Top 11

I love the Beatles, but was anyone else disappointed that Idol tried to recreate last week? It all felt a little desperate to me, and even Randy was caught yawning by the cameras before the show began. Ryan tells us that 500 fans are in attendance, and introduces us to Ricky and the band and another week of the Beatles. As Ryan points out the judges, Randy yawns, Paula is very sparkly, and Simon (back in his tight knits) says the contestants need to sing well. After some great Beatles' footage from their sold out concert at Shea Stadium in 1965, it is time for Amanda to open the show. In the pre-interview, each contestant was asked to share their most memorable Idol moment. We’ll just get this part over with quickly. For about 80% of the contestants, it was last Tuesday for one reason or another. Moving on:

Amy Overmeyer "Back In the U.S.S.R."

Amanda chose this song for its blues element and for its energy. She promises to "tease it, put some black eyeliner on it" and that the performance will be hard driving and entertaining. Right off the bat, her diction bothers me. The song choice is perfect for her voice, but I get frustrated when I can’t make out the lyrics. In the end she always delivers and it is entertaining and for the most part on key. Randy said it was pitchy for the first half but ended up great. Paula thought it was sketchy at first (hmmm) but would love to see her sing a ballad at some point. Simon thought she was predictable, and a bit of a mess in parts. He also thought she was in danger of becoming boring if she didn’t learn how to mix things up. Amanda responded by saying that ballads were boring and that she has 1 ½ minutes to show people what they would get if they bought tickets to her concert and she is going to make sure they know they are going to have fun. Simon reminded her that her tickets aren’t on sale yet. Be careful Amanda, even Janis Joplin had a few emotionally charged ballads in her repertoire. America doesn’t care for contestants that sass the judges. I think she will be in the bottom 3 this week.

Kristy Lee Cook "You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away"

Kristy Lee talked about her photo albums that connect her to home, and how hard it has been to be the last man standing week after week. She aims to sing from her heart and God love her, she tries. She begins with a strong vocal, but it all goes wrong in the performance and in the chorus. Half of it is the song is in the wrong key and gets way too low for her range. The goofy strolling around and kicking that she is doing is awkward and doesn’t really go with the vocal. The chorus is arranged strangely and is pretty forgettable. She is a darling girl, and I really had hoped she could figure it out this week, but I don’t think she did. Randy says he thought it was boring. Paula thought it was better than last week, but she played it safe. Simon thought it was the equivalent of musical wallpaper, you notice it but can’t remember it. She cracks Ryan up when she tells Simon that he knows she can blow him out of his socks. If she hasn’t done it yet, I doubt we have to worry about that happening. I can’t imagine her staying after this week.

David Archuleta "The Long and Winding Road"

David remarks about how he messed up in front of millions last week, and how he is trying to stay positive and do better this week. This song is perfect for his voice; it is beautifully sung and heartfelt. David is back. The only things I find distracting are his hand motions and his intensely dry lips (give that boy some Carmex). Randy said he brought the hotness back but thought he should incorporate more runs. I disagree. The simplicity in this melody is what enabled David to connect. Paula was most excited over the purity of his voice, and thought that coming back from last weeks disaster showed strength of character (trust me, I am helping Paula out greatly with this analysis). Simon said it was amazing. He was able to sell the song and give a memorable performance. I am glad that he brought the magic back. For me, it was the best of the evening.

In the middle of all this Ryan announces that Kellie Pickler will sing tomorrow night. (Will America ever grow tired of Kellie Pickler’s boob job? Don’t answer that question Gary, it was rhetorical.) After a plug for the I-phone and a spot for Coke, (apparently Ryan is doing some sponsorship along with his 9 other jobs) we are back to the competition.

Michael Johns "A Day in the Life"

Michael’s big mistake was choosing this song, although it actually goes with his voice well and in its entirety, could have been brilliant. The song is 6 minutes of storytelling that got strange when it had to go through the chopping block, and the quick transitions kept me a little disconnected. He also hit one bum note toward the beginning that made me lose the moment. I loved this guy early on, but I am a little worried about him. You can’t be forgettable with this talented group. Lucky for him, several other people were having the same issues this evening. Randy said simply that it was not his best. Paula went into some long analogy about his earpiece (that he wasn’t even wearing) and Simon said it was a mess and he needs to sort himself out and quick. He could be in the bottom three this week, but I can’t imagine him going home. I really like Michael’s voice, and charisma. I don’t know if I have mentioned it, but I also really love that accent….

Brooke White "Here Comes the Sun"

Brooke lives in LA, so she was able to go home on Saturday and have some normal family time. She is very comfortable interviewing, and is all smiles as she talks about her new baby niece. She starts out in her little yellow dress, sitting on the stairs. It is a little pitchy in parts, which I could forgive if I could stand watching the performance. It is all too uncomfortable and cutsie, with the dancing around and the huge smile. The whole thing feels forced and off. Randy said it was awkward for him. Paula said you can’t help but smile when Brooke sings. Simon said he knew she would be in yellow with yellow lighting and thought it was a terrible song choice and a terrible performance. Brooke takes it in stride, and actually admits that this kind of performance really wasn’t her thing. I think she is likeable enough to be forgiven, and has developed enough of a fan base to sail through. She does need to work at not interrupting the judges during her critique, whether she is in agreement with what they are saying or not.

