Diamond in the Rough

The hopefuls got to sing two songs each tonight, but the catch -- they both had to be Neil Diamond songs. Like so many of the great songwriters, Diamond’s songs only became famous after being covered by other artists. For instance UB40’s “Red Red Wine,” Barbra Streisand’s "You Don’t Bring Me Flowers" or Urge Overkill’s “Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon” from Pulp Fiction. Would the contestants fare as well?

Round One [The contestants weren’t officially “judged” until after their second performance, although Ryan allowed them a very brief critique before cutting to commercial.]

Jason Castro kicked off the night with “Forever in Blue Jeans” during which he shocked everyone by strumming a guitar!
Randy: OK
Simon: not good

David Cook rocked out to “I’m Alive.” It really could have been a Grammy performance. He’s the only contestant left with any originality or with any understanding of what it takes to be a star. You can’t just cover a song. You have to own it. Jennifer Hudson didn’t just re-sing “And I Am Telling You.” She sAng it – so well it brought the ditty’s original songstress out of retirement to try to reclaim her Diva crown.
Randy: great
Simon: just above average

Brooke White’s first attempt was “I’m a Believer,” during which she, too, stunned America by strumming the guitar. I liked Eddie Murphy’s rendition in Shrek much better. It was, pun intended, more believable.
Randy: better than last week, still karaoke
Simon: a nightmare

David A. decided to sing “Sweet Caroline” and actually put a little soul into it. America
and September Morn
Randy: the bomb
Simon: all right

Syesha Mercado sang “Hello Again.” Vocally, I thought she did an OK job. I have to admit… I now see what some critics have said about her Diva-like attitude. She does seem to pick the Whitney-esque songs, which would be fine if … she could sing like Whitney. But she’s not there yet. Pick an easy song for once girl!
Randy: good vocals but not your best
Simon: old fashioned

Paula got so confused, she commented on David’s two song choices before he had even sung the second. If tonight wasn’t proof that this woman is ripe for an intervention, I don’t know what is. She obviously has no family or friends or they would have pulled a Dr. Phil on her ass a long time ago.


Round Two

Huh? Oh sorry, I dozed off for a minute while Jason Castro was singing “September Morn.” Is that the taste of throw-up in my mouth?
Randy: Duuuuude. Nuff said.
Simon: There was no attempt to make the arrangement your own. You struggled through both performances.

David Cook tried to show us his soft side on “All I Really Need Is You.” But it wasn’t really “soft.” I would have liked to see him step outside his Creed comfort zone and sing something really soft and/or bluesy. But all in all, he still stands head and shoulders above the rest of those guys.
Randy: You rocked the house.
Simon: I thought the first song was OK. I thought the second song was brilliant. You made it sound like that song was made this year.

Brooke White. I want to smack her. She wrote the “tricky lyrics” to “I Am I Said” in her palm so she wouldn’t forget. And then she really went crazy and … played the piano. She is so not Sara Bareilles.
Randy: tough vocals, nice job
Simon: really, really hated the first song. But this is the Brooke we like. It wasn’t incredible but it was a million times better than the first song. Well done.

What the he&*!! kinda backhanded compliment was that?!

The All-American boy sang “America.” I’m as patriotic as the next gal, but this song annoys the crap out of me. And even more so when Gizmo sings it.
Randy: I think Randy has a boy crush on this kid. He never had a bad word to say.
Simon: That was a smart choice of song. Very clever.

[Notice – I haven’t included any Paula comments because she has become so irrelevant, I’d be surprised if she lasts another season. She’s like the Janice Dickinson of the show – so over-the-top that the joke (which is always on her) isn’t even funny anymore.]

Syesha tried to channel her inner Tina Turner with “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime.”
She’s no Tina either…
Randy: I like you in this. He’s pretty much destined her to be cut with all his “you’d be perfect for Broadway” references.
Paula (I have to note this – said Syesha could be a mix between Corinne Bailey Rae and Minnie Riperton (who, by the way, is SNL Maya Rudolph’s mom) Is Paula for real???? Yeah, Real crazy.)
Simon: I think you might be in trouble tonight. I don’t think you had a really memorable second song like the others tonight.

Simon’s right. Syesha is going home tomorrow. Jason Castro deserves to go, but he won’t. Brooke will go next week. Then Jason. It’ll come down to the two Davids and David Archuleta will win. BUT David Cook will be the only one to have a sustainable career.

