'Idol' Banter: Copy Cats' Cradle

Am I really going to have to dwell on this point every week?  Let’s get it over with: hairdo-challenged would-be Daughtry David Cook’s “brave,” grungy version of Lionel Richie’s dirge “Hello” was borrowed. The Calabasas-based band Incubus has been covering the song in a similar fashion since at least Lollapalooza 2003.

I am not a huge Incubus fan. I’ve never seen the band perform Richie’s song in concert. However, I do have this little tool of democracy called Internet access. “Hello” shouldn’t be that easy to search (it’s a common name, like “David Cook”), but I found Incubus’ version in about two minutes.

In literature, we call this plagiarism. In singing it’s obviously a different thing. Judging from the still-flowing hate mail I received after questioning David Archuleta’s take on “Imagine,”  many  “Idol” viewers really don’t care where the contestants get their ideas. They just want them to sing competently, with a little flourish, and emanate adorableness.

After all, one of the gifts “Idol” has given pop is the resurrection of the interpretive tradition, a welcome corrective to the rock-era fallacy that only artists who pen their own material can be authentic.

But if we believe interpretation is a form of authorship, then borrowing someone’s phrasing, tone and vocal embellishments without acknowledgement is wrong. How hard would it be to utter the simple phrase, “I was inspired by so-and-so?”

Maybe that’s too much to ask. After all, “Idol” presents itself as a sealed universe, attached to the larger world of pop through well-chosen reference points that can be closed at will. Consider tonight’s episode –- 1980s night for the boys. As the show began, I couldn’t help but wonder how the producers would deal with the scandal threatening to undermine the night: the revelation that lush-voiced David Hernandez has a past as an exotic dancer.

The answer is, they didn’t. Though the local Fox affiliate teased an upcoming news story on the subject, on “Idol” it wasn’t even mentioned. Hernandez got through his ponderous Celine Dion hit on the strength of his pipes and his overactive eyebrows. Luckily he hadn’t chosen a song that required him to shake his hips.

As a Hernandez fan and a supporter of all kinds of pride, I’m delighted that “Idol” didn’t punish David for his previous career choices. Yet the show’s inability to address the matter reflects a strange flaw I can’t stop talking about: “Idol’s” silence about anything outside social or musical norms, even when its contestants embody it.

Tonight’s song choices did invoke some outsider identities or world views. Jason Castro did beautifully with Jewish Zen master Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”; Chikezie offered the Luther Vandross version of a Whitney Houston hit, showing his affinity for quiet storm, a style embraced by African Americans but scorned by many whites. Luke Menard played his Wham! song straight, but Danny Noriega was so flouncy performing the Soft Cell take on “Tainted Love” that he might as well have been in drag.

Still, the judges barely acknowledged the world of difference these choices represented. For Simon, Chikezie’s deep soul turn was “cabaret.” Randy thinks Wham! is “corny.” At least they couldn’t deny the greatness of Cohen, or lost artistic maverick Jeff Buckley, whom Castro’s version inevitably recalled. 

I get the feeling “Idol” might implode this season, under the weight of pop’s realities. We live in a world where Jimmy Kimmel can broadcast his faux lust for Ben Affleck on late-night prime time, and enlist an A-list of celebs to help. Why can’t an “Idol” publicly admit to being gay? And as far as the music goes, why can’t a self-described “rocker” like David Cook honor other, more groundbreaking rockers, instead of goofing around with a Lionel Richie song? Notables from the 1980s include R.E.M., the Replacements, Husker Du, the Pixies, even Prince. But covering those artists would require sweat and unbridled emotion.

In this light, David Archuleta’s inward-looking musical focus really does stand out. Solemnly intoning the Phil Collins sermon “Another Day in Paradise,” he was like a teetotaler in a roomful of closet drunks. He may be a child of the stage (have you noticed that every personal anecdote he offers involves performing?) but at least his impulses are transparent. Pure theater: that’s “Idol” for honesty.

-- Ann Powers

(Photo courtesy of Fox)

Comments

[rascal]

A fresh and insightful take on the proceedings, Ann. And it's nice to see the penitent nature of your views on Archuleta--even going so far as to find an only slightly backhanded spin on how he continues to stand out from the rest.

