Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Red Hot Night for Top 12 Guys on Idol Season 7

Tonight the top 12 guys performed 60's songs on American Idol and wow, I just finished watching, and I cannot wait to go back and watch all the great performances; there were probably a handful of them. The judges disagreed with one another and had varying opinions all night. Simon was a bit too cruel at times, and Paula was too vague at times, and Randy said a lot but said nothing at all at some points over the course of the night.

I have to say I did think the 60's theme was a bit silly. I mean if these guys are "fighting for their lives" on the show, they should be able to sing whatever song best showcases their talent. For example, Chikezie Eze who I think is a great singer had to sing a 60's song and then was called old fashioned by the judges. I couldn't help but laugh.

Here is my take of the performances and I have graded them on a scale of 1-5 (1 being get off the stage, and 5 being great).

01 David Hernandez sang "Wait til the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett. My first thought on this was bad song choice, but then when the song adopted a gospel feel, I thought it was pretty good. I think David has a very good voice, stylistically he is like Marc Anthony. Simon gave some good advice when he told David to loosen up a little bit, and be more confident.
Score: 3.6

02 Chikezie Eze sang "More Today than Yesterday" by Spiral Starecase. I thought Chikezie's performance was solid; the vocals were strong. Paula called it a throwback to great R&B.
Score: 3.75

03 David Cook sang "So Happy Together" by the Turtles. David was definitely original with his performance; he reinvented the song and made it his own. Simon said he almost believed it.
Score: 4

04 Jason Yaeger sang "Moon River" by Frank Sinatra. Jason is a kind soul and that really comes across in his singing. I have to say that I remember Anwar Robinson singing this in season 4, and Anwar has one of those big voices and he has so much emotion too. Jason didn't top that for me; I wanted him to impress me, and he didn't. Simon called it a cruise ship performace and he was probably right. Look at Anwar's performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdljjO35ISQ
Score: 3

05 Robbie Carrico sang "One" by Three Dog Night. I really like Robbie a lot because he gave the first authentic performance of the night. It was believeable, and I don't want to jinx Robbie but I think he is a better version of what Bo Bice wanted to be. I like that he has personality, and his own sense of style as a person and a singer.
Score: 5

06 David Archuleta sang "Shop Around" by the Miracles. Young David proved why at such a young age he is a force to be reckoned with in this competition. David was a junior champion on the new star search and nothing has changed, he has only become better. The song was handled with a maturity and poise far beyond his years. Simon called it the "best performance of the night by a mile".
Score: 5

07 Danny Noriega sang "Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley. Randy called the performance, "kind hot" and Simon said is was "verging on grotesque". I have to say I agree more with Simon on this; Danny seemed a little too out of place singing Elvis. I can think of so many songs that would have been a better fit for him. The only thing this performance did was prove that Danny can get up on a stage and perform, but at this stage of the competition that isn't as important as singing your butt off.
Score: 2

08 Luke Menard sang what I believe was a Glen Campbell song I will have to do some research and update this. Luke has a great voice, expecially a solid falsetto. Simon called the performance "forgettable" and I could NOT disagree more. Simon will go back and regret saying this.
Score: 3.75

09 Colton Berry sang "Caught in a Trap" by Elvis Presley. Elvis had a tough night because this sounded good, but unfortunately, very karaoke. Colton is very sweet, and I do like him but this wasn't great at all.
Score: 2.5

10 Garrett Haley sang "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" by Neil Sedaka. Garrett is talented and does have a nice voice. Simon was overly harsh with him making remarks about him "being too pale, and needing fresh air" and something about him being locked in his bedroom for too long. Simon, this kid is 17, stop being so harsh! I think Garrett did a fine job and will be back next week.
Score: 3.6

11 Jason Castro sang "What a Day for a Daydream" by the Lovin' Spoonful. Jason was the only performer of the night to play an instrument (guitar), and it did pay off. I had never heard Jason before tonight, and I do like this guy. He has a lot of originality, the song was sung effortlessly, and it was current.
Score: 5

12 Michael Johns sang "Come on Baby Light My Fire" by the Doors. Michael is, as Simon said, the most consistent performer. What really impresses me about him is his authenticity, he is very true to who he is. His vocal control is amazing, and he is definitely the one to watch in this competition.
Score: 5

I cannot wait til the results show.

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