American Idol Finale Recap

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s season finale is chock full of live performances by the likes of such superstars as, Donna Summer, George Michael, Idol alumni Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard and Jordin Sparks, and much, much more!

We begin with a performance by the final 12 paired with the dancers from Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” They sing “Get Ready”, by The Temptations. Then the two Davids sing a duet of some song that I don’t know but it’ so obvious that Cook is definitely a cut above Archuleta. His voice is gritty and soulful and he reminds me of Daughtry; another one I thought should have won Idol.

There are a myriad of shameless plugs in this finale, from the preview of Michael Myers’ new movie, “The Love Guru”, to a performance by Gladys Knight and the “Pips”. The latter of which was phenomenal and somehow Gladys Knight was superimposed with the “Original Pips” – Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. Their performance was excellent; hysterical. Syesha Mercado“I Have Been Waiting for You performed ” with Seal, and she truly held her own with that major talent.

Jason Castro came back to perform “Hallelujah” again, the one song that he performed on Idol that tricked us into believing that he was a major talent. Then the top 12 girls and guys performed a medley of some Donna Summer songs, from “She Works Hard for the Money” to “Hot Stuff” and Ms. Summer even performed a couple of less well-known songs. I usually hate these medleys that the Idol contestants are forced to performed every week. This time, it seemed that the only contestant who just couldn’t seem to get it together was my favorite rocker chick, Amanda Overmyer. I don’t know if she just coordinate the moves the singing, which I seem to recall she had revealed in an interview she had difficulty with. Or maybe she was a little on the high side.

One of the funniest performances was Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue – he made fun of Ryan Seacrest, Paula, and the best was the song full of insults that was “performed” by Simon Cowell.

It was nice to see the top 12 finalists again, giving us a glimpse of what the AI tour might be like: Chikezie, Carly Smithson, Brooke White, Ramiel Malubay – it was nice to see how they may fare during the tour.

By far, David Cook’s favorite performance HAS to have been the “Sharp Dressed Man” with the inimitable ZZ Top. He was in his element for this performance; he seemed perfect up there with these rockers and he definitely held his own. This kid’s destined to be playing with the likes of these legends anyway and it makes me feel good to know that he was living his dream up there. He deserves it.

Speaking of living your dream, Brooke White was lucky enough to sing a song, barefoot, with Graham Nash of Graham, Stills and Nash. She played guitar and sang along with him, a little folksy but perfect for her.

The Jonas Brothers also performed; a boy band that the ‘tween crowd loves right now. And we were treated to a performance by One Republic who sang “Apologize” with David Archuleta, and he held his own, too. Jordin Sparks came back and performed for us, too. I was hoping she’d come with Chris Brown and sing the duet they are burning up the charts with right now, but no such luck.

But I bet you were waiting to find out who this season’s “mascot” is right now. Remember William Hung from a couple of seasons ago? The horrible singer who even parlayed his horrible performance into a singing contract and little bitty tour for a minute? Well, this season’s mascot is Reynaldo Lapuz, a ittle man dressed like a white peacock who sang a song backed up with cheerleaders and a brass band from the University of Southern California. Horrible performance.

My absolute favorite was the rendition “Midnight Train to Georgia” with Gladys Knight and the original (white) Pips, Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey, Jr. What a hysterical performance! Gladys’ image from the ‘60’s was superimposed with the likes of these white Pips and the results were excellent! These guys (especially Jack Black) would be funny reading a page from the phone book, but they were absolutely hysterical performing this song. Remembered all the steps except for a moment or two that Robert Downey disappeared backstage then reappeared with Jack Black whose pants were coming off for some reason. I think this was my favorite performance of the night.

Carrie Underwood even sang a song from her latest album. She’s another major talent who hit the big-time when she left Idol. She gives an awesome live performance, too. The final 12 do a medley of George Michael’s best-known songs, “Faith”, “Father Figure”, “Freedom”. Amanda Overmyer, out of everyone, seemed really uncomfortable performing (she was either nervous or high, I can’t decide which). George Michael comes out to perform and we see that nothing’s changed with this guy. Michael hawks his upcoming tour which begins in San Diego, and performs a song from his latest album “Pray for Time”. Before tonight, I never actually paid close attention to the lyrics but this is a beautiful song. A little depressing (“so much to hate”, “no hope to speak of”) but it definitely gives us something to think about. His performance was the best, in my opinion, of all the superstars tonight.

