Too much of a good thing can be too much of a good thing. Much the same way that your second doughnut does not taste nearly as good as the first one, two straight weeks of “American Idol” contestants singing Beatles songs was a bit, say, watered down? Or maybe they all just chose the wrong songs. However you slice it, last night was a bit disappointing. Let’s go to the recap….
THE GOOD
David Archuleta was very good last night, and back to form, but I was not nearly as impressed as Simon Cowell was. David sang “The Long and Winding Road” and it was about an 8 out of 10 on my Archuleta scale. Randy said David was back to his game but that it was a bit safe, Paula said David is identifiable, and Simon said that while last week David’s performance was a mess, this week he was “amazing.” Seriously, I was practically insulted by that…but still, this kid is really good.
David Cook was once again “amazing”…sorry, Simon. He sang “Day Tripper” and strapped on his guitar as usual. Let me say this now…David Cook might be the best singer this season. He did what he called the Whitesnake version of the song, and it really didn’t matter….he knocked it out of the park. He also did this self-indulgent Peter Frampton mouth-guitar thing, which was a bit distracting but adventurous. Randy said it wasn’t David’s best but solid, Paula said he has a great voice, and Simon thought it was a bit smug. Regardless, the guy is moving on to next week.
Carly Smithson sang “Blackbird” and I personally thought it was awesome. She used dynamics to perfection and it was a bit of a diversion from what we’re used to from Carly. Randy said she had nice control and emotion, Paula said Carly has amazing tone, and Simon disagreed, saying it was not a smart song choice and was “indulgent.” I don’t agree with Simon and I’m sure that neither does America. BUT….Carly had to argue her point with Simon before he even finished critiquing her. That was really annoying.
THE IN-BETWEEN
Amanda Overmyer kicked things off last night, which automatically puts her at a disadvantage. She sang “Back in the USSR,” and it was, well, Amanda. She did sound like she was kind of shouting and straining, but still pretty solid. Randy said it was a good song choice but pitchy in spots, Paula said it was pitchy but that Amanda connected with the audience well, and Simon said it was predictable and a “mess in parts.” The key word is “predictable,” because what that means is Amanda does the same style every week, and it’s getting a bit monotonous. We need a ballad, girl.
Brooke White came out in a yellow dress with yellow lights and sang “Here Comes The Sun.” Aww. Well, it was just okay…but I will say this….Kristy Lee Cook probably wishes she had Brooke’s pipes.
Randy said it was a bit awkward, Paula said Brooke has good vocal tone and always makes her smile, and Simon thought it was terrible with horrible dancing, and “forgettable.” Ouch, I hate that word, but probably not as much as Brooke does right now. Still, I am a Brooke fan and I have to believe she has a lot more fans out there to keep her in this thing.
Jason Castro sang “Michelle” and admitted that he didn’t realize there were French lyrics in the song.
Yikes. Then he proceeded to sing, and here’s a guy that you just can’t not like. Maybe it’s the fact that you feel like you’re watching “Sesame Street” and the guy is Kermit the Frog disguised as Jason Castro.
It was pretty good, but not amazing. Randy thought it was a good choice but that Jason didn’t quite connect, Paula said he has a distinct charm but that it was a bit awkward, and Simon thought it was weird but that Jason did a good job selling the song. He then made a comment that maybe doing the Beatles again was a bad idea all around…..Simon understands the doughnut theory!
Syesha Mercado looked great with her hair straightened and with a nice dress but she showed her cleavage to the point that it was distracting. It was just her and that bald dude playing guitar, and it was pretty good. Still, the song was a bit bigger than Syesha. Randy thought it was very good, Paula said it was a nice change and showed vulnerability, and Simon thought it was not incredible but still one of Syesha’s best performances.
Chikezie did a weird version of “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” and even learned how to play the harmonica just for this. Um, bad idea. The arrangement was half-ballad, half country romp, but still, the dude can sing his ass off. Randy thought it was good and bad, Paula said Chikezie is showing who he is, and Simon thought that it started okay but became “gimmicky.” Exactly.
Ramiel Mallubay sang “Should’ve Known Better” and while I want to say it was show-tuney and not very entertaining, Ramiel’s voice is so good that it almost makes you forget that. She definitely wasn’t as bad as Kristy, which I’ll get to shortly. Randy said it was happy and confident, but just okay. Paula said it was better than last week and that Ramiel has a great voice, and Simon said it was a mediocre song choice and a bit amateurish.
THE BAD
Michael Johns chose “A Day In The Life,” a song with about six different parts that he had to condense into 90 seconds. It wasn’t horrible, but definitely rough in spots….and just too disjointed considering the dynamics of the song. Randy said it was not the right song, and that Michael has not connected lately, Paula said Michael sounded better in rehearsal (ouch), and Simon thought it was a “mess,” that Michael didn’t hit all the notes and that the song choice made things too complicated. I like this dude but he does keep choosing the wrong song, making his exit a possibility tonight.
Kristy Lee Cook knows she sucks, and they showed her being in the bottom 2 or 3 the last few results shows, proving that she really doesn’t quite belong. Then, she proved it more, taking on “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.” Holy crap, was it bad….she didn’t even sing the melody properly in the chorus, and maybe that’s because Kristy only heard the song for the first time this past week. Randy said it was interesting but not emotive, and kind of boring. Paula said she looked nice but that it was a safe choice. Simon said it was not a good performance and kind of like “wallpaper”….meaning, you notice it but don’t remember it. Kristy has clearly gotten by on her good looks to this point, but enough is enough, and I have to believe she’s going home tonight.
So there you have it….Kristy Lee Cook should be a lock to go home tonight, but I’m never fully convinced about how America will see it. Therefore, I’m going to say Michael, Ramiel, Chikezie, and even Brooke or Amanda have a shot at being eliminated as well. We’ll find out tonight, when Kellie Pickler’s boobs sing us a song (remember last year, she was made up to look like a young Dolly Parton?). See you all tomorrow…..
