StoneRose Valley My Thoughts, Expressions, and Passions

American Idol Gallery Widget

I wondered when they’d make this available on wordpress…so, what do you think?

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OK, I sit down to write my review/sum up, and I think to myself, where’s my kitchen sink? In other words, pretty much all of my editing material is gone….not good. Or, in the words of that funny little man on the Incredibles, “I’m not happy, Bob. Not happy.”

Well, this was an interesting night, to say the least. I was expecting great performances from Jason and Brooke, seeing as Neil Diamond is more their genre than pretty much anything else they’ve been able to choose from the last couple of weeks. But I was doomed to disappointment.

Jason Castro opened the night with “Forever in Blue Jeans”. I thought this was definitely his genre; while I thought it was ‘nice’, I found myself telling him emphatically to “OPEN YOUR MOUTH!” He looks like he’s singing through his teeth. I honestly think he’s losing his ‘charm’….I like the kid, but he should be the one leaving tomorrow.
Jason’s second song was “September Morn”; and it was only OK. I think he did regain a bit of his charm on this one, though.

Randy thought both performances were “just OK”. He said he wasn’t sure “what’s happening tonight”, but wasn’t impressed.
Paula was rather confused tonight, to put it lightly. She thought (from what I could gather) that Jason is losing his charm, and isn’t “fighting hard enough”.
Simon called them both “Forgettable” and said “You’re not the Jason we put through; we don’t recognize you”. I agree with Simon; this doesn’t seem to be the same kid I was rooting for in the beginning of the season.

David Cook started with the little known “I’m Alive”. I was skeptical the first time through, but after my second hearing, I rather liked it.

Randy declared it “Very good. In the zone; Very strong. You were doing your thing.”
Paula, in all the muddle, said (I think) that she “loved your notes! You’re fantastic!”
And Simon, well, Simon thought it just above average.

David’s second song choice was also little known or heard, “All I Really Need Is You”. That one was beautiful. At first, I wondered if I was just showing partiality, so watched it through again, and it was even better the second time. It gave me chills, and actually brought tears to my eyes; Imagine your baby saying those words to you…and an awesome arrangement.

Randy voted himself “a huge DC fan now-Rocked the house! Blazin’!”
Paula was “so proud of you. I feel like I’m already looking at the American Idol.”
Simon said “the first song was OK; the second: Brilliant! You made it feel like that song was written this year; changed the arrangement, and made it work for you. Smart; well done!”

Brooke White sang “I’m A Believer” which was cute, but not very good. She sounded nervous to me; but overall much better after the key change.

Randy said it was “better than last week; but still a little kareoke for me.”
We don’t know what Paula thought, and
Simon thought it was “A nightmare”.

After that, she sang “I Am…I said”. I liked it; she made it her own by changing the lyrics up some. It was much better than her first; really quite sweet, and one of my favorites of the night.

Randy thought her “very vulnerable” and said this song was “one of the tougher songs to sing; nice job, though.”
Paula thought she “had fun”, and that she showed her “vulnerability. Works.”
Simon said “that’s the Brooke we like. Not incredible, but a million times better than the last.”

David Archuletta sang “Sweet Caroline”-was only Ok for me.

Randy said he was “the bomb.”
Paula-well, again, we don’t know…
Simon said it was “amateurish”.

David’s second song was “America”. It just didn’t quite sound like the David A. I love. He was only OK tonight for me.

Randy thought him totally “in the zone; another good performance.”
Paula said it was the “perfect song to sing. Love you; brilliant. Your voice is so on point. Have fun!”
Simon said it was a “smart song choice.Ticked the boxes. The right choice.”

Syesha Mercado sang “Hello Again” first. I thought it lovely, clear and sweet. But just a bit old-fashioned.

Randy said she too was “in the zone; very nice vocals, was strong. Wasn’t amazing, but strong”.
Paula liked the vulnerable side to her voice she showed, calling it “Beautiful. Touching. That’s your magic.”
Simon thought it “Old-fashioned”, like myself. He also addressed the whole group; “You are the top five; I want to see and hear the performance of a lifetime.”