Now, on to the reason why we’re tonight – decision time. Simon actually apologized to David Cook because he “was verging on disrespectful last night” in his comments to Cook. He’s right, though, when he says he really doesn’t care who wins tonight. Both of these Davids truly belonged in the finale, of everyone in the competition this season. But there can only be one winner and it’s David Cook! Finally, one of my picks wins for a change! David Cook is our American Idol 2008. Congratulations, David, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer, more well-deserving guy.

David Wins American Idol 2008!

Ok, I know that title is a little vague so I’ll let you guys watch the clip below. Did the right David win?

American Idol Final Performance Recap

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s show at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles begins with a corny rendition of a professional championship boxing match, complete with the pre-fight analysis by Jim Lampley. This is our final performance show of the season and we’re down to the two best of the best finalists, the two Davids: young Archuleta and the rocker Cook.

Both will be singing songs chosen by music industry giant, Mr. Clive Davis. They will both be coached by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Clive chooses for David Cook, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2 and for David Archuleta “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John. Personally, I think Cook shouldn’t been given the Elton John and vice versa, but whatever. At this point, it is what it is.

David Cook sings the U2 song and, predictably, he does very well. He doesn’t do much of his signature tweaking but he turns in a really good performance. Actually, I’m disappointed because I’m positive that Cook would’ve just KILLED the Elton John song, once he put his own little twist on it. Regardless, both Randy and Paula loved his performance and Simon thought it was phenomenal, considering he was quite obviously a nervous wreck at the top of the show. I give him an A.

David Archuleta actually does a fantastic job with his Elton John. David Archuleta sang this song like he meant it. Until tonight, I really was not so enamored with this kid. But now I think I see that David really may be a musical genius. His performance was absolutely flawless. Randy thought it was “unbelievably molten hot”, Paula said it was an absolutely beautiful performance. Simon thought last week he was okay but that tonight’s performance was “the best he’s done so far”. It’s pretty funny watching this kid looking so obviously overwhelmed. I’m not sure if he’s gonna pass out or cry; it’s rather cute. The whole scene must seem rather surreal to this obviously sheltered kid from the Midwest – random women holding signs asking for David to be their prom date or marry them. It’s really quite hysterical. Oh, I give David A well-deserved A+.

The next round is chosen by the Davids from a list of songs submitted by songwriters. David Cook begins with “Dream Big”, a song that I am not familiar with but that he plays guitar along with. Of course, he does a fantastic job with this performance – gritty and guttural is his voice and we love every minute of it. I give him an A+. Randy thought he “was singing his face off”, Paula was “mesmerized” and Simon, well, Simon seems just bored. He thought the end was okay,but it “didn’t feel like a winning moment” for him. But Simon’s just glad David C’s got another chance to redeem himself.

David Archuleta then sings “In This Moment”, another song I’m not familiar with but that he does a pretty good job performing. It’s a kind of feel-good song that is right for David A. Randy wasn’t crazy about the song but says he could “sing the phone book and it would be hot”, Paula agreed he “was in the zone” and Simon thought he chose the better song and won round two. I give him an A.

The next round of songs is chosen by David A and C. David Archuleta chooses “Imagine”, the song made great by late, great John Lennon and David Cook chooses “The World I Know”.

David Cook also plays guitar along with this song, another one I’m not familiar with. It’s a rather melancholy song, much softer lyrics and tone to his voice. I’m afraid that Archuleta will end up winning this competition because David Cook’s song choices were just not as good. Regardless, he gives a heartfelt performance and sheds some tears afterwards. Randy loves the performance, Paula loves the performance and Simon says he’s actually “one of the nicest, most sincere contestants they’ve had” but it was “completely and utterly the wrong song choice.” I agree, but at this point, as David Cook said at the start of the show, “the competition’s over, they’re just having fun.” I give him an A.

David Archuleta performs again “Imagine” and he did a good job, but it was not a heart-stopping performance. I think he may have done a better job the first time he performed it. Randy thought David is “exactly what this show is about … the best singer’s right there!” Paula was speechless, again, after giving a bit of a speech. Simon said “we’ve witnessed one of the great finals” and David A “came out to win and what we’ve witnessed is a knockout.” I give him an A.

