Start trimming the waste . . .

Predictably, we've arrived at the 1970s. In my opinion the 70s offer more hope for stardom than the 60s week did, but apparently the contestants saw things differently. Overall the song choices were off with a couple of exceptions. The theme for this week actually seemed to be 180 Week since a lot of the guys came off quite differently than last week. Or, maybe it was 360 week. Randy, and thoughts? Simon is plain nasty this year, like he's bored or something. "All this crap for 7 years and only a few superstars compared to so many wannabes?"

Anyway, other than the Davids, no one really impressed me all that much. Michael was a let down--get it out now--as was Jason Castro. David Hernandez did a great job this week. Robbie Carrico tries too hard, although I do feel badly for him a little. David Archuleta is amazing! I agree with Randy completely about his place in AI history with that performance. The most amazing part to me is that he embellished the melody just enough to sound 100% fresh on a song so many people have interpreted. Just awesome! True confession time: his performance brought a tear or two to this old softy's eye, and that only happens once or twice in an AI season.

Alright, on to my impressions this week. No awards this time. Just sushi.

Michael Johns--California roll. Fantastic taste, but it can get old if not carefully prepared.

Jason Castro--Spider roll. Have you ever seen all the little legs sticking out of the roll? Now look at his hair.

Luke Menard--Those tuna rolls you get at the grocery store with cooked tuna from the can. It's an attempt, and in a bind it might do the trick, but somehow it's just not sushi-ish enough. This is not unlike my wife's canned tuna on rice with soy sauce fiasco--it only happened once . . . years ago.

Robbie Carrico--Philly roll. Do smoked salmon and cream cheese really belong anywhere besides a bagel?!

Danny Noriega--Inari sushi. Sounds sort of weird at first, but it kind of grows on you.

David Hernandez--Shrimp nigiri. It tastes good, but I'd rather have something else when I get my sushi plate.

Jason Yeager--Tamago (egg) nigiri. Why? Why? Scrambled eggs on sushi rice. Why?

Chikezie--Unagi (eel) roll. Strong flavor, and either you like it or you don't.

David Cook--Spicy tuna roll. Great taste, but too much is too much.

David Archuleta--Tuna sashimi. Pure. No frills. Just great!

* * * * *

MY TOP THREE: David Archuleta, David Hernandez, Chikezie

GOING HOME: Jason Yeager, Luke Menard

JUST KILLING TIME UNTIL NEXT WEEK'S GOOD-BYE: Robbie Carrico

Top 10 Guys! - Classic 70s Theme

Michael Johns - Not so much, I think. His voice cracks in spots and it simply didn't impress me. Randy and Paula let it slide, but Simon is with me on this one.

Jason Castro - The opening is a bit weak, but it gets better. He certainly will appeal to the ladies, but the performance, for me, was just okay. Randy agrees. Paula, being female, responds to the sex appeal, and is more forgiving. Simon is detailed and precise. He also seems considerably less insulting than the last two weeks, so far. That's a welcome change.

Luke Menard - He is magnetic and strong from the start. The song is difficult, and perhaps not the best choice, though it does showcase his ability to handle it. Randy and Paula acknowledge this. Simon is a bit more critical but makes some relatively valid points about being compared with the original. I think he did a bit better than Simon believes.

Robbie Carrico - A little more wow than some of the others, but not enough for an Idol. Randy agrees, especially given that it's a rock song. Paula is vague and supportive. Simon gives it a thumbs up, though seems relatively unenthusiastic.

I'm just not seeing anything close to a star performance so far, and keep wishing I could be listening to the girls.

Danny Noriega - He tackles a BIG song - Long Ago And Far Away - He handles the low register opening fairly well, but doesn't kick it to high gear effectively at all. Add some minor pitchiness, and I didn't like it. Randy didn't feel it, either. He's riding on his looks and personality so far, to me, and that won't take him to the finals.

David Hernandez - Much better. Good song choice, good presence, good skillz. That's what I'm talking about. All the judges agree. My Idol for the night, so far.

Jason Yeager - I like how he personalizes the song, and I think he does a decent job, but it's a safe choice with a very limited range. I like his energy better than most tonight, but it wasn't the best song choice as a showcase. The judges essentially agree and Simon gets back in his comfort zone with an insult about the ending, which wasn't that bad, and was somewhat creative.

Chikezie - The song is totally unfamiliar to me, but it seems to offer a good showcase, and his voice and style are quite exciting. Number two for the night, so far, for me. The judges love it, too. Oooooh! He really lands one on Simon wearing the same clothes!

David Cook - He pretty much owns the stage with this performance. I could easily believe I was looking at the winner of AI. Randy believed him, too. Paula loved it. Simon cites a lack of charisma, and I can't disagree that the crossword-working "word nerd" segment didn't lend him any, but I'd rather he be honest than manipulative in letting us get to know him.

David Archuleta - Chills right from the start! I love this guy! He owns the song and does it better than the original. Beautiful and powerful. Definitely #1 for me, and the one to beat. The judges completely agree.


Top Dogs: David Archuleta, David Hernandez

In the Doghouse: Michael Johns, and one of the Jasons

I had no picks for the guys, but bye bye, Garret Haley.

I called Amy Davis, whose parting song was painful to experience.

I didn't realize we were losing two of each tonight, so let's see what's next.

Wow! Paula Abdul's track on Randy's album is hott! Props to the judge that walks the walk!
True, it's not a live performance, but it's very good!

Well, it's between Joanne and Amanda. I thought Amanda might last longer than this. Joanne's voice wasn't big enough for the song last night, but I thought she had decent control, and might grow into it or pick better songs, but she is more forgettable than Amanda, so it's hard to guess.

It's Joanne, so I guess Amanda's appeal to viewers outweighed other factors.

Ha! It seems Simon has been forced to replace his coffee mug with a Coke cup - and sarcastically pointed it out. LOL!

Chikezie wins out over Colton. Simon has to try to bury his dreams along with his hopes for this competition. His parting performance isn't really that bad. Well, I guess both Simon and Colton will be true to themselves.

And so it goes...

Thumbs Sideways for Me

Borrowing a line from my 5-year-old I am able to sum up my feelings on these early weeks. I usually prefer male vocalists in general so the Top 12/10/8 Girls is not my favorite. With that said, there were some bright spots and even some positive awards to hand out. First, my random thoughts . . .

Wardrobe must love Simon. Did he actually sleep in his clothes last night? Oh wait, it was a v-neck last night. These guys from last night are pretty duddy in general. They hardly get into the girls' performances. I remember in past seasons the constestants seemed to actually enjoy the others. This has been a rotten cold and flu season. I understand what the judges are saying about being sick is no excuse, but at this stage of the game do we really want to see legitimate "I can stand to watch you for 14 more weeks" talent go by the wayside because someone's on day one of a Z-Pak? C'mon. I'm glad Randy the mathemetician showed up because thanks to the professor we now realize that 360 degrees is not only a complete circle (meaning, we get back to where we started), but it is also a turnaround that is twice as powerful as the 180. Also, the professor astutely noted that 3 boys and 3 or 4 girls is not the exact same number. Next week, grammar. And did Paula actually say "dope"? School must have been in session because we even learned a thing or two about foreign culture--washing-up liquid.

