American Idol 2011 - Two Finalists Compete

Lauren Alaina & Scotty McCreery

The show opens with quite the dramatic flair, with scenes of former winners and the current contestants as children. There has been plenty of talk blowing up on the internet that Lauren might be unable to perform this evening due to illness, but Idol is seldom light on drama and rumor. That is put away quite quickly, as Scotty and Lauren come walking out hand-in-hand. There is the doctor discussing a blown-out vocal chord, which doesn't sound good. There will be three rounds, the first being the contestants favorite song of the season. The second is the contestants own 'idol' will choose for them, and finally, the 'winning' single will be the final leg.

Scotty starts by reprising Gone, the up-tempo song by Montgomery Gentry. Scotty does a nice job, just I have to say the song gets a little lost in the ruckus of the opening number. Still, a strong showing for Scotty.



Lauren Alaina is up next, and she is singing Carrie Underwood's Flat On The Floor. There is a rough texture to her voice tonight that is actually a bonus. She does a nice job, and is fighting for her place in the show.



After the song, she is standing beside Crusty, bouncing, a bit wound up. After the break, Scotty is ready to perform, and his Idol, George Strait, picked Check Yes Or No. Scotty is nailing the song, until the chorus, when he kinda fades a bit. It certainly isn't sitting in the sweet spot of his voice. But he returns to form for the verse, which is a good thing.



After the break, we find out Carrie Underwood is Lauren's idol, and she picks Maybe It Was Memphis by the great Pam Tillis. I have to say, Lauren is nailing this song.



They take a moment to let the judges drone on and on with a bunch of nothing that says it is a tied game at this point, once again refusing to really give the opinion for which they are theoretically paid... Randy & Jennifer say first round to Scotty and second to Lauren, while Steven gives both to Lauren, cause she is prettier. Then we had a drive-by processing of Taio Cruz's voice on some song the audience helped to write, Positive. For me, the experience di not live up to the title.

Scotty comes back to sing his final song, the first single, I Love You This Big. I can't help but think of Hallmark Precious Moments statues with this title, and am afraid. The song was picked by Jimmy Iovine, who is quite happy with the song. The song starts out like a Randy Travis number, which is perfect for Scotty. He is standing still in the center of the stage, with videos of his Idol journey playing and him playing baseball on the screens behind him. Again, when it comes to the chorus, he chokes it back a bit, but I bet in the studio Jimmy can get that all fixed. Randy calls it a brilliant vocal, which astounds me. Jennifer calls his a storyteller, and thought he did well. Steven puts out a bunch of sports metaphors to say he did well. They take a break and Lauren will sing her final song when they return. I could find no video for this song, so I got nothing.

Lauren's 'first single' is Like My Mother Does. It is a song first performed by former AI Finalist, Kristy Lee Cook. She starts the song a bit tentative, but quickly gets it under control, and takes command of the stage. She leaves the stage, and joins her mother in the audience. She returns to the stage to finish out the song. I love the way she takes the Country and puts a bit of Pop polish on it.



In an interesting twist, the judges comments show Randy pontificating while still saying nothing. Jennifer calls it for Lauren, as does Steven Tyler. They return to the stage, and when pushed, Randy says Lauren wins round three, while Jennifer backpedals, calling it even. Steven says it is hands-down Lauren's night. I have to say, I agree with Steven, but think Scotty is still going to win. The voting will go on for 4 hours. To close out the night, Season 7 winner David Cook comes out to sing Don't You Forget About Me, which has played for the exiting contestants all season long. Well, all I have to say is I tahnkfully could find a clip of Jim Kerr and Simple Minds on the original.

American Idol Top 3 Perform

Left to right: Haley, Scotty & Lauren.

The show starts off with short clips of the kids going to their homecoming celebrations last week. Crusty also tells us James had a homecoming as well, and showed a picture of him signing autographs. But they get down to business rather quickly, as Crusty tells us there will be three songs - a contestant choice, a Jimmy Iovine choice, and a Judges choice. But he also tells us the schedule is a bit different next week, with the performances on Tuesday night, and the results on Wednesday night. With 9 performances tonight, they need to get to the job at hand, which seems to be a long video intro for a woman who needs no introduction, Beyonce. She will be helping the kids this week, a job she i looking forward to doing.



Scotty is up first, and he choices to tackle Lonestar's Amazed. He does a nice enough job with it, although there were some broken and lost notes there tonight. He was pushing his limited range, and it showed. I also look forward to the day he sings from his heart, not his memory.



Lauren is up next, and she chooses Wild One by Faith Hill. Beyonce liked her, but gave her advice to get out of her own way, to psyche herself up. It is funny, but I really start to enjoy Lauren performing when she builds a bit, but then backs away from the song and her own voice. I think she could do it, if she would just try...



Haley is next. She tells Beyonce she is singing Led Zeppelin's What Is And What Should Never Be. She has her father son stage with her, playing the guitar. During the middle of her performance she takes a spill, but gets up ready to go. She is taking the song the best she can, and is actually out-singing the other two. The judges loved her, and commented on how she commanded the stage.



In fact, when asked by Crusty, they all think Haley has taken the first round, spills and all. When they return after the break, we see Scotty's audition run in full before we go to Jimmy Iovine and find out he chose Thompson Square's Are You Going To Kiss Me Or Not. It is a cute choice, and Scotty seems quite happy. He does a nice job, even feeling it a bit. Nicely picked by Jimmy, he gave it a kids feel, which was nice to see. It could have been his best of the season to date, at least for me.



After the break, we are backstage and Crusty is watching Lauren get makeup applied to her legs, as her panty hose ran. She is embarrassed, but the show must go on. This leads us to seeing the audition when she sang with Steven. Jimmy Iovine picks Perry's If I Die Young, and thinks she should keep it light and happy, cause things tend to scare Lauren a bit. Come time to sing, she starts off a little shy, but builds with the song. By the end, she is really delivering the goods.



The judges see it a bit different than I do, and find the beginning to be the good part, and when she finally added something to it to be the bad part. Oh well. After the break, we discover Haley is singing Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon, thanks to Mr Iovine. She does a very nice job with the song, which might not have been the best call by Jimmy. The others had somewhat unknown singers, while Haley had to compete with the image of the incomparable Stevie Nicks. The judges all said she was good, obviously being polite about being unimpressed.



It is time for Crusty to check in with the judges, and this time there is a split decision. Steven picks Lauren, while Jennifer and Randy go with Scotty. Then it is time to pay Beyonce back for spending an hour with the kids, and we watch the world premiere of her new video, Run The World (Girls).



After the break, we are back with Scotty, and see that while he was home, he got the Judge's Choice via a text. He will be singing Kenny Roger's She Believes In Me. He kicks it off a little tentative, and there was a pitch problem throughout the song. It was a bit disappointing after the last performance.



However, the judges see it differently, and think he was great. Crusty talks to his father, ripping a bit more emotion out of the situation, and even asked Dad to sing so he could have the Josh Turner moment of his own.

During her trip home, Lauren finds out she is going to sing Lee Ann Womack's I Hope You Dance for her last song. She does a nice job, but mainly cause the song doesn't have a bold moment, more of a quiet loveliness. She did a nice job, but it wasn't as impressive as I'd like to hear, but that was at least in part due to the song.



The judges love it, and Jennifer discards Haley's performance and gives the round to Lauren. Of course, I saw that coming, so she would have picked a different winner of each round. Steven and Randy loved it as well, and it seems the entire world but me are good friends with Ms. Womack. Just sayin'... After the break, we see Haley getting word on the song the judges want her to sing. She reads the text while in the limo, and she will be singing Alanis Morissette and her angry anthem, You Oughta Know. Where the judges trying to say something there?



The judges are kindly dismissive of Haley, commenting on amazing chorus', but problems on the rest. When asked, Steven gave round 3 to Haley, while Jennifer and Randy gave it to Lauren. That, of course, gave Randy and Jennifer a complete tie, with each contestant winning a round. Steven, on the other hand, went off the script, and gave Haley rounds 1 & 3, and Lauren round 2. However, on the recap, we are reminded she was the most consistent of the night. I would actually have to say Scotty won round 2, but was in the bottom on the other two. But there is no chance of Scotty going home, is there? I guess we will have to see tomorrow night when Crusty reveals the finalists for the 10th season of American Idol!