I have always favored David Cook over Archuleta – in my opinion he has a wider appeal and is much more experienced. Hell, I’d pay for a ticket to hear him sing. But I must admit, tonight Archuleta sang the better songs and he just brought it, in every way. Not that either of these contestants needs to win at this point, but in my opinion, David Cook truly doesn’t NEED to win. He’s aware that he’s been truly blessed to have been part of the process and to have gotten this far. With the exposure that this show has given him, he knows he’ll be fine. If this contest is based on tonight’s votes only, I predict that David Archuleta is our new American Idol.

American Idol Final Three Recap

by Deb Porter-Jones

This is the second to the last performance show for this season and the competition is really heating up. Tonight’s show has the last three contestants competing by singing three songs each: One song chosen by one of the judges, Randy, Paula or Simon, one song chosen by the producers, and the last song to be chosen by the contestants themselves.

For David Archuleta, Paula Abdul chooses a song by Billy Joel: “And So It Goes”, a slow, pretty song full of melancholy stringed instruments. David did surprisingly well with this song. It required extreme control over his breathing and David did really well with it. Paula and Randy loved it. Simon thought it was, “very good, a bit predictable; not outstanding, but really good”. In my opinion, it wasn’t fabulous, but he did a good job. I give him a B.

Next up is Syesha Mercado who sings an Alicia Keyes’ “If I Ain’t Got You”, which was chosen by Randy. Syesha did a good job with this song, although there were no surprises. She sang the song almost exactly like the original. Syesha is not exactly known for her originality; she’s a good singer, but she tends not to be innovative with the songs that she sings. Randy, of course, loved her performance, Paula loved it but Simon thought she sang it much like the original, which was disappointing. I give her a B.

David Cook is given “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack, which was chosen by Simon. David, predictably, did remarkably well with this song. While it is a classic song, David actually didn’t change it up much like he usually does. But he did a really good job with it. Randy thought it wasn’t “rocker” enough for him based on his persona as a real rocker. Paula loved I,t and of course Simon loved it. I give him a B.

David Archuleta is up next singing a song he chose, “With You” by Chris Brown. I’m sorry; this kid has an old soul and this song just didn’t seem comfortable for him at all. I just don’t buy that David A. has in his vocabulary the words “little mama” and “my boo”. Randy agreed. Paula thought his performance of the song was perfect and Simon thought it was “like a Chihuahua trying to be a tiger”. I agree. I give him a B.

Syesha chooses “Fever”, by Peggy Lee, a really old stage-y type of song. While Syesha looked beautiful and did a great job singing this song – her acting background was evident in this number – it was a strange choice of song for such a young, hot girl. But, as Paula would say, this is who she is. She’s an actress who just happens to be able to sing, in my opinion. She did a great job. Randy thought she sang it amazingly well. Paula was surprised that Syesha chose this song but she’s “not sure it shows me who Syesha who is an artist.” Simon thought she would regret choosing this song and it was “quite a lame cabaret performance.” I think she did pretty well. I give her an A.

David Cook chooses “Dare You To Move”, by Switchfoot. He also plays guitar and actually David does a great job with the song. His style and originality reminds one easily of Daughtry. Randy thought it was “a little pitchy”, Paula “wanted more” and Simon thought it was “pretty much what he would’ve expected, and the three of them had an okay middle round.” I give him a B.

David Archuleta sings “Longer”, by Dan Fogelberg. This song has got to be older than David himself. He did an okay job with the song, accompanied by heavy stringed instruments. It was actually a rather boring song for David and kind of predictable given that he normally gravitates towards ballads. Randy thought it was an “interesting song choice, but he could sing the phone book”, Paula thought it was “very lovely” and Simon thought he sang the song very well, but he thought “the song and the lyrics were absolutely horrible, so gooey”, but he’s done enough to get into the finals next week. I give him a B.

Syesha’s producer’s choice is “Hit Me Up”, by Gia Farrell, a song from the animated movie “Happy Feet”. While she looked absolutely gorgeous, it was a truly forgettable performance. It’s a shame the producers didn’t choose a song that was more memorable, not so fast; something that would make you cry just listening to her sing it. Her performance was pretty good, but nothing fabulous. Randy thought it was just okay, Paula thought she “did the song very well but it’s not the type of song that defines Syesha as an artist.” Simon thought it was forgettable but it lacked the “defining moment” that he would’ve liked her to send the show with. I give her a B.

