American Idol - Top 3


Name-----Dave----Shan----Emily---
Scotty----Y-------Y--------Y-----
Lauren----?-------Y--------Y-----
Haley-----N-------Y--------Y-----
Scotty----?-------Y--------Y-----
Lauren----Y-------Y--------Y-----
Haley-----Y-------Y--------Y-----


Scotty - Very well done!

Lauren - Shan says it was not her best, but she likes her.

Haley - I'm not thinking so. Sorry, she's no Led Zep. Ouch, what a spill! But, give her props for keepin' on!

Scotty - Kiss me or not was okay, but not great for me. Sounds like he was trying too hard to make it "country" even though it already is.

Lauren - Wow! Very well done! Man, this girl can sing when the song matches her vocal style!

Haley - She definitely has a Stevie Nicks voice. This was a great song for her! Super!

American Idol Top 9

This week, the singers grabbed songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Some of them kicked serious Idol booty.  Others, just meh.  Here are our picks and pans (and a whole lotta question marks):

Name-----Dave---Shan---Emily
Jacob-----Y------Y-------Y--
Haley-----N------N-------Y--
Casey-----?------Y-------N--
Lauren----Y------Y-------Y--
James-----N------?-------N--
Scotty----Y------Y-------Y--
Pia-------?------?-------?--
Stefan----N------N-------N--
Paul------Y------Y-------?--


Jacob - Man in the Mirror - Holy smokes! Now THAT is how to start off the show. This was great! Way to stand up for what you believe in - change the song when it doesn't feel right. Excellent!

Haley - Take a little piece of my heart - I am not a big fan of hers. This was okay in places, but she is too "all over the place" for my liking - growling then some little kid voice, then talking, then growl again. Nah. Emily, on the other hand, LOVES Haley. Emily was NOT happy that we said no. She said, "You people are weird!"

Casey - Have you ever seen the rain - I sorta like this, sorta not. I dunno, it's mellow enough but it is a bit reggae or something. He can play, though. No doubt there.

Lauren - Natural Woman - This is well done. Not out-of-the-park, but still nice and smooth.

James - My guitar gently weeps - Seriously? The rocker guy does a ballad? Wow, bad choice. Sorry. BBZZTT. Wrong answer.

Scotty - That's all right mama - Very nice! Great job.

Pia - Not really the best Pia moment. Like Shan said, "Can she sing it? Sure! but..." I have to agree.

Stefan - When a man loves a woman - I am not a Stefan fan. This falsetto thing is not working. This is Vegas Show Time. I'll take a pass.

Paul - Folsom Prison Blues - I like the upbeat take on this, but not sure it is the right song for him. Not bad overall.

American Idol Top 11

We were on Spring Break for this week's Idol, so we are watching it after-the-fact. Tonight's post will cover both nights. Here we go:

Name-----Dave---Shan--
Casey-----Y------Y----
Thia------Y------Y----
Jacob-----Y------Y----
Lauren----Y------Y----
Stefano---N------N----
Haley-----N------N----
Scotty----?------N----
Pia-------Y------Y----
Paul------Y------Y----
Naima-----Y------Y----
James-----Y------Y----


Casey - Grapevine - He seems like he is trying to force the words out of himself. I do like the soulful sound he has, though. LOL, a little weird "Guns and Roses" moment there.

Thia - Heat Wave - How does that voice come out of such a small, young person!? Wow! She's actually moving around, too!

Jacob - You're all I need to get by - Man, he is very good. He has the showmanship, the voice, everything. I don't think he will win it all, but he should do quite well in the same way Mandisa has done well for herself after Idol. Wow, got Steven Tyler to grab him up on stage!

Lauren - Keeping me hanging on - Awesome! Great slow start and then kicked it up. She has a "Miranda Lambert" kind of sound. That's not bad at all.

Stefano - Hello - Uh, no. I am so not a fan of this guy. Frankly, I don't understand how he has made it this far. It's like he has some inside joke to remaining on here. This is awful.

Haley - You really got a hold on me - Well, um, no. She is trying way too hard with the growling. She is singing as if she is trying to "be Mowtown." And, she is not that. I would be voting her off.

