Music Monday - Two Musical Goodbyes

Two musical endings last week left me feeling sad. #1:Merle Haggard left us, forever - but he did leave behind so much good country music that his voice will still be around - forever.
#2: American Idol left TV after its 15th season, with a splendid Farewell Show last Thursday evening,

I've loved Merle Haggard's songs, and his singing since I first heard his recordings in the late 1980s. My old post on Merle is HERE. Below is a trio of some of my favourites - heck, all his songs are my favourites really - but I've picked three which don't seem to come up often these days: Lonesome Fugitive - the first song of his I ever heard; Footlights - which tells how Merle dealt with his own ageing, and don't we all wish we could kick out metaphorical footlights at times? Lastly, Big City - the song I'd always put on my record player, full blast, back in the UK when we were about to leave on vacation.

'Bye Merle - and a thousand thanks for all the musical pleasures, past, present and future.

Here's a 7 minute clip from the American Idol farewell show last week - it features brief snips from well-known songs, sung by some of the best of Idol's singing finds over the years. I don't recall all the names, but one standout performance is in the last clip, of Jessica Sanchez singing The Prayer.




I was going to post a video of this season's winner, Trent Harmon, singing Sia's Chandelier, but videos at YouTube don't do his performance full justice; better quality is at second video in this article.


And so, it's 'bye 'bye to Idol - maybe not forever. The show has to have been quite a moneymaker for Fox, and we all know that they won't lose any chance to make more money!

I've followed American Idol every season since living in the USA, and before that I watched its original, parent show Pop Idol in the UK. I've always been a sucker for musical talent shows, watched any and all of them. Many people see this as kinda infra dig...so be it. I'm always up for a bit of infra dig!

I love to see ordinary people getting a chance to shine. I admit, though, that as the years passed the show became something it was never intended to be. The original was raw, honest, sweet, real. In these later years it became manipulated by producers, contestants were often not exactly amateur, and too much focus was trained on "celebrity" judges and their antics. It was past time to give the show a rest.

'Bye Idol - but I do suspect you'll return, one day, in some form or other.

Last Night on American Idol - Harry v Quentin, the astrology.

A quick extra post brought on by an event from last night's live American Idol episode. You really had to be there (in front of the TV) and fairly familiar with the workings of Idol to properly appreciate what went on. Googling the names Quentin Alexander and Harry Connick Jnr along with American Idol will likely bring up more information on the event than any casual non-fan reader will wish to know.

Quentin, a creative and obviously emotional 20-year old, usually soft-spoken and kindly, honestly responded to a question by presenter Ryan Seacrest, was immediately misunderstood/misinterpreted by Harry Connick Jnr and scolded, in an unnecessarily harsh way (to my ear). Quentin responded, very politely and calmly, standing, by then near Harry at the side of the judges' desk. The awkwardness spread through the rest of the show, with a further explanation/apology from Quentin later, after his second song, and a bit more, quite unnecessary, softer scolding from Jennifer Lopez.

I was on Quentin's side beginning to end, husband wavered a bit, but came around later. Commentary online today has been divided, ranging from barely above racist, disgustingly thoughtless and ignorant, and highly supportive. The "drama", I should mention, stemmed from possible elimination of Quentin's friend, Joey Cook (a very creative, fun gal who I too was surprised to find in-line for elimination, due to public votes - and/or manipulation by whomever).

Gotta have a look at Harry's and Quentin's charts, thought I.

Here they are (click on image for larger version):

Both set for 12 noon.
Left is Harry's 11 September 1967, New Orleans.
Right: Quentin's 11 December 1994, New Orleans

I can see right away why I've been rooting for Quentin since episode one of this season! Never mind that.

Quentin's Sagittarius Sun/Mercury reflect a need for honesty and bluntness, and his Aries Moon (whatever his time of birth) could slam no brakes on that, in fact it acted as accelerator! I kept thinking, before seeing the natal chart that, in the unlikely event of me being in a similar situation I'd have had to act in much the same way...Aries Moon does tend towards that kind of thing.

Harry's musical technical talent isn't in question, and Quentin had always accepted his pointers with good grace and appreciation. Harry's nit-picking Virgo Sun, backed up by two outer planets in Virgo could try the patience of a saint though - especially in such an emotional and public setting.

Harry's natal Sagittarius Moon afflicts him with some of the same bluntness "enjoyed" by Quentin via his Sun/Mercury. Harry's natal Saturn is very likely conjunct Quentin's Moon, depending on times of birth - that'd be apt to put a damper on any back-slapping praise!

There's more, I'm sure.

Songs in the Key of Yuck

I'm going to to whinge about a couple of pop songs featured on American Idol recently, songs with catchy choruses but questionable lyrics, one especially questionable when sung by a fresh-faced youth aged 17. That song was We Are Young made a hit in 2012 by the band Fun, written by band members, Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost and Jeffrey Bhasker. By the way, Jack Antonoff, one of the co-writers, has a birthday today, 31 March.



Snip from lyric analysis at popdust.com

“Give me a second, I need to get my story straight,” Fun singer Nate Ruess proclaims in the first line of “We Are Young.” It’s a line that basically summarizes the entire song—a disjointed, semi-coherent tale of an eventful night out with friends at the bar that scampers through its scattered verses to get to its drunk sing-along of the chorus. Musically, the song begins manically, with a drum pounding a pulse-racing beat as Ruess sets the scene—his friends in the bathroom “getting higher than the Empire State,” while his lover waits for him “just across the bar.” The beat picks up even more frenetically as Ruess sings about his lover’s scar, admitting that “I know I gave it to you months ago / I know you’re trying to forget.”

The first verse isn’t even over, and we already have lies, drinking, drugging and domestic abuse—heady stuff for any song, and Ruess races through the verse as if he’s hoping you won’t actually pick up on the words he’s saying. It’s not a bad strategy, since you could hear the song 100 times before picking up on exactly what Ruess is talking about, largely because you’re just waiting for him to get to the chorus. Indeed, the chorus of “We Are Young” is so momentous that the song winds down at the end of the first verse, the drums disappearing, the piano slowing, and the singing getting more dramatic for that fantastic pre-chorus: “So if by the time the bar closes / And you feel like falling down / I’ll carry you home…” Suddenly, all the chaos of the first verse vanishes in favor of straightforward romance, as everyone gears up for the big sing-along.

We Are Young at Youtube with lyrics.

Each older generation complains about the music of the generation(s) who come after. Didn't parents of the early rock and rollers call rock and roll "devil's music"?
Let's see how it lives up to that:

Shake Rattle & Roll:
Now get out in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans
Now get out in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans
Roll my breakfast cause I'm a hungry man...........