Syesha’s second was “Thank The Lord For The Nightime”. It was fun, spunky; and the vocals were right on!

Randy told Syesha she’d “finally realized who you are. This is the way I like you. In the zone!”
Paula said it showed “a whole different side. You’re good at the theatrical and the pop singing. I love her!”
Simon thought Syesha a “very good actress/singer”. However, he also mentioned he thought she would be in trouble tomorrow night; just “a calculated guess”.

Tomorrow night, we’ll see who goes and who stays. My vote would be for Jason, but after the disaster last week with Carly leaving, and Michael Johns before her, one can’t say anything for certain this year. My ‘calculated guess’ would have Jason and Syesha in the bottom. Not because Syesha is bad, but because many Americans prefer vocals that are not, as we say, ‘top-notch’ anymore. Jason is a shining example. Yes, he’s fun and charming, but he should listen to the people (Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mariah Carey, etc) who come in to work with them, and take their advice. Syesha is a great vocalist, and should go far in her musical career, even if it is off A-I.

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“I am a strange mixture of incredible inner strength and great insecurity, of a desire to laugh and an intense and often overly serious view of the world, of occasional bravery and great, awkward shyness. As a child I learned to be sweet, which perhaps is good in a child, but it’s something that developed into an act. I learned to appear nice, to say and do the right thing. I was too afraid of…being real. I could analyze this in detail; multiple reasons and multiple and complex streams of thought and behavior converge here. But as Jane Austen would say, it was affected behavior. As the apostle Paul would say, I have often been “a clanging cymbal” (I Corinthians 13:1), worthless without genuine love……..If God were to pull back the covers to show me myself in the stark light of absolute Truth, I’m sure I would be overwhelmed with hopelessness. Praise God He does not let us see ourselves as we truly are, at least not all at once. I hope that my friends and family-and gentle proddings from God-will move me in the right direction, that I will, in spite of my hopeless pride, be open to some kind of reproof, that I’ll be able to discern which corrections to heed and what of my own self-condemnation is completely unnecessary. I’m tired of being human, with all the necessary imperfections that implies. If nothing else, I’ve learned to laugh at my own occasional ridiculousness, which gives me hope.”

“A Walk With Jane Austen” By Lori Smith

As I was reading through her book, I came across the above excerpt by Lori….and thought ‘wow, that certainly describes me.’ I have trouble understanding myself, so it’s no wonder that hardly anyone else can. I seem to be, as Lori puts it, ‘a strange mixture’ of opposites. I too struggle with pride, and affected behavior. But, like Lori, I am slowly learning “to laugh at my own occasional ridiculousness”, and that “gives me hope”.

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I was shocked at last night’s outcome on A-I. While I was happy (or tried to be, at least) for Brooke and Jason, Syesha nor Carly deserved to be where they were. I’m still upset over Carly leaving…but what can you do? She is a great vocalist, and will go far; I for one will buy her albums.
I thought Carly went out with a great attitude; very proud of her and her accomplishments; and did I mention I’m still upset?!

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Well, I wrote out a nice, detailed account of the whole night; only to find that it is now deleted and gone. sigh. I’m too tired to cry about it; but you will have to settle for less than originally intended.

But I will say this; I am officially at war with my TV. It frequently will blank out, or it will drown out the voices with bursts of static. I don’t mind this normally, as I don’t watch much TV (at least, not with the seven channels we get), but I like to see and hear the contestants on my A-I!

I was surprised to see Kristy Lee Cook go last week, as I’ve thought she’s improved steadily each week. Though, I must say, I was very happy to see my Carly ranked the highest among the girls!

Andrew Lloyd Webber worked with the group last night; and I’ve been so excited ever since I found that out weeks ago! This man has some incredible works to his name.

Syesha Mercado started off with “One Rock & Roll Too Many”; and for the first time in a LONG time, this girl picked the right song! I was so proud of her! Syesha belongs on Broadway. She shouldn’t be leaving us tonight, but she might be in the bottom three; just because she doesn’t seem to have as strong a fan base as most of the others.

Randy said something about it being her element (I can’t tell exactly what all he said, as I was having a battle with the TV and only caught slight phrases here and there in between the static roar of the demonic creation!) and that she looked great up there.