AI10 Today & Yesterday

For the tenth time in it's illustrious history, American Idol offers up a top five to the audience to enjoy, and then take an active role in their careers. James, Lauren, Jacob, Haley and Scotty will all be performing two songs this evening, one from our modern times, and one from the 60s. If there is a greater philosophy behind this, other than filling 90 minutes of airtime so Fox can charge a bun of money for commercials, it is lost on me. And since they decidedly left up without a clue as to the identity of the bottom 3 last week, all five of the remaining contestants are on equal footing, or at least that is the impression the producers want to give us. After all, until last week, we knew that Lauren, Scotty and James had not been in the bottom 3. Did that change last week, and they just didn't tell us? Or did Haley and Jacob complete the bottom 3, still leaving the record of the others unblemished? I doubt we'll ever know, but soon, we will know who was in good form, and who wasn't.

Everyone is introduced, and we find out that tonight is important, cause, as Randy says, America and the Judges want to know who is in it to win it. This tells me that I will soon be tiring of this statement, for Randy will be going there time after time. James starts out the evening with the contemporary entry, as he performs Closer To The Edge by 30 Seconds To Mars. He does a nice job, although there are times when he really drifts off the notes. I just find his technique to be really lacking at times, he can get pretty sloppy with his notes, and his breath control is lacking. Of course, the judges all love him, and see none of that. In fact, Randy calls 30 Seconds To Mars a great band, which is somewhat surprising...



Jacob is up next, and he picks No Air, by Jordin Sparks and features Chris Brown. Jacob goes it alone on the duet song, which was a beautiful one perfectly suited to the former AI champions voice. Not so perfect for Jacob. He is incredibly sharp and shrill, and makes a wonderful song and makes it a muddied mess. Jennifer seems to appreciate he has defined himself as the next Chris Brown, and ignores the bad performance. Surprisingly, Randy agrees with me, and he and J-Lo argue about who is right, rather than about the guy in front of them. Steven agrees, but with what, I am not sure.



Lauren is up next, and she is going to sing Flat On My Feet by Carrie Underwood, a true vocal powerhouse and winner of the fourth season of Idol. Cheryl Crow offers the useful advice that Lauren plant herself and sing the damn song, and when Lauren takes the stage, she really takes control of the stage. She owns it, and does a great job. The judges agree.



Scotty is next, singing Gone by Montgomery Gentry. Cheryl loves it, and thinks he sounds great. Frankly, I thought the song showed a certain thinness in his voice, a bit of a hole in his range. But it was certainly more energetic than I thought Scotty capable of being, at least on stage. Apparently, once again, I listen alone, as the judges drool over the performance, and is the 3rd outta four who is in it to win it. Sorry Jacob.



Haley is up next, and we are told she is singing an unreleased song by Lady GaGa, which fascinates me. How does Haley get to sing a song like that? Apparently, Jimmy Iovine suggested this song, which GaGa did at concerts, but not recorded yet. Haley got permission from GaGa herself to sing You And I. Cheryl Crow promises an elusive 'moment' on the show, and I think she sang it well, with perhaps the best vocals of the night. OF course, the judges see it differently. Jennifer thinks it was silly to sing a song no one knows, the audience isn't smart enough to see the singer. She Randy agrees, and even insults the song and Lady GaGa. Steven, as is often the case, says nothing.



James comes back to lead off the 'Songs of the 60s' portion of the night, and sings Harry Nilsson's Without You. That is a great song, and right up his alley. There is all kinds of slippage going on, moving from on key to sharp, and he loses his emotions, as well as a bit of vocal control. Again, he highlights his weaknesses. For the judges, however, not so much. Randy considers it his to lose at this point. Sure there were some bad notes, but that is OK. After all, it's not a singing competition, right? Steven also acknowledges the bum notes, but chooses to ignore them. Jennifer does the same, emphasizing the emotional mess of the situation. Got it.



Jacob sings Nazareth. Go figure. He sings Love Hurts, and hits some notes that are not anywhere on the paper, nor should they. He plows through much of the song, and then pulls out his bag of tricks at the end. What a steaming pot of mess. Shockingly, the judges see it differently, as an amazing performance that put him back in the competition.



Lauren is up next, and is singing Simon Cowell's favorite songs, Unchained Melody. It is a favorite of her parents, sung by the Righteous Brothers. She does a lovely job with it, but is a bit too tentative to me. No bad notes, but a bit hollow. However, the judges think it was beautiful, with nary a bad thought allowed.



Scotty sings Always On My Mind, by Elvis Presley. I think of it as a Willie Nelsen song, but hey, it is a great song. It is kinda sweet, and a bit vapid. A little weak at moments, but no bad notes. The judges love it, and think there is nothing to criticize. I cringe a bit when Crusty starts talking about there being some Puerto Rican in Scotty...



Haley will close out the show with some great 60s rock by The Animals. She will sing House Of The Rising Sun, a brilliant piece, to be sure. Cheryl convinces her to come out singing a cappella, and she just tears the house down. She sings the crap outta this song. Surprisingly enough, the judges agree, and call her the performance of the night. I just don't follow them.



The recap goes on, and it is very obvious that Jacob is the weak link of the night. I thought both performances went way outta control. But it also featured some wonky notes from James, and how Scotty was carried by the back up singers in his first song. The ladies had good edits on their songs, but who knows what America will do.... Guess we will learn tomorrow.

American Idol Top 6 Sing Carole King

Left to right: Haley, Scotty, James, Lauren, Casey & Jacob.

Normally I would run a photo of the judges directly below the kids, but thought about it, and with the terrible job the judges have done, I would let the kids stand alone at the top of the post, and then bring Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, along with little buddy Ryan "Crusty" Seacrest down here.



Tonight we are going to be hearing the music of legendary singer/songwriter Carole King. In the late 50s and early 60s, King partnered in music and in life with Gerry Goffin, and together they wrote some of the great music of the 60s. The list includes such hits as Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Loco-Motion, Go Away Little Girl, Don't Say Nothing Bad (About My Baby,), One Fine Day, Up On The Roof, Oh, No Not My Baby, Don't Bring Me Down, Pleasant Valley Sunday, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, You've Got A Friend, So Far Away, It's Too Late and countless others. Her songs ruled the charts in the 60s and 70s, and continued on. Tonight, not only will each contestant get the chance to sing a song of their choice, we will also be seeing three duets, making for 9 performances this evening. All songs part of the Carole King songbook.



Crusty comes on and introduces the kids one at a time, trying to heighten the excitement level. Soon, the judges are introduced, as is Crusty as he comes out on to the stage. He introduces a video that highlights the incredible success King has had since starting out some 50 years ago. We also discover Jimmy Iovine will have another friend joining him, Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds. That should mix it up a bit. I think he was a great choice for the night. Or any night, for that matter.

Jacob sings Oh No Not My Baby, originally sung by Maxine Brown in 1964. We get the "Lusky stank" on it, with the over-singing and endless runs. He buried a great song with a vocal floor show. When he fails, he tend to go sharp with his notes, which happened a few times tonight. As I would expect, Steven tells him it was beautiful, just what they were looking for. Jennifer acknowledges imperfection, but whitewashes it with praise. Randy tries the same, but speaks a bit more to the mistakes, and even points out the notes as sharp.



Lauren sings Where You Lead (I Will Follow), with music by King and lyrics by Toni Stern. I thought it was a nice choice, and pulled a song from the Tapestry album that held the Country flavor. Her voice did break a time or two, but she was extending herself more than ever before. I wouldn't say great, but I would say this was good. The judges seem to dwell on the voice cracking, coming off as a lukewarm endorsement.



Duet time, and there is Haley & Casey singing I Feel The Earth Move, also from Tapestry. This is not a song I thought would be a good idea to perform tonight, especially as a duet. Honestly, Haley sang rather well, and really expanded her comfort zone, adding jazz and real emotion. Casey does his thing, which I sincerely don't get. To me, he is cheese personified. Steven is the only judge to make a comment, and he loved it. Stunning news, right?



Scotty tries to do the unexpected, so he picks You've Got A Friend. I thought this song was bound to be a duet, mimicking what Carole and James Taylor do with it. Babyface tells him to soften the opening, which is a great idea. It is a great song, one that lends itself to a Country interpretation, but I am not sure about the performance. It got a little needy at the end, at least to my ear. Randy loved it, as did Steven. Jennifer was crazy about it too, saying storytelling is his strength.



James is going with a love song tonight. He picks Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, the first hit for Goffin/King in 1961. He is bringing out the electric guitar, and plans to rock out with it. While the song started nicely for him, the bridge was too low, and suffered. The last note also went awry for me as well. On the whole, I found it rather pedestrian. The crowd goes wild, as do the judges. Jennifer calls it the best of the night, and Randy says the best of the season, which already had two of the best performances ever, right? Ryan forces a moment when Randy says James might just win it all. Instead, I shall offer a cover of the song by the great Bryan Ferry.



