New URL for the American Idol buzz blog!
Please go to the new American Idol Buzz blog at http://blogs.ajc.com/american-idol-blog/
Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > November > 16 > Entry
11/17: Simon Cowell & ex girlfriend talk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is courtesy of Extra TV:
SIMON COWELL AND TERRI SEYMOUR: FIRST INTERVIEW ABOUT THE SPLIT
(Los Angeles - November 16, 2008) - In the first and only television interview about their break-up, Simon Cowell and Terri Seymour come to “Extra” to set the record straight.
When asked why, Cowell replies, “Because Terri decided to dump me…You sent me a text.” Seymour responds, “I didn’t dump you…Just time. We had a great six years and we’re the best of friends.”
Cowell reveals he and Seymour still talk every day. “I do call Terri, first, when I’ve got an issue or I’m moaning about something, or I want to bounce an idea off.” Seymour adds, “We do speak more now on the phone all the time. It’s true.”
Cowell clears up the rumor that he gave Seymour a 5 million pound ($9 million US) parting gift. “That is actually not a true story. If anything I should be getting the money,” Cowell laughs. “Rumors come around, just people read things, then they create a story. But no, there was no 5 million pounds, no.”
-Here are some early reviews of the David Cook album:
The Boston Globe writes that there’s not enough Cook in the record.
Cook was this year’s designated “rocker” on the Fox talent contest. But his eponymous debut, out tomorrow, never really goes far enough in any particular direction to stake a claim for individuality. Indeed, it’s hard to distinguish Cook’s sound from that of his own idols, like Our Lady Peace and Better Than Ezra.
The Miami Herald seconds that notion.
If anyone hoped that David Cook, the first ”rocker” to win the title of American Idol, would make good on his promise to release a major label debut album that was truly his own brand of rock music, well the resulting David Cook isn’t it.
But he ends with a kind note: It’s infectious where it needs to be, and professional. For many of Cook’s fans, it’s more than enough to tide them over til the next album.
The Daily News? Not so kind at all. The reviewer Jim Farber was an Archuleta fan
Even by the most generous math, he’s a sixth-generation copy of an original sound, descended, steeply, from Nirvana’s meaningful peak through second stringers (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden), third (Candlebox, Bush), fourth (Nickelback) and fifth (Daughtry). Cook, let us pray, will slam the final nail into this coffin.
Comments
By JTesla
November 17, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
Ouch, some not so nice reviews. I disagree with the ones that speak of him as being a “rocker”. They may have wanted him to live up to some “rocker” title, but he obviously goes his own direction.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 17, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
Morning blogsters, mushbloggians, and lurkers, one and all… hope your weekend was good.
Thanks for the update on American Idol - The Soap Opera (grin), Rodney :-)
i think this is always the slowest time of all, between the holidays and AI still a ways off.. DWTS is about the only competition going, and it’s almost over…
speaking of competitions — anyone heard any promos or anything for Nashville Star, or did moving it to network TV kill it completely?
By Deirdre
November 17, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this
David Cook was NEVER a rocker on AI! I don’t know where they get this crap. He was most popular for taking songs and giving them a different vibe…hardly ever a rock vibe, more a haunting version of the originals. He did rock occasionally but it wasn’t a regular thing.
:-) Now I feel a little like a crazy fan. I haven’t even heard his cd so I may not like it either but, calling him a rocker doesn’t fit with my memories of him on Idol.
By harrietth
November 17, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this
Linny, I have not heard one word about Nashville Star. I even forget what time of year it was on.
I hope Cook’s album does not go the way of some of the other winners’. Am I correct in assuming that he had very little to do with songs selected for the album?
By harrietth
November 17, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
Right, D. He has such versatility that to pigeon-hole him is a disservice. I keep remembering how he broke out of the pack with “Hello.”
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 17, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
I agree Deirdre — when you listen to his rendition of Music of the Night, there’s definitely no “rocker” thoughts!!! You described it perfectly, imho — “haunting version” really fits. He’s got a really good voice, and a really nice talent for moving an existing song to fit his own voice … no you don’t sound like a crazy fan, LOL!!! The whole “rocker” vs. “not a rocker” thing has bugged me too!!!
By kelly&carriefan
November 17, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this
Hi y’all…
Harsh reviews there for Cook. There were all these comparisons to Daughtry, but I never really saw him as such. I admit I haven’t heard the CD either, so I can’t give my opinion.
D, Nashville Star aired in the summer this year, so I’m guessing it won’t be around until next summer, if at all. Not that I’ve heard either way…I’ve recently started hearing Melissa Lawson’s single on the XM country station, btw.
Not sure if y’all remember TRL on MTV. The show was on the air for 10 years (I used to watch it all the time back in the day). Anyway. Last night was the last episode ever…and Kelly’s Behind These Hazel Eyes made their Top 10 All Time #1 Videos along with Britney, NSync, Backstreet Boys, etc. Not bad company in the pop world, especially considering how huge that show was during its heyday.
