BTW I agree that at times the background singers totally overwhelmed Cook’s vocals. I couldn’t hear him over them. Sound people must be sacked.
I agree with the general consensus - this was a pretty meh week. I liked Jason Castro - love that version of the song. Kristy didn’t suck, which was a bit disappointing, but she definitely chose the right song. I thought Carly was pretty awful, and the rest were just … not very interesting. I think Carly’s going home.
For anyone who’s never heard it, here’s Bruddah Iz’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”
Our Lady Peace’s “Innocent” if anyone cares. David, David, David - I’ve loved you from your first audition - why did you have to choose this song that you couldn’t do anything with? I thought you were smarter than this! So disappointed.
I think Jason Castro peaked tonight - this is as good as he gets.
Freddie Mercury always made it look so easy - Carly proved that wrong.
He looked and sounded like he was sick or distracted, especially after the song when the judges were talking.
I could totally see Kristy forwarding the emails here
You might be right, Talon - I’ve just listened to David Cook’s “Billie Jean” and "Eleanor Rigby"again a couple of times, and he is so, so much better than what he did tonight. If he was trying something different tonight, he needs to not do that particular style again.
If you look at the dialidol predictions, it seems that the votes follow the judges’ assessment pretty closely
1. David Archuleta
2. Jason Castro
3. Kristy Lee Cook
4. Brooke White
5. Michael Johns
6. David Cook
7. Syesha Mercado
8. Carly Smithson
The ranking seems almost identical to the one you’d get if you ranked them by the judges’ comments, IIRC.
Overall, a ‘meh’ night. My ranking for tonight’s performances
- David Archuleta
- Kristy Lee Cook
- Michael Johns
- Syesha Mercado
- David Cook (sang it relatively well, but very bad song choice)
- Jason Castro
- Brooke White
- Carly Smithson
Nevertheless, votes should not be based solely on one night’s performance; the overall idol-worthiness of the contestants should be taken into account (does the voting public generally take the long-term view or just goes by each night’s performance?)
-
Idol-material:
David Archuleta
David Cook
Carly Smithson
Jason Castro -
Not so much:
Michael Johns
Syesha Mercado
Brooke White -
Not idol-material:
Kristy Lee Cook
That’s one boring song.
I wasn’t too sure whether David just messed up an otherwise good song, but, no. From the link above, the song stinks, and David did a pretty good job, considering.
I’m watching this on tape right now and I gotta say Jason was fantastic. I know he seems to do the same sorta thing each week but when he is on target he really is great, and this was great.
Ooooh, gotta run now cuz Kristy is starting and I don’t wanna lose my lunch on my keyboard…
Pleasantly surprised at this weak (far less unbearable than I expected 
). No real standouts, however. Overuse of ringers starting to look like a really bad idea.
Very familiar with Bruddah Iz’s rendition of Over The Rainbow. Didn’t really mind Castro’s take on it, but this doesn’t really strike me as the kind of song you’re supposed to get all experimental on.
Intriguing song choice by Johns. He’s been fun to watch, and I really hope he goes far. Really could’ve done without the thrash notes at the end. There’s a whole world of rock between “pop fluff” and “screaming”, y’know.
Sigh…never thought I’d say this, but we have to consider KLC a contender now. She’s one of those reality TV contestants that if you don’t knock her out early, you’re not knocking her out for a long time (a la Scott Savol, Jasmine Trias, Katherine McPhee). Right now she has way too many advantages where it counts to have to sweat anything.
I have a feeling that Cook (most lackluster performance) or White (mega-bland song and a music legend casting a shadow; may have seriously misjudged this week) is going out, and I wouldn’t mind Mercado (super-generic Whitney belting I was sick of by the time I started college) going as well. So of course there’s no chance in hell it’s going to be any of them. :mad:
I think the “David Archuleta you brought it! You are WONDERFUL!” reviews are pre-recorded to save time.
A reminder for those who (like me) are currently Tivo-less and having to actually remember to set the timers on their videorecorders (oy, such a chore):
**Idol is on at a very unusual time tomorrow night- 6:30 p.m. (CST)/7:30 p.m. (EST) **
[and whatever:30 p.m. that may be west of the Mississippi]).
