Better looking than Meat Loaf. He doesn't look as meaty.

So MC, .... another fairly boring show. I think the judges are too good at their job. It was more fun when Randy did his Yo Dawgs and Paula would say something that made no sense and Simon was being his sarcastic self. Harry takes it serious. Keith is just a nice guy and well J-Lo....has a nice butt, but we can't see it.

I think CJ will go this week. He can't sing on key. I fell asleep on a few.

Let's see if I remember how to do this...

Top 10 - "Top of the Charts" (Top 10's from 2011-Now)



In order of performance:

#9 MK sounded like a karaoke singer, certainly not "perfect". She's been consistent, though: consistently at or near the bottom. (#13, #12, #10 previous weeks)

#8 Dex has been slipping the past couple weeks, this was meh.

#7 Jena (spell it right already!) had a good performance, less 'goodly' vocals. Generally in the middle of the pack.

#1 Alex is one of my favorites, always in tune, always original. He needs to lighten up, though.

#2 Malaya I like as well. A- last week, first and only A so far this season. Previous two weeks weren't that good, though.

#5 Caleb was predictable, but I still love him -- he sang a Rush song two weeks ago!!

#10 CJ was very sharp most of the time. Usually middle of the pack.

#4 Jess stepped it up this week after being near the bottom previous weeks. Good vox, but enough energy?

#6 Majesty was goodish, but seemed timid. Apt song title.

#3 Sam definitely stepped it up this week. "Cheeks" seems to do well every-other week.

--

Notes on previous weeks:

TOP 13 (Theme: "This is Me"): I predicted the Bottom 3 correctly, but I had MK ("flat, not good") leaving instead of Kristen ("meh"). My Top 3 were Alex ("like him, nice voice"), Caleb ("great rock voice, but song choice?"), and Emily ("nice vox"). Group performed "Radioactive" on results day. Keith's "Taste Maker" this week: Jake Bugg ("Me and You").

TOP 12 (Theme: "Home"): I again had MK at the bottom ("better than last week, but still not good enough"), but had Jena ("upbeat, okay") #5 and Emily (who went home) at #7 ("seemed flat"). My Top 3 were Majesty ("very good, tho 'screamy' at the end"), Dexter ("pretty good"), and Sam ("good, pleasant"). Group performed Philip Philips' "Home," and PP himself performed his new single, "Raging Fire". Randy's "Taste Maker": Kodaline ("All I Want").

TOP 11 (Theme: "Songs from The Cinema"): MK ("better, but not gonna win this") missed the Bottom 3, by 1, this week. Jessica ("couple rough spots, weird tone/vibrato") earned that one. Sam ("okay, karaoke") was the third. My Top 3 were Malaya ("goosies, stepped it up, very good"), Alex ("top 2, good pitch"), and Caleb ("good pitch, rawks"). The group didn't perform but Harry did a medley; and, Mali Music was fast-forwarded over.

So yeah, not too many are consistently good yet.

Good job GF. Right on.

Alex needs to pick a song where it looks like he is enjoying himself. Jess too. They are not selling their songs. They could compete for the top spot, but Caleb might beat them out with a little more diversity. He's got the pipes.

IMO, top 3 were Alex, Malaya and Jess. I thought they all were exceptional. Harry seems to dislike Jess for some reason. I thought she was very good and actually engaged the audience for once.

Caleb does have the talent, but he's been a bit of a one-trick pony. I did feel bad for CJ. And MK needs to stop looking like she just sucked a lemon.

Top 10 - Results

"Post Show Supper Club" video

Results: Malaya, Dexter, Jess
Jess safe, Malaya safe, Dex B3

J-Lo performs "I Luh Ya, Papi"

Results: Alex, Majesty, Caleb
Alex safe, Caleb safe, Majesty B3

Harry's "Taste Maker": Royal Teeth perform "Wild"

Results: Sam, Jena, CJ, MK
CJ somehow safe, Jena safe, Sam safe, MK B3

B3 = Majesty, MK, Dex
Majesty safe, Dex safe

MK not saved. Finally.

That stupid I Luh You, Papi is stuck in my head.

MK had a decent voice but she really looked like she couldn't wait to go home, so America granted her wish.

Fell asleep and didn't see Jena and Caleb. My wife said Caleb is the best and she shut off Jena - too annoying. I like Malaya's energy. Not sure if her singing is good enough.

