Whine & Cheese

Idol 10: Songs From Your Idol

I'm guessing I have been saying the same thing at the start of the last few seasons of American Idol... but again, I am not sure if I am going to do these updates all the time/every week... or what form they'll take.  I feared with the "re-mix" this year, that my interest in it would fade, but do like Steven and Jennifer and have to say they have a pretty good group this year.  OK, to kick things off here are my Top 3 from the first week of competition... songs from your idol:

#1 - Pia ("All By Myself"):  Alas, here idol is Celine Dion, not Eric Carmen who originally sang that song, but Idol contestants are cute like that sometimes (guffawed at Ashthon was so funny singing that "Jennifer Hudson song "And I Am Telling You"... which was song on Broadway before JHud was ever born, but I digress..).   With a lot of quirky/odd voices in the mix this year that you can forgive some quality issues, Pia is all power and control.

#2 - Casey ("With A Little Help From My Friends"):  Was surprised that they pulled out the back-up choir already!  But how can you not smile when Casey is performing, plus he's pretty darn funny too.  Will be curious if his act gets old as he it is kind of reminiscent of <gasp> Taylor Hicks.... but heck, he did win!

#3 - James ("Maybe I'm Amazed"): Why do I want to keep calling this song "Baby I'm Amazed".  I have to admit while I am supposed to love James for his Tourette's and his life struggles, he has kind of annoyed me with being too Adam Lambert with the vocals and even the look (tho it's certainly more hetero in that latter) and with the "tail" and the rock "horns" and even some of his facial expressions were too put even last night... but he does have an incredible voice and was glad he toned it down a bit.

#4 - Thia ("Smile"):  Again, see Pia for the whole "Michael Jackson" song thing.  While she has been pretty amazing vocally of late, I think he problem has been coming off too cold personality-wise, tho last night it swung in the too pouty/lacking self-confidence, which is never a good thing to show.  I agree I liked the first half of the song better than the jazzy second, but overall it was still pretty stellar.

#5 - Scotty ("The River"):  Scotty is another one I don't know what to think about.  Seems like a nice enough guy with that distinctive low baritone voice, but aren't they like a dime a dozen (or if not, a quarter for a half dozen?) in Nashville?  Regardless, I think folks will love him and that he'll stick around for a while... though it'll be interesting to see how some of theme nights go in coming weeks.

#6 - Naima ("Umbrella"):  Really enjoy her, and while this was far from perfect I at least liked what she was trying to achieve here... tho I worry that she seems to be way too fragile mentally.

In the past I had a pass/fail line... so this is probably where I would make the cut.

#7 - Jacob ("I Believe I Can Fly"):  I think Jacob is pretty darn talented, but thought this was kind of a mess and a song that's just been way over-done and prone to be over-sung, which he did as it got pretty screechy... which is a line I think he's always going to find challenging to rub up against.

#8 - Haley ("Blue"):  It always cracks me up when in the bumper pieces they talk about how the song is going to be mixed up with their own flavor and then it comes out to be pretty close to the original... granted a very good version of the original, which I think is tough to pull off.

#9 - Stefano ("Lately"):  Stefano is pretty darn cute, but just didn't like the pacing of the song, which did turn into this odd kind of dance remix that didn't allow Stefano to really show too much off.

#10 - Paul ("Come Pick Me Up"):  One of the big disappointments of the evening as I am intrigued by Paul's breathy vocals... but while he hoped, I have to be one of those in America who just didn't get it.  I think he made a mistake by not going with a recognizable song (thanks JLo for confirming that herself) that folks could latch onto in some way.  I fear for his survival tonight.

#11 - Lauren ("Any Man of Mine"): The other huge disappointment of the night.  I like Lauren, even think she is one of the favorites to win the whole thing... but something was hugely missing from this, which is kind of odd since she did do a pop-country song the other week to great effect.  