Yeah - a bit of bossy man-stuff goin' on there I guess, but hardly abusive. The proper response could be "Get out there an' rattle 'em yourself mate!"

Or how about this one - an earlier, and much less dark version of the ideas contained in We Are Young:

Rip it up

Well, it's Saturday night and I just got paid,
Fool about my money, don't try to save,
My heart says go go, have a time,
Saturday night and I'm feelin' fine,
I'm gonna rock it up, I'm gonna rip it up,
I'm gonna shake it up, gonna ball it up,
I'm gonna rock it up, and ball tonight.
Got me a date and I won't be late,
Picked her up in my 88..........

Good and (fairly) clean fun without harming anyone.

Pumped Up Kicks (2011) source of my second complaint, is a song about a bully about to shoot school kids. Both this and We Are Young have catchy choruses, that's what made both songs such huge hits. It could be that the lyrics weren't heard properly nor fully understood by eager audiences...or maybe they were but audiences simply didn't care?

Pumped Up Kicks at YouTube with lyrics

From an article by Steve Johnson in the Chicago Tribune
Dark meaning of bubble-gum Pumped Up Kicks is tough to chew

It is a perky pop ditty with just enough low-fi murkiness to make it hip. And its bright carousel of a chorus gets in your head and spins merrily around.

"Pumped Up Kicks" is also a song about a kid preparing to shoot his classmates at school.

"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks," says the chorus, "you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun … You'd bettter run, better run, faster than my bullet.

Maybe we're desensitized by the almost absurdly violent first-person-shooter video games so many kids spend their afternoons playing. Maybe naming the song after fancy sneakers instead of the weaponry creates enough emotional distance.

Or maybe we figure — as I initially did — that it's just pop music, and its ear-candy qualities trump whatever the point of view might be.

But after looking closely at the song's lyrics and listening to it many extra times, I have come to agree that this song is more deserving of a push away than the warm embrace it has mostly received.

There have always been popular songs with less than salubrious lyrics, some bad or naughty enough to have been banned from public broadcast. Look at the long list of songs HERE Auntie Beeb (BBC) wouldn't countenance; and HERE from elsewhere - all songs banned at one time or another. It's hard to see why in most cases. These two songs weren't banned though. Ooooh no! That'd be messing with our freedoms wouldn't it? It would, but it would also be attempting to inject some good taste into the world of pop music, and in the process giving thought to those who have been sexually or physically abused, or grieving parents who have lost their child as a result of a school shooting incident.

Pop music has never been known for its good taste, but I'd expect the producers of American Idol to have some say, and some show of compassion to audiences, about what a 17-year old sings on their show. The judges did comment on the matter of both songs' dark lyrics, but in my opinion it shouldn't have been left to the judges' comments - these songs ought never to have been featured on the show.

Giving Harry the Runs

It was a real treat to see and hear Harry Connick Jr on American Idol last week. He was mentor to the four remaining contestants - all female - on Wednesday. On Thursday we got to hear him perform.

His mentoring was balm to the afflicted, the afflicted being we older viewers who have to try to adjust our expectation of melody and meaningful lyrics to what modern popular music accepts as being good stuff. On Wednesday the four gals (left to right in the photograph: Angie, Amber, Candice, Kree) each had to sing two songs on the theme Now & Then, which in Idol speak meant a song of 2013 and a standard - could be a Great American Songbook standard or any song that has stood the test of time.

I can't say anything nice about the 2013 songs chosen so I'll refrain from commenting. The standards are a different matter. I've lived with all of them for decades, know them note for note and variation by variation. Thank goodness the Idol powers that be had engaged an appropriate mentor to coach these young divas in the art of a) understanding what the heck they're singing about, and b) respecting the beautifully crafted melodies by refraining from embellishment with those dreadfully superfluous runs and riffs beloved of many modern vocalists.

I felt for Harry when, on asking Amber if she understood what My Funny Valentine is all about, she took a wild guess and was quite wrong. Like the artist he is, he patiently explained about a "figure less than Greek" and how the song's lyricist Lorenz Hart, had self confidence issues about his own appearance, possibly reflected in the song - and how a person can love someone who is nowhere near perfect. Amber sang the song well, but sadly fell into the all too common trap on American Idol of thinking every song is an anthem and every venue an arena. She has a good voice and range, but just because she can hit and hold a note for ever at the end of a song doesn't mean she should! Harry pointed this out later in the show - said that in this case that long last note just "didn't make sense".

The other three girls fared little better on the riffs and runs issue. They just don't seem able to kick the habit, and it really is frustrating - so much so that I (and himself) frequently jumped up or waved arms shouting no.......no......noo!!! Aghhh!! Adding runs and riffs and shouty long notes all over the place is like pouring ketchup on a cordon bleu dish, or gravy on apple pie, or expressed in more classical mode, gilding the lily. The other three standards sung in the "Then" category were Gershwin's Someone to Watch Over Me; You've Changed, written by Bill Carey and Carl Fischer; and Stormy Weather by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. All four songs are intimate, wistful, filled with melancholy, or downright dark. They call for a sense of vulnerability, tenderness, warmth, quiet sensitivity, not oversung shouty vocal acrobatics.

Candice, as always, sang well, but even she couldn't resist a few runs and vocal acrobatics towards the end, but I think she came nearest to doing her song justice.



Perhaps the American Idol people are to blame for expecting late teens and twenty-somethings to appreciate music from what is to them ancient history - it's from their grandparents' day....or older.

Amber was eliminated on Thursday evening. Candice, Angie and Kree became the final three to continue fighting for the title. They can all sing - at this stage in the game that's a given, but to be honest, good as they are, none truly inspires me with enthusiasm; from Harry Connick's face in the audience on Wednesday evening, after the set of standards, and judges critiques of the performances and of his views, I think he felt the same.
(Photo credit: Michael Becker/Fox)

Keeping Heels, Heads and Grace Notes High - American Idol Vintage 2013

Whether by producer-manipulation, pure quality, or a bit of both, American Idol's remaining five contestants this year are all female. That's never happened at this stage before, as far as I know. I suspect that, if a wee bit of tweaking and twirling went on by production staff, then it was very early on, maybe even before TV viewers entered the picture at audition time. We got to see a handful of decent-ish male vocalists but they were picked off steadily over past weeks, and were definitely several notches below these gals in the talent stakes.