They Say the Neon Lights Are Bright ...

Dust off your tap shoes and practice your jazz hands. It’s Broadway night kids!

The Idol-hopefuls traveled to Las Vegas to get schooled by this week’s inspiration and celebrity mentor, the legendary Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.

At the start of the show, Randy predicted that this would be the most difficult week of the competition. And for some it was. But others saw this as an opportunity to shine.

Enter Syesha Mercado.

Syesha’s choice of “One Rock n Roll Too Many” from the New Starlight Express was ironic considering she doled out just enough rock n roll to please the crowd and the judges. Randy said it was her best performance ever. Simon said it was the first time her personality came through and called the performance “very sexy.” And for good reason. They straightened her hair into a sultry 20s updo and poured her into a fire engine red dress. Combine that with animated and near-flawless vocals and this could be the performance that gives her that “New Hampshire bump” she needs to stay viable in this contest. She’s still tops for me, and I still think she’s the only one left in this contest (besides maybe David Cook) who is actually marketable.

Jason, Jason, Jason. “Memories?!” Lord Webber says he never imagined a guy with dreadlocks singing “Memories.” (from Cats) In fact, the singer gave Webber “a little bit of a jolt.” On Jason’s interpretation of the classic, “He kind of understood it, I think” After this pitiful attempt, Jason might as well be singing about his stint on the show cuz surely this is his last night. Randy called his vocals “a bit of a train wreck.” But he was really nice about it. Even Paula couldn’t clean this up… Simon said it seemed forced and suggested that both he and Jason were miserable during what he suspected were “the longest two minutes of [Jason’s] life.”

Brooke White, the resident hippie, chose “You Must Love Me” from Evita. Webber said he didn’t think Brooke “had a clue what she was singing about.” Thankfully, he filled her in. This was a good choice. Evita was made into a mainstream movie and so most people remember Madonna’s rendition of the song. Not hard to compete with the vocal stylings of the Material Girl. Or is it? She started off strong but started to unravel midway. Paula’s criticism was that she stopped mid-verse and started again (Brooke said because she forgot the words) BUT interestingly enough, Brooke was praised for stopping and starting again three weeks ago. Simon called it brave again this week. But this critic calls it sloppy. Kind of like Paula was during the rest of her critique. What the heck was she talking about?????

OK, how many kids are in David A’s family?? I keep forgetting he’s Mormon. Not that I find anything wrong with Mormonism. My issue is with having that many kids – period.
So David tackled “Think of Me” from Phantom of the Opera. It was OK -- very “adult contemporary.” Like if Michael Bolton were to sing Broadway. Randy says he’s the one to beat and Simon called his performance “pleasant” adding that it was not his strongest. L’il David has skills, no doubt about it. I just don’t know if they will easily transfer to a mainstream (and mostly young, fickle and Pop-crazy) audience.
Maybe he and his 8,000 siblings can form a Mormon Jackson 5.

Carly Smithson started to sing a Phantom song, but Lord Webber stopped her and persuaded her to sing “Superstar” from Jesus Christ Superstar instead, She looked the part. (I want that dress) She sang the part. And she almost won the part. Simon called it one of the best performances of the night. Girls 2, Boys 0.
*But then she flashed her “Simon Loves Me (this week)” T-shirt and lost half a point. How presumptuous! Girls 1.5, Boys, 0. With last week’s “come on over” gesture to safe but definitely not sound David A and then this week’s T-shirt stunt, she’s turning into the one (everyone wants) to beat.

David Cook ended the show with “Music of the Night” from Phantom. Webber (who I am LOVING for his British/theatrical candor. He could give Simon a run for his money.) said if David could show some emotion when he sings “maybe it will work.” Dang Andy, tell us how you really feel. I’m normally a David Cook fan, but I didn’t get this performance. It’s one of those songs that, I think, needs the set and costuming to bring it to life. But the judges thought otherwise and gave him a very positive critique. But hey, I like Big David, so hopefully he’ll stick around for another week.

By the way, what happened to the green-powered finale?

If “America” chooses reason over “rhyme,” then Brooke, Jason and David Cook will be in the bottom three. And Jason will go home.

But I have a feeling the bottom three will be Brooke, Jason and Syesha (I don’t know why “America” isn’t feeling Syesha). Jason will unfortunately stick around for another week. And they’ll go ahead and send Brooke home.