#12 - Ashthon ("When You Tell Me You Love Me"): Vocally Ashton probably doesn't deserve to be this low, but I just don't like her... or should I say the attitude she projects... and I am still mildly resentful in that I think there were a couple of other contestants I had preferred over her wildcard spot.  That said, there were some flat parts to her performance and again, it's a song that's been a bit too overdone... a bit too diva for what she needs right now.

#13 - Karen ("I Could Fall In Love"):  Karen was the only contestant I didn't have in my Top 10 predictions (had Naima instead) and while I thought she's been good throughout the competition, last night was pretty much a disaster as something really was not clicking... either with the arrangement or how she was hearing things (or just plain nerves).  I'd be a bit surprise if she stays.

Elimination prediction:  My guess is that America is not enamoured with Ashthon either, so I think it might come down to her and Karen with Paul thrown in the mix if there's a bottom 3... but don't see how Karen survives unless there is some kind of sympathy vote... though with Simon gone and a more kinder, gentler judging panel, I think some of that backlash won't happen as much.

Idol: It's A Horserace

It was down to the Final 3 last night on IDOL, the night when the contestants go back to singing any song of their choosing (that, of course, can be cleared) and a pick from the judges.  I learned of the judge picks over the weekend and wasn't overly impressed or excited by them, but in retrospect, they were all better than what the contestants chose for themselves.

I am well aware of how manipulative reality television can be and I suspect the powers-that-be are really trying to make a horse-race out of this.  While a Crystal-Lee finale seemed clear from almost the get-go of the 'big stage' performances it always seemed like it was Crystal's to lose... and after last night, I think that might just happen.  Not sure if that's "reality" or manipulation, but all of a sudden things seem up for grabs.

Lee ("Hallelujah"/“Simple Man") - Lee won the night hands down and certainly had the best song choice in the first round.  But he certainly hit it out of the proverbial ballpark with "Hallelujah."  But our quibble with that almost immediately afterward was pondering if anyone has NOT had a "moment" with that song.  C'mon, even Tim Urban had frickin' moment with it earlier this season!  Plus an 8-person (African American!) choir backing you up doesn't hurt either and as a Crystal fan, I can only wonder what she would have done with it.  But not taking anything away from Lee, it was amazing and with the squealing from the audience and the fact that he seems to have the momentum, it just may have been a very winning night for Lee!

Crystal (“Maybe I'm Amazed”/"Come To My Window") - I was excited to hear the Crystal was singing "Come To My Window" and kind of scratching my head over why she got "Maybe I'm Amazed," but at the end of the night I far preferred the latter song, even if it proved to be a tad gender inappropriate ("Babe, I'm a man and maybe you're the only woman that could ever help me").  I agreed with the judges that something seemed a bit off with the arrangement of "Come To My Window" and also that while not the vocal gymnast ala Mariah or 1990s Whitney, Melissa Etheridge is one of the vocalists that is nearly impossible to top when it comes to performing with emotion and passion.

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Casey (“Daughters”/"Ok, It's Alright With Me") - Based on these performances, it would be a crime if Casey made it to the finals. Do I think he stands a chance?  Oh yeah.  It's all in the hair and the baby blue eyes... and the votes of women and girls (and as Ellen appropriately added in for my camp, "some sons too")...  and getting slammed for a poor song choice (deservedly so) by the judges in the first round, might earn him some sympathy votes.  But with Lee never being in the Bottom 2 and likely the same with Crystal (remember last week's Mike-Crystal final showdown was in "no particular order), it seems like Casey's time has come.

As some of you know I won't be around the finale next week, so enjoy!

Idol: Double Feature

It was Movie Night on American Idol and it only confirmed my belief that this season is limping to the finish line.  Although everyone is present in the graphic below, I would put only only one solo performance in the "green" last night with the duets saving it.  Also, got a little tired of "artist" Jamie Foxx's antics.  I am guessing I would be starstruck too, but also I think I would be all "get the f&ck out of my face!"

Crystal (“I'm Alright”) - While I wouldn't rank this up there with some of Crystal's greatest hits this season, it was certainly a return to form when compared to the last two weeks (it seems after her emotions of "People Get Ready" things went away for a bit).  A totally left-field song choice that worked.

