Whine & Cheese

AI7: Rock 'n Roll Hall of Ho-Hum

We're in the homestretch of American Idol, but just like a marathoner I seem to "hit that wall" right about this time each season.  I don't know if it's I'm just tired of the show... or the contestants are tired of the show... probably a bit of both.

With the exception of Syesha's "A Change Is Gonna Come" nothing much captured my attention, but I'll get into it later...  but allow me this digression... that Sam Cooke classic, largely due to it becoming an Idol regular, has become one of my favorite all-time songs.  If I had any skill creating/editing videos, I would have come up with Obama montage with that song as the back-drop... though given my Democratic nom preference I imagined mega-mixing it with Hillary and "I Am Woman."   

Ok, now what was I saying about being indifferent to last night's show...

My usual performance picture "borrowing" source wasn't waiting for me this morning... so I'll present you with this group shot of the Final 4.   My overall order was probably Cook, Archuleta, Syesha, and Jason... Todd's order was just as you see below from left to right... and honestly it wouldn't take too much convincing to make me agree with that either.

David C ("Hungry Like The Wolf" / "Baba O'Riley") - Given the trajectory of the Idol winners, I am guessing David Cook would not too terribly disappointed not to become the 7th member of that group.  Given that alleged 500 songs available for choosing, it did seem odd to go with Duran Duran... granted a classic Duran Duran, but really?  Likewise, both were "spin-free" which has been where Cook has been most impressive this season, so why not go for a "moment" on at least one of the songs?  Again, my conspiracy theory is figuring out a way not to win the show.

David A ("Stand By Me" / "Love Me Tender") - Cook may not have to worry about that, if the seemingly never-ending tween screams after Archie's performances are any indication of who will win this year.  I had no complaints about Archie's vocals last night, but they just left me a bit bored.  It's not that I am expecting anything shocking and different from Little David, he is, as Randy said, consistent and consistently good.

Syesha ("Proud Mary" / "A Change Is Gonna Come") - As noted above, Syesha almost stole the night, but she totally lost me when she got to the sped-up (or as Ms. Turner refers to it, the "rough") portion of "Proud Mary".. the whole Tina spin and subsequent dance moves just had me "ohhhh girl, don't go there."  And the Syesha that becomes her own worst enemy whenever she speaks of herself also overshadowed any of her vocal prowess... whether it was taking on Tina, speaking of looking forward to the tour so she can meet all her fans, or the biggest cringe of the night... likening her journey on Idol to the civil rights movement... yikes!

Jason ("I Shot The Sheriff" / "Mr. Tambourine Man") - Pretty much the last time we saw a halfway decent showing from Jason was three weeks ago during Mariah Carey night.  The dreadlocked one has been slowly backing out of the room with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Neil Diamond... and pretty much shut the shut behind him last night with an incredibly messy Bob Marley song and skipping a whole bunch of lyrics on the Bob Dylan.  One could have given him the benefit of the doubt in being outside his comfort zone, but telling Entertainment Weekly last week that he was "ready to go home" leaves little debate that last night he was purposely tanking.  Again, I understand the not wanting to win strategy, but I think this did himself no good on the "being professional" front and it certainly wasn't respectful if anyone else gets the boot tonight.  Jason obviously has a fanbase and I'm not completely sure they'll let him go... which is bad news for Syesha... or even, as Ryan reminded us (this often being upset/shocker week from past seasons)... one of the Davids.

BTW, this will be my last Idol performance review post of this season... we like to bump our vacations up against Memorial Day weekend... we'll be around for next week's performance show, but then hitting the road (or, I should say, the air)... so that means catching the last elimination and the finale after the fact.  Thanks for reading yet another season's worth of Idol posts!

Express Lane: Issue 49

Flight of the Conchords Soar on U.S. Chart - The pseudo-fictional New Zealand folk duo debut at #3 with their debut album... guessing Ashlee Simpson at #4 is not amused. (4/30/08)

China Marks 100 Days Until Start of Beijing Olympics - Yikes!  It's coming up quick! (4/29/08)

Adam hedges on charity donation; James knew gay porn would come out - Finally some news about the two of the biggest "out of the house" stories from 'Big Brother 9.' (4/29/08)

'Idol' Singers Who Sing First May Not Last - Heck, I forget some of the early performances were from the same show... and now statistics show "kicking off" the show is the most frequent "kicked off" slot.  (4/21/08)

AI7: Diamond Not A Girl's (or Guy's) Best Friend

It was a wild and wacky night on American Idol.  I was pretty much exhausted by the end thanks to the unwise decision to cram 10 songs into a hour... no wonder our little Paula was confused by it all!  Of course, tonight they're going to strrrrrrrrrretch it out to an hour... why, why, why!

And on top of it all, it wasn't a very good night.  I have nothing against Neil Diamond, but as we are at the stage where all the remaining contestants will likely have some sort of music-related career, it would be more interesting to give them more freedom to choose their own songs... or heck, maybe have the theme be "songs from the the past 10 years!"

Since we are down to five contestants, figured I would picture them all... but as you can see I've done some visual editorializing...

David C ("I'm Alive" / "All I Really Need Is You") - David likely made a smart move by going with two lesser known Diamond songs.  I kinda sorta maybe knew them, but they sounded good enough and new enough for me.  Didn't blow me away on either of them... but by far the only two songs of the night that would ever make it to the radio today.

David A ("Sweet Caroline" / "America") - Unlike his cooler David counterpart, Archie went with two of Diamond's biggest hits.  I preferred the first song. David hasn't gone up-tempo much this season (and when he has it hasn't been "da bomb"), so this showed me something slightly different.  Though no fault of his own, "America" is just one of those kitsch-ier songs and the swelling orchestra and the American flag waving behind him was just a bit too much for me.

Syesha ("Hello Again" / "Thank The Lord For The Night Time") - Now that we're at the end, I am starting to like Syesha... and even contemplated having her crash the David #1-#2 party.  Thought she sounded strong on the first ballad, without pushing it too far... and the second gave her that theatrical chance to perform a song... which does seem to be her wheelhouse.

Brooke ("I'm A Believer" / "I Am... I Said") - As you can see in the above visual, my goodwill stops with Brooke and Jason.  It is probably a good thing that the judges didn't get time to critique the first round as "Believer" was pretty darn painful... better on the second song, but don't think she knocked it out either.  And couple of oddities on that one too... nice lyric change from "New York" to "Arizona born and raised"... but not sure it quite works with next line ("... I'm lost between two shores")... and did she actually write the lyrics on her palm... before she was going to play the piano?!?

Jason ("Forever in Blue Jeans" / "September Morn") - I think Jason is starting to wonder, what the heck am I doing here and/or what have I got myself into?  As mentioned, towards the end of the competition, contestants should just sing what they want to... Jason is never going have to sing showtunes or Neil Diamond... he is certainly showing "theme night" fatigue. That said, other are stepping up to the proverbial plate... but just feeling like Jason is "done"... whether his fanbase will let him go, well not too sure about that for at least this week. 

 

AI7: Cats Can Sing?

It was a fun night on Idol as Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber schooled the contestants in an honest and often sassy way.  It was also quite entertaining with some really good performances, a dramatic stutter-start, and a bit of a train wreck.

Of yesterday's "advice" post, myself and EW's Michael Slezak only had one of our song suggestions each taken on by the Idols... and both were successes.  As predicted, we didn't get through the night without ALW's most iconic song sung... but who ended up doing "Memory" was the Idol who I least expected to take it on... and the result, well...

Here is my Top 3... or should I say, Top Half... things are getting down to the wire:

David C ("Music of the Night" from Phantom) - I thought this would be a good fit for David thinking he could "creep" it up pretty well.   However, I was expecting he would give it his usual rock edge, but for the first time this season, David sang it pretty much "as is."  And not going for the change-up, was well... a nice change. 

Syesha ("One Rock 'n Roll Too Many" from Starlight Express) -  I have not been shy expressing my disdain from Syesha for most of this season... but if last night was her "true self"... well, where the heck have has this been?  She wisely stayed away from the predictable (the big diva song)... didn't go for a note that reached to the stratosphere and back... but delivered an entertaining performance and looked great doing it.  With the numbers dwindling and her overall popularity in question, staying out of the Bottom 3 from this point on is going to be a challenge... but she certainly deserves to stay based on this performance.

Carly ("Superstar" from Jesus Christ Superstar) - I got a little excited when Carly started her "master class" with "All I Ask of You" (one of my all-time fave ALW songs), but when the Lord poo-poo'd her opening notes and suggested she try the rock anthem and Slezak's suggestion of "Superstar" it proved to be the far better choice pretty much instantaneously.  It was nice to see Carly feel comfortable out there and genuinely happy... sure it got a bit shouty, but ALW's stuff (particularly his earlier work) does tend to go there.  One of my all-time favorite theater moments was at an intermission for Evita when an elderly gentleman seated next to me turned to his wife and asked... "Why does she have to sing so loud?"

