(aired 4/29/08)
Bunny: It’s Neil Diamond night on American Idol. His repertoire of haunting melodies and catchy tunes should provide plenty of opportunities for the Idols to shine. I may be in the minority with that opinion, but that’s okay.
Time is so tight that the contestants don’t get the full critique after round one. Instead, they’re lassoed into a group, and the judges shoot comments at them firing squad-style. Ms. Abdul beams down from Planet Paula, where inhabitants can apparently foresee the future, and critiques both of Jason’s songs before he has even done the second one.
Sadly, Burke is sick and won’t be able to add his comments. You’ll have to listen to my ramblings tonight. Well, you don’t have to. You could go read something intelligent and meaningful.
A reminder of how our rating system works: Half a paw 
is the worst. Four paws 
is awarded for the most outstanding performances.
Jason Castro
“Forever In Blue Jeans”
Perfect song for him. He plays the guitar, and his voice sounds really good. It’s a charming performance along the lines of his earlier “Daydream Believer.” And the girl on the violin with the sunglasses is very cool.
“September Morn”
No guitar for this song. He seems more confident this week. I think Neil’s songs really suit him. The judges aren’t impressed. I think they’re too harsh, but then again, any regular reader of this blog knows Jason is my personal favorite.
David Cook
“I’m Alive”
He gives Neil goosebumps, but not me this time. It’s not bad, but rough rocker voice is not as pleasant to my ear as his “Music of the Night” voice last week. It’s still good, and he’s not in any danger.
“All I Really Need Is You”
He swaps his electric guitar for an acoustic. He strays so much from the melody that it’s hardly recognizable until he sings the title. I don’t like this arrangement for this particular song. Apparently, Simon does. And why does the cameraman have to stand behind the windshield wiping robots? Arrgh.
Brooke White
“I’m A Believer”
It’s Brooke, bellbottoms, and a big guitar. It’s so nice to see her doing something upbeat again. Her smile seems a bit forced, though. I’m not wowed, but it’s an improvement from last week.
“I Am I Said”
She takes Neil’s advice and changes “New York” to “Arizona” in the lyric. Maybe she feels like she has nothing to lose after last week; she seems loose and quite comfortable. Her voice comes across beautifully, and I think it’s one of her best. She needed that. It still might not be enough to save her, but good for her.
David Archuleta
“Sweet Caroline”
I was skeptical at first, but I like what he’s doing with it. I mean, he sings every song exactly the same way, but it’s almost always well done. It was more enjoyable than I expected it to be.
“America”
It is a calculated choice not unlike Kristy Lee Cook’s Lee Greenwood song a few weeks ago. If he gets voted off tonight, it will be because a meteor the size of Amanda Overmyer’s hair wiped out all the prepubescent girls, grannies, and anyone who can claim American citizenship, preventing them from punching in David’s number a googillion times.
Syesha Mercado
“Hello Again”
She has been Beyoncified for tonight’s first performance. I’m hoping she does justice to one of my favorite ND songs, and I think she does. She seems genuine to me, for the first time. I like the new Syesha.
“Thank The Lord For The Nighttime”
With the backup singers and horns, it has an old-fashioned vibe, but I think the way she performs makes it what the judges like to call “relevant,” although they probably won’t agree. Tonight is the first time I’ve felt like she is a real competitor for the title. Simon and I are not on the same wavelength tonight at all. Usually we are.
PREDICTIONS
Bunny: It’s tough to pick Bunny’s Bomb tonight because I thought they all did well. In spite of the fact that David Cook is one of my overall favorites, I have to admit I liked his performances least tonight.
Who do I think will actually be leaving? I would guess, once again, that it’s the end of the line for Brooke White.
Prognosticats: We proclaim the Hairball Performance to be by Syesha Mercado. However, voters will say goodbye to Jason Castro.
Bunny: Between the two songs, both Brooke White and Syesha Mercado earned 6 paws from me. I'd have to give the edge to Syesha, simply because I had given her 3 and 3, as opposed to 2.5 and 3.5 for Brooke, thus making her more consistent, although the single best performance in my book was Brooke’s.
Prognosticats: As is our custom, we abstain from anything that involves dawgs.
Bunny: See you tomorrow night for the results!
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