Next Great American Band 11/9 "Billy Joel Night"

Ntombi · 11-10-2007, 02:56 AM

They've gotten three great songwriting teams so far. I'm really impressed that they could get the rights.

Way to make me feel old, Rocket girl:
"When I was in kindergarten, I was obsessed with 'We Didn't Start the Fire.'"
I was in high school when that song came out.

Franklin Bridge: Once again, I'm not really a fan, but "Big Shot" was better than their other covers.

Cliff Wagner & The Old #7: I couldn't see how they could pull it off, but they did. It retained just enough of the melody and feel of the song, but totally made it their own. I liked other covers they did better, but they did a good job.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra: I'm getting confused by them. Every week, they have a different sound.

This was a good performance, but the arrangement wasn't my favorite.

Dot Dot Dot: "Pressure" was their best performance so far. Wow. The lead guy wasn't annoying for the first time, the band was tight, and the arrangement totally worked for me. I'm shocked.

Sixwire: "She's Always a Woman" was a good choice, but it didn't blow me away. A solid performance, as always.

Trés Bien!: "Movin' Out" meh.

The Clark Brothers: "She's Got a Way" They are really gifted musicians. The arrangement was beautiful, and the performance was stellar.

Light of Doom: "The Stranger"

Hated that arrangement, hated the performance.

The Flush · 11-10-2007, 07:07 AM

While Elton John and Billy Joel are great song writers, they are too similar. I want to hear them play a wider variety of styles, or even better more originals. I mostly agree with Ntombi's assessment of the performances.

The Clark Brothers are my favorite, although I am not sure they will win.

billboard_NE · 11-10-2007, 07:43 AM

The only two I liked were

Cliff Wagner and the Old #7: I could see myself listening to them live in a bar somewhere for hours, they have sole, and they owned that song.

Light of Doom: They weren't trying to be anyone doing Billy Joel, they were themselves and they sounded great. I thought Dot Dot Dot was trying to be the Cure doing Billy Joel.

MitchO · 11-10-2007, 08:27 AM

I thought Light of Doom absolutely KILLED The Stranger. Each week, I'm amazed that a bunch of pre-teens can arrange these songs so well. They shouldn't win, but man, there's some early talent there.

Am I the only one who thought Franklin Bridge's lead singer mangled the words to Big Shot? He felt like he stumbled, paused, drop ends of lines ... and eventually the band covered his ass at the end with their usual fills.

I still don't understand how the Old #7 is making it each week. They're fine, but not even the country votes should be keeping them around (especially considering those people should be voting for Clark Brothers or Sixwire).

The Clark Brothers are easily my favorite. I really liked Tres Bien, but the song this week was weak and they're not improving.

LoadStar · 11-10-2007, 08:46 AM

I definitely got the same impression that Franklin Bridge's lead singer either forgot the words, or was momentarily distracted by the overwhelming amount of embellishment that his band was adding to the song. There was a halfway decent performance somewhere under all that embellishment, but it was rather hard to hear it.

Cliff Wagner was probably the second best performance of the night... they could've picked up the pace just a little bit (there ARE fast bluegrass songs, after all) but it was a fairly decent arrangement and performance.

I actually thought Denver was the best of the night. Their arrangement and performance of the song was perfect. They did lose a little bit of their "big band" identity tonight - they seemed more like just a horn section like you'd find in a Chicago-like band tonight. That's probably because of the material, though, and I don't think it was such a bad thing.

I really liked Dot Dot Dot's performance tonight. It was restrained enough to make it quite enjoyable. I think they might have been somewhere around third or fourth tonight for me.

I actually thought Sixwire had the worst night of the competition... something about their performance seemed off. It's almost as if the two vocalists were just off key from each other to make it rather disconcerting to listen to.

I did NOT like Tres Bien's performance. As I recall (I'm writing this now 12 hours after having seen the show) they really mangled the arrangement... it suffered from the same problem as Franklin Bridge, being overly busy and embellished, just in a different style of embellishment this time.

I don't get the love for The Clark Brothers this week. I thought their performance was rather lackluster... I found it less interesting than Old #7's rather slow performance, and that's saying a lot.

Light of Doom: Ick. Kiddie vocals and the arrangement just seemed like they were trying too hard. Worst of the night.

bicker · 11-10-2007, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitchO

I thought Light of Doom absolutely KILLED The Stranger. Each week, I'm amazed that a bunch of pre-teens can arrange these songs so well.

Well, that was the question that came to my mind: Are they doing the arrangement, or are they getting outside help with that? The arrangement of The Stranger was quite impressive, AFAIC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitchO

They shouldn't win, but man, there's some early talent there.

But who's?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitchO

Am I the only one who thought Franklin Bridge's lead singer mangled the words to Big Shot?

I thought so as well, but in retrospect, the words I noticed he flubbed were, "And the spoon up your nose..." -- something which I'm not surprised he was told to change to fit the 8PM Eastern time-slot the show was airing in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MitchO

The Clark Brothers are easily my favorite.

My wife and I were bewildered why the judged had anything good to say about the Clark Brothers' rendition of She's Got A Way. Maybe I'm biased, because I first heard the song back in 1974s (from a WLIR radio concert), but it seemed to me that this rendition was totally without soul.

For me, the big winners this week were Dot Dot Dot.

JohnB1000 · 11-10-2007, 11:10 AM

Another enjoyable show for me, I was sad to not see Rocket but not for musical reasons.

Everyone did a decent performance with the exception of Franklin Bridge who were a mess.

Denver was fun, Old 7 fun, Clark Bros were OK they don't do it that much for me, Sixwire, still good but perhaps one of the weakest of the night, Dot Dot Dot were fine but the singer is still hard to watch for me, Light of Doom proved to me that the visual is the problem, close my eyes and they sound fine, but they are hard for me to watch.

