I'm hoping this year will be a little more real than the formulaic machine that Idol turned into. They have a new music producer and I like the judges.

It was really sad to see how they manipulated the show last year to have Lee win, and then to see what he produced after he wonl. Pure generic power pap.

I love Crystal and was really excited to get her new CD for Christmas, then very disapointed. They stripped all of the poignant delivery and sout right out of her songs with power guitar solos and multitracked click track songs. Compare Farmer's Daughter that she recorded pre-Idol with the overthetop sped up version that was put on the CD. They destroyed the song.

That is what American Idol did to artists. Hopefully it will take a new direction this year.

The second guy that sang on the show on Wednesday was singing the blues and did a pretty good job of it !

JAB