American Idol Review 05/06/08 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

This week's theme was Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.. Themes like this are kinda dicey.  You  would think it would work in their favor, since they get to pick a song from a very wide range of artists and styles, and can pick virtually anything that strikes their fancy, instead of having to choose from one particular artist..who may be way out of their comfort zone.  But, having every song to pick from is actually a lot harder. You have to pick the right song, and two songs in this case, and then not screw them up.  If it's a certain artist's theme and you aren't fabulous, people can say, well that's not his/her style, or how is he supposed to sing a song by this diva artist..he/she did great considering the choices.  This is not the case this week, and it was really a mixed bag of results.  

Carly was in the audience, and I couldn't help but think I would have loved to see what she would have picked to sing!  

David Cook was up first, and he first sang "Hungry like the Wolf" ..the  music was a little bit low..or maybe that was just my TV.  The original song is faster, or am I remembering wrong?  and I think it needed a slightly harder edge or something...I don't know, maybe it was just fine.  He could have done more with it, I think, but it was pretty good.  Not his best performance, but it was pretty okay.  i guess you just expect more from him, and of all the songs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame he could have chosen..this is what he picks? so.. I guess I figured he had more up his sleeve with this song choice than it ended up being.  This performance was.. ummm.....fine.  

Baba O'Riley by the Who was his second choice.  I don't really know much of The Who's music.. I probably know a lot of their songs, but don't know necessarily that it's them who sing it.  He said the tile of the song, and I thought "what the hell song is that?"  Then I realized it was the song I always thought was called "Teenage Wasteland".. LOL It was much, much better than the first song..he put it on and did his David Cook rock-idol thing.   The judges were much more impressed with this one too, and Simon even liked it.   

Sayesha did  "Proud Mary"  This one could have gone either way for her.  It's been covered to death, with some pretty well-known versions, and is big on the choreography and stuff.  One thing about Syesha, she has changed from the start, and she now doesn't just sing, she performs, and she dresses the part..She may not be the absolute best singer, though she has a beautiful voice, but she's one of the most entertaining.. she dances, sings, shimmies, and is very expressive with the way she moves and her eyes, etc,  Randy and Paula really liked it.. Simon didn't like it, and said that it was a shrieky impersonation of Tina Turner..I do gotta agree in a way that it was kind of a copycat version, but only because she threw some well-known choreography moves in there.. and there's really not a whole lot you can do to this song.  Didn't make it bad though.  I enjoyed it.. I wasn't wow'd but I was entertained.  

A Change is Gonna Come - This was done by Otis Redding and/or Sam Cooke.  This is a song I'm not too familiar with.  I've heard it maybe once or twice in my life, so she could have done anything with it and it would sound perfect to me..and I thought it was fabulous.  She sang with her heart, with emotion, and it totally worked. Randy disagreed. Paula loved it and gushed..and made Syesha cry.. and I thought for sure Simon was gonna have something to say bad.. but then Simon loved it!   Go Syesha!  She's still not gonna win, and will probably go home next week.. unless something funky goes on with the votes.. but she really was great this week.  I know lots of people say she shoulda been gone a long time ago, but i disagree.  Should she still be here and Carly be gone? hmmm.. but it is what it is.   

Jason sang "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley..as he said.."go figure".   I don't know the Bob Marley version, and it was..kind of a mess to me.  I thought it was just me, and maybe this was the way his version goes.. but, apparently, not.. since the judges agreed with me that it was pretty bad. I'm only familiar with the more popular version by Eric Clapton.   Even Paula didn't gush..she, of course, found some sweet things to say to him.   

His second song was a Bob Dylan song.. 'Mr. Tambourine Man".. OMG.. he sounded great.. but he FORGOT THE LYRICS.. after the first song.. then he comes up, chooses a 'just okay" song..and then forgets the majority of the lyrics  LMAO. Poor Jason. I felt so bad for him.. maybe he knew he had screwed up the first song, he was nervous, he lost it a little bit.. Even Paula couldn't find too much positive to say, but the girl did try.  Simon said it "Jason..I'd pack your suitcase".  Even Jason's fans..even those in love with his style and not just his dimples and those pretty eyes of his.. have to admit he dug his own grave on this one.  

David A - For his first song, he chose "Stand By Me".. a great song.. and one of those songs that is really easy to do your own thing with and not ruin.  He really did fabulous on this song.  The judges loved it, and the all the little girlies in the audience loved it too.  One thing about David, he has a great voice and he has his own style..he knows his niche.  

'Love Me Tender" is one of my favorite songs!  It's such a great song..and I'm not a big Elvis fan. I could take him or leave him in most cases, with the exception of a few songs, and this is one of them.  David put a little different spin on it.. again trying to turn it into a more current pop ballad-y, boy band version.  But.. i really liked it.  It wasn't the "Love me Tender" I know and love, but it was really a great new version of the song that was very enjoyable.  David is very good with making older songs sound new again.  

That's it!  There's only 4 .. and.the competition is fierce now, and Jason really screwed himself, If he doesn't go home this week, it will definitely be because he's hot. That's the only thing that will save him.  Unless David Cook's fans don't vote, or David A's fans don't vote for him, because they figure they're safe..and we have another Daughtry situation.. it's either Jason or Syesha, and Syesha's performance this week ..very good!.. Jason's performance this week ...very, very bad..   I'll be sad to see him go..but, luckily, he'll be there on YouTube, so I can go gawk..lol .. It's almost a relief, to me, when they do that badly, at this stage. It makes it easier to see them go somehow.  At least there's a reason that they get booted when they sound like crap, unlike if they were all completely bringing it and doing awesome, and you have to pick one to boot.