Tuesday, May 17, 2005

showstoppers

Ai4 That's the title of the latest American Idol CD, which will be released tomorrow in the US. Of course, I was able to download the entire album from a spyware-ridden Web site earlier. ^_^ Not that the entire process was easy: currently the only available file type for download is .OGG instead of the usual .MP3 (I had to install a file converter program for that since most players don't recognize the former *sigh*).

Anyway, as the title implies, the album consists of the finalists' showstopping performances. Here's the official tracklisting:

1. Carrie Underwood - Independence Day
2. Bo Bice - I Don't Wanna Be
3. Vonzell Solomon - Best of My Love
4. Anwar Robinson - A House Is Not A Home
5. Nadia Turner - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
6. Nikko Smith - Part Time Lover
7. Constantine Maroulis - My Funny Valentine
8. Jessica Sierra - Total Eclipse of the Heart
9. Anthony Federov - Every Time You Go Away
10. Scott Savol - Against All Odds
11. Lindsay Cardinale - Knock on Wood
12. Mikalah Gordon - God Bless The Child
13. Ensemble - When You Tell Me That You Love Me


While the selections are good enough -- making this album way better than last season's Soul Classics -- there have been quite a few surprises (for me at least). Most notable is Carrie's track ("Independence Day"), when most fans are practically expecting a cover of "Alone" by Heart since it was arguably her best performance yet. I guess the powers that be are really insisting in putting Miss Underwood into a coutry mold.

Another insteresting bit is Lindsay's rendition of "Knock On Wood", which -- as some pointed out -- is ironic, given the fact that it was the same song that gave her the boot. Admittedly, the version in the album is much better. Still, such an irony does give the term showstopping a whole new meaning. ^_^

In a nusthell: loved Anthony's and Vonzell's tracks the most (and obviously Bo's and Carrie's, too); listened to the other tracks at least once; entirely skipped Scott's.