Scotty - For once in my life - Nice country rendition at the beginning. That low range is certainly his strong point. When he moves up in range, though, he loses something. He also has a weird "falsetto/yodel" thing that he puts in the middle of his phrasing and it is not quite Garth Brooks. LOL, and he ends on the smirk.

Pia - All in love is fair - She has a great voice for sure. I wish she would have done some kind of moving around, though. I mean, this was just ... vanilla.

Paul - Tracks of my tears - I am a huge fan of Paul. This song started out a bit "Paul Simon" to me instead of Paul McDonald, but he sure is unique. Talk about making a song one's own. This was great!

Naima - Dancing in the streets - I like the "broken-down" version she is doing here. Hmm, she has a few flat notes or something off through the song. Whoa! Love the breakdown dance in the middle! Talk about your showmanship! That's a song ready for prime time concert.

James - Living for the city - Oh yeah! Some funky vibes and a little dancing going on there. I think he'll have a decent fan following after the show. This makes you wanna bob your hear along to it. Nice job.

---

Okay, we know what happens in the voting. I have to say that I am VERY glad they decided to use the SAVE for Casey because he deserves it!

Thanks for playing along. See you next time!

And then there were eleven...

American Idol

Well, someone should have tested out all those wireless mics before turning the cast loose with them.  Nothing like bad audio on a SINGING show...

Jacob - Safe
Lauren - Safe
Casey - Safe
Haley - Bottom 3
Paul - Safe
Scotty - Safe
Pia - Safe
James - Safe
Stefano - Safe
Naima - Bottom 3
Karen - Bottom 3
Thia - Safe

Bottom 3:
Haley - Safe
Karen - DANGER
Naima - Safe

WHAT!?  How did that happen!?  Wow, did not expect that one!

Karen goes home, not unanimous as evident by Jennifer Lopez's reaction.  I really thought Haley was heading out.  I think Karen's future is wide open.

American Idol Top 12

Welcome to the annual Top 12 Henderson Vote! Here is where we pick our favorites and vote off those that need to go home.

Y = Yes, we liked it, N = No, go home!, ? = Not sure

Name-----Dave----Shan----Emily---
Naima-----N-------N--------N-----
Paul------Y-------Y--------Y-----
Thia------Y-------Y--------Y-----
James-----Y-------Y--------N-----
Haley-----N-------Y--------Y-----
Stefano---Y-------Y--------N-----
Pia-------Y-------Y--------Y-----
Scotty----Y-------Y--------Y-----
Karen-----Y-------?--------N-----
Casey-----N-------N--------N-----
Lauren----Y-------Y--------Y-----
Jacob-----Y-------Y--------X-----


Naima - 1984 - What's Love Got To Do With It - Not a big fan of this one. UGH her voice grates on my nerves.

Paul - 1984 - I guess that's why they call it the blues - What a great song choice! His throat issue could cost him though. Great job despite his "handicap."

Thia - 1995 - Colors of the wind - Shan said, "She has a great voice, but needs work on her stage presence." I have to agree.

James - 1989 - I'll be there for you - Yeah! Unlike the person he is often compared to from last season, James can rock it out and sound good without screaming every line. Awesome! Emily says he still screams too much. LOL, not her style.

Haley - 1990 - I'm your baby tonight - Her voice is all over the place. Whoa, this is weird. Emily likes her. The end was bizarre. That did not go with that song.

Stefano - 1989 - If you don't know me by now - He's not doing a bad job here. He has updated the song, not sure it's a version I'd like to hear more than once. He will make it through this round though for sure.

Pia - 1988 - Where do broken hearts go? - I like this version! Cool uptempo take on an 80's classic. She is awesome! Emily gave her clothes a big "NO!" (lol)

Scotty - 1993 - Can I trust you with my heart - He almost has a "Garth Voice" going on there. I sure do like his singing though. Emily thinks he could win the whole show. It was nice to hear him come out of that deep range for a change, too.

Karen - 1989 - Love will lead you back - This is one of my favorite 80's songs. She's doing a good job, but my bias is toward a more soulful rendition. Ooo, nice switch into Spanish there! I liked that.

Casey - 1991 - Smells like teen spirit - Ummm.. No. This is horrendous. This is very bad karaoke to the point that Simon would have said, "Was this a joke?"

Lauren - 1994 - I'm the only one - I think she started off a bit off, but picked it up and turned this into something almost country. She had some rough moments, but okay overall.

