Top 4 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

David C. - 'Hungry Like A Wolf' - A Steppenwolf joint that suits his voice, but it lacks the fireworks one might expect at this stage. Decent, not great. Randy agrees. Paula's appetite is piqued. Simon calls it "good enough to get you through."

Syesha - 'Proud Mary' - A good song for her dramatic flair. Her performance is a little better than her singing, but that ain't bad, either. Randy and Paula love it. Simon thought it a bad impersonation of Tina Turner. There's some truth to that.

Jason - 'I Shot The Sheriff' - The song matches his dreads. He gives it quite a twist in his stylings, but I don't think they worked, rhythmically, as well as the original arrangement. Randy didn't "get it." Paula gives props for his performing to the audience well. Simon calls his arrangement "atrocious." This makes about four mediocre performances in a row, by my count, and his fan base may not be enough to save him, at this point.

David A. - 'Stand By Me' - A good song choice, if somewhat safe. He does well at putting his personal twist on it. Good, as always, and better than David C.'s first effort tonight. The judges like it unanimously. Simon thought he struggled toward the end, but still calls it "best of the night" so far, which it was.

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David C. - 'Baba O'Reilly' - A Who song which fits his range, and he does well by it, though it could have been much better if he had more time. Still, it is now the best song of the night. Randy loved it. Paula wants more. Simon welcomes him back.

Syesha - 'A Change Is Going To Come' - Her beautiful, buxom dress is only a mild distraction. She does very well with the song. Randy didn't love it. Paula makes her cry with recognition of her own changes over the weeks, which is exactly why she chose that song. Simon seconds Paula's opinion. Call it over dramatic if you will, but I think she was being totally genuine.

Jason - 'Tambourine Man' - Forgetting the lyrics puts the lid on his coffin. Aside from that, his performance was mediocre, at best. There's really nothing the judges can say, so Randy puts it to him to judge himself. Paula clarifies that she likes him for having gotten this far. Simon suggests he pack. The feeling I got from this kid is someone who has always been relying on his cuteness-loving fanbase, and has somehow thought that to be enough to get by without really working on things. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he'd been out partying and doing drugs for the last several weeks instead of rehearsing. True or not, that's the kind of vibe I get from him.

David A. - 'Love Me Tender' - An Elvis song that he makes his own as a ballad. I like this best of all tonight. The strength and innocence of his voice is just amazing. The judges loved it.


Top: David A.

Middle: David C. and Syesha - your choice for second place tonight.

Leaving: Jason, who shot both the sheriff and the tambourine man.