Hallelujah

This is an American Idol post, posted minutes before the start of the Wednesday elimination show that will reveal the final two. I was not inspired to dish about the final three performances, because I would just be repeating myself. Casey was indifferent, Crystal was good but not moving, and Lee knocked my socks off. The collective wisdom of the web is unanimous that Casey is going home tonight, but I wouldn't be surprised if Crystal were voted off. Critics have been predicting Casey's demise for weeks and it hasn't happened. And surprises are what American Idol is all about.

I loved, loved, loved Lee's Hallelujah. But I am posting tonight to call your attention to the reason why Hallelujah doesn't need to be sung by anyone else, even Lee. And that reason is kd lang. Without further ado, here she is:



Stunning. Idol Chatter has posted video of other performances that I haven't yet had a chance to listen to. But I did hear the late Jeff Buckley, who made the song famous, and he also does a wonderful job, but lower key than either kd or Lee. His version is included on Idol Chatter.

American Idol: 4 to 3, Movie Night

Well the competition is getting hot. We're going down to the final three. I would be able to whip up a frenzy of excitement if only movie night hadn't been so lame. What a disappointment. What stupid song choices. And Jamie Foxx? A great performer, but as a judge, Puleese!

4. Casey James personified lameness in his solo performance of "Mrs. Robinson" from The Graduate. First off, this song choice, about an older woman who seduces a young man, was embarrassing given the jokes throughout this season about Kara wanting to seduce Casey. Second, this song is satirical and only makes sense in that mode. Casey sang it wistfully, as if longing for Mrs. Robinson, while strumming a tiny guitar. Stupid, and as Simon said, the performance lacked substance. However, I predict that Casey is not going home this week.

3. That role belongs to Michael Lynche who sang "Will You Be There?" from Free Willy in a cheesy and insincere way. I guess that goes without saying, but Michael has more raw vocal talent that Casey, so I rate his performance higher. But why that song? Michael Jackson owns that song; it's sentimental, but while M. Jackson can transcend that, M. Lynche cannot.

2. As he does on rare occasions Lee DeWyze disappointed me a little in his solo performance. "Kiss From a Rose" from Batman Forever. This is a smoothly romantic song as sung by Seal, but I never would have picked this for gruff rocker Lee. As Randy sometimes says, it was a little sleepy. But I guess you could say that Lee was original in his version. It doesn't matter though. Lee is already a great musician as amply demonstrated in in this recording session:


1. Crystal Bowersox won the day with her big, energetic performance of "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack, a truly lame song and therefore a questionable choice. But Crystal was hands down better than Kenny Loggins, the originator of the song.

As for the duets, Lee and Crystal's version of the achingly beautiful "Falling Slowly" from Once was stunning. Their voices blended well, but I do think Lee outshone Crystal. Mike and Casey also did a nice job with "Have You Ever really Loved a Woman?" from Don Juan DeMarco. As opposed to all of the other songs presented tonight, these last two were really good choices.

American Idol: 5 to 4

How adorable is Harry Connick, Jr.? Almost as cute as Lee DeWyze, and that is saying a lot about why Mt. Prospect's own Lee DeWyze has a good chance of winning American Idol this year. Based on the judges' reaction to his performance tonight, they're pimping him for the win. They must think that he is a more marketable performer than Crystal Bowersox, and they are probably right.

Getting back to Harry Connick, Jr., what an awesome mentor. He arranged each song from the Frank Sinatra (aka Great American) Songbook to suit each voice and style, and he played the piano too. Impressive. But he couldn't work miracles. Here are my picks of the top 5, worst to best.

5. Casey James has to be headed home. He took a great song, Blue Skies, and used it to prove that he is in no way a solo performer. He was stiff, thin-voiced, uncomfortable, and bleating. Even the bluesy arrangement did him no favors.

4. Michael Lynch won strong praise from the judges for his rendition of The Way You Look Tonight, but I thought his performance was a travesty. This is one of the most beautiful and romantic songs ever written. It has to be sung warmly and kind of humbly, directed outward to the one who is being loved and admired. But Big Mike made it all about him and his drama. There was no sense of appreciation of the loved one. Watch this version by Phil Collins to see how it is supposed to be sung.



3. Why did Crystal Bowersox seem so draggy, especially in the first part of her version of Summer Wind? The judges liked her phrasing, but I thought that it was bad at the beginning of the song. She did pick up in the second half. She looked great, but is she losing her moxie? I also thought that this relatively obscure and unmelodious ballad was a poor song choice.

2. I loved Aaron Kelly's classic version of Fly Me to the Moon. I listened to most of it with my eyes closed so I wouldn't be distracted by Aaron's littleness, and I thought he sounded romantic and a little jazzy. It was a beautiful arrangement. Why didn't the judges like it?

1. In contrast to Crystal, Lee DeWyze made a great song choice, perfect for him. The band and the arrangement were also fabulous. I loved the interactions between Lee and his mentor Harry, and I loved that Lee wanted to give Harry the credit at the end. I was actually a little disappointed by Lee's voice quality on this song, but as usual it was a sincere and authentic performance.

This week it was easy to pick the worst. Did you vote for Casey to be eliminated in our American Idol Elimination contest? Keep voting for a chance to wind the grand prize. Three ipod shuffles will go the three people with the most right guesses throughout the run of the final six.