'The Voice' recap: It's back, and bigger than ever

Garrett Gardner, 16, who sang CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," failed to spin any chairs -- even though he's an ironic example of how, sometimes, it's better to see the person before you hear them sing. That's just how pleasantly surprising his old, gravelly voice was, coming from such a young and unblemished and unlined face.

Anita Antoinette, a recent Berkley grad, also failed to spin any chairs with her take on Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," but brought the audience to its feet when prompted by the judges to sing the Marley tune again, this time a cappella and with all the emotion she'd been holding back. It still felt triumphant.

Other important takeaways:

Simon Cowell is apparently greatly displeased by NBC's decision to extend the premiere week of "The Voice" to an admittedly exorbitant three nights, overlapping with the premiere of Cowell's show Wednesday. Tough cookies, Simon. Guys, watch "The Voice" instead -- it's far superior.

Also, Cee Lo now has a cockatoo. Her name is Lady. That is all.