Didn’t he say (or at least imply) that he found the song while going over those available while trying to decide what to sing? If so, the little phoni[leta].
Did anybody else notice that
1- D.A. gave a completely non-sequitur answer to Ryan’s question? (He apparently misunderstood it.)
2- The “LICK THOSE LIPS DAVID!” sign in the audience?
This whole night was Idol-on-Valium (except for Paula who’s long since moved on from there). I agreed more with Randy tonight than either of the other two on most performers. I had to put on the ClosedCaptioning to understand one word from (my fave) David Cook, thought Jason Castro did an okay job but the lyrics drove me nuts as well plus he looks like the headliner at a NORML symposium, and thought that You’ve Got a Friend was less “a pleasant walk in the park” than a general anesthetic, and Carly flat out ruined one of my favorite songs (though as a misplaced entry for the cultural heresy thread I prefer the Broadbent/Kidman/Luhrmann version to the original).
After listening to the Iz version, he sings the lyrics with the fractured rhyme, so Castro was just doing a faithful duvet (cover of a cover). I don’t know why Bruddah changed the words, and never noticed before (I have that song on iTunes.)
Maybe he’s ready to go home and be the next Chris Daughtry. Can’t say that I’d blame him if he is.
Nothing really jumped out at me as being particularly good last night. I was most disappointed with David C. I thought the song, to borrow a phrase from Simon, was a bit indulgent. He and Michael Johns should have switched songs. I didn’t think Michael butchered “Dream On” (which is big for me because I adore Aerosmith and that’s one of my favorite songs) but it wasn’t great. If I’m going to listen to “Dream On” being sung like it’s always been sung I’ll take Steven Tyler, thank you very much. David A. was probably the best of the night, but I thought his voice sounded a little weak and less clear than usual. Jason was good as well. Carly’s performance was just terrible. And no, Simon, her outfit was not better this week. And falling into the category of … “meh, I just didn’t care” were Syesha, Brooke, and Kristy.
I agreed with Simon on MJ’s song, that it sounded mimicky. It would have been a good song choice if he hadn’t tried to match Steve T growl fer growl. Nobody could pull that off except Tyler himself and maybe Axl Rose.
Jason sang one of my favorite songs a few weeks ago - Hallelujah. Then he did the song that I was named after - Michelle. Now he does another of my favorites last night.
That’s it. I am positive he is speaking directly to me. He loves me. I know he does. And if security will just let me in and stop shooing me away from his window at night as I stand there with a boom box over my head playing “In Your Eyes” he would realize it!!
PS - I “heart” Jason.
I thought she looked like Chrissie Hynde circa 1985. Anyway, she does have a good voice but the scary angry face all the time just doesn’t work.
I don’t think anyone is really standing out from the crowd, even this far into it. I agree with Polerius that David A., David C., and Carly are the frontrunners, if that’s even the right word. I get the feeling this whole thing is a big joke to Jason and he’s just letting it play out as long as possible. I’m so ready to say good-bye to any of the others, especially teary-eyed Brooke.
One other thing–I thought the song selection by Michael, Kristy, and Carly were (with apologies to Simon) self-indulgent and self-centered, rather than inspirational in the context of “Idol gives back.” I’m totally unfamiliar with what David A., David C., and Syesha sang so I can’t bash their choices. Jason’s wasn’t particularly fitting either.
Some things are better left in 1985. 
David C., I love ya bro, but that was not only your worst performance, that was one of the overall worst performances this season. Much as I hate to say it, Kristy’s massacre of Eight Days A Week was better than that sack of crap you dragged out on stage this week.
And ironically, it was Kristy who I had ranked best this week. Guess the hidden theme was that it was actually Opposite Week.
I think I was more inspired by Beatles Week I then I was by “inspirational” week. But I just dropped on my knees and thanked God that no one dragged out Whitney’s Greatest Love of All, because I would’ve just puked. I loathe that song.
I’d be stunned to see Christy go – I had her in the final 2 (with David Cook). But hers was the most meh performance of a meh night.
And I too was bugged by the Rainbow lyrics.