal lost to Lee DeWyze if the criteria was talent.  Her voice is strong, clear, vibrant, mutable.  All of the accolades and attention that came her way early in the contest were actually well deserved.  This song, and FWIW, were the only songs not penned by Crystal, but it fits neatly with the other songs and shows that Kara DioGuardi (the co-writer) can knock out a catchy ditty and that Crystal can take a pop song and transform it.

Speak Now is a great bluesy number where Crystal gets full use of her smoky vocals.  It's also refreshing to hear a song go old school -- was that a real guitar solo?  So retro.  A song that takes it's time and creates atmosphere.  In Mine All Mine Crystal goes into a falsetto that is really pretty and tender and helps make this a really beautiful love song.

Crystal's husband Brian Walker co-wrote the song Mason, named after her son.  Their duet is sweet and a nice throwback to the singer-songwriters of the 1970s.  Brian's vocals are not as solid as his better half, but if your heart is still pumping, you can't resist the lyrics and their meaning.

The ballad Arlene closes out the record.  It's more the Crystal we expected, stripped down instrumentation, her voice conveying every range of emotion.  I don't know if this or any of the other slower songs is what radio programmers will jump at, but anyone who appreciates good, honest, heartfelt music should revel in her efforts to bring back the folk troubadour as an important part of mainstream music.

Crystal Bowersox has put together a great debut showing range and talent that belie her second place finish.  This is a winner of an album with at least three songs that should be remembered long after the TV show that launched her fades from memory.