Once female contestants do win on American Idol, they seem to find more lasting careers in The Biz: think Kelly Clarkson (80 number ones on the Billboard charts; 11 number one singles worldwide), Carrie Underwood (numerous national awards in the country music genre), and Jennifer Hudson (who didn't even win but came 7th - made her film debut in Dreamgirls (2006), it won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, an NAACP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.)

This year's top 5, with a note for the astrologically inclined:



Top- left to right: Angela, Candice, Kree.
Bottom- left to right: Amber, Janelle.
(Hat-tip to Hollywood News for the photograph)


Angela "Angie" Miller (born February 17, 1994) from Beverly, Massachusetts (Sun Aquarius, Moon Taurus)

Candice Glover (born November 22, 1989) from Beaufort, South Carolina currently lives in St. Helena Island, South Carolina. (Sun Sagittarius, Moon Virgo or Libra)

Kree Harrison (born May 17, 1990) from Woodville, Texas. (Sun Taurus, Moon Aquarius, or if born after 10PM Pisces)

Amber Holcomb (born March 17, 1994) from Houston, Texas. (Sun Pisces, Moon Taurus or Gemini)

Janelle Arthur (born December 12, 1989) from Oliver Springs, Tennessee (Sun Sagittarius, Moon Gemini)


Candice is, I think, current favourite to win. She has been consistently excellent in classic "diva" style, but able to bend her vocal skills to encompass gospel, blues, ballads as well as modern styling. Amber, though "the whole package" of great looks, figure, legs up to here, and super voice in similar style to Candice, hasn't been as consistently excellent, and seems to lack a solid fan base. Angie's a singer songwriter type, best when she sits at the piano, plays and sings. Good voice but tends to be over theatrical - a tad high school pageantish when just singing with mic in hand. Janelle's a cheery, pretty down-home type country gal, strong traditional-syle country voice and engaging personality. Kree: another great voice, consistently good, able to swing either country-ward or to standard ballads or modern styling.

I see Candice and Kree as likely to be fighting it out in the May finale - though somehow I cannot see either of them reaching the heights of earlier Idol gals Kelly, Carrie or Jennifer, but do hope I'm proved wrong.

Here's the performance by Candice the judges raved about on Wednesday last week. She sang the Cure's Lovesong in the segment "Songs I Wish I'd Written".

Separation of Church and American Idol

American Idol is a "guilty pleasure" of mine. The show began its 12th season a few weeks ago. We watched last night's episode and something I've been noticing more and more during the last two seasons was especially prominent: a definite increase in the mention of God, praying, being "blessed" etc. by contestants. Last night even longtime judge Randy Jackson was heard to utter, "Everyone should pray more - prayer works!" I think I'll start a campaign for - SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND AMERICAN IDOL !

Look, religion is personal, we, the TV audience, do not want to know if a contestant "prayed on which song to choose" or "prayed for guidance", or "feels blessed to be here" etc.etc. Are they pandering to the bible-belt audience? Are they trying a bit of one-upmanship, each trying to be more God-fearing than the previous contestant?

Last night's show was all female, tonight's will be all male - I shall count the references to prayer and God and being blessed. Perhaps the guys will be less likely to parade their religious practices on air. I hope so.

Music Monday ~~ Talents On Show

As some posts in my archives attest, I'm a sucker for musical talent shows. Always have been, always will be. From Carroll Levis Discoveries way back in the 1950s in England, and Opportunity Knocks, New Faces, Search for a Star, Fame Academy - all the way up the genealogy of talent shows to Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor, Britain's/America's got Talent, The Voice, Nashville Star, Sing-Off......Over the years I've watched and enjoyed every one of them. Husband peeking over my shoulder called out "Major Bowes Amateur Hour, 1940s - Sinatra appeared on that show!"

Nowadays critics refer to such shows as "reality TV". I don't put them in the same category as Big Brother, Survivors, shows about hoarders, restaurant/garden/home/fashion make-overs, Honey Boo-boo (whatever that is) and the rest. Talent shows are different. Or to be absolutely accurate, they used to be different before manipulation of the audience crept in. It's sad, but it was inevitable. As long as they're watched bearing in mind that producers are pulling strings: heart-strings and purse strings, it's still possible to enjoy the shows....most of the time.

This year we're swamped with talent shows. Having noticed what a good, and profitable, audience draw they've become, more producers have jumped onto the talent-cum-money bandwagon. On that same bandwagon are established stars who fancy their chances as judges on the talent shows. Not a good development in my opinion. Attention is now skewed away from the contestants on to "celeb" judges who, in most cases are there only to further their own careers, not potential careers of contestants.

It'd be preferable for talent show judges to come from the "back-room": record producers, voice/stage performance coaches and suchlike. That's not likely to happen. Next best thing is to engage as judges well-known characters from outside the music industry who can at least speak well off-the-cuff, think on their feet, form opinions quickly. There are too few such judges on talent shows at present. In spite of my husband's early warnings about Howard Stern's appointment as judge on this year's America's Got Talent, he turned out to be excellent in the role. Every panel should have at least one such character.

Much as I loved Steven Tyler, his powers of assessment and ability to put them into words during his 2-year stint on Idol should have been better - in fact could hardly have been worse after the first few audition shows. Perhaps producers gagged his distinctly raunchy style and he clammed up? New to the judging panel of The X-Factor this season are Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. It'll be interesting to watch how they shape up comment-wise.

It remains to be discovered, early in 2013 how American Idol's 3/4 new voting panel will work out: long-standing judge Randy Jackson will be joined by Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban (appealing, in theory, respectively to: the over 30s, the under 30s and the country music lovers).

Each panel needs "a clown" - someone who attempts to inject humour into the occasion. Idol tried out Ellen DeGeneres for a season but it wasn't a success. The Voice has Blake Shelton, a likeable country singer who tries hard to have fun with the show, Howie Mandel does likewise on America's Got Talent. X-Factor and Idol might benefit from an injection of humour, judge-wise.

Hosts/Presenters? A job that looks easy but I'd bet it isn't easy at all. Top marks go to Idol's Ryan Seacrest; close second: The Voice's Carson Daly; runner up Nick Cannon (AGT). Others shall remain nameless because, to put it bluntly, they suck.

I'm amazed that all the shows are still able to find sufficient amateur talent to go around. In fact, I'm noticing more and more that some - a good proportion - of the contestants are already semi-professional. I have a suspicion that some have actually been head-hunted by scouts working for the shows. I'd prefer it if this wasn't so, but understand that completely untapped talent is fairly rare these days, and in many cases fairly raw, not yet ready for prime-time. Still, I miss the excitement of the discovery of a brand new singer, never heard before by anyone, anywhere. If one such individual does emerge, very occasionally, their nerves frequently get the better of them, they fail to progress further against more seasoned stage-ready performers.

