Season One: The Birth of the Fab Four

[kj4ever]

The season that started it all. Going into the lives the teams were: 

Team Blake:  Dia Frampton, Xenia, Jared Blake and Patrick Thomas.

Team Adam:  Javier Colon, Casey Weston, Jeff Jenkins, and Devon Barley.

Team CeeLo:  Vicci Martinez, Nakia, Curtis Grimes, and The Thompson Sisters.

Team Christina:  Beverly McClellan, Frenchie Davis, Lily Elise, and Raquel Castro.

[Lily Adler]

I LOVED Xenia, Dia, Vicci, Nakia, Beverly, and Frenchie. Loved them! I so wanted Dia to win this season as she seemed more interesting to me than Javier.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Lily Adler

[kj4ever]

I'll admit I watched Season One mostly through Hulu and boot-legged vids on You Tube.  It is probably better that way since I had so many favorites from this list of contestants.

[FormerMod-a1]

I watched Season 1 live, form the beginning.  And it was an odd experience for me because despite almost always disagreeing with the judges from the knockouts to the other levels where they selected or influences, it still became my favorite singing show.  Nakia was one of my only early favorites that made it to the top 4 on Ceelo's team and then was booted shortly after.  I did like Nikki and Vicci.  I didn't mind Javier.  I was not as impressed with Dia as others seemed to be.

[TheGreenKnight]

I have to admit this is the only season I watched in full. Javier is my favorite winner of the show still (although Danielle Bradbery comes close; only two winners I've liked, by the way), but I was also rooting for Frenchie and Xenia. I remember loving Casey Weston's version of "I Will Always Love You" for the simple fact that, for once on these singing shows, she performed Dolly's version and not Whitney's.

 

I remember tuning in mostly for Christina and out of curiosity. I still wish Javier would've went with her so she would've won one season at least. :/

[SnarkGhost]

I loved Season 1 as well, mostly for Dia & Xenia & Blake.

 

The one memory of the season that I can't get out of my head is the horror that was the Dia vs. Serabee battle round (You Can't Hurry Love).   It was so awkward that I think I watched from behind my fingers until it was over.  Just imagine how different that season would have been if Blake had chosen Serabee (which, honestly, I think all 3 of the other judges would have).

[Lily Adler]

I didn't exactly recall the battle between Dia and Serabee, but went back on YouTube to check it out. My review in short: Dia actually sang the song, while Serabee was too busy adding unnecessary runs and vocal tricks throughout her part. She didn't hold back at all and seemed like she was trying to over-sing to drown out Dia which is a shame because I did like her voice. It had power and a nice tambre, but unfortunately she doesn't seem to be the type to hold back and try to be nuanced.

[MissScarlett]

Ohhh I remember Sarabee.  Yeah -- not that great.  I thought Dia was much better and was so glad that she was picked.

 

I really wanted Vicci to win!  Cee Lo's penchant for the dramatic setups during Vicci's performances were my absolute fave! 

 

Xenia's version of "Price Tag" remains one of my favorite performances to this day.  Err... maybe not performance on the whole, because she looked pretty nerved up performing -- but the vocals for sure.

Edited May 1, 2014 by MissScarlett

[Lily Adler]

Xenia was pretty much the ONLY contestant in the show's history who had a truly UNIQUE voice. It wasn't affected like many girls who audition. It was her. I loved it and hate the many phonies who try to emulate it.

 

Also we need some Rebecca Loebe love. Her audition of Come As You Are was hauntingly amazing and was a pure example of what this show wanted to be. A show about talented ARTISTS not just your run of the mill singing competition.

 

I do miss the original songs in the finale. Inventing Shadows and Stitch by Stitch were pretty good.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Lily Adler

[SnarkGhost]

Lily have you ever checked out any of Rebecca Loebe's music on Spotify (or your music streaming service of choice)?  

 

Check out the "Bees & Zombies" E.P.   It's really really good.  She is one of a small handful of Voice contestants who I think have very strong writing skills.

[Lily Adler]

Thanks! I'll check it out.

[photo fox]

I really liked Rebecca Loebe. She should have gone much farther in the competition, IMO. I think in Season 1 the coaches were still thinking about the battles in terms of "who impressed me most on this song" and not "who is the strongest competitor going forward".

 

That battle between Dia and Serabee was god-awful. I still remember how frankly pissed Blake seemed at the end of that. He (and Reba) practically apologized to Dia afterward.

[viajero]

One thing that strikes me about this season after going back and watching many of the performances was that Casey Weston was much better than I remembered.  At the time I barely noticed her, probably because most of my attention was focused on Dia, Xenia, Vicci and Nakia.  But she really was one of the better country singers they've had on The Voice.  Her Black Horse & Cherry Tree was probably the best cover of that song I've heard on one of these shows.  Her battle round also turned out to be probably my second favorite that season after Vicci-Nikki.  And to think that no chairs turned around for her on her first audition and she only got through to the battles because that season they ended up giving several contestants a second chance so as to fill out the teams.

 

I also liked that they included original songs.  Inventing Shadows actually became a hit in a few South-East Asian countries.

Edited May 3, 2014 by viajero

[kj4ever]

I wish they'd put this season on Netflix or something.  I know there are big issues with song rights and all that, but seeing it in pieces on You Tube is just not the same.