Tres Bien are my favorites, they just have a sense of youth that the others seem to be missing and they are more in sync with my kind of music.

bareyb · 11-10-2007, 07:25 PM

My boys Sixwire kind of bored me this week. Nothing wrong with it necessarily, but it just lacked energy.

Light Of Doom had their best vocal night of the whole season so far. Those little dudes are interesting and I hope they stick around for a while.

Dot Dot Dot is in the same category as LOD for me. I think they are interesting and the lead singer was better this show than the last by far.

Old Number 7 got my toe tapping for once and for me it was one of their best songs

Franklin Bridge was kind of a mess, but I still like them and want them to stick around too.

Denver was... Forgettable

This is where it's gonna start to get hard to decide who should leave. I agreed with their choices last night but it's tough to pick who I want to leave next. My bottom two next week is going to have to be Clark Brothers & Tres Bien. After that it's REALLY gonna be hard to choose.

I thought "Dickos" comment that both bands "suffered death by lead singer" was pretty cold. True, but come on Dicko, they just got kicked off the show... Have a heart. I felt bad for the singer in Rocket. She looked like she wanted to dissappear. The Muggs guy with the thumbs down again? Doesn't this guy have any friends who can tell him to stop?

JohnB1000 · 11-10-2007, 07:47 PM

Are we sure they keep throwing two out at this point ?

montag · 11-10-2007, 07:54 PM

I still think Tres Bien! is the best band of the bunch. Maybe not the most talented, musically, but when you put it all together, they are the most "real" band.

Light of Doom put on the best performance of the night. Everyone else did a Billy Joel cover, they made it their own song and rocked the shi7 out of it. These kids are amazing.

The Clark Brothers were strong again as were Cliff and #7.

I'll even give props to one of the bands I really hate, Denver. He loosened up and they didn't seem so fake and plastic. They ought to stick with that look. I still don't think he's the right front man for a group like that to make it. They need someone that is much more cool and hip. He's a dork.

Still the worst you ask......Franklin Bridge. What a joke they are. The lead singer is a terrible guitarist (if he's even really playing) and they just sound plain awful. They are trying to be something they are not.

I predicted Rocket and Muggs would be gone.

Biggest surprise of the night..... Dot, Dot, Dot. They really had a strong night and it was all tied to that goofball staying and the mic and not running around like a flaming mad man. Very good performance tonight and they just jumped up in the competition.

MasterOfPuppets · 11-10-2007, 09:57 PM

I finally got to watch an episode.
I thought Light Of Doom was EASILY the best performance. They nailed it. The kid is too young to have too much range on vocals, but he was excellent here.

Any no talent hack can do a straight cover. I have no interest in any karaoke bullsquish.
It takes talent to take a song and make it your own, put it into your own style.
Most everything else was so vanilla that it hurt.

justapixel · 11-10-2007, 11:07 PM

I think we are all in agreement.

Clark Brothers were amazing tonight. They were probably talented kids, like Light of Doom. Watch out in ten years, because that is going to be one amazing rock band.

I like Old Number 7. Thought they were good.

The very first thing I downloaded on my brand new iPhone was Sixwire's CD. How fun to watch the show, decide I like them, and get their CD before the show was even over.

I love the intarwebby thing.

MasterOfPuppets · 11-11-2007, 08:08 AM

I do have one quick question about Sixwire.

When did Kenny Loggins decide to make his big musical comeback?
:P

bicker · 11-11-2007, 08:40 AM

That's what was bugging me about them! :doh:

Cearbhaill · 11-11-2007, 10:32 AM

I seriously like every one of these bands- well, except maybe Franklin Bridge as I feel they are all over the place. Their drummer makes it up for me though as I really like him. As far as the rest, I think this show could have done a whole lot worse. Several genres are very well represented here and I would think there is something for everyone.

As far as this weeks performances, my votes go to Old No. 7 and Clark Brothers. Both are bands I would pay good money to see and I don't say that lightly. Clark Brothers especially as I think- as said upthread- they are really gifted.

The song writers next week- anyone remember who they mentioned?

justapixel · 11-11-2007, 01:37 PM

FYI: Sixwire's CD is good.

The Flush · 11-11-2007, 05:54 PM

What artist will they be covering next week?

JohnB1000 · 11-11-2007, 06:11 PM

The songs of Leiber and Stoller is next week

Examples from Wikipedia

* "Hound Dog"
* "Kansas City"
* "Smokey Joe's Cafe"
* "Yakety Yak"
* "Poison Ivy"
* "Charlie Brown"
* "Ruby Baby"
* "Stand By Me" (with Ben E. King)
* "Jailhouse Rock"
* "Love Potion No. 9"
* "Searchin'"
* "Young Blood" (with Doc Pomus)
* "Is That All There Is?"
* "I'm A Woman"
* "On Broadway" (with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil)
* "Spanish Harlem"
* Stand by Me" (with Ben E. King)

The Flush · 11-11-2007, 06:22 PM

I wish they would let them play more of their originals. The originals are the key to telling who is the best band.

Ntombi · 11-11-2007, 07:07 PM

Ooh, I love their music.

I do agree that we need more original music, but a lot of really good bands aren't necessarily good songwriters, so they need a balance, IMO.

Jebberwocky! · 11-14-2007, 08:35 AM

I really like the Clark Brothers and Old #7.

I would not be sad to see Franklin Bridge, Dot Dot Dot or Trés Bien! leave this Friday.

But week in and week out the only band to give me goose bumbs is Light of Doom. I agree they are two young to win and the lead singer's voice has yet to mature but my liking them has everything to do with the word Rock in R&Roll. Those little dudes can rock and they appear to listen and take notice when given some hints.