- Theme: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Songs performed: David Cook -- "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Baba O'Riley"; Syesha Mercado -- "Proud Mary," "A Change is Gonna Come"; Jason Castro -- "I Shot the Sheriff," "Mr. Tambourine Man"; David Archuleta -- "Stand By Me," "Love Me Tender."
- Theme: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Songs performed: David Cook -- "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Baba O'Riley"; Syesha Mercado -- "Proud Mary," "A Change is Gonna Come"; Jason Castro -- "I Shot the Sheriff," "Mr. Tambourine Man"; David Archuleta -- "Stand By Me," "Love Me Tender."—IMDb editor
- "American Idol" - Top Four Performance Show - May 6, 2008
Ryan introduces the "Idols" and tells us that three of them have already been number one in the votes. (I'm going to go out on a limb and call the Davids and Jason.) He tells us no one is safe and to please vote and introduces the judges.
In the audience: Jamie-Lynn Sigler; Carly Smithson; Rascal Flatts
Theme: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Video Package: History of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Ike Turner gets a shout out for his proto-rock and roll single "Rocket 88." Tina will get her shout out later). The museum has a list of the 500 most influential rock songs to date, and this is the pool from which the top 4 will be choosing, hence the non-Rock Hall artists included in tonight's setlist.
Ryan tells us that the judges will critique the contenders after each performance and asks if everyone is clear on that.
Contestant #1: David Cook
Song: "Hungry Like the Wolf," Duran Duran
Video: The song didn't immediately jump out at him but he hopes to stand it on its head.
Performance: If by standing it on its head he meant doing a pretty straight version then he succeeds. He sounds fine and he's rocking a pretty sweet grey/black leather jacket. Nothing amazing but adequate.
Randy: Is befuddled by the song choice since it was such a large list to choose from and calls the performance just okay.
Paula: His version has left her with a big appetite. She has enjoyed watching him grow.
Simon: He thought it was good but was surprised that he didn't Cook-ify it.
Contestant #2: Syesha Mercado on the stools is so excited to go on the tour and meet all her fans. Both of them. (I kid, I kid).
Song: "Proud Mary," which she calls a Tina Turner song, and that is a famous version, but technically it's a Creedence Clearwater Revival song.
Video: Syesha points out the song has been covered over 100 times and that she was scared to even attempt it. (Wise instinct). Interestingly, she is worried about covering the song because of the choreography not the inevitable comparisons to Tina...
Performance:...whose choreography she is now aping, from nice and easy to nice and rough except its not rough. Unless you count the rough seas she'll be singing it on when she hits the cruise ship circuit with this version of it. She moves well, swiveling her hips a lot, sounding fine at the start but getting shrill in places during the uptempo portion. The studio audience digs it.
Randy: Is laughing because for the third week in a row he thinks Syesha's been in the zone. He thinks that's good strategy on her part, bringing heat late in the competition.
Paula: Thinks she now looks like a star with a magnetic voice and presence, she applauds the fact that Syesha embraced her fear.
Simon: Disagrees thinking it was a bad, shrieky version and a bad impersonation of Tina Turner. She said she was trying to have fun, he says she might've but he didnt have fun. (Taking up where Brooke left off, she assures him that it's okay.)
Contestant #3: Jason Castro
Song: "I Shot the Sheriff," Bob Marley
Video: He's excited that he knew some songs this week. He thinks it's going to be a good one. (Um...)
Performance: Holding his guitar, which he plays for about 20 seconds, Jason is swinging his dreads just in case anyone forgot that Bob Marley? He also had dreads. Like Jason! Not as good as Bob, or even Clapton, but very animated for Jason and he sounds fine and seems happy about his performance.
Randy: Immediately disabuses him of this notion by calling it karaoke Marley. He thought there was nothing special about it and that Jason isn't proving that he deserves to be in the finals. He didn't get it.
Paula: Compliments Jason playing to the audience more than ever but wasn't crazy about the performance and didn't care for the song choice. But he still won her over somehow.
Simon: He tells Jason to stand back because he thought it was utterly atrocious. He says it's a song you shouldn't touch. He thought it was like a first round audition massacre and questions what Jason is thinking. Jason replies he was thinking "Bob Marley!" Simon points out the only similarity was the hair.
Contestant #4: David Archuleta
Song: "Stand By Me," Ben E. King
Video: It's always been a fun song for David to sing in his room to himself or his dog. He's excited to sing it in public.
Performance: Pretty standard Archie performance. Somehow he's transformed a breezy, r&b song into an earnest anthem. He tosses in a nod to Sean Kingston's "Stand"-sampler "Beautiful Girls." He ends on a long high note, well-held. The girls go wild. (But not in a flashing their boobs way.) Flawless except for the high school hand gestures.