MILLION-DOLLAR SMILE/TWO-BIT PERFORMANCE AWARD: Amy Davis

SUDAFED-INDUCED ZOMBIE AWARD: Kristy Lee Cook

DIDN'T WE HEAR THIS CHEESE LAST NIGHT AWARD: Alaina "Buy Me Some New Shoes" Whitaker (Although, it was better than last night's serving)

LATOYA LONDON SPIRIT AWARD: Syesha Mercado

STOP SCREAMING AT ME AWARD: Amanda Overmyer

HOW DID WE NOT HEAR MORE ABOUT YOU BEFORE NOW AWARD: Alexandrea Lushington

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE HOLDING HANDS AWARD: Brooke White

HOW ARE YOU SO BORING AWARD: Kady Malloy

WHY DO YOU KEEP SAYING "PLUS-SIZED" AWARD: Joanne Borgella

IF YOU START PACKING NOW IT WILL SAVE TIME NEXT WEEK AWARD: Kristy Lee Cook

GOOD THINGS IN TINY PACKAGES AWARD: Ramiele Malubay

BAD NEWS FOR THE OTHERS WHEN I'M HEALTHY AWARD: Carly Smithson

MY TOP THREE: Carly Smithson, Ramiele Malubay, Asia'h Epperson
WHO'S GOING HOME: Joanne Borgella, Amy Davis
ON DECK FOR NEXT WEEK: Kady Malloy

Since I'm watching today with my 5-year-old and 7-year-old I'll give the recap in terms of thumbs:

Kristy Lee Cook: two thumbs up
Joanne Borgella: one thumb sideways, one thumb up
Alaina Whitaker: two thumbs up
Amanda Overmyer: one thumb up, one thumb down
Amy Davis: one thumb sideways, one thumb sideways
Brooke White: two thumbs up
Alexandrea Lushington: two thumbs up
Kady Malloy: two thumbs sideways
Asia'h Epperson: one thumb up, one thumb down
Ramiele Malubay: two thumbs up
Syesha Mercado: one thumb up, one thumb sideways
Carly Smithson: one thumb up, one thumb sideways

Most of my son's thumb ratings were based on whether or not each song was rock and roll. My daughter likes "happy music."

Please, no themes next week. (I'm not holding my breath.)

Top 12 Girls!

Kristy Lee Cook - Likable, and competent, and an animal lover. What's not to like? Good but not great. I'm glad Paula brought out the fact that she has bronchitis. Simon is still colored black. Maybe he's just committed to equal opportunity slamming of the girls as well as the guys.

Joanne Borgella - Her voice was well controlled, but wasn't big enough to wrap around this song.

Alaina Whitaker - Hard to believe she's only seventeen, the way she's decked out tonight. The first part feels a bit too slow, and pitchy, but she certainly brings it when it goes to high gear. Her precision and power definitely bring on some chills, but I'm not sure if she can handle slow tunes adequately to make it to the top. Best yet tonight, though, and I can easily see another Jordin Sparks in her.

Amanda Overmyer - If she does Joplin (Janis, not Scott), I'll be disappointed but not surprised. She's got talent, but a voice which is only good for a narrow range of songs, so I'm actually surprised she got this far, but maybe she'll surprise me. Oh good - no Joplin. Her performance is good, but the song doesn't really offer a good showcase for vocal skillz. She passes muster with the judges, but so far is not singing the kind of music I personally like, and I think her style will only appeal to a smaller proportion of fans. She'll stay around for awhile, but eventually be surpassed by contestants with a broader appeal, like Alaina. So says I.

Amy Davis - Badly pitchy. Randy agrees. Paula deflects, but agrees. Simon drives the stake into her chest.

Brooke White - I love this girl's smile and eyes, so I'll try my best to be objective and not be hypnotized. Slightly shaky start. Another well controlled voice but, as with Joanne, not quite big enough to wrap around the song. If Simon's "niceness" equates to lacking the slightly angry edge it might take to give her the power to really "slay" this song, as Randy called it, then Simon might just have a point.

---
Now my stomach is growling and I'm ticked off at my muse for sucking me into this instead of cooking. : (

Now I realize why I had pizza so often on AI nights.
---

Alexandrea Lushinton - I completely agreed with Simon (what?) on this one. She had good presence and moves, but I didn't think the vocal artifacts she threw in worked. I don't agree with Randy and Paula that she nailed it, and it was kind of cabaret for me, as Simon said. Still, she's got a very appealing personality and good looks, so those may carry her further than I'm inclined to think she rates, or she may grow into it.

Kady Malloy - I really wanted her to nail this, but she was unhappily pitchy in spots. Randy says it well. It was constrained, and she never really kicked it into gear.

Asia'h Epperson - She DID have a big enough voice for this Joplin joint, and gave it her own twists. Very enjoyable. Even Simon agreed. Kudos!

Ramielle Malubay - Another song requiring a big voice. She handles it well in low gear and keeps it together when she kicks it up. I think she could have taken it up yet another notch, but it was good the way it was. Randy says precisely the same thing. I may agree with Simon's "best of the night," so far.

Syesha Mercado - I'm looking forward to hearing this girl sing without any hoarseness going on. Her song choice is unusual (Tobacco Road), but she handles it very well. She's definitely a contender.

Carly Smithson - I'd hate to be last tonight. Good luck, Carly. Ohmigod. She picks one of my favorite songs of all time, The Shadow of Your Smile, and sings it like my soul knows it - major chills. One or two tiny pitch problems, but very, very well done, overall. Randy totally agrees, as does Paula. Simon's on his own on this one.

Favorites: Carly, Syesha, Ramielle, Asia'h, and Alaina, in no particular order.

Going home: Amy

Season 7 - Top 12 guys

I watched all the auditions and checked in here several times. When I didn't see y'all bloggin', I wondered if you were skipping the whole deal this year. I also got quite comfortable being able to cook while watching, without having to worry about blogging live, which is how I preferred to do it.

So I'm gonna minimize my reviews this year and not concern myself with predictions until the field is a bit narrower. G'head, call me lazy... ; )

I pretty much tend to agree with what you guys have said, anyway, both historically and now, and you both say it so much more colorfully.

---

As for the show, David Archuleta is, of course, wonderful, though I was actually surprised that Simon quit his mood and said he liked him. The other favorites y'all picked were admirable, as well, for the reasons mentioned, but nobody really blew me away, and I'm already thinking it'll be like last year, where the girls blow all the guys out of the water.

Sadly, the most memorable part of the show was Simon hassling Paula about her language and ranting about how there were no performances worthy of a recording artist. His color was definitely black.

But I'll watch faithfully, of course, and see if and when the muses move me to resume blogging while I'm watching - like tonight, maybe... ; )

Season 7 - Top 12 Guys!

What a night! What variety! What vocals! What is with theme nights already? And what is with so many guys that look like girls!? Where was the Irish chick? She wasn't in the audience. I hope she's not sick. I like her!

Here's a brief run down. Expect more detail when we get down to our overall Top 12.

I'm rewatching it with the kids and my opinions are pretty much the same (M and I are agreeing like crazy on our thumbs up and thumbs down ratings).

David Hernandez - In the Midnight Hour
I liked it. I'm not blown away, but I like it.

Jacuzzi - I Love You More Today Than Yesterday
If he's going to lose his cool last name, then he may as well be a hot tub. Yikes. The suit, the vocals, yikes. I thought I could get past all of that. Until he wouldn't shut up ingratiating himself to the judges. Too soon and not good enough for that. Moving on.