David Cook’s producer’s choice is “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith. Of course, this is the perfect song for David. Accompanied by heavy strings, he sang this song like it was his own. He did a phenomenal job with this song, of course. I thought it was the perfect song for him. Randy thought it was “okay”, Paula said “see ya in the finals, that’s what I predict”, and Simon thought “David Cook wins the night.” I give him an A.

American Idol Elimination for April 30

 

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s elimination show may prove to be as surprising as every other elimination show in the last few weeks. The show begins with a tribute medley to the music of last night’s mentor, singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. The medley was exceptionally cheesy and karaoke, to borrow a phrase from Simon, but it’s really appropriate here! Really bad medley; Jason Castro appeared to be reading the words from a teleprompter and everyone just looked uncomfortable with the dance steps and the words. Really cheesy performance; I can only hope the Idol Tour won’t be as bad.

Anyway, on to the eliminations. We discover early on that Jason Castro and David Archuleta are safe. Wonder of all wonders – not about Archuleta; rather that Castro has made it through another week. Like I said last week, none of the eliminations have made sense to me since Amanda Overmyer, but who am I?

Next we hear that David Cook is safe which brings us down to Syesha Mercado and Brooke White. I’ll say it again, if Brooke doesn’t go home, I can’t watch this show another season.
British pop star Natasha Beddingfield then performs “Take Me Away”. After her performance, she plants a kiss on David Archuleta’s cheek and Simon asks if she can accompany him to the prom! It was really cute and David’s reaction was hysterical. Then, we’re treated to a performance by Neil Diamond, which brings us to the final elimination decision.

And we’re told that Brooke is going home. I love her personality; I love her honesty and talent. She’s quite obviously a really sweet girl. But the reality is she’s been out of her league for quite some time. She gives a tear-filled last performance of Neil Diamond’s “I Am, I Said”. Brooke will be missed

American Idol Recap for April 19, 2008

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s show features the song stylings of the musical singer-songwriting legend, Neil Diamond. He’s also written such iconic hits as “I’m a Believer” sung by the Monkees, “Solitary Man” and Sweet Caroline”. Diamond is probably most well known for penning the music performed in the film in which he also starred, “The Jazz Singer”. This man is truly a legend and our young contestants are truly blessed to have the opportunity to be in the presence of and learn from this superstar.

Our contestants are to sing two of Neil Diamond’s songs and then face a bit of nerve-wracking critique from the judges.

Jason Castro is up first and he performs “Forever in Blue Jeans” and “September Morn”. In the former, he plays guitar and sings rather well. Jason’s a really laid-back fellow so obviously you believe that he’d rather be “Forever in Blue Jeans”. That’s a no-brainer and he did a great job. I give him a B.

David Cook is up next. He sings, “I’m Alive” and “All I Really Need is You”. Neil says he got goose bumps listening to David sing; he’s got the right material, the right attitude, the right voice and he’ll do great, no doubt. He first sings “I’m Alive” and, of course, he does a great job. This song is not as well-known as some of Neil’s other music so there’s probably not much comparing to factor into his performance. Regardless, he does a great job, as David is expected to do. I give him an A+.

Brooke White sings “I’m a Believer” and chooses to sing while accompanying himself on the guitar. This song was originally sung by The Monkees, the group who had a sitcom playing boy-band members in a group similar to the Beatles. Brooke did a really good job on this song, although I can always detect a bit of trembling and decided nervousness whenever she performs. Simon appeared rather bored while she performed. In my opinion, she didn’t really seem to get into the song until the end. But definitely a B+ performance.

David Archuleta decides to do “Sweet Caroline” and “America”. Neil feels like he’s “kind of a prodigy”, which is a heck of a compliment coming from the great Neil Diamond. David’s performance of “Sweet Caroline” is okay, but I have to admit, nothing earth-shattering there. I give him a B.

Syesha Mercado sings “Hello, Again” and “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime”. He seems to be really impressed with her renditions of these great songs. The first songs she performs is “Hello, Again” and she did a pretty good job with this song. Again, nothing earth-shattering but she did a good job. I give her a B.

Ryan Seacrest decides to weigh in on the judge’s perceptions of the contestants’ first songs. Paula’s confused and thinks they’ve sung two songs so she’s giving her impression of Jason’s two songs when in actuality he’s only sung one. We finally realize she’s confused Jason’s second song, that he hasn’t sung yet, with David Cook’s first song, which was the bomb, and that’s who her praises need to go to. Whew!