A few names, not necessarily winners, from talent shows of the recent and not-so-recent past have managed to lodge themselves in my memory:

From long ago, in the UK, Darius Danesh aka Darius Campbell

who seems to have carved out a solid career in the music business. I've mentioned him, and his natal chart, before on these pages - SEE HERE.

Adam Lambert from American Idol, 2009 - follow links in the Label Cloud, to my old posts, for more about him. Adam has toured the USA and abroad, sung in concert with Queen, and in my opinion he hasn't yet quite hit the right spot or genre to reach superstar status.....but he will!

I'm not a big fan of female singers, but have to mention Carrie Underwood, American Idol's gift to country music, and arguably their most successful find so far. Haley Reinhart and her updated jazzy style impressed on last year's Idol.

Josh Krajcik from last year's US X-Factor - I was, and remain a fan, eagerly awaiting release of his first album.



Prince Poppycock from America's Got Talent a couple of years ago; and from the same show this year Andrew DeLeon (true raw untapped talent, and though he didn't go very far - he will, I think, in the future).



There have been several stand-out contestants from the new season's crop of shows among those episodes we've managed to catch so far, but as yet actual names have not registered....that takes time, and seeing several performances. Here's one whose name I did remember, right away: Willie Jones:



The beat of their talent goes on.....and my foot will always be tapping along.

Music Monday ~ MUSICAL NOTES (Idol, Evita, Sgt. Pepper, Hal Ketchum)

American Idol is wending its weary way through our TV screens again. This year, though there are several talented singers, I find it more difficult to be engaged and enthusiastic about any of them. Two who are surely destined for successful careers, whether they win or not are young Jessica Sanchez (16) and Joshua Ledet (19). The first with triple Leo, Moon in Scorpio, the second with Sun and Venus in Aries, Moon in Cancer, both with that prominent mix of Fire and Water.

Here's a recent duet by the two I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) originally sung as a duet by by Aretha Franklin and George Michael.








There's a new version of Evita on Broadway. Surprise casting for the role of Che (the figure who stands as "Everyman" making critically sarcastic comment on the drama before us) - none other than Ricky Martin! He's getting decent reviews - and why not? If David Essex could sing it successfully, long ago, no reason why Ricky Martin shouldn't. Most of us remember him like this:










Sir Peter Blake, the artist who created the iconic cover for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, has created a new version of the cover to celebrate his 80th birthday. See HERE. Seems like a pointless exercise to me - but there ya go!












I noticed a familiar name in a list of April 9 birthdays: Hal Ketchum. Happy birthday to Mr. Ketchum!

His style is not the twangy old-fashioned kind of country (though there's nothing wrong with that) it's a smoother approach, can be appreciated by an audience wider than the stetson-flaunting, boot- clad masses in Texas and Nashville. He sings of love, the difficulites and fragility of it, our vulnerability, and problems of the workers. I have a couple of his albums, still love them. Some of his songs are self-penned or co-written, others come from some of Nashville's best. He's the 71st member of the Grand Ole Opry and is still singing and playing, in spite of some serious health problems encountered in recent years. He's had problems with addiction, but remains a multi-talented guy: paints and sculpts (has his work exhibited in a Santa Fe gallery), still does carpentry and makes furniture, and writes.

In his natal chart Sun/Venus conjunction in Aries is opposed by a conjunction of Neptune and Saturn in Libra, which I read as balancing and restraining: Sun and arty Venus opposed by creative but addictive Neptune which is in turn modified by restraining Saturn. I'd say that Saturn's position is what has saved Mr Ketchum from addiction spiralling into destruction by placing what could be called an astrological restraining order on him - perhaps even in the form of his MS - that's just my interpretation, the negative and positive sides of it balanced and blended.

Past the Point of Rescue

Music Monday ~ Musical Maturity - in the '90s stars? + Stevie Nicks

Was there something in the air, or more significantly in the planetary line-up, during 1993 and 1994, when today's 16 and 17 year-olds were born which endowed them with a certain maturity of talent?

Surely there was.

Consulting my 20th century ephemeris, I find that throughout those years, 1993 and 1994 Uranus (the unexpected) and Neptune (creativity) were conjoined and transiting through.....CAPRICORN! Capricorn, ruled by Saturn - aka Old Father Time/Cronos, represents (among other things) age and maturity. I immediately see a connection here to young people who display a level of creative maturity entirely unexpected for their age group.

Take these 5 examples for starters:

The three lads who make up the Italian group Il Volo - two aged 16 one aged 17. These teenagers, "more popular than pizza" in their native Italy, are ready to make a name in the USA and world. Their debut album has already been certified platinum in Italy.

Listen, please:

Then, the two American Idol finalists, Scott McCreery (17) and Lauren Alaina Suddeth (16). Listen again, please: these two video clips are from the early auditions last summer. Since then these two have battled through a dozen or more rounds to become the last 2 standing and will fight for the title on Tuesday/Wednesday this week.

Scotty, now aged 17

Lauren, now aged 16

I rest my case. However, as I rest it on the astro point, I'll raise another. Both Scotty and Lauren sing country. Country music can be fun, can be emotionally moving, can be sickeningly maudlin or dangerously nationalistic. In whichever guise it presents, the best renditions, I find, are always by artists who can actually relate to the lyrics and situations described in the lyrics. Lyrics are the core of country. For singers who are 16 or 17, however mature their voices, there are very few sets of lyrics which embrace, engagingly, the life and emotional experiences of a teenager. It's a bit like being given a sweater by your Gran - it's 3 sizes too big, but you wear it anyway. You grow into it though - in time. As for Il Volo - as only the Italian speaking among us can interpret the lyrics - the lovely lads can get away with 'most anything - and get away with it superbly!





And now for something completely different:

Stevie Nicks. Her birthday is later this week - she was born on 26 May 1948 - Sun in Gemini, Moon in Capricorn.

Two of the best known songs written by Stevie, and performed by her with Fleetwood Mac are Rhiannon and Landslide. These two songs might be said to reflect Air and Earth, Gemini and Capricorn, her two astro "trademarks".

Airy Gemini:

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn't you love to love her?
Takes through the sky like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover?
All your life you've never seen a woman
Taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you Heaven?
Will you ever win?...........

Earthy Capricorn:

I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Till the landslide brought me down

Happy Birthday, on Thursday, to Stevie Nicks!

Music Monday ~ FARCIAL IDOL: a ramble-cum-rant with a bit of astrology thrown in.