David Cook - So Happy Together
Not sure why he has a plastic bag sticking out of his back pocket, but I really like this guy. I think he's more rocker than the one who thinks he's a rocker. He reminds me a bit of Constantine.

Jason Yeager - Moon River
A little Donny Osmond for me for him (hey, if Randy can do it, so can I). I like his voice and I'd like to see more of his colors. I love the song but don't think it was a smart choice.

Robbie Carrico - One
Awesome. Loved it. I like him. I'm, too, not convinced that he's a rocker. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned touring with Britney? I do love this song--he did a great job making it contemporary.

David Archuleta - You Better Shop Around
Omigosh, he's SO CUTE!! I can't stop smiling when I watch him--he's freaking ADORABLE! And he's so GOOD! I could gush and gush about this kid. I love him--he's awesome!

Danny Noriega - Jailhouse Rock
I was a bit surprised at how much I liked it. I liked it (and him) more than I thought I would. He seems like someone who might really annoy or bother me with his personality, but I liked it. And I liked his snappy comeback to Simon. It works on him.

Luke Menard - Everybody's Talkin' At Me
What a cute boy. Luke Perry is back, y'all. I LOVE his voice. I hope he gets more opportunity to sing to us. It's a good song and I like his falsetto, but it really was a bit forgettable. I like how Paula says he's Kenny Loggins-like. That's it exactly. And that's not a bad thing. He's got a nice, gentle sound, if a bit off at first. Pretty pitchy. Not great, but not horrible.

Colton Berry - Suspicious Minds
I love his voice and he wasn't as theatrical as I'd expected based on interviews and such. I really, really like him. I want to see more of him. Nice job, fun personality. Reminds me of Federov. I like him.

Garret Haley - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Michael Bolton? What the . . . ? He looks like my cousin. Melinda. He seems a bit sedated but he's got a nice voice. A bit too mousy for this, methinks. Anyone could've predicted Simon's dislike. You can tell it's coming when he rolls his eyes, picks at his hair, and looks annoyed and bored. Tell tale signs. Like when Randy starts with a question--not usually a good thing. Hmmm, I wish Kyle was in the competition.

Jason Castro - What a Day for the Daydream
What a pleasant surprise! He's a little deer-in-the-headlights and weird to look at for me for him for some reason. But I REALLY like his voice! I really like his voice a lot! I hope to see more of him. I think we will. I love this song and his style. Very hip. Very James Blunt. Very contemporary.

Michael Johns - Light My Fire
Great song. Love it. Love him. For his voice and because he says, "G'day Mate." What a doll--he looks like a cross between Colin Firth and Mark Ruffalo--yum. Amazing performance. Clearly seasoned. I'd like to know more about what he's been doing for the past 10 years, because he is REALLY good and looks extremely comfortable up there.

My Top 3:

David Archuleta
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico

Going Home:

Anyone but those 3

Best Talent Ever!

Well, I actually think they say that every year as part of their usual hyperbole, but it was a pretty good night. Last season I spent way too much time analyzing the Top 24, and half of them are gone in the first few weeks, so this season I'll be saving my detailed analysis for the actual Top 12. First, my random thoughts . . .

Where can I get one of those spare tire coffee tables? Oh wait! I'll just add some plexiglass to the old tire I have in my trunk. Seriously, where do they get this stuff? Do we really need themes right now? If using up the 1960s this time means we're going to have to have One-Hit Wonder week in the future then I say let them go back to choosing whatever they want for now. I think making them choose from every song known to man actually really weeds out people that will make poor choices down the road. Did anyone else catch Simon drinking from his coffee cup instead of those enormous Coke glasses (thank you to my wife for catching that one)? I'm wondering if they pick a couple of people knowing they have no hope of progressing beyond Week 1. Simon seemed particularly ornery this week. He's probably still steaming at Kyle being left out. I wonder which of this bunch he'd rather have seen leave. Randy must not like these girls that much because he didn't refer to them as the Ladies Dog Pound. Also, at one point there were 11 of the girls in the crowd, and then at the end I think there were only 10. Wonder what that means. I didn't know they could keep using instruments now, but I'm glad Jason did. Nice touch. I know exactly what Simon is saying about Robbie Carrico. He may be a rocker at heart, but he doesn't fit in with rockers we've seen up until now. It doesn't mean he's not a rocker, just that he's a peculiar one.

This week I'm handing out awards, but unlike your Junior High School Talent Show, not everyone will necessarily get an award. Don't worry, you'll (probably) have your chance.

YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO GET COCKY YET AWARD: Chikezie

SURPRISE IN A GOOD WAY AWARD: Jason Castro

HE CAN SING BUT HE STILL ANNOYS ME AWARD: David Hernandez

NOT AS BAD AS I EXPECTED AWARD: Danny Noriega

YOU'RE SO GOOD I HOPE THEY EVENTUALLY STOP MENTIONING YOUR AGE AWARD (A.K.A. KEVIN COVAIS WISHES HE WERE ME AWARD): David Archuleta

SURPRISE IN AN UNDERWEAR FOR CHRISTMAS KIND OF WAY AWARD: Chikezie (Ruben Lite is now 100% Ruben Free)

HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE JOURNEY AWARD: (Tie) Jason Yeager and Garrett Haley

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT SONG AWARD: Luke Menard

KEANU REEVES (OR PERHAPS JACK BLACK) LOOK-ALIKE AWARD: David Cook

ARE YOU SURE YOU HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE AWARD: Michael Johns

MY TOP THREE: Michael Johns, David Archuleta, Jason Castro
WHO'S GOING HOME (NOT NECESSARILY MY BOTTOM TWO): Jason Yeager and Garrett Haley
BE GLAD ONLY TWO LEAVE THIS WEEK: Luke Menard

On to the girls!

The Top 24 are here!

The Top 24 are finally here, and now it's time to post. I couldn't bring myself to care too much about the auditions since historically it has been a waste of time to get invested at all, but in a strange twist this year, we actually got to see a lot of good auditions, and even learned at least a little bit about most of the Top 24. This bodes well for more people this year. No more "I didn't get enough exposure so there is no way people are going to vote for me over the less talented hack that got a lot of air time because (he's cute, she and her father don't get along, I sold my ring to get here, my baby was born in line while I waited to audition, I sing in the Air Force/Army/Navy/Marine/Coast Guard/etc. band, Simon called me a muskrat, fill in other excuse here)."

On to my one liners on this year's Top 24 so far. I reserve the right to change my opinion soon and frequently until we really get to see more of them.

Alaina Whitaker--I don't remember you, so good luck.

Alexadrea Lushington--You are the runner up in the "Unexpected Extra Punctuation in Your Name" award.

Amanda Overmyer--This one could get old really fast.

Amy Jean Davis--She seemed quirky enough to be interesting for a while.

Asia'h Epperson--She wins the aforementioned "Unexpected Extra Punctuation in Your Name" award, and seems like a lock for Top 12 status.

Brooke White--She is talented and unique enough to make it a ways, but we need a stylist, STAT!

Carly Smithson--Definitely a front-runner at this point--can you say "Irish (American) Idol."

Chikezie Eze--He dropped off the map after his initial audition, but I'm glad to see Studdard Lite on the menu.

Colton David Berry--I'm not sure about the three name bit (a la Jon Peter Lewis), and I wonder if he'll recover from that whole Kyle deserves to be here fiasco.