And of course Simon is his usual vitriolic self and runs through a quick assessment of his perceptions. Jason and David Archuleta are described as “amateurish”, Syesha is “old fashioned”, David Cook is “above average” and Brooke White’s performance is described as “a nightmare”. I could tell he was definitely not enjoying her performance, but that’s just downright mean. The girl’s already a trembling, nervous wreck whenever she comes onstage. She’s probably popping Valium and vomiting before the show starts every night. Anyway, this makes for a nerve-wracking first half. Simon tells them all to step it up a bit; it’s a competition!

The next half begins with Jason Castro singing “September Morn”. Jason seems so incredibly bored with this song, almost as bored as I was watching him perform it. Randy agreed that this was “another okay performance”. Paula thinks he needs to step it up a bit and of course Simon’s just not impressed. I give him a C (just for remembering the words).

David Cook plays guitar and sings “All I Really Need Is You”. I’ve never heard this song before but David Cook did a great job, put the rocker spin on this song and totally
rocked it. All the judges loved the second song better than the first. Simon loved that he changed the arrangement (who would know, I don’t think anyone knows this song) and he made it his own. Paula thought she is “already looking at the American Idol”. Randy is really impressed with what he’s done with this second song. I give him a well-deserved A+.

Brooke White sings “I Am, I Said” and plays piano. She actually does a great job with this song. She seems much more comfortable when she plays piano and sings. The performance was very heartfelt and real; definitely NOT a nightmare. I give her an A+. Randy thought it was a difficult song but it showed her vulnerability behind the piano and all, excellent song choice. Paula agreed but Simon thought “this is the Brooke we like”, wasn’t incredible but a million times better than the first song. I have to agree. Something about that piano.

Next up is David Archuleta singing “America”. He actually does a great job with this song. The judges loved it, too. Great song choice, great performance, they all agree. I don’t know, I just don’t think I’m as “in love” with Archuleta as everyone else. I mean, he’s good, but he’s not fabulous, in my opinion, regardless of his age. I give him a B.

Syesha Mercado finally sings “Thank the Lord for the Nighttime” and she does a phenomenal job with this song. If she ends up in the Bottom Two after this, go figure. The judges all agree as well, although Simon doesn’t think she had as memorable a second song as the others, which may be a problem for Syesha. I swear, this girl consistently ends up in the Bottom Two despite excellent performances. I give her a well-deserved A+.

AMERICAN IDOL ELIMINATION SHOW 4-23-08

Tonight our six finalists will discover who ends up in the bottom two this week, and which one will eventually go home.  After last night’s performances of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway classics from the likes of Evita and Phantom of the Opera, there should be a few predictable performances slated to be on the chopping block.  Namely, Brooke White, who stopped and started for the second time last night, followed by a very under-whelming performance, and Jason Castro, who whispered his way through yet another performance.  He’s been mediocre at best for the last month or so.  But everyone else, honestly, was pretty good.  The Davids, Archuleta and Cook, did very well, respectively. Syesha and Carly were both phenomenal.  So, we’ll see.

Surprisingly, miraculously, amazingly, Brooke is safe and Syesha is in the bottom two once again.  This season is getting ridiculous; nothing makes sense.  But it’s okay.  Even if Syesha is voted off, as we’ve seen with past AI alumni like Tamyra Gray and Clay Aiken, there is life after American Idol, a good life at that.  She’ll be okay.

Next inducted into the bottom two is, wonder of all wonders: Carly Smithson.  She gave a phenomenal performance last night and has absolutely no business in the bottom two, with Syesha Mercado of all people.  And the one going home is Carly Smithson, our Irish songbird whose voice is ten times better than several of the six finalists left onstage.  But, like several of the alumni from past seasons who also didn’t take the top honors, she too will be fine.  Carly Smithson – you will be missed.

AMERICAN IDOL Recap for April 22

By Deb Porter-Jones 

Tonight’s show features the music of Broadway legend Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Sir Andrew has created beautiful music with lyricist Tim Rice for some of Broadway’s most memorable tunes from shows such as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Evita”, and “Cats!”