Randy: Is so glad David knows it's still a competition and is bringing it.
Paula: Loves him and is glad that he took Andrew Lloyd Webber's advice to open his eyes when he sings.
Simon: Digs at Jason again by saying David could've whistled the song and been better. He thought it was a good choice but thought he struggled a little at the end but in the grand scheme of things he calls it the best performance so far.
Round 2
David Cook is on the stools talking about how daunting this week was for him because he realized that he set the bar even higher for himself this week and he agrees he could've done more with the first song.
Song: "Baba O'Riley," The Who
Video: He chose it because it's an iconic rock song and it's never been performed on the show and for that reason he thinks it has cool context. He hopes to Cook up some magic.
Performance: This performance is much shorter and it's not a song that lends itself to editing. That said the beginning has a dreamy quality and he hits the high bits when it goes uptempo. (Since being polluted with the realization that he occasionally sounds like Darius Rucker, it's getting harder to separate the Hootie from David.) He gets all of tonight's bonus points for not doing a Pete Townshend windmill or whipping his microphone cord like Roger Daltrey. (Of course the latter would've been difficult since he's playing electric guitar and his microphone is cordless).
Randy: Believes that this was more like the David Cook he's grown to love.
Paula: Just wants more of what David is Cook-ing and is humbled that he's sharing his soul.
Simon: "Welcome back David Cook."
Syesha Mercado
Song: "A Change is Gonna Come," Sam Cooke
Video: Syesha tells us the civil rights movement was a pivotal time in history. She notes that since this is a pivotal time in her life also, this grand, towering song about an entire generation's freedom is now about her survival on a reality show on Fox.
Performance: In a gold gown Syesha is singing her heart out. She's overdoing it in places with the showy sustain. It's got some good bits and some sharp bits but overall is fine and she ends strong.
Randy: For him he loved the first song but didn't love this one as much. (Maybe he didn't realize about it being pivotal for Syesha?) He didn't like the musical or vocal arrangement and thought she pushed out things she didn't have vocally and that it was unnecessary. It fell flat.
Paula: Notes that Randy upset Syesha and gives her a standing ovation- as does Carly behind her. Paula wants to hug her and loved the vocal arrangement. Paula calls her magnificent and that Syesha has changed like the song said. Syesha is now crying. (We think she's crying over Randys comments but that she's trying to transfer them to tears of gratitude for Paula's comments.)
Simon: Says he has to be fair so he has to agree with Paula.
Ryan hugs her and she cries harder. Simon says that Randy got it wrong. Randy replies it was a matter of opinion. Simon accuses Randy of making Syesha cry. Ryan asks her why she's so upset.She says she researched the song and that it just meant a lot to her. Ryan calls Randy a buzzkill. Randy tries to backpedal saying he was only judging the vocals and that he loved the song and that he loves Sam Cooke and Syesha and he loved the first song.
Jason Castro
Song: "Mr. Tambourine Man," Bob Dylan.
Video: Jason says he's going to stick with the Bobs because you can't go wrong. (Memo to future Idols: never say things like you can't go wrong in your video segments). He informs us that Dylan started the folk rock movement, which he is down with.
Performance: Sitting on a stool Jason strums his guitar and halfway through the first verse forgets the lyrics and tries to painfully vamp his way through. (On a Dylan song you've really got to get the lyrics, dude.) It's jaunty and bare and ends on a decent falsetto note but, ooh that gaffe is really glaring.
Randy: Asks him how he thought he did, Jason admits he lost some lines and that was bad. He says he just wasn't in the zone tonight.
Paula: Says it is what it is. The song didn't blow her away but Jason himself blows her away.
Simon: "I'd pack your suitcase."
David Archuleta
Song: "Love Me Tender," Elvis Presley
Video: He didn't know it too well but he thought it would be a fun, cool song because he hasn't sung a really romantic love song.
Performance: David's on a stool asking the ladies to love him tender and sweet. They howl. It's a simple piano and voice arrangement that Lionel Richie would appreciate. His voice sounds strong and even when he loses a little of his falsetto it adds some vulnerable charm to the end.
Randy: Calls it another great performance and liked how he caressed each word. He dubs him the hottest vocalist of the night.
Paula: Loved it and thought it was heartfelt.
Simon: "You didnt beat the competition, you crushed the competition."
I have to disagree with Simon, perennial low vote-getter Syesha is my pick to go home, based solely on her weeks of residence on the stools of doom and the outcry from the ladies at the negative feedback to Jason. Like so many misguided women, they want to save him and, goof up included, he wasn't bad at all, just more of the same Jason that a lot of people clearly love. He'll join Syesha in the bottom two but he'll survive on those blue eyes.
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