David A ("Think of Me" from Phantom) - While I don't think he is any danger thanks to his adoring tween fanbase, "Archie" didn't blow me away last night.  While I was impressed that he did turn this song sung by and operatic diva into a pretty contemporary sounding pop ballad... it ultimately was a bit too snoozy for me and didn't allow him to hit those trademark soaring notes that make him stand out.

Brooke ("You Must Love Me" from Evita) - Oh boy, where do we start?  I am not a fan of the song.  This was one of those add-on songs for the movie version.  These days whenever a musical makes the transition to the big screen a song is added, pretty much with intent of earning an Oscar nomination for best original song.  But even when Madonna as Evita warbled out this angsty dirge, the overwhelming thought running through my head was... DIE ALREADY!   

But back to Brooke.  I simply guffawed (yes, guffawed!) when ALW said of Brooke's initial run-thru... "I don’t think that girl had a clue about what she was singing about."  Snap!   So granted she does get to capturing the desperation of the song, but then we get the performance and she freezes on the first line and requests the band start over... marking her third re-do... the first one during Hollywood week and marginally forgivable a few weeks back during "Every Breath You Take" when she was only had to re-boot her own piano opener, but an entire orchestra?!?  Eeek.  While I feel bad from her, she is cracking under the pressure and it is pretty cringe-inducing.  She's not cut out for this anymore and I hope the voting public did her a favor and didn't send sympathy votes her way... that said, the implosion was not enough to land in my bottom spot of the night...

Jason ("Memory" from Cats) - As I keep saying, I knew someone would sing it... I just never in my wildest imagination thought it would be Jason.... and I am sure most people would agree, Jason included, that there were probably better choices out there... if we were only let in, ala Carly, what his "second choice" song was maybe we would have known what could have been.  That said, it could have had potential okay, but the confidence wasn't there and it's just too much of a big-belting show-stopper to be successfully reinvented.

That said, I enjoy the kid... and best. bumper. EVER!  I won't embarrass myself to tell you how many times we re-wound it, just to watch Jason say of the song "I didn’t know a cat was singing it"... the facial expression and stoned/duuuude delivery was priceless.  Also highly humorous was Jason's face when ALW told him a "ancient old glamourpuss" sings the song... or Jason timidly said "Oooh, I'm kinda nervous... it's like... a popular song."   This alone was worth the price of supremely bad song choice.

As far as tonight's elimination, from this point on it seems that anyone not named David is in danger... though when it does happen, and it likely will, I suspect Cook will land in the bottom group before Archuleta.  Given the above, I don't feel Carly or Syesha deserve to go... but at least one of them will under the dimmed lights... Jason seems primed for a second trip to the bottom, but given she was alone with Kristy Lee last week, I'm guessing America is probably done (and lost patience) with the Nanny Brooke.  But I've been wrong pretty much every week of late, so who knows...

What ALW Songs Should The Idols Sing?

I usually don't do an American Idol preview, but since it's Andrew Lloyd Webber night... the musicals queen in me just couldn't stop itself from offering up some coaching/suggestions.

I am guessing you can probably find out what the Idols are singing somewhere on the web, but I am going into this without any prior knowledge.  I see (via Bloglines) that my EW guru, Michael Slezak has done some guessing too...but I will not watch that video until after I am done here.

What I do know is that Kristy Lee Cook, in her exit interviews, said she had planned to sing the Evita anthem "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"... which kinda of surprised me, if anything, the Tammy Wynette-ish, country twang of U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D from Starlight Express seemed right up her alley!   We'll see if anyone picks up the slack on that one... though I doubt it... sounds like they get their songs at least a week in advance.

I have no doubt that we won't get through the evening without hearing the biggie... "Memory" from Cats.  My guess is that Carly and Syesha had a cat-fight (ha!) over that one... but given Syesha's disposition to go after the big songs, my gut tells me she'll take it on.  If not there are the diva worthy songs from Sunset Boulevard, "With One Look" and "As If We Never Said Goodbye."  Personally, I think Carly's voice is perfect for "I Don't Know How To Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. 

And speaking of Jesus, one joke I heard going around was the whether David A would sing some from JCS or from Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.   My guess is the latter and I'll go with the "Any Dream Will Do."

For Brooke, this genre I think is even worse for her than Mariah... but I think the heartbreaker of "Tell Me On A Sunday" would work for her.

And that leaves... David C and Jason, both who would also be challenged by the night... but somehow always seem to rise for the challenge.  I think they could both put their own trademark spins on "All I Ask Of You" from Phantom -- which is probably my favorite ALW song.  Given his skill at "creeping" up a song (and I mean that as a compliment), I could see David C pulling off "Music of the Night" as well.

So that's my take on it.... now I'll go and watch that EW video.  Ok, done... here are Slezak's (along with EW compatriot Missy Schwart's) suggestions....

David A - They fear he'll do "Memory" or any song with with "miracle, hope, faith, Jesus, or puppies" in it, but ultimately select "No Matter What" from Whistle Down the Wind.

David C - The rocked-out "What's the Buzz" from JCS.

Syesha - Saying she should avoid another ballad... go up-tempo with "Buenos Aires" from Evita, since she obviously thinks she has "star quality."

Carly - Go the full-out rock with "Superstar" from, of course, JCS.

Jason C - Two Evita selections ... "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" or "I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You"... the latter, is a particularly good suggestion... sly and sexy.

Brooke - The bubbly "Everything's Alright" from JCS.

A bit too heavy on JCS, but some good suggestions... anyone else care to chime in?

Express Lane: Issue 48

'Brothers & Sisters' Star Comes Out - Coming out stories are always good, but have to admit I would have been more surprised if Luke Macfarlane (Kevin's BF Scotty) had announced he was straight. (4/16/08)

Does TiVo Predict 'Idol' cast-offs? - If rewinding or fast-forwarding is correlated to the voting, David A is in great shape and Syesha maybe be waving goodbye tonight.  Update:  Wrong!  Michael Johns went home in arguably the first "shocker" elimination of the season. (4/10/08)

Joey Fatone, Mel B. to Co-host TLC Show - The DWTS alums set to head a show that sounds like 'Idol' meets 'The Office.'  (4/7/08)

'Idol' Download Rankings Appear On iTunes - It's the second time the "to remain anonymous" sales rankings have leaked... and once again it is good news for the guys ... David A, Michael, David C, and Jason were the highest pre-orders for Dolly week. (4/4/08)

Mariah Carey surpasses Elvis in No. 1s - Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this one of the signs of the apocalypse? (4/2/08)

"Rent" Extension - Due to high ticket demand, the Broadway hit gets one more season of love as closing night shifts from June 1 to September 7. (3/26/08)

Palm Pilot

If you've been watching Idol these past couple of weeks, there is no doubt you've spotted the hot new trend... writing little messages on one's palm. 

David Cook kicked things off prior to Idol Pats Itself On The Gives Back, inspiring folks to "give back"... and last night, returning AI5 finalist Elliott Yamin scribbled a heartfelt tribute to his recently deceased Mom. 

It's like the new Twitter (figures I'm even late to that game).

So I couldn't just stop myself this morning, there's so much I want to tell everyone... and what better way to do it than on my palm! 

I have grown quite weary of the Dem primaries and the "must jump on every bit of minutia" mentality the race has unsurprisingly devolved into, but I still think:

But my thoughts aren't just USA-centric... yes, I am excited about going to the Olympics, but that doesn't mean I don't wish/want this...

I even have a bit of advice for another Idol contestant....

I've discovered one's palm is a quite convenient place for one's "to do" list...

But my main message... my one hope... is this...

AI7: Carey On

I'll be honest I wasn't looking forward to Mariah Carey night...

I was a bit surprised that Ryan brought up the fact that contestants are often criticized for taking on and more often than failing when taking on the likes of  the likes of Mariah Carey (or Whitney)... so it only makes sense to do a whole night of it, right?!   

And while I love my divas (it's certainly not a recessive gene in my gay DNA), I have never been a huge fan of Mariah.  Maybe a bit in the beginning of her career, but the whole Mimi thing lost me (though I did forgive Madonna for her Madge and Esther phases) and the direction her music has taken more recently just isn't my style.  So it was going to be a rocky night...

She did seem nice enough, though I'm not too sure about her advice.  Her suggestions to some of the contestants ended up being my least favorite part of their performance... unless she was just screwing with them, then I might have to reassess my whole opinion of her.

