Apr 30 2008
Double, Double
Ryan, sporting a kinda strange half faux-hawk, said that "two" was the word of the night. ("Two" might be the word of the night but "in the zone" is the catchphrase.) Each contestant would have two phone lines in which voters could call in, and each would have to sing two songs.
Diamond Songs
This week's celebrity mentor was Neil Diamond. Among the many accomplishments in his four decades long career, is 120 million records sold, the movie "The Jazz Singer," and #1 hits like "America." His artistry was deemed "legendary" and he is set to release his 26th album on May 26 of this year. Neil Diamond said that he wanted to encourage the contestants, to "encourage the singer, musician and performer" in them. He thought they were all good, and that they all "bring something to [his] music."
Different Routine
Because there was a lot to pack into the hour long, live telecast, the judging format was changed slightly, with the judges giving their critiques after the contestants had performed both songs, as opposed to after each song.
Lackluster
Jason Castro chose "Forever in Blue Jeans" and "September Morn." To us, it sounded like he sang both songs the exact same way - very low energy, and in that rather slow, laid back style of his. Neither was a particularly strong performance. When Ryan asked the judges for a quick judging critique of the first round of songs, they were all unanimous in finding his performance lackluster. Randy said "Forever in Blue Jeans" was "just okay" while Simon thought it was "forgettable." With respect to "September Morn," Randy found it again, "just okay" and "definitely not his best performance." Paula thought he needed to get "outside his comfort zone." Simon told Jason that for the last 2 weeks, he hasn't been "the person we put into this competition." Simon criticized him for failing to "make the arrangement your own" and that Simon doesn"t know who "this person [who just performed] is."
Rocking Out
David Cook chose "I"m Alive" and "All I Really Need is You." Neil Diamond thought that David chose the "right material, [and had] the right attitude and voice." David got to chat with Ryan a bit although Ryan did all the talking, revealing that he used to listen (and sing to) Neil Diamond's songs when he was young. For "I"m Alive," Randy thought David did "very good" and Simon thought it was "above average." For his second song, Randy thought David was "blazing" and that he "rocked the house again." Paula said she felt that she was "already looking at the American Idol." Simon told David that he did what Simon was trying to point out to Jason - that David made the song his own, and Simon thought it was "brilliant."
From Nightmare to Nice Job, Baby
Brooke White picked "I"m a Believer" and "I Am, I Said." She would play the guitar on the first song, and the piano on the second. Neil Diamond suggested that she change the lyrics to "I Am, I Said" slightly (inserting "Arizona born and raised") to make the song more personal to her. For "I"m a Believer," Randy thought it was "better than last week but still karaoke." Simon thought it was "a nightmare." Brooke protested and before her second performance she told Ryan that "it may not have been [Simon's] dream come true" but it wasn't a nightmare either. Randy found her second performance better and that she sang a pretty tough song. He summed it up with a "nice job, baby." Paula thought she "came back with this song" and that she "connected with the audience." Simon thought Brooke sang a "very good song" as opposed to the first song, which felt to him like "girls" night out at a karaoke bar." He thought she did better on her second performance, but we wonder how much that meant considering Simon said he "really, really hated the first song."
Prodigy Performance
David Archuleta chose "Sweet Caroline" and the iconic "America." Neil Diamond dubbed David a "prodigy" which we think might be putting a wee bit of pressure on the youngun's shoulders. For David's first performance, Randy thought he was "in the zone" (catchphrase!) and that the performance was "the bomb." Simon thought it was "amateurish." David's rendition of "America," however, nabbed him better critiques. Randy thought it was "another good performance," Paula thought it was "brilliant" and said that she "loved [him]." Several times. Simon thought David was very "clever" for picking "America" and that it was "a smart song choice."
