The Tempo of American Idol Songs – Is timing a factor in music? Prediction: the final two will be Archuletta v. Epperson, and both will be stars no matter who “wins”
Who got kicked off and who is competing this week by speed, calibrations by Ian Schneider supervised by James C.C. Manning. Of the first 4 booted, 3 had songs in the slowest 10/24 songs. The faster “Suspicious Minds” had a terrible tempo gimmick that backfired–the 126 BPM to 58 BPM triplets in the middle and back was the equivalent of the most hokey gadget play in football, as a fake statue of liberty play, reverse and wide receiver throws the ball to the QB – that will work, but if not, ”OH, THE CRASSITUDE!”Of the men, David Archuletta was amazing. Idol’s band is quite simple *awesome* – and in Shop Around, one can literally feel the band pick it up a level of enthusiasm with this kid. Last night, the yet to be calibrated ”Imagine” had the judges drooling – I have accompanied singers on piano for 33 years, and yeah, that kid is just amazing. Enough for now. Tomorrow I will post all the speeds for the week. It is not about the tempo *itself* so much that makes one good or bad – it is “are you friends with it or are you uncomfortable playing in time?” I see the competition coming down to David versus Asiah Epperson, who last week was completely professional and wildly at home in her speed – ie, she has amazing *timing*. That is how Hicks won – I called that at first audition. This year, though, there are at leat 5 or 6 that would have beat Hicks or McPhee last year – *easily*. 