Nobody knocked me out, but oddly enough... given the female "songbook"... the guys rose to the top of my rankings this week.

After his most off week since the "big" show began, I really had no doubts that David Cook would come back with something pretty decent this week.  As with many of the song choices of the night, can't say I was all that familiar with "Always Be My Baby" but it did sound like something that could be a hit song today.  Again, nothing that I was overly impressed or wow'd by... but the freshest sound of the night.

(UPDATE:  Okay, okay... I went over to iTunes and the 30-second preview of Mariah's "Always Be My Baby" and I do remember it.  As I say with Jason below, DC made it unrecognizable (in a good way)... so I'll give the dawg extra props (insert Randy impression: yeah, yeah, yeah!)... but heck he still made my top spot, even with out the vocal reminder.)

No surprise that David A went the inspirational route with "When You Believe."  It was a typically good performance from the tween Idol, though I thought he was a bit drowned out by the band for a good portion of the song.  Perhaps a bit of sexism is in play, but if any outfit (leather pants??!) this season deserved a dressing down it was one... but it escaped any notice (well, until now).

Jason caps off my Top 3... with a -- surprise, surprise -- coffeehouse take on Mariah.  While "I Don't Wanna Cry" was one of the songs I did recognize, it was pretty unrecognizable... but in a good way.  I think it was his best showing sans the safety of a musical instrument.   

The Gals
I am going to cut Syesha a break this week and give her the top spot among the ladies.  If there is any week I can forgive a bit of vocal gymnastics, it would be for Mariah night.  Sure her big notes hurt my ears just a bit, but Mariah has done that too and that's pretty much her proverbial bread and butter.  And it also helped her out a bit to go with a not well-known song to avoid comparisons... though given her precarious position with the voting public, will "Vanishing" prove to be too ominous of song title/choice.

About a month ago I would have never thought I would be saying this, but I think Kristy Lee might just end up being the last woman standing.  Again, no surprise that she "country-fied" Mariah with "Forever," but it was a quite competent performance and she continues to show a good deal of wisdom in song choice and, like Syesha, avoiding vocal comparisons to the R&B diva.

Yes, I feel very bad that Brooke missed her sister's wedding... but with each passing week my kinda hometown girl is just getting more and more whiny... and it's starting to get old.   While we knew this was going to be a tough week for the singer-songwriter (is she a songwriter... or is that just her "vibe"?), others above figured out a way to get around it... but Brooke version of "Hero," one of Mariah's biggest songs... seemed way too watered-down than simply unplugged.

Carly gets my "cop out" award the night.  If you have to sing the song of a certain artist, unless it has become the definitive version of it, there should be some rule against singing a song that that artist covered.  While decent (as always), her take on "Without You" highlighted all of Carly's mental weaknesses... as Simon said, over-thinking (I'm not going to over-sing, I'm not going to over-sing) and, after yet another Bottom 3 showing, the desperation that she needs to do something special.   

Ok, I totally goofed on last week's predictions.  I ended up naming 5 of the 8 remaining contestants and, as you may recall, Michael was not part of that quintet.   This week, I can not imagine that any of the guys will land in the Bottom 3... and it was the odd week, where I don't think my usual bottom dwellers, Syesha and Kristy, deserve to go.  Brooke certainly earned a "stool" this week, but I'm guessing it's Carly's week to go.

AI7: You're The Inspiration... Not!

Ok, enough about world politics and human rights records... it's Idol time.  Tonight have to muck through Idol Gives Back, but unlike last year it there will be no free passes for the Idols... after the charity is over and done with, one of them will be going home on Thursday.

This season Idol seems to have it's good weeks (i.e., Lennon/McCartney v1.0, Dolly) and bad weeks (i.e. Lennon/McCartney v2.0)... last night was the latter.  W&C favors faltered and even those that rose to the top of my rankings won't have me running to iTunes on Thursday.

So buckle down folks, it's going to be a bumpy ride... 

Your eyes are not deceiving you... I'll give you a moment... ok, have you recovered yet?

David A ("Angels") hands down was my winner of the evening... but c'mon "Inspiration" night was his to lose.  Though he didn't have me at "hello," I found the beginning to be quite snoozy... but when he hit the chorus (bridge?) it morphed into something pretty special.  I had kinda sorta knew the song, but after some research last night I found the Robbie Williams original (here's a link to the YouTube video) and immediately downloaded it from iTunes.  I recommend you do the same.  Every year there is a Idol tune I fall in absolute love with (last year Blake introduced me to Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know") and this will likely be one from this season... Williams' version soars!

A smile crossed my face when I heard Jason was doing Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's (I definitely cut/pasted that in!) or the Hawaiian version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."   It's a safe bet that someone always does this song on Idol each season... and it is usually met with a big 'ole eye roll from me and an "ugh"... it has made me hate the song.  Flashback to Maui two years ago... me an hour or so into a complimentary happy hour of mai tai madness.  The strums of the ukulele start and I slur out "I loooove this song,"  much to a considerably more sober Todd's amusement (and believe me, he hasn't let me forget it!).  So you see this song, and particularly this version of it, has very special meaning to me... did Jason blow me over with it, no... but it made me feel good.

And what the heck is Kristy Lee doing in my Top 3?   But I have to give props to her for song choice -- fitting the night's theme and her wheelhouse pretty perfectly.  Granted with "Anyway," she took on one of the best voices in country music (Martina McBride), but in knowing she is not long for the competition, KL seems to have let go and vocally I thought it was quite good.  Given the dwindling number of Idols, I don't know if she can avoid another trip to the Bottom 3... but based on last night's performance, she doesn't deserve to be there.

Everyone Else

Brooke continued on her "eh" path with Carole King's "You Got A Friend"... she hasn't done much for me since "Let It Be."  Simon summed up everything I was thinking... it was nothing original or wow-worthy, but pleasant.   I don't know if she'll get a voting bounce-back after last week's Bottom 3 appearance, but if the Brooke faithful are abandoning ship, I wouldn't be surprised to see her there again.

Put me in the group that just didn't get David C last night... while I was pleased to see that he is not opposed to leaving his security-blanket guitar backstage this week... it probably would have served him better if he did it on a song that people were familiar with ("Innocent"???).  Given that I didn't know the song, I have to say at times I had a hard time understanding the words (don't know if that's been the case in past weeks)... and the whole outfit and the message on his palm, all was a bit wince-inducing for me.

Carly also lost me last night.. her take on Queen's "Show Must Go On" came across as quite shrieky to me and I agree with Simon that it was more than a tad "in your face" for a night that was supposed to provide inspiration... if anything, she scared me.

Michael opened the show with Aerosmith's "Dream On"... and while I thought it was quite good... my internal dialogue was "Don't do the Steve Tyler scream at the end, don't do the Steve Tyler scream at the end..."   He does the Steve Tyler scream at the end... buzzzzz... thank you for playing Michael and see you next week (maybe... probably).  And apparently no one told Aussie Michael that the ascot didn't work last week.

And alas we arrive to Syesha who continues to break the cardinal rules of Idol... last week it was Whitney and last night, an Idol anthem... Fantasia's goose-bump season closer "I Believe."  Heck, if LaKisha couldn't pull it off last season and on inspiration/pre-Idol Gives Back night no less!... well, you just shouldn't go there.  Now, Syesha's does do well on some of the big moments in the song but her slow/low stuff is shaky and at least one big note was over-done and pitchy.

I think the Bottom 3 is up for grabs.  It would be silly to think Kristy won't be there... but Carly and Brooke seem vulnerable for a second trip to the stools... and Syesha is on an "every other week" schedule is due again... but I sense we are due for a shocker, so David C briefly landing in the bottom before being sent over to the "couch of safety" would not surprise me at all.   Now that I've named 5 of the 8, that's hedging my bets more than enough!

AI7: DollyWoody

Ok, back to the usual fluff... overall I thought it was a pretty good night as the Idol opened up the Dolly Parton songbook (though there was no reference to a "songbook," perhaps only Lennon and McCartney have it).   

I rarely say it but the show was pretty rushed last night.  Heck, even my TiVO setting of two minutes over the scheduled end didn't get through all the phone number review (and when I "finalize" my rankings/groupings).   I would have liked to have seen more Dolly but 9 performances in an hour didn't allow much "mentoring" to be shown... other than Dolly giggling over the performances and giving a one-liner about each finalist.

It was a good night for the early favorites and for the first time in weeks, David Cook didn't make my top three (though just barely)... 

