I was just going to write exactly what you did, but you got there first! 
I love love love Adam. He won’t win AI, but I loved how he stuck it to the country music brigade last night.
Other than Adam, I am ‘meh’ on all the rest. They’re all OK but pretty bland. If a perky blond country-singin’ pair of boobs wins, though, I am forever done with this show…
I think the arrangement that Adam was using for “Ring of Fire” was this one – Dilana on Rockstar Supernova.
Even so, it looks like still only took the basic outline and then emo-ed the hell out of it. It’s far from a carbon copy, more like he just took an idea for an approach rather than covering a cover.
Adam gave me cold shivers. I have never agreed more with Simon than I did right then and there and I was so thankful that at least one of the judges saw through his nonsense.
I mean, it was very obvious that his ambition was just to slide through the task without doing really what he’s expected to. That is not creative, it’s evasive. To boot, he took a soulful song and cut away all of its original emotion and meaning.
To me, the entire thing just reeked of indulgence and copping out.
Liked:
Allison – Great voice.
Kris – Definitely earning his mettle. Originally thought it was totally lame that he made it to the top 13; changing my mind.
Megan – I love her so much! Some aspects of her are kind of laughable (the ridiculous way she sings some words, the weird shuffling) but they add up to an endearing, distinctive performance for me. Megan might be one of the most offbeat legitimate contestants I’ve seen on Idol.
Eh:
Lil – Not good. Her vocal tone just didn’t sound right for the song at all (and that’s not a ‘black women can only sing R&B!!!’ comment).
Scott – So, so cheesy. Maybe this guy’s voice can only do cheesy.
Anoop – Wanted to like this way more than I did. It was kind of snoozy.
Hated:
Adam – Technically good vocals, but I just hated the whole schtick. I could get behind it if I felt like there was a whole lot of him coming through, but he’s hamming it up 100%.
Michael – His performance made me feel anxious. Not a good thing.
Alexis – Liked her before, like “Jolene”; what went wrong? Something is really off with her phrasing, I think.
Danny – Dear God, please release us from Danny Gokey.
Matt – So boring, it wasn’t even passable enough for the “eh” section.
To those who are complaining that Adam avoided the country task: do you then disagree with the judges who told Lil that she shouldn’t have tried to sing country? (Seriously, suggesting a song best known as a Whitney hit?) Either it’s legit to change up the country theme for everyone or not for anyone.
(Gah, still can’t believe I’m defending Adam.)
To be fair, Megan sort of copped out last week as well. Though she did a kitchy song in the off-beat manner the judges love her for. Adam was just… Sneaking around, I felt. And he really did slaughter that song.
As for Lil… I think the judges tried to say that there are other song choices within the country spectrum that would fit her natural r’n’b style. I personally can’t blame her for trying to be country if that’s what the theme is.
FTR, I think Adam’s cover of **Ring of Fire **sounds much like Universal Hall Pass.
You can hear it here
Any word on what other mentors are on this years agenda?
I read your post this morning and then rewatched Adam’s performance and I’ll be damned (heh…) if it didn’t seem SATANIC with the flames and all.
Then I prayed and God told me to like Danny better.
That is AWESOME! (I love the Johnny Cash version, too. This song has chops, man.)
**Ring of Fire ** is one of my favorite country songs. I have never heard of Universal Hall Pass before, accoriding to wiki it is a one woman band from LA.
Isn’t Adam from LA or San Diego? I wonder if he knows Melissa Kaplan and wanted to give her some exposure.
I listen to some of their (her) songs. Tutelary Genius’s first words are “Son of a Bitch”. From what I have heard, Ring of Fire is her best
I guess that is one way for the choreographer can get Scott out of dancing.
Scott looked drier in the Ford video than I would have guessed.
so far, Allison and Mike are bottom three.
S^G
As Alexis rounds out the bottom three, I’m wondering where everyone is…
and Alexis is sent back to safety
S^G
You should make that “Allison is sent back to safety.”
Alexis and Sarver are twisting in the wind.
I really hope Sarver’s the one to go. I like looking at Alexis. (And of the two, he’s the only one that has points to get cut in my Idol pool picks this week)
Did Jeff Buckley really cover “Ring of Fire”?
Not that I can find or have ever heard of.
And Carrie Underwood is in mortal peril! There’s a giant sparkly tarantula perched on her head!
First thing I noticed about about Carrie Underwood is that her right arm is not disfigured.
Do you hear that Megan? Next week, please put some sleeves on.
Sorry… was listening without watching, and could’ve sworn Ryan said Alexis…
S^G
I’m stunned Megan got more votes than Alexis.
I like Michael but hope he goes.