Lauren and Scotty are teaming up, singing Up On The Roof. I really thought this would be a great song for Jacob. Scotty struggles with duets, and Lauren seems to to shine. It happens again tonight, and Jennifer points out Lauren sung her butt off, and that Scotty was there in support.



Casey sings Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll), originally sung by Blood, Sweat & Tears. This was so predictable for me. He takes a blues number and makes it into a 30s period jazz piece. As usual, I find his vocals to lack musicality. I struggle to hear the quality the judges seem to hear. Again, the



Next up is Haley, who is singing the Beautiful from the Tapestry album. It is an interesting choice, one I hadn't really thought about. A shortened edit on the song makes it a little frenetic, but Haley sings it well. OMG, I am thinking Haley is the best of the night tonight. Steven loved it - he's loved everything tonight so far - and Jennifer says she has the best voice on the show. Randy thought it started weakly, but ended well.



I'm Into Something Good is sung by James and Jacob, and it was originally performed by Herman & the Hermits. They had a hit in 1965. For me, this was a train wreck. I mean, was there a point in the slightest?



Even Steven Tyler has to admit that was not good, seeing the folly of that performance. Crusty calls for the recap of the solo performances, and I realize with only six, I should be rating them. I'd have to give the top spot to Haley, and #2 to Lauren. As for the boys, I am having a tough time. I didn't love any of their songs tonight, but if push comes to shove, I'd place James in the 3rd spot, and leave Scotty, Casey and Jacob in the bottom three. On the lasting effect of that duet, I'd have to think it is Jacob who will be leaving us this week. Of course, I might be wrong.

American Idol Goes To The Movies

We are back once again with American Idol, this week celebrating the amazing catalog of movie music available to the contestants. Crusty comes out to talk about Jennifer Lopez being named The World's Most Beautiful Woman in the World by People magazine. The nice thing was that it seemed to upstage the bleatings about Pia being sent home.

Paul is up first, and he picks Old Time Rock And Roll by the deep-voiced Bob Seger. Meeting with Will.i.am and Jimmy Iovine, they make the gay-baiting jokes Nigel must miss with Simon gone. For the record, I don't think many are interested in seeing Paul dance in his tighty whities. Paul once again dons a suit of roses, this time in black. He sings it well, for Paul. Although he is as on key as that voice can be, it does tend to point out the shallowness of his voice, a seeming lack of depth. I like Paul, but I'm not sure that was a great song choice. Not surprising, the judges disagree with me, and think it was a fantastic way to open the show.



Lauren sings Miley Cyrus' The Climb. Jimmy I gets all insulting about Cyrus' singing, embarrassing the teen. He and Will.i.am get into a war of words about Pia's fans. Who said it was about the music or the kids? Lauren goes out on stage with her best styling so far. She looks fantastic. She sounds good, but there was a couple of bad notes in the chorus, hidden under the clutter of background singers. The judges think it was fantastic, and 'Idol-worthy.' She clearly out-sings the Disney star, there is no question. But was it enough?



Stefano is the next to take to the stage. Being in the bottom three the last two weeks, he will need to work hard to be safe this week. He talks about the struggle he had with being safe and Pia gone. Will.i.am and Jimmy I try to pick him up, to get him on an even keel. End of The Road, the epic song by Boys2Men, is Paul's choice for tonight. It is just the type of song he likes to sing, when he can get overly emotional. While it might be his best performance in a few weeks, it still isn't all that great. Got a bit shrill at moments, overly nasal. The song saved him on that one. The judges once again love him, although Tyler used the unfortunate phrase about milking a song.



Will Scotty stays deep in his lane, or might he try to expand his borders just a bit. He is singing Harry Nilsson's Everybody's Talking at the beginning of the segment, only to change his mind later. He settles on I Cross My Heart by George Strait from the Pure Country soundtrack. Jimmy I thinks he should stick with the Nilsson, but to no avail. I found the choice to be rather pedestrian, and the final note was off, a bit unfortunate, really. And, if you really compare him to a legend like Strait, you see how empty his vocals can be. The judges love him, and seem to miss the need to mention any faults. Randy seems to have started the coronation of Scotty. Wow, that was a bit early. Or is he really leading the vote totals by that much? Hmmm.



Casey is up next, and will be singing the music of the great Nat King Cole. He is planning on doing Nature Boy, and Jimmy I and Will.i.am talk him out of it, singing instead Phil Collins' In The Air Tonight. After must contemplation, Casey returns to Nat King Cole, and Nature Boy. Jimmy I is not impressed. There is a cool jazz arrangement, but the vocals are lacking. He is making runs, and hitting about half the notes. The arrangement digresses into a muddle. The judges give him a standing ovation. I am at a complete loss. Jennifer blows loud and hard about selling records, like Casey will sell big. Randy calls it brilliant, absolutely genius. Tyler calls him an artist, a true sense of the word.



Haley is choosing to go with some classic Rock/Pop, picking Call Me by Blondie. Jimmy I is thrilled with Haley, and how she is delivering the last few weeks. Taking on a vocal of the iconic Debbie Harry is a tall order. The songs starts off a bit weak, but she comes on strong on the chorus. The bridge is a bit lost, but the chorus comes back to save the performance. Randy, Steven and Jennifer are luke warm, blaming the song. Jennifer, however, doesn't want a girl to go home! Not her strongest, but not her weakest, either. Isn't it time a guy went home?



In the next to last slot, we have Jacob. He is singing a song from the soundtrack from the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. He goes into to the session with Will.i.am and Jimmy I thinking he might sing The Impossible Dream from the Fantastiks. Jimmy & Will veto the choice, and suggest Bridge Over Troubled Water by the great Simon & Garfunkel, cause the other is corny... Yeah, BOTW is so new and fresh, Jimmy I. Jimmy also smacks him a bit about preaching to America, then tells him to sing gospel once again. Irony, right? Well, Jacob doesn't oversing as much as I feared he might, but I didn't feel much musicality in it, just vocal calisthenics. Of course, the judges thought he was stupendous, and brilliant. I sit on the sofa, blinking. Am I awake?



James will be singing the theme song to the movie Heavy Metal. Sammy Hagar sang the title song form the movie. Jimmy doesn't feel the song at all, neither does Will.i.am, but James is standing fast, and refusing to listen. The best part of the song is the guitar solo, and James wasn't playing it [is that really Zak Wylde? That is cool.] I love me some metal, but that wasn't great metal. I was as impressed as Jimmy I was. Once again, I am reminded of Adam Lambert, and that isn't a good thing for James in my book. Just sayin'...



The recap is upon us, and suddenly Paul doesn't seem as mediocre as I thought he did. In fact, little stood out for me tonight, except for in a bad way for a few people. Like Casey. Like James. Like, well, the other boys. Surely, this is finally a week a guy is sent home, right?

Jennifer mentioned during the critique of Scotty that "everyone wants us to be tougher" and I will admit, I am one of them. Not asking the judges to be mean, or to pull Simon quotes out. Just asking them to do their job, and actually critique the singers. Jennifer, don't defend the fact you are collecting huge sums of money blowing smoke up young performers ass and making it sound like these kids will be selling millions of records. History tells us that isn't happening, so just be honest. Tell us a complete assessment of their performance, cause that is what is expected of you.

AI10 - 11 to 9 To Go

While it might seem like we are watching a rerun, once again we will see the Top 11 on American Idol competing this evening. With the events of last week, and Casey getting the Judges' [Producers'?] Save last week, the show returns to the drawing board to give fate another twirl and see if their histrionics can lift Casey over two other competitors, or the save will be wasted. The two differences are the this week, the kids will be singing songs from the Elton John catalog, and tomorrow night, two will be going home, leaving us with the Top 9 for next week.

They begin with a dramatic clip of the excitement of last week, from the introduction to Casey shaking on stage, shocked he go the save.

Scotty is up first, and will be singing Elton's one and only Country song, Country Comfort. Scotty also comes out with a guitar, which is the first time I thing he has on the finals. His grandmother is there, and he sings to her. He does a nice job, singing well. The judges love him once again, and the audience cheers loudly.

Naima Will be adding a reggae touch to I'm Still Standing. This is an unusual choice, yet not surprising from Naima. She is a wonderful performer, and it turns out I really love what she is doing with the song. She stayed on key, and put a new and different spin on an Elton classic. The judges don't agree with me, and think the reggae feel wasn't right for the song, but she did a nice job with a bad idea. I would disagree, as this song needed updating, some new spin put on it. Hmmm, the first contestant tossed under the bus in favor of Casey? Maybe, maybe not...



