Adam Lambert's performance of "Ring of Fire" is 1 of 45 indelible moments of 2009
Filed Under (news ) by Admin on Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Posted at : Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The year in television: 45 indelible moments from 2009
American Idol: Adam Lambert’s “Ring Of Fire”
Let’s be clear from the start: Adam Lambert’s rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” isn’t necessarily good—you might even call it a screechy defiling of Cash’s spare, evocative classic—but it was riveting television. With his black fingernail polish and guyliner, and a sensibility geared more toward Broadway and pop provocation than understated country twang, Lambert was never going to kill on “Grand Ole Opry Week,” but he could have easily survived by going conservative and leaning on his generous vocal range. Instead, he used the opportunity to do a sitar-tinged “Middle Eastern” version of “Ring Of Fire” that scared the hell out of guest mentor Randy Travis even before Lambert took the stage in a leather jacket and fingerless gloves, and started working that microphone stand. By answering Cash’s famous baritone with a wavering falsetto, Lambert gave one of the strangest, most discomfiting performances in American Idol history, and offered a preview of the bold, dude-smooching agitator to come.
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American Idol: Adam Lambert’s “Ring Of Fire”
Let’s be clear from the start: Adam Lambert’s rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” isn’t necessarily good—you might even call it a screechy defiling of Cash’s spare, evocative classic—but it was riveting television. With his black fingernail polish and guyliner, and a sensibility geared more toward Broadway and pop provocation than understated country twang, Lambert was never going to kill on “Grand Ole Opry Week,” but he could have easily survived by going conservative and leaning on his generous vocal range. Instead, he used the opportunity to do a sitar-tinged “Middle Eastern” version of “Ring Of Fire” that scared the hell out of guest mentor Randy Travis even before Lambert took the stage in a leather jacket and fingerless gloves, and started working that microphone stand. By answering Cash’s famous baritone with a wavering falsetto, Lambert gave one of the strangest, most discomfiting performances in American Idol history, and offered a preview of the bold, dude-smooching agitator to come.
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16 comments:
Adam's performance of Ring of Fire put him in a class by himself. I never liked the song before this, but his rendition of Dilana's interpretation was hot, dark, and sexy, and it just made him even more interesting than he already was. I hope he covers it occasionally on his upcoming tours.
I loved the way Adam performed Ring Of Fire! I hope he performs it again one day and makes a video.
Are you kidding!!! Johnny Cash would have been both amazed and proud. Adam says he got it from
Dilana I heard her version and thought Adam nailed it, I am sure if we got in touch with Dilana she would agree, the vocals were superb.
this was in fact my least favorite performance by him. Oh sure he sounded and looked dangerously sexy, that goes without saying, it's just that I'm a huge fan of cash's version. I feel this rendition just pushed the song past the limits of wha it can take. The envelope can only be stuffed so much before it rips, and I feel this is what happened here.
But he sounded dangerously sexy, and if he put the same contents in maybe a stronger envelope, it would be an insta-hit
I liked Adam from the start but when he did Ring of Fire He completely won me over and sealed his fate as a true entertainer and ROCK GOD!!!
Adam's "Ring of Fire" was brilliant. Didn't he do exactly what Simon always says the contestants should do. It was original, different, and suited Adam's style perfectly, yet Simon mocked Adam. I still can't understand why Simon did that. Paula and Randy were the only ones who got what Adam did with that song. This is one of my favorites that Adam performed on Idol.
Dilana did hear about Adam's version and commented on it (she loves it, who wouldn't?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BgUxONfop8
Dilana is a major talent. She was my favorite on Rockstar and she recognizes someone else as amazingly talented as her, Adam Lambert. Adam killed that version of Ring of Fire. Just because someone loves the original country version, doesn't mean they can't appreciate and love another version, especially when it is pure genious like this was. I bet anything Johnny Cash would have gone wild for Adam's version and wanted to duet with him.
My husband & I were Johnny Cash fans & neither of us liked Cash's version of ROF but when we heard ADAM's rendition we both instantly liked it. ADAM put so much fire & Feeling into an otherwise mundane country song. Too bad the GREAT Johnny Cash wasn't alive to hear it ... HE would have LOVED it and so would his wife June. The lyric in that song is SEXY!!
It wasn't country; instead the vocals were operatic. Not since Elvis curled his lip has so little movement been so sexy. Adam did nothing but sway slightly from side-to-side and stare the camera down like he was going to lick it. And he we are, still talking about it. Awesome.
I was a fan at that point but became a HUGE fan when I heard his "Ring of Fire"!!! That was absolutely amazing. Just watched it again the other night and still found it to be gorgeous and the electricity in the room after his performance was palatable!!
This is the song that made me turn to Adam fan and start voting for him. Loved it ! love his album all of it.
I never was a Cash fan, but his lyrics in ROF are deliciously provocative. That song was MEANT to evoke primal urges and slightly dark sexuality. Adam delivered and oooh it burns, burns, burns.
i disagree with this writeup. rof was THE BEST. I didn't like the use here of words like "screechy," "agitator," and "discomfiting," no. this was beautilful, sexy, and captivating!!!
June Carter Cash wrote that song ..... it is VERY sexy and I bet they would both just love his rendition. I did not really appreciate the sensuality of that song until I was riveted by Adam singing it on AI. I think he sang it with the feeling that she intended. (the flip of the t-shirt didn't hurt either)...STILL not over that!! LOLLLLLLLLL
Yes, yes, yes!! "Ring of Fire" is when I became an obsessed fan of Adam. Before that performance I was still comparing him with the other contestants. After that performance, he was in a league of his own. What he did with that song, the melody, the lyrics, the body movements, the eyes, was Adamazing! Johnny Cash would have loved it.
ROF was also when I became a true Adam fan. From that point on I lost my vocal-judging objectivity. I heard his ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC VOCAL RANGE in that song coupled with his sexy appearance/performance and I was hypnotized. With that performance he caste a spell over many of us and we lost ourselves. I have been a Johnny Cash fan since '60's and I loved the Cash ROF. But Adam's Idol performance was pure genious. It was over-the-top! So much so that it brought to mind a CLEANED-UP strip club dance and I was pleasantly surprised to see it on AI. It was VERY DIFFERENT and got our attention (FOR SURE).
AND THEN there was "Feeli8ng Good!" WWHHAATT CCAANN II SSAAYY????????
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