So the Rolling Stones probably wasn't as tragic as we might have expected, nobody really slaughtered them. It was a fairly mediocre night as a whole though.

Michael Lynch - Vocally he's decent, it's in tune and his falsetto is mostly pretty good. The arrangement is a bit dull, I dunno it just kind of plods and doesn't go anywhere (reminds me of Lil Rounds opening the show last year with that Michael Jackson song - vocally good but no oomph or delicacy). And I disagree with the performance thing the judges are going on about, I find his performing skills a bit hammy (Yes, Simon you are right this time). I'm not sure I see the desperation though. It was a'ight.

That was creepy from Ryan, please don't do that again.

Didi - Love it, love her. This was raw and intense. She did make some glaring mistakes though - missing a beat in the second verse which completely through her for a loop, and at the end the final few lower notes were a bit off. But as a whole this was wicked, she showed off that delightful tone of hers that can be so emotive. She's carrying forward her Rihannon momentum. ( I want it noted I wrote this before the judges started saying everything I just said)

Casey - I've been looking forward to seeing this side of Caey (IDWB doesn't count because it was poor). It's good and I enjoyed the rockiness of it. His tone really suits the song and he definitely has the vibrato under control this week. Bluesy rock suits him. But I disagree with Kara, it wasn't my fave of his performances. Good stuff though.

Lacey - I don't enjoy the verses of this, her vocals don't really suit the song and kind of clash with the string quartet. But the choruses work better. It's all a bit jarrring through, nothing quite fits. It was better than, say, Landslide, but still nothing special and still for me the weakest of the 4 performances so far. Kara was right, she had pitch issues.

Andrew - Bold choice, this is one of the Stones' classics. But it was kind of disappointing for me. I got no intensity from him, I didn't feel like he was really connecting with the song. I agree with Kara (yikes - but I did type that before she said it ). It was better than his other performances, but still vocally he doesn't quite have it, there's not much light and shade to his performances.

Katie - It was probably her best performance yet, but it was still very pageanty and lifeless. Again I don't feel her connecting to the song - but that was always going to be tough for her. She sang quite well, but she was a little shaky. She just isn't ready to pull off performances with the emotion they require.

Tim - Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! That song is supposed to be dark and sinister not bloody regae. That rearrangement was terrible. Go away Tim that was just plain weak. No he doesn't get credit for changing the song when he changed it in a bad way.

Siobhan - Wow. I'm not quite sure how to respond to that. It was definitely different. I like the way she did it BUT she did have pitchy moments. And that glory note near the end was shrieky. No - she doesn't have the same control as Adam had Kara. She has a brilliant range she doesn't move that comfortably from note to note. I did love that final flasetto line at the end. Very strong, but I'm not as wild about it as Simon was. Still love her though.

Lee - Vocally he is not nearly as off key as he has been in the past. I liked the singing, and I liked the rearrangement. He showed a lot of versatility compared to other performances of his. But it was a little safe. Yeh I can see where Ellen is coming from. Still better than all the other guys so far this week for me.

Paige - I can't hear her always through this performance... A million times better than Smile which pushes from awful into mediocre territory. It was fine but there's nothing special there, sure she has laryngitis and so did well to sing with that but I'm still not seeing why she made the top 12.

Aaron - NOOOOO!! It is sacrilage that a 17 year old attempts this song. You cannot just try and sing this song in tune, Mick Jagger barely keeps in tune when he sings it, but he makes it so emotion. Aaron on the other hand does not give it any emotion. So wrong, he croons and just UGH!. Ruined one of my favourite Stones songs ever. Sure it was in tune BUT that is all the positives I can say about it. Don't know what the judges were listening to but it wasn't the same song as I was.

Crystal - My fave Stones song and I love this performance. It's so real, so genuine, she knows the song inside out and she absolutely nails it. In many ways she's opposite of Siobhan whose very stylised and intense, Crystal is no-frills and just gets into the song. A showdown between the two would really be a brilliant contrast. My fave of the night. I loved it. Shut up Simon, Crystal's style isn't about drama, it's about feeling the lyrics which she does better than anyone else. I love Siobhan and her style suits her, but don't try and pin it on Crystal.

