Top 12 Perform Lennon - McCartney!

Syesha Mercado - Got To Get You Into My Life - Very pitchy start for an Idol contestant. She risks an updated arrangement, which may get her a few points, but not really great. Randy likes the arrangement and calls her on early pitch problems. Surprisingly, Simon thinks it was better than last week. For me, it was two pitchy performances in a row - enough for me to drop her.

Chikezie - She's A Woman - With a hillbilly interpretation - I like it! Then he turns on the grunge and takes it home. He be havin' fun! Very exciting! I surely liked it! Randy's like, who knew? Paula loved it. Simon is surprised that he agrees with Randy and Paula.

Ramiele Malubay - In My Life - I love this song. She suggests that it's about all the people that pass through our lives and then adds that that includes people voted off the show. I'm telling you, she had/has a crush on Danny Noriega! She starts it very well, though she's a bit tentative further on when she could be building it, then depends entirely on the final note to bring it home. Randy agrees that it "just laid there." Paula starts by complimenting her looks, so you know she didn't love it, and felt the same as Randy. Simon agrees but finds it necessary to add insult to injury. Who knew?

Jason Castro - If I Fell - He plays guitar, the audience claps. He does some original runs to make it his own. His charisma may save him, but, for me, the vocals were mediocre. Randy didn't love the original runs in the falsetto range. Paula felt his charisma overrode that. Simon stuck with boring, maybe left over from his review of Ramiele. Ryan lands a good one on Simon and then pitches Jason's dreads to the listeners.

Carly Smithson - Come Together - a song she performs regularly. She does it pretty traditionally to start, and owns the song and the audience. She adds a little grunge and closes it well. Randy loved it too. Paula saw her as a star. Simon says this is (finally!) the right song choice for her. High praise all around.

David Cook - Eleanor Rigby - a tough song to do well, but he knows it and thinks he's up to it. His husky voice has a little trouble bringing power into the softer parts, but when he goes to high gear, he nails it! The final note is a triumph. The audience loves it. Randy calls him on the shaky start, but loved it when he took it over. Simon calls it brilliant.

Brooke White - Let It Be - Can she come up to David Archuleta's memorable version? - big risk, plus she plays piano which could take some needed attention away from her vocals. It's a pretty standard good performance, but no fireworks, for me, but I still love her heart, and maybe the audience feels the same way. All three judges do feel that way, and I'm mildly but happily surprised.

David Hernandez - I Saw Her Standing There - His voice seems to suffer when he runs through the audience. It's a competent performance, but doesn't really grab me. Both Randy and Paula think he overdid it for this relatively simple song. Simon calls it corny and desperate.

Amanda Overmyer - You Can't Do That - a song she only just learned. She tries her own spin, but it just sounds like yelling. Her performance lacks any of the melodious nature of the original.
She gets a lot of applause from the audience, but I thought it sucked. Surprisingly, the judges gave her props for filling her unique slot, though Simon did call it a bit "shouty."

Michael Johns - Across The Universe - A solid performance, though nothing unsual. Both Randy and Simon agree that it needed something else. Paula thought it was brilliant.

Kristy Lee Cook - Eight Days A Week - country style. A risk, but she does does well by it. Again, nothing spectacular until the final note, but a decent peformance. None of the judges liked it very much, but Simon pounds nails into her coffin. A failed risk, perhaps, but not as technically poor as some others tonight.

David Archuleta - We Can Work It Out - He says he's nervous about it. Wow! He forgets lyrics at a couple of points. He seems to be more focused on his original riffs, which, of themselves, are fine, but he ended up thinking instead of fully feeling it. Randy agrees. Paula agrees. They're willing to let it slide based on his past. Simon is less forgiving.


Tops and Props: David C., Carly, Chikezie, Michael

Bottoms: Amanda, Syesha, David H., David A., Jason, Ramiele,

Leaving: It should be Amanda, but audience and judges' reactions indicate differently. If the judges hold sway, it could well be David H., though Syesha seems more deserving, to me.