Paul is up next, and he will be singing the classic Rocket Man. He comes out wearing his "Tournament of Roses" jacket, and he begins with his very simple arrangement of the song. He is sounding good, and is giving, for me, his best performance of the finals. It is a quiet delivery. The judge's are not as fond of it as I was, thinking it was just a little off, a little too "quiet comfort" for them. Not surprising, but I disagree. Pia follows Paul, singing Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, obviously ignoring the judge's request for an uptempo song. She starts the song bathed in red lights and smoke, and I have to laugh. Rickey must be panicking with the red light! Ha! She is singing well, and is soon joined on stage by eight or so backup singers, a traveling choir. That seems distracting, at least to me. She sings well, although I have to say I've heard it sung much better, with a better connection to the lyrics, like George Michael.



Stefano sings Tiny Dancer, a song that has be sung many a time on the Idol stage. As he opens the song, he is dead on, sounding fantastic. He is allowing for a starting point, and soft beginning, giving the song someplace to build to. He takes it there, and back down again, closing softly, with a hand to Jennifer. Again, I think this is his best performance to date. J-lo thought it started iffy, but took off quickly to someplace special. Randy and Steven both liked it, thinking it was a great job.

Lauren is singing the best-selling song in Billboard history. She is taking on Candle In The Wind, which was played everywhere when Elton retooled it for Princess Diana. She is putting a Country touch to the song, which doesn't bother me at all. However, at the beginning of the song, she seems to bolt ahead of the beat, losing the tempo. Once she settle into the song, she does a nice job. The judges love it, ignoring the early issues and take it to amazing levels.



James is up next, with Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting. He comes out like he is busting it all out, and to me, he is Up With People Meets Axel Rose. Except for the very end, he brought little new to the song. The judges go crazy, talking about how great he was, what a great performance. I think I need to clean my television screen. Cause I just don't think he is near as good or interesting as they seem to think, each and every time out.

The youngster is next. Thia chooses Daniel, a beautiful, heartbreaking ballad. She dedicates it to her brother. She sings it very nicely, but the arrangement takes much of the character out of the song, leaving it a little generic. Jennifer loved it, with very kind words. Randy had some problems, although Steven agreed with Jennifer, leaving Randy on his own.

The man with a second chance is up next. Casey, fresh from the Judges' Save, will take on Elton's Your Song. The song producer tells him to shave the beard, and he leaves us in suspense as to what he did. He performs to song sitting next to the piano, a quiet, nice song, that he takes to an angry place. Then it goes back to sunny, although a touch off-key. Randy and Steven pat themselves on the back for saving Casey, and Jennifer chimes in, too. They loved it, not finding it as inconsistent as I did.



Jacob is singing Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, a song he knows from Mary J Blige, not Elton. The song starts and it seems like Jacob might be taking it down a notch, but that notion quickly goes to the wayside. To make him seem more restrained, the background singers go all out. The judges love him, still not broaching the concept of over-singing at all. Well, maybe Randy did, but I am not sure, he was just too vague with his thoughts tonight.

After the break, we have the final singer of the evening, Haley. She is singing Bennie And The Jets. She opens it with a 30s jazz feel, before it moves to another era, somewhat unspecified. I thought it was a muddled arrangement, and her performance was everything but organic. However, the judges loved it, and Randy calls it the best of the night. I am at a total loss with that critique. I mean, come on, WTF!

As we watch the recap, I am not sure what is going to happen. I think Thia might be in trouble, as in a medley, it seemed awfully sluggish. The same might be said about Paul's performance, but I really liked it, so who knows? With two going home this week, I think the voting is way up in the air, and there is a place for a surprise elimination. Randy tells America to get it right - yet doesn't tell us what that is. Tomorrow night, the results show will include Fantasia, always setting people on their ear, so it should be fun.

AI10 - Pick Yer Idol- Top 13 Sing

Now that we have a Top 13 in place, the American Idol season kick off the season with a theme that helps us figure something more about each of the contestants of the tenth season. As usual, Crusty starts the program with "This is American Idol," only to have a generic announcer's voice introduce the judges and him. I find that quite odd. I just do. Crusty mentions J-Lo had a #1 song on iTunes, and tells us the kids were asked to sing a song by "Your Personal Idol." We jump right into Lauren Alaina. She sings Any Man of Mine, a pure country confection written by Shania Twain and her then husband, Mutt Lange. It was released on Shania's album in 1995, the year after Lauren was born. I get the idea now that Lauren is a Country girl, while at the audition, I was thinking she was a Rock girl. She does a fine job with the song, although it is a bit on the unexceptional side. Soon, I am scared, as all three judges agree with me. [Shudder!] Thankfully, it is time for a commercial break.

Back from the commercial, it is time for Casey Abrams, and he talks about his idol, Joe Cocker. He is singing With A Little Help From My Friends is part of rock/pop history, part of the Lennon/McCartney songbook. It was released in 1967 on the great album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 24 years prior to Casey's birth. In 1968, it was recorded by Joe Cocker, who might have had the greatest success with the song. He discusses with the producer how Cocker was over the top with his emotions, and that is what he wants to do. Casey goes into the song, and is running with high octane fuel. The performance is energetic and emotional, although lacking in the actual singing ability of a master like Cocker. Frankly, I am already getting weary of the angry singer. To make me feel better, the judges disagree with me, the world is right once again. Casey says he feels as though Cocker inhabited his person while singing. I roll my eyes. The designated diva for this season, Ashton Jones, comes out preparing to own the mantle. When You Tell Me That You Love Me is a power ballad by one of the original divas, Diana Ross. The song was released in 1991, the most successful single off The Force Behind The Power album. Her producer and Jimmy Iovine are excited about the performance, while right off the bat, I am thinking she is missing the notes, and remains flat for most of the song. Berry Gordy is in the audience, as Randy told us. The judge's reviews are lukewarm, and they are struggling to come up with the positive. I think they were too kind. Soon, Crusty brings us to the next commercial break.

Paul McDonald is up next, and will be singing Come Pick Me Up, a 2000 release by Ryan Adams, an interesting quirky performer often considered Alternative Country, bringing some Blues and Rock to his music. Paul was 16 when this was released. Funny, I get why I got a bit confused, cause Paul would like to fuse some musical genres. Well, Paul is letting the quirk flow in a big way, with is odd stage mannerisms and that voice of his, kinda like Rod Stewart on helium. I love the song, though wasn't completely sold on his performance. The judges love him, although Steven Tyler points out there were pitchy moments, and J-Lo had no clue who Ryan Adams was. Randy had his good guy hat on, ignoring the missed notes and talking of his love. Crusty tries for a dance lesson, which is just, well, awkward. All are grateful for the commercial break.

After the break, Pia Toscano has her turn in the spotlight. Her idol is Celine Dion, and she sings a song that has been heard a fair share on the Idol stages. All By Myself was written and sung by Eric Carmen in 1975. The music, inspired by the work of Rachmaninoff. It was the first single off the debut of the singer/songwriter, who had just left a successful run with the band Raspberries. Thirteen years after the song was released, Pia was born. In 1996, Celine released a cover of the song, with much success. She is a producer favorite, and is very shiny on the stage. She sings the song, and once again she trades emotion for sheer volume, which makes the crowd go crazy. For my ear, she gets a bit shrill on the very high end. Of course, the judges just love her, and thought it was a total win. [Heavy sigh] Crusty brings us to another commercial break, and the money keeps flowing in to this show!

After the break, James Durbin tells of his choice ,Maybe I’m Amazed, a song written by Paul McCartney in 1970. It was never officially released as a single from the album, McCartney, although it there was a live version released by Paul McCartney & Wings in 1976, which made it into the Billboard Top 10. It was another 13 years before Durbin was born. James thinks McCartney might be the greatest musician, singer and songwriter ever. Interesting. His voice beguiles me. I think it was wrong for the song. The beginning is a bit thin and nasal, and I just don't follow the emotion on this one. Of course, the judges just adore him, they think it was great. Next up is Haley Reinhart, who brings the great Country song Blue. It was released by 14-year-old LeAnn Rimes in 1996, and it became an international hit. Reinhart was 5 when the song hit #1 on the charts. The producers are looking for her to reinvent the song, while she is remembering how it made her feel when she first heard it. I've said it before, and it applies here, too. Haley is just trying to hard for me. She puts in a bit too much growl, too much manufactured effects. The judges, of course, love her, although J-Lo considered it yodeling, while I think it was just singing. Randy thought it was good, but a little boring. I, once again, am a little confused. At least I have a commercial break to recoup.

