American Idol--Top 8--Birthday Songs

Yay! Megan Joy is gone! No more crow impersonations. (I can hope!)

This week the contestants must pick songs from the year they were born. This means that Allison should picking a song from, like, yesterday. I wish we had some contestants that go back far enough to hit the 70s, but, alas, it looks like we're in store for a lot of 80s music. Could be interesting.

Whoa! The scary bald guy from Fringe is in the audience. THAT is synergy in a very creepy way. I wonder how many people picked up on that?

Judge intros on the stage are gone! Yes! I guess they are reading my blog.

Judge baby photos? Whatev. Paula's "baby picture" is from when she was seven? Same with Simon.

Danny Gokey--"Stand By Me"--Mickey Gilley (originally Ben E. King)
First cheater of the night. Yes, Gilley had a more country version of this song in 1980, but does anyone really think of this as anything but a song that came out in 1961? The cheating aside, this is a great version. He starts off gentle and pure. As the song goes on, he builds in intensity without going over the top. He also does a good job of changing up the song but not making it sacrilege in the process. I would never pick this version over Ben E. King's, but it was a good start. Judges were all positive.

Kris Allen--"All She Wants to Do Is Dance"--Don Henley
I like the song choice. Crazy arrangement. Kris in pop singer mode tonight as he sings on Idol Island surrounded by the masses of people who have never heard this song before. He actually makes this song modern, and it isn't bad. I don't think, however, that this song really showcases his voice much. No fireworks. Going early and not standing out BIG time is dangerous. I like Kris, so I hope this is enough. Judges were mixed.

Lil Rounds--"What's Love Got to Do with It?"--Tina Turner
Lil keeps picking songs that are sung by huge voices! I like Lil's voice, but she always sets herself up for an unfavorable comparison. She better kill this or this could be the beginning of the end for her. She is actually doing a Tina Turner impersonation. The arrangement is straight from Tina, and the vocalizations seem pretty similar to Tina. Lil can't beat Tina. Sorry. She belongs in this competition, but if she doesn't start making a name for herself, she won't belong much longer. She has no one to blame but herself. The judges have been telling her the same criticism since the Top 13 began. The judges call her on it and roundly criticize her. I am tired of her saying every week that she will listen to the judges and change if America brings her back. We've given you chances; start taking advantage of them! In danger.

Anoop Desai--"True Colors"--Cyndi Lauper
I've always loved this song. Let's hope Anoop pulls it off. Ryan calls on him, pre-song, on his rudeness to Kara last week. I actually like that he apologizes for it without making excuses. As for the song, it was pretty smooth and well done--parts actually gave me chills. My problem with the performance is basically my problem with Anoop. He has flashes of true talent that make you wonder, "What if?" But most of the performance just seems like a really good performance at a talent show, not a star-making performance on TV's largest talent show. I like Anoop, but I wonder if he's hit his ceiling. Overall, I still like him. This was a better original performance than Lil's. Judges were complimentary.

Scott MacIntyre--"The Search Is Over"--Survivor
He's singing Survivor? Really? He's playing guitar? Really? Scott's lower range is weak. Parts were good, but many parts made me wince in pain. There were some truly horrid notes in this. Did he really just sing, "Love was right before my eyes?" Yes, he took a chance, but I don't think it paid off. More daring than what Lil did, but the results were pretty bad. Judges were mixed from mediocre to poor. In danger.

Allison Iraheta--"I Can't Make You Love Me"--Bonnie Raitt
This song could be really good if she doesn't karaoke it. Too karaoke for my tastes (faithful to the original), but man, she can sing. It was truly beautiful. She does sound like she could record today. Best vocals of the night. So far. Judges love the singing, but Simon wants her to be more likable.

Matt Giraud--"Part-Time Lover"--Stevie Wonder
No piano this week. He's trying to mix it up. Excellent vocals (though I don't know if his high note made it high enough). He made it his own a bit, so it was good. He had a bit of swagger, too. Should be enough for another week. Judges liked it.

Okay, here's my major gripe of the night. This show has been on the air for many years. They should have by now figured out how to get the entire show into the time slot planned for it. I know live shows can be unwieldy, but this is ridiculous. Most people in America who are recording this on their DVRs or, heaven forbid, their VCRs NEVER got to see Adam Lambert. If I hadn't already set my TiVo to tape Fringe (good show) than I would be out of luck. I know there's no way that Adam would be the bottom vote getter, but if he was, this would NOT be fair. Sheesh!

Adam Lambert--"Mad World"--Gary Jules (originally by Tears for Fears)
This is one of my favorite depressing songs of all time! I am so stoked to hear this! The beginning is faithful to the Gary Jules version (the better version, the one from Donnie Darko), but then at the halfway mark, he totally makes it his own. Genius. Seriously. This might be my favorite performance of his yet. Maybe my favorite performance from any performer this year! Easily the best of the night. Man, is this guy good! Adam is an artist.

My favorites were Adam, Allison, Danny, and Matt.

My least favorites were Lil and Scott.

The rest were in the middle.

The choice as to who goes home is tricky though.