First of all, Ryan, no one gives a crap about the "new set." Get over it.
Now, I was really worried about how American Idol's Lennon/McCartney week would go down. My brother and I were spoon fed the Beatles in the high chair. My parents were teenage Beatlemaniacs and it was all we heard in our house growing up. To say I am a fan of their music is an undestatement. It's part of my psychological makeup, the soundtrack of my growing up years. So, like any fan of great music, I feel protective of it. It seems wrong to let just anyone sing those songs. But, for the most part, I was pleasantly surprised.
The Good:
Chikezie sang "She's a Woman" with an interesting bluegrass/rock arrangement. He pulled it off and he certainly wowed the judges.
I loved Jason Castro (Dreadlock Guy) again this week. He sang "If I Fell" with his guitar and cute vocal inflections. I was surprised that Randy was so down on him. I thought he was excellent. Randy seemed extra cranky tonight. He didn't seem prepared to like any of the performances. Is Paula's mindless parroting of his reviews finally driving him over the edge? Was he offended by the amount of chest hair Simon was exhibiting? It's a mystery.
Carly Smithson belted a great version of "Come Together." She makes the other contestants look like amateurs. She said in the bio tape that she sings the song on a regular basis in her usual venue, and you could see that confidence and preparation in her performance. Come Together has been covered a lot, most notably by Aerosmith, so it isn't so jarring to hear it sung by an unfamiliar voice. I drew Carly in our AI pool, so I was happy to see her blow the other gals out of the water. Take it all the way baby.
Looking extra-hot tonight, Michael Johns was back on form with "Across the Universe." None of the judges seemed to like his performance much, but I LOVED it. He was so good. I loved his gentle, melodic take on the amazing lyrics.
Brooke White was so great again this week. She sang "Let it Be" at the piano, putting her indie-rock folksy vibe on it. Great song for her. She really knows her strengths and picks great material. And she was so cute when she came up to the judges with her feet bare.
The OK:
Syesha sang "Got To Get You Into My Life." She did a good job, the song was good, the arrangement was nice, but she just doesn't stand out.
I was horrified by Ramiele's version of "In My Life." This is one of those songs that is just sacred to me. We played it at my Grandma's funeral. For me to have to listen to this child just say the words as if they mean nothing was really difficult. I hated it. I mean, I know that the Beatles are not popular in the Phillipines. I'm just saying.
I am saddened to say that I did not like David Cook's "Eleanor Rigby." I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt after last week's Lionel Richie cover, but I just really hated it. And I was shocked by how much the judges liked it. Eleanor Rigby should not be used as an emo rock anthem. Have some respect. Hated it.
Amanda, Amanda, Amanda. What to say about Amanda? It was OK. I didn't particularly care for her performance, but it didn't make me vomit.
The Ugly:
I was so happy to see how bad David Hernandez was doing because I want him voted off (sorry Jen). I'm not sure what he was thinking when he decided to sing "I Saw Her Standing There." Of all the great songs there were to choose from that would have allowed him to really sing, he chose a boppy dance number. Idiot.
But my happiness only lasted until I heard the opening notes of Kristy Lee Cook singing "8 Days A Week" Hee Haw style. As soon as I heard that heinous atrocityI knew without a doubt that she will be going home. I know Simon advised her to keep going with the country thing, but girlfriend, no. Why not something like "In My Life" with a gentle country lilt? Kiss her goodbye, because she will not be back next week.
Shockingly, I have to put David Archuleta in this category. He sang Stevie Wonder's version "We Can Work It Out" and he really blew it. He forgot the lyrics, he seemed to get off on the timing, and appeared to be lost most of the way through. Like Randy, I could only hear Stevie singing in my head. Lucky for him, other contestants were much worse, and he has done enough in the past to keep him safe, but he'd better pull it together next week.
So, no bleeding ears, no John Lennon spectre rising ghostlike from the grave to kill Ryan Seacrest. Nothing bad happened when AI sang the Beatles. It was better than I hoped, and it renewed my love for MJ.
Looking forward to Ryan torturing Kristy Lee tomorrow night. Hee hee.
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