American Idol Top 8: Inspirational Song Night

It was Inspirational Song night (and I thought EVERY night on Idol was Inspirational Song night). A lot of very savvy song choices, some major stumbles from front-runners (by which I mean the people whose initials aren't D and A, since we're talking front-runners for second place) and my girl Syesha is in trouble. The theme for the judges: connection.

MICHAEL JOHNS -- Sang Aerosmith's "Dream On." After coming alive on Dolly Parton week with a bluesy rocker that showed loads of personality, Johns came right back down to earth. I thought "Dream On" was a very smart choice since I assumed the night would be filled with sappy ballads. This one would surely stand out -- even if it never struck me as terribly inspirational. Yeah they're singing "Dream on/ Dream until your dreams come true" but it always sounded more manic and desperate than hopeful. Mind you, it was Aerosmith's first Top 10 hit so it didn't take long for their dreams to come true, did it? So Johns was sporting the suddenly fashionable ascot and delivering a solid, professional, but unoriginal xerox of the original. Plus he's back to his rock star posing. Smooth, but not fresh like last week. What looked like a breakthrough may very well have been a peak. Randy was negative, Paula insisted, "You sound as good as you look" which is simply not possible (especially when the camera is circling around and showing him from behind -- it is nice to admire an Idol contestant who is clearly an adult so you don't feel like a perv) and Simon nailed it when he said Johns was doing an "impersonation of a rock star." Still, it sounded lively enough.

SYESHA MERCADO -- Sang "I Believe" by Fantasia. Ugh. I've had a soft spot for Syesha from the start but I hate it when contestants pick songs sung by previous winners. Even worse, Syesha chose one of the horrid finale ballads that are insidiously "inspirational." After weeks of the judges being unduly harsh on her, Syesha gives them a reason to be tough by sounding rough on the high notes, shout-y towards the finale and dutifully hitting a big note at the end in pure robotic, Idol fashion. She looks great, at least. Ryan is negative, Paula says something nice and Simon isn't nearly as harsh as I expected by pretending that technically she sang it well. Maybe he didn't bother because he knows she's done. Fatally, Syesha makes the mistake of arguing with the judges. It can be frustrating when Simon says something silly like complaining that her song choices are identified with big stars like Whitney Houston and Fantasia. Well, surely 98% of the songs ALL the contestants choose are going to be identified with legends like Aerosmith and Judy Garland and so on. Should they choose obscure songs? Nonetheless, she is in big trouble.

JASON CASTRO -- Sang "Over The Rainbow" in the version made famous by Hawaii's Israel Kamakawiwo'ole aka Brudda Iz. (Jason might have found it online but I heard it first in the Adam Sandler movie 50 First Dates (believe me, that was by far the highlight of the movie). Has anyone on Idol made more smart use of a thin, unremarkable voice than Castro? I don't think so, especially since his genial nature doesn't even make you mind that he isn't a very good singer. Great choice of this particular version (the Judy Garland version is way, way beyond him, of course). But sitting on stage drumming a ukelele? Foolproof. (George Harrison used to travel with two ukeleles just in case he bumped into someone and wanted to jam -- surely they'd want to play a ukelele too, right?) All three judges give in to his charm, as do I. At ths rate, he'll make it to the final four. NOTE: By the way, because Iz has it wrong on You Tube, everyone else -- including iTunes, Entertainment Weekly, the Washington Post and Billboard -- refers to this song as "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." Nope, the Oscar-winning tune by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and first hit single for Judy Garland is simply called "Over The Rainbow."

KRISTY LEE COOK -- Sang "Anyway" by Martina McBride. Before the show began, I predicted to friends that this would be her week to finally say goodbye. What do I know? Truly, I think the belief in a fanbase is over-emphasized. Yes, every act has some hardcore fans but the important vote (just like in Presidential elections) is the swing vote and they really do react viscerally to each week's performance. Given that, Cook should be fine since she gave her best performance yet. Mind you, that's only because she's lowered the bar so much that if she gets through a tune without falling apart we're pleasantly surprised. And she doesn't really bring any originality to the ballad. But it's in her comfort zone and she handles the quiet passages with solid confidence, even if her voice fades at the end of a few lines. No personality, but solid. And she looked smashing. Keep the messy hair, Cook.

