Well, the powers that be at that big ol' American talent show changed their minds. Contestants sang Billboard #1 hits and not teen idol material, as I had reported last week. Guess the threat of dodging "Puppy Love" and "ITILY" became too real for someone.
Anyhoo, if you want to know how young Mr. Urban did, you can watch his performance here. He looks and sounds a lot better than I initially thought but I can't detect a tenth of DC's sex appeal in him. And perhaps if he had been dressed differently, his sliding around stage wouldn't have looked so incongruous? As it was, it baffled, but not so much that I'm tempted to watch his performance again to analyze it. If people are still comparing Urban to Cassidy after last night's performance, well, it's their little delusion to cradle. As the title of another #1 hit said so well, "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing."
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
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22 comments:
Awww. Tim really got a bit of a shredding, didn't he? I can't help but wonder how he would perform if he wasn't being judged. Perhaps he could let loose more. But regardless of what the judges say, he doesn't suck, he's eye candy, and he is very likeable. I have a feeling that he will come out of this as an idol whether he wins this competition or not!
As his performance unfolded inciting screams from his fans, it gave me chills, reminding me of reaction to David's performances. I could hear David singing this song. To me it sounds like there is a similarity in their singing, although he's not nearly as skillful as David was ... yet. And yeah, the sex appeal doesn't appear as great but he seems to come from a more reserved background, so I'm not sure he will ever go for that kind of appeal. I'm not sure if it will matter much to his fans though. LOL! Plus, after watching Tim’s performance, it is abundantly clear to me for the first time that David’s performances benefitted greatly from his considerable acting abilities.
Loved the video too, DD.
Whoa! That BODY certainly has A LOT of sex appeal!!! Now all he has to do is make his performances match that physique, and Voila!
Thanks for the pic link, Singme. In the words of Randy Jackson: "Yo, dude, THAT'S what I'm talking about. You come on here and slay it." So, that's why his fans say he's hot. Ha! Nice upper body. Of course, I'd have to see the legs to make a definite assessment on his physique ;-) but if the torso and arms are any indication, he shouldn't have chicken legs. Unless of course he's never squatted a day in his life, in which case: tsk, tsk, tsk - that would be a damn shame with his genetics. One pic is not conclusive but he seems to have good proportions and symmetry. Nice.
I put myself through the inconvenience of sitting through the programme thinking they were doing teen idl. It's easy to get sucked into these programs.
Tim Urban sports the shag for a modern generation seems likeable enough. Interestingly he was crucified by the judges for copying Zac Ephron and interacting with the audience as if he were a teen idol. He definitely gets a reaction though but needs to step up a few gears as there are better singers than him in this competition. The judges seemed to be implying that an image similar to ZE or DC was passe!
Don't thinks we'll ever see anyone of David's ilk again or who could generate such a reaction from thousands across the globe, so in that sense Davis is/was The Real Thing.
It's even more interesting to know that David resisted that so much in the beginning. Then after he resigned to his obligations, did exactly as he was told, at least in the beginning, but still gave it his all.
I was discussing the observed TU likeness with DC with a friend, and she said that TU doesn't have the energy that DC had.
I read an article about AI this morning, that accuses TU of ingenuity, knowing his limitations and playing a little dirty with the teen idol persona. This same article also speculates that the much rumored “Teen Idols” theme was canned for fear that they would hear 11 David Cassidy covers in a row. LOL! I’m not going to link to it though because it’s got some stuff on there that I’d be afraid for anyone to accidentally click on for fear they’d download a form of web STD.
And another review from here:
'Tim Urban: Just when I thought David Cassidy couldn't get any worse than last weeks "Under the Sea" from the Little Mermaid...he got worse. I thought that when he did his slide, it would have really enhanced his performance if his pants ripped. I mean, if you're going to continue to get votes based on your looks, you may as well show the little girlies your junk.'
LOL!
I agree with you British Fan, David was hard to resist with that voice, those looks, his phenomenal singing and performing talent, and that KP image. It seems like it was just a matter of time before he became an idol. If it wasn't the PF, it would have been something else.
Yes, singme, it definitely would have been something else. I notice I mis-spelt David earlier, sorry! He was getting increasing fan mail for every early TV performance he put in. Life is full of 'what if's'. Just imagine if one of David's early guest roles may have been that of a young rock singer. He often played delinguents so with that image I reckon his polularity would have soared. There was a lot of rebellion in the late 60's/early 70's so it could have worked out that way for him too I think. Imagine if he had been offered a record deal and got promoted with a more edgy image. I wonder how different things would have been or would David still not have been able to handle the adulation. Perhaps he would have been happier with an image nearer to the 'real David' and handled everything differently.
It has always confused me that the KP image became so huge. Before Keith, David was being cast as the typical misunderstood young man, so producers must have been an 'edge' in him somewhere. Keith was his first goody guy type role wasn't it ?
KP was DC's first role in situation comedy. That's the difference.
As you said, British Fan, the earlier "misunderstood young man" TV appearances were dramatic guest roles.
I like the "what if" wondering...if DC had been cast in a drama, would his singing talent have been discovered? Or, how long would it have taken for his singing talent to be discovered?
Also, good "wondering" if DC could have handled the adulation in a different situation ie: acting in front of millions of people/getting world-wide attention as a actor/rock star/that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with who you really are.
I had a new "wondering" question about his singing: on his acting CV, wouldn't he have written "sang" in a Broadway musical? I guess not, because the TV producers of the PF didn't know he could sing. DC had to audition and sing to the record producers.