Danny Norriega--I have nothing against effeminate guys, but honestly, this guy could be in the Top 12 Girls and we wouldn't bat an eye; this one is already old for me.

David Archuleta--If I were going out on a limb here, I'd say this guy could legitimately challenge for top 3 or 4 overall.

David Cook--His picture on the AI website is a little scary, but he has the stuff to hang around for a while.

David Hernandez--This guy can sing, but I don't know if he's got "Top 6 Guys" written all over him.

Garrett Haley--The Michael Bolton lookalike act won't help him, as well as the essentially absent coverage so far.

Jason Castro--We found the lead for that upcoming Milli Vanilli retrospective, but not a Top 12'er.

Jason Yeager--Who are you again?

Joanne Borgella--She is talented and refreshing, but I don't really need another Mandisa this year.

Kady Malloy--She has a great name for a pop star, but I don't remember her at all.

Kristy Lee Cook--If she can pull off something other than "Amazing Grace" she could be a competitive contestant.

Luke Menard--This guy looks like a boy bander, and he's another the producers have not spent much time plugging.

Michael Johns--The rest of the contestants are probably wishing this early potential Top 3'er had tried out for Australian Idol.

Ramiele Malubay--Is this girl the Philippines answer to Paula Abdul?

Robbie Carrico--A little Bo, a little Bucky, a little tight to make the Top 6 Guys.

Syesha Mercado--This girl has it all, and should make it to the final half or better.

So, my early Top 12 predictions based on virtually nothing but guesswork at this point are:

David Archuleta
David Cook
Michael Johns
Robbie Carrico
Chikezie Eze
Danny Norriega (think, Sanjaya)

Asia'h Epperson
Brooke White
Carly Smithson
Kristy Lee Cook
Ramiele Malubay
Joanne Borgella

And if I were a betting man, I'd put money on Michael Johns at this point, but as they say in the sporting world, "That's why they play the game."

Counting down to next Tuesday . . .

Season SEVEN!

Is that right? It's Season 7, right? I must say that I used to not like audition weeks, but they've redeemed themselves this year with more GOOD auditions and less horrible ones. And I LOVE what they're doing with Hollywood this year!! Tonight is the Walk of Shame!! HURRAH! We get our top 24!! Anyone have any early favorites? I'm digging the cute 16 year old boy who can "sang!"

Elliott Yamin's Christmas Album!!

Read more here, including list of songs:

Elliott's Christmas Album

I just had to post this so I could get an image on my profile - thanks! :)

I Heart Fantasia

She remains my favorite Idol Winner to date. Hands down.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/21/theater.fantasia.ap/index.html

American Idol MOVIE

From the great IMDB.com:

Cowell Writing 'American Idol' Movie

Music mogul Simon Cowell is bringing TV show American Idol to the big screen, promising the upcoming movie will be "very, very realistic" like 1976 Oscar winner Rocky. Like American Idol itself, Cowell plans to cast the lead roles in the film - called Star Struck - through open auditions across the U.S. He tells American news show Extra, "It is called Starstruck. We're writing the script as we talk. It is about 10 contestants who enter a gigantic singing contest. It's like Rocky. It's about good versus evil, and it will be very, very realistic. I'm going to cast the lead parts through an open audition process across America. So if you get through the auditions, and you get a part in this movie, it's a huge, huge deal."

Finale! The New American Idol: Jordin Sparks!

I wrote my headline before the show started: Finale! The New American Idol: Jordin Sparks! If I have to change it, I'll be very surprised, but not unhappy at all.

Now on to a star-studded show!

The judges all look spiffy, and Simon Cleavage is clinging to his fashion statement.

The 'I'll Never Dance With Another' duet is a collaborative challenge for Jordin and Blake, but they carry it off.

Gwen Stefani's performance is wonderful, of course.

Kelly Clarkson was 'shouting' a little...LOL!...but showed them how it's done.

The Golden Idols?! Is this new? Ah - just another version of "those who sucked". What a farce! But it was pretty funny when Margaret 'Big Bird' Fowler smothered Ryan with a full-body pressed kiss.

The Top 6 Guys performed some great harmony! Smokey Robinson joining them was a lovely treat! Now that's some good production! Excellent!

Blake's beatboxing duet with Doug E Fresh was just hott, but his mic could have used some more volume. Still, he clearly has a huge future.

The Top 6 Girls and Gladys Knight production wasn't quite as hott as the guys, but they made it work!

Tony Bennett's performance was surprisingly powerful! Incredible how much passion he can still muster at his age.

They had to replay the whole 'monkey boy' fiasco? Gag me with a backhoe. I guess they think that giving them an award will somehow make up for it. It was, however, very nice to see that the guy was able to evolve to the point of being able to forgive and thank Simon for making him famous.

Melinda and company was awesome. I'll say again that a finale between Jordin and Melinda would have been the contest to hear.

Carrie Underwood was stunning, singing 'I'll Stand By You'. What a treasure AI bestowed on the world in discovering her. Her energy is a pure blessing to all who hear her.

Clive Davis' review of the AI achievements to date was pretty impressive, and Carrie Underwood's sales of 6 million albums, along with her other awards, is truly a testament to AI.

The African Children's Choir was a breath of pure joy.

The tribute to Sanjaya would have been almost funny if he hadn't done such a good job hanging with Joe Perry of Aerosmith. He performed smartly, as usual. Of course the girl who cries hysterically was featured prominently in the audience.

John Lennon's 'Working Class Hero' was surprisingly potent and relevant to our times, and very well done.

Taylor Hicks brought the house down with his bad self, and I loved the harmonica!

Ruben Studdard and Jordin Sparks' duet was wonderful!

Overall, this has been one heckuva finale show! Can it get any better!?

Yes! Bette Midler, one of my very favorite stars, sings 'Wind Beneath My Wings'. She seems a little off tonight. I think she may act better than she sings at this point of her life, but I love this woman's spirit!

The 'Seargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' tribute was a hoot. Taylor Hicks singing 'I Read The News Today' was trippy. Carrie Underwood was more than competent, as usual. Ruben Studdard had fun with 'Lucy In The Sky'. The Top 12 definitely 'Get By With A Little Help' from their friends.

The big moment has to be next, with 2 minutes left in the show...and that's before the commercials. My computer registers 9pm halfway through the commercials. I guess Fox News will have to wait...

74 million votes don't lie. Randy names Jordin, Paula waffles, Simon gives it to Jordin. Jordin's facial expressions and body language say she already knows. And sure enough...but then the awesomeness of it starts to sink in, and she starts to fall apart. Can she pull it together enough to sing the schlocky contest winning song? Yeah, she gets it together by the bridge and owns it!

But then she almost loses it again...that's gotta be rough! Talk about a moment of emotional honesty!

Hail Jordin! Long live the Idol!

FINALE!!!!

I was prepared to watch the performances tonight, then say how they were both awesome, both great, both deserving to win. They'll both have great careers no matter what. I believe all that is true. HOWEVER, after watching the show, I came away strongly rooting for JORDIN. She is an incredible singer!!! BLAKE is a great performer (Simon's comments were *spot on*... :) ), but in this type of show, JORDIN wins, hands down.

The single was cheesy as in years past, which I was surprised at. I thought with the viewers contributing the songs, we'd see something a lot better. But alas, it was the same ol', same ol'. It was totally *not* BLAKE'S type of music, but it shows JORDIN'S versatility. Blake needs to perform to be great, but Jordin's voice is enough in and of itself. I think Blake will be popular in his niche, while Jordin has a wider appeal.