DAVID LEE COOK -- Sang "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace, which is David's favorite band. That alone shows questionable taste (favorite over the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Green Day, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and so on? Really?) The white, Eighties-looking jacket (which Randy inexplicably defended) showed even more questionable taste. And truly of all the performances this was the biggest train wreck by far. I hadn't been a fan of David's but he had me at "Hello" (the Lionel Richie song he butched up). He's been very consistent and true to himself. But his poser past came to haunt him here. His singing was extremely rocky from start to finish, sounding weak on the verses, lost on the chorus and generally breathless and out of tune. Playing to the judges is always a bad idea and then the outrageously self-important act of writing "Give back" on his palm and holding it up to the camera in a mock modest pose at the end was hopelessly pretentious. I'm sure Simon burst out laughing when he saw it on the monitor but after Paula mentioned it during the critique he judiciously said it was a nice gesture. No, it was an embarrassing gesture. Randy and Simon piled on, though Paula was typically enthusiastic.

CARLY SMITHSON -- Sang "The Show Must Go On," a so-so track from Queen's last album (released in 1991, the year Freddie Mercury died of AIDS). Even in the UK, which worships Queen, the track only hit #16. While not quite as disastrous as David Cook's performance, Smithson to my mind also hits a low point. Again, I've never been a big fan but she had shown some life and here she just seems...anonymous. Her trills and runs always sound squeaky and uninspired to me and never more so than here. The only time it sounds okay is when the backup choir joins in on the chorus. The judges are all pretty mixed (even Paula) and Simon is right when he said it seemed angry rather than inspiring. Then, even though she looked the same as she did every other week (rocker chick with sleeveless top showing off her tattoo), Simon insisted that this week she looks great. Then he ends by saying she could be in "a bit of trouble."

DAVID ARCHULETA -- Sang the Robbie Williams gem "Angels." My jaw dropped when Archuleta insisted he had trouble picking a song this week. Isn't "inspirational" in his wheelhouse? He again shows great savvy by picking a tune that is not well-known in the US but so strong melodically he has a chance to be both fresh and yet score big. The producers certainly don't take any chances. When they cut to commercial before showing his performance, we see Archuleta surrounded a pack of swooning girls. Then they bring out the smoke machine and end his performance with a loving close-up (expect lots of jokes about his teeth and the inside of David's mouth; no cavities!). With all that, he doesn't quite nail it. Playing the piano is great for him (especially when you can enjoy his reflection on the piano's surface, getting two Davids for the price of one) but he looked a little tentative. His singing was not so confident on the low notes in the verse, though I don't think he should have started in a higher key. I just think his voice has to mature so he can really nail this quiet tune. He ended pretty strongly and overall it was solid. But the tune really is indestructible and it should have been a revelation instead of just nice. The song only hit #53 in the US, but it was a career-defining hit around the world for Williams. Simon isn't terribly concerned with artistry but he knows a massive hit single when he hears one and has always loved this tune so he compliments Archuleta for his song choice even though it's an identical pick to John Farmham's "You're The Voice" -- a massive worldwide hit new to most people in the US. But all three judges give a pass to Archuleta.

