May 17, 2005

Seacrest in and he's looking nice and scruffy. Excellent. If Ryan is back to being cute and rumpled, that can only mean that Paula is back to being drunk and incoherent, right?

Ryan: We've been through so much together and next week we crown the next American Idol. Aw, Ryan, don't worry, I'll miss you too when this is over. Seacrest says just one percent separates our top three. Not only that, Clive Davis is in the house. Clive will be producing the winner's CD.

Tonight we'll hear from each of the Idols three times (oh thank GOD that Savol is gone!) and Davis has chosen the first song they'll perform.

Vonzell is up first and Clive is having her singing "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again". Vonzell is singing quite haltingly tonight through the verses, and then, when she gets to the chorus she has way too much vibrato. I think she's going for a controlled performance, but the Vonz has no control and she's at her best when she just belts.

Clive: You hit the notes great, but don't smile during a sad song.
Randy: A little pitchy, it's a tough song to sing.
Paula: Not the best key. You look beautiful. Uh oh.
Simon: Bad notes and her nervousness showed.
Kris: Painful. Absolutely dreadful, her worst performance yet.

Bo takes the stage singing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me". WTF? Why make Bo sing a ballad? He sings two notes, however, and the girls already start screaming. Hey, I think Bo must have broken his sunglasses because he looks like he's sporting a new, slightly less ugly pair. Good for him. Listening to the crowd react to Bo, it's hard to believe he's not way ahead of Carrie and Vonzell each week in the voting, isn't it?

Clive: Heartfelt & powerful
Randy: Forever in the Dawg Pound
Paula: Pure brilliance (on a side note, hello Paula's breasts)
Simon: Great, but likes Balladeer Bo better than rocking Bo
Kris: I'm the opposite of Simon, Bo's ballads bore me. I'd rather be rocked than bored.

Clive is going to make Carrie song "Crying". Hmm, this could be a great choice for her. Carrie's working the straight hair tonight and looks great. You know, I think Carrie excels with minimalist songs like this. With a bigger arrangement I think she gets worried about shouting over the din. On a song like this, it's just about her voice, which is, as always, excellent tonight.

Clive: A real strong job, you captured the sincerity of it, but wanted an extra spark.
Randy: Perfect, one of your best vocals.
Paula: Haunting, poignant, but subdued performance.
Simon: Wanted the song stripped down even more. Bo wins round 1.
Kris: I agree with Simon, it would have been even better stripped down more, but still, I think this was one of Carrie's best performances to date.

Song one instant ranking:

1. Carrie
2. Bo
3. Vonzell

Vonzell is up again, this time with her own song choice. She's singing "Chain of Fools", which was what she performed in her original audition. This is a much better style of song for Vonzell, but I think her voice is off tonight, particularly in her lower register. Still, she's doing a decent job and this performance is only about 5 times better than her first one of the evening.

Clive: A winning and poppy rendition, but wanted more soulfulness from her.
Randy: One of the best vocals ever performed on the show. Gee, we know who Randy's pimping.
Paula: Nailed it with gusto and passion. Heh, why does that make me think of Corey Clark?
Simon: She's fun and likeable and that's what she's about, not the vocals.
Kris: I agree with Simon. I think tomorrow either Carrie or Vonzell is gone. Carrie was better on the first song, but Vonzell laid down more of a challenge here.

Bo has decided to sing "Dream" (?) by Badlands a capella. He's taken the sunglasses off and I'm mesmorized by his piercing eyes. Damn. Chills just ran up and down my spine. Wow. I think I might have to vote when this is done. Damn. I take back everything thing I said before about Bo and ballads.

Clive: Predicts that he and Bo will have a great time making "a very special album together". Heh, he said "very special".
Randy: Courageous and unbelievable.
Paula: Bo, you truly are a gift. Heh. I love quoting Paula.
Simon: You may have just put 34 musicians out of work.
Kris: The only better performance on this show was Kelly Clarkson's "Stuff Like That There".

Oh Carrie, she's singing Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All". Oh dear, dear Carrie. This is just a bombastically awful song. She sounds great, but it's just such a terrible song. BWAH! Okay, if the song wasn't bad enough, Carrie's bounce dancing made the whole performance just tremendous, and I don't mean that in a good way. She's the anti-Bo tonight. She's all about the bombast and he was all about the passion.

Clive: Loved that she threw herself into it.
Randy: You can blow. (James will be happy to hear that)
Paula: Powerful--actually let's face it, about 90% of the time Paula just apes what Randy said.
Simon: Good, but Bo was a tough act to follow and she pushed the song too much in middle.
Kris: At this point in the evening, I think Carrie is the favorite to go home tomorrow.

Song two instant ranking:

1. Bo
2. Vonzell
3. Carrie

Judge's choice is up next and Simon has chosen "On The Radio" by Donna Summer for Vonzell. Simon's being nice here as this certainly places to the Vonz's strengths. Okay, I try to ignore the fashion choices (except for Ryan's), but I gotta say that I love Vonzell's hot pink, fringy, sequined tube top. But you know, that's all I love. I think I just don't like her voice. She's a sweet girl, but she's just not my cup of tea.

Clive: You delivered. Heh, nice way to work in her formal Postal career, Clive.
Randy: Fun
Paula: Ditto.
Simon: Ditto, but this time to Clive.
Kris: Meh, I didn't care for it.

They are running very short on time and so we move right to Paula's choice for Bo: "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. Hmm, interestingly, Bo is putting a country twist on the oh so familiar tune. I like it. Now he changes it up and suddenly the song is almost kind of campy. This is just a masterful performance. Bo is a step beyond his competition.

Clive: You have the right spirit and attitude. Showed versatility. This is your night.
Randy: It's like being at the Bo concert.
Paula: One more week, then we have to pay for Bo.
Simon: A bit of light fluff. Simon is a wise man, folks.
Kris: I'd go see Bo at Summerfest. Who's with me?

Carrie is the last singer of the evening. By process of elimination, I know that Randy chose her song for her. I wonder if he's going to sabotage her to help Vonzell? Wouldn't that be a juicy scandal? Hmm, I don't know. It's "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" by Shania Twain. It's country, but it's not the kind of country that Carrie is good at. To her credit, she does a good job until she shouts, rather than sings, the chorus. I think she hated singing it too.

Clive: Country pop is her element.
Randy: Happy to see you have fun. Oddly enough, he likes the song choice.
Paula: I love when you have fun (see--she just says whatever Randy does)
Simon: Enough to get her into the finals.
Kris: It was okay, but just okay.

Song three instant rankings:

1. Bo
2. Carrie
3. Vonzell

Overall, I think Bo was far and away the best. I preferred Carrie to Vonzell, but I just have a feeling that Vonzell will be helped by singing songs the audience is more familiar with and that our darling Carrie will be going home tomorrow night.

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Posted by kris at May 17, 2005 07:59 PM

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