American Idol is rapidly turning into high farce. It has been teetering on the verge for a long time, but this week it tipped over the edge. My feelings about the show veer from love to hate more rapidly than is healthy for any mature individual who prizes common sense. Still, Idol offers a breathing space from giving too much attention to that other farce-filled area: the political stage.

Before I wade into the farce, I'll mention one astrological point arising from my post of 19 March noting the Uranus/Neptune conjunction linked to personal planets in some of the contestants' natal charts.

Of the four individuals highlighted there, Scotty, Casey, James and Lauren, two are still standing, Scotty and Lauren, two of the youngest. Casey was eliminated a couple of weeks ago, sadly in my view. His quirky style doesn't exactly match standard poppy-cum-country current American Idol requirements. James went out this week in a "surprise" elimination, surprising because he has been a judges' favourite all season.

(Final 4: left to right: Haley, Scotty, James, Lauren)

Joining Scotty and Lauren in the final 3 is Haley Reinhart. Something of a dark-horse contestant, who has improved a lot in recent weeks. She's bluesy, jazzy, and sassy. She was born born September 9, 1990 and comes from Wheeling, Illinois. Sun, Mercury Venus in Virgo (16, 13 and 2 degrees respectively) and Uranus, Neptune, Saturn in Capricorn (5, 11 18 degrees respectively). So she has that potentially magical link-up too - a trine from Uranus/Neptune to personal planets in her case.

On Wednesday we saw Lady GaGa acting as guest mentor. The week's two themes were: songs that inspire and songs by Lieber and Stoller. Each of the four remaining contestants sang one example of each.

Lady GaGa turned up wearing shoes with huge high heels in the shape of dildos, which the Fox TV PR people promptly censored - blurred out for the screen. There are two contestants "under age" and children watching, whose innocence must be protected. (Stifled splutters). In which case, Fox PR peeps, why did you choose to make the two gals, aged 16 and 20 perform a duet of Gunpowder and Lead on Thursday's results show, the song about domestic abuse? Ye gods!!! And
I've just read that judges' pick for Haley to sing this week (one of 3 songs) is Alanis Morissette's You Oughta Know. It has a line that goes something like this: will SHE go down on YOU in a theatre?’ (asking the guy who dumped her what makes his new girl better), and another: Are you thinking of me when you f..k her? I suppose these lines will be by-passed, but surely there are thousands of songs more suitable for exposure on a TV channel whose representatives disliked Ms Ga-Ga's shoe heels. There's a smell of double standards here.

Lady G-G proceeded to give some not too bad advice to the remaining four contestants. The only one of the four who seemed pretty cool with the encounter with this strange 21st century musical icon was Haley Reinhart. The other three, each for their own reason felt well out of their comfort zones interacting with the Big G. Scotty felt the need to kiss his prominently displayed cross necklace (I hope this was ironic on his part, but I wouldn't bet on it). James admitted in interview later that he was very uncomfortable when Big G got close behind him to demonstrate how he should do sexy hip swings when performing Love Potion No. 9. I didn't see anything untoward in this - it seemed perfectly proper from our camera angle. The youngest contestant, Lauren, had chosen to sing Leiber & Stoller's Trouble, which contains a line "I'm evil, evil evil as can be...." which she coyly wondered about the wisdom of singing. I was on BigG's side here....."see the fun in it", she told Lauren. Lauren still seemed unsure and overly demure. My advice would be: Caahhme on girl! If you don't want to call yourself evil in song - sing another darn song - Leiber and Stoller wrote many other belters.

The night's flashpoint though was the criticism of Haley's rendition of a song she found inspiring: Michael Jackson's Earth Song. That song inspires me too - far more than any of the other three choices:
Scotty: Alan Jackson's Where Were You (a song about....yep 9/11 - maudlin and way past its sell-by date - but it mentions God and Jesus, so that's okay then).
James: Journey's Don't Stop Believin' which was not bad, but didn't inspire me much.
Lauren: Martina McBride's Anyway, which could have been a good song if the writer had avoided that "God is great" line. Idol's main body of viewers is said to be in the south of the US: the Bible Belt - a little pandering goes a long way huh?

Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez panned Haley's performance to the nth degree, while giving the other three great praise without a single criticism, and there was room for citicism in all cases. Only Steven Tyler supported Haley, with "Don't listen to them Haley - they're wrong!"

Randy and J-Lo told Haley she "screamed it". Well, when you're inspired by lines such as

What have we done to the world?
Look what we've done.
What about all the peace,
That you pledge your only son?

Did you ever stop to notice,
All the children dead from war?
Did you ever stop to notice,
This crying Earth its weeping shores?


What about the common man
(What about us).....
What about children dying
(What about us)....

And so on...... you'd tend to want to scream!

But wait, I'm forgetting something important.

American Idol is aired on FOX TV, owned by Rupert Murdoch. Tool of The Machine! It has been reported that he was in the audience on Wednesday evening too.

So it's fine to sing songs about 9/11 and God, Jesus and suchlike, but not about dead children, peace, the state of the Earth - that kind of "socialist tripe"????
A couple of the judges even said that Earth Song wasn't a hit song. It might not have been big in the USA (I wonder why) but it was HUGE in the UK and Europe.

Haley, however, came back in the second half with Leiber & Stoller's I Who Have Nothing and nailed it better than anyone since the UK's Shirley Bassey, long ago, and received a standing ovation from judges and audience.

There's yet another angle to this scenario.

It has become more and more clear as seasons go by how much audience manipulation is truly going on. Rather than the show's purported aim to find a singer who could become a musical idol in the USA, it has turned into a show to see how cleverly the audience can be led by the nose to vote for certain contestants (the ones most likely to be $$$$$$$$$$$$$-earners for the producers and their record company associates). Viewers' emotions are manipulated by a variety of means: polarising their likes/dislikes, being led by judges'comments, reverse psychology. These ploys have a dual purpose. They guarantee future ratings and steer the "right ones" to the winner's enclosure.

The consequence was, that if the producers were aiming to rake in millions of sympathy votes for Haley by using crafty reverse psychology, they succeeded.

American Idol itself has competition now, from NBC's new show The Voice. There's no bad publicity, so any publicity Idol can dredge up will ensure that people write about it and viewers will tune in to see what it's all about. They'd be saying "Gotcha!" to me, if they knew of my blog's existence.



Final 3 will sing on Wednesday, three songs each, to be chosen by judges, mentor and the singers themselves. So: two teenage country-style singers versus one 20-year old sassy blues/jazz gal. One contestant will be eliminated during a results show on Thursday; the Grand Finale will air a week later, not sure of the exact day. I don't dare to predict the winner. Idol producers and FOX TV in their current mood could even try to override the planets.

