American Idol Season 8 - Week 3

Welcome to week 3 of American Idol – 2009 Edition. I’m still upset that my girl Alexis got the boot last week. It made absolutely no sense to tell her that they MIGHT use the save on her when a) it’s too early in the season, and b) she’s got to sing that crappy “Jolene” song again. Sigh. Farewell Alexis – I’m upset you won’t be going on the tour, but then again, I have never gone to the tour and wouldn’t start this year anyway. Alexis, I’ll miss you. In fact, I think I may just have to post a Top 10 Most Attractive American Idol Contestants According to Mort list. I’ll get to that later. But for now, let’s discuss this week.

Tonights show figures to be a good because it’s Motown night. The songs in the Motown Catalog are some of the most famous and well-written songs ever committed to vinyl. A few weeks ago I picked up an album called “Motown Number Ones” for $2 on Amazon. Easily the best $ I’ve spent on Amazon in a long time. So needless to say, I’m excited about tonight. The ten remaining hopefuls got to meet Motown founder Berry Gordy as well as the infinitely cool Smokey Robinson. Smokey Robinson, people. Should be a fun night. So let’s get right to it.

First up is Matt Giraud. Matt has definitely come on strong the past two weeks, and he looks to continue that trend with his version of “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye. This is a dangerous song because it’s so well known – actually, this will be tricky tonight because nearly ALL of these songs are so identifiable. Smokey says that Marvin would be proud – we’ll see. Matt begins at the piano, and as the song starts, I’m a little worried he’s going to suffer from “Scott-itus”. That is a technical term for sitting too long at the piano on Idol. But he eventually gets up and starts to move around the stage. And I’m struck at how good his voice sounds. For the third week in a row, I’m impressed with Matt. He's turning into this season's Elliot Yamin. With Alexis leaving last week, Matt is definitely moving up on my favorites list. The judges love it too – all four give him major props. Great job, Matt. As Simon said, that soulful type of song is right up Matt’s alley. This reminded me of when he sang “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles. Very soulful – you da man, Matt! Keep it up….

Next up is Kris Allen. I have said before that Kris has the personality of a paper clip. He also doesn’t appear to open his mouth when he talks. He’s kind of like a Muppet. Anyway, he’s singing “How Sweet It Is” by Marvin Gaye (although it’s mostly well known by James Taylor). Uh – oh. He’s got his guitar, which means probably more goofy leg kicks that would make Dave Matthews proud. Kris is wearing the most ridiculous shirt. It’s got numbers on it – like he’s in prison. Anyway, he tries his best to be funky, but it doesn’t work. At least it doesn’t work for me. He’s just so freakin’ BLAND. No soul in his voice. It’s a pleasing voice, but there is no passion. I also think he could have done without the guitar tonight. Not really needed for this song. The best part of the song is his note at the end. But it’s too late. Of course, the crowd loves him. I just don’t get it. Kara liked it – said he did the “Kris” version of the song. Paula loved the note at the end (only props I gave him…). Quick shot of Kris’ wife in the audience – she’s kinda cute. Simon points out that Kris needs more confidence. “It looks like you’re standing at a bus stop,” says Simon. I agree! Randy said it’s “all good now, baby”. Ok Randy. God that shirt Kris is wearing is HORRIBLE. What in the world?!?! It’s like a modified Boy Scout uniform or something. Yuk….Someone call up Stacy and Clinton.

Next up, Scott MacIntyre, but I should be calling him “Dante” because “he shouldn’t even be here”. Sorry – that’s a Clerks/Kevin Smith reference. ANYWAY, Scott is going to sing “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes. In the package, Scott says he has huge shoes to fill, especially as a guy singing the song. He’s singing it much slower than usual at the start. He also mentions he’s still single. Nice plug there, Scott. Do what you gotta do, bro. So when he takes the stage, I’m not expecting much. Scott is still singing through his nose, and to make matters even more annoying, 3 backup singers join Scott onstage. The tempo picks up quickly but I STILL find all his performances flat – this is better this week because at least he is picking something a little more up tempo. And he has a few nice moments. But it still isn’t enough to make me a fan. I can’t wait to hear the judge’s comments – I predict they’ll love it. Let’s see….Paula, check. She says the singers brought a whole new life to his performance. Simon – my friend, the realist – tells it like it is. He notes the line that says “How much more can I take?” Classic Simon. He even rips into Scott and his piano playing! Says he needs to start picking better songs. Randy – he agrees with Simon and says Scott didn’t take a risk – he’s a better singer than that (he is?!?!). Kara liked Scott’s tempo, but she wasn’t crazy with the performance. He didn’t nail it. So overall, not a good performance from Mr. MacIntyre this evening. Hopefully Scott’s sham will be over this week – and Simon said he should have sung his other choice, “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” (which Scott calls “Reach out and touch”…that’s an old 70’s ad campaign, Scotty…).