Michael ("It's All Wrong, But It's All Right"")
David A ("Smoky Mountain Memories")
Carly ("Here You Come Again")

Don't read too much in the order of the above... at one point or another, I thought each of them was the top performance of the night.  I think Aussie Michael is re-emerging as contender following up his crowd-pleasing Queen medley last week with an impressive sexy white soul rip on this Dolly tune.  I really loved Carly's slowed/stripped-down version of "Here You Come Again" which I was initially bit "huh?" about since Dolly's version is so bouncy... but it totally worked for me.  Finally, David A, in my opinion, had his best showing since "Imagine" in the semis... not that he has been in any danger with the screaming fanbase... again I have to give a shout-out to Michael Slezak at EW for his take on David...  "performed as if he were the hands-down champion in the talent portion of the Little Mister Sunshine Pageant."

Middle Group
David C ("Little Sparrow"")
Jason ("Travelin' Thru")
Brooke ("Jolene")

As mentioned, David Cook just barely falls out of the top group for me this week... funny enough, after coming under fire for borrowing many of his re-arrangements from others, it is his own take on Dolly that has him tumbling out of the top group... but it was good enough that I would consider an iTunes download.  It also was a good example of what I feared Simon would think of tonight... it was pretty safe to say he's not a country nor would be a Dolly fan so I was just waiting for a comment like his ''If you can make a song about sparrows good, congratulations."

I still think Jason doesn't have the chops to stick around much longer, but I am such a fan of this song (one of Dolly's more recent hits -- and Oscar nominated)... and fits right into Jason's niche, that I had to give him a bump up this week.

I was wondering who would win the battle for "Jolene"... I was actually thinking Carly would have done something quite good with it... but wasn't surprised when Brooke kicked off the show with one of Dolly's biggest hits.  It was a good, straight-forward take on it... but for me it lacked some connection or didn't quite get the right emotional tone on it.

Bottom Group
Syesha ("I Will Always Love You")
Kristy ("Coat of Many Colors")
Ramiele ("Do I Cross Your Mind")

I am pretty sure I heard a collective groan across the country when it was announced that Syesha would be singing "I Will Always Love You"... of course, she would!   It was promoted as a mix of the simple Dolly version and the bombastic Whitney cover.  I am a fan of both versions, but thought she wasn't holding the notes all that well in the slow parts... and while she did hit the looooooooooooongest and biggggggggest note of the season, it struck me as total grandstanding.

I almost considered swapping Kristy with Brooke's position... as the "country" contestant this season Kristy certainly brought the appropriate twang to another of Dolly's most famous songs... but it is also a song that doesn't make one think "wow, what a great singer"... and I do honestly prefer Brooke, so I will factor that in.

And there is really nothing left to say about Ramiele... each week I think she has to be bottom three this week, but no such thing... given the remaining contestants, I'm thinking her luck has to run out this week after another karaoke-ish performance.

AI7: Tonight's Theme? I'm Old!

Ah, what is increasingly becoming one of my least favorite theme nights on American Idol... sing a song from the year you were born!

The problem here is that, for the most part, the Idol contestants stay the same age... but I just keep getting older.   This year even the oldest contestant sang a song from my high school years... and David Archuleta's birth year pretty much made me consider signing up for AARP... pronto!  Not only had I graduated college, but had already moved to Arizona... yikes!

Now that we are down to the Top 10, figured I should pare down my top grouping by one:

David C ("Billie Jean")
Michael ("We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions")
Kristy ("God Bless the USA")

My default top spot seems to be going to David Cook quite a bit this season... learning the Chris Daughtry/Live Walk the Line tizzy, David fessed up that this particular sinister/rocker version was previously done by Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden)... but like Chris' borrowed take on the Johnny Cash classic, I am guessing this was the first time most of us heard the Michael Jackson song sung in this fashion... and while he does lose some originality points, it was still pretty darn good.

I am not sure Michael was all that great last night (it got a bit shouty), but he certainly chose a crowd pleaser (well technically two of 'em) and it gave the Aussie his long-awaited "moment."  I have started liking him of late, but if the post-performance high-pitched female screams are any indication, Johns is sticking around for a bit.

And who is that last person pictured above... by gosh, it's Kristy Lee Cook!   In a "dare to vote me off" move, Kristy went for the contemporary patriotic country anthem... as Simon said, perhaps the smartest song choice of any season... I whole-heartedly agree... not voting for Kristy would kinda be tantamount to not "supporting the troops" (I was waiting for a shout-out to them, but wisely it did not come).  That said, I did think it was her best vocal of the season (which I realize isn't saying  much, but it really was quite good... or maybe I am just trying some reverse psychology this week!).

Middle Group
Syesha ("If I Were Your Woman")
David A ("You're The Voice")
Carly ("Total Eclipse of the Heart")
Brooke ("Every Breath You Take")

I thought this was Syesha's best vocal in a long time (you may remember I was no fan of her over-angsty "Yesterday" last week)... but something about her personality-wise still rubs me the wrong way... think it is just crossing that confident vs. cocky line (granted so does David C)... granted she tries to keep in under wraps, but it still slips out (or else I am just looking for it). 

David A had a pretty decent vocal, but I am dropping him down merely because I did not like the song choice... part of hit was not being familiar with it... it kind of smacked of Christian pop, which I don't think it is... but tiring a bit of the positive message stuff from him.

While Ramiele pulled the "I'm sick" card this week, I thought it was Carly's voice which seemed the roughest last night... and she definitely seems to have the kind of voice that is going to "go" the longer she stays on the show.  I agree with Randy and Simon that something didn't connect here... which is surprising since it seemed like a perfect fit.  As Simon suggested (and I have mentioned), I think she is singing scared way too much. 

Finally, there's Brooke and I am not knocking her for her bad start ... though it did throw me off.  While I would love to play the piano and particularly "by ear" as Brooke professes, I am not sure she is the greatest musician... and I think she has trouble doing two things at once... while that has been the case before with her and musical instruments (and walking/twirling) it seemed more in evidence tonight.

Bottom Group
Chikezie ("If Only For One Night")
Jason ("Fragile")
Ramiele ("Alone")

While I thought it was a pretty good vocal, I am pretty sure it was not a smart move by Chikezie to go back to the ballad well.  His energy is what makes him memorable and this failed to make an impression. 

I am officially off the Jason bandwagon ... well, singing-wise... I am still diggin' the whole... dude!/stoned act, for now.  I would enjoy listening to Jason in a coffee shop (or, more appropriately in an Amsterdam coffee [wink, wink] "house")... but he's not seeming fit for a big-time singing competition. 

And Ramiele is just daring us to keep her going... how she's managed to stay out of the bottom 3 thus far, I really don't know... and by singing a song done much better by previous Idol contestants... let alone recently covered by all-mighty Celine Dion... well, brave girl. 

AI7: There Will Be An Answer

... Let It Be.

Question:  Hmm, should we do another Lennon/McCartney/Beatles night?

Despite Ryan trying to blame this all on us (Viewers demanded more?!?  To borrow Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers on SNL's Weekend Update schtick... Really?!?), we got more John & Paul... and I agree with Simon that it proved to be a more than a tad much.  I have my doubts how "extensive" this songbook is and after tonight if they are truly the "greatest songs of all-time."  Ok, some of them are great... but ousted David Hernandez said the Top 12 had only 24 songs to pick from last week and he lost a "draw out of the hat" with Brooke for "Let It Be"...

No iTunes downloads this week... but here's my top group (which is already starting to get predictable):

Carly ("Blackbird")
David A ("The Long and Winding Road")
David C ("Daytripper")
Michael ("A Day in the Life")

The only change in this group from last week is David A's comeback and Brooke's self-admitted tumble, it was close call for the top spot, but I give the edge to Carly for giving us a different sound with Archuleta wisely returning to his comfort zone.   David C pulled in with another solid if predictable performance, but once again, I have to agree with Simon who suggested that while confidence is good, cockiness is bad... and Mr. Cook is walking the tightrope.  My apparently controversial pick of the night is Michael... the judges didn't like it, Todd didn't like it... and while I agree it isn't a song that can successfully be whittled down to under 2 minutes, I thought Michael still did a good job on it... and this is coming from someone who was wondering what all the fuss was about with this guy a few weeks back (so no "love is blind" mentality going on).

Middle Third
Chikezie ("I've Just Seen A Face")
Brooke ("Here Comes The Sun")
Amanda ("Back in the USSR")

Let's see... Chikezie employed the "kitchen sink" strategy this week... overall pretty messy, but I still liked parts of it... if Brooke would have just shut up about this not being a good performance for her maybe I probably would have not minded it so much... Amanda gave us more of the same and squeaks into the middle group almost by default... unlike Brooke, her post-song interaction with the judges and Ryan boosted her up as well.

