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American Idol Season 7 Top 16 – The Guys, March 4 2008
By PopSavant | March 4, 2008 | 
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All right, here we are with another week of American Idol. Ryan opens the show by telling us that performing on a stage in front of 30 million people isn’t easy; I wonder if it’s easier for David Hernandez, given his experience giving naked lap dances at Dick’s Cabaret in Phoenix? Now that’s pressure.
And speaking of everything supremely gay, Luke Menard is first up with Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, by Wham! complete with a hint of George Michael stubble. Why he would pick that song is beyond me; he’s all over the place vocally and loses the high energy vibe by the end, which was basically his only hope of pulling this off. Randy says it started rough, but came together at the end, even though he found it “corny.” Paula was surprised he picked the song, but finds some time for a little name-dropping by mentioning that she choreographed a tour for George Michael. Simon found it “weak” and “girly,” and gives Luke “no chance” to make it to the final twelve. (Buy the original song from Amazon)
David Archuleta tells Ryan that he’s thirsty and has to urinate; Ryan inexplicably feels compelled to share this with the home audience. We’ll make it a point to look for signs of straining as David performs. His song is Another Day In Paradise, by Phil Collins, which is the second questionable song choice of the evening. Even Phil at the height of his pop-powers was reaching with this one; I assume David was going for a “message” song to make himself look less like a kid. He does a reasonably good job with it, though, his voice is solid throughout. I like him a lot so far, though I do hope he doesn’t keep veering over into adult contemporary like this. Randy said it was “nice,” which he repeats at least three times. Starting the nonsense early, Paula says she liked the performance because there were a couple of notes out of place. Simon says it wasn’t as good as last week, and believes David is in danger of becoming “too gloomy.” (Buy the original song from Amazon)
Danny “Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That” Noriega comes on the screen dressed up like he’s about to do the lumberjack sketch from Monty Python and tells us about his most embarrassing moment, which was tripping down some stairs in front of someone he has a crush on. Perhaps about three minutes from now, he’ll have a brand new most embarrassing moment. We’ll see. His choice is Soft Cell’s Tainted Love. Now, I love this song, and it’s tough to cover and not look like outright crap next to the original; I have heard it done, but rarely. Danny’s version isn’t good. The vocals aren’t consistent, and this one needs to really drive. Randy “loved the arrangement… Danny! You can do this!” Paula calls him “a bright light… the real deal,” and praises his “sensitive and spicy” side, but hates the purple streak in his hair. Simon thought it was “horrible, the whole thing.” (Buy the original song from Amazon)
David Hernandez continues the anecdotes-about-excrement theme of the night, regaling us with a story about a booger he once had. He offers up Celine Dion’s It’s All Coming Back To Me Now (actually, Jim Steinman’s, but we’ll let that go.) David does a really good job with the song, all the way up until the bridge, which is weak, but the rest of the song makes up for it. Randy thought it was “good” but there were “a few pitch problems” – when does Randy not hear pitch problems? Paula says “you’re becoming a very good performer… you have some of the best vocals in this whole group here.” Simon thinks it’s not as good as last week, but is sure that David has secured himself a place in the finals. (Buy the original song from Amazon)
Michael Johns delivers Simple Minds’ Don’t You (Forget About Me.) He’s got stage presence in spades, but the vocals aren’t great, and it sounds to me like he forgets the words at the end, or at least he repeats the chorus an awful lot. Still, his Australian roots gives the whole thing a slightly INXS feel, and the overall effect is good. Randy said “I loved it, dude.” Paula says “you picked a perfect song, and I loved hearing the strength in your low range” and says “you’ve got this hopping thing going on” – I wonder if she’s ever seen Jim Kerr’s dancing. Simon says “liked it, didn’t love it. Huge talent, but haven’t connected with the right song yet.” (Buy the original song from Amazon)
David Cook chooses Hello, by Lionel Richie. He does a version that’s sort of a combo between 90’s arena rock and Gary Wright’s Dreamweaver, and it’s just completely brilliant. Randy says that it could be a single and be a hit right now. Paula agrees, and says he makes “perfect choices… you’re going to be a great shining star.” Simon said “That was a very brave thing to do… and I loved it.”
(Buy the original song from Amazon)
Jason Castro sings Hallelujah, by Jeff Buckley. It’s another fantastic performance by someone who hasn’t had a bad night yet. Randy “gives him props.” Paula says he “showed vulnerability.” Simon says that the Jeff Buckley version is one of his favorite songs of all time, and that Jason’s version was “brilliant.” (Buy the original song from Amazon)
Chikezie ends the night with a question about urinals, thereby completing the bodily function trifecta for the evening. He sings an extremely abbreviated version of All The Man I Need, by Sister Sledge. The vocals are just okay, and overall the performance is entirely forgettable. Randy said “you did a good job, the last note surprised you and me both.” Paula said “your vocals sound really good tonight.” After verifying Whitney Houston once did a version of the song, Simon says “no…. I don’t think that was a very smart move.”(Buy the original song from Amazon)
Summary/Comments
I think it’s safe to say that tonight was far and away the best set of performances we’ve seen so far; hopefully we’ve turned a corner and it’ll be this good or better from here on out. The girls have a lot of singing to do tomorrow night if they’re going to compete with this crowd.
Best of the Night: David Cook, by a mile. Second: Jason Castro, followed by David Archuleta in third.
Worst of the Night: Luke Menard and Chikezie. Danny Noriega is flirting with a spot here, but he’s got Vote for the Worst in his corner. Michael Johns was also off tonight, but I think he’ll squeak by.
Disagree? Feel free to add your own comments. See you tomorrow night!
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