Rankings

1. Crystal
2. Siobhan
3. Didi
4. Casey
5. Lee
6. Andrew
7. Michael
8. Paige
9. Katie
10. Lacey
11. Tim
12. Aaron

Actually I've just watched Siobhan again, and while it was good it wasn't all that.

So I'm moving her down to 5th in my rankings, With Didi, Casey and Lee all bumping up one.

1. Paige - The best of the night. This is what we've been waiting for. I love her big soulful voice and unlike some others she looks like she's enjoying it up there on the stage.

2. Lee - I love the raspiness of his voice. Another very solid performance.
There's something very honest and believable about everything he does

3. Siobhan - Astonishing primal scream at the end. The rest was a little hit and miss.

The rest for me were all much of a muchness.
Lacey the poorest she's been, unfortunately. The song didn't suit and I fear she could go.

Didi the best she's done, but I just don't believe in 'Angry Didi'

Crystal I find dreary and lifeless, but I'm sure plenty will still think she's best thing since sliced bread.


..oh and Andrew laughably bad. He makes Gokey look like a decent performer.

Michael - sorry mate, you were a wedding singer, and it's really starting to show, it was okay, nothing special and completely unmemorable, watched it about 20 minutes ago and seriously struggling to remember what he sang.

Lee - a grudging okay, although he still sounds of the verge of nasal most of the time, didn't particularly like it, but better then a lot.

Casey - Kudos for actually rocking it out a bit, his voice isn't particularly strong, but I do like his general vibe

Andrew - sung okay, but completely lacked any sort of intensity, just drifted along, bored me (and I love that song)

Aaron - please stop it, stop it now, your 17, do not attempt songs like that every again, I find it difficult to believe you've even held hands with a girl, so how on earth you thought you could sell Angie.

Tim - Did you read the lyrics, did you understand what you were singing about? Obviously not - horrible vocals, completely inappropriate reggae rearragement - and mate, Joe Strummer could sing reggae - you flipping can't.

Lacey - Really disliking her cutsey little girl vocals now, and not a nice performance either.

Didi - Really starting to step it up, liked that a lot, despite the glitches in her performance, nice to see Hollywood week Didi back

Katie - Mostly in tune, but she just can't sell a song, and that dress did her no favours either.

Paige - at least she had a bit of fun with it, decentish performance, probably deserves to stay over a lot of others.

Siobhan - not my favourite performance of hers, not entirely sure if I liked the arrangement, and the glory note at the end was venturing into screeching territory, and she's better then that. Just wish she'd concentrated on her cool, pure vocals, that last note was nasty - but she'll be safe, as she should be.

Crystal - Loved it again, had fun and a really lovely vocal performance, very her, she sells her performances so well in a lovely effortless style

Definately agree with FleetSeb, Crystal v Siobhan would be a really good finale, two strong vocalists with completely contrasting styles.

1. Crystal
2. = Siobhan/Didi
(gap)
4. Casey
5. Paige
6. Lee
(gap to 'what did they sing again')
7. Michael
8. Andrew
(gap to 'please be off my tv and never bother me again')
9. Katie
10. Lacey
11. Aaron
12. Tim (for being so very wrong on so many levels, please return to the Brady Bunch where you've obviously escaped from)

I was sort of hoping that the previously weak performers would remain week last night, so that it would make it more clear-cut on who moves on, but unfortunately, nobody was really bad. What I did notice was that you could hear a preferred style from many of the performers.

Michael - the way he started this Miss You was almost R&Bish, but he never quite made it that way. I kind of wish he had. Not bad overall.

Didi - sang Play with Fire. She made it sound a bit folksy. She seems to have trouble with the lower part of her register, but rather than sounding troubled, it is more sort of her style. I wish when she spoke, she didn't talk through grinning clenched teeth and that she could hold her head straight.

Casey - sang It's All Over Now (?) while accompanying himself on the guitar and gave it a country-rockabilly style. Simon criticized him for not using the entire stage to perform, but if you don't attach portable mics to the performers, the ones on guitar are kind of stuck standing behind it. Easily one of the better performances of the evening. He is growing on me.

