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American Idol does a double shot of Neil Diamond

curlio

2008-04-29 21:13:36

Tonight's American Idol was a tour of madness. The pace is far too fast for a one hour show with each contestant performing not one but two Neil Diamond songs. The show ran a minute or so over with very little time for the judges to comment, which may have either been bad or good.

Ryan Seacrest does a quick intro of the judges and the top 5 before we quickly move on to the "How Awesome is Neil Diamond" video clip. His career spans 4 decades and he's about to release his 26th studio album. Neil likes the chance to encourage singers as he thinks they need encouragement. He likes turning his music over to someone else, especially when they find their own path and direction.

They are judging the contestants after the second song is performed, so I will be putting all of my comments on both performances into one paragraph for each contestant.

Jason Castro was up first. He picked "Forever in Blue Jeans" and "September Morn." Neil thinks he'll do great when he gets onstage and is more comfortable with the songs. He played guitar for his first performance, "Forever in Blue Jeans." It was a good performance, but not my favorite from him. I prefer him softer and more intimate than perky.

I liked "September Morn" better. He sat on a stool to sing. It was slower and more intimate. He really knows how to connect to his audience, even if the judges don't get it. Randy went on about this being a singing competition where they are trying to find the best singer (which we all know is complete bull and apparently Mr. Dawg hasn't gotten the memo). Jason isn't the best singer (neither was Taylor Hicks or Jordin Sparks or Kelly Clarkson for that matter). Paula felt he was too safe. Simon said this isn't the Jason they put into the competition.

David Cook was asked by Ryan how he prepared for this week. Cookie turned the question around and asked Ryan how he prepared. Ryan said something about singing Neil Diamond songs as a kid. Cookie picked "I'm Alive" for his first performance and "All I Really Need is You" for his second. Neil said Cookie was going for songs that most people haven't heard of. After David sang for him Neil told him he had goosebumps.

He played guitar for his first performance. I'm familiar with the song, but not very. I think David's version was a bit more rocky than the original (but I'm really having a hard time remembering the original honestly). Cookie's second song was great. I think it works for him that he picked two obscure songs. Randy said he rocked the house. Paula is proud of him and feels like she is already looking at the American Idol. Simon said the first song was okay but the second was brilliant. He said Cookie made that song feel like it was written this year.

Brooke White was in the third position this week. She decided to play guitar on "I'm a Believer" for her first performance and then for performance number two, "I Am, I Said," she played piano. Neil said the song is difficult to sing and make genuine but he was surprised to hear she could do it. "I'm a Believer" was vocally pretty weak, but she was having fun which I think she really needed to try to do.

For her second song, she had one part of the lyrics written on her hand. It was a much more solid performance. Her vocals were good, the connection was there. Too bad she can't do things like this all the time, she'd be on track to win. Randy said she did a nice job with one of the tougher songs. Paula likes her vulnerability. Simon said this is the Brooke we like sitting behind the piano.

David Archuleta picked "Sweet Caroline" for his first performance and "America" for his second. Neil said that he was uncertain how to end the song. Neil called Archie a prodigy, but with guidance and suggestions he'll do great.

It was a good performance but still boring. I hate his breathy voice, which is really obvious on the second song. It wasn't his best and I have no clue how he can bore me while even singing this song but he can. Randy said it was in the zone. Paula and Simon both thought it was a perfect song choice.

Syesha Mercado picked "Hello Again" for her first performance and "Thank the Lord for the Nightime." I finally felt somewhat of a connection from her on the first song. I think it was her best performance overall ever, though probably not her best vocal. For her second performance, "Thank the Lord for the Nightime," she was on spot again.

I felt the connection again. It was a great performance. This spells her doom I fear, as she finally seems to be hitting her stride. Randy thought she finally realized who she is. Paula thought the first song showed her vulnerable side while the second showed the performance side. Simon called this the strangest night yet. He said she is a good actress/singer but might be in trouble because she didn't have a memorable second song.

Ryan went to the judges to get their opinions on the first round. Randy Jackson thought Jason was okay, Cookie was good, Brooke was better than last week, Archie was the bomb and Syesha was in the zone. Paula said that Jason's first song featured his lower register. She then went on about his second song, confusing me before being told that there was only one song so far. Simon Cowell had quick insults for all. Jason was forgettable, Cookie was above average, Brooke was a nightmare, Archie was amateurish, and Syesha was old fashioned. He told all of them that they are Top 5 and they want to see and hear the performance of a lifetime on the second round.