Syesha Mercado sang “One Rockin’ Road Too Many” and she did a wonderful job with this song!  She was animated and full of personality, something that, strangely enough, most of her songs were pretty devoid of in the past.  It’s not surprising that she did so well, however, when you consider that her background is in the theater and acting. All the judges absolutely loved her performance and thought it was her best yet.  I give her a well-deserved A+.

Jason Castro is up next and he opts to perform “Memories”, a song from the play “Cats!” What’s interesting is that in the play this song is sung by a female cat and Sir Andrew proceeded to give Jason pointers on what the play is about, how he should sing it, what the scene is about where the song is sung, etc.  Sir Andrew felt that Jason would not take any of his pointers, and thought he was an unlikely person to sing this song; a young guy with dreadlocks. In the play the song is sung by a female balladeer that’s actually a cat.  Interesting choice for Jason, and his performance was interesting as well.  Not good, just interesting.  I think this performance will be Jason’s downfall.  He was clearly scared to death to sing this song and it was painfully obvious, even to the judges.  He sang in his usual breathy way and no one liked it.  Randy thought it was a “train wreck”, Paula thought it was brave for him to sing a song that was penned for a female balladeer (didn’t say she liked it, just that it was brave) and Simon said he appeared miserable and it was obvious he couldn’t wait until the song was over.  I agree.  I give him a C.

Brooke White is up next and she chooses “You Must Love Me”,  from the movie “Evita”.  Sir Andrew thought at first she didn’t have a clue what the song or the scene was about.  After he gave her some background on the song, the story and the scene, he felt that she may be a natural actress and could be quite good if she kept up the emotion.  Well, she did it again, folks.  Brooke started the song, and a few words into the performance, she faltered, and started again. It was painful to watch but, truthfully, you couldn’t tell if she meant for that vulnerability and feeling to come through, or if she was truly feeling that away because of her gaffe.  I think she did a pretty good job considering she forgot the words and appeared to be scared to death the entire time.  I like Brooke, but I wonder if she’s actually done it this time.  Randy thought she did a good job taking the advice of Sir Andrew regarding the emotion of the song, Paula said “you must never start and stop” but she did a good job picking up the pieces.  Simon thought she would be disappointed when she watched the tape.  I think so, too.  But hopefully, she’ll get another chance.  I give her a B.

David Archuleta chooses to sing “Think of Me”, from “Phantom of the Opera, ” a song that Sir Andrew composed for a woman, specifically a diva.  His biggest advice was for David was to sing the song with his eyes open.  David sang this song with only a guitar and some strings in the background.  It was a pretty good performance, although in my opinion, it was a bit bland. Randy thought David is now “the one to beat”, Paula thought he turned the song into a pop ballad and was really good, Simon thought it was a “bit forgettable”.  I’m sorry, but I agree with Simon; we may not remember this song tomorrow.  He gets a B.

Carly Smithson started to sing “All I Ask of You” and Sir Andrew said it was absolutely the wrong song for a “girl with a big voice in her chest”.  He suggested “Jesus Christ Superstar”.  Carly did a phenomenal job with this song!  Her big voice was perfect for this song; Sir Andrew definitely knew what he was talking about.  Paula gave her a standing ovation and the judges loved her performance!  Randy didn’t know if it was her best performance but it was definitely good.  Paula loved what she did with the chorus and Simon said it was his “favorite performance of the night.”  I agree, next to Syesha Mercado, she was excellent.  I give her a well-deserved A+.

David Cook is up next and sings “Music of the Night”.  Sir Andrew thinks this is the most sensual song he’s ever written.  He has to imagine he’s singing to a gorgeous young woman and he may be okay.  I think it was his weakest performance of the competition and I think he chose the wrong song this time.  It’s a very Broadway type of song, but I don’t think it was the right one for David.  However, Randy thought it “was molten hot”, Paula thought it was fantastic.  Simon thought he made the most of the song he was given, this is not the side of him that Simon likes, he prefers the grittier, more raw side of David (so do I).  But he did what he could with it.  I give him a B.

I think the ones to beat are Syesha and Carly.    They clearly took to the Broadway genre a bit easier than most of the others.  We’ll see what tomorrow night brings! 

Need Some Inspiration? – AMERICAN IDOL Recap: 4-7-08

by Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight’s focus is “inspirational themes” and Michael Johns is up first!