Come to MiMi

Me and Mariah
Go back like
babies with pacifiers
RIPODB

So, tonight’s celebrity coach is the one, the only Mariah Carey (see Six Degrees). Of course, it’s no coincidence that the high-octave diva was scheduled for tonight’s contest. Her 11th studio album E=MC2 dropped today (I pre-ordered last weekend, so it should be arriving soon! I’ll post a review later) as one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year. OK, moderately anticipated. And in homage to MiMi, the Idols are tackling some of her greatest hits, of which (by the way) there are some 18 number ones – more than any other solo artist in history. Plus she’s Randy Jackson’s BFF and FND (favorite name drop).

Interestingly enough, Ryan opened up the show with a “disclaimer” about last week’s elimination. He warned “America” that apathetic voting could cause another fan favorite to go home early. Hey – the Democrats should use that line.

Mariah showed up in true diva fashion – little dog in tow. But I was impressed at how fully clothed she was. And I was also impressed that she was actually giving the contestants real vocal coaching. Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime … voice lessons from “The Voice.”

Disclaimer #2: Ryan and Randy considered the difficulty of singing a “Whitney” or a “Mariah” and how usually contestants are advised against it. And later Simon commented “we won’t be seeing a lot of laughs tonight.” Makes you wonder if they’d been sitting in on rehearsals.

David Archuleta tackled “When You Believe” (her duet with Whitney from the Prince of Egypt soundtrack) and the judges were impressed. Even Simon had praise for the cutie patutie. Mind you, he steered clear of the verses, which are probably the most moving and most difficult parts of that song – especially Mariah’s verse. But I thought it was an OK opener, and he’ll probably end up in the top 3. Hear the original.

Carly Smithson singing Mariah – what a strange combination. But not nearly as strange, though, as her lengthy lamentation of Michael Johns. What’s up with that????!!! Carly chose “Without You”which in my opinion is cheating because it’s actually a cover of a song originally recorded by Badfinger and then covered by Harry Nilsson only to be covered again by Mariah. But it was an obvious choice for the songstress who has become the resident screamer, a la Pat Benetar. The judges weren’t impressed; they didn’t think she lived up to her potential. Smithson needs to make a believer out of Simon. But I was so glad to see her looking soft(er) and feminine in her periwinkle dress WITH SLEEVES! (is that sexist?) Hear the original.

OMG! When I heard Syesha was singing “Vanishing” (from Mariah’s self-titled debut album), I got so excited. This is by far my absolute favorite Mariah song and has secretly been the one song I’d sing for my own Idol audition (stop laughing) since the show began. Could she pull it off? Could she capture the emotion? That would be a resounding YES – I couldn’t have sung it better myself. And I’m so glad. As the remaining member of the “underrepresented population,” I need her to stick around. Simon had a good point though – it’s always tough when the audience doesn’t know the song, but that’s what’s so cool about this show – it introduces these kids (13-year-old girls) to some really great music. I wouldn’t have changed a thing – I thought it was a perfect choice. Now that Michael Johns is gone (booo!), Syesha is my ultimate fave. She’s got the whole package – the pipes, the body, the face, the hair. Rihanna – watch out. For a while, I thought Simon was just hatin’, but I remembered he did the same thing to Fantasia. And look how that turned out. Hear the original.

Brooke White – have a little whine with that cheese? Let’s see … life-changing opportunity? Sister’s dumb wedding? What a choice. And speaking of choices … “Hero”? Come on!!! How typical. And in my opinion, the only redeeming factor of that song was the piano playing, and there was nothing complicated about that. For one thing, she rushed the song. If she were trying to up the tempo, sure … but I don’t think she was doing that. Let’s see what Randy says … Randy attributed it to a lack of confidence. (Or talent.) Paula agreed with me – that she sped the song up. Simon compared it to a meatless burger … Where’s the beef, Brooke? Where’s the beef? And what’s with this whole singer-songwriter business? Everybody who sits at a piano is not a singer-songwriter. Hear the original.

Christie Lee Cook chose “Forever,” another little-known Mariah ballad from the Daydream album. This was a great choice for Christie and I applaud her for knowing it. The song already has a slight twang so it didn’t seem like she was countryfying a soul ballad. Considering I regard her in the same light as Kelly Pickler, I have to say I thought she did a pretty good job. The judges weren’t as kind. Too bad. Hear the original.