Lacey - This started out promisingly with strings playing Ruby Tuesday and then she started singing. It must sound different live, because this is the second week that the judges have praised her singing and I hear pitchiness. I think Ellen's comments about her sitting during the uptempo bits and walking during the slow ones were right--it was a bit off. I think she was one of the weakest of the night, although it wasn't a disaster. Her shirt was weird-- it was sort of a flesh-colored tube thing with one black&white striped sleeve.

Andrew - did what he had to with Gimme Shelter -- that is he made most of them (except Simon) forget Straight Up. I think that the judges were harsher on him than his performance deserved. I'd rank him on the same level as Michael for this effort.

Katie - sang Wild Horses. I was somewhat distracted by noticing that she looks a bit like a young Katherine McPhee. I think that this was her best performance so far this season, but I didn't think it was all that good. She seems a bit like a mechanical wind-up doll to me.

Tim - was definitely original with his Caribbean-inspired version of "Under My Thumb", but what a bad idea! Vocally though, he was miles better than Katie-- pretty much in tune the entire time AND he gave expression to the lyrics. (Maybe NOT the right interpretation though.) Still, unless the female tweenies vote in droves for him, I suspect he's out.

Siobhan - I had such high hopes for hearing her sing Paint It Black. It started out very dramatically with her dressed in a black dress sitting on a red-lit staircase and I liked her basic interpretation, but her singing seemed off to me tonight. While most of the time, I've found the judges to be overly nice to the not-so-good singers, and while Siobhan's my fav for the year, I think they missed the pitchiness in the performance. (I hope the studio version is better.) I almost think that even if she can hit all the notes, this maybe wasn't the right song for her. I would rate this somewhere in the middle-of-the-pack vocally for the night with an extra point for the planned presentation.

Lee - sang Beast of Burden and did quite well with it, although he has the annoying tendency to close his eyes during a lot of his performance. I agree with the judges' assessment that he could have had a bigger performance. Maybe once again, playing the guitar while standing in front of a mic was the problem.

Paige - is recovering from a week of laryngitis and her live performance was the first chance that she had to sing Honky-Tonk Woman all the way through. In an evening where nobody really rocked out nor used the stage completely, her performance stood out as having all the expected aspects. But, it didn't really stand out in terms of vocal ability or interpretation. Also sort of a middle-of-the-pack performance which makes me wonder if she had not had laryngitis and been able to really practice this week, would she have had that break-out performance? She could be in trouble.

Aaron - Remember how last week, Tim surprised everyone (in a good way) with his performance? This week it was Aaron's turn. He still needs to learn how to perform (in terms of how he always looks to the side to the camera and bounces a bit-- it makes me think he's singing on horseback), but vocally, I actually think he did pretty good with this song. I'd rate him a little ahead of the middle-of-the-pack.

Crystal sang You Can't Always Get What You Want like she was a bit distracted channeling Janis Joplin. Even though this wasn't her best performance, I am starting to see more of her personality. I would love to see her perform without the guitar, just to see if she could do it.
She added one of Lilly's ostrich feather earrings to her dreadlocks to remember her by.

So, no real standouts.

Just replying so I can read the last post.

Just watched Siobhan again, and I realised I don't really like it much at all. Whilst it was interesting, do I want to listen to it for sheer enjoyment - nope, so I'd drop her down to below Casey, and leave Didi in second. That shreek at the end is really annoying, please no more Siobhan, I can't be doing with people who shreek at me.

Aaron was good this week. He doesn't deserve to be ranked so low by people.

Pleasantly surprised by Paige, a bit. Still missing the prescence of Lilly, Katelyn and Alex though.

Based on that, I think Lacey is the most in danger of going. She was forgettable again and her voice which I originally liked is starting to grate.

Thanks to each and every one of you for the summaries.

1. Crystal Brilliant as always.
2. Siobhan Would have put her first but for the screeching at the end. Sadly when Kara compared her to Adam, her eyes lit up. I think we might be seeing more screeching
3. Didi The only danger to the top 2 girls imo. Had a couple of dodgy notes. I think she will improve week by week.

The top 2 and a gap to Didi. Not a big gap. I like that these three take risks with the songs that they are given.


EDIT
I forgot about Casey.
He was great as well. He is the only guy i see challenging the girls.

Massive gap to the others.