Top 9 - "I'm With The Band"

Briefly mentored by Fall Out Boy, the Idols sing a medley of band hits, including FOB's "Fire" as Ricky and the band play on stage.

No one was particularly bad this week, IMHO.



Alex was great, I thought. Perfect pitch as always. Altho Keith thinks he needs more edge, and Harry wants him to move more.

Majesty sounded way off during the choruses, and was winded at the end. J-Lo thought her vox were all over the place, but performance was a perfect 10.

Dexter was typical, but one of his better ones. Judges want to see something else from him.

Malaya was okay, different. I still hear Archie singing this, and no one comes close. Harry thought it was a nice job, but she needs to work on her craft, not stardom.

Sam was his pleasant self, nothing wrong with it. Judges think he needs to connect emotionally more ("sing to your Delilah").

Jess was technically okay, but a little boring to me. Judges want her to draw them in more, but she's more confident.

CJ was off in spots, but had some nice grit. Keith noted that there's a difference between feeling, and simply sounding like it.

Caleb sings Zeppelin -- I knew that it'd be perfect! J-Lo thought he brought sexiness to it. Keith quipped "the band is with the singer"

Jena has an odd voice, but it was powerful. Harry said, "You followed it [Caleb]!" and J-Lo said "Fuck this" to the other judges (lol)

Top 9 - Results

Results show is 30 minutes -- woohoo!

Randy's Recap (His Top 3: Caleb, Malaya, Jena)

Safe (via Big Screen): Jena, Malaya

Janelle Monae performs "What Is Love" from Rio 2

Safe: Alex, Jess, Caleb, Dextor

B3 = Majesty, Sam, CJ

B1 = Majesty, who is NOT saved.

I like Alex more and more each week. I think he is so talented and he brings his own style to every performance.

Top 8 - Audition Songs + Duets

No one was bad this week, but it was a bit sleepy for most of them, IMHO.



JESS was good, nothing wrong with it, but a bit Zzzz. K: Move more; J: Perfect

CJ was okay, no problems, better than audition and previous weeks. Judges thought he did a good job

DUET: Jena & Alex, "Just Give Me A Reason" (B)

SAM was also good, but needs to mature more, vocally. H: Make a connection; K: Better every week

DUET: Jess & Caleb, "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" (B)

MALAYA was mature-sounding, almost. Great potential. J: Poised; K: Great, work on runs (perfect all 12 notes of the scale)

DEX sounded good, too, 99% of the time. H: Great to hear you sing

DUET: Malaya & Sam, "Lucky" (C+)

JENA was more confident, a big difference from the audition. K: Made it your own

DUET: Dex & CJ, "Alright" (B)

CALEB was "ready" yesterday, wow! K: Blues Warrior, R&R Viking; H: Try something new (subdued) next week

ALEX was very good, as usual. Good original, too. Judges agreed.

...when everyone's good, it's tougher to rank them! But I still was a little bored overall -- could've been just me, though.

Geoff, I was a little bored too, which seems to be the theme of this year's show. I think AI may have lost the formula for an entertaining show. Its hard to put a finger on it, but I was flipping back and forth with "The Perfect Storm", which was getting more flip time as the show progressed.

Top 8 - Results

(Still ecstatic Results shows are 30 mins! )

"Dinnertime Download" video recap

Safe: Dex, Jena

Ford commercial [why no music videos this year?? Or not yet?]

Daughtry (Chris; Top 4, Season 5) perform new single, "Waiting for Superman"

Safe: Caleb, Jess, Alex

B3 = CJ, Malaya, Sam

...Cheeks is the bottom... sings "Babylon" kinda poorly, yet is SAVED! (I guess he is kinda popular w/ the younger girls)

Next week: Top 8 Redux; Theme: the 80s

It's hard to flip out of disaster movies!

Top 8 Redux - The '80s

With David Cook as mentor (he was great, actually!), and more duets.



