Apr 9 2008
Preliminaries
After the customary introductions, Ryan mentioned the 'crazy' and 'busy' week the show would be having with a 'very special show' on Wednesday ('Idol Gives Back') and then the normal results show on Thursday. If you missed this, it's okay because Ryan will be repeating this information after almost every commercial break.
Inspire Us!
This week's theme is 'inspirational songs' which really gives the contestants a very broad selection of songs.
To The Dogs
Michael Johns was the first one up and he chose 'Dream On' as his inspirational song. Randy stated that this week was very important because it gave the contestants a chance to show America who they were as artists and Randy thought Michael's song choice wasn't quite him, as it was a little too 'Aerosmith.' Michael countered that the American Idol experience was about dreams coming true, which was why he picked the song. Randy stuck to his opinion, declaring that the competition wasn't necessarily about dreams, but about being the 'best singer.' Paula disagreed and thought it was a perfect song and stated that when Michael hit the high notes, her 'chihuahuas wanted to join you on stage.' Was that a compliment? Simon thought it was a good performance but agreed with Randy in that he thinks Michael is more a blues, R&B singer and that the rock performance he gave was 'wanna-be-ish.'
Pales in Comparison
Syesha Mercado chatted with Ryan about Ramiele's ouster last week, noting that she was close to Ramiele because Ramiele was the only one who got her 'craziness.' Syesha also revealed that Ramiele was 'exhausted' and in New York City so she and Ryan gave her a shout-out. In her video introduction, Syesha revealed that she picked, 'I Believe' by former Idol winner, Fantasia, because the song inspired her to give back in her own way, which to Syesha is through music. Randy thought it was okay, but it lacked the special connection that Fantasia's version had. When Syesha protested, Randy told her that 'Fantasia sang the living daylights out of it,' which by implication, meant that Syesha didn't. Paula thought it was one of Syesha's most shining moments. Simon thought it was technically good, but what it lacked was the 'big, big weight of emotion' that Fantasia had when she sang that song, which meant that Syesha's version, inevitably will pale in comparison. Simon also reiterated Randy's earlier point about showing America who you are, and he noted that for 2 weeks running, she picked songs that made her own performance pale in comparison to the originals (last week with Whitney Houston and this week with Fantasia).
Not the Wizard Version
Jason Castro chose the song, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' but the simpler version, as opposed to Judy Garland's version in the movie, 'The Wizard of Oz.' Jason's version was sung with a simple melody which he accompanied on a ukulele. Randy declared that after that performance, he was 'back in the hunt.' Paula described it as 'definitive' which apparently is her word of the night as she will use this word to describe other performances as well. Simon said he wasn't too thrilled about the song the first time he heard it but that by the time Jason sang it onstage, he thought it was 'fantastic.'
Changing Tide
Kristy Lee Cook chose Martina McBride's 'Anyway' because the song, to her, was about not giving up and doing things anyway, even if others didn't like it. Randy stated that it had a few pitch problems but was otherwise 'very good.' Paula deemed it her best performance, calling it 'excellent.' And Simon, always Kristy Lee's biggest critic, gave her some high praise for the performance, stating that it was 'very, very good' and that Kristy Lee was showing 'us who you are as an artist.' He also thought she 'looked like a star' and that she was doing what she needed to, appealing to her audience.
Not So Innocent
David Cook, who was hospitalized with high blood pressure last week, and is struggling with a family illness, chose the song 'Innocent' by his favorite band, 'Our Lady of Peace.' He stated that he liked the message in the song, that at the end of the day, everyone has a good heart. Randy thought the performance 'fell short' and that he 'didn't quite get it.' Paula stated that she believed in David and that he was the 'whole package.' Paula seemed to be very emotional with respect to David because as Simon was criticizing him, she was fluttering about to the point where Simon had to tell her to calm down. Simon told David he thought the performance was a little 'pompous.' Before David exited the stage, Paula pointed out that David had written, 'give back' on the palm of his hand which she thought was very moving.