Music Monday ~ Idol Shock - 'Bye Pia ~ Was Uranus "at it" again?

As your friendly neighbourhood Idol junkie, which in some people's view makes me a numbskull without two half brain cells to rub together (they could be right) I shall use Music Monday this week to report that American Idol brought viewers one of its "shock" eliminations last Thursday night.

One of the judges' favourites, Pia Toscano, received the lowest number of votes - or so we were told. She was eliminated from the Final 9.

Pia had been riding high since the live shows began a few weeks ago. She has a super voice - of the "diva" genre. Pitch perfect, never a bum note. Celine Dion is probably her personal idol. I admired her talent but found her performances boring - my husband grew tired of hearing me complain about this. Perhaps the majority of voting viewers (of which I'm not one) agreed with me.

The week's "theme" was Songs from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Pia, who had previously relied on ballads chose to sing River Deep Mountain High. Oh my! Tina Turner she ain't! She gave a creditable rendition though, but visions of Tina's loose style, so different from Pia's kept invading my mind.



Pia was visibly shocked to be eliminated. She is reported to have needed some aid from a medic. The judges appeared shocked too. Their comments:

Jennifer Lopez (In tears): “I have no idea what just happened here. I’m shocked. I’m angry. I don’t even know what to say.”

Randy Jackson: “We’re all in shock, I’m gutted.”

Steven Tyler: “A mistake is one thing, but a lack of passion is unforgivable. But This is America. They’re wrong.”

Pia will have no problem finding work from now on. She's a beautiful young woman with a voice - and looks - to kick-ass on Broadway or Las Vegas. In fact, before I'd finished drafting this I spotted a report that she has already been signed up by the recording company Interscope, chaired by Idol mentor Jimmy Iovine. They aim to release her debut album "as soon as possible". Hmmm.

I'll take a look at her (12 noon) chart, to see if there's any astrological correlation with her shock exit. She was born on 14 October 1988 in Howard Beach, New York.

Something hit me in the eye right away. Look at natal Mars at 1 degree Aries! Transiting Uranus - planet of the unexpected - was right on that very degree on Thursday night!



It's useless to try to embed a video of Pia singing live on American Idol - it'd be blocked due to copyright. I found this very short clip of her singing The Prayer outside of her Idol performances. I've also posted a video featuring her studio version of River Deep Mountain High in case that manages to avoid the copyright police.

PS~~ The four contestants (Scotty, Casey, James & Lauren) with a Uranus/Neptune conjunction linked to personal planets in their natal charts, as outlined in my earlier post, link below, are all still standing - going strong in fact.
http://twilightstarsong.blogspot.com/2011/03/uranusneptune-conjunction-in-charts-of.html

Uranus/Neptune Conjunction in Charts of American Idol Finalists. Any Indigo Kids in the House?

Wikipedia has published birthdates and birth places for the remaining 11 American Idol contestants. Wiki isn't always 100% accurate on these details, but this week the young singers were asked to perform a song from the year they were born, and each did tell us their birth date in video clips during the show. Yours truly wasn't ready with pen and paper however, but Wiki's details do match my memory of the data.

This season's crop is an unusually talented collection - the judges keep telling us this, but it's quite evident to Idol junkies like me. I'm not sure that it would be ethical to display natal charts of the young people at this stage. Most will be eliminated during the next few weeks anyway. Until the crowd thins out a bit I'll limit myself to a few general notes.

I've set the full list of birth dates below in zodiacal Sun sign order. No remaining contestants have Sun in Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Leo or Sagittarius. So no Fire Suns this time around - a little surprising.

Full list of birth dates:

Jacob Lusk (born June 23, 1987) is from Compton, California. SUN CANCER

Paul McDonald (born August 24, 1984) in Auburn, Alabama. SUN VIRGO

Haley Reinhart (born September 9, 1990) is from Wheeling, Illinois. SUN VIRGO

Pia Toscano (born October 14, 1988) is from Howard Beach, New York. SUN LIBRA

Scotty McCreery (born October 9, 1993) in from Garner, North Carolina. SUN LIBRA

Naima Adedapo (born October 5, 1984 in Maywood, Illinois) is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. SUN LIBRA

Lauren Alaina (born November 8, 1994) is from Rossville, Georgia. SUN SCORPIO

James Durbin (born January 6, 1989) is from Santa Cruz, California. SUN CAPRICORN

Casey Abrams (born February 12, 1991 in Austin, Texas). SUN AQUARIUS

Thia Megia (born January 30, 1995) is from Mountain House, California. SUN AQUARIUS

Stefano Langone (born February 27, 1989) is from Kent, Washington. SUN PISCES

Back row left-right: Casey (in hospital when pic was taken), Pia, James, Paul, Jacob, Scotty. Front row left-right: Haley, Karen (eliminated this week), Stefano, Naima, Thia, Lauren.

Their birth years span 1984 to 1995. Steven Tyler quipped to one of the youngsters when giving his birth date: "I've got spare sandwiches under my bed that are older than that".

Around 1989 to 1996 there was a building conjunction in Capricorn of slow-moving planets Uranus and Neptune. That conjunction, near or exact, is a feature in several of the contestants' charts. A Uranus/Neptune conjunction affects a generation or age group rather than an individual, but when personal planets link in to such conjunctions, the "power" and "flavour" will seep through into the personality.

My favourite go-to for generational thoughts is Horoscope for the New Millennium by E. Alan Meece (see extract HERE.)
In considering the generation with Neptune/Uranus conjunction he writes:

"The committed ones," 1988-1995 (Generation Y-b) (Uranus conjunct Neptune in Capricorn, Pluto in Scorpio) This is a group with outstanding potential. It is a very precocious generation, but won't burn itself out in youth. They are steady, persistent, determined, ambitious and passionate. They have great talent in the arts, politics and organization, and they may be the great leaders who lay down lasting foundations for a new age of civilization. On the other hand, some might consider them too cold, calculating, rigid, worldly or obsessed with their own goals."

A question sprang to mind as I drafted this post: were some of the above young people among so-called Indigo Children? This from astrologer Donna Cunningham:

I’ve been an astrologer for over thirty years, and some time ago I began wondering about an astrological pattern unlike any I had ever seen. Parents were suddenly asking me about the charts of some very unusual children - gifted yet struggling to fit into the system - and these charts were unique. Uranus and Neptune had been conjunct - that is, traveling been together in the sky - for a number of years when these children were born, first in Sagittarius, then in Capricorn, and finally in Aquarius. (The years 1984-1999 were especially significant). These strangely gifted youngsters tended to have Uranus and Neptune highlighted in their charts, perhaps connected with their Sun, Moon, or Rising sign or with several factors at once.