Bottom Third
Syesha ("Yesterday")
Jason ("Michelle")
Ramiele ("I Should Have Known Better")
Kristy ("You've Got To Hide Your Love Away")

While I thought Syesha had a decent vocal... after last week's bottom 3 showing it reaked terribly of desperation ... only aided by an overly angst-ridden arrangement that I was no fan of... Paula applauded her vulnerability, to me it came over as highly calculated.   As with last week, I do not think Jason is in any danger of leaving (or even getting into the bottom 3)... but it was another clunker for me.  While quite charming and the whole "My belle is French?" bumper was pretty hilarious -- but I am not sure what to think about that goofy smile that crosses is face when he hits a wrong note or, last night, managed to get that line out in French.  Ramiele continues to disappoint... just another karaoke-ish that I can not imagine will keep her out of the bottom 3 this week... where perennial bottom dweller Kristy should remain... despite some big notes at the end, it was a bland performance drowned out by the band.

AI7: Beatle Juice

We're onto the finals at American Idol ... and the long-awaited and hotly anticipated Lennon-McCartney songbook.  Well, Ryan was doing his best to try and convince us of it... my thought was that we had finally arrived at the moment when these classic songs would likely be ruined in front of approximately 30 million viewers.  As usual, it was a mix of good, bad and indifferent... but I'm guessing most would agree that last night's two hour show was "a long and winding road"...

Here's my Top Third:

Brooke ("Let It Be")
Carly ("Come Together")
David C ("Eleanor Rigby")
Michael ("Across the Universe")

Three weeks ago or so if you told me two of my favorite performers were going to be Brooke and David Cook, well I would have told you think again... but both of the certainly hit the "authenticity" bullseye last night, more so with Brooke.  Of Carly, Simon said she finally picked the right song and I have to agree, haven't quite figure out why she was the "thing" going into this, but she finally seemed to relax last night and let it flow.  While Simon rightfully compared Aussie Michael to the Irish Girl in not connecting to the right song, this was closest he got in week.   

Middle Third
Chikezie ("She's A Woman")
Amanda ("You Can't Do That")
David H ("I Saw Her Standing There")
Syesha ("Got To Get You Into My Life")

Chikezie wins this week's interesting arrangement award... while it got a bit shouty at times, it was still entertaining and, most importantly, memorable.  Hey, what about Amanda making it out of my bottom group for the first time ever.  While she is certainly not the poster child for elocution, I enjoyed her rocking at and at least last night she looked like she might have enjoyed being there... just a bit.  David H (was I only the one putting air quotes when he said he worked at a "Pizza Bistro"?  Poor David H!) and Syesha both fall into the good, but karaoke-ish, middle of the road, nothing special category... but keep in mind often it is these types of performances that get contestants the boot.

Bottom Third
David A ("We Can Work It Out")
Jason ("If I Fell")
Kristy ("Eight Days A Week")
Ramiele ("In My Life")

We all know David Archuleta ain't goin' anywhere... but after stumbling over his lyrics and an odd song choice there seems to be the slightest chink in the inevitability armor.  Ah, Jason... he has never been Mr. Consistent in my eyes and last night it was a bit too wispy for me... again, don't feel like he's in any danger but he can't string too many of these type of performances together and expect to stick around.  Kristy gets the train-wreck award of the evening... though I can only blame her if she was in any way responsible for the horribly manic "nails on the chalkboard" country-fied version of this song.  But being the only "country" person in the competition, she might just stick around.  So while I am saying everyone is seemingly safe in this bottom grouping, I don't know if Ramiele can survive as her downward trajectory continues with a barely tepid showing last night.

Express Lane: Issue 46

Will Fantasia Star in Film of 'The Color Purple' Musical? - Yes, according to Fantasia... who says the movie turned musical to be turned movie musical will get underway once she wraps a new album and tour. (3/7/08)

Mario Lopez Will Be A Chorus Line's Next Zach - This Broadway debut seems kinda of a waste -- particularly in the adorable dimple department -- as the role is described as "mostly-unseen god-like director (heard on mic for most of the show)." (3/4/08)

Phoenix Strip Club: 'Idol' Once Danced Here - Blogosphere rumblings of David Hernandez's 3-year stint as a stripper for "mostly male" clientèle hits the mainstream media today... will be interesting to see how Idol handles this one. (3/4/08)

Pascal and Rapp Will Tour in 'Rent' in 2009 - With the show soon ending its 12 year run on Broadway, the original (and film versions of) Roger & Mark are taking their act out on the road. (2/29/08)

NBC, ABC Tussle Over 'Scrubs' - Wasn't I just thinking the show wouldn't have a SERIES finale due to the writers' strike... now it seems the ratings-challenged show may have another season on a new network. (2/29/08)

Montecito Resort Closes Its Doors - There goes my steady Josh Duhamel fix!  NBC folds on any post-strike episodes for its kitschy "Las Vegas"... the show ends just short of 5 seasons and with a "to be continued" cliffhanger... I guess we'll never know the fate of Danny & Delinda's unborn baby. (2/27/08)

Photo Gives Face to Anne Frank's "one true love" - Definitely have renewed interest in Anne and her diary ahead of our trip to Amsterdam which will very, very likely include a visit to the Franks' house. (2/27/08)

Adam fired for "[causing] tremendous damage to" the United Autism Foundation - The Big Brother 9 contestant finds himself out of a job after telling his fellow hamsters (on Day 1 no less!) that he works with 'retards.' (2/26/08)

AI7 Gals: The Final Cut

The gals took on the 1980s and two of them will go home tonight.  This season, for me the gals don't seem as strong as the guys... so I find myself thinking most of them were "good" but no real stand-outs, though unlike the guys I am pretty sure who I think (and will be) the two ousters/

My top half is:

Brooke ("Love is a Battlefield")
Syesha ("Saving All My Love For You")
Carly ("I Drove All Night")
Asia'h ("I Wanna Dance With Somebody")

I am sure I was not the only person who went "WHAATTTT?!!?" when Ryan teased that Nanny Brooke would be singing this Pat Benatar classic.  But just like David Cook on Tuesday, Brooke gave us something unexpected... though doing just the opposite of David, taking a rock song and stripping (stripping! <snort!>) it down to an achy ballad.   

While I am still in favor of a Whitney Houston moratorium on Idol, it was hard to fault the vocals of either Syesha and Asia'h... sure they didn't do anything special with it nor reached the heights of the original recording... but heck, sadly these days, Whitney Houston is a 2nd rate Whitney Houston!   

That leaves us with Carly... while I certainly recognized it as a recent hit for Celine Dion (good gay!), I honestly did not recall that gay-con Cyndi Lauper was the artist who sang it in the 80s (bad gay!).   While I dig the Irish accent, she still hasn't won me over and she basically is getting the "loud = good" props from me.

And the bottom half is....

Ramiele ("Against All Odds")
Amanda ("Hate Myself For Loving You")
Kristy ("Faithfully")
Cady ("Who Wants To Live Forever")

I like Ramiele quite a bit, but she has been on a bit of downward trajectory since her first semifinal performance.  This particular Phil Collins song is another that I have Idol fatigue over... so that is likely one of the reason I was good, but indifferent about it.

Did Kristy look like a totally different person last night?  I think they might have just swapped in another person just to see if we would notice.  She looked quite hot last week and... well, this week not so much (I know...meow!).  Alas, this week she made the Idol cardinal sin of being boring... so I think she's out.

I felt Amanda and Cady gave their best performances by far, which I think advances Amanda to the finals (whether she want it or not, and I think it's more of the latter).  With Cady, I wish she would have taken the judges' repeated advice and made an effort to inject some personality into her performances.  Somewhere I read a suggestion that she should do her Britney with "My Prerogative" (permissible thanks to Bobby Brown's 80s original), but perhaps it wasn't on the "list" (rumor has it the contestants can only choose from a list of 200 or so songs).  I think Cady needed some kind of stunt to stay in the competition.

My ouster predictions are Kristy and Cady... though my only doubt is whether America will ditch both hot blondes.

AI7 Guys: The Final Cut

Last night was the final round of the "semifinals" for the guys... it was a trip back to the 1980s which will result in two more cuts before we have our 6 male Idol finalists for this season. 

It was pretty easy for me to cut the guys into just two groups tonight... so that's what I'll do... and provide pictures to boot!  (What's this "work" you speak of?")

