TVSquad

(S07E14) Tonight was a weird night for me as the boys who blew me away last week...well, kind of didn't. And the guys who barely squeaked by upped their game tremendously. It was like a mix-and-match of who was good and bad from last week and it made my brain hurt. Now I'm all kinds of confused and don't know who should go home anymore. There's still some easy fat to trim, but now I don't think it's nearly as obvious which six of these ten should make the Top 12. Good for them, but hard for us.

Tonight's theme: Songs from the '70s

Michael Johns - "Go Your Own Way," Fleetwood Mac
Background: He has played tennis since eight or nine and has placed in several tournaments. I don't like the way he started the song; he looked disinterested. When he hit the chorus it sounded to me like his pitch was off and it stayed off throughout the rest of the song. He came alive only toward the end when he put some meat into the performance.
Randy: "Nice way to start off. I don't knoww if that was your best ... It started a little slow for me ... Nice tone, nice song. i was waiting for you to like let go. I like you, though. You can sing."
Paula: "You're consistent ... [It's] a great way to start the show ... You're a seasoned performer ... I think you're already there."
Simon: "It was okay. It was by far your weakest performance of the whole competition ... It was what I call coasting along ... There was no moment. It was a very weak choice of song for you."
Jason: "I'm going to have to go along with Simon on this one. That was the weakest performance and vocal we've seen yet from you. I'll give you that you looked comfortable on the stage, but you also came off as a bit bored in the beginning to me. It was almost as if you were phoning it in a bit. You can sing but you need to really come out here and sing every time!"

Jason Castro - "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," Andy Gibb
Background: He hates doing interviews; he makes stupid faces and keeps messing up (which they showed us). Jason comes out again with his acoustic guitar and turns in another solid vocal performance. He hits all the range required for the song and doesn't feel the need for any power notes. However, it didn't have much wow factor either, as it was just solid but not necessarily amazing or memorable.
Randy: "With the guitar ... it's all cool, because it's cool as an act ... As a vocalist ... the vocals just weren't that great, it was just ... okay. It sounded kinda karaoke almost."
Paula: "I don't think it was as bad as you heard ... I think you made a clever choice with the song .. I liked the way you musically interpreted it, taking the band out and bringing them back in ... I would like next week ... to see you without the guitar ... Allow yourself to be more vulnerable as an artist."
Simon: "I thought the song was horrible because it was too schmaltzy. It didn't suit your voice ... The vocals were very weak ... You actually looked very uncomfortable with that song ... You chose a very average ... type of song, which isn't you."
Jason: "Again, I have to agree. Your song choice and performance was so memorable last week, it was disappointing to see you go such a seemingly safe route this time around. The song doesn't do anything exciting vocally or musically and so neither did you. I'm not going to say you necessarily did anything wrong, but I think the song choice isn't going to do you any favors."

Luke Menard - "Killer Queen," Queen
Background: He's part of an a capella group named Chapter 6. He's traveled for six years with this group and has traveled all around the world. He must have been a lot more confident and comfortable this week, and possibly inspired by sneaking away with not getting eliminated, because he came out strong and bold with a Queen classic. You don't do Queen. You just don't. Everybody knows that, and yet here was Luke doing all the vocal gymnastics that was Freddie Mercury's trademark and keeping up with it.
Randy: "In degree of difficulty ... you chose a tough song. I like you better this week than last week ... It was pretty good. There were a couple ... pitch problems."
Paula: "I'm so glad that this week was a great work for you ... You picked the perfect song. With vocal performances like this and ... vocalists like you that make me fight to get people like you in the Top 24 ... This was really a great week for you."
Simon: "I'm going to judge that performance and I think it was a mistake. You are always going to be judged with the original ... The singer of that song had charisma and personality. You didn't ... You suffered by comparison ... It was a bit theatrical and verging on the whiny."
Jason: "Wow! Was that Luke? I think Freddie Mercury would be proud of that. Nobody's Freddie, but you came stronger and bolder this week and reminded America why you're still in this thing. I don't have a problem with theatrical because Mercury was incredibly theatrical, part of what made him such an amazing performer. I say good job, Luke."

Robbie Carrico - "Hot Blooded," Foreigner
Background: Robbie is a drag racer. Robbie left the bandanna at home this week, but still commanded the stage very well. There seem to be a lot of vocally safe song choices this week and this is another one. The problem is that you have to question how memorable these will be. Even if Simon didn't care for Luke's performance, the fact that he tackled Queen will resonate with viewers. Robbie did hit the Idol power note at the end, so good for him.
Randy: "I don't know if the rock thing is really, really your thing ... [Your voice] doesn't have enough *grunt* to really be like a rock voice ... But I thought you did a pretty good job with it. I as just waiting to be like 'WOW' and like nothing came out ... It didn't quite go there for me. It was just okay."
Paula: "How does anyone know who you are but you ... I think ... in some ways you played it a little bit safe this week and when you play it safe you sometimes lose your character and personality ... You've gotta up the ante a little bit because now's the time you gotta really push through to ... get through and keep going."
Simon: "I thought the vocal was okay tonight."
Jason: "I wanted a lot more from you. It was good but it wasn't great. You have nine other guys you need to stand out in front of with these performances. For the most part, so far, none of the guys have done it. So, that said, it was a good vocal. You can sing and I still like what you do, but you need to push yourself a lot more than that to pull ahead of the pack."