BROOKE WHITE -- Sang Carole King's "You've Got A Friend," an album track from King's legendary debut in 1971 and a Grammy-winning hit that same year for James Taylor. (Tapestry is one of the true greats and comes out in a new CD special edition on April 22; if you don't own it, you should). If White stays in, she should just work her way through this entire album since it's where she lives. Her dress is fun and her vocals are fine, but it's another xerox (a la Michael Johns) of the King original. There's not a spark of personality. That combined with her overwhelming earnestness and tendency to cry is simply not playing well. Now surely she's only human and reacting to the moment and on a personal level this is perhaps mean to say. (How dare you feel emotional!) Nonetheless, however genuine her emotions are, seeing them played out the same way again and again is tiresome. The judges are all nonplussed (Paula rather confusingly says, "You're definitive") but they don't drop the hammer either, the way they might. "Original? No," says Simon succinctly. "Pleasant? Yes." Exactly.

THE GREAT HIGHLIGHT REEL DEBATE -- We've been having a back and forth in the comments section about the highlight clips and I confidently expressed my opinion repeatedly: they might make a backup copy from the rehearsals, but surely the audience isn't there for rehearsals (wouldn't we get instant online postings about the songs they were gonna do, along with reviews before the live show even aired?) and really there's no need anyway except for maybe the final performance of the night to use rehearsal footage unless for a technical snafu. I was wrong. You were right, Observantmom. The highlight reel this week showed audience members clapping along to Jason Castro when they didn't do that during the live performance, it showed David Cook using his hand to encourage the audience to sing along when he didn't during the live performance and I'm pretty sure the Brooke White clip was from a rehearsal as well -- a rehearsal where an audience was clearly involved.

THE BOTTOM THREE -- Well, the three worst performances this week, in my opinion, were David Cook, Carly Smithson and Syesha Mercado. The two most boring performances were Michael Johns and Brooke White. Johns has the burden of going first when fewer people are watching and I'll deduct points from Brooke for her personality hurting her. I'll go against my gut and say Cook has enough goodwill to survive one week's stumble. Though an all girl bottom three seems unlikely, I'll say Brooke White and Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson in the bottom three with Syesha and Brooke in the bottom two and Syesha going home. I hope I'm wrong.

Who do you think is going home? And who was your favorite?

Comments

[observing]

Michael, your Huff Po picture is frightening.

[martinchill]

re: the highlights reel:

we noticed that a couple of years ago when taylor hicks tried to do a big jump finish on the band's last note and missed the mark considerably. it was much closer in the highlight reel.

they do a taped dress rehearsal the night before the live show.

[susieq1001]

I think you picked the right bottom 3. But I think Syesha and Carly will be the bottom 2, not Brooke. She will squeak by, just from being more likeable than Carly.

I hope Jason Castro goes home, but he won't. Don't get me wrong, I think Jason has loads of charisma, more than any other contestant, possibly. But he has no voice. He could get something reasonable going if he took a few vocal lessons and worked a little harder. I don't think he wants it enough and he's just along for the ride.

Regarding David Archuleta, I think he has the best voice of all of them hands down and he is, for 17, already a very good player and performer.

[mch755]

cont'
6. David C- Not a good performance at all. I mean the guy was bound to have an off week. I just hope his fan base is big enough to forgive that performance, much like David A when he messed up during Beatles week. I think it is.
7. Brooke- boring, at least she didn't babble on after getting the judges commentary.
8. Carly- another disappointing performance. Whats going on? This girl has an fantastic voice but it keeps getting buried under questionable song choices, stage anxiety and her taking too heart comments given by Simon! Why was she looking at him during her performance when she should be connecting with us, her audience.
My bottom three would be Carly, Brooke and Syesha. I'm not putting David C in there since one mess up won't hurt his chances. Syesha is in there since there seems to be a big negative pull on the poor girl. I'd like to see Brooke go but unfortunately I do agree it will probably be Syesha, which would a shame since she has a far superior voice to many of the singers left.