Stupid Paula moment #1 – She pulls out Crayons and a coloring book for Simon, insinuating he’s a child. How original.

Next up is Megan Joy Corkrey. Or whatever her name is this week. She’s going to sing Stevie Wonder’s “For Once In My Life”. She’s got that freaky voice going big time during the package. Smokey says she’s so original and unique. So here comes the performance – I’m ready for the shimmy. She looks like Carmen Miranda. That tattoo is so annoying. And she sounds HORRIBLE tonight. She sounds really nervous. And she looks awkward out there as well. Is that a bird nest on her head? Ugh. And what is she wearing? She’s still a pretty girl, but man, that was rough. The judges have to be vicious for this…when Randy starts saying, “Dude, you know I’m a fan, right?”, it’s usually bad news. He called her a train wreck. Kara didn’t like it either, and says she should have sung “My Guy”. Paula, as expected, says she is stunningly beautiful. Even the queen of kindness, though, has to admit – that stunk. Simon said she looked good, but said she was horrible. He said NOTHING good about her performance, and then he curses her! He says the dreaded, “I think you could be in trouble”, which is a sign to Idol Nation to not vote for her. She fights back and implores her fans to vote for her. Oy vey – what a wreck!

Next up – Anoop Desai. He’s singing “Oooh Baby Baby”. A Smokey Robinson song…the first one tonight. Apparently, “Noop Dawg” blew away Smokey in the package. But will he do it live? I think this is a bad idea – it’s nearly impossible to cover Smokey Robinson without coming off amateurish. ‘Noop has some nice moments, and picks it up towards the end. I wasn’t blown away by it, but I didn’t think it was horrible either. Just ok. I sound like Randy Jackson here! Kara’s review is very technical and said he did a pretty good job. She wants him to push it more next time. Paula called him “sweet”. Simon said it was a great vocal, but he looked like he was sleeping. Randy wants more energy next week – said it was nice to hear the “croon and swoon” but it was a little “pitchy” (first time I remember him saying that this season…next to “Dawg”, he loves using the word “Pitchy”. Randy also uses his copyrighted phrase, “He’s doing his thing….”).

Next up – Michael Sarver…you know, the Oil Rigger. He informs us that he couldn’t go to Detroit because of an illness. He’s going to sing “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” by the Temptations. Before he even takes the stage, I have a feeling this is really going to be good. This is the type of song that Michael can definitely sing. Smokey encourages Michael to “pound it more”. Um…ok…. So Michael takes the stage. Immediately I see that Michael is trying to over sing. He doesn’t really need to – he’s got a strong enough voice to just sing it normally, and hit the big notes when needed. But he’s trying to go over the top too much. I could have sworn he sang this song during a previous show – or maybe I’m crazy. Anyway, I was disappointed in this performance. It’s not bad, but I expected much more. And he hits a really bad note at the end. Paula didn’t care for it – said it was too Vegas, baby. Paula can’t speak. She sounds like she’s going to cry. Simon has no idea what she is trying to say. Simon is straightforward – he couldn’t wait for it to end. He also says he has no chance of winning (which is why I now will be voting nonstop for Michael. I mean, c’mon Simon, you can’t say that – YOU PUT HIM IN THE TOP 13!! If he had no chance, why did you put him there?). Randy said that the song was too big for Michael, and while I don’t agree with that, I do agree that he didn’t perform it well. Kara didn’t care for it either. She said he needs to bring it next week and bring his personality to the song. I will say that I like Michael – he seems like a good guy. He can do better and I think if he’s around next week, he will. Unless it’s Disco week.

Watching an iPhone commercial, I realize I really want one, but will happily stick with my LG Dare because a) it’s cheaper than a Blackberry Storm, and b) I like Verizon. But if Verizon ever offers an iPhone, I’ll be VERY tempted.