His is an inspirational story in that he is from another country and has come to America in search of the American Dream. So far, it seems like he’s close to finding it. He sings “Dream On” by Aerosmith and boy, does he rock it! He even attempted a really high falsetto portion of the song; even though Randy thought he had “some pitch problems”, typical Randy critique. I think he clinched it, and so did Paula. She thought it was a perfect song; she also thought he sounded “as good as he looks”. Simon thought it was “a very good performance.” He also slightly agrees with Randy, but he thought it was a “little bit wannabe-ish,” and he thinks Michael’s really a bluesy singer, not so much a rocker. I think Michael Johns rocks no matter what genre of music he tries his hand at. Great performance. I give him an A.

Next up is Syesha Mercado. The inspirational song she chooses is “I Believe” by Fantasia. Syesha did a really good job with this song. I had never heard the song before and while I’m certain Fantasia sang the hell out of it, Syesha really did a good job, too. Randy and Simon both thought she did a really good job, but she didn’t do as well as Fantasia, of course. Paula was a bit more realistic and felt that she did a great job and in some ways her performance tonight was much better than last week. I thought Syesha did a great job, but I don’t know why she insists on choosing songs that will cause everyone to compare her to phenomenal singers. I think she deserves a B.

Jason Castro attempted the impossible tonight: Jason played a ukulele while singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. It was perfect for him, very simplistic and pure. Really interesting choice of instrument, but this is Jason we’re talking about. I’m surprised he didn’t play the ukulele in his skivvies and barefoot. For Jason, it was a good performance, he did a good job, but I’ll say it again: he’s out of his league. He won’t make it to the final three but he’s a good performer. I give him a B.

Kristie Lee Cook sang “Sing It Anyway” by Martina McBride and I thought it was a good performance for her. Still, not at the level of a David Cook or Michael Johns, but good. All of the judges thought her performance was very, very good. Worlds better than she usually performs. I agree, she deserves a B.

David Cook sang “Innocent” by Our Lady of Peace. I don’t know this song either, but I’m a huge fan of this guy. While I think it may not have been his best performance (the last 3 weeks’ awesome performances truly must be difficult for him to duplicate), I still think he rocks. All of the judges felt the same way, but I think he rates a B+.

Carly Smithson sang “The Show Must Go On”. She did a great job; it was a really big song for her, but it was unanimous that she really didn’t connect with this song. She performed it well enough, but it just wasn’t her best performance. Simon even thought she should be worried after this performance and thought she seemed angry. I give her a B.

David Archuleta sang “Angels” and played piano, too. David did an exceptional job with this song. His voice was pure and sweet and so innocent. Randy thought it was “blazing hot”, Paula thought it was “fantastic” and Simon thought it was “amazing” but somehow not his best vocal, but he would, nonetheless, “sail through to the next round”. David did a phenomenal job and he deserves an A+.

Brooke White sings “You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor. She did a really good job with this song and it was a typical “Brooke” performance. Randy thought it was “okay, not his best”. Paula thought she was “definitive” and Simon thought it was “a pleasant walk in the park, nice, and pleasant”. I feel so sorry for Brooke; she always looks so beaten, like she’s anticipating getting kicked in the head every time she performs. Poor thing. Anyway, I think she did a good job with this song; it was rather safe and easy, again, she’s not in the same league as a Michael Johns and a David Cook. But she held her own. I give her a B.

The elimination show on Wednesday includes footage from “Idol Gives Back” and airs a half hour earlier at 7:30 pm EST. We look forward to seeing who makes it past tomorrow night!

AMERICAN IDOL PERFORMANCE SHOW 4-1-08

By Deb Porter-Jones

Tonight American Idol has invited country music legend Dolly Parton to share some of her wisdom gained from more than four decades in the music business.  The singers will all be performing Dolly’s own country songs.

Dolly is such a warm, inspiring performer (just like Paula, right?) and she said she finds it difficult to critique other singers. She knows what it’s like to be a singer and have your performances judged – so most likely she’ll be taking it easy on our young performers. 

Tonight we begin with Brooke White who sings “Jolene” – and of course plays guitar.  Randy thought her performance was just “alright, a little pitchy”.  Paula gave some rather obscure and ambiguous comments that didn’t give you a clear idea of what she thought – I suspect that means she thought the performance was not very good but was just too darn nice to say so.  Simon thought the performers onstage with her “looked very odd,” but the rest of the rest of his comments were kind of drowned out by Paula and Randy’s protests.  I think she did an okay job.  I hate to say it, but I agree with something that Randy said several weeks ago.  She’s in grave danger of being considered “musical wallpaper”.  I give her a C.