Back from the commercial, Jacob Lusk surprises no one when he picks I Believe I Can Fly by R Kelly. Well, to tell the truth, I was a bit surprised, all things considered. Not sure I would have thought R Kelly was "Idol" material, what with the underage sex thing. The song was released in 1996, introducing the singer and songwriter to the world. Jacob was 9 when the song was released. I am not sure, but I think I hear some nerves in his voice at first. That goes away once he starts feeling the music, and the gospel choir comes out on stage. This pretty much guarantees over-singing, and judges glee. They love him. Time for more money, and more commercials!

Thia Megia tells us her Idol is Michael Jackson, and decides to sing Smile. Yeah, the kids doesn't have a clue that the music written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936, and lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons in 1954. It was first sung by the amazing Nat King Cole in 1954, and again as a duet with daughter Natalie Cole after her father's passing in 1991. Michael Jackson recorded a version the year she was born. Jimmy Iovine thinks it will be magic. She starts out rather lovely, and touch karaoke, then there is this odd break, and there is an R&B/Jazz beat placed in there. Odd. Randy loved the beginning, not so much the jazzy end. Steven agrees. J-Lo loves her, and tries not to say it was lacking. And off to the bank they go, another break.

Stefano Langone decides he is going to sing Lately, a song written by Stevie Wonder's 1981 album, Hotter Than July. The ballad is an emotional one, perfect for Stefano, who was born 18 years after the album was released. The producers love him, just can't wait for him to perform. That was an interesting arrangement, that went from sweet Little Steven, and take it into Disco Diva land, and then it is over. Kind of a wild ride. The judges like it, but you can see Steven is a bit confused by it. Next up is Karen Rodriguez and she is inspired by Selena. She picks I Could Fall In Love, a 1995 song released after the shocking murder of the Mexican-American superstar. It was also sung by Idol-judge Jennifer Lopez when she played the singer in a film in 1997. Rodriguez was 8 years old when J-Lo covered the song. The tempo of the song has a interesting beat laid to it, but unfortunately, the low notes are not Karen's friend. And the end wasn't particularly pretty, either. J-Lo offers the odd assessment that she couldn't hear herself, and was off. The men were less polite. They like her, and thought this was not a great performance. Soon, it is time for another break.

Scotty McCreery picks a giant as his idol. Late in 1991, The River became the ninth song to top the Billboard Country charts by Garth Brooks, who was pretty much ruling Country music. Two years later, Scotty was born. He comes out for an interview, and is a bit heavy on the cheese factor, with a wink and a cluck. Scotty is singing the song, and it is really rather, well, boring. No back notes that I notice, just, well, a bit flaccid. However, the audience goes nuts. Randy loves it, and thinks it is ready for the radio. Steven thought it was great, and Jennifer really loved it. And on to a commercial, when I hear Jonsi singing, and I think my ears are cleansed just a bit.

Following the final break, we get to hear Naima Adedapo talking about her idol, Rihanna. After securing her place in the AI Finals singing one of the oldest songs last week, Naima comes back with the youngest song on the show this week, Rihanna's Umbrella. The song was released in 2007, and was written by some of the top names in Hip-Hop, including Jay-Z. Naima was 23 years old when the song topped the charts around the world. Producers are excited, but they have been for everyone. She does a very nice job, with some very odd breaks in the short time. She certainly popped out of the Billie Holiday vibe, and stepped into today. Steven loved, it, but pointed out the pitchy. J-Lo didn't care about the pitchy, cause there was fire there. Randy did care, and called her on it. But he loved the reggae feel.

So, at the end of the night, I thought the there were very few train wrecks, but no real stellar moment, either. There was a whole bunch of mediocre and boring. I would have to go with Paul being my favorite of the night, For me, Ashton, Karen and I am not sure who else might have a tough time sleeping tonight. And I am still looking for the Wild Card option for the judging panel. Just sayin'...

American Idol Finals Tonight

Tonight is the final performance episode of American Idol Season 9. The final two, singer/songwriter Crystal Bowersox and rocker Lee DeWyze, will take to the stage at the Nokia Theater and sing for the title. It is also the final chance for Simon Cowell to critique the contestants, before he returns with the US version of X-Factor.

What would I like to see this evening? I'd love to see a performance that brings me outta my chair and away from my keyboard to my feet to cheer. That is what one always hopes for, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Since both are more guitar/rock influenced performers, I would hope we could get at least one killer song, sorta like delivered in the following clip, the amazing Wes Carr. In 2008, he took to the stage and delivered a performance that took control of the stage and the camera, lighting up the bright stage with an explosion of talent, energy, confidence and swagger.



It is performances like this that makes me order CDs from these kids, and I can tell you I ordered my Wes Carr album, The Way The World Looks, from Australia, and we will see if Lee or Crystal can convince me to do the same for them.

AI9 Battling for Second

This post was originally written for Rickey.Org.

It is the final three. They are from Ohio, Illinois and Texas. After a nationwide search, the final three will take the stage to battle for the finals.

Casey is up first, Eric Hutchinson's Okay, It's Alright With Me, a bluesy number. I knew when he started the judges were going to hate it. I, on the other hand, like the song. It had a nice southern blues feel to it. Casey was in good voice, and seemed comfortable singing the song.

Crystal chose Melissa Etheridge's Come To My Window, an anthemic song that was truly popular at the time. She opens with harmonica, and starts off sounding very much like the original, then makes it her own in the bridge. It is a tough song, so very well known. I wasn't completely sold on this version - could have done without the harmonica. The judges like it, but don't love it. Simon pulls out the 'haven't compromised' card, suggesting others have.

Lee is up next to sing the Leonard (I know it's Lynyrd, but I am working for something here) Skynyrd song, Simple Man. Started off pitchy to me, but went to the screamy point, and stayed there. But I have been way off the mark with the judges thus far, and what do you know, the judges all loved it, and thought he crushed the other two.

Randy and Kara picked the song for Casey. He is singing Daughters, the song by John Mayer which won the Song of the Year Grammy in 2005. But before he starts, we see a hint of the homecoming, announcing the song choice. It was a lovely, low key performance, with a touching sentimentality. Randy, Ellen and Kara liked it, but Simon wanted to rewrite the song for a glory note. Really, Simon? Contract almost done, right?

Ellen chose for Crystal, and picked Baby I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney. She starts the song on the stairs, and is a little weak, but it improved immediately when she stands up with better support. While the vocals were nice, I felt like she was a little less connected than usual. The judges all love it, and Simon already pencils her into the finals with Lee, dismissing Casey.

Simon chose for Lee, picking Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen. Oddly, both songs by Leonards. Also oddly, Simon picked a song that was already performed earlier this season by another Idol, and two years ago was performed beautifully by Jason Castro. There was also a lovely version by Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris. It is soft and haunting, not Lee usual style. While there are some notes that land noticeably flat, it is not as bad as I thought. But with the addition of the choir on stage, it is obvious who is meant to win this season. I really hate being treated like such an idiot. With that performance, Simon points out it proves he is not only a fantastic singer [really?] and a great person...

So, the end of the night we were told to send Casey home, and that Lee is the next American Idol. Why vote? Thankfully, Glee is on next with Neil Patrick Harris to occupy my time.

AI From Silver Screen to Small Screen

It is time for the top 4 to perform, what could be seen as a tricky week. In the first season, one of the favorites, Tamyra Gray took an unexpected early exit, leaving little competition for Kelly Clarkson. Season 3 saw eventual winner Fantasia Barrino in the bottom with LaToya London, before LaToya was excused. In Season 5, front-runner Chris Daughter was knocked out in 4th, and went on to be far more successful than anyone else from the season. Jason Castro was eliminated in 4th during Season 7, many fans stunned Syesha Mercado made it through. Seems as though on the odd years, this is a contentious week. Should Crystal and Lee be worried, since it is Season 9?

Tonight we will be entertained by Music from the Movies. This leaves the selection wide open, allowing the remaining four to pick from just about any genre possible, from any period of music they would like. Jamie Foxx is stepping up as the mentor, with success as a recording artist, actor, and entertainer. They are doing a solo and a duet, yet to be determined

Lee is up first, singing Kiss From A Rose, from the film Batman Forever. Jamie got into Lee's face during rehearsal, forcing him to focus and bring the performance out instead of inward. I am sure Lee's fans will love that, but I thought it was just OK. Wow, Randy agreed with me. He even acknowledged the pitchy part. Ellen, apparently, doesn't mind the pitchy. Kara was on board with Randy, but still thinks he is great. Simon thought it was karaoke.

