AI Recaps-April 17th
The Top 7 Perform
On Tuesday night American Idol is a little bit country, and not a whole lot of rock and roll. The lovely and talented Martina McBride comes to the AI corral to coach the lucky seven through some country songs. I’d love for the Idol hopefuls to sing some traditional country-Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn or George Jones. However, I’m sure they will sing more contemporary pop-oriented country-Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Shania Twain, and so on. And will Sanjaya sing “Achy Breaky Heart” complete with a Billy Ray Cyrus mullet?
Phil (Where the Blacktop Ends)-I’ve been a bit hard on Phil. I’m not always crazy about his voice, and his actual performances leave me cold. He’s really like the living dead. However, he was superb singing this Keith Urban song. His voice was strong and his performance skills were lively-finally! He played well to the camera, and I liked how he connected with the audience. I think country is his forte. He was not a muppet that sings, but an actual contender.
Jordin (Broken Wing)-After a couple of dull weeks, Jordin seems to be back on track. Her voice sounded beautiful and powerful. I thought she expressed this song very well through her vocals and facial expressions. The song did become a bit disjointed but that’s not so much Jordin’s fault as it is the song being cut down to 90 seconds. The story of the song was kind of lost. I wish there had been more time for her to sing the entire song. The judges were also impressed. Hmm, could she win this thing?
Sanjaya (Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About)-Yes, Sanjaya, you do give us something to talk about. Too bad it’s nothing complimentary. Sanjaya, looking like an extra from “Prison Break,” jokes his way through this Bonnie Raitt classic. If Ms. Raitt had a grave, she’d be rolling in it. Sanjaya’s voice is very weak, and hanging out with the back up singers won’t help. One back up singer looked at him as if to say, “Kid, I have socks older than you. And they sing better, too.” The judges were right; it was very karaoke. And Simon is not a shiny, happy person. Sanjaya makes me think of that lame kid in school who’s desperate to be voted Class Clown. Well, Sanjaya, you can’t sign my yearbook.
LaKisha (Jesus Take the Wheel)-I’ve accused LaKisha of resting on her laurels, but I think she was pretty good this night. Country might not be her genre, but she did far better than the judges gave her credit. I’ve never been crazy about this song. To me, Carrie Underwood is more like Carrie Wonderbread. But LaKisha gave this song a strong gospel vibe and made it very soulful. She also connected with the lyrics on a personal level. Then again, maybe I liked her performance because it helped cleanse my brain of Sanjaya’s.
Chris “Nasally is a Form of Singing” R-(Mayberry)-Well, Rascal Flatts are rather nasally, so I’m not surprised that Chris sang one of their songs. Being the chosen one, Chris gets a fiddler of pimpage. I hate this song. I despise songs that praise the simple country life. Give me the city life any day. As for Chris’ performance? I was bored. He sounded nasally as usual, and had no connection to the song. There was no enthusiasm. Yes, I understand he was upset over the tragic events at Virginia Tech. I don’t blame him one bit, but he still has to deliver.
Melinda (Trouble is a Woman)-I’m starting to sound like a broken record praising Melinda week after week, but the girl keeps on bringing it. What a fun and sassy performance. I’ve called Melinda a song stylist, but I was wondering if she could connect with a country song, Well, she can and she did. She really made this song her own. My sister has mentioned she gets a Billie Holiday vibe from Melinda. I see a bit of Ella Fitzgerald. Simon mentioned Tina Turner, which I saw too. But yet, she’s still Melinda. Oh, and I liked the longer hair on her. It made her look more youthful. Last week’s style made her look like Wheezy Jefferson.
Blake (When the Stars Go Blue)-Originally done by Ryan Adams, Blake apparently does the Tim McGraw version. I absolutely love this song, and I was hoping more from Blake. Sadly, I didn’t like his performance. He didn’t seem to get the lyrics, and seemed a bit smarmy in his delivery. I wish he would of sung it straight and left the weird dance moves out of it. Yea, I guess his voice was just okay.
Well, country night was another odd night. Melinda was fabulous. Jordin and LaKisha seem to be back on track. But KiKi might fall into the bottom 3 anyway. Blake disappointed me. Phil delighted and shocked me with one of the best performances tonight. And Sanjaya was horrible, but as the King of Tiger Beat nation, will probably survive. However, I am left with one question. Did Paula make her jacket out of the dining room curtains at Graceland?
You mean the red bandana? 
belongs to The Corrs w/Bono on 'Stars Go Blue'. 
What made his performance at least funny for me was that he didn't seem like he had a clue what that song is really about. 