Danny Noriega - "Superstar" The Carpenters
Background: He sang in a punk rock band in the ninth grade. They played one awful show and broke up. Danny was sporting the checkered cardigan this week and really striving to show us a tenderness in his face. Unfortunately it came across as a little overdone and insincere. And vocally he was solid but again very safe.
Randy: "There were some problems with the vocal in the song for me ... You go tthat slow vibrato. On a song like this you can speed that up a bit ... I felt like you were thinking while you were singing ... and not just letting yourself sing ... Just let it go, don' tthink about what you want to do to it."
Paula: "You've got amazing vocal skill ... You can't over-think it ... Take a deep breath and forget about us. Just perform."
Simon: "This week [was] better. It wasn't fantastic ... You were ... over-concentrating ... What I do like about you is that you stand out in a crowd and you're interesting. And you look terrific on the camera."
Jason: "You definitely have more personality than we've seen so far from all of the guys. And vocally we know you can sing. But I have to agree .That was all a bit mechanical. It was as if you choreographed the performance and the emotions and even your facial expressions. You were technically doing what you needed to but it felt empty."

David Hernandez- "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," The Undisputed Truth
Background: He was good in gymnastics when he was little. He won ten medals in the Grand Canyon Olympics. David came down from the stairs to try and make more of a performance of his song. And he chose a story song and did a good job with it. This was one of the strongest performances of the night so far. This was a very impressive performance from someone who hadn't yet stood out in any way.
Randy: "This is the David Hernandez that we fell in love with ... I was saying earlier, I hope this kid is good tonight because you were so good when we saw you. That's how to put it down. Show the personality; you've got all the vocal skills. That was hot right there."
Paula: "Your voice is so pure it's like it pierces right through the heart. Every note right in the pocket. Notes ... that were amazing .Your personality really came out this week and you told a story."
Simon: "This may surprise you, but in my opinion that was the best vocal of the night so far ... I like the fact that when you are given some criticism, rather than sulking you treat it as a challenge ... You've risen to the challenge ... I'm quite happy to hold my hand up and say I am a fan."
Jason: "Oh definitely the best vocal of the night. One of the best vocals of the past two weeks. Who knew you had that in you (because those of us at home weren't allowed to see you before)? You just put yourself right into contention for the Top 12 so be very proud of that. You told the story with passion and conviction and made it look effortless. A true authentic performance."

Jason Yeager - "Long Train Running," The Doobie Brothers
Background: He plays guitar, piano and drums and is self-taught on all three. He's waiting for the right song to add a guitar to. This isn't it as he comes out without one. He still smiles through is performance, which remains as annoying as it was last week. I know he has been performing in Branson but someone needs to tell him he's not trying to impress the geriatric crowd anymore. And those dance moves make Ruben Studdard look like Michael Jackson. But the Bill Clinton lip bite toward the end was painfully corny. I think the "corn-dar" was invented for Jason.

Need more American Idol? Get an inside look at Season 7's contestants and think back to these scathing (and hilarious) Simon Cowell quotes. Also: Who do you love? Rank the contestants!

Randy: "To choose that song as a singer ... wasn't like a singer's kind of song. I don't think you did yourself any justice with that song ... It was very pitchy and kind of karaoke once again for me. I didn't really get it."
Paula: "From last week to this week it was fun to see this side of you. I'm having a tough time figuring out how to ... I'll just say it like this. It's a song that has not many notes in it that doesnt' show your vocal range. Be careful in your song choice .. Pick singer's songs."
Simon: "The simple truth is las tweek was boring. This week was awkward and ordinary. And that horrific ending ... I don't know what you were doni there. It was like you were drunk at a party ... it was just corny. You're just a quite good singer who can't perform very well, so I'm very disappointed."
Jason: "It was again corny and theatrical in a bumbling way. Simon was on point saying it was as if you were drunk because all of your actions and motions were way overdone. It was all too musical theater for me and not enough authentic singer.
At this point Ryan started talking to Jason about his song choice and while Jason was explaining Simon interrupted to say that the speech was like an Oscar speech going on and on and where was the Oscar music to cut it off. I won't swear to it, but I think this may be the first time Simon has forced a post-performance interview to end before Ryan.