David Cook worked it out on “Always Be My Baby.” I’m still rooting for Syesha, but if he ends up in the final two, I won’t be mad at him at all. His soft-rock rendition of this playful pop-tart was really cool. I mean really cool as in hold your lighters in the air and wave ‘em like you just don’t care “cool.” I wouldn’t have known it was the same song – but I liked it just as much as the original. It reminded me of 80s rock ballads like Guns and Roses November Rain – sweet and sinister all at the same time. And isn’t that what makes a great cover? That the artist can have a totally different vision of the song while maintaining the integrity of the lyrics. Bravo David. Bravo. The judges were even more complimentary. He received a standing “o” from Randy and Simon says he’s like a “breath of fresh air after coming out of karaoke hell.” Hear the original.

Jason Castro … and here is another artist looking for the words to describe him. Dolly called him “funky.” Mariah called him “interesting and different.” He chose “I Don’t Wanna Cry” from Mariah’s first CD and totally altered the arrangement to add Cuban/reggae undertones. But unlike David before him, he stripped the song of its essence. He dumbed down what is an absolutely dynamic song. I mean this song will bring chills every time I hear it. She sings “I don’t wanna cry, don’t wanna cry” and I feel like crying. Jason’s version made me want to cry, but for different reasons. Randy wasn’t impressed, either. But surprisingly, Simon praised his originality. Hear the original.


Simon was on the money though when he said the boys outshone the girls. I think that’s been a trend and now, I am officially eating my words. In one of the first posts, I ranted that the boys couldn’t hold a candle to the girls and were taking up valuable space in the top 12. Oh, how the script has flipped ….

In the words of Miss Tyra Banks: So who goes home? The girl who seems to have everything – looks, voice, personality -- but who just can’t seem to package it in a way that impresses the judges? Or the girl who gets better and better every week, but who the judges feel still has too far to go at this stage in the competition?

____, you’re still in the running to become the next American Idol.

Who do you guys think will (or should) go home tomorrow night? Chime in, and let’s see whose predictions come true.

(use the comments field)

Not Very Inspiring

Guest Blogger Kevin Litwin

Tuesday was called Inspiration Night on American Idol, with contestants choosing songs they especially enjoy. I liked a couple of the performances, was bored by many of them, and disliked two or three.
Since Teree asked me to guest blog this week, I'm going to rate the performances from best to worst -- in my opinion. Here goes:

David Archuleta
David is the contestant I want to win it all, so he has to really butcher a song for me not to like his performance. He sang the gospel song Angels, and did a good job.
Randy said it was David's hottest moment of the whole season, calling it “crazy hot.”
Paula simply said that Randy's words summed it up for her, and Simon said it was the best song choice of the night, but not David's best vocal ever.
“But I'm nit-picking here because you are going to sail through to the next round,” Simon said.

Kristy Lee Cook
Kristy Lee Cook with the second-best performance of the night? Yes, she did very well because she stuck to country music, which she sings with ease. She sang Anyway by Martina McBride, and all three judges raved about it.
“I thought you were very, very good indeed,” Simon said. “Tonight, you look like a star. Very smart song choice by you.”

Syesha Mercado
I thought she did okay, but not great. She sang I Believe by Fantasia, and Randy called her out on it.
“You took on a tiger of a song that Fantasia sings the living daylights out of, and you didn't,” Randy said.
However, Paula said it was one of Syesha's most shining nights, while Simon questioned the choice of song.
“Last week you take on Whitney, and this week Fantasia. I would actually like to know what you, yourself, are all about,” Simon said.

David Cook
Okay, I've run out of contestants I thought performed well last night, so next comes David Cook. He sang Innocent by a band called Our Lady Peace, and I thought he was adequate. However, my wife thought it sounded monotone and bland.
“I'm a huge fan of yours, but I’m not sure if this was one of your strongest weeks,” Randy said.
Simon agreed.
“I didn't like this performance very much at all, and actually thought it was a teensy, weensy bit pompous,” Simon said.
I don't know what that means, but I usually agree with Simon so I guess David Cook was pompous.

Jason Castro
I just don't like this guy to begin with, but everybody seemed to enjoy his Somewhere Over the Rainbow performance, accompanied by a ukulele. Singing about lemon drops and bluebirds? It was so bizarre that the 14-year-old girls in the mosh pit weren’t even waving their hands ,like the producers tell them to do each song.
“I thought it was fantastic,” Simon said.
But I sure didn't. I would have given him a zero out of 10, but I’m not on the judging panel.

