The Voice

[Ed]

I just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying the BBC show 'The Voice', it really is something else completely. It makes all the other talent shows like X Factor and Britain's Got Talent look like sideshows.

What I like most about it is the judges/mentors are there because they love music. That comes across so clearly in everything they say and do in the show. There's no lording over the people auditioning. No smug, smarmy Simon Cowell getting off on putting people down. It's proper feel good stuff.

Probably the best moment of the series so far was an impromptu performance by Jazz Ellington after his main audition. Both appear on this video:

http://youtu.be/zko5LqTNtvs

Fantastic stuff. I would be very surprised if this guy doesn't win the whole thing.

[Rev. Austin]

I enjoy it for the same reason, Ed. My friend's a massively opinionated muso and even he had nothing cynical to say about it haha I like how nice everyone is.

Mind you, I just watched Britain's Got Talent and it is funny seeing the arrogant ones who aren't any good get torn down. But on the flipside of that, you get people like that Geisha girl (did you see her?). She was not in the right place for her performance, at all, but they put her through and then proceeded to poke fun at how weird she was.

I said to my housemate "The poor girl. She wouldn't even realise they're taking the piss" and she said "But she's won. They put her through." No she hasn't won! She's like all the other 'novelties' who get a pity/pisstake vote, then get unceremoniously dumped at the next stage. Sets them up for a fall. I don't agree with that, but...it's entertainment.

[Ed]

Funnily enough, Rev, I watched The Voice tonight and then went to turn over to Britain's Got Talent afterward and thought better of it. Reason being it took away from the feeling I got from The Voice last week when I did the same thing. I really think there's something special about that show. One of those things where the end result is more than the sum of the parts that goes into making it.

I can't say that I enjoyed every performance, but again, we saw the stars humble themselves, Jessie J cried, and I came away from watching it with the feeling that I had seen something real. Too often these types of thing are orchestrated and planned until every last ounce of cheese has been extracted and manipulated, and I'm sick of it. What a refreshing change this is

[delboy]

I can't really comment (but I will  ) as I've only seen one and a half early episodes of The Voice. Some very fine singers on there, and I agree that the judges are refreshing compared to those on the other channels, but I was misinformed...I thought the judges and audience weren't going to get to see any of the vocalists until the winner was announced (no idea how it would work, especially mentoring-wise, and it wouldn't make for great TV - maybe it's an idea for a radio show?) but I thought it would have been really cool for the judges and the audience to vote purely on voice for a change. Love to see a show like this won by a one legged, forty stone, bearded albino midget, who's drawing her pension, has no teeth and one tattooed eyelid, but sings like Billie Holiday 

Alas, there's the other issue I have with these shows - anyone who sings like Billie Holliday wouldn't have a chance. Maybe with The Voice they'd have more of a chance, but they all seem to be of a certain ilk to me. Where are the new Tom Waits, Kurt Cobains, Johnny Cash's, Frank Sinatras...?

[Ed]

Yeah, I must admit the show wasn't quite as good this week, sadly. It suddenly jumped into X Factor mode. It still has more class than that. I think the sincerity of the judges is what saves it in this mode. However, the uglies seemed to be the first to be weeded out, and I'm guessing by the end we will be left with those singers that appeal to the eye as well as the ear. I do hope I'm wrong, though. I think Jazz deserves to win. That said, I think they will all gain, so it won't really matter who technically wins. I get the impression these mentors intend to stick by these contestants and help them beyond the confines of the show.

[Pharosian]

Love to see a show like this won by a one legged, forty stone, bearded albino midget, who's drawing her pension, has no teeth and one tattooed eyelid, but sings like Billie Holiday 

Alas, there's the other issue I have with these shows - anyone who sings like Billie Holliday wouldn't have a chance. Maybe with The Voice they'd have more of a chance, but they all seem to be of a certain ilk to me. Where are the new Tom Waits, Kurt Cobains, Johnny Cash's, Frank Sinatras...?

Well... he wasn't a forty-stone bearded albino, but take a look at the audition of last year's eventual winner of America's Got Talent:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWJFjivqsYM

[desertwomble]

Another Susan Boyle moment - pretty amazing!

DW

[Ed]

I hate the, "Now we're going to vote," bit. Why bother? they all very obviously liked him, so why not do away with the vote and say, "You're through to the next round."

They say his life will never be the same, and I hope that's true in a good way. Too often these people fade into obscurity within a year. I think he's probably good enough for that not to happen to him, though.

[delboy]

Despite my negativity, on the plus side these Simon Cowell programmes have given us the amazing Rebecca Ferguson who not only has by far the best voice (IMHO) to come out of any the shows but also is a brilliant songwriter. In a way I think not winning served her well as she was able to write her own album rather than be forced into performing whatever song sthe winner had lined up for him/her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B6y6fxxSDs

[Rev. Austin]

willi.i.am said something nice on The Voice - when he got rid of that Sophie (the young Irish lass) he said he'd still support her, but for "the show" he was keeping the other one (Joelle?). When he gave Sophie a hug, you could hear him say "I meant it" which was really nice.

[Ed]

Really enjoying The Voice again. Last series I lost patience during the battle rounds because it all felt too contrived and I felt it just didn't work, but this series the battles were all really good. My favourite was this one below. I'm not a country and western fan, but this came across as one of those beautiful moments that happen out of the blue. It wasn't so much a battle as a love-in. Somebody said Mike was liking what he saw, but he went all coy -- I reckon he liked what he saw alright, but probably had a girlfriend watching on. Emma looked like she like what she saw, too. Shame they couldn't get it together. I could see them going on to big things on the American country and western scene if somebody gave them the chance.

Love this:

http://youtu.be/u8XYQwobl_E

[desertwomble]

Now that made my day, Ed - and it's only 6:00 a.m.

DW (How come my emoticon's eyes have sped up?)

[Ed]

Now that made my day, Ed - and it's only 6:00 a.m.

Good, wasn't it?

DW (How come my emoticon's eyes have sped up?)

It's your browser. I use Opera browser and it's always been too fast with emoticons. It's all to do with compatibility issues. Most stuff is made to work with IE and then tweaked (if anybody can be bothered) to run with whatever else is out there. I'm teadily swapping over to Chrome because Opera doesn't work well with my email, and that's the same with the emoticons

[Rev. Austin]

I watched this too, last night (the repeat). That Leah (Irish lass?) has got some lungs on here, and she's not afraid to use 'em!

[Ed]

Yep, she sure has. I've no idea who is going to win, and I don't think it really matters. It has been a good series, and that's all that's important. None of last year's contestants has surfaced in the charts, which makes me wonder what it's worth, but there have been some great talents on the show. It just seems a shame that most of them can expect to do a season or two at Butlins and then slip back into obscurity, or is that just me being cynical? I wish them the best, all the same.