What a great season!!!!

The Blake and Jordin Show

So, bigger stage, bigger audience, bigger advertising budget--this is the American Idol finale!

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Whoever wins, I'm fine with that. They both deserve to be in the finals and both came off well tonight. Why was Simon the only one dressed for the Big Show? Paula gets a free pass since she had the canine incident. Randy does not, even if he is sporting something straight from the "I played with Journey for a short time in the 70s" collection. "This is My Now" is not the song I chose, and I listened to all 20 entries (and cried since mine wasn't there). America complained about A.I. finale songs and then promptly selected a song just like the others. Kudos to the writers for giving the people what they (secretly) wanted. Why do the sound guys have such a hard time moving from the CBS Theater (didn't realize Fox filmed anything there) to the Kodak Theater? Here's my quick fix: turn up the background mics. Turn up the singers' mics more. Seems simple, right? I don't think either finalist was at his or her best tonight, but it was still a great show. In fact, one of the more truly entertaining finals so far. Plus, Constantine was there giving his nods of approval. What's not to like?!

BLAKE LEWIS ("You Give Love a Bad Name," "She Will Be Loved," "This is My Now"): Blake's appearance in the finale hearkens back to the Bo/Carrie finale. Blake's style is just not conducive to this type of show. Remember Bo singing "I Wanna Be Inside Your Heaven?" Not great. Blake's first choice was obvious, and definitely a crowd-pleaser. He gave a great performance with serviceable vocals. We all know Blake's not the best singer, but he's pretty darn good. And his second choice, while maybe not "exciting" like the typical finale fare, was the perfect type of song for his style. He has that alternative/current flair and picked the right song for him. Which brings me to the final selection for the night . . . There is no way Blake could pull off this song. Wrong style. Wrong lyrics. Wrong everything for Blake. Now, there were half a dozen other songs among the 20 finalists that would have been much better for Blake, and quite frankly, a refreshing change from the usual A.I. nonsense. Most of the finale songs get released, overplayed after the finale hype, and then disappear into relative obscurity where they belong. This one will, too, no matter who wins. Anyway, at least Simon gave Blake a bit of credit and directed the audience to not shoot the messenger on this song. And Blake kindly held his tongue, even though he was thinking, "I wrote 15 songs on my computer that kick 'This is My Now's' a--!"

JORDIN SPARKS ("Fighter," "Broken Wing," "This is My Now"): Jordin can sing. I'm not sure if anyone mentioned that little tidbit tonight, so I'm saying it now. She made good song choices and did a great job. I did think her voice was a bit off for her tonight, and it sounded like the weeks of strain caught up with her, but nothing to get too uptight about. Choosing a Christina song was a blessing and a curse. It was young and hip, and she was up to the challenge overall, but I thought the song got away from her somewhere in the middle, almost like, "Oh crap! I chose a Christina Aguillera song!" Her second selection was great. I'm not ready to declare it "better than the original" like Randy did, but she did a great job. As far as her final selection, her voice was definitely better-suited to the song than Blake's. That's just the luck of the draw. She was off a bit, probably tired and emotionally drained, but let's just say that she did everything she could to win this competition. Hats off to Jordin.

In the end, both Jordin and Blake did a great job tonight, representing their respective genres perfectly. Ultimately fans will do what they always do: vote for their favorites. Really, one of the finalists would have had to fall over mid-song, and then scream racial epithets while gyrating and making lewd gestures to even make a dent in their voting blocks, and unless I missed that part tonight I wouldn't worry. Granted, I did step out right after the wrap-up and just before Daughtry. The Chinese place was closing in 10 minutes and I still needed cash to pick up our won-ton soup!

This was probably the most balanced and entertaining finale since Clay/Ruben and I'm glad two nice and genuine people made it to the end. I'm pretty sure Jordin will win tonight as she seems to appeal to a broader audience, but surprises do happen. Tomorrow should be a good one, as long as I don't have to see too much Phil.

Final 2

Oh my goodness! They haven't had this good of a finale since Ruben and Clay, in my opinion. Possibly Bo-Carrie, but with a TON more likeability. They are both SO GOOD!!

Let me rate them, not against each other, but just on how well it was sung/performed. 1-10, 1 being abysmal and 10 being phenomenal.

First song:

Blake - Bon Jovi song- 9
Jordin - Christina song - 8

They're both SO GOOD!! I'm so glad he chose that one as his favorite. They always say you shouldn't do Christina, but she rocked.

Second song:

Blake - Maroon 5's She Will Be Loved - 9
Jordin - With A Broken Wing - 8

I'm so glad she chose that as her favorite (it's mine, too, of hers) and omigosh ANYTHING Maroon 5 on Blake totally works. Love them both!

Third song (finale song):

Blake - 7
Jordin - 8

Ugh, that song doesn't fit Blake, but he still did well and the guy has a lot of class to not get negative about it, especially after 2 guys just got congratulated for writing the song. And big kudos to Blake for letting Jordin choose after the coin toss, too. Jordin is phenomenal, there's no question, but she was actually off quite a bit in that song! I do think she's amazing and totally deserves the win, though it's anyone's ball game and they're both CLEARLY successful and rightly so. It's really a matter of taste on this one. I like them both. :) The band was loud, the judges were fine tonight. Great finale!

Chris Daughtry (who I like) was off tonight, too. What's the deal?!

I love seeing the finalists all excited about the big stage and audience. THEY ARE SO CUTE!! Woohoo! I *think* Jordin's going to win, but I really don't know. This is a FUN finale!! It's about time!

Top 2! And The Winning Contest Song!

Ryan has fun calling Simon "Simon Cleavage", given his open shirt. Simon has fun pointing at Paula's recently-broken nose.

I get chills just seeing images of Jordin, and take that to mean she'll be winning the whole shebang, and it's already in her aura. There, I said it.

Blake gets to choose first or second and bows to Jordin's preference to go second.

Round 1

Blake Lewis - 'Shot Through The Heart' - the Bon Jovi song that brought the house down earlier. A masterful performance, as he holds nothing back from the power of his unique beatboxing style. The crowd loves it, and won't shut up long enough for Randy to give the criticism of his singing which is certain follow the, "Yo, check it out, dog." Paula gushes. Simon also noted the singing wasn't the best, but praised the performance.

Jordin Sparks - Christina Aguilera's 'Fighter' - Has she done this one before? She seems to be trying to appeal to the age group which got her where she is. She does it very well, but it wasn't the best song for her, in my opinion. Simon calls the vocals "shrieky in the middle", and this is part of what I'm talking about.

It's very hard for me to call a winner of the first round, and the judges have difficulty too. Simon gives it to Blake. Paula calls it a tie. Randy gives it to Blake for performance and to Jordin for singing.


Round 2

Blake Lewis - 'She Will Be Loved' - A new one for Blake. His pitch is seriously off in spots, but his fans seem willing to ignore it. His falsetto is a bit weak, as well. Not a good performance, for me, and the applause afterwards seems a bit timid, as well. Neither Randy or Paula heard what I heard. Simon at least agrees that it wasn't a good song to impact the audience.

Jordin Sparks - Martina McBride's 'A Broken Wing' - This is the Jordin I love. She owns the song, the stage, the audience and the show. It was recordable as is. Randy gives it "better than the original". Simon loved it too.