David Cook was up next.  He talks about how he is able to put his own spin on the songs that he performs.  He chose “Little Sparrow” and Dolly was very impressed with his voice.  I must admit I don’t think I’ve ever heard this song before but I gotta admit; it didn’t matter.  David Cook is always able to make a believer out of me – no matter what song he chooses to sing.  He brought out the falsetto aspect of his voice that I didn’t know he had and paired it with the smoky, guttural tones of his voice that I loved anyway.  Randy appreciated that he was able to embrace the falsetto while still staying true to the rocker that he is.  Paula loved his rendition of “Little Sparrow”, which she had never heard sung by a man before.  Simon didn’t like the performance as much as last week, but conceded that David had done a good job.  I give him an A.

Ramiele Malubay was positively awe-struck by Dolly, and Dolly loved that she is also a “little person”.  Dolly thought Ramiele’s choice of the song “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” was a “good little choice” for her.  Randy thought it was a 6 ½ out of 10.  Paula thought she really connected with the audience and she had fun.  Simon thought, “we’re not gonna remember this in 10 years time” and was “forgettable and reminiscent of something you’d see on a cruise ship.”  Sorry, I agree.  I give her a C.

Jason Castro received a bunch of postcards in the form of fan mail from the same girl (stalker material, no doubt).  Dolly loved his dreads and thought he had a “funky, cool, relaxed” way about him so the “Travelling Through” song was appropriate for him.  I think he did an okay job.  It wasn’t anything earth-shattering vocally, but Jason did a good job.  And he played guitar for the performance.  Randy thought he did a good job, Paula thought it was his best performance yet, and Simon didn’t like it at all.  I give him a B.

Next up was Carly Smithson who sang “Here You Come Again”.  Dolly thought it was a perfect song choice for Carly and that her voice is the perfect voice for this song.  I think she did a really good job with this song.  Randy thought it was one of the better performances of the night, great job”.  Paula thought it was excellent; she looked great, all good stuff.  Simon thought it was, “good, not great, and she’s gotta have a word with who’s dressing her”.   I give her a B+.

David Archuleta chose “Smoky Mountain Memories”.  Dolly was blown away and said she thought he, “has the voice to become a great, great singer”.  He did a wonderful job with this song; so much feeling.  Randy thought it was the best performance of the night.  Paula agreed and so did Simon!  I give him an A.

Syesha Mercado chose “I Will Always Love You”, which was originally performed by Dolly and then re-arranged by Whitney Houston, whose version really skyrocketed.  Dolly thought she’s a pretty girl, and a good singer and she, “did real well.”  I think she did an okay job.  She didn’t sing it like Dolly did originally, nor did she sing it like Whitney did.  Randy thought she “took on the biggest tiger of the night” and he thinks she did pretty good, “it was alright.”  Paula thought her voice was velvety and she’s “growing and connecting with the audience much more.”  Simon said he almost wished she hadn’t chosen that song because her performance was not as good as the original singers (either of them).  But she did okay.  I think we saw another side of Syesha when Simon was giving his comments.  Her face clouded over and she just looked like she could murder him. She wasn’t really happy with what he had to say.  But, Simon was right.  You can’t sing a song that is probably the most loved ballad in pop music history and think you’re not going to be compared to the original singer or singers.   And by her being an amateur, technically, it was a bit of a stretch for her to think she could pull it off.  I think she deserved a B.

Dolly loves Michael Johns’ voice, and she hopes he does become a star because she “could write some great songs for him”.  He sang “It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright”, and he did a great job, too.  I think he was the best performer tonight!  The arrangement was kind of bluesy and sexy, just a piano, electric guitar, backup singers and Michael, with his effortless, sexy raspy voice.  Awesome performance.  I don’t even know this song but he rocked it!  And of course the judges loved his performance as well.  I give him a well-deserved A+!

After tonight’s episode, I feel more strongly than ever that the ones who SHOULD be in the final three are David Cook, David Archuleta and Michael Johns.  These three have been the most consistent (actually David Cook and Michael Johns more so than Archuleta) week after week. I think if the show doesn’t end with these three in the top three, somewhere, America’s got a problem.  Looking forward to the results show tomorrow night!