These guys should safely move into the finals:

David C ("Hello")
Jason ("Hallelujah"/Jeff Buckley version)
David H ("It's All Coming Back To Me Now")
David A ("Another Day in Paradise")

Another very good night for the Davids!   I am a big fan of contestants surprising me and taking a song and making it the oft-desired but rarely well-executed "one's own"... and David Cook absolutely did that with a rocked out version of, what had been up to last night, a pretty darn treacly ballad by Lionel Richie.  If David Archuleta had a "moment" last week with Imagine, Jason certainly had a similar one this week... wisely ditching the guitar with a stirring take on Hallelujah.  Speaking of David Archuleta, while still the odds-on favorite to win the whole thing (or be the Final 3 or 4 "shocking" elimination), I knocked him down a peg or two for a bit of "same old, same old" and the "it has a important message" shtick. 

And alas, that brings us to the pride of Phoenix, the home of the country's most (in)famous all-nude male cabaret, David Hernandez.  We're still jones-ing on him and loved his big notes on what has to be the first male cover version of a Celine Dion song (granted it comes via Meatloaf).  If for some reason David does not survive tonight, I believe his checkered past won't be to blame... it will be because of the absolutely worst "bumper" of the night with David going on (at length!) about a photo shoot ruined by a... booger.  Walnut-sized!?!!  Ay!  I would have just lied and made up with something else!

Two of these guys should be going....

Michael ("Don't You Forget About Me")
Danny ("Tainted Love")
Chikezie ("All The Woman I Need")
Luke ("Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)")

Though I don't think it will be Aussie Michael... though I have to say I am not he has not been impressing me over these last couple of weeks.  I didn't like his Fleetwood Mac last week and I thought this week he was a bit shouty.  I agree with the judges that he hasn't quite hooked up to the right song (Light My Fire was the closest -- and was Randy confused when saying Michael was like Michael Hutchence of INXS when it was a Simple Minds song??).   

I totally get a kick out of Danny and I liked the arrangement and performance... but I am quite sure the feeling is not mutual with the rest of America... you won't get any argument from me that he is a bit "much."  (EW's Michael Slezak is similarly conflicted about Noriega enjoying the "copious amounts of sass and panache" but adding he "needs a humble pie launched directly at his face"... ha!)

While Luther Vandross did cover the song as well, I think Chikezie couldn't quite erase from many a mind (including mine) that it's a Whitney Houston song... compounding the ineffective gender re-bender-ing was that while it was a good vocal, it was not outstanding or particularly memorable (particularly compared to last week)... so I think that puts him in danger. 

And while he is still quite lovely to look at, it will be seriously wrong if Luke makes it to the final over pretty much any of the other guys.  Often ousted contestants have to sing some ominously appropriate lyric (think just last week.. Alexandrea "If you leave me now"... Alaina "My eyes are not the first to cry").... so Luke has pretty bad lyric karma... so just wake me up before he go goes!

AI7: Top 10 Gals

I thought it was a pretty rough night for the ladies last night on American Idol.  It didn't seem like anyone could totally get it together... whether it was a good vocal with a bad song choice... or vice versa... and mostly good vocals with a bad note or rough patch.

Before I begin, Idol needs to do away with "what we would be surprised to know" bumper about each contestant.  Ramiele is a Polynesian dancer?  Robbie drag races cars?   Simply shocking!   Now if they were reversed, then maybe I'd be singing (ha!) a different tune.

Ok, here's my top group:

Asia'h ("All By Myself")
Carly ("Crazy on You")
Syesha ("Me & Mr. Jones")

While she met the "loud = good" criteria that is so often the case on Idol, I was a bit surprised that Simon was so hard on Asia'h... though I think he was just trying to knock her down a peg or two.  It was definitely the "ta-da" vocal of the night, though one really quite off note before she hit the big ones in the end.  I am still not on the Carly bandwagon (that is, if there is one), but when all was said and done her take on the Heart classic did float to the top.  Syesha is the only gal who stays in my top group from last week, though I have to say her slow/quiet parts were pretty shaky... and this is another song that needs to retired from the competition (yawn!).

Middle Group
Ramiele ("Don't Leave Me This Way")
Alaina ("Hopelessly Devoted To You")
Kristy ("You're No Good")
Brooke ("You're So Vain")

I am cutting Ramiele a bit of a break this week.  While I disagreed with Randy about the song choice (it's one of my faves)... it wasn't quite working for Ramiele... but I still like her and parts of it were good... but not enough to keep her in my top group.   Alaina had a good vocal, but a questionable song choice.  Don't get me I love it, but it becomes hard to pull off in a "take me seriously as singer" way.  It was a huge improvement for Kristy this week, but even in a sexier incarnation she still comes across as pretty vanilla to me - but no quibbles with the vocals or the song choice.  And Brooke, a perfect song choice and again a good vocal... but Idol isn't the type of show that is looking to find the next Carly Simon or Carole King... not that Brooke is in that league... umm... let's say the next Colbie Callait.  Again, I like her and would enjoy her in a coffee shop... just not someone that's going to contend in the latter stages.

Bottom Group
Alexandrea ("If You Leave Me Now")
Kady ("Magic Man'")
Amanda ("Carry On My Wayward Son")

I feel bad about pretty much every girl in this group.   Parts of Alexandrea's vocals were good, but it seemed a bit all over the place... it just never found its spot and even Alexandrea seemed a bit unhappy about it... and that sign of weakness might just spell doom for her tonight.   It seems like everyone loves Kady except when she's singing on the stage.  Despite the criticism, I liked her last week... but this week was rough.  It was hard to hear her as she awkwardly made her way down the steps and while the "belting" at the end was good, it felt like it was too little, too late.  She is an ouster candidate tonight... but my gut tells me if it's not her, it'll be one of the other blondes... Kristy or (undeservedly) Alaina.

... and that leaves us with Amanda.

I've been only "awarding" pictures to the top performers of the night, but Amanda's appearance goes down in the annals of Idol hair history... alongside Carrie Underwood's similar do for "Alone" and Sanjaya's faux-hawk.

As I have said time and again, I just don't get her... so much so, that I was surprised that the judges (unanimously no less!) put her through to Hollywood in the first place.  I had a very odd reaction to her performance last night... at first I was giggling and then I found her really quite scary... not in a "this is scary awful" (well, maybe that though passed thru my mind as well)... but in a "not want to meet in a dark alley" kinda of way.

That said, I sincerely feel bad for her.  She seems very cool and I like her bumper pieces... but I haven't read around enough to see if people truly like her singing or not... but she just seems horribly out of place.  Idol is this mix of beauty pageant, high school prom, popularity contest... stuff it seems Amanda would avoid at all cost.  As the credits rolled, she spent a good amount of time standing alone as the other girls hugged/kissed/etc. until Carly (I think) came over to her.  So whether it's a good thing or not, I think she's safe tonight.  A combo of "like her," freak show entertainment factor, and sympathy... whatever your opinion, there is no doubt she was/is memorable.

UPDATE:
Here's what my American (Entertainment Journalist) Idol, EW's Michael Slezak, had to say about Amanda (warning: the last line almost made me snort coffee through my nose):

As for Amanda, well, there's no defending her rendition of Kansas' ''Carry On Wayward Son,'' which started with what sounded like a cough, quickly deteriorated into a full-blown case of musical bronchitis, and ended with the howl of a wounded animal. I wish Randy was right, that Amanda's self-immolation could be brushed away with a simple ''wasn't the right song choice,'' but I fear the diagnosis may be worse. For starters, there was the hair, which looked as if The Little Mermaid's villainess Ursula had had an unfortunate run-in with a container of bleach and a whole can of Aqua Net.

AI7: Top 10 Guys

With perhaps an exception, I am pretty convinced that the powers-that-be at American Idol are packing the latter half of the show with the better performances.  The start of the show was very "meh" ... a bit suprising since it included some of my favorite guys from last week ... relatively speaking, nothing really blew me away with either the guys or the girls last week.

Again, I'll just break the guys into three groups and here's the top:

David A ("Imagine")
David H ("Papa Was A Rolling Stone")
Chikezie ("I Believe")
David C ("All Right Now")

It seems like it was a very good night to be named David!  (Funny how none of them go by "Dave")  David Archuleta is the only holdover from last week's top group and with little doubt we'll be seeing him for the next couple of months.  He's got the voice, the fan base, the aw-shucks personality... but while I thought he may just be nerdy ... singing diva Dreamgirls anthem "And I'm Telling You" for the season one Idols when he was 11... maybe his fanbase will go beyond the young girls. David Hernandez has certainly broken out of the anonymous/low screen time pack with a soulful and sexy performance.  I won't name any names, but someone who watches the show with me dissolves into a puddle when David H performs.  I always liked Chikezie, so I was glad to see him finally relax and blow and give us something to smile about in the singing department.  I didn't buy David Cook's rock take on Happy Together last week, so this week was more authentic and there was certainly more comfort with the guitar... plus being a "word nerd" is not a negative in my book.