Jordin is the clear winner of this round, for me. There was no comparison between the two performances. Jordin simply outshone Blake.


Round 3

Blake Lewis - 'This Is My Now' - The contest winner. I remember auditioning it on the website and rating it fairly well as having apt lyrics for an AI finale song, but downgrading it for its repetitive lyrics and limited range and dynamics. Randy and Simon are willing to let him slide, since it wasn't his choice of songs, and it didn't suit him. It really was just a tolerable performance, and there really were better songs submitted.

Jordin Sparks - 'This Is My Now' - Jordin owns it right from the beginning and gives me massive chills. She overpowers the song's limitations and turns it into an AI classic. Awesome! She just won the show, for sure. She sings rings around Blake's weak effort. She clearly believes the song, her voice cracking at the end as she verges on tears, knowing that this is her now. Simon even apologizes to her for his lack of faith last weak and says she wiped the floor with Blake. The audience doesn't significantly object to any of this.

No question in my mind that Jordin is our next Idol.

See you tomorrow!

...John

Top 3 Minus 1

This should be interesting! I'll reiterate my relative certainty that the Finale will be between Melinda and Jordin, but anything is possible tonight, and all three of them are sure to find great success in their futures.

Jordin is first under the ominous music, so it seems very likely she is safe. No. They're just messing with our minds, yet again. Ryan's stern looks to Simon following his repetition of Simon's criticisms of Jordan's performances last night was priceless.

They pull the same stunt with Blake, and, yes, you're that predictable.

Ohhh...I can't imagine the excitement in Bo's house...here comes Elliot Yamin! Wonderful job! They submit him to the judges' reviews, and, of course Simon has to kid about not liking it. And Elliot's off-handed endorsement of Porsches is priceless.

The segments with the contestants' visits home are pretty interesting and heartwarming.

Melinda faces the 'music' last, but we're no closer to any decision.

Having Maroon 5 perform seems like a subtle nod in recognition of Blake's style, since he covered them last night. Very good performance.

And the results. Again, Jordin is named first, and is a finalist. No surprise here. Melinda is called next, and is going home. Simon looks clearly disappointed. I admit being a little surprised, but I can acknowledge that Blake appeals to an age group that is more at the heart of AI listeners, while Melinda appeals to an older, less populous segment of listeners who appreciate her consistency more than Blake's talent for the modern and experimental (yes, like me). LOL!

I'm nonetheless conviced that Jordin's talent and age will appeal to a broader segment of the youthful listeners, as well as the older crowd that loved Melinda, so I think she'll win by a landslide, barring something spectacularly positive or negative next week.

See you next week!

...John

FINAL 3!!!

The night of 3's, huh??

Round 1: Judge's Choice

JORDIN - (Simon's choice) She did well with it, but I didn't really like the song. It was...*old-fashioned*?? But she's Jordin and she's great!!!

BLAKE - (Paula's choice) Great choice for Blake! Very good, I liked it!

MELINDA - (Randy's choice) I thought the judges hate it when the contestants try to sing the greats?? Well this was *right on* - WAY TO GO Melinda!

DING DING: Round 1 goes to Melinda, followed by Blake and then Jordin.

Round 2: Producer's Choice

JORDIN - Another *old* song. I hope she picks something newer/younger! She does really well though.

BLAKE - Another good Blake choice! He's lucking out with his picks. Very well done!

MELINDA - This was a strange choice, but really good in that it showed she has wonderful versatility! Excellent job!!!

DING DING: Round 2 goes to Melinda, with Jordin and Blake tied for second!

Round 3: Contestant's Choice

JORDIN - Stellar!!!! WOW - that was awesome! It's another old song, but it felt new and current. WONDERFUL!!!

BLAKE - I loved his hometown visit with Sir Mix-A-Lot! They were good together! Really really good Blake! It's totally his style.

MELINDA - Another tough song, and she excelled at it! I'm glad she's not playing it safe - she's showing how talented she is!!! GREAT JOB!

DING DING: Round 3 goes to Jordin/Melinda, with Blake second.

Final Count: Too close to call! This is really tough. Any of the 3 could win it, and all of them will do really well I think, no matter how it ends up. It'll all come down to how many times people vote.

Top 3

Well, Blake didn't get a shout out from the judges for a place in the finale, but I think the judges best be prepared. It could be ANY 2 of those 3. And quite frankly, it very well COULD be a Jordin-Blake finale, given that Melinda, while fantastic, is old fashioned and both Blake and Jordin and hip, contemporary, and great in their own rights. It's tough to call, in my opinion. Really.

We've got about a million things to do, so here's a short recap:

Jordin:
Wishing on a Star - very good
She Works Hard for her Money - I realllllllllly dislike that song, blech. But good job.
I Who Have Nothing - Fantastic! Just like the first time she sang it!

Blake:
Roxanne - Hot! Very good! Love his tone and his voice!
This Love - PERFECT! Bloggers everywhere have been begging for him to sing that song.
Robin Thicke song (isn't that the dad from growing pains?) - BRILLIANT! Love the beatboxing. Love the performance. Love Blake.

Melinda:
I Believe in Me and You - Randy gets to name drop. Great job.
Tina Turner something - Very Tina Turner-ish. Great performance!
W.O.M.A.N. - Smart to remind us of when we were all wowed by her in the Top 24.

So, who will it be? Tough call. They're all great in their own ways. Melinda is flawless. Jordin is YEARS ahead of her age--phenomenal really! And Blake is SO unique and contemporary and has such great tone to his voice (and likely has all of Chris Richardson's votes). :P

Truth be told, except that people follow Simon like sheep, I think it could be a Jordin-Blake finale. (Shrug.) They're all good. Weird season, but great top 3. It oughta be interesting.

Drunk and Loving It!

I think the whole crew on A.I. must have shared the same preshow drink because they were all on one. All in all, it was a great show.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Three songs, three judges, three numbers, three reasons to be totally confused. I wonder how many people will cast votes for the wrong contestant. So Paula's feeling good tonight. Randy has picked "this week" to see who's "in it to win it" for about 4 or 5 weeks now. So is tonight really when he's looking for that, or is it next week instead? I'm not sure. Paula has a knack for picking songs that fit the contestant but come off as boring on stage. Go back a few seasons and you'll see what I mean. Clive Davis is out this year to be replaced by "the producers." After all the corny gags this year I half expected Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick to come out from backstage! How many people are surprised Randy found a way to drop a name in a fax? That's what I thought. Oh, and it was nice of Randy Johnson to take time out of his busy pitching schedule with the Diamondbacks to pick a song for Melinda. The backup singers were off tonight in general. Either they were out of tune, or the harmonies arranged for them were off. They've hired Bo Bice as a Mic Stand Choreography Consultant, but don't blame him for Blake's mic malfunction.

JORDIN SPARKS (Wishing, Working Hard, Having Nothing): Jordin started out well, fell off in the middle, and brought it at the end. I think Simon consistently picks the best songs for the contestants which I guess speaks to his ability as an A&R guy. Apparently he's pretty good. Why the producers picked the worst Donna Summer song possible for Jordin is beyond me. And I'm not surprised she picked a great song to close, even if it is a bit old for her. In fact, all of her songs tonight were on the old side. Oh well, she did a great job. And, she got a star at the Arrowhead Mall. Too bad we still don't live there to check it out. (That was sarcasm again, in case you missed it.)