Paula told Syesha that she is “really good at this”.

Simon thought it “one of your strongest performances”.

Jason Castro sang “Memories” and my first thought was “Oh, no!”; the second was “this might be neat to hear from a soft-spoken guy for a change”…..I was right on both counts. It was neat to hear it from a different source, but didn’t turn out for the best. There was greatness underlying it, but there it is: it was only underlying it. It wasn’t there. He could be wonderful, but he isn’t. He’s just charming, and I think it’s time for him to go. I’m not sure he will though….he seems to have a pretty strong fan base.

Randy said it was “a little bit of a train-wreck”.

Paula said it “further identifies your uniqueness”.

Simon asked Jason if it had been “the longest two minutes of your life?” and that it was probably his. He also thought Jason sounded “like a young man who is being forced by his parents to sing at a wedding he really doesn’t want to attend”. I think I have to agree with Simon; it wasn’t very good. Though I have heard that Jason was sick; but then both Davids’ have performed while under health problems, and came up to par; Jason didn’t.

Brooke White sang “You Must Love Me”; I thought it touching, and really felt the emotional connection behind it. She did mess up the beginning and started over again; but I thought she handled it well. But all that said, Brooke most likely will be leaving us tonight.

Randy said it “wasn’t great”, but admired that Brooke listened to A.W. “You have to believe what you’re singing”.

Paula was not happy with the performance; reminding Brooke that “you must never start and stop”. But commended her on not over-acting, saying it was “just you”, and commenting on her “emotional strength”.

Simon called it “so dramatic”; told Brooke she “was so tense. You’ll be very disappointed when you watch this back”. But did admit that, had he forgotten the lyrics, he would have done exactly as Brooke.

David Archuletta sang “Think Of Me”; and he did quite a nice job of it. He definitely had the WOW factor, and I rather liked the pop arrangement.

Randy declared him (are you ready? And not the first time) “THE BOMB! This boy’s the one to beat!”.

Paula said it was “absolutely perfect; you took a risk, and were quite able to turn it into a pop ballad”.

Simon thought it “pleasant” but “one of your weakest”. He also said that David would absolutely be through to next week.

Carly Smithson sang “Jesus Christ, Superstar”. For me, personally, I find the lyrics a bit offensive, so it was rather difficult to listen to her vocals. I do think she performed well, sang well; possibly the range was a little too high; I thought the backup vocals were bad. And I did love the way she looked.

Randy said it was “not your best, but definitely good”.

Paula thought “the range was maybe too high, but I loved it”.

Simon said it was “a little bit shouty in the middle”; and that it was “actually one of my favorite performances tonight”. Way to go, Carly!

David Cook ended the night on “Music of the Night”. Again, here; my first thought was, “Oh, no. David’s going to flunk this one!” But I should have had more faith in his abilities. I LOVED it! He conveyed the song so well. I loved seeing this softer side to his vocals. He really can sing anything!

Randy agreed with me, saying “you can sing anything. Amazing vocal performance. Molting hot!” I guess he thought it good, huh?

Paula told David he had “a beautiful instrument” in his voice, and called the performance “Fantastic”.

Simon said it was “not the sound I like; too rounded off”, but that David “made the most of it”.

David C. and David A. are the one’s to beat here! Looking forward to a finale of Davids’!

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Let me just say that I was shocked, horrified (and every other similar expression), last week when Michael was voted off. He was definitely one of the more talented performers this year; I hope he gets a good record label, and keeps up with the bluesy vocals he does so well.

Mariah Carey worked with the contestants last night; and it turned out to be a very good one for the guys.

David Archuletta sang “If You Believe”; the song choice was no shocker, and neither were his vocals, they were stunning as usual. In fact, the song choice, arrangement, vocals, performance, everything was gorgeous!

Randy was pumped; saying, or rather declaring, as is his wont, that David “can sing anything! That was the bomb, baby!”
Paula was moved, stating that David must have “made Mariah proud.”
Simon had some positive things to say as well; including “very, very good. You set the bench mark tonight. I actually know that song very well….you performed and sang it very well.”