Crystal & Lee (“Falling Slowly”) - This one was pretty much a slam dunk, great song, the two best singers left that I even contemplated giving this performance the top spot this week... which I probably should since it is probably the only one I would consider for an iTunes purchase (have not bought anything in weeks).  My only complaint on this one was the powers-that-be at Idol who nearly brought on nausea with the constantly spinning camerawork!

Casey & Mike (“Have You Really Ever Loved A Woman”) - I really don't know how much control the contestants have over song choice whether the solos or these duets, but I think it would have been wise for either of these guys to keep this song for them-self.  Casey definitely had the oozing sexy vibe when he started off and Mike displayed some of those qualities from his very best performance.  Think a double-guy duet is always a bit awkward, but this certainly beat out last year's Kris Allen-Gokey one.

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Michael (“Will You Be There”) - A good vocal and decent song choice from Mike is sadly, enough to give Mike the 2nd solo slot ranking for the week.  I don't think he was as committed to it as he has been at his best and I find his "performance" is a bit more put-on than those who are left in the competition.

Casey (“Mrs. Robinson”) - I really don't know if the reason Casey sang this song was the whole Kara thing, but for the most part I didn't think it a performance that displayed a whole lot of effort that is deserving for a spot in the Final 3.  I liked how he changed it up, but I thought it lacked any personality.

Lee (“Kiss From A Rose”) - Now Lee probably doesn't deserve the bottom spot in my rankings, but he was the biggest disappointment of the night.  The song choice was just awful and yet another that she be banned from ever being song on IDOL again... and I agree with the judges that he didn't do anything with it.  If I didn't feel that way afterward, he only solidified my thinking with a really great vocal with Crystal. 

Elimination Prediction: It's gotta be Mike or Casey right?  Well, I would hope though that still leaves the other in the Final 3 which is also quite shocking.  I don't know if Mike's pimping that his dream was to make the Final 3 will work or not (statements like that typically make me want the opposite to happen), so while Mike is not my favorite I think he is at least showing some interest, so I will go with Casey who seems more than ready to get out.

Idol: Frankly Snooze-atra

Last night Idol showcased the songs of Frank Sinatra and while all the elements were great - Harry Connick Jr. (who actually mentored!), the songs, the music, the orchestrations... overall I think it did a pretty awful job of showcasing the contestants.  I always seem to get frustrated that the "kids" just can't sing what they want, especially at this point in the competition.

Oh, I am a bit jealous that I didn't come up with Entertainment Weekly's tag for last night: Chairman of the Bored.  Ha!

But the good news is, after landing at the very bottom of my list last week and bemoaning the previous week that he never achieved it, Lee was my top performer of the night...

Lee (“That's Life”) - Now I am not sure how much of a compliment that is in what I think was probably the weakest night overall of this season, but being positive for Lee... I thought he was far, far better than anyone else.  He kept faithful to his own style, but vocally boozed it up just enough to make a nice throwback to the Rat Pack. 

Michael (“The Way You Look Tonight”) - As my regulars are well aware, I am totally done with Big Mike.  His pimping and preening to the screen just grates on my last nerve, but being fair and balanced (ha!) I have to give him props for having one of the best vocals of the evening and as some judge said (Ellen?), he is... and certainly was last night... the most comfortable contestant when it comes to moving around the stage.  Funny side note, I voted for Lee & Crystal... Todd asked me, given my rankings, if I would feel guilty if Mike got eliminated.  My response:  Absolutely not! 

Crystal (“Summer Wind”) - I think this is the first time I have Crystal outside the bottom two, and while I don't think there was necessarily anything wrong with the vocal it just lacked that Crystal magic that we have been seeing each and every week... though I think it was M.I.A last week as well, which is a bit worrisome.  She didn't help matters by defending herself against the judges, even if the contestant is "right" this always to be a risky move and even I thought she came across as a bit of a whiner.  But again this does highlight my pet peeve about theme nights as I do not believe Crystal is likely or hoping to make a career out of Shania Twain and Frank Sinatra covers.