[mch755]

Once more an excellent analysis of the show. Interesting theme night. Your right this week was tailor made for David A. There were some serious misses and some on target performances. Here's my take:
My rankings of the singers:
1. Jason- the first time this season I've really like something he did. He did "Bruddah Iz's" version of Over the Rainbow. I'm from Hawaii, and we all know this terrific artist who died way too soon, and its great to have his music introduced to the rest of the country. Beautifully sung by Jason and strumming the uke on national tv!
2. David A- A nice performance, nice touch playing the piano on stage. He did get the star treatment didn't he?
3. Kristy Lee- I can't believe I'm ranking her this high. She sang well, was on point and looked like an idol on stage. Very pretty.
4. Syesha- not sure why so much hate on the girl I thought she sang well, but too much back talk to the judges! She's NOT Fantasia but she brought her own twist to the song.
5. Michael- a good performance, nowhere near as good as last week. I agree with the judges, he should stick with bluesy feeling songs, the straight rocker vibe doesn't really fit him.

[Daniel8168]

Personally, I think Kristy Lee Cook barely saved herself with a good song choice and performance this week, but she'll probably be in the bottom 3 again.

I think that Carly Smithson has one of the best voices in the competition, but she doesn't seem to be being herself. I think if she would stop trying so hard to impress with the power of her voice, that we would hear some incredible performances from her.

At first, I liked Syesha, but after Hollywood week, she seemed to become overconfident, and as someone (Simon I believe) pointed out, she thinks her voice is better than it really is. What I like least about her is that she never gets a feel for a song, and always seems to be using her acting skills to try to convince the audience otherwise. She just never seems genuine.

Being mostly a rock fan, David Cook has been one of my surprise favorites, but I'll be surprised if last night's mess doesn't land him in the bottom 3.

I actually cried when David Archuletta sang "Imagine" - both because of how beautiful the song is in its own right, and because he really seemed to feel that song. Since then, I haven't really felt let down by him, but I haven't felt as moved by him either. (continued)

[Daniel8168]

I like Brooke White, but feel that she's a bit of a niche performer. With the right songwriter, she could have a remarkable career.

Jason Castro is just alright. He's a pretty good performer, but I keep expecting him to just start singing the hell out of a song, and it never seems to happen. He's almost humming at times.

Michael Johns is another potential star, but he needs better song choices. The song he did last week was so perfect for him. I particularly like the end where he went to a high note - reminded me of Chris Cornell's brilliant blues/soul singing on the Temple of the Dog album. The Aerosmith cover this week was ok, but not what he needs to be doing.

I say bottom three this week is Jason, Carly and David Cook, and I think Carly will go home. Jason and David will make it because Jason has enough teenage girls in love with him to keep him around, and David will stay because he has had several excellent and memorable performances. Sadly, Carly has been trying too hard to impress, and not letting her natural talent shine through. If not Jason, I think maybe Syesha.

[Daniel8168]

D'OH! I contradicted myself. At first I said I thought Kristy would be in the bottom 3. I actually don't think she will be this week.

[Michael Giltz]

Good analysis. Archuleta hasn't topped "Imagine" (he probably won't) but along with Cook he's been by far the most consistent with only the train wreck of forgetting the lyrics that one night coming to mind.

[67bug]

Are we all prepared for Idol Gives Back tonight? I'm sure I'll watch it...just to watch it!

[Michael Giltz]

The UK has an annual night of comedy and celebs raising money for charity and Idol is admirably following that path to what I'm sure will be an annual tradition a la the labor day telethon. But I can't bring myself to watch that either.

[enoughalready]

I had high hopes for Brooke White this season. She reminded me of a young Carly Simon.

Christy Lee Cook is a country singer, period! I have no doubt she will be singing on someone's tour next summer but I wish she were out of this competition. Her stage presence is irretating. She's this years Bucky Covington.

Syesha, as pretty as she is, is just not professional enough nor have the voice that can put her over the top. I feel like I'm watching High School Musical when she is performing.

Michael Johns, is great but seems at times to shoot himself in the foot.

Jason Castro, is just for fun, enjoy for a week or so, he'll be a distant memory.

Carly may be out tonight. She simply tries too hard and it shows.

David Cook, has the talent to go all the way but only if he stops picking songs like last night.

David Archuletta, real cute, but much like Paris a couple years back - he's just a baby and won't make it to the end.