Big Mike is up next, and in his rehearsal with Jamie, he struggles with the song and lyrics. He is singing Will You Be There from Free Willy. He takes it to the gospel level, and does an okay job, but lacks something. The judges are less than impressed. It is unanimous, and they are disappointed. Thus far it is Judges 2, Contestants 0. Before the break, we are teased with Lee and Crystal singing a duet from an Oscar-winning film.

The first duet is Lee and Crystal, singing Falling Slowly from the movie Once, sung last year by winner Kris Allen. Wow, this isn't working for me at all. It was such a delicate and sweet song, and they are running over it with a steam roller, and taking the love out of it. Randy, on the other hand, completely disagrees, as does Ellen and Kara. In fact, Kara thinks it was her favorite moment in the season. And Simon loved it. I call this damage control. After the break, Casey will be singing a Simon & Garfunkel song from The Graduate.

Casey sings Mrs Robinson, an interesting choice. He again pulled out 'seduce me, boy' schtick, and it kinda worked. Casey is having a really good performance. Changed up the song nicely, and sounded good. Randy liked it, but didn't love it. Ellen liked it, and Kara liked it, too. Simon didn't like it, thought it lazy, which I don't understand at all. Frankly, that was the best performance so far, though I would suspect Crystal will top it shortly.

Crystal gets a sit-down interview, and announces she will be doing a song form Caddyshack, Kenny Loggins' I'm Alright. Crystal messes, and says she is starstruck with Jamie. This is right up her alley, though I would have liked her to sing something from the last decade. She does a nice job with it. It is the solo performance of the night. Randy thinks she is the real artist, and Ellen called it 'Crystal-ized.' Kara agrees, and Simon thinks she is back in the game. Crusty takes a moment to make fun the dancing of Crystal's boyfriend. Really? Up next there is the duet of Casey and Big Mike, singing a Bryan Adams song.

Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman from Don Juan DeMarco is the song choice, and Casey opens it nicely, and Big Mike does a nice job, though he does occasionally flat. Wow, that wasn't bad at all, in fact, almost good. Randy liked it, Ellen has loved a woman, Kara thought the duets were great, and Simon agreed.

In my opinion, Crystal clearly won the night, giving the best solo performance and surviving the duet. Casey was next for me, doing a nice job on the solo. I think he and Mike had the better duet. On the strength of the duet, I think Big Mike was third, and Lee was fourth. However, I fully expect the bottom 2 to be Casey and Big Mike, with maybe Mike going home. For the results show, Fantasia, Bon Jovi and Daughtry will be performing. Interesting...

AI9 Old Blue Eyes Has Left The Building

Originally written for Rickey.Org

Frank Sinatra takes center stage, his songbook awaiting the Top 5 to prove their mettle. Crystal and the boys, Lee, Casey, Big Mike and Aaron, will be under the watchful eye of Harry Connick, Jr, world renown crooner, star of stage, screen, and album. He is going to lend a helping hand as the Idols take their turn at interpreting entries in the Great American Songbook. Connick is also going to arrange and support all five as best he can, including leading the band.

Talking with Crusty, Harry is all excited about his time with the kids, who are all donning formalish attire, looking quite dapper. After a a commercial break and Crusty plugs the tour, he introduces Sinatra's daughters, Tina and Nancy. They present Simon, a real Sinatra fan, with one of Frank's monogrammed hankies, and he is genuinely happy. Odd moment.

First on deck is Aaron Kelly, and he is singing Fly Me to the Moon. He had an interesting arrangement, but slid all over the place, sometimes sliding a little below or or above the notes. A lot of the notes. Randy and Ellen loved it, while Simon and Kara were a bit more hesitant with their praise. Simon whips out the corny tag, and the 'if Frank was a lion, you were a mouse.'

With his hair tied back, Casey James takes on Blue Skies. Harry really him, and likes his bluesy take on the song. Wasn't the greatest performance, the notes were not great. The judges were uncharacteristically hard on him, including Kara calling him a goat. Harry steps up and says he killed it 2 hours ago, but it seems unlikely that will help him now.

Crusty introduces Sir Anthony Hopkins for no apparent reason, and then introduces Crystal Bowersox, who will sing Summer Wind. Harry seems to really like her, and she starts the performance on the piano bench with him. The first few notes were a little off, but she quickly gets on track. Her phrasing was really nice, and it built beautifully. Randy thought it was sleepy, Ellen thought she swallowed the first part of the song, and Kara appreciates her phrasing - Ugh, she agreed with me - but seemingly little else. Simon thought the first half wasn't good, but it got better. So, we figured out the judges love a screamer - looks good for Lee, I guess.

Looking to continue his renewed career, Big Mike Lynche is up next. He sings one of Harry's favorites, The Way You Look Tonight. Harry digs him, and when they start, I kinda yawn. There is little original here. I am really bored. The judges, however, love him. I am at a loss. Really? That sounded like an out-take from 'My Best Friend's Wedding', not a great performance on the AI stage.

To end the night, we get some Lee DeWyze, singing That’s Life. There are also uncomfortable moments with Harry talking about Lee's looks. There are several really bad notes in there, but I am sure they will go unnoticed. There were also muddled words, his inability to enunciate. Yet, the judges basically announced he has already won. And I am sad.

This was not a good night for me. I liked Crystal best, allowing for subtleties apparently unheard of by the judges. She wasn't perfect, but still above the rest. However, the boys, well, they struggled. Lee's bad notes, and heavy vibrato passed inspection of the judges, who pointed out the same issues with other singers. But we were told he took the night, possibly the entire competition. I suspect Casey, Big Mike and Aaron will be the bottom three, and Casey will go home.

Tonight The Twain Shall Meet

This post was originally written for Rickey.Org.

It is Shania Twain night on Idol, featuring the music of the guest mentor stopping by to offer advice to the contestants as they sing songs she has written and performed. Paint salesman, high school student, glass blower, mother, father, and construction worker. That is how Crusty describes the lives of the remaining contestants, saying they will be changed forever. Well, that remains to be seen, Crusty, cause it is not like Idol has made 42 stars of the first 8 Top six, have they? While they were household names for the weeks they were on the show, and even extending to their perspective tours, since then, there are several who have been long forgotten. Sure, Idol gives them a chance, but it becomes up to the kids if they can take advantage of the opportunity.

Shania remembers Lee from the Chicago auditions, and he is singing You're Still The One, She convinces him to hold back on the guitar, and open the song simply with just voice and piano. Wow, that was a rough start, vocally. When he tries to reach for notes without screaming, he often misses, landing flat. The audience is loving what he does with the song, and Randy admits to him being pitchy at the beginning, but pulled it together. Ellen doesn't care about the pitchy, she loved it. Kara noticed him smiling, and feels that means he understood it was a love song. Huh. Simon tries to mention some odd facial expressions, but Kara won't let him speak. Big Mike steps up to the plate, stinging It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing. Shania loves this song, and tells him to really feel it. He changes it up, taking it to an R&B ballad, taking the falsetto a little oddly, but starts sounding a bit rehearsed by the end. The judges, however, don't see it that way, thinking he totally connected and brought Luther Vandross to the stage. Simon thought it was a little 'wet', what I interpret as a bit overdone and dewey-eyed.

Casey takes his turn, singing Don't. Casey is excited about singing a song, realizing he let his guitar take over recent performances. Shania senses a lack of confidence, but thinks he can do it. Wow, I think Casey is nailing this. This is particularly good. That was really fantastic. The judges are thinking it is his best to date, and Simon makes him give Shania a kiss. She tells him he nailed it, she is so proud. Crystal is stiffing on stage in a cute dress chatting with Crusty. She says No One Needs To Know Right Now is a message to her boyfriend. Shania tells her to lighten up, it is a happy song. That was a funny moment. Crystal is singing rather well, but it goes a big odd in the middle. The falsetto isn't great, and there is a weird stop/stop thing happening. She pulls it back down by the end, and gets the falsetto under control. The judges love her, it is not her best, but they adore everything she does. Simon didn't like it, felt Crystal lacked conviction, and felt the song was forgettable. They point out Crystal's boyfriend, and make Crystal blush.

Of course Aaron would take on the big song, It's In The Way You Love Me, and Shania immediately notices he is preoccupied, and to just let go. Wow, another one who wonders off the rails a bit, struggling with the flat side of notes, but hits the big note at the end. The judges are all very nice to him, seemingly oblivious to the first half of the song. Interesting. Siobhan goes for Shania's big hit, Any Man Of Mine, a perfect choice for her. Wow, this is not as good as I thought it would be. Siobhan is a little out of breath, but ends with the hallmark big finish, and I am surprised. Thought it was good, but that it could have been great. The judges love it, but Simon thought the 'scream' sounded like she was giving birth.