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Aaron (“Fly Me To The Moon”) -  This got better as it went along, but I found the first half of the performance to be pretty shaky vocally, which is a tad unusual for the youngster.  Otherwise, I really don't have much more to say.

Casey (“Blue Skies”) - Ah Casey, doing the reverse Lee this week and going from champ to chump.  This was pretty much a train wreck.  Casey clearly lost without his guitar and attempting some stuff vocally that just didn't quite work... like holding a note, which Kara amazingly informed us that Casey had yet to do.  Unfortunately, she also identified that he sounded like a sheep... which even more unfortunately the end-of-show reply show wonderfully illustrated.  After one of his best performances of the season last week, he still landed in the Bottom 3... not sure he survives this week at all.

Elimination Prediction: At some point they stop doing a bottom 3 right?  This week, I imagine only Lee could find himself safe from the triad of doom... even I could see Crystal having a scare, but the pecking order of who is next still seems to be Mike, Aaron and Casey.   Since he got so slaughtered by the judges, Casey might have actually earned sympathy votes... but my gut still says Casey... if not and if I am allowed to hedge, Aaron.

Idol: Shania Tame

While I do enjoy Shania Twain, I didn't think last night's Idol was so hot.  It prompted me to "status" the show last night as:  That Don't Impress Me Much.

So found it extremely difficult to rank the contestants, especially with Crystal having an off night.

Casey (“Don't”) - And with that Crystal tumble, Casey - almost by default - gets the top spot... and remains my only non-Crystal contestant to come on top.  This performance was very similar to the performance of "Jealous Guy" that put him there the first time.  That said, I still think it shows that he is "trying" on these performances vs. it being natural/organic.  I think he is more the "Don't Stop" guy from last week, but that won't get him praise... or far in the competition.

Crystal (“No One Needs To Know”) - It was really funny as earlier in the day, I status'd that I hoped that Crystal would sing this very song.  I didn't think it was likely since it was not a terribly substantive song and, as Shania noted, it required one to be happy/perky which is certainly not in Crystal's comfort zone.  So I was thrilled when my prediction came true... until it was over and it was much better in my imagination vs. its actual execution.  Still I agree with the judges, that even "not my favorite" Crystal still puts her near the top of the heap any week this season.

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Aaron (“You've Got A Way”)-  With his country-ready voice, I expected that Aaron would well this week and he certainly delivered... predictably, which is the reason why he's still in the red here.  We've seen all we're going to see from him and he's just treading water at this point.

Siobhan (“Any Man of Mine") - While this wasn't the train wreck of recent weeks, I am pretty much through with Siobhan as well.  The scream was back, but it just seems like a desperation move at this point and the whole thing was a bit chintzy. 

Lee (“Still The One”) - Lee has been solidly in the "green" for most of this season and most of the time the #2 behind Crystal, but even this week when she faltered ever so slightly Lee didn't quite come up with something to put him at the top of my list.  I actually thought this performance as a bit bad ... just sounding like someone turning down the volume at the start of lyric and turning it way up at the end of the lyric.

Michael (“It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing”) - If there is anyone that I a most through with it is Mike.  I don't like all the arms open and fingers pointing when singing, and he just bugs me in general. During the end re-review of the contestants I think they probably showed the worst section of the performance which was all runny (many "runs" that is ... not anything to do with "wet" as Simon said).

Elimination Prediction:  Wow, all of sudden we really seem to be getting down to it... and with half the contestants being the Bottom 3 there is not a whole lot of wiggle room.  Seems like you have to put those who have already been there in again - so Aaron and Mike - especially since they didn't do anything extraordinary last night... kinda like Casey, who should also get a bump for being the most surprising Bottom 3-er from last week (well, yes and no).  So barring a Crystal shocker, that only leaves Lee and Siobhan.  While Sioban should be there, I think Lee is more in danger in being bland... hmmm, I think I will go with Lee, who hopefully should get the immediate reprieve... and will go with Mike being sent home.