By Nana
November 17, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
I’m putting myself out on a limb here and say that IMO, David Cook has enough fans to move his CD right along in spike of the reviews. It’s a shame that if a reporter is a fan on one artist and if he/she is giving a review of another that they don’t particularly care for, they seem to always cast a negative review on them, with the exception of our own RH. It would be a sad world if we all liked the same things in life.
By Deirdre
November 17, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the info, kf.
I just heard on a tv ad that Kat McPhee will be on the View Wednesday…with David Foster.
By Lara
November 17, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this
Good morning blogsters!!! You know, just because you hold an electric guitar in your hand, it does not make you a “Rocker”!
And that last review was kinda harsh, but the guy obviously bought into the whole Nirvana created rock theory. Which is hardly the truth…and Pearl Jam kinda hit the scene before anyone knew anything about teen spirit…(god what an awful song!). Although I hate to see what happened to Bo Bice happen again with Mr. Cook - a great individual sound shoved into a pigeon hole to put out an album to cater to a certain audience…
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 17, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
Lara, you’re so right! I almost choked at the “nirvana created rock” thing… i guess ‘cuz i’m so old, i KNOW where rock really came from, LOL. What nirvana did wasn’t it, not even close!
I think if Bo had not been so physically indisposed at the wrong time, he might have done a lot better; but the combination of the “plastic” album plus his illness kind of took him out of the picture… i even wonder if he didn’t sort of go along with the forced album just out of sheer tiredness and feeling ill… if he’d been healthy, he might have been more open to standing up for HIS sound instead… guess we will never know that, eh?
later!
By Nana
November 17, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this
I had another lighblub flash in my mind. Why in the heck can’t the producers, labels and whomever it takes to produce a CD, let the artist create a CD with the kind of music that the artist does well, is comfortable doing and they know will sell to the fan base? Why do they (producers, etc) have to try to sell something that won’t sell? Then they blame it on the artist if the CD doesn’t sell well. It just makes sense to me to have the artist turn out the music he/she knows works best for them. DC must to have had something going for him on Idol, or he never would have won. Can’t the big wigs see that or do they think that by forcing the artist to sing something that doesn’t suit them, the CD will sell better and more? Where is the common logic in that? I say let the artist do their own style and what they are best suited for. They got where they are by being their self and doing their style. An artist knows when something is right or wrong for them.
By Deirdre
November 17, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this
Since David either wrote or co-wrote much of the material on his cd, this is going to be on his shoulders rather than Idol’s.
I’m still choking a little on the Nirvana/rock theory!
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 17, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this
I’d almost consider Michael Johns MORE of a rocker than Cookie, and certainly whats-her-name was more of a rocker…. um…. the irish lass… um…. oh crud, i can’t even pull her name out of the ol’ memory banks!!!!! you know who i mean…
By kelly&carriefan
November 17, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this
Aw, Linny, lol…Carly Smithson. :)
Nana, right on! I guess it’s just a matter of the labels being afraid of not selling. Money rules, and they want as big a profit as they can get out of them. Most times, it’s about following what’s popular instead of creating something new. It’s kind of sad.
At least with David, they are promoting his work. It’s more than can be said for some (see the My December fiasco).
By Lara
November 17, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this
I hate to sound negative, before the album even comes out. So, here is hoping it does well (and that I like it, since I plan to buy it tomorrow - it is $9.98 at Target!)
sorry I made y’all choke
By Deirdre
November 17, 2008 1:00 PM | Link to this
I’m with Lara…I plan to buy his music as well. Here’s hoping the critics(who were just plain scared to say anything negative about sweet Archie) are just being Idol snobs!
S’ok Lara…a good spit-take is food for the soul! :-)
By Nana
November 17, 2008 1:35 PM | Link to this
The critics just may have to eat their words…….choke, choke. Hope they have something to wash them down with, and that DC laughts all the way to the bank. But ya know, he wouldn’t do that. He seems to be much of a gentleman and professional to laugh at the critics.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 17, 2008 1:36 PM | Link to this
i’ll be buying it also, so we know at least SOME of us are supporting him, LOL!!!
By harrietth
November 17, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
I will buy it, too. As for Nirvana, I actually liked their music, but they were certainly not “present at the creation” of rock. They were extreme late-comers. I hope David did not rely so much on what he liked that it is not going to be a commercial success. You know, a couple of his performances on Idol suffered for that very reason.
By Nana
November 17, 2008 2:23 PM | Link to this
OMG……… You guys are not gonna believe this, but I swear its true. I just open my email and I had three messages and one of them said from….Are you ready? Carly Smithson!!! Now how weird is that since that name was mentioned above? I know, I know, it’s not the same person but it just struck me as being odd and since I don’t know anyone personally by that name I just deleted. I just thought it was too funny. I had to read the name twice to make sure I was seeing correctly and it was not a senior moment. nana’s back down to earth now
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 17, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
LOL!!! Yeah Carly, that’s the one. Nana that’s too funny!!