David is one of the most talented young singers I have ever seen or heard. This boy will go far even if he is kicked off tonight (now, THAT would be a shocker!). I’m predicting he will be one of the finalists, as I have since nearly the start of this season. I’d be thrilled to be proven right!
Carly Smithson sang the song that both Simon and I have been waiting to hear her sing all season; “Without You”. I loved the way she looked; much softer and more feminine. And she actually had sleeves! My sister and I both were thrilled with that.
The arrangement was lovely; but I thought the range was a little low, vocally. I would have liked her to raise it just a half-step. But maybe that’s just me. I did love the restraint she showed at first into the chorus, choosing to ‘surprise’ you with bringing it up several notches.

Randy liked that Carly “challenged” herself, and thought it “cool in the power parts”. But thought the ‘beginning was a little loosy-goosy. It was pretty good, though”.
Paula liked that Carly “showed vocal restraint, and then soared”.
Simon wondered if she could pull this song off, and said he “didn’t think you did.” He believes Carly is still “to wound up; holding yourself in. It was just OK.”

Against my own personal feelings, I think we will see Carly in the bottom three tonight; should she go? I don’t think so.

Syesha Mercado sang “Vanishing”. I loved how she did it; very nice. Her vocals are always great; but I think she has trouble connecting to her audience. That’s going to give her lot’s of trouble.

Randy thought it was the “vocally toughest song of the week” and that Syesha “had a few pitchy moments; but did a good job all things considered”.
Paula loved it, saying that “tonight was unbelievably magical for you”.
Simon said it was “technically very good indeed. Having said that, you run a risk with the song choice”, regarding it being a little known song. That doesn’t quite make sense to me, but hey-He’s in the music industry (being paid for it), and I’m not.

I think Syesha, vocally, deserves to stay; whether she will or not remains to be seen.

Unfortunately, I missed Brooke White’s performance, again! AGH! So I don’t really have much too say. From the playback, it didn’t sound very good, though. Any thoughts on Brooke appreciated. I do believe she’ll be in the bottom three, if she isn’t in fact the one leaving tonight.

Kristy Lee Cook sang “Forever”; and I thought it was a very good performance, especially from Kristy.

Randy said there “‘were a couple of pitchy notes” but that Kristy has “definitely started stepping up”.

Paula was “blown away. I love most the arrangement-you could have a hit with that one!”.

Simon said it was “smart” and “an advantage”. But “just not great”.

I think Kristy will be there next week. She just keeps getting better and better each week.

David Cook surprised everyone with “Always Be My Baby”; and man, did he surprise! This was genius; of course, I can never say enough about David. I love, love, loved hearing the different sound from him. Another hit!

Randy said that “more than anyone on the show; you are ready to make an album! That was the most brilliant performance yet!” and he gave David his first standing ovation. Wow!

Paula told David “You’re it. You have the whole package. That could be a movie soundtrack.”

Simon thought it “original, daring, stood out by a mile. That’s the sign of a great potential artist, someone who takes risks. Congratulations.”

David was awesome this week! No words left….

Jason Castro ended the night on a song that I don’t know the name of (any fillers-in welcome). But he did a good job. My first impression wasn’t so good, but watching it back, I thought it was pretty good; though his vocal technique is bad.

Randy “didn’t really love it.” and thought “it was weird”.

Paula said she’d like to listen to him all night.

And Simon agreed with Paula; saying “it wasn’t the best vocal, but was identified with you. A cool version.” Simon also said that the guys had completely won the night.

Jason has some kind of irresistible charm, and a unique voice. He’ll be around.

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For the first time in two weeks, I caught the whole performance last night. I was expectant of some very good performances; after all, it is Idol Gives Back week. But I must say that, overall, I was disappointed.

Michael Johns was first up, with “Dream On”. I thought overall it was pretty good, but, like Randy mentioned, there were some pitch problems. His falsetto, for me, seemed off a bit. I also agree with Simon, that Michael performs best when he does the ‘bluesy’ feel, rather than the rocker.

Randy said Michael had ‘a pretty good song choice’ but that there were ‘pitch problems’.