My Ratings:
With a perfect 10 for both of her performances, Syesha lands on top of my ratings.
Cookie holds a solid second place, scoring a 9 on the first song and a 10 on the second for an average of 9.5
In third place is Archie, earning 8 points for each song.
Jason Castro comes in fourth with a 7 on his first song and an 8 on his second for an average of 7.5
Brooke is last with a 6 on the first song and an 8 on the second for an average of 7.

As for who will leave, my only bet would be Syesha for her lack of connection over the season with the audience. Beyond that, I would only be surprised if David Cook left at this point.

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Article open, for guests to react

Who had the worst performance?
Members				Guests
	(30%)	Jason Castro	(45%)
	(10%)	David Cook	(5%)
	(30%)	Brooke White	(24%)
	(30%)	David Archuleta	(18%)
	(0%)	Syesha Mercado	(8%)

GUEST ( Guest )

2008-04-29 21:51:07


	I really enjoy this site, but have never posted. However, I had to share my thoughts on this one... Obvious conspiracy theory: How can Paula give feedback on both songs after only one has been performed?

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

cheebe

2008-04-29 22:02:15


	Top 10 - Best to Worst 1. David Cook (Song 2) - Almost a bit shaky at first, second half incredible. 2. Brooke White (Song 2) - She cheated!!! 3. Syesha Mercado (Song 1) - There's some beauty hidden in there somewhere. 4. Brooke White (Song 1) - This wasn't a deer in headlights, this was plain psychotic. But that voice,and them antics... she's special. 5. Jason Castro (Song 1) - All that, and he only used one side of his mouth. 6. Syesha (Song 2) - The love/hate continues. 7. David Cook (Song 1) - Might have called it in on this one. 8. Jason Castro (Song 2) - Kinda moped around the stage a bit. Then moped off. 9. David Archuleta (Song 1) - Plain awkward fellow. Voice just not enough. 10. David Archuleta (Song 2) - Probably one of the oddest performances so far this season. My brain did not know how to register it all. Overall: 1. Brooke White 2. David Cook 3. Syesha Mercado 4. Jason Castro 5. David Archuleta

curlio ( Website Owner )

2008-04-29 22:05:44

YATTA!
	Guest said: I really enjoy this site, but have never posted. However, I had to share my thoughts on this one... Obvious conspiracy theory: How can Paula give feedback on both songs after only one has been performed? She, and the other judges, no doubt watched the dress rehearsal earlier to get their comments

"Now you know why lions eat their young" Capt. Phil Harris

cheebe

2008-04-29 22:06:12


	Guest said: Obvious conspiracy theory: How can Paula give feedback on both songs after only one has been performed? Because she's drunk.

Shenova ( Head Editor )

2008-04-29 22:29:20

She who thinks!
	How can we be at the Top 5 and I still don't care about any of these contestants, other than wondering what David Cook will come up with next? Syesha - yep, I agree with the Boss. She's finally really hit her stride. Had she done this earlier, she might have been a larger contender. David Cook - phoned in the first, second was brilliant. I hope he doesn't win because he could go and open for Daughtry tomorrow and make a bazillion dollars. He doesn't need the shackles of 19M. The rest - ZZZZZZZZZZ Archuleta - "America" - anyone not expecting this song choice ought to hang their head in shame! Another great "Up With People" anthem! Seriously, I have heard better vocals on this song at Six Flags. This was another song that needed the cheesy dancing girls in patriotic get-up and the Muppets singing along... Brooke - Song 1 - BLECH!, Song 2 - Sincere and believable Jason - I liked his first song better than others seemed to...second song ought to get him sent home.

GUEST ( Guest )

2008-04-29 23:37:59


	Keep voting for Syesha. I found it sad that as such a big potential talent, her fan base is small. I urge Americans to give chance to this big voice. Vote for her as many times as possible.

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

winona1717

2008-04-29 23:59:33


	I still think both David's are the best. Syesha has great stage presence. Brooke has a great voice, but no stage presence. Jason is having a bad time, last week and this week, singing songs he doesn't know, and that aren't his style. That is what American Idol is all about, singing all types of music.

GUEST ( Guest )

2008-04-30 00:42:18


	I hate the singer/mentor type shows. I wish AI would go back to "theme" nights instead. Only Neil can sing "America" and "Sweet Caroline." I really wasn't impressed with any of the performances tonight except Cookie's 2nd song because he did his own rendition. This is the problem, it is too hard not to compare the contestants to the mentor/singer. Who is going home.....who knows???!!!!!

