[Initial reactions... taken on my Blackberry ... no spell-check. Asterisks indicate "after the fact" commentary]
Lee DeWise
The Letter by The Box Tops
+ Held up against some bigger horn riffs
- Voice in big spots not matching the voice in not big spots. Like an expensive FCUK shirt with mom jeans.
Judges: Puffing him up. Simon thought it was corny. Used the term "moment."
*Learned he actually did the Joe Cocker version. It's been said, but he had an opportunity to do something special with an Alex Chilton tribute didn't. Luck is partly taking advantage of opportunity, Mr. DeWise.
Compare:
Paige Miles
Phil Collins Against All Odds
+ sounded ok when she opened her voice up for like 1 second
- Pitch problems throughout the first four bars, then throughout the chorus.
*Pretty much butchered the song.
Tim Urban
Queen Crazy lil thing called love
+ best Randy-is-disgusted material of the night
- it happened and i had to live through it.
Aaron Kelly
Aerosmith don't wanna miss a thing
+ laryngitis isn't killing him. Taking a nice country angle.
- No big notes from a steven tyler song? Like no chocolate chips in a cookie. Wack
Crystal Bowersox
Janis joplin me and bobby mcgee
+ Really American.
- B Side-y. Album cut. Didn't think she reached her potential at all. Def not her worst performance but it was very very underwhelming for me. No response to the love she's getting.
Judges: Randy loved it. Ellen not much. Kara dances like my mom. Simon is drinking the Kool Aid.
Michael Lynch
Man loves a woman
+ just awesome. Right in his range. Good feeling, riffs, on point vocally.
- Tad bit safe.
Judges: Kara hated it. Simon thought it was a little "loungy" but it can be remedied with a little less of the big stuff.
*Goosebump performance to start, didn't capitalize at the end.
Andrew Garcia
Marvin gaye heard it through the grapevine
+ a lot looser than pervious weeks
- weak weak weak vocals. Felt like he was going through the motions a little. Corny.
Katie stevens
Big girls don't cry fergie
+ good song choice for a girl who hates anything upbeat. Give her props for going for the big vocal.
- a little like a crappy version of the girl from Glee.
Judges: simon gave me my new favorite saying: "its like chalk to cheese."
Casey James
Huey lewis the power of love
+ fun song with some good vocals compared to prev weeks.
- a little stiff compared to the the mic stand. (*Yes... he's Frankenstein.)
Didi Benami
You're no Good linda rondstadt
+ a little duffy-like but less powerful
- felt fake.
Simon: "a bit of irony in you singing you're no good you're no good"
*HA!!!
Siobhan Magnus
Stevie. Superstition
+ Umm...
- It was just ok from someone who's been knocking them out of the park. She and Crystal are the only ones who seem like they're capable of winning this year but this doesn't help clear up who is in front.