JENA was interesting, but not strong enough voice. K/J: A bit low

DEX was okay, nothing special. H: Basic, fine; K: Started stiff

Duet #1 - Alex & Sam - "That Girl is Mine" (B)

MALAYA started off well, then lost it. K/J: Need to relax, focus

Duet #2 - Jena & Caleb - "It's Only Love" (Harry "went in" - to the audience - and ended up with a young girl on his shoulders) (B-)

JESS didn't blow me away. H: Sing the shuffle, feel the pocket

SAM was pretty good, original, and I love that song. J: Good job, H: watch young Ricky Nelson videos on YouTube

Duet #3 - CJ & Malaya - "I Knew You Were Waiting" [didn't grade it in writing]

ALEX was very original, to say the least. H: Coffee House; K: Bold; J: Missed the melody

Duet #4 - Dex & Jess - "Islands in The Stream" (B-)

Here, Keith starts drumming on the table, and the Judges -- then audience -- starts singing "Like a Virgin" -- then Ryan starts singing, and yeah, he can't.

CJ was a few notes short of perfection, IMHO. J: Started shaky; H: Great connection, practice pitch

CALEB finally proved: his power is > his singing, but!, he's still great -- but not #1! H: Waiting for this

Aaaaaaah. Totally forgot it was Wednesday and didn't watch it. I have a good excuse.

I watched some, slept through the rest. Of what I saw, I thought that the performances were solid, with the exception of Malaya. I thought she was actually awful, and I'm a fan.

Top 8 Redux - Results

Dex, Caleb, Jess, CJ.... Caleb safe, Jess safe (My #7 - WTF?!), Dex safe, CJ (My #1, Bottom 2 - WTF?!)

Sam, Malaya, Alex, Jena.... Alex, Sam, Jena are safe, Malaya B2

As there is no more Save, Malaya goes home (whew). I like her, but she's not ready....

I don't understand how CJ is still around. He has delivered some truly terrible performances. I'm shocked when he sings ON key.

The judges seem to be trying to defend CJ more than they do with other contestants. He has a large group of people cheering for him from his hometown sitting in the audience, I think they may be influencing the judges just a bit.

Top 7 - Competitors Pick



CALEB was good, as usual. K: Consistent, dynamic

JESS was disappointing, I've heard better versions. J: Off a bit; H: Practice rhythm

Duet: Sam & Alex, "Let Her Go" (B)

CJ was great, emotional; J: Create a moment, crescendo

DEX didn't do anything wrong, but it was kinda Zzz. K: Good, but make it your own

Duet: Caleb & Jena, "Gimme Shelter" (B+)

ALEX was good as always. H: Favorite of the night

SAM was pleasant, but I thought the song was boring. H: Making weekly progress

Trio: Dex, CJ & Jess, "Compass" (D)

JENA ruined a great song, IMHO, but the judges thought it was great (?!). H: Best of the night o.O

Thanks Geoff. Fell asleep again. This year has been a big bore. I think the whole production is a bore. It plods along; too many commercials; the judges try making profound analysis; Harry is good , but too long-winded....blah, blah, blah. This should be the last year.

The commercials are good to break up the monotony! lol ...but seriously, you don't have a DVR yet?? Those interminable 2 hr shows (incl. The Voice at this point) can be seen in 1.5 hrs max

And guess what? 2 more NEW shows are coming this Summer.

But sure, there's been no ONE to root for (for me), but I have a few I like. But as for Harry, I think he's the smartest of the bunch, and I could listen to him all night. Among ALL singing competitions, only Ben Folds (from "The Sing-Off") is as musically smart as Harry, and I'm talking every series, over every season. I welcome his technical criticism over all the "I love you" b.s. heard over and over again by some.

Having said that, I LOVE these 30 minute (less on DVR ) Results shows!



Top 7 - Results

Kevin Bacon does Ryan's short intro, incl. "This is American Idol"

Post Show Sliders video

Ford Idol Journey "Mustang for a Day"

Alex, Dex, Jena... Jena safe (My #7, their #1), Alex safe; Dex B2

CJ, Jess, Sam, Caleb... Caleb safe, CJ safe, Sam safe; Jess B2

B2 = Dex & Jess

OUT is..... Dexter (C'mon now!?!?!)... Dex exits singing, ironically, "Lucky Man"

I fell asleep, too.

Better late than never...

Top 6 - Country & Rock 'n Roll



JENA had one of her better performances. K: Killer, but release more

SAM did a good job. J: Goosies; H: Blossoming

CJ wasn't that great. H: Pretty good, but watch intonation

ALEX did a good job with a great song. K: Release more; J: Something missing, contained

CALEB (who awesomely dove to recover his dropped mic, without missing a beat) was obviously in his element, but song choice? J: Some real rock & roll ...stuff.