Chikezie - "I Believe to My Soul," Donny Hathaway
Background: His name is Nigerian and translates into "something well created by God" and it's being mispronounced but he's just left it as it's easier. I hope Chikezie ate some humble pie before this performance. He's dressed much more conservatively in simple jeans and a blue polo shirt. He also came with a lot less attitude and a lot more performance and quality. That was an amazing improvement from last week. He loved the song he chose and apparently one of Donny Hathaway's daughters is a back-up singer, so he gave a shout out to her.
Randy: "Chikezie is back, America ... This is the guy we fell in love with. I've said this twice tonight, I'm so happy you're back. That was blazing, you were having fun, you were singing at ease, at will, you didn't care what was going on, That was hot ... You're in it to win it.
Paula: "Very clever to pick a song and a story and (point to this one) you better remember my name. it was brilliant and ... fun.
Simon: "I've gotta tell you *screws up his name* ... I'm gonna call you Chi. You look better. You sounded better. I thought it was a very clever choice of song. It was a million times better than last week ... You must have seen yourself back last week the horror show that was you and agree that it wasn't good."
Jason: "I wasn't sure if you had that in you. After last week, I've gotta tell you with the attitude and the substandard singing I was ready for you to go. But you've changed my mind with that. Even the back-talk is more playful. You should be very proud of what you just did there because you took yourself from the bottom two to three guys and just moved right up to the top of tonight's performances. Well done."

David Cook - "All Right Now," Free
Background: David is a word nerd; loving big words and crossword puzzles. He does them all the time as an escape. This week, I suspect David sought the comfort of his electric guitar, and sang from behind it. And it helped tremendously as the David Cook vocals that blew me away earlier were back. He even stepped away from the mic to play a bit for the ladies. Inasmuch as Robbie wants to be an authentic rocker, this is the kind of authentic performance that Randy and Simon are talking about when they say Robbie doesn't have it."
Randy: "I love the throwing the picks out into the crowd ... You got the Marshall ... To me you're our real rocker from the boys this year. I actually really, really liked that. I thought it was a smart choice of song. it was cool for you, man. I really kind of believed you right there."
Paula: "You are the real deal, you know? You got it ... It was very smart, very fun, very relevant to who you are and I loved it.'
Simon: "It was solid ... It was sorta believable ... You don't have a lot of charisma ... which means--" At this point, David interrupted Simon and said that he didn't need to impress Simon, he needed to impress the audience (and America). Simon didn't take this too well. His point was that a video about liking crossword puzzles wasn't going to do David any favors with the voters.
Jason: "I agree that this was the most authentic rock performance we've seen yet in the voting portion of the competition. I don't know if you need the guitar to sing that well, but if you do then by all means keep it as much as you can. That said, America tends to not respond too well to snipes back at the judges, and especially when you basically dismiss what they tell you as unimportant because they're not the ones voting. Be careful. Just because you have one good week doesn't make you beyond criticism."

David Archuleta - "Imagine," John Lennon
Background: Got to meet the American Idol Season 1 finalists when he was eleven. He sang "And I Am Telling You" for them. This is one of those songs that I almost wish no one would ever cover because there was so much emotion in Lennon's singular performance and it was such a statement of its time. How can you tell that story with the same conviction this time around. But while I didn't care for the rearrangement of the beginning, once he got going, David does have amazing pipes and may have the single purest and most beautiful male voice this season. By the end, despite myself, I was mesmerized by this performance. Do you think they pick the performance order so they can end with the strongest one?
Randy: "That's one of the best vocals I've ever heard on this show. You're singing with such maturity way beyond your years... You were born to do exactly what you're doing there. That was brilliant."
Paula: "David, you are ridiculous. I want to squish you, squeeze your head off and dangle you from my rear-view mirror ... That was one of the most moving performances I have ever heard. You're destined for superstardom."
Simon: "Very risky to do ... that one. Right now, you're the one to beat and there are nineteen very miserable contestants sitting here tonight ... after that."
Jason: "I have a really close connection to that song so I find myself resistant to anyone changing it, but dammit if I didn't find my ticket for the Archuleta train tonight. That was an absolutely stunning vocal performance and deserving of every bit of praise the judges heaped on you. Honestly, if this is the level you're going to sing at each week, you might just have won this thing already."
DOUBLEPLAY - It doesn't happen at all some weeks and sometimes it happens multiple times, but for the most part, it is rare that a performance is so good that I want to go back immediately (the joys of DVR) and watch it again.

THE BEST OF THE NIGHT
David Hernandez, Chikezie, David Cook, David Archuleta

SHOULD BE WORRIED
Michael Johns, Robbie Carrico, Jason Yeager (I know these are some of the favorites but they really dropped the ball tonight).