I thought his song choice was smart because it reduced the fever around him somewhat (rather than going for another through-the-roof selection). This is a long competition and pacing is key.

[ANGRY DAVID COOK FAN]

YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! David Cook is awesome and you just have to try to ruin it for him. i CANNOT wait until the LA times fires your sorry butt.

[Matt]

Hallelujah and amen, Ann Powers! Keep tellin' it like it is, sister. I read Richard's posts for their drama, yours for their truth.

[I like David Cook!]

David Cook was awesome. I don't understand the basis of your argument here. If you are saying you didn't like it because it was like someone else's version then you must have a problem with the premis of the show. They have to do covers and consequently are very likely to sound like another artist who has covered the song. Would it have been any better for you if he had done the song like Richie originally did it? Or would you be saying that he wasn't original or unique because of that. David Cook is about the most original artist on the show. He has CD after CD of his own music (lyrics, arangement, etc) that he could and would sing if allowed. However, since the show dictates that he sing a song off a pre-determined list it's really not in his control.
David Cook is the best one on the show and I was shocked to read your opinion of his performace. I am impressed with David. I am not impressed with you.

[Lori Austin]

I saw Incubus perform it. David cook version is much better.

[Barkley]

I would have to agree with...well everyone here. As much as you may have thought it was unoriginal (?), I love the song "Hallelujah" but sorry to tell you Ann, Jason Castro didnt really do that much different from the original. So I would have to say your argument of how amazing he was, David Cook had a much better performance because of the rock aspect of it! Great job on his part.

[John Piccone]

When this Incubus thing came up, I spent a while watching every available Incubus performance of this song, and this accusation is totally without merit. There is no resemblance whatsoever between Cook's version and Incubus', which is much closer to the original. His tempo is different, he does the rock yell at "I love you!", the instrumentation is different, the use of synthesizer, etc. Incubus maintains the lower energy and slower pace of the original. When you're covering a song, especially that one, you are going to have some basic similarities to the original.

There are some people that seem to have a visceral hatred for this guy, and I don't get it. His hair is pretty irritating, but it's not like he's out drowning puppies just for kicks.

[Chelsey]

You are an idiot. David Cook was the most phenomenal performance I have seen in quite some time.

[Your Comparison Fails]

I like Barkley listened to every single instance I could find of Incubus performing "Hello" and have to agree with them 100%. My question to you is, did you actually take the time to listen to all of them, or were you just looking for a rock version so you could say he stole the arrangement from someone hoping that others wouldn't take the time to actually check it out and see if it was true? If anything, listening to the Brandon Boyd version over and over and over again only solidified that his version throughout most of the track sounds very much like the original. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I mean, get real it's Brandon Boyd, he could probably sing row row row your boat and people would want to see it on an album. But to call out David Cook for copying a version of a song when your comparisons don't even match up, pretty low man, pretty low. How about giving credit where it's due, Cook did an amazingly great job with the whole thing, hands down. Peace.

[Charles Farley]

The David Cook flap seems like a tempest in a tea pot. Still took courage to perform the song like that.

I love Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and felt Jason Castro's vocal was vastly inferior to versions of that song by Rufus Wainwright and John Cale.

Surprised nobody mentioned Randy Jackson misidentifying "Don't You (Forget About Me)" as an INXS song. Oh, the shame!

[Matt]

OK, y'all, simmer down. Firstly, David Cook put in a fine performance, hair problems and awkward body shape notwithstanding. Secondly, Ms. Powers is simply wondering if it would it be too much to ask contestants to give a shout-out to a cover artist when they are inspired to cover an existing cover. She means she would like David Cook to mention he was inspired by Incubus, who already covered Lionel Richie's "Hello" in a rock style. I think it is a solid argument. Maybe his version was different than Incubus, but you have to assume he must've heard their version before and built off of it. Same goes for The Chosen One and "Imagine."

