Top 12 - Songs from the Rolling Stones

It's time for AMERICAN IDOL! And your top 12...it's songs of the Rolling Stones! I love theme nights where I am a big fan of the source material and there is a lot to choose from.

(BTW the segway to tomorrow's guest performer is the worst in history - it basically reads Tonight is songs from the Rolling Stones and tomorrow is Kei$ha, a popular artist often featured in Rolling Stone (the magazine). I'm sorry, that's terrible...)

It's Michael Lynche with MISS YOU. He turned the song into more R&Bish without losing the melody. That's smart - I was wondering if he could change things to fit his style (ala David Cook) and he can. Good sign. That was good. Great way to start the show. Good performance, singing wasn't blow away but it was very good. Simon doesn't like it much but all the others do. Hmm..who does Simon like that he put that down? Ryan comes down to challenge Simon. Very strange...

It's Didi! (They are doing family retrospectives which I am not that fond of but whatever.) She is singing PLAYING WITH FIRE. I thought that was very good. (I hope she is good, one of my picks has her second. Seeing everyone else's picks makes me very nervous on that. Since I do the pool i pick early, and then don't change no matter what (I don't want to be influenced, plus it would feel like cheating to change.) It was kind of dark and eerie but I liked it. I'm expecting the judges to not echo my feelings but they did. Simon says she is showing what type of artist she is. YAH!! Go Didi! Simon is a fan! Yes Simon! Vote for Didi!!! (Haha, Didi says the darkness came from rooming with Siobhan...)

Next it's Casey...and it's ALL OVER NOW. He is playing it kind of country. He is a pretty good guitar player. Country artists don't always do that well on the show (yes, Carrie won but she was doing power ballads when she won, country came when she became a recording artist). The performance was good, but the guitar playing kind of was the story more than the singing. Not bad at all but the third best so far. Judges all love it except Simon who pours cold water on it (and rightly so, good is not great. Save the hyperbole for later...)

Lacey Brown coming up. Commercial for THE LAST SONG plays, I'd rather watch 24 hours straight of Yo Gabba Gabba than sit through that. (From the author of THE NOTEBOOK - that's a threat as far as I am concerned.) She sings Ruby Tuesday. Has a string arrangement. That was nothing special at all. Randy says its interesting. None of the other judges say anything better. Lacey is our first person in possibly trouble.

Andrew sang an older Stones song. I didn't really like this. It wasn't sung well at all. What happened to Andrew? Kara gives ridiculous advice again. (Simon is right, she wants such literal performances (sing angry if the song is angry, go have a kid if the song is about a mom, etc.)) Simon gives somewhat supportive criticism but that was not good.

Next is Katie Stevens. Ryan tries to trip her up on who the lead singer is (nice Ryan...) She sings WILD HORSES. It's boring. Kara gives her backhanded compliment (they are always backhanded). Simon likes the song choice. He doesn't love it but didn't hate it. I thought it was really eh...

Next is Tim Urban! He does a reggae version of UNDER MY THUMB. I don't like it very much, it's kind of dull. It doesn't sound at all like a rock song. Tim Urban points out that it was his intention. Was stinking also his intention? BLEH...

My favorite Siobhan is next (i can't look at that name and not think SEE OH BAHN.) I will be disappointed if she is not good. She is singing PAINT IT BLACK (Itunes revealed this last week for some reason - it listed her song and no one else's.) She has a lot of style. Starts out real slow and then blasts out. The stage is flashing all red. (I'm totally seeing Simon calling this indulgent.) The thing is, the vocal is not spectacular for much of the song (Until she blasts it out at the end). Strange...very Adam Lamertish... A moment, not a Fantasia Summertime You are going to win now moment but a defining "This is Siobhan and this is who she is" moment. Kara says it reminds her of Adam Lambert (in a good way). Simon loves it too. YAH!! Go Siobhan!



Lee Dewyze with Beast of Burden. He sings it as a ballad. He has a nice twang in his voice now that he hasn't really had before. I like it. Kind of Kris Allenish but that's not bad. Not great but solid. Simon says he can do much more, which is true.

Paige Miles next. She sings Honky Tonk man. Kind of country feel to it. It's honestly not bad but I'm not feeling her even a little as an artist. As Randy would say "it just didn't work for me". Ehh...moving on.

Aaron Kelly. I liked this. Kind of countryish, and i wasn't aware what song he was singing, but it was good. I never realized the Rolling Stones were a country act prior to tonight. Judges like him. Ryan continues his theme of making fun of how the contestants look. Ryan is an idiot. That is my conclusion. Aaron is so safe.

It's Crystal to wrap up the show next. Crystal ends us on a high note. Very Melissa Etheridge like which to be honest is not a style I am in love with. (I think the problem I had with her performance is I'm tired of people strumming the damn guitar.) It was very good though, I don't think she is capable of a bad night, i think she is that type of contestant. I hope she does more going forward - she can have a moment, I want her to have it. She has a lot of things on her mind. I think she came back a tiny bit to the pack. (Yah!) Simon says Siobhan beat her tonight. (Yah!)

Best: Siobhan, followed by Michael, Didi (lost in the shuffle as it was 9 years ago) and Crystal. Lacey, Katie, Tim and Paige were just there. I really hope Didi doesn't wind up bottom three just cause she was so early in the show.

See you tomorrow with results!