I was trying to put in some sort of order the talent/reality shows…
AI usually starts off the new year, then SYTYCD, then NS and AGT sort of stagger in during the summer, then DWTS, right? did i forget any? Well there’s Dance Crew but that’s on repeatedly so that doesn’t really count…
By Nana
November 17, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
linny, you pretty much got it covered.
Almost time for me to wrap up my day, so all of you be safe, be happy, have a great eveing, and as always, please be careful when driving. Will try to chat later this evening, if not, you can bet I will be around tomorrow.
Bye………………
By harrietth
November 17, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
I am gone for the day as well. Bye everyone.
By Nana
November 18, 2008 6:59 AM | Link to this
Good Morning to Everyone!!!!!!!
I trust that you all had a good evening and are ready to face the new day with a song in your heart, a smile on your face and a tap in your toes.
Okay, I know its early yet, but my prediction for the couple leaving tonight on DWTS will be either Cody/Julianne or Warren/Kim. At this stage, I really hate to see any leave, but know that they have to. Of course, after the performance that Brooke/Derick did on their 1st dance, they could end up in the bottom even though they did a heck of a comeback on the 2nd. IMO, the best couple last night was definitely Lacey/Lance. What’s y’ll opinions?
By Deirdre
November 18, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this
Morning!
I have to agree with Len…Brooke’s first dance was a disaster. However, I think she has a loyal following and is in no danger. Her second dance was much better. Other than that, I agree with Nana, Lance did himself proud last night.
Isn’t it today that Cook’s album is released?
By harrietth
November 18, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
D, yes, I believe it is today. Saw it in the entertainment section of my morning paper. I will pick up a copy on Saturday. I would love to see everyone’s reviews of the cd here—maybe even song-by-song.
By Lara
November 18, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
Good morning blogsters. Can’t contribute to the DWTS conversation…sorry. But I do plan to go pick up my David Cook cd at lunch today. If I have a chance to listen to it, I will post my opinions later. Hope everyone has a nice day.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 18, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
pegged it Nana! My girl Lacey did me proud, and Lance didn’t let her down!!! Much as i love julianne and her spirit, i HOPE cody goes home because i sure don’t want Warren going. Before last night I’d have bet on a Warren/Brooke top 2, with Lance or Cody in 3rd, but … it will be really interesting to see how it goes. I hope Lance’s fanclub continued to vote, not relaxing because of the Judges’ scores!
But yes… Lacey and Lance did a fabulous job, and him dancing with one shoe on, one shoe off after the left one slid off in a kick…that was really cool… i don’t think he could have been that poised even a couple of weeks ago!
I’ve liked Lacey since I saw her compete on SYTYCD, felt she is actually overall a better dancer than either bro Benji or cuz Heidi … and i think she’s showing that, she has grown with this competition too, not just Lance :-)
y’all please keep my dad in your prayers too … he’s 500 miles away from me (thank the Lord i have 2 sisters nearby him) he fell last night, legs just gave out (he’s mid-80’s)… we worry about him falling and hitting his head (he has carpetless terazzo floors)… and thank you in advance!
By Barry R.
November 18, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this
I agree that the NY Daily News review was over-the-top nasty. However, I really don’t know why you thought it was necessary to pointing out that Farber was an Archuleta fan. Slezak at EW was a Cook fan during Idol but he gave a very positive review of Crush. You have been a Cook fan and you also said nice things about Archuleta after you met him. Who knows what motivated Farber? I just think it is far too simplistic to imply that he wrote the nasty review because he is an Archuleta fan.
By Deirdre
November 18, 2008 10:06 AM | Link to this
linny…you know we’re thinking about you and praying for your dad!
By Barry R.
November 18, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
I agree that the NY Daily News review was over-the-top nasty. However, I really don’t know why you thought it was necessary to pointing out that Jim Farber was an Archuleta fan. Slezak at EW was a Cook fan during Idol but he gave a very positive review of Crush. You have been a Cook fan and you also said nice things about Archuleta after you met him. Who knows what motivated Farber? I just think it is far too simplistic to imply that he wrote the nasty review because he is an Archuleta fan.
By Barry
November 18, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
I agree that the NY Daily News review was over-the-top nasty. However, I really don’t know why you thought it was necessary to pointing out that Farber was an Archuleta fan. Slezak at EW was a Cook fan during Idol but he gave a very positive review of Crush. You have been a Cook fan and you also said nice things about Archuleta after you met him. Who knows what motivated Farber? I just think it is far too simplistic to imply that he wrote the nasty review because he is an Archuleta fan.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 18, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this
OOPS, looks like Barry R./Barry R./Barry has a computer like mine (laughing)
well, maybe not quite as bad as mine was….
later
thanks Deirdre… i know i can count on you guys!!!
By Barry
November 18, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
Sorry for the double post!
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
November 18, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this
no problem, Barry, LOL… you should have seen my face when our server went berzerk the other day and posted mine THIRTY TWO times, LOL!!! eeeeouch!!!! it was really funny, after the fact! this blog format is prone to doing it, especially if we get impatient and hit the “please wait” button while it’s still transmitting!!!