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

toad	2008-04-30 01:49:42


	best in show: cookie. that second song was a winner. first runner up: syesha. simon called it 'actress/singer'. i call it more acting than singing though relatively speaking she sucked less than the others. second runner up: tie between brooke and castro. they both sucked tonight. brooke sucked less on the second song and castro sucked less on the first song. though in the grand scheme of things that first brooke song was some frighteningly crazy acid flashback crap. its time for either of them to go. better castro actually - on to bigger and better things in his own 'zone'. third runner up (aka: dead last on both songs): archie. that kid is one creepy mf. oh, and he sounds the same every darn week. prodigy or whatever he reminds me of a cult member let out for a walk with a batch of sedatives stuffed under his tongue. something is wrong. way wrong. cookie to win ai and even then i am not jumping up and down.

Juvie3 ( Guest )

2008-04-30 02:37:23


	I can't beleive this...but I've gotten bored with this season...I actually don't care who wins anymore =(

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

Pavlov

2008-04-30 02:55:29


	All in all not a very good night. I only got one of my song predictions correct (Brooke with "I'm a Believer") and was unhappy with most of their choices, not to mention the performances... Oh alright I'll mention the performances. They picked a lot from ND's wilderness years (called the Schlock years by less generous folks -- OK, that would be me also). Cook actually made that work for him even as he fell back on his usual shtick. I think both his performances were phoned in, but still managed to be the best of the night. Syesha has come a long way. Yes she is old fashioned, but I actually liked her "Hello Again" and she is finally starting to connect with the songs. On her second song I thought her vocals were a little pitch challenged but it was a very nice performance. Castro should have shined tonight, but he just coasted. If there was ever a night for the singer/songwriter type this was it. I will say "Forever in Blue Jeans" was more credible coming from him than from a middle aged ND in the 80's. Still it was a lackluster performance. His second song was better but still just OK. Brooke also should have shined tonight and she almost did with the second song, even though ND's suggestion regarding Arizona vs New York made no sense in relation to the rest of the lyric. (What "two shores"? The Pacific ocean and Lake Havasu?) She was lost in that arrangement for "I'm a Believer." I was hoping she would pare it down a bit. Finally, I nearly became violent when Randy called Archie "da bomb" after his butchery of a perfectly good and much beloved pop song. Not only did he not bother with either verse or melody on "Sweet Caroline", he also seem not to make much of an attempt to find a pitch. It was horrendous -- by far the worst thing I have seen from him (or most anyone else) this season. And he got props for it. Apparently the judges don't bother to listen to him anymore -- The comments are just scripted by the producers. I could argue that he butchered "America' also, but IMHO that song was dead on arrival. I think Neil Diamond deserved better that what we got tonight. His classic catalog is a treasure. Sure everything in the 30 years between "Beautiful Noise" and "12 Songs" is pretty much crap, but "12 Songs" is a revelation and for the first time since I was in junior high I am looking forward to his next album. I never thought that would happen again. (If you haven't figured it out by now I was once a big ND fan. My first big concert was seeing him at the San Diego Sports Arena the week before "Love at the Greek" was recorded in LA.) Now as to who will go home, I have no idea. I think only the Davids are safe, though the only one I really want to see go is Archie.

Anna8 ( Guest )

2008-04-30 07:27:14


	I believe that all 5 of them could have done better and should step up now that they're getting nearer the finale. I have to give it though to David Cook tonight as he performed the best out of them all. The second would probably be Archuleta as he indeed has a great voice, he just needs to be a little more creative on his songs as they might all sound the same in the end. I think that Syesha is a good singer, although I don't think she's more of an American Idol type. She should try out for broadway. Both Jason and Brooke aren't doing well lately, more so for Jason as he is getting boring.

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

hugefan

2008-04-30 08:51:43


	What a disappointment!! Apart from David Cook's second song, no one had a great performance. It is amazing, that at this stage last year, so many of the contributors to this site were bemoaning how the contestants were not as good as in the previous years. Top two for me: David Cook and Syesha. Who should go home? Archie. I can't believe how the judges are pimping him. Who WILL go home? Jason. I can't see the producers sending home another female this week. What was Paula on last night? Heard a joke on my local radio station this morning that gas prices are higher than Paula Abdul!!

ben1974

2008-04-30 09:02:02


	I think Simon gave Syesha the kiss of death when he said she was in trouble. I think America went, "Yup" instead of saying, "He's right, let me vote for her." She'll be gone. I think tonight also exposed the fact that Carly should not have been voted off last week. She was a brilliant singer and would have brought some of that ND bravado to her songs. The Davids did their things to appease their fans to get them to the final two. The other three looked lost and overwhelmed. In all honesty, I did not think anyone did well last night. Cookie's first song was the best overall, but that was just OK. I was bored with everyone else. And some people, like Castro, looked bored as well.