Both Uranus and Neptune are planets that grant out-of-the-ordinary gifts and out-of-the-ordinary difficulties in fitting into the mainstream - standing together they would be at the outer limits of anything already known! Applying traditional astrological interpretations to these children charts seemed both inadequate and needlessly alarming for the parent. I went to a metaphysical bookstore, and The Indigo Children, by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober came home with me. Immediately, the book provided some important answers, for the traits given for indigo children were very similar to the traits of people who have Uranus and Neptune as prominent features of the chart. Uranian types are highly intelligent, inventive, extremely independent, visionary, and follow their own guidance rather than submit unquestioningly to authority. Neptunians are sensitive, dreamy, creative, imaginative, often psychic, and with a strong sense of compassion for the vulnerable. Many indigo children display both sets of traits.

No times of birth are available, making it impossible to see exactly where the Neptune/Uranus conjunction and associated planets lie in the charts. If positioned close to one of the angles (ascendant, midheaven and opposite points) that would add more strength to both conjunction and associated links.

Will a personal link to the conjunction be a help or a hindrance in these American Idol competitive circumstances though? My guess: it will be extremely helpful

The four contestants below (love 'em or hate 'em) have been "stand-outs" from the get-go:


Scotty McCreary has the conjunction exact, both planets at 18 Capricorn, with personal planets Mercury and Venus in sextile and trine aspect to it from Scorpio and Virgo respectively. Unusually deep voice for his age - ideal for singing traditional country music, which he does with a poise far beyond his years.









Casey Abrams has Neptune @ 15 and Uranus @ 12 Capricorn with Mercury semi-sextile at 10 Aquarius and Venus sextile from 18 Pisces. He has been hospitalised twice already since the season's shows began, suffering from ulcerative colitis. He's probably the most original of the whole bunch. I hope health issues don't spoil his chances.








James Durbin has an interesting planetary cluster around his 16 degree Capricorn Sun: Neptune 10, Saturn 6, Uranus 2 degrees Capricorn, flanked by Venus @ 25 Sagittarius and Mercury @ 5 Aquarius. James has Tourette's and Asperger's syndrome, by the way. He's the would-be rocker of the bunch, and good enough for Steven Tyler to have told him that he's showing "an inner vein of crazy" - so necessary to be a true rock musician.










Lauren Alaina has Neptune/Uranus at 20 Capricorn with Sun and Jupiter sextile from Scorpio; there's also a possible Moon link to the conjunction, but without time of birth, I cannot be sure. She's talented, very young - though her looks belie this. Precocious too.

More Learning Curves (non-astrological)

A side-effect of being an American Idol junkie is the learning curve one has to negotiate in order to translate the "cool"-ish jargon one is liable to encounter. I've already gathered that in current lingo "sick" means good to brilliant, and "dope", as adjective, means something along the same lines. My education continues.

Upon reading a review of Thursday night's results show written by Paul F. Tompkins, who Wikipedia tells me is an American actor and comedian, I had need to research the following bits and pieces which may or may not be of interest to passing readers, keen to keep abreast of....not sure what:

Mr Tompkins began:

"The judges enter. Steven Tyler is dressed like Murphy Brown dressed like Ichabod Crane."

I had rather admired Mr Tyler's long flowing black duster coat lined with leopard-skin print (can't find a photograph), so was curious to know who is Murphy Brown and who is Ichabod Crane, neither being familiar to this transplanted Yorkshire lass.


Murphy Brown, it appears, is a character from a TV sitcom starring Candice Bergen - she of the long flowing locks, and Ichabod Crane is a fictional character in Washington Irving's short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, first published in 1820. Norman Rockwell saw him thus:

I'd equate Steven Tyler's outfit more with a rather arty farty version of Doctor Who. Either way, I thought it looked rather swish (my own non-cool adjective).

A little further down his piece Mr. Tompkins reports

After Adam’s (Adam Lambert was a guest) performance, the segment ends with a discussion of The Dougie. I am thrilled that I know what this is and do not have to look it up. I am even more thrilled that some young people on the show do not know what it is! I still have some fight in me! Go rent The Lion in Winter, you utter children! People who do not know what The Dougie is: Steven Tyler, Adam Lambert, Paul, Pia, Thia, Scotty. People who know what The Dougie is: J.Lo, Randy, Jacob, Stefano, Ashthon, Naima, Lauren, James, Haley and … Ryan.

The Dougie? Another learning curve to negotiate. It's a dance, with name originating from hip-hop slang (see Urban Dictionary)

The term "dougie" derives from the name of 80's early 90's Hip Hopper Doug-E- Fresh. The term "dougie" means to have a cool or hip stlye.
If we are going to go out tonight I need to go home and get dougie before we go.
swagga;
the way you carry yourself
also a dance

That's the Dougie then. But, scratching head, what's the connection with Lion in Winter? This learning curve is becoming too steep....I should learn to listen to the kids sing and leave it at that.

WEEKEND WANDER: Matt Damon Speaks Out ~~~ Idol's Top 13 ~~~ Mardi Gras

When I read that movie actor Matt Damon had "called out Obama", criticising recent action, or lack of it, by the President, I immediately looked up Damon's birth data. "There has to be something Uranian or Aquarian in this guy's chart", thought I.

The liberal or mildly leftish bent of most inhabitants of the movie world has been pretty hard to notice recently. The starry ones are keeping their lips buttoned, perhaps because they are doing very well under current circumstances and do not wish to rock the projector. Damon, however, has dared to voice criticism. Good for him!

During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Damon was a vocal Obama supporter, campaigning for the then-candidate at rallies, promoting him through a MoveOn video contest and attending fundraisers for him.

Now, he's not so enthused about Obama. When asked if he was happy with the way the President is running the country, Damon said, point blank, "no."
(From article linked above).

Here's his natal chart, from data at Astrodatabank: born 8 October 1970 in Boston MA, at 3:22 PM.



For a straight ahead interpretation of his natal chart by astrologer Marjorie Orr see HERE.

For confirmation of my expectation that Uranus and/or Aquarius have a hand in Damon's inclination to speak out see Aquarius rising, Sun conjunct Uranus!

QED.

Such things are NOT coincidence. Such things are astrology!




AND IN OTHER NEWS

Back row left to right: James, Naima, Jacob, Thia, Karen, Stefano, Lauren.
Front row left to right: Paul, Ashton, Pia, Casey, Haley, Scotty.