BLAKE LEWIS (Roxanne, This Love, Beethoven's Fifth): This was a great night for Blake as he nailed all of the songs handed to him. I thought his style came through on all three songs and that he didn't overdo anything. Kudos to him for not coming off as a direct copycat of Sting on the first one. Reference my above comments re: Paula's ability to select showcase songs. I'm glad to see Simon finally give Blake his due for the risks he takes and the contemporary feel he brings to the show. Great night for Blake.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE (Something Randy worked on, Nutbush--are you kidding me?!--County Line, I Am Woman--Hear Me Roar!): Randy always picks tough songs for the contestants, and that usually blows up in their faces, but Melinda was up to the task. Randy almost said "Mariah who," but he came to his senses and remembered all the time he worked with her, and Christina, and Journey, and . . . Last week I was looking for da noize and da funk and I think Melinda brought it this week. Great song choice at the end. The point that Simon made may save her this week because it's true: she has been so consistent all season long, that sometimes her greatness gets a bit lost among all the "improvements" others are making.

MY ORDER TONIGHT: Blake, Melinda, Jordin
CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR: This one is entirely too close to call. My gut says based on voting demographics, Jordin and Blake beat out Melinda, but maybe Melinda will clean up and the others will split votes. And is Blake really getting Chris Richardson's votes? Who's getting Lakisha's? And how many votes does Simon get? Too many questions. Not enough answers.

Top 3 - Judges' Choice

Jordin Sparks 1 - 'Wishing On A Star' - she starts out strong with a very solid performance. Simon picked the song but didn't like the jazzy arrangement.

Blake Lewis 1 - 'Roxanne' - his performance has power, style, and confidence, but I think this song offered a small canvas for his talents, with lots of repetition and a narrow range. Randy and Paula were able to ignore this, but Simon tells it like it is.

Melinda Doolittle 1 - 'I Believe In You And Me' - Melinda starts this out solid and staid, and then kicks it into high gear and gives me chills. Very good focus and connection with the audience. Randy chose it and loved it. Paula called it one of the best this season. Simon calls it her best in the last four weeks, and says the best of the night, so far. I agree, with Jordan and Blake trailing behind.


Jordin Sparks 2 - 'She Works Hard For The Money' - it feels like she owns this song and the stage from the first note. Excellent job. The judges agree.

Blake Lewis 2 - 'This Love' - a solid, hip performance with some beatbox added in just the right amount and place. Better than his first one, which Simon confirms.

Melinda Doolittle 2 - 'Nutbush City Limits' - a Tina Turner joint which Melinda takes to the mat. Very powerful, connected performance. The judges love it and Simon can't decide who wins this round, and calls it a tie. I'm inclined to agree - tough call!


Performers' Favorites:

Jordin Sparks 3 - 'I, Who Have Nothing' - I love this song, and Jordin nails it, bringing me close to tears, with a waterfall of chills. This performance may win the night for her. Purely excellent, and the best so far tonight, for me. Simon objects to the age of the song vs. that of the performer. That's his problem.

Blake Lewis 3 - I don't know the song. It's very contemporary, and he does quite well, with some good beatbox at the ending, but there were some very slightly off-notes, as on another song he did tonight, and I don't think this had the power and pizazz needed at this stage of the competition. The judges weren't wowed, but Simon praised him for originality and having fun.

Melinda Doolittle 3 - 'I'm A Woman' - more Tina Turner vamp on this one, and she does it very well. Simon praises her consistency over the long haul.

Tops and Bottoms - The girls clearly have this one wrapped up, for me, and I think Jordin's performance of 'I, Who Have Nothing' gives her a slight edge over Melinda's truly consistent excellence. Randy echoes this. Simon wants to see "my girl Melinda" in the final. Paula cops out.

Beatboxing elsewhere: Blake, but he's sure to go far.

See you tomorrow...

John

Kelly Clarkson and Lakisha on Ellen!

They were both on Ellen's annual outdoors show (which she does, she says, so they can tent the studio). Kelly performed two of the songs from her upcoming album and ruled! Lakisha sang 'You're Gonna Love Me', and talked about what she might have done differently. Great show!

So where's the rest of the crew, already?!

Top 4 Minus 1 - Barry Gibb Performs!

Excitement settles gently into my living room as the inevitable whispers of the impending show emanate from behind the commercials on my TV screen, which are about to give way to the all too familiar American Idol theme song...

There it is!

The judges switch seats, but not in a way which distances Paula from Simon's abusive immediacy, so what's the point?

Street interviews reveal pretty well-split opinions on the finalists. It's truly anyone's guess who will be leaving, but I consider my judgments, of course, to be semi-professional, and better than a street poll...sort of how Simon feels, divided by 1000... ; )

Both Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson had interviews and performances on the Ellen Degeneres Show today. Both did well. Phil was wearing a U.S. Navy First Class Petty Officer uniform, and he noted that he wasn't sure whether he'd get to go on tour, and that his first responsibility was to the Navy. Ellen, of course, asserted that they should let him perform.

Pink performs. It was okay, but didn't disract me from typing the above and nibbling on tempura shrimp...yum!

Lakisha looks like a manager at Burger King in the contestants' Ford commercial this week.

At this point the judges have switched their seats back to normal...? Ryan seems to make a point of having the camera show this without offering any explanation.

The contestants' choral BG medley starts off with Melinda's mic on mute. Hmph.

Lakisha is talking to herself in preparing herself for the possibility of leaving.

Thank God they took the time to spend half the show plugging The Fantastic Four (okay, my sarcasm is a little rusty. and less subtle than it could be).

The contestant background histories were interesting.

Ryan wisely lays the all too gag-me-with-a backhoe "right after this" ploy at the feet of the producers. I feel for him.

The contestants' self-protective huddle was kinda cute. Jordin is first, and is safe, not surprisingly.

AI is moving into the band business, soliciting tapes and DVDs from bands for a competition. Cool!

Barry Gibb performs. His vocalization seems a little stilted. It doesn't seem that he can hold a note for very long anymore. Another burnt out singer, but ya gotta give him props as a composer. He does seem to improve a bit as the song develops.

Melinda, predictably, is safe. Simon guesses Lakisha will go, despite objections to doing so from the other judges.

Blake is safe. Lakisha is going, just as I predicted. She sings herself out with good spirit.

See you next week!

John

TOP 4 - BARRY GIBB WEEK

Nice see-through shirt, Simon. I'd suggest a thicker cotton when you're going to be on TV...

Round 1:

MELINDA - It's Melinda so of course it's great! My only complaint is that she's fallen back into "old-fashioned Melinda" (though this may be due to the genre...) I agree with the judges, her vocals are always perfect so she's got to bring it in other ways.

BLAKE - Nice skunk stripe! :) And I sincerely mean that, I like it! Good job. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my favorite genre...

LAKISHA - This is my favorite so far tonight! I guess Lakisha's decided to try to win! Ooooooh, the judges totally disagree with me. Well I liked it, especially the first verse!

JORDIN - She had her first bad week last week, let's see how she comes back from it. I'm excited based on the prequel! I take back my previous comments...**THIS** was my favorite performance so far!!! She didn't sound old-fashioned like everybody else. WAY TO GO Jordin!

Top to Bottom so far: JORDIN, LAKISHA, MELINDA, BLAKE

Round 2:

MELINDA - That's funny that she changed the words so she wouldn't say "loser"! :) Another perfect vocal - I liked her passion! Very nice, and better than the first!

