Top 11 - The British Invasion!

Hi all!

Sanjaya must have heard of my Michael Jackson remark...now he's wearing a half-glove?

Simon undressed?! Please, no, Paula! If that's what she thinks about, no wonder she needs 'medicinals'... ; )

The British Invasion, eh? Isn't Simon enough?

Haley Scarnato - It was just okay for me. One of her better performances, but I didn't like the song choice as much as Randy and Paula. As dirty ol' Simon noted, her outfit helped her out a lot.

Chris Richardson - 'Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' - one of my favorite songs - he starts off very weak and stays there until near the end...ramps it up to where he should have started off, and lets it die. Not good, for me. Someone singing in the dorm shower. Randy and Paula see something different. Even Simon liked it. Am I in a bad mood, or being too picky? No! This is American IDOL! You'll see what I mean when Melinda hits the stage...

Stephanie Edwards - 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' - another favorite, and another weak start, though she recovers fairly quickly, and takes it up a notch in the bridge. Bringing it up a notch makes her pitchy, though. A little better than Chris R and Haley. Finally the judges seem to be hearing what I'm hearing. Are they more forgiving of Chris R and Haley based on personality?

Blake Lewis - I hope for something interesting on this. 'Time Of The Season' - Good song choice if he can handle the register changes. I like it! Gives me some chills. Just enough beatbox. A smidge pitchy in spots, but overall, the best so far tonight. Paula seems to agree, by her gestures. Randy loved it, too. Simon, too, approves, even if he can't say he 'enjoyed' it. Is he capable of such a thing? Now we know why Ryan is an emcee and not a performer. Yikes!

Lakisha Jones - 'Diamonds Are Forever' - Combined with her outfit, I think it was a great song choice for showcasing her big voice. She could have used her performance for the sound track. Perfect, and lots of chills. Randy's hard on the would-be winner, but Paula makes up for it. Simon ages her along with the song, which seems absurd to me. I'm glad she can shrug it off. Randy finally gives some concrete advice about risking some runs, which she could have done.

Phil Stacey - 'Tobacco Road' - Good song choice, and he owns it pretty well. He risked losing some of his connection with the audience by running around a bit much at times, but hung in there and ended very well. Randy and Paula like it, and, of course, Simon is more critical. There's some truth in that Phil could use some grit in his voice for that song, but I don't think it's as bad as Simon says (oooo - Simon says - let's not play, shall we?).

Jordin Sparks - She's so excited! - 'I Who Have Nothing' - Lulu wants her to scream...let's see how that goes over. This is a big song, and she's a wee bit shakey until the bridge, but she really owns it from there on. Very, very good! Actually better than Lakisha tonight, and Randy agrees. Paula likes it, and Simon is disturbed because the song made him feel something. That's the point, you rube!!!

LOL at the few non-positive Brits moving over here!

Sanjaya Malakar - Wild side? This should be different. 'You Really Got Me' - OMG, the teeniebopper crying in the audience makes it clear where his votes are coming from! It's a glimmer of the Beatles effect on the female population, and he definitely picked the right song to change his image! Completely different performer, and the judges agree. Simon sees dollar signs in the tearful teeniebopper, and is completely satisfied. If he can keep it up, he'll stay in the top 6, where that performance put him. Quite a jump up the ranks!

Gina Glocksen - Gina's looking very hot tonight. Let's see if her performance matches, and she presents better than she did in the interview with Ryan. 'Paint It Black' - She starts pretty far off key, but gets back quickly. She doesn't have the tension in her body to project the song with the power it needs. She definitely improves towards the end, but it wasn't enough for me. Simon overkills the criticism, but there's some truth in what he says.

Chris Sligh - I'm thinking he'll do well with this theme. 'She's Not There' - a pretty limited song, with a lot of repetitive words and chords. But Sligh OWNS the song, and connects well with the audience. Very good, but not the best tonight, which is what Simon finally pronounces, as well.

Melinda Doolittle - saving the best for last, eh? Good move, and they know it. 'As Long As He Needs Me' - another favorite of mine, and very challenging, but if anyone can do it, Melinda can. Right from the start, her enunciation and phrasing are excellent. Starting seated, she is clearly aiming for a 'moment', which is very ambitious with this song. But she pulls it off and makes the teeniebopper and me both tearful. Simon's 'impeccable' is the right word.


My tops for the night: Melinda, Jordin, Sanjaya (believe it or not), and Lakisha, in that order.

My bottoms for the night: Stephanie, Haley, Gina, Chris R, in rough order.

Letting the sun catch him crying: Chris R, though the judges think differently.

Later days!

...John