Crusty wraps it up, and cuts to the recap video. He thanks the judges, the band, and Shania. For the results show, they have Rascal Flats, Lady Antebellum, and a few more acts, including Shakira. Wow. My favorite performance of the night was Casey, and my least favorite was Lee. I, however, expect that to mean nothing. I would not be surprised to see Aaron and Michael in bottom two. It is a gut reaction, and I could be totally wrong. What do you think?

AI9 An Hour To Inspire

Idol Gives Back puts the Top 7 at the microphone to sings Songs of Inspiration, which is a far-ranging theme to say the least. What is inspiring to some is not so for others. That is the thing about inspiration - you never know from where it might come.

"Your vote saves lives this week, and it is time 'we' give back. This is American Idol." It is a busy night, according to Crusty, who introduces the judges. Tomorrow night is a two-hour show, with a separate venue for some big musical acts. The mentor is Alicia Keys is the 'Empress of Soul' who has changed R & B forever, and named Billboard's #1 artist of the first decade of the millennium.

Casey is up first, singing Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac. Alicia pushes him to put more of himself in the song. He sounds great on the first verse, and takes a moment for a guitar solo. He is really putting the blues in the song, doing his thing. Randy thinks it was good, but could be better. Ellen thought there was nothing special, and Kara agrees, saying he frustrates her. Simon thought the song choice was back, and lazy. Lee is up, singing Simon & Garfunkel's The Boxer. Lee seems pretty tense for the interview segment of the show, and tells of listening to Simon & Garfunkel with his parents, and it inspired him to play the guitar. Alicia reminds him he is the boxer, and to bring people on the journey with him. OK, he doesn't start out so well for me, with the shouting out of nowhere, something he repeats during the song. An odd performance for me. Randy loved it, and considers Lee an artist. Ellen sees better and better from him, and I am confused. Kara thinks he had a moment with that performance. Simon thinks it was the best of the night, it was brilliant. That leaves me confused. And here is a commercial break.

There is a slight panic, as during the break, the screen goes blank for a minute or two. When it comes back, we still get some commercials, so they didn't

Tim is up next, with Better Days by Goo-Goo Dolls. Alicia likes the song on him, and thinks it feels really good. Wow, he is really being good. This is a perfect choice for Tim. He is on point the entire time, connected to the song, and I was impressed. The judges are not liking it very much, and I am at a loss. The are unanimously negative, and after listening to Lee and his commentary, I am summarily lost. Aaron is up next, singing R. Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly Alicia thinks if Aaron can connect, he can take it to "a whole 'nother place." Aaron starts off a little off, sounding like nerves are hitting him a bit. This is not getting better, he starts rushing the song, getting a bit ahead of the band. Surprisingly, he ends the song well, pulling it back together. The judges, on the other hand, didn't see what I was seeing, as Ellen and Randy thinks he has a big voice. Kara acknowledged the stops and starts, but thought he delivered. Simon likes Aaron, but would have turned off the song in the first 10 seconds. Not only did I listen to a different performance, did the judges?


Siobhan sings When You Believe. Alicia is impressed, and thinks she can take it to somewhere very special. On stage, Siobhan has an odd flapper outfit with butterflies on her shoulders. She is singing well, but the overall feeling is a bit muddled for me. The arrangement isn't very good, and too short for the song to really build. Randy thought it was just OK, but Ellen disagrees, thought it was great. Kara thought it was too theatrical, although well sung. Simon agreed with Randy, and found the butterflies distracted. Siobhan is given a long chance to explain why she chose the song, which is unusual. Big Mike is on deck ready to take his time in the spotlight. The song really speaks to him, for all of us to step up and be a hero. He will be singing the Chad Kroeger song Hero from the movie Spider-Man. Both Alicia and Mike know the song has to really take flight. The first verse wasn't bad, but it completely falls apart in the chorus. Randy feels like he held his own, worked it out. Ellen thought it was great. Kara disliked it. Simon liked it, but thought it never gelled, but Mike will be safe. I am not so sure.

Crusty teases that Crystal is up next, and will be instrument-free. There are several commercials for GLEE, featuring the Madonna songbook in an hour-long episode tonight. Jane Lynch, Sue Sylvester will be on the Fox morning show tomorrow!

Crystal is singing People Get Ready, and Crystal speaks to how grateful she is about everything in her life right now. Alicia loves Crystal best of all, and can't wait to hear her sing. Crystal is front and center, and is singing the bejeezus out of the song. At the end, Crystal breaks down into tears. Randy gives her 'The Standing.' Ellen loved it, and thinks she is beautiful. Kara thought she schooled the rest of the contestants, and Simon thought it was in a completely different class than the rest. She explains she saw her dad, and it brought the tears. And clearly they are correct, she was the class of the field tonight.

The recap reminds us what an uninspired night it was, although for me, there is something different than what the judges saw. Crystal topped the night, and the next two for me were Casey and Tim, the two the judges dismissed entirely. My bottom three would be Big Mike, Lee and Aaron. Crusty reminds us that tomorrow night will be an evening of performances and will more than likely run long, so set your DVR to catch the results accordingly.

AI9 What Will Wise Men Say?

Tonight, we know that season 8 runner up Adam Lambert has been announced to be the mentor, making him, to the best of my knowledge, the first former-contestant to make the step to the mentor role. Certainly many have come back to perform, often showcasing their latest effort. To me, it seems like an odd choice, but this season, AI producers seem to be making some odd ones.

Crusty welcomes back the nine finalists to compete on the 'Top 8' show. He reminds us about the excitement of last week, when Big Mike was on the block to go home, only to be saved by the judges. It is Elvis Presley night on Idol, considered one on the greatest rock singers of all time. Will the remaining Idols be able to bring the classic songs back to life and sound current, or just sound like karaoke night in your home town. And the introduce Lambert as the mentor. Adam declares he thinks they are great, but will be demanding more energy from them.

First up is Crystal, singing Saved, a gospel number. She does a great job, sounding fantastic. She brings out the electric guitar is nice - she changed things up a bit. The judges all loved it - I just wish Randy would stop calling her the second coming of Bonnie Raitt - a singer who hasn't had a hit song in a long time. Don't get me wrong, I love Raitt, but to me, it points out the slightly dated feel to Crystal that I can't shake. But I will venture to say with this performance, Crystal will remain one of the highlights of the night. Next up was Andrew, who is performing Hound Dog, the 1956 hit for Elvis. Working with Adam, Andrew did the traditional arrangement, and Adam encouraged his to change things up, and Andrew comes out with his own take on the song. While it is an interesting arrangement, it tends to showcase his rather unspectacular vocals for me. Randy thought it was bad karaoke, while Ellen liked it. Kara didn't like it very much, missing much swagger. Simon thinks it lacks star quality, and his coolness has been sucked out of him.

Tim is up next, and before the commercial we get a shot of his electric smile. When we return, we meet Mama crusty, who introduces Tim. Adam likes Tim, and his version of Can't Help Falling In Love. He is doing a nice job, sounding like a more current acoustic song. I think Tim did really good with that one. Randy really liked it, as did Ellen and Kara. Simon thinks he has gone from zero to hero in a matter of weeks. Lee is on board next, and Adam points out there is nothing going on facially when Lee sings. He sings A Little Less Conversation, opening with just him and the acoustic guitar. In the chorus, we get added instruments, and in the second bridge, we get background singers. I have to say Lee is surprising me tonight, actually hitting most of the notes. He is still a bit boring to watch, but that song did sound more current than either Andrew and Crystal. The judges love it, although Kara would like a little more playfulness, and Simon disagrees. Lee credits Adam with his renewed performance.

Aaron is next, singing Blue Suede Shoes, and Adam is impressed with the teens vocals. He is in great voice, but uses a rather traditional arrangement, and comes off a bit karaoke, until the breakdown at the end. The judges are not loving it, save Kara. She thinks it made him feel younger and edgier, while Simon completely disagrees, thinking just the opposite.Crusty points out Aaron was in the bottom but sent back to safety last week, so he needs votes to keep him safe. Interesting, Crusty. Then he teases the idea of Siobhan and Adam in the same room together - what will happen?

In the commercial break, we are reminded GLEE is back, following Idol. Sad, but I am more excited about GLEE than Idol, to be sure.

