Tossing Salt Is American Idol - April 13, 2011

Tossing Salt Is American Idol
April 13, 2011

It's Doug and, because absolutely no one demanded it, I'm back again with a look at this week's edition of American Idol. Last week was fun, so why not keep it going. I'm on a roll. It's movie week on Idol and the songs of the cinema is the format. Did the kids deliver? Let's find out.

But first off, I have to say congratulations to Idol judge Jennifer Lopez for her selection as Most Beautiful Woman by People Magazine. She is definitely an ageless hottie and easy on the eyes. Congrats, Jenny from the Block. You know what would be funny? I thought of this as Scotty was singing. Tomorrow night on the results show, just to really run this into the ground and have fun giving J-Lo a hard time, they need to have Scotty and the other Idol contestants do a group version of the Charlie Rich classic, "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" and dedicate it to Ms. Lopez. Scotty's voice would be awesome for that particular song and it would really just make a great TV moment. It's just an idea, but you know it's a good one.

And now, let's get to Idol...

We kicked off the show with Paul McDonald doing his rendition of Bob Segar's "Old Time Rock & Roll" from the movie Risky Business. When I heard what song he was singing, I was a little worried. Paul's voice is never quite in tune and that doesn't really seem like the kind of song he should be doing. I'd love to hear him tackle some Kenny Loggins music since that's who his voice and character most remind me of, but he chose to do Bob Segar instead.

And he nailed it. The voice wasn't great, but the energy and charisma was there and you could feel the passion that Paul delivers every single moment he's on stage. And who can complain about that. The stage is his element and even rhough he'll never be considered a great singer, he's definitely on his way to becoming a great entertainer and in today's world, that might be all he needs.

And then we moved on to Lauren Alaini, who decided to do a Miley Cyrus song, which I believe is called "The Other Side". I might be wrong on the song title, but it's a Hannah Montana song, so I'm sure that I'll be forgiven. It tripped me out when producer Jimmy Irvine told Lauren that her voice was so much better than Miley's and as much as I love Ms. Cyrus, I have to agree. She took that song and she just made it her own with a great cover that was as good, if not better than the original.

The song is definitely one of the best that Miley put out thus far in her career, and when Lauren starts making albums, it would be a great song for her to cover and use as a B-side for one of her singles. She did really well and took the song, wrapped her arms around it and took it home. Great job.

Next up was Stefano Langone, who after the past several weeks of being in the bottom three, really had something to prove tonight. He's a sexy young beast and he really looked more relaxed and comfortable up there tonight than I've seen him in a while. He came there to make an impact and prove he belongs and he really managed to do so.

His song was Boyz 2 Men's "End Of The Road" and I hope that the song choice isn't prophetic for the young man because while some of his performances have been kind of boring and ho-hum in my opinion, (and I don't know if I can ever forgive him for trying to do a Percy Sledge song - NO ONE can do Percy but Percy), he really brought his A-game tonight and did a great job. And I still think that there's a little connection going on there between him and J-Lo. Anyone else notice the resemblence between Stefano and Marc Anthony? Just saying... lol.

The next one to perform was North Carolina's own Scotty McCreery, who played it safe with George Strait's "I Crossed My Heart" from the movie Pure Country. Scotty was playing it safe again with some classic country music that he does so well, and while he nailed it and sounded great as always, I don't think it was his best performance to date.

There were a few spots where he wasn't quite on track with the background singers and I don't really feel that he was giving it everything he had. It felt like he was just on cruise control tonight instead of pushing the envelope and giving it everything. But he's so good and so polished, that might just be enough for now. He has the stage presence and aura of a performer who's been doing it for thirty years rather than what is expected from the seventeen year old that he is. The young man has a great future. No doubt about it.

And I heard Jenn and Melissa talk about it earlier today on their Facebook pages and I can't get it out of my mind. Scotty looks like a flesh and blood real life version of Mad Magazine's Alfred E. Neuman. That head - that smile - the expressions. What? Me Worry? Think about it.

Next up is Casey Abrams, who rejected the advice of Jimmy Irvine and Will I Am to do a Phil Collin's classic, "In The Air Tonight", choosing instead to do a jazz classic by the legendary Nat King Cole called "Nature Boy". And as he proved on that stage tonight, it was a great call. It was unique and stands out from the rest of the show and was (is) something that I personally would buy and listen to.