He was much improved but I guess if people don't like his voice or singing style their opinion isn't likely to change.

I'm surprised to find that I do like him given that he is fundamentally a pop-country balladeer - and if there is a genre I have avoided like the plague over the years, it's probably that! - but there's something very honest about him that appeals to me.

I continue to be baffled by the praise for Lee who comes across as a nervous bar-band growler to me. Casey is pretty to look at but bores me rigid. I quite like Big Mike but he's nothing we haven't heard before, and the less said about Andrew the better. Tim's take on Under My Thumb might have been inappropriately cheerful but I still think it's the best he's sounded - not that that is saying much!

My favourite girl is Siobhan but I didn't care for her Gokey-esque scream in Paint it Black. She strikes me as very hit and miss, unfortunately. Crystal is competent but leaves me cold. I find both Didi and Lacey's voices annoying - and Lacey bores me to boot. Wee Katie is a Junior Katharine Mcphee as far as I'm concerned - pretty voice but I just don't get any connection with her. I thought Paige actually sounded better for the laryngitis, though I hope she hasn't done herself harm by singing through it

Not a great night IMO but nobody was unlistenable, which is an improvement on previous weeks...

Majority sucked. The whole top 12 weren't good.

1. Crystal - sang well.
2. Siobhan - different. I want her to win, but she needs to stop doing the same shouty note at the end.
3. Aaron - sang well.
4. Tyson

I pity Simon for having to come up with compliments for these contestants.

1) Crystal - the best vocally but not her best performance by a long chalk. She needs to step up
2) Siobhan - loved the drama. Liked the scream BUT I agree she's a bit wobbly vocally sometimes and needs to sort it out.

The two girls above are still way out front for me despite it not being their best nights

3) Casey - ok vocally but he is so wet and lifeless. He is not a star (other than in my wet dreams
4) Lee - ditto as Casey - except for the dreams part
5) Aaron - Good vocally and more life but so so dull
6) Didi - I didn't like angry Didi. It was overdone
7) Mike - Good enough but well cheesy
8) Katie - little bride of frankenstein. Hugely unappealing. Not as good vocally as she thinks she is
9) Lacey - I like her voice but she looks like a granny and has no oomph
10) Paige - I like Paige but she just doesn't have it - despite what her mum thinks
11) Andrew - destroyed a great stones song. Dreadful
12) Tim - Hee Hee Hee loved it. It was superbly dreadful

Feel sorry for Simon this being his last and Ellen being her first show having to judge this lot, not one of the contestants this year have any wow factor about them. Im bored by all of them.

My take on last night.. in no particular order

Big Mike - Interesting take on a Stones track.. good performance, great story
Didi - Loved it.. this has to continue
Lacey - Unique.. unexpected.. it was ok
Tim - err
Andrew - caught in Idol limbo for me
Siobhan - What can I say.. Stand out performance of the night
Lee - Strong, very Dave Matthews-esque.. I do agree that he needs to show more personality
Katie - safe.. better than previous shows
Casey - he's a great axe-man.. great vocals.. safe n a bit expected
Crystal - consistent.. I loved it.. not sure what the judges were onto

Aaron n Paige - skipped both of them..

Somehow, this season at times I did feel like I'm watching Country Idol Season 1.. not that there's anything wrong with that..

1. Crystal
2. Siobhan (she would have been higher, but she is a bit wobbly vocally)
3. Paige
4. DiDi
5. Lee
6. Mike
7. Aaron
8. Katie
9. Casey
10. Lacey
11. Andrew
12. Tim

1. Crystal
2. Casey
3. Lee
4. Siobhan
5. Aaron
6. Didi
7. Mike
8. Paige
9. Katie
10. Andrew
11. Tim
12. Lacey

I actually quite liked Tims ska take on Under My Thumb... problem was he sang it badly. As for it being too 'dark' to be sung in that style Jagger himself described the song as a bit of a jokey number...
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/sto...ne_interview/5

I felt the entire night wasn't great...

