American Idol: The Final 12

Last week American Idol was a terrible shock for me. I thought Lilly Scott and Alex Lambert were two of the most promising contestants, and I liked Katelyn Epperly as well. I can't believe they were voted off. This week was hard for me in a different way, because I love the Rolling Stones, arguably the best rock and roll band ever to exist, perhaps even to this day. With every song of the Rolling Stones songbook, especially those done by less than worthy performers, I heard the Stones in my mind, making the performances sound even worse. With that true confession out of the way, here is my list for this week, worst first.

12. Tim Urban What was that mess he made out of Under my Thumb, one of the most hostile and aggressive songs ever written? With his weak voice, he tried to sing it as a jolly and romantic Reggae song? What? The judges hated it as much as I did. Get out now. Goodbye.

11. Lacey Brown, inevitably paired with Tim as the worst, although sadly only one can go home this week. She didn't get the mystery of Ruby Tuesday but only parroted the lyrics and tune. As Simon said, she acted it.

10. Andrew Garcia picked a hard song to sing in Gimme Shelter. The song was too much for his voice, and his performance lacked flow. The judges didn't hate it, but didn't like it much either.

9. Katie Stevens gave a controlled performance of Wild Horses, a haunting song that was a little too much for her. Her voice didn't sound great. I still think she has promise as a singer, and the judges liked her, but I don't think she'll go far in the contest.

8. The judges loved Casey James' performance of It's All Over Now, but I disagreed. I liked his performance in part, but he countrified the song (never good in my book) and, like Andrew, lacked flow.

7. Paige Miles's version of Honky Tonk Woman wasn't bad. She showed a lot of spirit and had a feeling for the original. But she was a little awkward. The judges like her big voice and liked this performance.

6. I'm trying to be objective about Michael Lynche, but I really dislike him. He picked the worst, lamest, and most forgettable Rolling Stone song, Miss You, and sang it as an R&B number. All of the judges but Simon loved it. Simon called it at little cheesy and desperate; he nailed it. Last week one of the bloggers (I forget who) described Lynche's performances as "point and preen." That nails it as well.

5. Didi Benami gave a dramatic, slowed down performance of Play With Fire, which was a good song choice for her. I thought it was a little slick, but good over all. The judges agreed that it was a solid performance.

4. Aaron Kelly surprised me with his solid performance of Angie, a great song choice for him. He seemed mature and assured. Simon correctly observed that he picked the right song for his vocal limitations, although I thought he was in great voice.If only he could look a little older.

3. Crystal Bowersox disappointed me a little this week with her performance of You Can't Always Get What You Want. She did convey the spirit of the original, but all the judges agreed that it wasn't her best performance.

2. I love Lee Dwyze's voice. Beast of Burden is a wonderful song, but an unambitious choice. Nevertheless, I could listen to Lee's unpretentious, authentic singing all day long. All the judges loved it, but Simon thought that the performance didn't shine. I can sort of see why he said that, but I don't agree.

1. Siobhan Magnus killed with her dramatic and fearless performance of Paint It Black. She channeled Mick Jagger, but delivered the song in her own way. The judges were just as bowled over as I was.