David Cook "Day Tripper"

David comes out strong with his guitar, and has another really great vocal and solid performance, adding a little Peter Frampton voice box to the song. I was really entertained, although I did not like it as much as I did Eleanor Rigby last week. Day Tripper is just not one of my favorite songs. To coin Simon: sorry. In the pre-interview David says he was humbled and appreciative of Simon’s praise last week. Really? He sure didn’t look like it when he finished singing. Randy thought it was another solid performance. Paula said he was ready to sell records and do a Geico commercial (?). Simon said it wasn’t as good as David thought it was. Simon thought it was predictable, and he found David a little smug throughout. I think David is going to have to work really hard at being humble, because let’s face it, he knows he’s good. And I know he knows, so probably everybody else does too.

Before Carly’s performance, Ryan is back with the judges asking Paula to relay what it is exactly that Simon whispers to her during the commercial breaks. She tries on his British accent and explains that the blackbird was called a sparrow that fell from the tree into a puddle of oil. Simon almost chokes her accent is so appallingly bad. But it is pretty funny.

Carly Smithson "Blackbird"

Vocally, this girl has mad skills. She has a huge range, and I am surprised at how great she sounds. Unfortunately, call me crazy, but I think she messed up the lyrics on the third verse and went back to the second verse for the first part, which didn’t rhyme with the second part.(Did that make sense?) I think she lost the connection when that happened, and I keep thinking that as good as she sounds I should be more moved than I am. Maybe it is because she took a simple, beautiful song and crammed the Idol power notes into it when it just wasn’t necessary? Randy said another great performance. Paula said she has amazing tone and she loved the beautiful arrangement. Simon thought the song was indulgent and he didn’t like it. Maybe I am old, but I find all the tattoos extremely distracting and they didn’t match the color in her top. Those kinds of distractions keep me from connecting with her. She is way too talented to worry about going home yet.

Jason Castro "Michelle"

What the f? I am getting ready to crack up over the song choice, but somehow the goofball manages to sell it to all those teen girls. I think it is his sweet smile and his awkwardness. He sang fine, but the smile he had going was close to a giggle. Almost like he was making fun of the song choice too. Or maybe it was the French. Randy thought it was a good choice but wasn’t sure about his connection to it. Paula thought he looks a little disconnected without his guitar, but he has a distinct charm. Simon thought the song choice was not a good one, but his face and his charm sold it. I think blue eyes will be fine this week. It may not have been his best, but it was memorable.

Syesha Mercada "Yesterday"

Syesha said that being in the bottom three was a much-needed kick in her butt. When she first heard "Yesterday", it moved her to tears and she wanted to move the audience in that same way. I thought her voice sounded great, and she looked gorgeous. I liked her sitting with the guitar, and she used a lot of restraint to keep the song emotionally charged. This was not the Katharine McPhee "Somewhere" moment that I think Syesha was looking for, but it was miles ahead of last week, and I actually enjoyed it very much. Randy thought it was a very good performance. Paula loved her vulnerability (she would), and Simon thought it was her best performance to date. He didn’t think it was incredible though. I think she was far enough at the end of the night to pick up extra votes she was missing last week.

Chikezie Eze "I’ve Just Seen a Face"

I really don’t get the harmonica playing and the switch from ballad to blue grass. I think he is an entertaining guy, but I don’t understand how he can always follow up a brilliant week with a performance that is good, but not stellar. I still really like this guy after what he accomplished last week, and I thought he sang well and was interesting enough to inspire voters. Randy said there were good parts and bad parts. He thought it was strange. Paula loved that he showed the depth and scope of his vocals. Simon thought it started okay, but the harmonica was atrocious and then it turned into Achy Breaky Heart. He also thought Paula’s comment was nonsense. Chikezie has definitely grown on me, and I am sure that he has developed enough of a fan base to be safe this week.

Ramiele Malubay "I Should Have Known Better"

Ramiele says that Brooke is like her back stage mom and David her big brother. OK, just because she is short does not change her age from 20 to 12. She has already started to bug me and she hasn’t even started singing. She picked an up tempo song this week, so that she wouldn’t bore the judges. You have got to be kidding me? What is up with these kids randomly picking these Beatles’ songs as if they were on a Roulette wheel? Where was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "We Can Work it Out", "Hey Jude" or "Something"? Ramiele looks very cute in her corset and hat, and she sings well enough, but she is another one that has performance problems. Randy said he was not jumping up and down. Paula thought it was better than last week, but she needs to select songs that show America what she’s got. Simon said she sounded like Chikezie’s harmonica. She picked a mediocre song that in no way showcased her talent. She takes the criticism well, but she may end up in trouble over that one. I really like this girl’s voice, but she is extremely forgettable, both in her interviews and in her performances. I can’t say I would be heartbroken if she went home.

I see Kristy Lee, Amanda, and (gasp) Michael Johns in the bottom three. I don’t think he deserves it, it should be Ramiele, but typically the last singer each week has survived no matter how well they sang, and the first singer has faired poorly with the same conditions. I think Kristy Lee has had her last chance. Tune in tomorrow….