JESS was better than usual. H: Strong, nice job; K: Release more; J: Connect

If I hear Keith say "release more" one more time......!!



SAM was out of his element, karaoke. K: Relax more; H: More dynamics

CALEB pulled of a Carrie Underwood song, but it wasn't country-ish. H: More forced, but still extremely strong; K: (jokingly) "Can't wait to hear your country song"

ALEX sounded Paul Simon-esque, love this guy! H: Beautiful, an artist; K: More heartbreak; J: Perfect balance, beautiful

JENA wasn't country, either, but a good night for her (not one of my favorites). K: Such a good singer; J: Vocal took over, goosies; H: Didn't work for me

CJ was a bit better here. J: Didn't hit the mark, song choice; H: Didn't kill

JESS, again, was better than usual. K: Hated arrangement; J: Strong vocal

---

RESULTS

Video of Caleb's birthday dinner

Ford, The D.L. on the Idols

Randy's Reviews:
Caleb ("won the night"), Sam ("good"), CJ ("trouble")

Sam safe, Caleb safe, CJ B2

Jena ("strong"), Alex ("good night"), Jessica ("solid")

Jena safe, Alex safe, Jess B2

B2 = CJ & Jessica.

Leaving is...... CJ, who sings "Can't You See"

Top 5 - America's Request
w/ Jason Mraz



ALEX was good, a fitting song. K: Could've soared; H: Popular sound

CALEB is better at belting than singing. J: Made it yours, goosies; H: Sing to audience, not camera; K: More feeling

Trio: Jena, Alex, Sam - "Best Day of My Life" (B)

JESS wasn't great, especially in lower register. H: Pitch issues but improved performance; J: Live in the song

SAM was okay, funky, a bit Zzz. K: Tough song; H: Need to be in the pocket, but something different

JENA's lower register was totally lost, but a decent stage performance (best of the lot). J: Own style now; H: You move, fun



Duet: Caleb & Jess - "Beast of Burden" (B)

ALEX was strong as usual. H: Didn't give in to emotion, performance of the night; K: Beautiful

JENA's voice (nasally vibrato) I'm getting used to. K: Killer vocals; J: Not best one (tempo, arrangement)

SAM wasn't bad, but not a great night for him. J: Shaky beginning, goosies; H: Pitch issues, dynamics issues

JESS was lackluster, even showing full leg. H: Perfect song for you; K: Lean into it more; J: Dig in more performance wise

CALEB = RAWK! K: Killer; J: Crazy!; H: Fantastic



Alex and Caleb were very close, but Alex is the better singer. Jena edged out Sam with her stage presence. Jess, well, needs to go next.

Its a shame that Jess has no energy, charisma, fire, whatever. She has a terrific voice, a sultry look, but she couldn't sell a song if she needed a dollar. She is doomed to back ground music in a bar.

I believe Caleb will win based on last nights performance

Top 5 - Results

Ryan forewarns about a "shocking twist"

"Roundtable Recap" video

#FordIdolJourney ("Party")

Keith performs his new single, "Good Thing"

Randy's Reactions:
Jena - "amazing, killed it"
Alex - "gave everything"
Jess - "didn't have best of nights"
Sam - "interesting night"
Caleb - "turned the place upside down"

Here's the "shocking twist": The Idols have 2 options. Either, 1) the lowest goes home, or, 2) no one goes home -- but, next week 2 go home.

The Top 5 vote: No One Goes Home (3) vs Bottom Goes (2) ...NOT unanimous, so, going home is... SAM (?!?!??!!!) WTF??!!! I know he wasn't going to win, but he certainly wasn't the worst one left! ....Cheeks sings "It's Time" as he heads off....

Part of me thinks the Producers introduced this choice option to give Sam a chance (cuz they knew he had the fewest votes, but, also knew he was a draw). Either way, I've been saying "WTF?!" too much during results shows. I think Alex should win. Caleb is awesome, and up my alley, but Alex is the better singer (I just wish he looked the part more). Jess still sucks and needs to go (again). Jena has a chance because of her stage presence, not her voice.

In any event... I'll be in Florida next week, so will try and take notes. No promises about posting them in a timely fashion, though. I hate "typing" on laptops. It's not typing, it's "pecking" for me (tho I'm 65 wpm on a real keyboard!). lol