Preliminary Matters:
Was Ryan wearing weirdly big shoulder pads?
Why did they keep showing that humorless skeletor Howie Mandel guy in the audience?
How much did Simon's baby picture look like Mike TeeVee from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?
Danny: Ryan did say this was a remake by Mickey Gilley, right? As in, the guy who owned the bar with the mechanical bull in "Urban Cowboy"? Mickey's version couldn't have sounded anything like this. This reminds me of when Taylor Hicks sang a Beatles song on Billboard Top 100 night because a Beatles album was on the "Catalogue" chart. It's kind of cheating. Was 1980 such a bad year, Danny? As for the singing, it started off warbly but ended well. As always, the praise for Danny seemed a little out of control.
Kris: Does Kris' dad hold political office? He has the hair and closeted vibe of a southern Republican politician. This week, I don't have to work too hard to convince you that there is something kind of icky/cheesy about Kris, right? As always, I admit the vocals are there. But there's something a little...skeevy to me. Needless to say, Paula's statement that Kris is one of the most likable contestants ever doesn't change my view.
Lil: I really had hope when I heard this song choice. That hope was quickly dispelled when Lil sang the first note. Lil is not a good singer y'all. Accepting that there has to be one powerhouse R&B singer each season, I simply cannot believe that Lil was the best Idol could come up with. I really think discussions about originality or old-fashionedness are too generous. They imply that it is about style instead of vocals. In fact, the judges keep insisting Lil has some vocal talent we just haven't seen or heard yet. At this point, I think their insistence is more about not having to admit that they got it wrong. I think they did.
Anoop: There's one of these pre-planned mea culpa's every year, isn't there? ("So, Chris, it turns out that your version of 'Walk the Line' was an homage to "Live"?). I'm not buying it. He didn't even apologize to Kara. (I venture to say he has never offered an apology in his life.) He just blathered about how he wants to represent his fans and his family. This dude is a tool. I thought his singing was OK. It wasn't embarassing like last week, but I didn't think it was as good as a couple weeks ago. Contrary to Simon's assertion, this was not especially original-- it was a pretty straightforward imitation of the Phil Collins' cover of this song.
Scott: Please don't hate. But Scott is growing on me. The haircut is a huge improvement. The song choice cannot be topped. (Not surprising that Simon doesn't appreciate the genius of Survivor.) I admire the courage to come from behind the piano (even if he still needed the guitar...which he wasn't really playing?). The judges ripped him to shreds. Not surprising. But Randy has a lot of nerve to hold Scott to the "best undiscovered talent in the USA" standard. Let's face it-- by that standard everyone but Adam fails.
Alison: Instead of arguing the merits of Alison (I like her- I think we all do), can we argue the merits of this song? I have always HATED this song. It's soooooooooo boring to me. (Not to mention the fact that I've always gotten a little queasy from the image of Bonnie Raitt in bed with a lover.) But I think that the rest of this world views this song as a masterpiece. Please. Somebody. Tell me what I'm missing with this song. And one other thing...Randy has cajones criticizing people for not being original. Does he ever critique a contestant without a reference to another singer-- usually a past Idol contestant?!
Matt: Is Matt a Mormon? The white gowns and cloudy background in the childhood church performance make me wonder. I groaned out loud when I heard he was singing this Stevie lowlight. But he actually brought the funk and he was working it. I liked it. That's the good news. The bad news? When Matt is at his soulful best, it just reminds me of what a pale shadow of Elliott Yamin he is.
Adam: As if we had any doubt that Adam was the real deal, we see a picture of him at age 4 dressed as the Phantom of the Opera. You can't fake that, folks. Of course Adam goes with TFF. I love this song. The Hurting was the first CD I ever bought. This didn't really blow me away-- it was not as original as some of his other songs. (It was just like the Gary Jules (?) remake of this song from Donnie Darko.) That said, Adam was still in another league from everyone else. I love him and I'm glad he got the standing ovation. (We didn't see anything after that since our Tivo cut off.)
With Megan gone, there's no obvious chaff left. I'd guess Danny and Adam are the only ones safe. Lil and Scott are likely bottom two. Who else will join them? We'll have to wait and see.
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