Waiting for the real show to start...

GUEST ( Guest )

2008-04-30 09:41:12


	I remember last year and the years previous there would be 80 to 90 comments on this site at this time. Looks like the bloom is off the rose for this show.

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

GUEST ( Guest )

2008-04-30 10:38:39


	^LOL I was thinking the same. Where did evrery1 go?

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

Will ( Site Recruiter )

2008-04-30 14:22:51

We are Stardust!
	It could be a sign of the apocalypse that I actually agree with that little perv, frogtastic! What little Dave did to the ND songs was way worse than forgetting lyrics or starting over, to me! It was like trashing a bride before he wedding, just, sleazy. I have a feeling that Brooke or Syesha will go home tonite and that is fine, I think Dave Cook is the real deal, though I do love me some, Brookie! From the recent press it seems like Idol may indeed be losing some of it's luster and with Paula's obvious pre-determined critique of Jason, I think the idea that the show is pretty much a fraud is more believable than ever. Paula should go and the show if it attempts to continue need a whole new everything. That and Randy's critique of David A, which is just not credible in any fashion. I much Prefer Rockstar, at least it's sexy people performing well with songs we like. Willy

dusty ( Website Owner )

2008-04-30 15:14:08

Developer
	Guest said: ^LOL I was thinking the same. Where did evrery1 go? The views are here, The people are just not reacting. My guess is that there is just a lack of connection with the contestants.

For I am the dust!

GUEST ( Guest )

2008-04-30 17:23:30


	Quick summary Jason - Ehh David Cook - Pretty dern good Brooke - Ehh then good David Archie - The first song was good, but the second completely lacked the infectious pride & joy of the original. It's telling that I yawned halfway through the performance, and even more telling that I got the song stuck in my head ... but with Neil Diamond's voice. If he wins the AI, the only thing that will keep him from being the lowest-selling Idol ever is his HWMNBN-like minions. Sayesha - Okay and okay. Vocally good, but emotionally stunted. Hitting big notes doesn't mean anything if you don't give it either feeling or meaning.

Don't mind me, I'm just a guest.

cheebe

2008-04-30 17:36:48


	hugefan said: What was Paula on last night? Heard a joke on my local radio station this morning that gas prices are higher than Paula Abdul!! In Paula's defense, that was one of the stupidest show formats I've ever seen on prime time.

Will ( Site Recruiter )

2008-04-30 19:23:15

We are Stardust!
	cheebe said: [...] In Paula's defense, that was one of the stupidest show formats I've ever seen on prime time. True, but she had already made up her remarks, it was plain as day. Will In other words that he didn't give it his signature charm had not happend yet, or am I delusional.

cheebe

2008-05-01 10:55:58


	Will said: [...] True, but she had already made up her remarks, it was plain as day. Will In other words that he didn't give it his signature charm had not happend yet, or am I delusional. Yea Paula's excuse didn't make any sense. She said she got it mixed up with David Cook's performance, yet she praised both of his performances.

curlio ( Website Owner )

2008-05-01 11:36:19

YATTA!
	cheebe said: [...] Yea Paula's excuse didn't make any sense. She said she got it mixed up with David Cook's performance, yet she praised both of his performances. I'm going to try one more time with the explanation, which was on Ryan radio show and has been in most of the media but doesn't seem to sink in. The judges frequently watch the dress rehearsals. Simon and Randy have both said they watch them to get an idea already of what they will say (though if something is drastically different like forgotten words they will alter it a smidge). Paula was there, saw the dress rehearsals. That's where she got her opinion on Jason's second song. That isn't just a cover story - we've heard them reference the dress rehearsals before.

"Now you know why lions eat their young" Capt. Phil Harris

cheebe

2008-05-01 11:52:58


	curlio said: [...]I'm going to try one more time with the explanation, which was on Ryan radio show and has been in most of the media but doesn't seem to sink in. The judges frequently watch the dress rehearsals. Simon and Randy have both said they watch them to get an idea already of what they will say (though if something is drastically different like forgotten words they will alter it a smidge). Paula was there, saw the dress rehearsals. That's where she got her opinion on Jason's second song. That isn't just a cover story - we've heard them reference the dress rehearsals before. That's all fine. But her excuse on the show went something along the lines that she was reading her note's from David Cook's performance, which contradicts what she eventually said about David Cook. That's all I'm saying. It was pretty obvious to most people (i think) that she'd already seen both performances.