Middle Group
Robbie ("Hot Blooded")
Michael ("Go Your Own Way")
Jason C ("I Just Want To Be Your Everything")

This group contains the 3 guys that were in my top grouping this week.  Nothing spectacular this week.  Michael started off the night and about midway through I asked Todd "is this not very good?"... he agreed and actually ranked the Aussie last for the night.  I'm cutting him some slack, but the song didn't quite work for him.  Robbie and Jason pretty much gave us what they had last week... but I am pretty fickle and they didn't bring anything new and better to the table.  I agree with the judges that Jason's vocals seemed weak and it's time to see what he can do without the guitar.

Bottom Group
Luke ("Killer Queen'")
Danny ("Superstar")
Jason Y ("Long Train Running")

I am pretty darn certain that Thursday's eliminees will come from this group (I know really going out on a limb!).  The only thing that can save Luke is that he is pretty dreamy... and while I thought he was a whole lot better than last week, taking on Freddie Mercury is a gargantuan task.  I cut Danny a break last week and while again I thought he was a whole lot better this week with The Carpenters classic, he seems to be cracking under the pressure of making it to "the show."  I don't think Jason will survive this week... while it made me realize I should download The Doobie Brothers original, the performance was very cheesy cruise-ship / Vegas lounge... and while there's not anything wrong with that... it doesn't quite work on Idol.

Express Lane: Issue 45

Edie Falco Nurses Showtime Comedy - 'Carm' jumps the HBO ship and morphs into a NYC nurse for a 1/2 hour "dark comedy." (2/21/08)

Apple sings as American Idol sponsor - Starting with the Top 24, iTunes will sell music and video - but to remain 'fair and balanced' they will not release sales figures or rankings... also expect a lot of Apple hawking ala big sponsors Ford, Coca Cola, and AT&T.

Showtime Cultivates 'Weeds' in June - Mary Louise Parker & Co. are back two months earlier than usual... guess we'd better get to finishing last season (which ended in October... whoops!).  (2/13/08)

Return dates for 30  TV shows ... and how many new episodes to expect -- nice to have it all in one place! (2/13/08)

Franklin Slams Beyonce Grammy Intro - Apparently there's room for only one "queen" in music industry and it ain't Tina Turner according to Aretha. (2/12/08)

AI7: Top 12 Gals

It was the gals' turn to show us their stuff on American Idol... "excuse city" commenced immediately with talk of a flu/bronchitis outbreak amongst the contestants... though apparently affecting only the girls and only screen-time favorites, Kristy and Carly (coincidentally enough, two more of those contestants that were previously signed to a recording contract). 

The show got off to the rough start, but most of the serious contenders were in the latter half of the show.

As I did with the guys yesterday, I will group the ladies ala Southwest Airlines no assignment seating... so now that those with small children (ugh!) or those who need some extra time getting settled in have been seated...

Boarding Group A:

Ramiele ("You Don't Have To Say You Love Me")
Syesha ("Tobacco Road")
Alaina ("More Today Than Yesterday")
Kady ("Groovy Kind of Love")

My standout of the night was Ramiele ... this song tends to make (AI4's Nadia) or break (AI6's Stephanie) a contestants and Ramiele was certainly the former with a controlled and strong vocal.  A typical American Idol equation goes something like "loud = good"... so that's part of what got my attention with Syesha, but she certainly fits the mold of what the show is all about.  Also fitting that Idol mold are the two young blondes, Alaina and Kady.  I was a bit surprised by the criticism of Kady, while the song was a tad slow, I still thought it was pretty strong.

Boarding Group B
Asia'h ("Piece of My Heart")
Alexandrea ("Spinning Wheel")
Carly ("Shadow of Your Smile")
Brooke ("Happy Together")

I admit to a bit of backstory fatigue of Asia'h (dead father) and Carly (Irish tattoo artist fessing up to previous recording contract)... that little catch in Asia'h's voice kind of bugs me, but overall she is a good singer, personality, performer and I expect her to make it to the big show.  Carly was kind of "eh" for me... but blame the "eh" song or the bronchitis, she gets into this group partly based on her past.  Not sure Alexandrea's vocals were the best, but solid enough and a good performance.  Brooke eked into this group, she brings something different to the table, though not ultimately Idol material.

Final Boarding Group
Kristy ("Rescue Me")
Joanne ("Say A Little Prayer'")
Amanda ("Baby Please Don't Go")
Amy ("Where The Boys Are")

Kristy made the fatal flaw of being bland... and incessant talk of being sick earned no sympathies.  Was a bit surprised by the hallow quality of Joanne's vocals, though probably just nerves (again tough to sympathize with that... time to step up!).   I am sure many folks might be surprised about where I have put Amanda... but put me in the "just don't get her" camp... I know that's the way the song is sung, but as the judges like to say "this is a singing competition"... and I didn't hear much of that from what, despite what Paula says, from this still one-trick pony.  And poor Amy, a boring song and very shaky... I can't imagine she survives tonight's elimination show.

AI7: Top 12 Guys

The Top 12 Guys kicked off the semifinals of American Idol 7... and let's just say, I likely won't be heading over to iTunes to buy any of these performances come Thursday.   The powers-that-be decided it would now be fun to "theme" the semis, which I don't necessarily agree with... granted there is always some kind of restrictions (able to get copyright clearance/permission), but it seems at this stage they should sing songs they are comfortable with vs. music that pre-dates all of them!

It was all a bit too uninspiring (and perhaps I'm getting too old) to do a full run-down of each performance, so taking a cue from Southwest Airlines, I'll put the guys in Boarding Group A, B, and C.

Here's my top group... Boarding Group A:

David A ("Shop Around")
Robbie ("One")
Michael ("Light My Fire)
Jason ("What A Day For A Daydream")

Again, not much of a "wow" factor.  No doubt that David A will stick around for a long time as long as the "aw shucks" act doesn't start wearing thin... Robbie and Jason seemed to have that "authentic" thing going on, though it could just be that their hair makes them memorable... and Michael is one of those contestants dusting up some controversy this year thanks to having previously been signed to a record contract, so no surprise when Simon said he would make a great front-man for a band... he already did!

Boarding Group B
Danny ("Jailhouse Rock")
David H ("In the Midnight Hour")
David C ("Happy Together")
Chikezie ("I Love You More Today Than Yesterday")

A bit of an odd grouping here.  I was a bit disappointed with everyone here in this group, except our hometown guy David H... though I agree with the judges that things went downhill after the gospel-fused start of his song.  David C (there are 3 Davids!) just didn't do all that much for me, but the vocals were far better than anyone in the last group.  Chikezie's winning personality edged him into this grouping, but the vocals were a bit shaky and I have to agree with Simon that it was a bit Chik-cheesy.  And what can we say about Danny?!?!  I give him a bump because of his past vocals, but it was not a great song choice to show off the vocals... I would have preferred him to do "Suspicious Minds"... but the kid's got spunk... and unlike Mr. Grant, I like spunk.  (Though that sounds a bit dirty now that I see it on the screen).

Final Boarding Group
Colton ("Suspicious Minds")
Luke ("Everybody's Talkin'")
Jason ("Moon River")
Garrett ("Breaking Up Is Hard To Do")

While Colton gave the least coma-inducing performance of this bunch, it was a pretty karaoke take on the King... good vocals, but not enough chops to contend in the long run... so he's pretty much wasting my time.  The rest of the guys fall victim to a common Idol sand trap... it is nearly impossible to make an impact with a ballad... and it is made even worse that this was the first time each guy was getting any kind of screen time. 

AI7 Preview

After almost two months of American Idol auditions and the breezed over, but thankfully group performance-free, Hollywood week over, the Top 24 start performing next week.

I am guessing this group below will make it to the "big show"... for the most part, these are the "teacher's pet"... blessed with lots of, or enough, screen time.

For the ladies we have (from left to right):
Syesha "Oooh, I lost my voice but aint' I cute that I hold up signs instead of talking, but mamma can I siiii-nng or what when I have to!" Mercado...

Amanda "I'm a bad-ass rocker bike chick nurse and the reincarnation of Janis Joplin" Overmyer...

and finally, Carly "I'm a tattoo chick from Ireland, I made it to Hollywood two seasons ago but then had problems with my visa and while my audition this year wasn't as good as two years ago, I really want this bad and if I don't make it this year I will give up on my dreams of singing" Smithson. 

Okay, you get the point... by no fault of their own, they got screen time and mostly deserved... though Nurse Overmyer is going to have to convince me she's more than a one-trick pony.