American Idol has at last reached the (relatively) sensible stage with top 13 finalists chosen. They are set to battle it out until late May. This year has thrown up a very respectable bunch of vocalists. There isn't really a weak link in the 13-singer chain. There are two or three absolute stand-outs, who have stood out from their first note in the first audition. These include Casey, a guy who looks like a character from Fraggle Rock, sometimes plays big double bass as accompaniment and has a very identifiable style and voice; Scotty, a 17 year-old guy with a deep voice, and from what we've heard so far, can sing "proper" country better than just about anybody except Merle Haggard; Jacob, a young guy with incredible vocal power and energy; Paul, a "quirky" (yes there's always one) lad with an engaging wide, white smile and raspy voice. There's Ashton, a mini Diana Ross look-alike with emotional power and voice to match picked by judges as a "wild card"; and Naima another wild card pick who also fits the "quirky" category, she picked by Steven Tyler, calling her "my little Porgy and Bess all rolled into one". (No birth dates available yet, so can't investigate contestants' astrology.)

Speaking of Steven Tyler, on Thursday evening he was wearing a gorgeous deep pink shirt with a big ruffle at the front - gotta get me one of those!

Another tid-bit from Thursday's show: a little bit of what I'll call "instant karma" was on display when two guys, both talented singers from the top 24 were voted out by viewers. These two had made a mark in the Group Round some weeks back as being extremely arrogant and selfish. The judges seemed to forgive them and included them in the final 24. The viewers didn't forgive! Or perhaps the judges had privately decided "let's throw 'em to the lions!" Instant karma, and a lesson for the learning.





AND, finally:

Coming up this week, on 8 March, in New Orleans: Mardi Gras!

C'mon take me to the Mardi Gras
Where the people sing and play
Where the dancing is elite
And there's music in the street
Both night and day

Hurry take me to the Mardi Gras
In the city of my dreams
You can legalize your lows
You can wear your summer clothes
In New Orleans

And I will lay my burden down
Rest my head upon that shore
And when I wear that starry crown
I won't be wanting anymore

Take your burdens to the Mardi Gras
Let the music wash your soul
You can mingle in the street
You can jingle to the beat of Jelly Roll
Tumba, tumba, tumba, Mardi Gras
Tumba, tumba, tumba, day

Mm------------

The Updated Steven Tyler

I was pleased to read Jon Caramanica's piece in the New York times (online), last Wednesday.
Steven Tyler Escapes From Idolatry.
Pleased because the author highlighted something that stood out for me as we watched one of the recent audition episodes. The incident involved one of Idol's often annoyingly manipulative "sob stories".

"The moment when Mr. Tyler, one of this season’s new judges, claimed the show as his own came during the third night of auditions. Chris Medina tried out with a muscular version of The Script’s “Breakeven” after telling the story of how his fiancée, Juliana Ramos, suffered a brain injury that left her in a wheelchair, able to move her left arm and little more.

After he sang, he brought Ms. Ramos in to the audition room at the judges’ behest. By any measure it was difficult to watch, testing the viewer’s urge to turn away, to wish for a speedy change of scene.

Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez introduced themselves to Ms. Ramos, but Mr. Tyler took charge. “Hi, girl,” he said, shaking her hand. “I just heard your fiancé sing, and he’s so good.” At this point, as she teetered back and forth, he was gripping her shoulder and staring at her comfortingly: a rock, a confidant, a seducer. “You know, because he sings to you all the time,” he said, leaning in to her, stroking her hair, kissing her warmly — all with tenderness — then whispering in her ear, “That’s why he sings so good, because he sings to you.”



It was a stellar embrace, the sort of practiced sincerity that’s one of the wages of extreme celebrity. Except that, over time, it can shake free of its dishonesty, as was the case here. In that moment Mr. Tyler was both deeply practiced and deeply humane. It made for a stunning display of kindness unusual not just for “Idol,” but for all of popular culture in matters of dealing with the severely disabled."

As I see it Mr Tyler's action sprang directly from an innate kindness, an Aries/Leo-ness. The impulsive warmth, kindliness and sense of fun have shone from him from his first appearance. Okay - if someone wants to describe his pointed stares at an auditioning gal, a quarter his age, as "leering" that's in the mind of the beholder. I look at it like this: any gal (or guy) aiming for a career in the spotlight has to be willing audiences, whether judges or the public, to stare at them - so they'd best get used to it. In any case, I see no overtly lascivious leers - only encouragement, approval, interest, or perhaps a weighing up of how the gal might have dressed herself more stylishly - or less vampishly.

Another look at Steven Tyler's chart (my earlier posts are HERE and HERE)




Lots of emphasis on Fire signs, being more pronounced because Jupiter is at home in its rulership Sagittarius and Sun and Mars are in what astrologers term "mutual recption" - which means that they are in each other's rulerships, Sun is in Aries ruled by Mars, Mars in Leo ruled by Sun....a series of celestial underlinings.

I wish we had Steven's birth time - anybody know it?

That opposition Uranus/Jupiter (the unexpected/exaggertion) is no doubt a reflection of his quirky style and signature outlandish antics on stage.

The "Yod" (Finger of Fate) is interesting too. It links Netune (creativity) and Pluto (sexy and powerful) by helpful sextile (no pun intended) to Mercury, planet of communication, by two quincunx aspects (150*). The characteristics of the to sextiled planets are said to be chanelled through the planet at the configuration's apex - Mercury (communication) in this case. Works for me!

The linked article mentions that Mr Tyler is "scheduled to release a memoir — “Does the Noise In My Head Bother You?” — this year..." More communicative skills surfacing!

I'll stick my neck out - again - and predict that there are changes in the pipeline for Steven Tyler, later this year and into 2012 as Uranus transits his Aries Sun, backtracks then transits again. Perhaps his stellar performance on American Idol will lead along previously unthought of career paths for him.



It's looking increasingly likely that Steven Tyler will be my only reason for continuing to watch Season 10. Already, at this early stage the emphasis and re-gurgitation of a set of five or six "sob stories", and "pimping" of producers' favourites is becoming wearing. Even with Nigel Lythgoe in charge, audience manipulation continues apace.

This week's episodes, aired tonight and tomorrow, feature the travesty known as "group rounds" where the remaining contestants are split into groups of 3 or 4 and left to arrange a performance, singing together. Where many young teens and twenties are gathered together, competing egos and levels of excellence rapidly oppose one another. All manner of unpleasantness often ensues. Men are separated from boys, and the gals - well, they'd better rope in their inner divas, at least for this round.