1) Crystal - the best executed performance of the night, but her approach to every song is beginning to sound the same, and they all merge as one in my memory. It's like putting eclectic songs from different genres through a musical baling machine and they all emerge as one neat package stamped with that peculiarly unfeminine 'tell 'em like it is, mama' busker rasp. This is lauded as her 'knowing who you are and who you wanna be' on shows like this, but it's also about her not being able to do anything else. Initially impressive, but eventually boring if you ask me.

2) Siobhan - not her best performance, coming from someone who is the exact opposite of Crystal - versatile, unpredictable and a risk taker. By her standards I thought she sounded a bit off, as if either ill or nervous, but even on an off night she's better than almost all the rest. Ultra feminine notes at the end closed well, it worked like a sweet kiss following a slap in the face after that half-broken banshee howl. I loved her VT btw, now I understand why she's so sweet, naive and unassuming, because that's exactly how her folks come across too.

3) Mike - A solid man who delivers solid performances. The song didn't ideally suit what he attempted to do with it as there's no melody to develop, but it was a good workout for the vocal range he has, reminding me a little of James Ingram, and the dancing will have provided some useful cardiovascular exercise.

4) Aaron - very good, but he seems to get older by the week. If he makes it to the final I imagine he may finish as a smouldering jacket on the stage, so aged he'll become the world's first self-cremating Idol contestant. I just wish this 16-year-old would loosen up and be young. What market is he aiming for - kids his own age, or grannies who'll knit him socks?

5) Didi - okay, if it was nerves then it added a suitable edge to the song. She came out and sang like she'd just split up with a boyfriend before the show. But she was pitchy in places, and is ridiculously overhyped, I suspect because Cowell knows she's been a favourite in the voting several weeks running. The high praise doesn't match the performances IMO.

6) Casey - serviceable performance, but boring, like a Huey Lewis & The News support act. Can't fathom why he's so popular. His guitar playing is always better than his singing. My abiding impression of him is he's like the lead guitarist of a band who has to front because the singer jacked it in on the way to the gig.

7) Lee - he sang this in exactly the same way Kris Allen would, in fact that's what he is, and just as shy without a guitar - he's a Kris with a rasp. Fairly average one from him this week though, no enthusiasm in his voice, he sounded half asleep or a bit lazy on his notes.

8) Andrew - he's no good at singing a song straight, he's better when he has something with rapid chord changes which allow him to sing around it and do runs. A bit like X Factor's Danyl Johnson, minus the money notes.

9) Paige - adequate. She tried to sing it like she had a big rock voice, but it came out like a C&W workout.

10) Katie - awful. Cannot help but compare this to Susan Boyle's version, live or recorded, and this one sounded so jolly hockeysticks and pageanty. I thought Susan was an innocent but Katie's like a singing nun. Dress her in a habit and it would complete the picture. Sister Katie of Connecticut.

11) Lacey - this girl is average, and this performance was yawnsome.

12) Tim - If Sting had jet lag, had just completed 15 hours of tantric sex, and had consumed 3 pints of tequila, then this is how he'd sound when using the reggae backing track to An Englishman In New York. Next week Timothy should sing in his underpants as a punishment, or better still naked except for a guitar, unless he's a tiny Tim.

I really like the studio version! Definitely the right song to record. I just wish her live version was better.

Finally watched the second half, and it was alot better than the first one I won't comment on because it was a blurr of boredom.


Tim: Besides the arrangement style not fitting the lyrics, I actually enjoyed his performance. It was well sung and lively and by not being boring he was the first stand-out of the night for me.

Siobhan: I loved it. I know that it wasn't perfect, but overall, I really enjoyed her approach.

Lee: I was fine and I agree completely with Simon's comments. I like his tone when is he in tunes, and he made the song reasonably interesting.

Paige: I liked it at the beginning but it became cheesy quickly. She has a good voice and I woul'dn't have put her in the bottom three.

Aaron: Ffirst time I enjoyedhis performance. He has a nice tone, and it was sung well.

Crystal: She is in do doubt very good, and technically it was the best performace of the night, but for my own enjoyment, it was only OK.

Siobhan Magnus A
Crystal Bowersox B+
Lee DeWyze B+
Aaron Kelly B
Tim Urban B -
Paige Miles C+
Casey James C +
Didi Benami C
Katie Stevens D +
Lacey Brown D
Michael Lynche D
Andrew Garcia D -