American Idol Top 10 take on soul hits

Oh, the agony of it. The American Idol Top 10 finalists take on another theme week all but guaranteed to bring about the gnashing of teeth and clutching of stomachs -- and that's just from the public, never mind Simon Cowell who is so bored of it all this season he can barely muster the effort to shoo clingy Kara DioGuardi from his lap.

Tonight's theme is R&B/Soul hits, yet further evidence Idol producers just don't get it. Billboard hasn't called its R&B chart "Soul" since the early 1970s and yet these are likely the dated songs the kids are going to have to sing tonight. The problem is that A: few of this year's crop have anything remotely close to soul when they sing (Andrew, Tim, I'm talking to you) and B: they will then be blasted for singing "bad songs" or for sounding "too old" when they had little choice in the song selection matter.

Usher is the guest mentor. Perhaps he can steer the finalists out of the Motown graveyard? We'll soon see. Follow live blog and click here for my Twitter commentary.

Siobhan Magnus uncharacteristically hits some off key notes as she tries to find her way around Chaka Khan's 80s hit Through the Fire. Not good. Kara says she's entitled to an off night but given she's one of the two or three people who can sing among the entire bunch, this doesn't make for a promising start.

Ellen's struggling to prove she can offer criticism but it was misplaced on Casey James. Ditto Kara, crying for more range. Casey sang the old Sam & Dave classic Hold On, I'm Comin' just right. That song doesn't need added ornamentation. And his guitar work? Shredding. Casey's back in the win column tonight.

Michael Lynche found a way to turn the overbright Idol stage into an intimate nightclub with a sublime reading of India.Arie's Ready for Love. Easily Mike's finest moment of the season and an iPod must-have. This was the kind of performance you'd want to see in a quiet, small nightclub while on a date. Meantime, if Ryan Seacrest is going to persist in calling him "Big Mike," Mike oughta turn around and call him Little Ryan.

These Idol judges are so incompetent and clueless about music. Kara DioGuardi wonders why Didi Benami lost her "singer-songwriter" sound and she's "confused" now. Kara, sweetie, What Becomes of the Brokenhearted is an R&B song. It's NOT a singer-songwriter acoustic coffeehouse number. Didi sang it R&B. And Ellen DeGeneres, go back to your daytime talk show where you do less damage because what you don't know about music is staggering. As for Didi's performance, she sang it in appropriate tempo and tone but she hit some off-key parts around the chorus and that robbed the song of its impact.

"Tiptoeing through the bedroom" with Tim Urban as he does a nice job on Anita Baker's Sweet Love. Dude can sing. He was in key, which puts him ahead of Siobhan and Didi tonight. Usher's advice was on key, too, and Tim delivered. OK, he did look a bit like he was afraid to get slapped for staring too much at the camera, but that was considerably better than the judges said. His second Hallelujah moment of the season.

Andrew Garcia's tuneless voice and rudimentary guitar playing is the equivalent of spelt bread. No flavor whatsoever. Beyond that, Andrew stares the whole time at his guitar so he can find the one note he's strumming, no audience connection. And after bashing other fine performances from the other more talented contestants they gush over this guy? Randy, Ellen and Kara are smoking something during the commercial breaks. Clear the wax out of your ears, people. That was terrible. Only Simon called it right on Andrew's lack of personality and boring nature. Low class. My hope is viewers send Andrew AND Ryan home.

What chain of fools allowed country club cutie Katie Stevens to sing Aretha's song and put all those off-key chinks in it? And what has happened to all the judges not named Simon tonight who can't seem to hear bad singing? "Make it young, commercial," says clueless Kara. If this show wants the kids to be young and commercial, then let's have a Lady Gaga or High School Musical theme night.

Lee Dewyzzzzzzz still doesn't believe he belongs on the Idol stage (he really doesn't) but while his early 70s tune Treat Her Like a Lady wasn't fresh or particularly soulful it wasn't nearly as rotten as Andrew's or as off-key as Katie, Didi, etc. One of his better performances but there's still nothing compelling going on here.

Crystal Bowersox spent too much time struggling with the piano, an instrument she clearly is not familiar with, and lost all connection with the first half of Midnight Train to Georgia. I grew up on that classic Gladys Knight & the Pips classic, bought the single when I was 10, and the first half of that performance was brutal. Crystal did redeem herself when she found her voice (literally) and closed well once she stopped concentrating so hard on multitasking. All in all, tho, not a keeper and she didn't win points arguing with Simon.

Aaron Kelly's best asset is his confidence. He has a good voice and as he matures it will ripen even moreso. But the 16-year-old's confidence is priceless among this season's cast. So much easier to watch him on stage as compared to nervous Lee or the terrified Alex Lambert from last month. As for his Ain't No Sunshine, the song's been so overdone it's boring. But he made it work well enough.