I agree the bottom three will be Syesha, Carly and Brooke but I think it may be Carly going home.

[Michael Giltz]

All good arguments except for one thing: who are you rooting for? Cook? If tonight's stumble is the only one, I agree he could be headed for the finals but I still think Archuleta is the prohibitive favorite. Still, your comparison to Paris gives me pause.

[Guitarsandmore]

Israel "Iz" KaÊ"anoÊ"i KamakawiwoÊ"ole (May 20, 1959 " June 26, 1997) (pronounced [ka-maka-vi-vo-ole]) was an Hawaiian musician.

His medley of the tunes "Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World" was used in the film "Meet Joe Black" (released Nov 1998) at the end of the movie as the credits roll and Anthony Hopkins has just walked over the hill with death (Brad Pitt).

The medley was first released in 1993 on Israel"s album called "Facing Future" which went platinum, a first for a Hawaiian musician, and made him famous.

"Somewhere over the Rainbow" was used in the final episode of "ER" in which Anthony Edwards appears; as he dies of a rare disease. The impact of the music is devastating.

Israel lived the latter part of his life weighing in at 758 pounds and died at the age of 38 of weight related respiratory illness. Over 10,000 people showed up at his funeral to pay homage. There is a Koa wood casket for him at the capitol, (a high honor) the flag flew at half mast, and now there is a 200 pound bronze bust of the singer at the Waianae neighborhood community center in O"ahu.

[Michael Giltz]

Thanks for the primer on Israel. I'd heard of him before but didn't know all that and have never listened to one of his CDs. Sounds worth checking out.

[susieq1001]

Israel's version of "over the rainbow" cannot be topped. He had an exquisite voice.

[yogablu]

To be honest..I'm not that impressed with this seasons contestants. Jason Castro stood out. His voice, flawless and inflections, perfect.

Michael Jons appears to be a lovely person, but if you are going to present yourself as a rocker and make it, your voice has to be distinctive like, Freddy Mercury, Eddie Veder even Kurt Cobain.

SYESHA definitely has star quality. I see her crossing over. Her voice needs some fine tuning. Her song choices are holding her back.

KRISTY - I'd like to see her stick around as she is getting progressively better. Definitely lacking in the confidence and performance department. But remember Carrie Underwood. She wasn't that good either in the performance department, even when she won.

David has had some amazing performances but his voice is not overly unique. He also has to write an original song that shines. Compared to Daughtry, he falls short of something called an edge.

Carly appears to be a lovely girl but everything from her song choices to her voice to her appearance, is not up to par. Her vibrato is all over the place as is her phrasing.

David A has had some great moments but his youth shows. He is a young John Mayer and needs to develop his talents more. There is not enough time on AI for this transition to occur.

Brook has a nice quality to her, but her vocal ability is again not up to the level it should be for AI.

[Michael Giltz]

Good rundown, though I fear we won't be able to see Syesha get better on Idol.

[susieq1001]

I like Syesha's voice, but she lacks one very important quality when she's on stage: authenticity. She just isn't convincing me. It's that very quality of authenticity and honesty on stage that makes Jason attractive (not his voice, in my opinion).

[lizbunz]

I think we should face it. We've discovered everyone. Time for a new show.

[Michael Giltz]

You'll have to wait nine months for that. Why not have fun rooting to see who can take second place behind Archuleta?

[67bug]

Jason reminded me of Tiny Tim a bit last night, although T.T. was scary, at least when I watched his show as a kid. As long as Jason sticks to the quirky numbers he will be okay. My bets for the bottom three are Syesha, Carly, and Brooke. I wish Micheal would step it up a bit with the creativity and David C.'s performance pretty much sucked....Chikieze's "She's a Woman" is still my fave of the season!

[Michael Giltz]

Tiny Tim! That's a very funny comparison, inevitable I guess when the uke is in play.