She is NOT criticizing the fact that the performers sing covers. Of course they do! She is saying that it is bothersome that the performers are praised by the judges as being so original when their originality isn't really all that....well, real. Neither is the show, but that's alright.

[Devin]

I heartily agree with John Piccone's comment. After reading Ann's article, I also did a search on covers of "Hello" by Incubus, and of the 3 or 4 performances I listened to, every one is a more down tempo version than the one put forth by David Cook. When David sings "..and I want to tell you so much..." and then belts/screams out "I LOVE YOU!" at about the 53sec mark, is a cool new twist (which I presume prompted the "emo version" comment by Randy) that had me practically jump out of my seat when I heard it. I didn't see Incubus do that. I mean its the same song, so there are going to be similarities, and it's even possible he's seen Incubus do it, but to say it is the same "tone and vocal embellishments"? Ann you must have woke up cranky this morning.

[Meghan]

I just want to know why you think David Cook is hairdo challenged? He really isn't. He has fantastic hair.

[Kristi]

Ann, are you a bitter former contestant on American Idol??? I found the Incubus version online and it sounds nothing like the version that David Cook performed on the show. In fact, their version was more similar to that of Lionel Ritchie's original. Furthermore, by your logic, wouldn't the fact that Incubus covered a song make them copycats and/or guilty of plagiarism as well? The fact is, ALL of the songs sang on American Idol are covers and therefore, your copycat argument is senseless.

[Think about it]

What if he wasn't inspired by Incubus? What if he didn't have any specific inspiration for the song? Maybe that is just the way he heard it in his head and that is the way he wanted to do it.

[mimi ray]

i thought david cook's version was crazy good. i have absolutely killed my tivo watching it about 100 times! do you really expect the contestants to give credit to each artist???? when, exactly, do they even have the opportunity to do so?? are they supposed to blurt it out during the judge's critques?? what a dum, dum. i'm just sayin......

[Jack]

Ordinarily I would be nice, but you set the tone by throwing down the gauntlet and firing at Cook with both guns blazing:

"In literature, we call this plagiarism." "[B]orrowing someone’s phrasing, tone and vocal embellishments without acknowledgement is wrong."

Wow. You are an absolute, abject idiot. First off, Incubus does a straight "cover" of Hello when they play it. Cook's rendition uses: 1) different timing, 2) is in a different key, and 3) his style was completely different (i.e. distortion pedal, open chords; Incubus=clean guitar, arpeggio). There is absolutely nothing about Cook's version that even remotely resembles Incubus' version. They are not even close.

"[B]orrowing someone’s phrasing, tone and vocal embellishments": This statement is ridiculous and so stupidly false as to be libel. Brandon Boyd and David Cook sound nothing alike, and they sang "Hello" using very, very different singing styles. I'm curious if you have ever even heard Incubus playing "Hello."

It would be nice in the future if you could get a clue before leveling deceitful and/or ignorant accusations.

[Frannie]

I love you, Ann, but you're wrong about the Dave Cook/Incubus thing. In the age of YouTube, there's no excuse for not taking a listen to both versions before you cry foul.

[Ryan]

The Incubus version while vaguely similar is pretty horrible. David certainly has a hit worthy version, Incubus does not.

[Melissa]

David Cook's version of Hello was phenomenal. I was awestruck with how amazing it was. His voice is very powerful. The tone is great and he has a very masculine sound. He also emotes very well, the song drips with emotion. WOW. I am glad he sang it like he did, I love watching it. It never gets old. I think that original doesn't have to necessarily mean that he did all the arrangement himself. (For heaven's sake, all the performers are doing COVERS!!!) I think the judges saying he was original had a lot to do with the performance and who the artist David Cook is. There is no one that could perform the song like he did and sound as great. (At least certainly not anyone currently on the show. To be sure, there are some very talented singers on the show right now, but they are all very different from David.) Perhaps others more familiar with rockers can think of an artist who could cover it as well as David, but I can't personally think of any...) David Cook is a true original. He is a man who knows his identity as musician and vocalist: a rocker. And a extremely good one. Go David. Thank you for that memorable performance. And I have to say I like his hair. He looks and sounds great.