![]() Blue Skies $13.98 Diana DeGarmo's is a voice--a big, melting, LeAnn Rimes-y kind of voice--in need of a sound, and on this, her debut disc, a team of experts including legendary producer Clive Davis attempts to find her one. The overall effect is a little like watching the baby faced would-be American Idol champ try on outfits at a department store: Half the time, she's riffling around the junior department, churning out angsty teen anthems (check lyrics like "I'm the one that you want/You know I'm heaven sent/I'm a little Lynyrd Skynyrd/A little 50 Cent" from "Then I Woke Up"), and the other half she's trying to find her size in the more grown-up misses racks (both "Blue Skies" and "Dreams" are drenched in an inspirational, Amy Grant-ish vibe best suited to lite FM radio). Luckily, DeGarmo's vocal derring-do saves her from seeming rudderless. The sweet, adult-leaning "Go On and Cry" proves for time eternal that 17-year-old pipes can soar, and the Idol showstopper "Don't Cry Out Loud," a cover of the Melissa Manchester classic, along with "Boy Like You" earn her instant access to the big-belter club. Blue Skies may run into clouds finding its audience, but it forecasts a clear career horizon for the talented DeGarmo. -Tammy La Gorce ![]() Blue Skies $6.99 Diana DeGarmo's is a voice--a big, melting, LeAnn Rimes-y kind of voice--in need of a sound, and on this, her debut disc, a team of experts including legendary producer Clive Davis attempts to find her one. The overall effect is a little like watching the baby faced would-be American Idol champ try on outfits at a department store: Half the time, she's riffling around the junior department, churning out angsty teen anthems (check lyrics like "I'm the one that you want/You know I'm heaven sent/I'm a little Lynyrd Skynyrd/A little 50 Cent" from "Then I Woke Up"), and the other half she's trying to find her size in the more grown-up misses racks (both "Blue Skies" and "Dreams" are drenched in an inspirational, Amy Grant-ish vibe best suited to lite FM radio). Luckily, DeGarmo's vocal derring-do saves her from seeming rudderless. The sweet, adult-leaning "Go On and Cry" proves for time eternal that 17-year-old pipes can soar, and the Idol showstopper "Don't Cry Out Loud," a cover of the Melissa Manchester classic, along with "Boy Like You" earn her instant access to the big-belter club. Blue Skies may run into clouds finding its audience, but it forecasts a clear career horizon for the talented DeGarmo. -Tammy La Gorce ![]() American Idol Card Set - Season 3 - 110 Cards Including Fantasia, Diana Degarmo, Jasmine Trias, LaToya London, William Hung, Jon Peter Lewis & more!! $1.44 Check our other scans for more great cards from this set !! ![]() American Idol - The Search For A Superstar $9.99 Coming soon to a casino lounge, wedding, or bar mitzvah near you: it's the contestants of American Idol. This 90-minute highlights recap extends the proverbial 15 minutes of fame for the hopefuls who galvanized the nation as they contended for a recording contract. This talent show--part Star Search, part The Gong Show, part A Chorus Line--was an instant pop-culture phenomenon, but the breakout star of this series was arguably not winner Kelly Clarkson, she of the powerhouse voice, or even runner-up Jason Guarini, he of the Sideshow Bob hair. One of the judges, record producer Simon "Prince of Darkness" Cowell, emerged as the show's villain who audiences loved to hate. (A bonus segment on this DVD, "When Judges Attack," replays Simon's nastiest feuds with disgruntled contestants and fellow judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.) Relive the agony (staged comedy bits and bloopers with series hosts Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, who, if nothing else, gave Saturday Night Live's Jimmy Fallon a prime target for parody), the triumphant solo performances, the cheesy ensemble numbers that went out with Up with People, and the onstage drama over who America would next vote offstage (the Tamyra Gray contingent is no doubt still in shock). On the DVD, a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage documenting each stage of the contest process should satisfy Idol-philes. --Donald Liebenson |
|