Hey Idol fans! Does another Beatles week seem a little anticlimactic? Perhaps Idol is trying to be more cost efficient this year. Oh well- they are good songs. So… how did the top 11 fare with another try at the Beatles?
Amanda in the not-so-coveted first-up slot sang Back in the USSR, a good rockin’ choice for her. She seems nervous, but does a good job. I am concerned about her fan base.
Kristy sang You’ve Got to Hide your Love Away. Flaunting her inexperience she admits to selecting the song by the title (wow how young are these kids!) She looks great in that Barbie-doll kinda way that might get her the much needed preteen votes (and some guy votes to boot). Her voice sounds very good this week, but I don’t like the arrangement. Kristy is still defining herself and it is too late in the competition for that.
David A totally redeems himself in the hearts of both David A fans and Beatles fans everywhere with a wonderful performance of The Long and Winding Road. There are some beautiful, beautiful notes here and the maturity he shows after last week’s debacle is commendable. I like him best when I close my eyes- he’s a puppy dog with a grown-up voice. See David, how can you help but love the Beatles?
Banking on his success Hollywood Week with Bohemian Rhapsody, Michael sings rock anthem, A Day in the Life. I appreciate his taste in the Beatles less-approachable fare, but this one is hard to condense into a minute and a half, even though he sings it well. He has a great tone to his voice- I could see him in a Broadway rock musical.
Brooke sings Here Comes the Sun in a sunny yellow dress. She has a pretty voice, but I’d forgotten how few words this song has. There were so many better choices! I hope she stays… she is one of the most genuine talents of the bunch.
David Cook rocks the house with Day Tripper, smartly giving his props to the Whitesnake version and avoiding day-after sniping. Wow, his voice sounds great… I can’t believe this is the same guy from a few week’s ago; his vocal chords and his confidence get stronger every week. Simon has to knock contestants down a peg when he thinks they’re getting too big for their britches- remember Chris Daughtry.
Blackbird seems an odd choice for Carly but I am not sure why Simon thinks it’s a song about a bird. She looks goofy in that frilly shirt. She has a great voice, but her phrasing and performance choices seem overdone.
Jason Castro sings Michelle, just barely missing his chance to become a true heartthrob by goofing through the French. I actually thought this was a lovely version of one of the Beatles least interesting songs. He has such a nice warmth to his voice. I miss his guitar, and would have enjoyed Rocky Racoon more. Bring the guitar back and he’ll have the women’s vote along with the girls’ (which he has clearly sealed).
Sayesha sings Yesterday, a wonderful arrangement that her voice is not quite strong enough for. The softer high notes give her trouble, and I keep wishing to hear Jennifer Hudson try the same song. I give her a B+ for effort.
Chekezie still bouncing off the walls of last week’s success tries his hand at I’ve Just Seen a Face. I have to agree with Simon rather than Randy on this one. It starts off nice, his vocals seem to improved over the weeks, kinda slow with a country twang and then… EEK harmonica hoedown. He’s made the same mistake Kristy did last week… confusing country with campy.
Ramielle ends the show without the required bang singing I Should Have Known Better. Commendable to try an up-beat song, but I was hoping to finally see her true personality this week, and didn’t. We will miss her humility when she goes.
Good to see Simon and Ryan making nice.
My pick to go this week: Ramielle