BLAKE - Good job - I did find myself drifting in the middle though, thinking about what to make for dinner, etc. I agree with Randy, he's should have only beat-boxed in one song - he's not choosing it as wisely as he has in the past.

LAKISHA - I have to admit, before last week I had written her off. She's really come back! I liked it! "Good lookin' out"???? Thanks Randy, that's so (not) helpful!!! ;)

JORDIN - Again I'm excited by the prequel! WOO HOO! Awesome!!! Jordin is terrific!!! What are you talking about Randy??? Paula??? Simon too???? Good grief. Whatever...

TOP - JORDIN

MIDDLE - LAKISHA and MELINDA

BOTTOM - BLAKE

I think Blake and Lakisha will be on the bubble.

Going Home:

Based on tonight - BLAKE
Based on overall performances - LAKISHA

I can't believe there are only 2 weeks left!!!!

Double the Disco

I forgot that Barry Gibbs has been involved with so many more songs than the ones from "Saturday Night Fever." Unfortunately, I don't think this ended up translating into a better set of performances than I expected.

RANDOM THOUGHTS: Are we sure Barry Gibbs actually sang that high, because his speaking voice wouldn't support that theory. This week is a "stick to the melody" week, as contrasted with past "way ta add ya own flava to the songs" weeks. Simon hates disco, just like he hates country. That's bad news for the contestants this week if you're keeping score at home. For a show they kept saying they had to rush through we sure saw a lot of Judge Judy, which makes sense since we have no interest in hearing what Simon has to say and would rather see a "judge" from a kangaroo court verbally spar with Simon. Melinda is the first contestant I've heard who pays attention to ominous lyrics. With as much as we all notice it, I'm sure others have, too. Do the judges want Jordin in the final 2? I think so.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE ("In-n-out Burger" and "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"): So, Melinda is like Ruben--always good. The judges don't even know what to do because it's all nitpicking at this point. They are right that many performances on her "uncomfortable" weeks end up lacking "it" or "shazam" or "sanjaya" or something. The first performance was a bit better than a "background" performance, however. Song #2 was much better, and Barry astutely noted that Melinda was using a recent variation utilizing a bit more jazz chord voicing (Michael Buble did a cover of it recently) which ended up helping a lot. Melinda should be safe, but next week we need da noize and da funk.

BLAKE LEWIS ("You Should be Dancing" and "Exit Stage Left (Snagglepuss's Theme)" or where I came in or something): Overall this was a lackluster night for Blake by Idol standards. I do think, however, that his fans will be quite happy with his showing. He did a great job infusing his own style into it, and he did what his followers want to hear. I know Randy's endorsing a beatbox embargo this week, but Blake's interpretations were solid. Hey, Barry like them!

LAKISHA JONES ("Stayin' Alive" and "Run Away . . .er . . . to me"): I am so shocked Lakisha picked a power ballad for number 2, and even more shocked that she selected the most well-known Bee-Gees song. And I'm a bit more shocked that she disregarded the advice of an industry legend (whose songs she was singing) and ended up doing her own thing. OK, sarcasm off (but not entirely). I am so tired of her not implementing any advice the guest give her and then not sounding great. If you're going to ignore them, at least be great! If you try to follow the advice and it doesn't work I would have greater respect for the performance. Anyway, I'm bored with Lakisha and have been for ages.

JORDIN SPARKS ("To Love Somebody" and "Woman in Love"): Is she sending a message to someone. Sounds like Jordin has a crush. Number 1 was great, number 2 was OK, but not quite "pageanty" as Simon suggested. Jordin continues to work very hard and sounds great. Her voice sounds shot from what I can tell. I hope she doesn't end up straining that young voice too much before the finale. Other young singers have suffered similar fates. As long as her voice stays healthy Jordin should be a finale participant, in the good way.

Since a Top 3 would only overlap with my Bottom 3, and thus give away my Bottom 1, I'll rank them for me last night.

1. Jordin/Blake/Melinda
4. Lakisha

BOOGIES HOME WITHOUT ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS FIRST: Lakisha

How's that? I'm looking forward to tonight's show, but only because Barry Gibbs is performing. You can decide if I'm still being sarcastic or not!

Top 4 - Bee Gees Night?

This promises to be a strange night. Bee Gees music? I mean I liked his music back in the 70s, but it's dated and their vocal stylings with their unique harmony seem like a longshot for successful AI performances...but let's see - two performances each, tonight.

Melinda Doolittle 1 - 'Inside And Out' - Yeah, she handles it well and gives it some heat, and me, some chills. It's not her best, but solid. The judges agree, essentially, that she's hard to criticize but needs to bring it more, at this late stage.

Blake Lewis 1 - 'You Should Be Dancin', Yeah' - He's gonna BEAT it! Good falsetto and echo effects, and the beat boxing is not overdone, and a GREAT touch. He could sell this one right now! Wonderful job, and has that 'Eye of Tiger' added element that puts it, perhaps, a cut above Melinda. The judges unanimously disagree with my assessment, but I think the audience and his fans will agree with me.

Lakisha Jones 1 - 'Stayin' Alive' - She does a decent job, but sounds off-key at one point, and indulges in a bit of yelling. Not good for me, compared to the last two performances. The judges agree, and Simon nails the shouting and denies her a kiss.

Jordin Sparks 1 - Jordin has a real chance to improve her standing if she just listens to the feedback the judges have been giving, and sticks to singing a clean version of her song, 'You Don't Know What It's Like'. Judging by the effect of her rehearsal version on Barry Gibb, she's got it nailed. Sure enough, she does a very good job, and gives me way more chills than Melinda's performance. It wasn't perfect - the ending was a bit of a letdown compared to the power surge - but it was definitely the best so far tonight, and the judges, wisely, agree with me.

Lakisha is on the bottom, for me, at this point.

Melinda Doolittle 2 - 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart' - She's planning to mess with the lyrics. I hope the judges don't count that against her. This is better than her first one, and very good. The judges liked it better, especially Simon.

Blake Lewis 2 - This is an obscure song choice, and he's adding more beat box. Focusing so heavily on his original style may not be the wisest move right now. It doesn't really connect with me, partly because I've never heard it before, and partly because I don't think the boxing worked as well on this song. Randy and Paula seemed to like it better, but Simon thought it sucked.

Lakisha Jones 2 - 'Run To Me' - Great looking dress and a solid beginning. The chorus adds a nice touch on this song. This is a more solid performance, and the power surge definitely brings it up a notch. The ending is a bit weak. Overall, good, but not great. Simon says she and Blake may be in trouble tonight. From his point of view, I agree, but I think Blake has more popularity than Simon believes, so I'd be more worried about Lakisha.

Jordin Sparks 2 - 'A Woman In Love' - Jordin's combination of power and vulnerability in this song put her over the top. She almost brought me to tears at the end. Randy and Paula didn't like it as much as I did, and Simon had some irrelevant critiques.

Tops and Bottoms - For tonight, Jordin, Melinda, Blake, and Lakisha. For the long haul, Lakisha may have a bit of an edge on Blake, but I think he'll edge her out tomorrow. Jordin has been so consistent for the last several performances that she has a very real chance of winning the top spot. I'd be surprised if either Blake or Lakisha unseated either one of them, unless the female listeners all align behind Blake for a boy/girl finale.

See you tomorrow!

John