A Little Less Conversation
[back to top] Performances & Results
| # | Season | Episode / Theme | Slot | Contestant | Approval Rating | σ | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Open
|
1/8 |
| 27 |  |
||||
| 2 |
Elvis Presley
|
6/8 |
| 20 |  |
||||
| 3 |
Billboard Hot 100
|
1/12 |
| 20 | |
||||
| 4 |
Elvis Presley
|
4/9 |
| 21 | |
||||
| 5 |
Open
|
1/10 |
| 21 | |
[back to top] Summary
The vagaries of time being what they are, "A Little Less Conversation" was one of Elvis Presley's least successful singles, from one of his most forgettable movies...and today, it stands (particularly among the younger generation) as one of The King's better-known songs. Credit its widespread use as a popular theme song over the past 10 years, ranging from major sporting events to hit movies to political campaigns.
Credit American Idol too, because while neither Jon Peter Lewis nor Chris Daughtry exactly set the stage on fire with this number, both performances were memorable in their own way – Lewis's for a crazed, jelly-legged dance interlude; Daughtry for a dark, brooding delivery capped by a near-strangled scream. Producer Nigel Lythgoe stated publicly in an interview that he thought Lewis "actually did it better." And, by a small but significant margin, the Idolsphere agrees.
What We Thought
Has Lythgoe lost his mind? Has the Idolsphere lost theirs, too? Come on, people! We don't even want to put Jon Peter Lewis in the same sentence. With Chris Daughtry. In terms of vocal talent, the two are lightyears apart. So calling Lewis's performance of "Conversation" superior to Daughtry's could be described as ludicrous, uneducated, naive, impossible, and preposterous. And we'd call it all of that and more, if it weren't for one minor detail...We, uh, happen to agree with them. We liked Lewis's version better too.
In all seriousness, neither man did this song justice. We think "Conversation" still has one strong performance left in it for a future Idol rocker (perhaps a woman this time?), minus the silly dancing or unnecessary alt-rock affectations Just sing it as a straight-up, hard-blues-rock number. The lyrics are dead serious, so you should be too: no smiling or preening to the camera. Do it right and you might get the ultimate compliment from the judges: you actually went on the American Idol stage and sang a rock song better than Chris Daughtry.