ANYWAY, getting back to the performances, and next up is Lil Rounds. She is singing “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave” by Martha and the Vandellas. I really love Lil. She is such a great singer. Smokey uses the old cliché “She could sing the phone book”. Lil gets really emotional during the package, and Smokey tells her that he feels the same way. Lil takes the stage, and her hair is very “Motown-esque”. Nice try, but it doesn’t look quite right. While Lil has a very powerful voice, there is something not quite right with it tonight. Like Michael, I think she’s trying to over sing. I liked the ending of the song, but most of the song didn’t sound quite right. Randy agrees with me – she’s got a great voice but sounded rushed. Kara also thought it wasn’t a good song for her. Paula loved it. Simon didn’t think she chose the right song – it doesn’t give her a chance to breathe and have her “moment”. He said she’s one of the best singers in this competition, and he can’t wait for her to blow us away again. Neither can I.

I really have no desire to see “A Haunting in Connecticut”. Ok, just thought I’d get that off my chest.

Back to Idol – hey, there’s Olivia Newton John in the audience! Ok, next up – Adam Lambert, doing “Tracks of my Tears” by Smokey Robinson. Adam intently listens to Smokey’s comments, and it appears he’s going to play it pretty straight tonight. HOLY CRAP! Is that Morrissey on stage? Elvis? Nope, it’s Adam, doing a straightforward version of “Tracks of My Tears”. During the song, I notice a few things. One, Adam has got some pretty big earrings on. Second, in high def, Adam skin doesn’t look so hot. And lastly, he does a nice, falsetto-filled version of the song. After last week’s train wreck/massacre of “Ring of Fire”, this is much better. It’s still a little odd hearing that falsetto at the end, and the look is jarring. But I liked it. Understated, and well done. Kara loved it – but she can’t count. “I’ve got six words for you – ‘One of the best performances of the night’”. Um, that’s 8 words, Kara. If you’re going to call that out, at least get it right. Is she taking private lessons from Paula? She even gave him a standing O. Paula loved it too. She uses the term, “Gutted instinct to have an element of surprise”. Huh? I thought she also said she loved the “Queen look”, but I think she said, “Clean look”. Paula rambles on and on…kinda like me (why are these reviews always so long??)! Simon loved it – and said it was, “THE best performance so far tonight”. That’s six words. Thanks Pam for pointing that out to me. While Randy’s talking (he loved it too), I realize Adam looks a little like actor “Leo DiCaprio”.

Next up – Danny Gokey. He better pick the right song tonight! He’s singing “Get Ready” by The Temptations – good choice, I think. GOD he looks like Robert Downey Jr. Smokey tells Danny to sing the backup singer parts. Hmmmm…. we’ll see what happens. I will say that Smokey at least is offering good advice so far to all the contestants. He should know! Anyway, following up Adam with a completely different type of song, I think Danny blows it up! He can’t dance to save his life, and as my wife Pam points out, he loves to overennunciate the word “Ready”. Paula gushes over him. Simon said it was clumsy and amateurish. Randy compares him to the great Levi Stubbs (wow!) – he loved it. Kara liked it, didn’t love it. Still a huge Danny fan, though. I really enjoyed the performance – his voice is definitely strong, and while I think he should have avoided dancing with the backup singers, I think Danny did a great job tonight. It’s a great, fun song, and he did it justice.

Finally, we reach the last performance tonight – Allison Iraheta, who sings, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” by The Temptations. Allison looks really young in the package – she is only 16 years old, so I should cut her a little slack. She is concerned about forgetting the lyrics. Pam points out that the song starts out “It was the third of September…” Hey – that’s our anniversary!! Anyway, at one point, I can’t understand Allison, and I wonder if she forgot the lyrics? She’s got a powerful voice – I’ve said that in the past, and that last note is amazing. She really did a good job tonight. It completes the trifecta of great performances at the end of the show. Along with Matt, these three are the top of the crop tonight. Randy and Kara both love it. Stupid Paula Moment #2 (well, she’s got a lot more, but I’m just noting the second one here) – she has a drawn on moustache during her comments. Oh boy. But she loved Allison’s performance, as did Simon.

So that wraps up Motown week. I predict Megan or Scott will be the next one to go. We’ll find out on Thursday night. Hope you all enjoyed reading my review of this week’s idol – check back next week for another review!