Also, singme, I think you were correct: DC is a good actor who can deliver a love, rock, blues, etc. song with both sweet and sexy confidence. (Or, at least, he learned how to get better at doing that in a short amount of time.) That's why he is the real thing: good actor and good interpreter of lyrics, phrasing and vocal styles. In other words, he can both act and sing. I'm not sure any of the current American Idol contestants are singers AND actors.
Anonymous: to which Broadway musical are you referring? "Fig Leaves are Falling"? It closed after 4 nights, no? I doubt he would have included it in his resume.
I maintain that because of his childhood, he would have handled the adulation the same way, regardless of the roles he played. No one can live up to the adulation his fans drowned him in and someone who already does not feel worthy, as was his case, even less so.
British Fan, I think that would have been a very interesting scenario if one of his pre-PF acting roles was that of a rock star!! An excellent idea!! That might have been the best situation for him in terms of his own satisfaction with his career. His singing talent and stage presence would have been immediately obvious and he could have been more himself and did the kind of music he felt was more reputable. IF ONLY!!!!!!
Another idea I've always had is that if he had stuck to Broadway, I think he would have done fantastically there as well.
David would have been a great opera singer too. But at least initially, that probably would not have interested him.
Yes, DD, I was referring to DC being cast in "Fig Leaves are Falling". Someone noticed him from being in that production to invite him (back) to Los Angeles. Someone noticed his acting, but he did sing in the show too. If the show closed in four days, the production may have been of poor quality. This doesn't necessarily mean that the actors were awful.
DC was cast in the stage production because he could act and sing. I think any young performer, just starting out, needs to point out all their strengths in a highly competitive business. I guess "singing in a Broadway musical" was not on his CV, or it would not have been a pleasant, and money-making, surprise to the producers of the PF when the cast him as "just" an actor.
Having thought about it, I see your point about DC's childhood and his not feeling worthy of all the adulation regardless of the acting roles. No one could live up to that much adulation, if they feel they are unworthy. It would be hard to handle...for anyone!
The producers of PF were looking for a teen idol when they cast him. It was a business decision
on their part. No wonder he didn't want the role, but had to be persuaded to take it. The initial scripts were "juvenile" and "light fluff." He's a good actor and singer, that's why it worked and he was so believable in the role of KP.
I think American Idol producers are looking to sell "someone" too. Same business decision?!
Good point, Anon!
It's always about selling a product that fits with current trends. Just from watching one epoisode of AI I can gauge they dont want the teen idol thing this time, it's been done to death already, although the public always go for the very young cute ones, so they'll have a hard time getting rid of the 16 year old guy there ATM.
As for David,I would like to think that if he had the chance for a different image in the ilk of rock star/singer songwriter he would have attracted a more mature following less likely to scream and chase him at every given opportunity. I'm sure he would have been more comfortable with that but who's to say he wouldn't have fallen into the trap of so many others and spiralled out on drugs and insecurities. However it may have played out, would he have still ended up as he is today? I think performers who have boyish good looks that belie their true age have a very hard time being accepted as they mature, that's a very unfair fact.
Great points, BF!!
If he had made it as a rock star, would he have still pursued acting at the same time? It seems like that was so important to him, so linked to his father's acceptance and his acceptance of himself, that he would have still continued to pursue the acting. So...if he did, he'd kind of be in the same situation in that it'd be hard for him to do both acting and performing if he was doing drugs and alcohol. He was so serious about his career; very mature in that way for his age.
This is a little off topic but relevant, I think: It's amazing when I think of it now how while he was going through the "tunnel" as he calls it, he didn't self-medicate with drugs and alcohol THEN!!! I know he would never have been able to do all he did if he did drugs and alcohol at the time, but still, he could have spun out WHILE in the tunnel and he didn't. That's pretty astonishing. He had to be so strong in some way to get through what he did without some substance crutch. Although, he did pay for it later. I guess he had to pay for it sometime since it was such an extraordinary experience he went through.
As far as the boyish good looks, I think he was very lucky in that he maintained that for a long time through his early 40s. But, I can see where he may have just continued to get very young roles instead of older ones that required more depth and would have allowed him to grow more as an actor, at least on TV or film. He still could have found an outlet for growth on Broadway though.
Singme, in his book, he mentions that his manager hooked him up with a doctor who prescribed him Valium as though it were vitamins during the last year of PF. For his nerves, his acne, anything really - it was a cure-all.
That's true, DD, but he just stopped it because it was causing problems and it wasn't helping. I don't think that's not the same thing as substance abuse or self-medicating.
I guess I should be more clear in what I mean of a substance crutch or self-medicating. I'm talking about abuse. It's fine if whatever he's doing is helping him cope, but if it starts to get in the way of him doing what he wants to accomplish, then it's a problem. So that's what I was trying to say. He didn't continue to take that got in the way of his career. Sorry if I was unclear.
I'd like to apologize, yet again, for saying that David would make a good opera singer. I'm not qualified to make that assessment. I've been listening to some opera lately and I'm just thinking of that video of him and Shaun singing Tell Me It's Not True from Blood Brothers on Regis. His voice sounds so powerful and beautiful there. His voice does seem very powerful to me but again, I'm not really qualified to say that he would have been a good opera singer. :-)
You dont have to apoligise for suggesting David could have become an opera singer. He certainly has a great voice for musical theatre which is very different to opera.
It is a career path that needs lots of dedication and retraining of the voice and how to use it, also it involves learning foreign languages for singing purposes. Usually, any singer who wants to train for opera will be told fairly quickly whether their voice is up to it or not, I guess David's voice would have erred towards tenor. Smoking and drugs are big no-no's and can affect the voice quality and power. Actually you cant start too young as the voice can get ruined so mid twenties onwards is the best age. In theory David could have started training after PF and retirement if he'd been inclined in that direction.
Thanks for all the info on opera, BF.
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