THE BOTTOM THREE
Brooke White
She sang You've Got a Friend by Carole King. What a yawnfest – and I like Brooke.
“It was okay, but not one of your best performances,” Randy said.
“Was it nice? Yes. Was it original? No. Was it pleasant? Yes,” Simon said.

Michael Johns
He sang Dream On by Aerosmith, and he stunk.
“I don’t like when you do an impersonation of a rock star,” Simon said. “I thought it was a little wannabe-ish.”
Randy concurred.
“There were some pitch problems and you aren't anything like Aerosmith,” he said.

Carly Smithson
I thought she gave a pathetic rendition of The Show Must Go On by Queen, but I probably hated it because Queen is one of my top-5 favorite bands ever.
“I think you oversang it, and you actually lost control of the song,” Simon said. “It came off as an angry performance that was out of kilter with the inspirational theme of the evening. You might be in a bit of trouble after tonight.”

Whew. This blogging is work.
Sweet T -- it's all yours.

I'm Back

OK, so it’s Dolly Parton night… I guess Idol could do worse. At least it wasn’t another Beatles night. And Dolly is still relevant. Even Maimee knows who she is… In her words “She plays Hannah Montana’s godmother, and she owns Dollywood.” (Maimee’s favorite place on earth) And quiet as it's kept, I'm a big Dolly fan. Don't let the big chest and blond hair fool you -- that lady's got soul. The Beatles are the opposite of soul. (Sorry, Jeff, I'll get off the Beatles)

So, Brooke White opened with her version of Jolene. And I thought she did a pretty good job. I think Randy was right about the pitchiness in places, but overall, I thought it was a solid performance. Way better than some.

David’s Little Sparrow rocked! Metaphorically speaking. He’s one of the most versatile performers to come through the Idol process. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately – look at Chris Daughtry) he won’t win for that very reason. America loves to put people in boxes.

Ramiele is a mystery to me. If she were drop dead gorgeous, I could understand how she keeps making it through every week. But she’s not. Bless her homely heart.

And what’s up with Simon’s constant reference to cruise ships … think he needs a vacation?

Dolly described Jason Castro as funky (not funny) looking …. nuff said. OK, I’ll say this last thing: I would pay good money to take some scissors to those natty turd plaits. I’m sure Bob Marley is turning over in his grave!

Ooh Dollywood plug! Simon mentioned losing his season pass to Dollywood … was just there Saturday. Chillin with the glass blowers, eating some taffy and funnel cakes …

I have nothing against tattoos, but it’s like Carly is trying to force her “coolness” it down our throats –do they not have any shirts or dresses with sleeves? Don’t get me wrong, I think she has an awesome voice, but I’m not sure if she has the whole package. For that matter, I’m not sure any of them are “American Idols” except maybe Sayesha, but America’s trying to get rid of her –what’s up with that.

Speaking of former Idols and the total package –saw the Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown No Air video for the first time this morning. Little Jordin looked so grown up and cute.

David Archeletta is another one who has an awesome voice, but might not look so hot in a video … and that’s what it’s really about. That is if American Idol wants to continue its tradition of turning out pop stars. If they want to turn out radio performers (Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks), then David’s their man. It’s not right, but that’s the business.

Kristy Lee Cook …. Kelly Pickler 2.0

Sayesha -- can't say the girl don't have guts --to tackle a Dolly/Whitney song ... I didn't think she'd pull it off, but considering the size of this song, I thought she performed pretty well. And her hair looked amazing ...

But just when I had made up my mind who I would vote for, Michael Johns blew me away with It's All Wrong, But It's All Right (amen!) ... he has that blue-eyed soul thing going on, and Sweet T is liking it.

My predictions for Wednesday's elimination: either Brooke or Sayesha ... like the song says, it's all wrong, but it's all right.

You know who I'd like to see them cover -- Aretha Franklin or Lionel Richie (Lionel Richie is one of the most prolific songwriters of our time...) And how cool would it be if they covered Prince songs? Brooke (if she's still here) could sing Nothing Compares to You. Ramiele could try and belt out If I Was Your Girlfriend. Carly could throw down on How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore. David A would sound great on something sultry like The Ladder, and .... you know what, I don't think there are enough PG-rated Prince songs to choose from ... Oh well.

Ain't Nothin Like the Real Thing

Dolly Parton, Coat of Many Colors

Dolly Parton, Jolene

Dolly Parton, I Will Always Love You

Dolly Parton, Here You Come Again

Dolly Parton, Travelin Thru