Idol: Inspiration = Violins

It was kind of a rough night on IDOL.  In a prelude to tonight's bloated 'Idol Gives Back' show, the contestants performed songs of inspiration... but, with an exception (maybe two), the only inspiring thing I saw was the hope of violin (and other string instrument) players able to get a gig on national television.  Those inspirational songs need violins!  (There's an SNL Emily Litella joke in there for you folks old enough to remember)

On a positive note, the show is back to being only an hour long which thankfully (at least for the next couple of weeks), means that Seacrest doesn't have to come up with filler material.  The bad part was that we didn't see enough of last night's mentor Alicia Keys, who I think is stunning in most every way.

As I said, slim pickins' last night.  Here are your top two... and I hope we keep on hearing/seeing that for the remainder of this season...

Crystal (“People Get Ready”) - It was nice to see Crystal break loose from a musical instrument (though it was pretty clear she didn't know what to do with her hands) and also show some emotion as I agree that while her singing is always filled with emotion, she has put up some sort of protective wall in a lot of her performances to date.  But this was way, way, way beyond anything else from last night.  While she is certainly an old soul, my wish would be to have her do a spin on something more current as I think she's only managed to make it up to the 1990s a couple of times with Alanis and Tracy Chapman.

Lee (“The Boxer”) - I put Lee at a distant, but solid second as he certainly felt the song more and was far better than anyone below.  That said, I think the judges were a bit too overly enthusiastic with it as I thought it was good, not great.  My problem was in the 2-minute edit of the song, Lee was "la,la,la-ing" too much.

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Siobhan (“When You Believe") - I am not sure Siobhan really deserves being ranked #3, but then again I don't think any of the next 3 folks do either (sorry Tim!).  The song was pretty schlocky, but just feeling more sympathy for her than anything else, though her explanation / rationalization dragged on a bit too long nearing (or passing) the cringe-fest line. But I think Kara hit in on the head, I like her but at this point I am not sure I care about her music. 

Aaron (“I Believe I Can Fly”)- Now talk about schlocky songs, this is the king of them. But if I was fair, I should have given Aaron the 3rd slot as of this "red" group he probably had the best vocal.  It's just the same old, predictable stuff coming from him... and it did seem all high school talent contest material.

Casey (“Don't Stop”) - Continuing our segues, Casey is becoming the king of the same old, predictable stuff.  Alas, the vocals here were quite good as well but it just seemed like another safe, auto-pilot performance from him... and in the big scheme of things it's not that he has this great or distinctive voice either... but, he is still pretty to look at.

Michael (“Hero”) - When I first heard Mike was singing this song, I thought it was the Mariah Carey one... and truthfully I think that one would have worked out better for him as this just didn't seem to be a good fit with his voice or him... and the non-electric guitar (which looks like a ukulele sometimes given his size), just didn't fit in either... maybe if he'd done an acoustic version of it.  Hey, I should be a mentor!  And ummm, Mike... unless they are editing out the mentors' request for you to do it, can you please stop bear-hugging and lifting them up?!

Tim (“Better Days”) - I'll start with my standard line: Tim is not going anywhere this week.  I was a a bit disappointed that after a couple of "not bad" weeks, that this seemed to be a step back... but his singing really does not matter at this point now does it?  He's entered the pantheon of Sanjaya, Nikki McKibben, and Jasmine Trias and I see him cracking at least the Top 5 at this point.

Elimination Prediction:  We didn't have a Bottom 3 last week (remember they said Mike was not in the Bottom 3), and flubbed Aaron leaving... but did have the other two correct with Katie and Andrew.

Given what I just said above, I'll give Tim another pass this week and have him joined in safety with hopefully the secure for some time, Crystal and Lee.  The remaining five I think are all in danger.  Again, I'll give Siobhan a pass hoping that at least there is some grass roots "girl" support to not leave Crystal the only girl left this early in the competition.  So that leaves my Bottom 3 as Casey, Aaron, and Mike.  I'll send Casey back to the seats and... say the journey ends for... Aaron.