[Musicated]

Very amusing recounting, Michael, and pretty much verbatim my feelings about this week's performances.

David Cook officially bought into too many of his reviews and 'jumped the shark', especially with the "Give Back" palm stunt (pretentious and tacky). The actual interpretation of the song was unmemorable so the infrastructure collapsed and left him looking unstable for the first time in quite awhile.

Brooke White: For my annoyance level to decrease (ya, in my living room it's all about my comfort!), she must go and please take all that retreaded posturing with you. Her basic singing tools are decent but she is, at best, a mediocre singer. Couple that with the histrionics and I wish her a great life but not where I can see or hear it.

Most interesting response of the night was Carly admitting that she was unnerved in the middle of her song when she caught Simon's disapproving eye. I bet that happens more often than you might imagine.

Most of the performances were, as Michael pointed out, Xerox specials that gave us nothing in return for our time. Syesha probably goes but I hope it's Brooke.

[Michael Giltz]

Whenever we get glimpes of the judges during performances, Paula looks like a cheerleader and Simon looks indifferent or is avoiding them. Any singer would be wise to ignore the judges completely and play to the audience and the camera.

[Michael Giltz]

Well, the Nashville location was an excuse to lump together some previous Idol winners. I'm sure eventually we'll get an update on all the willing Idol finalists like Tamyra Gray, Jennifer Hudson (when Sex and the City comes closer to release date) and so on. I hope you're right about Syesha. Our best bet is that they choose not to eliminate anyone again during Idol Gives Back week like last year, but I don't think they'll pull that stunt again.

[DCDan]

Good call on the Nashville tie-in. I hadn't thought of that. Don't hold your breath though on any plugs for Jennifer Hudson on AI any time soon. There's politics there. My impression is that that bridge has indeed been burned.

I can't believe that the consensus here is Syesha's clearly in the bottom three and a favorite to get booted. So she didn't "connect" -- supposedly. Personally, I'd rather have a singer sing well in a SINGING competion. That's what Syesha did. A technically fine performance. On the other hand, Carly was abominable. She's maxed out her potential. I look for her and David Cook to be the last two standing tomorrow night. And in the end, the "Show Must Go On" ... without Carly.

Re Angel. Definitely, a pop classic. Mind boggling that Robbie Williams' original version didn't chart here. A travesty that the version most Americans are familiar with -- if they know the song at all -- is the version as "sung" by Jessica Simpson. Whoof.

[Michael Giltz]

I wasn't even aware Jessica Simpson had recorded it and will keep myself blissfully ignorant. I hope you're right about the final two!

[kellygrrrl]

I thought from the beginning that Archuletta and Carly were pegged to go all the way this season. My feeling is that neither one of them is "playing ball" quite the way the producers would like. If Archuletta's dad is not willing to hand this kid's career over to the Idol Machine 100% then he is NOT going to win it. I'm pretty sure Simon has made that clear.
I agree, I think Jason can take this to top 3 or 4. No, he's not the best voice, but the guy is very marketable and that is a huge factor in this business.
I'd think Sayesha is probably out this week -- but I would really like to see America pack Kristy Lee's bags and send her home.

[Michael Giltz]

Other than unsubstantiated rumors, I don't see any signs that david archuleta and Idol are having any troubles. Seems like a love-in, especially with this week's presentation of Archuleta surrounded by girls, and wonderfully shot performance. he's playing the game very well and while there is a tie-in to their record deal, by and large the TV people don't care who wins or about album sales. That's way down the road and most of the kids tend to leave the label after an album or two. The producers have their pot of gold with the TV show and that's where their focus is -- the 19 management deal is nice but not the driving force. The show is a worldwide juggernaut and printing money as we speak. And Archuleta is great for that.

[Daniel8168]

What I was reminded of by kellygrrrl's remarkes about Archuletta is the way Simon reacted to Archuletta's song choice the other week. I think Simon was insinuating that Archuletta's father had picked the "Voice of the People" song rather than David himself.