FAN: Taylor Swift & Def Leppard

Even though it debuted almost 6 months ago, I finally got a chance to see CMT Crossroads with Taylor Swift and Def Leppard. It's fantastic. I really like stripped down music and they did a good job. While her voice isn't powerful enough on some of the rock anthems, her strutting around the stage surely made up for it. I couldn't name a Taylor Swift song until today when my daughter saw the special and immediately downloaded Tears on my Guitar and White Horses. There's nothing wrong with Taylor's appearance. Def Leppard is another story. Joe Elliot looks good and has added another layer of character to his voice which is 20 years of hard livin'. Phil Collen is still a good showman and Rick Allen still isn't playing with a robotic arm. Rick Savage....looks like shit. He's on the train to Keith Richardsville. I like how they had both bands present. I went to the webiste for CMT Crossroads to see what other ones exist and I'd really like to catch the 2002 Kid Rock and Hank Jr. but I'm not sure they replay editions that old.

Slanted Simon Says - Give Back

Geez, I didn't post anything last night on the show because I fell asleep on the floor. Nothing like waking up with carpet burn on your face....but I did see the show before zonking out. Based only on last night:

1. Brooke White - Not that she was superb, but everyone else was a shade off.
2. David Cook - Weird song. Who?
3. Kristi Lee Cook - Nice job!
4. David Archuleta - Meh.
5. Carly Smithson - Good, not great.
6. Micahel Johns - Not consistent at all.
7. Jason Dreads - Why do they like him so much? Stinkin' weirdo sissy pants.
8. Syesha Mercado - Liked her in the beginning and thought she was a threat. No more.

Did anyone notice when they pointed out that William Ford dude in the crowd? Have you ever seen anyone so uncomfortable in their own skin? Ick. He reminded me of Al Gore when his advisers told him to loosen up so he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. Al cannot be casual with that giant stick up his ass. Ford looked like he had a meeting with 4 advisors who told him what to wear and he changed clothes 3 times before coming out. What an idiot. Be yourself, you jackass. Kids of today see right through fake.....and dude, you looked like a $3 bill.

Slanted Simon Says - The Full Nine

There were some really good performances tonight. This is when the show starts to get really good in my opinion as the people left can almost smell victory and they start to go for it a little more. These rankings are based solely on tonight's show:

1. David Cook - Continues to tear it up. He truly has a good rock voice and the necessary scream to go with it.
2. Michael Johns - I liked him early on and this is the first time he's shown promise since doing Bohemian Rhapsody and The Doors back in the earlier shows. Queen suits him.
3. Brook - I don't care that she started over, her voice is very distinct and I like it. She feels what she is singing.
4. Syesha - Didn't like the song and I want to like Carly so much more than her but she nailed that song tonight.
5. Carly Smithson - I did hear a few clunker notes mixed in tonight. Still should be in the final mix, maybe winning it all.
6. Kristi Lee Cook - No matter what she does, short of stripping on stage, she can't win - so I'm not sure it even matters what she does week to week. She is likable though.
7. David Archuleta - Wow. He may have peaked too early. That SUCKED. It really goes to show you how much things can change week to week.
8. Parchisi - Like Kristi, his days are numbered.
9. Jason Dreads - Dude, don't bogart that joint.

And that leaves cute little Ramiele on the outside looking in this week. She smacks of one of those marketing girls that a gum company hires to give away their product in a busy urban setting during lunch hours.

80's Goodness

Wow. A trip down memory lane. Look how young Sting & Bono were! Of course this is before both of them thought they were the most important person on the planet.

More Good Mash Ups

This one features The Police and Snow Patrol. This one is a little better - Green Day with Oasis and others at the end including Aerosmith. And this is just too obvious as I think of "Hey Mickey" every time I hear the new Avril Lavigne song "Girlfriend".

Poor Kurt Cobain...Poor, Poor Kurt

This is disturbing to say the least. Is that Al Gore singing? I mean really....WTF? I'm guessing that whatever type of person pays to hear the British Ukulele Orchestra perform has NO IDEA who Kurt Cobain even was. Goodness.

I Like Under Appreciated John Waite

When we first got MTV in our area, which is when it debuted, one of my favorite videos was "Change" by John Waite. I've always liked the song as well. Waite is one of those under appreciated guys in my opinion. I'm sure he has a base following since he's been in The Babys, but after that I can only remember two solo hits "Change" and "Missing You" but I could be forgetting some. He was also a part of the super group Bad English which had a huge hit with "When I see you smile". Anyway, I was browsing through iTunes the other day and came across a gem. There is a cd of 80's music redone acoustically by the original artists. I bought 2 of the singles - John Waite's "Missing You" which is a superb version and The Outfield's "Your Love". I think Waite has a fantastic voice and in the next few weeks I'm going to go over his entire catalogue to see if I can find anything else I like.

Evolution Of Dance

This is six minutes long but it has a few belly laughs in it <------ click here.