Prediction: As always, Andrew should be sent home but he somehow manages to stick around, like the flu. As such, Tim and Katie will find themselves in the bottom two, Tim will deservedly get another chance, and Katie goes home.

Night's best: No question, Mike's India.Arie moment. Makes me even want to put her version on the iPod. Casey is back in the game, too. Tim's better than most suggest.

Comments

[Lesley]

OMG Siobhan sounds like she is walking through a fire. Yikes. Bad.

[HoCo]

Ha!! Good one Lesley!!

[Lesley]

what up with the backstage footage? I love that!
Still like Siobhan but that sucked.
Casey and Usher--unlikely pair.
Love Casey. This song is perfect for him, but will judges say it's not relevant enough? His voice is awesome. Excellent guitar playing too.

[Lesley]

Ellen hardly gives real criticism and when she does she is so off. So disagree with Ellen and Kara. Simon is spot on.

[Lesley]

I'm beginning to think ryan is more obsessed with casey stripping than kara is

[HoCo]

Good observation, LA. I think Ryan might have his own announcement to make when Idol ends.

[Lesley]

he didn't listen to usher at all...he's putting me to sleep.

[gail]

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!
Only watching cuz of you two heheheheh
Most boring song evah Big Mike...I don't care if he hit every note that song stunk.
Missed the first two.

[HoCo]

Gail, you and I bat 1000! If you like something, I hate it. If you hate something, I love it. hahahahahahah!

[gail]

I was just coming back to respond to your critique and you did hit it spot on. Tooo funny but you did agree that Idol is lousy this year on FB so were tied now.
I just don't like the kind of song BIG OL MIKE sang. But you got it right specially the intimate date nite thing!

Like Didi's voice.

[gail]

Tim looked shell shock to the camera girl he was singing to.

[Lesley]

Didi was appalling. Horrible. Bad song, bad look, bad sound.
TUrban: ditto. Anita Baker, really? He sounded like an old 70s soap opera theme song. Horrid.

[HoCo]

Tim did look a bit like he was gonna get slapped by the camera girl, but that was a nice vocal.

[Lesley]

Simon was hilarious in his TUrban commentary. And he's so right. The girls will vote for TUrban, who looks like boyfriend of Barbie's sister Skipper.

[Lesley]

kim jong il redeemed himself. he was good tonight.

[gail]

Didi looked like she gained a few pounds since I saw her last!

This show is soooooo bad compared to the previous seasons 2-8 that I've watched in the past.

Wow Andrew is singing one of my most fave songs. Somehow I missed Chris Brown singing it until the viral video came out. Love that song...so far I'm digging Andrew's voice and the song....ehhhhhh maybe...not sure....kinda off...Chris rocks this song.

[gail]

I WANT MY IDOL BACK

[Lesley]

HoCo, I can't believe you liked TUrban. He was so soulless.
Katie looks like she's playing dress up. Her voice is great even though this song is WAAAAY too old for her.

[Lesley]

the judges are so annoying. katie should get a pass just based on this conflicting information alone.

[gail]

Katie has a pretty voice but just way to old for her look. Not a contempory voice...she would of done good back in the old days. Not sure which old days :)

[HoCo]

Tim, unlike nearly everyone, sang in tune tonight. Katie was out of tune. Andrew hasn't the slightest hint of musicality in his voice. Didi was off key. So, yes, Turban was vocally near the top tonight. He had a strange camera look trying too hard to take Usher's advice but if you just close your eyes and listen, he was good.
I'll stand by that. Mike, tho, is easily night's best.

[Lesley]

Duh Whys is very good but boring.

[gail]

Lee was ok .... unbelievable....not.

Same ol same ol.

Oh wait I just think this group sucks.

[Lesley]

Lee Duh Whys rocked that performance.

[gail]

Imagine if Alex and Lilly were still on...just imagine :)

[Lesley]

Hey Gail, um...I dunno...hehehehe

[Lesley]

Bowersox singing one of my all time fave songs ever..albeit down tempo but she's unbeatable....

[gail]

Finally love what Crystal brought...well done!

[gail]

Oh yeah and Crystals dreads are fawesome.

BTW my boyfriends cd drops on April 13....just saying....hope you'll check it out...

[HoCo]

Lilly should still be here. But not Alex.

[gail]

Have a wonderful rest of the nite...nice visiting with ya all. To bad this years talent (for the most part) is so horrible...tho visiting this site makes it so much better.
sweet dreams.

[Lesley]

aaron was good but not fabs.

Crystal, Mike, Lee, Casey were all great.

Andrew was better, Katie was good.

tonight's bottom three: TURban, Didi and Siobhan

[HoCo]

Thanks Gail, Lesley.

[Pierre]

Tim did better than I thought he would. Not a soulful performance by any means but he stayed in tune.

[Annie]

Finally go to watch it! I'm liking the backstage footage camera. My faves that night: Lee, Crystal, Casey, Tim.