Siobhan admits to Crusty she is a true Elvis fan, and loves his rags to riches story. She sings Suspicious Minds, a 1969 hit, and Adam suggests she ups the tempo, giving her a more rhythmic basis for her vocals. There is also a bit of a mutual admiration thing going on, both enjoying the outsider role. Siobhan gives an interesting performance, the first half being a bit karaoke for me, but the second half comes alive, although it is a bit uneven. She might have been better served checking out the cover by Fine Young Cannibals. The judges aren't thrilled with the performance, and Siobhan talks about not wanting to be labeled as a singer, no matter how hard Kara wants to do it. And we hear Big Mike will defend his save next. Idol Gives Back is next week, and Crusty will be handling the main stage, and Queen Latifah will be covering the all-star second stage. Big Mike will be singing In The Ghetto, and Adam wants more theatricality, even if Simon has pounded Mike for that. He is doing an interesting version, keeping the beginning very current, sitting on the edge of the stage with the acoustic guitar. Not karaoke in the slightest, nor does it sound college frat party, my biggest worry with him. Randy loved the vocals, Ellen was glad they saved him, Kara dug it, and Simon thought it was his favorite Mike performance to date. They are running behind, and GLEE is starting at 9:28, so the judges are giving shorter reviews, and for that I am grateful. Katie snarls from the perch, and she will be the next to sing.

Katie sings Baby What You Want Me To Do. Adam wants her to bring her frustration with the judges comments to the song. I will say she is singing the heck out of the song, adding lots of growl and spark, selling the blues song. Randy liked it, made him move, and Ellen loved it. Kara thought she showed the judges. Simon didn't like it, thought it was loud and annoying. Simon, get over yourself. That leaves Casey to close the show, a genre that should suit his style so very well. His Southern rock/blues performances have been good, but now put to the test with a direct comparison to Elvis. The cast of GLEE is in the audience! Casey is doing Lawdy Miss Claudy. It is old school Elvis, and old school blues. It is an interesting song choice, not sure if it serves him well. Randy thinks it is a solid performance, and the rest of the judges were also not enthralled.

In the recap, we get to see last 85 minutes in about 60 seconds, reminding voters of the earlier performances. and I notice there were several I forgot about myself, including Tim, Andrew and Big Mike. Does that mean something? Crusty also points out there will be two going home tomorrow night, and there are no more saves from the judges. And. most impressively, they are finishing on time, even with yet another GLEE promotion.

AI9 Bagpipes and a Didgeridoo, too

This post was originally written for Rickey.Org.

We are down to the Top 9, and the last three out the door were women, so odds are a man will be the next to go. That said, one could think the Lennon/McCartney songbook would favor the men, having been written for and performed by men. This shall be an interesting night. It starts with Crusty in the control room, checking out the backstage action, from judges to contestants. After the introductions, we have the video roll celebrating the incredible work of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This included a personal message from Sir Paul encouraging them to rise to the occasion. After some meaningless babble from the judges prompted by Crusty, we get an Idol-free Ford Fusion commercial. How refreshing.

First to take on a song of the best known songwriting team ever is Aaron. The other contestants talk about how they consider him Yoda, and make fun of him thusly. But they also mention how impressed they are how advanced he is for age 16. He is singing Long and Winding Road, a dangerous selection as it was also sung by David Archuleta on Beatles night in season 7. He starts out better than usual, but there is a rough spot on the bottom side of his range. But he recovers nicely, and is quite pleasant. The judges were unimpressed, even bored by it. They have a point. But the audience includes a few people who vocally disagree with the assessment. Next we have Katie, whose pre-roll has the other contestants feel she is fun and energetic. And she does her own Single Lady dance! She sings Let It Be, a song she remembers her father playing. This, too, is a bit risky, as season 8 winner Kris Allen performed it on that stage just a few weeks ago. Katie is in good form, however, and giving her best performance to date. She gives it a spin that sounds more current, without changing it too much. The judges are thrilled, although Simon thought it was a country version, something no one else on this planet would agree with.

Crusty warns us that after the commercial break, Andrew will be heading back to the 60s. The video shows the idols talking about how Andrew is the biggest personality in the group, no matter what Simon says. I have to say, so far, on stage, Andrew hasn't shown too much personality. He is singing Can't Buy Me Love, and is fearful of changing it up too much. He is okay, but uninspiring. It is a rather uninspired arrangement, and rather soul-less. The judges are being more kind than I would. Well, Ellen and Randy did, but Kara and Simon did not. I have to agree with them, which doesn't happen often. Damn. Big Mike is the next to take the stage, and he will be singing Eleanor Rigby. That song was also sung in Season 7, this one by winner David Cook, a popular although shrouded in controversy when a Seattle band, Doxology, claimed the arrangement as their own. Later, Cook credited them. The girls all think he is a big teddy bear. He chose Eleanor Rigby because he father used to perform it, and it told a story that appeals to him. He changes it up, making it into an R&B, Mary J-type of song, which seems a bit overwrought to me. He hits all the notes, and has the energy, but not the emotional depth of Mary J. Few do, really, that is why she is so special. The judges are loving it much more than I am. Well, Simon doesn't agree, and Kara and Randy refuse to let him finish before interrupting. Focus, people, it's about the singing, not the judges! And, Randy, while GLEE might be hot TV, I haven't noticed it taking over radio.

At about the halfway-point, I my mind is drifting a bit, wishing I was watching the new Doctor Who rather than this, but I shall get by this. For me, Katie has been clearly better than the rest so far, but there are some talented people to come. Like Crystal, who will sing Come Together, yet another song from the Season 7 catalog, sung by Carly Smithson. We hear about her mothering attitude, and they call her Mamasox. She chose it because it was a fun groove, and utilizes a didgeridoo. She is doing a fairly nice job, but the band is a bit overpowering, detracting from her vocals. I think she might have had issues with the lyrics, or just her voice, I am not sure. Judges all fawn over her, and Simon thinks it can be on the radio, and I am not sure what station he listens to, but I like Crystal, so I will take it. But I think Carly would have my vote over that performance Up next, we have Tim singing All My Loving, another early song. The girls loves his smile, and the boys seem to really like him. And he chose the song so he could sing with a smile. Take that, Simon. LOL. He takes the stage with a guitar, and a simple arrangement. On the chorus, a simplified band kicks in. The arrangement is a tad on the dull side, but he hits all the notes. Not bad. Randy immediately is talks down to him, talking about a 'Tim performance'. However, the judges are very kind and good to him. I don't think he was the worse so far, but are they trying to soften the voting base?

The other contestants think Casey has the looks and the laugh to be noticed! He sings Jealous Guy, from John Lennon's solo work. It is a popular song to cover, with versions by artists from Donny Hathaway to Roxy Music to Collective Soul. Casey goes acoustic guitar, with the support of a cello. He is nailing it so far. I loved it. Thought is was soulful and heartfelt. The judges loved it too, In fact, Simon calls it the best of the night. The other contestants think Siobhan is an individual, the most interesting person many have ever met. She sings Across The Universe, and wants to show a different side of her voice. The outfit is this Madonna-esque Like A Virgin meets Justify My Love thing I don't quite get. She did a very simple cover, something sounding very classically inspired. She sang it easily, with good control. It was rather subdued, although the judges are a little confused by it. There is an odd moment when Crusty brings the vocal audience member up to give Siobhan a hug. Weird.

This leaves the one and only Lee. We discover he is the worrywart, always worrying about going home. Crystal thinks Lee and Andrew will have Danny Gokey babies. I love her! He sings Hey Jude. Wow, a couple of rough notes off the top. He goes acoustic, playing the guitar, well, until the bagpipe comes down the steps. This is odd, and kinda a mess. He's trying to do a sing-a-long, which might be nice, since he is having trouble with the notes, but I am thinking not the intention of the show. Wow, Randy loved it. So did Ellen. Kara recognized the missed notes, but thought that was okay. Simon thought the bagpipe was a mistake. But thought he was doing well until then. Really? Do I have different audio on my TV?

So, that leaves me confused. For me, Casey was clearly the best, followed by Katie. I know, that is just strange to me, too. Crystal was certainly good and in the mix. Siobhan was nice, if odd. Lee seemed popular, and I have no idea why. Not a clue. I even thought Big Mike was better than that.That leaves Tim, Andrew and Aaron in the bottom? Wow, if I don't include Lee, I think Andrew was the weakest tonight. Tim, surprisingly enough, was not. He was a tad more original that Aaron even. Will Andrew go home? Heck, I thought he might last week. You guess, I bet is even better than mine at this point.