Paula ‘couldn’t disagree more’ with Randy, saying it was the ‘perfect song’.

Simon decided to be very nice overall last night, and told Michael that he gave a ‘very good performance’ but that it was just ‘a little bit wanna-a-be-ish’.

Syesha Mercado, in my opinion, gave a stellar performance, again; singing “I Believe”. My first reaction-”This girl has got A Voice!” It was beautiful, calming; it just put my spirit to rest.

Randy must have decided to take Simon’s place as the mean one; He said Syesha had taken on another Tiger, but it was only OK for him. He couldn’t help but compare her to Fantasia. I think this is where Syesha has been making a mistake, she takes on the big-name, big-voice songs, and though she has an incredible voice, she’s constantly setting herself to be measured by the big names and falling just a bit short. But that’s just my personal opinion, not fact.

Paula told Syesha she ’sang it beautifully’.

Simon said she ’sang it very well’, but that it lacked the big emotion given it by Fantasia, or something to that effect (I have one of the old, unimproved TV’s, and it kept blinking off during this part).

Jason Castro sang a new version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. I thought, overall, it was very good. He’s slowly improving. The first part wasn’t so good, as I could hear him struggling to breathe. The second half, he seemed to have found it, and it was quite enjoyable from then on; there were some very pretty notes in there.

Randy gave one of two good reviews of the night to Jason, declaring that “Jason is back in the hunt!” and that it was “blazing hot!”.

Paula told Jason he had one of the ‘most definitive voices’ and she ‘loved it’. The version was great too.

Simon, the man of few words, simply declared it “Fantastic”. Way to go, Jason!

Kristy Lee Cook sang one of my favorite songs, “Anyway”. I thought she was quite nice…not outstanding, but she’s managing to hold on to the competition, week by week.

Randy said there were ‘a couple pitch problems. But good’.

Paula told Kristy she ‘outdid yourself. This is your best ever. Excellent’.

Simon thought Kristy had a ’smart song choice’ and that it was ‘very, very good. You look like a star’.

Thumbs up, Kristy; you got a good review by Simon!

David Cook sang “Innocent”; and scared me a bit. I don’t think he was as bad as the judges said, but he did seem to have his mind in another place, and wasn’t as good as previous weeks. But you have to admit (OK, you don’t, but I do) that he’s been giving stellar performances since “Hello”, so this week may really not have been as bad as it might seem.

Randy told him it ‘wasn’t one of your strongest weeks’.

Paula liked ‘the whole package’; especially the “Give Back” on his palm.

Simon “didn’t like it’; he thought it ‘a bit pompish’ and ‘not near as good as the last two weeks’.

Carly Smithson looked lovely, singing “The Show Must Go On”. I loved her makeup this week, it wasn’t nearly as heavy, and allowed you to see the beauty of her face and eyes. I thought her performance was strong, and disagreed with all the judges; I felt engaged and connected with Carly’s performance.

Randy said it ’started out good; pitchy in the middle, and ended OK’. He said she had (like Syesha) taken on a big tiger; and the tigers didn’t seem to be working this week.

Paula thought Carly’s voice was ‘pretty perfect’, but she didn’t feel engaged.

Simon gave Carly an ‘unusual song choice’. He also thought she ‘oversang it’ and that, to him, it ‘came over as an angry performance’.

Sometimes I have to wonder if the judges have anything personally against Syesha and Carly….

David Archuletta was charming, as usual, singing “Angels”. I felt refreshed and encouraged. David put a smile on my face (not an easy thing to do these days), and I was ‘wowed’. Sure, there were a few pitch problems in there, but nothing substantial.

Randy gave the only other positive critique of the night, declaring ‘That’s the David I love! Crazy hot!’.

Paula said ‘that sums it up for me. Fantastic’.

And Simon told him it was ‘the best of the night so far. Not your best vocal. A bit nasely.’ But he was ‘just nit-pickin’ here. You’ll sail through.’

Way to go David A!

Brooke White wound up the night with “You’ve Got A Friend”. I thought it was just OK. It lacked the Brooke-persona I’ve grown so fond of over the last couple weeks.

Randy agreed with me, saying it was ‘OK. Not your best’.