On the guy front (bottom row, left to right), I think it is pretty safe that Aussie white-soul singer Michael Johns will waltz through the semis... easy on the eyes and ears, both the singing and the melt-inducing accent/speaking voice.  Chikezie Eze.is my screen time exception... this guy's likability light shines bright and who doesn't love saying that name!   And even if you find him a tad annoying, it's hard to fall in love with David "paralyzed vocal chord" Archuleta.... and we're already mimicking his smokey "thank you, thank you"s here.

And since we tend to have more of an eye on the boys, here are a few more thoughts...

Danny Noriega has been impressive, but boy has the flame been burning high he been sassssy... so I fear that will be an issue... plus I think Archuleta hands-down wins the "Tiger Beat" vote.

Next up, is a non-screen hog... "and 20 others from Atlanta got their ticket to Hollywood" or during the final cut, the judges torture Irish-tattoo chick Carly for 10 minutes and then we learn John, Joe, and Mike have made it through in the 23 seconds prior to a commercial break... so, unless my memory is failing me (somewhat/very likely!), Luke Menard is one of those victims of "moving on" whiplash... but given what I see above and he can sing too... bring him on!

Finally, I have to give a shout-out to our one hometown boy David Hernandez (also hailing from AZ, is Brooke "straggly blond, piano playing, emotional mess, nanny, this is also my last shot at a music career" White). I thought David was a stand-out with his Hollywood rendition of "Love The One Your With"... but Simon made sure to say he wasn't impressed with him (never a good sign) during the final cuts.

Lastly, on the Josiah (homeless boy that turns Brit when singing) "shocker"... I am on the side that was glad to see him go.  In retrospect, it's easy to see the (cruelly) crafted this whole "build him up, watch him fall" storyline.  I didn't think his first Hollywood performance, Mika's Grace Kelly, was worthy of a free-pass to what was that cringe-worthy final performance.  His shtick (emotionally immature, false bravado) was already getting old, so it probably only would have been worse if he kept on being set up for a bigger fall (I have little doubt he would have stuck around for awhile).

Express Lane: Issue 44

Marlee Matlin may take a spin on 'Dancing With the Stars' - Yet another casting rumor has the Oscar winning deaf actress ready to rumba... take that prosthetic-legged Heather Mills! (2/4/08)

Rumored Casting for Dancing With The Stars 6 include... Priscilla Presley, Florence Henderson, Marla Maples, Monica Seles, and Cheryl Ladd.  Rumored nyets include Joan Collins and Mira Sorvino.  (2/4/08)

'24' Actress Pregnant - Mary Lynn Rajskub (aka Chloe) cites the writers' strike ("had to keep busy") as the reason for getting knocked up. (1/31/08)

You're Going to (West) Hollywood! - Last night, Leo Marlowe introduces himself to the 'Idol' judges with this self-zinger: "My mom always said she raised a perfect homecoming queen... too bad it wasn't one of her daughters" and makes it to Hollywood. (1/30/08)

Why the Kennedys Went for Obama - Because nothing screams "change" and anti-political dynasty like an endorsement from the Kennedy clan! (1/28/08)

That Was My Then

Last season's American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks, debut song -- "This Is My Now" -- may have been a bit too prophetic and the same goes for beat-boxing runner-up, Blake Lewis.   The final two are the first of the Season Six-ers to release albums and the response has been pretty tepid.

Since Jordin is the Valley's pride and joy, we saw and heard quite a bit about her when her self-titled album was released two weeks ago.  While she cranked out over 119,000 sales units, it was only good enough for a #10 debut on the album charts and "earned" the dubious distinction of Weakest-Ever Opening For An American Idol Champ. 

While the sample size of 5 previous winners is pretty small company, it's still not saying much that she got bested by the likes of "Where are they now?" candidates Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks.   And that the album dropped to #18 in its second week.  There is some good news... her first single, Tattoo, which is still on an upward journey at #11 after 10 weeks on the charts.

Even though I was more a Blake fan, I still thought it was better that Jordin won... by far the better fit for an Idol winner.

I was pretty enthusiastic about Blake's debut album.  While the album cover (pictured left) has been much maligned... I liked it.  It had that 80s retro feel (which Blake said he was going for)... so the kinda kitschy cover art was fine.  I even liked his debut single, Break Anotha.  (Doing my best Dancing With The Stars host Tom Bergeron elimination voice)... but did America agree??

Apparently not.  Even before her less than Spark-ling debut (thank you, I'm here all week!), I thought Blake would far outsell Jordin (ala Idol Season 2's Clay and Ruben)... but alas, while also debuting at #10, Blake sold 21,000 less units than Sparks did in her first week.  In the runner-up first week sales department that only puts him ahead of Justin Guarini and Diana DeGarmo (so inversely... behind Clay, Bo, and Katherine)... yikes!

Blake's video debut likely won't help out matters.  I caught it over at EW and has a You-Tube-ish quality to it ... my imaginary pop-culture BFF Michael Slezak, as usual, nailed it: "Who wants to bet I spent more money on groceries at Trader Joe's last night -- one that doesn't stock alcohol, by the way -- than the total budget for Blake Lewis's Break Anotha video?"

And while I giggled like a "Blaker Girl" during his recent visit to Ellen on hearing he likes to "go commando," any goodwill generated by that habit was squashed with plans for full back and chest tattoo of Alice in Wonderland morphing into Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory.  Now a tat (or even two) can be sexy, but I'm not a big fan of the body-covering kind.

So have we reached the point of whither American Idol?  We'll start finding out in about a month when Season 7 gets underway... but keep in mind, that Season 3 Champ, Carrie Underwood bested both Jordin and Blake both those weeks with her sophomore effort released in October.

UPDATE:  More good pre-Season 6 Idol news...  Billboard crowns 'Daughtry' top seller... the best-selling album of the 2007 with 3.2 million copies sold of the self-titled debut.  Kinda makes you wonder how the band earned 4 Grammy nods but not one for Best New Artist.

Express Lane: Issue 41

Osmonds Headed to Sin City? / Midler Names Show - Donny and Marie rumored to replace Toni Braxton in a multi-yr headliner gig at the Flamingo... while the Divine Miss M dubs her Caesars production "Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On."  (12/6/07)

Will 'Color Purple' Return to the Screen as a Musical? - Oprah confirms that she's thinking about it, and I think it's a pretty good idea...  of course, would love to see Fantasia get the lead. (12/6/07)

Whatever happened to Melinda Doolittle? - Sadly one of the 'Idol' standouts from last season, Mindy Doo, still does not have a record contract... unlike... ummm... Phil Stacey?  Tragic. (12/4/07)

CBS Sets 'Jericho,' 'Big Brother' Returns - I guess CBS doesn't see an end in sight for the writers' strike.  A lot of new show news and  BBro, the summer's guiltiest pleasure, getting an extra edition and a Feb 12th premiere! (12/3/07)

Ballas injured during DWTS finale; Maks says he's "moving on" - Mark rushed to the hospital with a severe shoulder injury (torn labrum?) and Maks sulks that it may be time to pick up his toys and go home. (11/28/07)

DWTS Champ Calls Off Engagement - Helio may have won the mirror ball trophy, but the wedding is off... and I am quite sure the rumors have just begun! (11/28/07)

Maks says unlike Marie, DwtS cast did not "burden people with our personal issues" - Mel B's partner Maks is never one to mince words.  The truth or just sour grapes?  I'll go with a little bit of both. (11/26/07)

Express Lane: Issue 37

Chaka Khan, Bebe Winans and LaKisha Jones to Join Broadway's Color Purple - This may be worth a trip back to NYC!  Chaka and Bebe to play Sophia and Harpo with last season's 'Idol' standout "Kiki" as the church soloist who opens the show --  but also subbing for Khan as Sophia for matinée performances. (9/26/07)

Kiefer Sutherland arrested on DUI in LA - The following took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. (9/25/07)

Carrie & Co. Kick Off "Sex" Shoot - I'm not the only gay guy who's been salivating over a slew of production pix that have already hit the Web since filming on 'SatC: The Movie' began filming this week on the streets of NY. (9/21/07)

'24' Plans Premiere Date, Shocking Resurrection - SPOILER ALERT:  Do NOT click the link if you don't want to know who is surprisingly still alive tho never got the "silent clock" treatment. The show returns on January 13th with the action shifting from LA to DC. (9/19/07)

HBO Is 'Reclaiming History' - Me thinks we'll be watching this 10-part mini-series debunking JFK conspiracies. (9/18/07)

Stupid Feud of the Week: Manilow vs. Hasselbot - 'The View' will just have to smile without Barry as the crooner skips the ABC gal chat-