Justin Gaston Shirtless 2010

I stumbled onto the picture below a couple of months ago and I am glad I kept it as it now comes in handy as Justin Gaston dueted with former contestant Brooke White last night on Idol.

Justin is still trying to find his way into the music business.  I first became aware of him on Nashville Star (here's a link to my eye-candy post about him back then) but even with his good looks he didn't last too long there.  Next up, he gained fame by dating Miley Cyrus, but that didn't do much either other than elevating him to boy-toy status.  Also, he has been in the background as a football player on Glee, but not sure he's had a speaking part on the show.  Last night, it was mentioned that now he is part of some Web/Internet-based talent show, which doesn't exactly sound like a ticket to stardom either... so his appearance on Idol last night seems to be his biggest "get" to date, though ending up on the short end of the vocal stick vs. Ms. White, IMHO not the strongest vocalist Idol has ever seen, is probably not such good news either.

I am sure your eyes have wandered down already, so I was not totally surprised with Justin's new look. I'm guessing with this latest attempt at a music career, he wants to step away from the boy-ish/twink, clean-cut look that served him so well in his modeling career (again you can check out my first post about him or just do an image search on him and believe me you'll get an eyeful!)... while not so much a fan of the longer hair (tho hardly "throw out of bed" territory), it is at least nice to see that he's not worried about shaving the rest of the bod! 

So enjoy... some things are better seen, then heard!

Idol: Long Live The King

I have to say I was a bit nervous about Elvis night on IDOL.  I don't remember it being terribly successful the last time the show did it (though to be honest, I don't remember much ... or even when... so maybe it's repression), but overall I thought last night's show was pretty good even if there were less than a handful of really good ones.  I'll get to those in a second...

But can we start a movement to get rid of Ryan Seacrest.  Probably not since he signed a tens of millions of dollars multi-year contract, but he is absolutely driving my nuts.  From the "talented tongue" jibe with Adam Lambert (and folks were worried about last year's finalist being "family friendly") to dancing with a guy while Tim was singing, to calling Tim "Turban" (ok, I get the combo first/last name nickname, but I don't think it's that mainstream), to a cruel joke about his Season 1 co-host Brian Dunkelman, to getting his Mom on camera, to stealing Matthew Morrison's hat at the end of the show... the guy's ego is just out of control. 

Whew... okay, here are my top 3 from last night:

Crystal (“Saved”) - I am not sure there hasn't been an instance where a smile hasn't crossed both our faces during a Crystal performance.  While I would not consider myself an Elvis expert, I am a fan and honestly never heard of this song.  That sometimes spells danger on IDOL, but Crystal was so convincing and wonderful, she left me thinking that the original version couldn't possibly be better... now that's saying something!

Lee (“A Little Less Conversation”) - If you are looking for a transformation in this contest, I don't think there is a better example than Lee who is blossoming.  Granted I still think he needs to make progress on the "performance" front, but his vocals just keep on getting better and better.  This is a song that had dipped well into cartoon-ish in the past on IDOL, so it was nice to finally hear a version that would be relevant in today's music scene.

Michael (“In The Ghetto”) - I've had no qualms in saying that Big Mike is not my favorite contestant and I think the save was wasted on him last week as I don't think he has a real shot for the title (thru last week I would have reserved it for only Crystal, Lee and Casey), but as Randy would say, I'd give the big dawg props this week for a quite heart-felt song take on this one. Even before he sung a note, I would have predicted Mike would survive this week but it was nice that he stepped up that it wasn't just a sympathy move.

Casey (“Lawdy Miss Clawdy”) - I have to say I was mildly disappointed with Casey's song choice.  Like Crystal, this was one I was not familiar with but Casey didn't get me very excited about it.  I still thought he sounded (and looked) great, it was a solid Casey performance but like Simon said, Elvis week seemed like something that would really be in Casey's sweet spot to hit it out of the park like he did last week with "Jealous Guy," but it was just a safe stand-up double (or something like that!).