Paula told Brooke she was ‘definitive. I love you!’

Simon thought it was like ‘A pleasant walk in the park. It was nice. Original? No. But pleasant? Yes.’

Nice review from Simon there!

I’m sitting on the edge of my seat to see who leaves us this week, and who’ll be back! Biting my nails, too.
Who I think will be the bottom three? Brooke, Syesha, and Carly; but not based on vocals or performance, just what I think will happen. We’ll see.

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I had the opportunity to hear an incredible string quartet this week; Turtle Island. I even got their CD slip autographed!
My sisters’ guitar teacher on campus was taking a group of students to meet the quartet a few hours before the performance; he invited my two sisters and I to go along. They shared some about themselves, played a few songs, and opened the floor to questions. We were rather a small group, so instead of sitting in the auditorium, the guys invited us up on-stage with them to ‘look over their shoulders and read the music with them’. Most of the students there were guitarists, but we had three violinists; and joy! I was the only ‘cellist! That meant that I got some extra attention…which flustered me so that any questions I might have had fled my mind immediately. These guys were amazing; so much talent. Turtle Island was pretty busy, as they were giving a concert that evening, so they were only able to give us an hour or so. I left knowing I’d be back for the concert, while my sisters went to a basketball game. After calling up everyone I could think of to go with me, my mother offered so I wouldn’t have to go by myself. I was smiling practically the whole evening; my mother was very kind to go with me, as the quartet plays classical/jazz, and jazz is not a genre my mother enjoys. Afterwards, I took her on a tour of the new union on campus; she was properly impressed.
I was also greatly inspired by the ‘cellist in Turtle Island; I have been practicing mine more the last two days than I usually do in two weeks!

Hearing the Turtle Island String Quartet came as a very welcome break in my week; which has been a very stressful one. My horse foundered again; and one of my calves has been sick, with what, I don’t know. Between those two creatures I have been pretty stressed and worn out. I’ve barely had time to be online this week, which in itself is difficult for me, as the majority of my relationships are continued/exist online. I have a friend who is going through a difficult time this week, and my heart aches for her, and I wish so much to be there with her to share in her pain. So, all said, I feel like I’ve been pressed from all sides; and barely holding up.

On the bright side; the men in our church had a campout out in our back woods….they all seemed to have a wonderful time; and today all the women and girls came out for a church service and picnic lunch. We all enjoyed sharing just a bit of the camping experience with our men. Very glad they had the opportunity to draw closer together through a “guys” trip.
Now I’m fixing to start off on another crazy week…..ahhhh…at least summer is almost here.

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I did it again. Totally lost track of time and missed the first performance. Brooke White’s. AGH! Why did it have to be hers’?! Oh well. I did hear mixed reviews later, some liked it, and the judges didn’t. We’ll see.

So, David Cook was second. He did his own arrangement of “Little Sparrow”. His vocals were, as usual, great. The arrangement-genius! My sister, kattyrae (who doesn’t even like David) thought he was THE BEST of the night! Since I’m a little biased in his favor, that got me rather pumped; and of course, I found it impossible to refrain from a few ”I told you so”’s.

Randy thought David was “hot”, and showed his ”good range” off well.

Paula said it was ”fantastic”, had ‘’strength”, and was ”well-rounded”. She also commented positively on his new hair-cut; I liked it better than his last too. Not that that matters much in a vocal competition.

Simon had to be honest and say it ”wasn’t as good as last week”; but on the other hand, he complimented David with this: “You made a song about sparrows good. Congratulations!”

I just heard that David was rushed to the hospital immediately after the show….apparently he has been battling health problems for a while now. He gave an awesome performance in view of that! I hope he is going to be fine.

After-Post comment: David Cook is, according to The Los Angeles Times released from the hospital with a prescription for medication to lower his anxiety-related high blood pressure and is now back in his hotel room.

Ramiele Malubay has disappointed again; singing-I’m not sure what; I’d never heard this one before, or maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention. I really loved that she seemed to get more involved with the audience, moving around the stage instead of standing in the one position practically the whole time. I just didn’t think Ramiele was remarkable. And she has the voice to be remarkable; just not coming with it. I don’t believe she’ll last much longer unless she really gets her game on.