Jacob - 1987 - Alone - Interesting. He's doing a great job, but Im not sure I like it. Either way, he is safe for sure and I'm giving him a yes even though I don't quite "get it."

Catching up on Idol

Well, we are late in getting caught up with Idol. And it will be that way for this whole season just because of the way things go. But, for those that like to follow along with our thoughts, here ya go:

Lauren - I thought she did okay, but nothing special.

Casey - This guy is amazing. "I get by with a little help with my friends" was absolutely incredible. Great job!

Ashton - Diana Ross - Not all that impressed in general.  It was about as good as Lauren's.  She did hit a nice mid-high note there near the end.  Very nice high note at the end.  But, meh.

Paul - Hmm, never heard of Ryan Adams.  Paul has a "David Crowder" kind of voice which I like.  Not sure about the song choice. 

Pia - Celine Dion - "All by myself" - She has a nice, smooth voice.  Very nice control.  By far the best female of the night so far.

James - Paul McCartney - "Maybe I'm Amazed" - I have mixed feelings about James and his style.  At least this time he wasn't flat-out screaming like he has been.  He did a good job, but not as well as the other guys.  He has certainly come a long way from the bullied little kid he once was.

Haley - LeAnn Rimes - "Blue" - This could be ugly if it goes badly.  If she kicks it out, it will set her apart from everyone else. Ouch. A little sour on the opening yodel.  Maybe she means to go flat like that, but it is hard to listen to.  She is doing well, but the falsetto/yodel thing just isn't working for me.

Jacob - By far, he is one of Shan's favorites this season.  She loves her some Jacob.  R.Kelly... "I believe I can fly" - Wow.  Talk about making a song your own!  This is phenomenal!  Oh man, he just knocked it out of the park. 

Thia - Michael Jackson! Wahoo!! I knew SOMEONE would do Michael!  "Smile" - Not sure out of all the Michael songs this is the one she should have picked, but we'll see how it goes.  It is hard to believe she is so young!  I like the beat added to it in the 2nd verse.  She has a great voice, but like Shan said to me, "she just doesn't have a stage presence. She is so young."  She will have to work on that.

Stefano - Stevie Wonder - "Lately" - He reminds me of a young Matt LeBlanc. I don't know if that's good or bad. Just saying it.  He could go home and I wouldn't miss him.  Not that impressed with his performance tonight.

Karen - Selena - It's okay.  Shan said, "She could be a good Spanish singer." I agree.  I think she should have sung this in Spanish and she would have knocked it out of the park.  Instead, this was more middle-of-the-pack.

Scotty - Garth Brooks - "The River" - Man, I hope he knocks this out!  Very well done.  He made the song his own without making it karaoke. What an amazing low voice he has!  One of my favorites this season for sure.

Naima - Rhianna - "Umbrella" - Shan likes it.  I'm not sure.  It's weird, but her voice has a strange quality to me.  Some kind of strange tone or phrasing or something at the end of her words.  Now, the performance was VERY well done!  She is stage-ready for sure.

Okay, so now we are moving on to the elimination show.  Who do we think will go?

Dave - I think Stefano will go.
Shan - Either Ashton, Stefano, or Karen will be eliminated.

Shan's top picks - Pia, Lauren, Scotty, Jacob. She also likes Casey.
Dave's top picks - Pia, Scotty, Paul, Casey.

Oh, man, Michael songs!  Some of the singers are doing well. Others... well, no.  I would buy an album of Pia singing Michael Jackson songs.  Pia is simply amazing! 

Jacob - Safe
Karen - Bottom 3
Stefano - Safe (Bummer)
Lauren - Safe
Ashton - Bottom 3
Haley - Bottom 3

Wow, what a bizarre way to reveal who was safe or not.  Okay. Weird.

And, the (possibly) Eliminated Idol Singer is....

ASHTON

Will the judges save her?  I don't think so.  I just don't think they will use it this early.  On top of that, she did not do well with her song.

NO SAVE - ASHTON gets booted off.

Now, the David Cook version of "Don't You Forget About Me" playing in the video send-off is AWESOME!

Stay tuned next week after the show is over to see what we have to say. Oh sure, you'll already know the results, but reading along with our thoughts makes it even more enjoyable!