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Katie (“Baby What Do You Want Me to Do”)-  I really do not have much bad to say about Katie's performance, thought it was an excellent vocal... so why is she in the red?  Well, the song just seemed a bit non-contemporary and she does tend to dip into Jon-Benet pageanty dress-up/acting mode.

Siobhan (“Suspicious Minds") - Oh, Siobhan! I really feel as she has lost her way and while I hate to say it, like Kara I am finding myself a bit confused.  I thought the first half (btw, what was all this "halftime" talk all of sudden by the judges, particularly Randy) was very milquetoast and would have placed her a notch or two down my list, while the second half could have elevated her to "green" status.  Not sure if she can get her mojo back, but I'm still hoping.

Tim (“Can't Help Falling In Love With You”) - Tim is not going anywhere this week.  While his interpretations continue to be quite corny, he was looking particularly dreamy this week and I am sure melting the hearts of young girls all across the country... and the tight t-shirt certainly didn't hurt when it comes to the gay voting bloc. 

Aaron (“Blue Suede Shoes”)- I thought Aaron's vocals were quite good last night, but I wish contestants would remember the advice of performing each show like it was a track on their album, and while it is a great song, it's just not something that would ever be recorded today.  So just knocking him for song choice as I am doing with...

Andrew (“Hound Dog”) - OK, this might be fun if Michael Buble or someone like that puts this on album, but this is another song, that while great in its day, it not in anyway relevant in today's music scene.  Granted I don't think the vocal and arrangement were particularly strong either.  At this point, I think Andrew has proven his really good stuff is the exception.

Elimination Prediction: In my quickie update last week,I did not get any of the Bottom 3 correct.. but since Mike was saved, I am going to say my perfect 3-for-3 elimination prediction streak is still intact.

Not sure how things are going to work tonight, is there still going to be a Bottom 3 with two of them gone?  Well, process of elimination I'll say Crystal, Lee, Mike and Casey are safe. As mentioned above, my gut says Tim, who avoided the Bottom 3 last week for the first time, will do it again this week.  So that leaves: Katie, Siobhan, Aaron, and Andrew. I think the final safe spot goes to one of the girls.  While I suspecting they are wavering like me, I think there was enough in that second half to keep Siobhan fans holding on for another week.  Sooooo... I'll give the reprieve to Katie, leaving the first male eliminees of the season being Aaron and Andrew.

Idol: Beatle Bailin'

I am out of town and not having as much free time to read and write as I had expected, but still wanted to be on the record for this week's IDOL (which I just finished watching today).  Figures the first time I pick someone for the top spot other than Crystal, it would be this week away! 

So without further ado (or explanation), here is my order of finish for Lennon/McCartney night:

Casey, Crystal, Lee, Katie, Michael, Siobhan, Andrew, Aaron, Tim

I'm thinking we can't get rid of yet another girl after the first three, so I will go with the long overdue elimination of Tim, although he did look so much like a Beatle.  If the "get rid of the girls" trend does continue, I wouldn't be surprised to see Siobhan be a surprise eliminee... tho it seems like she would have a hard time staying out of the bottom 3 given this week and last.  So let's go with a Bottom 3 of Siobhan, Katie, and Tim, with Tim going.  I have been 3 for 3 this season, but definitely feel a bit off my game this week. 

Idol: Ushering In The Guys

While I am still not enamored with this group, at least last night was a much better night on IDOL... and only one familiar face this week on my "best of" collage.  Yes, there are male contestants on the show this season!

Crystal (“Midnight Train To Georgia”) - This certainly was not Crystal's best showing.  Despite what she said, I don't think she was terribly comfortable on the piano and even more so standing up without an instrument... likewise, there was one note that sounded a bit sour to me and I agree with Simon that she could have done without the cheesy back-up singers... so why is still at the top?!  Well, this is one of my favorite songs of all time (perhaps because Gladys sang it to me personally, well OK not really but I was a foot from her Vegas stage and she did look at me!)... and I thought Crystal still had incredible moments to still lift her to the top of my rankings for the week.