Randy “wasn’t jumping up and down” with it, but thought it was fair; giving it ”a 6 & 1/2 out of 10″.

Paula called it a “great minute and 30 seconds; you had fun”.

Simon said it was ”cute”, and that Ramiele “sang it quite well; but very forgettable, and reminiscent of a cruise ship”.

Jason Castro, my fourteen year old brothers’ favorite this year, sang “Travellin’ Through”. I thought he was better than he has been the last few weeks, but my sister and I both noticed his breathing into the mic, it was really distracting. Just a consequence of not using proper vocal technique. I thought the end was…..interesting. I’m still not sure about it, but I think it worked.

Randy said it was “kinda’ cool” and “pretty good…you worked it. I started believing you!” I found myself believing Jason again too after the past three weeks. That’s exciting!

Paula found it ”confident”; said he ‘’sounded good”, and that it was one of his “strongest performances” to date.

Simon opened saying he was afraid he was going to lose his pass to Dollywood for saying this, but that he didn’t like it. “If I’d heard you for the first time I just wouldn’t get it.” Simon told Jason.

Carly Smithson sang “Here You Come Again”, and wow, she did it again. She really came into her element; I found myself getting goosebumps listening to her. Kattyrae and I both agreed that she reminds us of such greats as Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand.

Randy predicted Carly’s performance would be the best of the night.

Paula said Carly was ”glorious” (did she mean her voice or how she looked?!), remarked on her ”amazing talent” and ”That voice of yours….oh!” I think overall, Paula was pretty much speechless.

Simon said it was “good; not great” and that “at this stage, everyone is capable, with the right performance, to be great. That wasn’t.” Once again, when it comes to Carly, I disagree with Simon. This reminds me of Katherine McPhee performing Whitney Houston; Simon had some very negative feedback on that one, but Katherine had a hit there.

David Archuletta sang “Smoky Mountain Memories”; this made me want to go home…..which was exactly where I was while watching last night. You could feel the emotion, love and longing, the fondness of home in his voice….and it really carried me away. I admit that I am tired of hearing ballads from him, but thought it was a great song choice, and he showcased his vocals and range well.

Randy burst out with “Guess what, baby? David’s back! I stand corrected, THAT was the best performance tonight!”

Paula said David had a ”wonderful orb about you” (whatever she means by that?!), and said he was “glorious”. Was she listening to his voice at all, or was Paula out of the whole thing by this time?

Simon had just one thing to say: “Absolutely on the money”. That sums it up, don’t it?

Kristy Lee Cook picked a good song for herself with “Coat Of Many Colors”. I thought it was enjoyable, and that her vocals were pretty good. I don’t think she’s as good a vocalist as any of the others in this competition, but she’s managed to pull her unique voice through so far.

Randy said it was “a very nice performance”.

Paula called it a “beautiful performance” and pronounced it Kristy’s “best”.

Simon disagreed with Paula, saying last week was better for Kristy. He termed this week “Pleasant, but forgettable”.

Syesha Mercado sang Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”. I thought it nice; very sweet, but powerful. She has some very good vocals, but I have to wonder if she bit off more than she could chew last night?

Randy said she “Did pretty good with the biggest tiger of the night”.

Paula commented on her ”velvety tone” and said Syesha was “growing; connecting with the audience”. I hope so.

Simon thought the first half was good; but the second half paled in comparison to the Whitney version. He called the performance “good” but said “it may not have helped you”. I agree with Simon here; if you’re going to try to tackle a Whitney Houston, you better bring it all the way….unfortunately, I don’t think Syesha did this time.

Michael Johns impressed the judges with “It’s All Wrong”. I guess I just didn’t get it or something. I liked his range in the song, but thought it a bad choice for him.

Randy was, as I said, impressed. “You keep bringing it up a notch every week. Nice job.”

Paula was enthused; “You’re a star!” Was she just really tired last night, or what?!

Simon told Michael “this is the best I have heard you sing”. I guess he was impressed too, huh?

I’m going to take the hint from the judges and say that Michael must have pulled a good performance.i

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