Casey is not a conventional singer or performer and the normal songs that others might choose are not really what's best for him. The judges described him as an "artist" and that's just so true. He's an eclectic soul who marches to the beat of his own drummer and I think that's what really sets him apart from the rest of the group. He's an artist among artists and has that instinct and knack for knowing what works best for his particular style. Good for him.

It was a classy and great performance that I'm scared America might not quite understand and get, but Casey really just made that stage his own and took a song that is truly one of the all-time classics and made it just that much better. Very inspiring, to say the least.

Haley Reinhart was the next to strut her stuff, doing a cover of the Blondie classic, "Call Me", and boy, did she really strut her stuff. I have to agree with the judges that the song choice might not have been the best one to really showcase her vocal talents, but what the song itself lacked, Haley definitely made up for with her stage presence and performance. She really gets it about how to act on stage and was hamming it up and playing both to the crowd and cameras like a seasoned veteran.

As for the song itself, I've seen Deborah Harry, from Blondie, do this song on many occasions on live TV and, in my opinion, Haley did it as well, if not better than even Deborah Harry does. When Haley starts touring and doing concerts, she should make sure to keep this song in her set list, maybe as the opening song to get the crowd moving. It wasn't really the ideal choice for tonight, but it's a good song that she does very well and can really make a crowd sit up and take notice with.

Break out the soul because Jacob Lusk was up next, doing a very heartfelt rendition of the Simon and Garfunkel classic, "Bridge Over Troubled Water". And while the vocals are top notch... no one can hit those high notes better than Jacob, I just didn't feel it again. The young man has great talent. There is no doubt about that. And he's getting better and better on stage. But is he really ready for the mainstream?

I don't think so. Jacob is so talented, but he seems more like he belongs in a choir or doing strictly gospel tunes rather than trying to be a part of the pop / soul / rock genre. Kind of like Scotty, who is focused on county and does it better than anyone, Jacob is a specialized type of singer. He's a gospel singer. He's a soul singer. And what he does, he does better than anyone. He did an amazing job tonight, but will it take him to the next level? I just can't see it.

And finally we have James Durbin, who went totally against the grain and brought some heavy metal to the Idol stage with a Sammy Hagar hit called, appropiately enough, "Heavy Metal". Legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde, of Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne fame, brought out the guitar and James just took over and went crazy. And he proved once and for all that heavy metal is alive and well on American Idol.

I said it last week and I'll say it again. This season belongs to James and it's his to win or lose. He could just play it safe and coast to the finish line, but each and every week, he's showing his passion and energy and just growing before our eyes, taking risks and hitting it every single time. Mr. Durbin can do no wrong at this point and unless he really screws up really badly, all he has to do is just keep on keeping on.

A great performance, full of energy, emotion and hard rocking that just took the live audience, and the judges as well, by the throat and just held them there, rocking out. It was a great way to end the show and another great performance by this future music legend.

Overall, there were no bad performances tonight. Everyone is on their A-Game now and there is not a single contestant that can be singled out as not belonging up there or not having the talent or chops to be a major name at some point in the future. The level of talent up there is just that damn high and that damn good. And I expect that this will be the most successful Idol cast in the future, with strong futures and careers in store for every single of the final eight.

But that being said, three names will be getting the least number of votes, and of that three, one will be going home tomorrow night. So who will it be? As Pia proved last week, just being a great singer isn't enough. At this point, the only ones I personally feel are absolutely safe with no fears are James and maybe Scotty, but the rest of the guys and girls, as good as they are, can't rest on their laurels. So let's pick the bottom three for this week...

It's a hard choice because everyone up there is so talented and so good, but who will bring in the votes needed to move on? My personal feeling is that the bottom three for this week will be (dramatic pause)... Paul McDonald, Haley Reinhart and Jacob Lusk. Hard choices because I like Paul's energy and charisma and Haley did a great job of a not-so-great song. Jacob, as I said earlier, as good as he is, is just too one dimensional for my tastes.

And the one being sent home tomorrow night, in my opinion, will be... Paul McDonald.

I don't like it and hopefully, I'm wrong. And considering how the votes have been going this season thus far, I probably am. No one can predict how it'll turn out. But my gut says that's how it's going to be. We'll find out tomorrow night.

And on that, I'm out of here. Comments and thoughts and feedback is welcome and appreciated. Show some love, people! And dat' is all de' people need to know!

I'm Doug and I am out of here. Ubuntu!!