Lee (“Treat Her Like A Lady”) - It is nice to see Lee start to break out of his shell.  While I think he always sounds good, I always find him a bit too contained, but you can tell that he is starting to get ready to boil.

Andrew (“Forever”) - Hurray for Andrew!  Even though Ryan had to ruin it at the very end and mention the name of that song yet again, Andrew finally achieved a moment that lived up to the one he did in Hollywood Week.  The right mix of changing on a song up (though I have to admit I am just a tad familiar with the original) and making it his own.

Casey (“Hold On, I'm Coming”) - Casey is much like Lee in that I think he is always good and consistent, but yet there is something missing... some lack of performance or, as Simon noted, lack of personality.  The good thing for Casey (sorry Lee!) has his looks going for him and, like Lee, I thought this was one of his best (if not his best) performances to date.

Michael (“Ready For Love”) - Despite falling short of making my photo collage, this is Mike's first appearance in the "green" as I think he kinda had a "moment" for the first time on the big stage.  I have to admit, I am still not a big fan of his mostly due to his posturing... so this pull back worked for me last night. 

****************************************************************

Katie (“Chain of Fools”)- Yet another contestant who I thought had their best vocal, but my problem with Katie continues to be her age.  This Aretha classic starts "Five long years I thought you were my man/But I found out I'm just a link in your chain"... somehow her love affair starting at age 11 or 12 did not quite resonate with me.  Also, agree with the judges' critique that this is a hard sound to make sound current.  But a far, far improvement over her screechiness last week.

Aaron (“Ain't No Sunshine”)- Ditto to Aaron on the age appropriateness and he gets another minus for choosing one of the most over-sung IDOL songs ever (it's a truly great song, but as Simon said, too much precedence to have to live up to).  I didn't think he succeeded in his "I know, I know" riffs either... it sounded like he hit it better in that rehearsal footage with Usher.

Didi (“What Become of the Broken Hearted”) - This marks Didi's first appearance in the "red" for me, she has that voice that is either make it or break it and this just didn't work out... again, whatever she had with Usher didn't quite make it or translate to the big stage.  As the judges said, just very flat throughout and a real bum note when she took a chance with it.... also, it would have required a big change-up to not make it sound old-fashioned.  And alas, she was the big victim of "How can Ryan Seacrest be an assh&ole this week?"  C'mon Didi, I insist on making you cry on national TV... why did you really sing this song!?  

Siobhan (“Through The Fire") - Another mighty tumble!  I honestly wasn't crazy with Siobhan last week with "Superstition" and she totally fell off the wagon this week... in major fashion.  The cracking voice was almost at Paige "Against All Odds" levels and the big note, which I thought she kind of missed last week, was even more rough this week.  I hope she manages to survive... a bad performance + going first is not a good combo!

Tim (“Sweet Love”) - I was thoroughly amused with Simon's "why bother" critique of Teflon Tim.  I swear I needed an insulin shot after this one, just drippy and puppy-dog eyed (he does have that stare down into the camera that Usher was talking about).  I am at a loss of words as well, he is certainly easy on the eyes, but that's about it.

Elimination Prediction: I'm two for two this season... so just jinxed myself for this week.  I can't imagine that Tim skips the bottom 3 again, especially with Simon's attempt at some reverse psychology, but I think the Teflon will still be working.  I think Siobhan has enough goodwill in the bank and some sympathy (particularly after those new "behind the scenes" shots) to keep her safe... so I'll have Katie return to the stools of doom this week and have her joined by Didi, and while I think she may have earned enough sympathy votes thanks to Ryan's harping, Didi is my elimination prediction.

Also, not that I think anyone is hanging on the edge of their seats for these IDOL posts... but I may not have one next week as I will be visiting my parents and with my Mom who just is getting home after hip replacement surgery.  On the other hand, I have a spanking new laptop and will probably still have time, so who knows!