Judges 0 Haley 2 [American Idol Top 5]

It must be getting bad if I actually plead with the screen for Randy to say someone is pitchy. I'm learning to ignore the judges in this series. We really miss Simon Cowell, especially at this stage where just saying someone is in it to win it over and again is getting on my nerves. Don't they realise that already? Yes, one of these is going to win but that doesn't mean they can't give some decent feedback and criticise from time to time. Steven has been damn cool and Jennifer considerate in the past but now they're not saying much at all as if they're worried about being sued or something. The first two thirds of the show had them almost selling Scotty and James to us, excusing James and Jacob's missed notes, crap screeching and wailing and raving about how good they were. Lauren gets nods of approval and never a bad word. Haley started off being effectively written off for some reason I guess we'll find out eventually. She must have been either mad or depressed at this obvious misdirection of voters. She certainly came back at the very end fighting and I just hope and pray voters listen to that and not the losers tonight who were the judges.

Jacob should go with two lousy performances, and Lauren deserves punishing for one. James should survive, although I'm not sure why, and Scotty, of course, will. Take that as read. Haley? Definitely not but who knows after the way she was treated for the first 80 minutes?

James
Closer To The Edge
Not a track I recognised the name of or the group 30 Seconds to Mars. Calling out "Let me hear you scream!" at line two, 15 seconds in, was rather worrying as he then proceeded to assume that no-one in the audience would and so had to do so himself. Wailing almost, this did nothing for me and I'm not sure it did a great deal for him. He has settled well after maybe trying too hard at the beginning and his ability, most of the time, to hit notes spot on and put a whole load of natural energy into performances that are not commercial puff is credit-worthy. After two minutes, though, I've had enough and I do feel that only some determined head bangers will buy the albums if he sticks with the screaming.

Jacob
Something else I didn't know
Instead of James' screeching we get Jacob's wailing. Shame. This was a good track that could have suited him but he was all over the place and certainly hasn't got "one of the best voices that have ever been on this stage"as Jennifer pronounced. Randy bravely differed, thank heavens. I really do think he has gone far enough in this show already. James could pull something different out of the bag next week and is worth keeping in the hope he does. Jacob hasn't and isn't.

Lauren
I give up on naming tracks, sorry.
Great up tempo good 'ol country rock chick stuff that America will love. Suited her well and if she'd been in a final up against Scotty with that she'd even stand a chance of beating him by stealing some of his votes. She's going to be selling records, I'm sure and should be pleased with that. A big difference between her and the first two.

Scotty
Gone
Nice to see him confidently having fun with this rampage of a country track. He looked as if he was in his own show and was entertaining and even punching the air. Good stuff and that'll compete well with the Lauren country vote threat.

Haley
You and I
Great unknown Lady Gaga track that she delivered brilliantly. Brave, cool decision but why on earth does Jennifer have to spend all the feedback time telling us all, never mind the poor girl, about the choice instead of prasising her courage and actually saying that she hit all the notes and had a stage presence and audience rapport that knocked anything Jacob could do into a cocked hat or stripey blazer. Randy then whinges meaninglessly and misses the point, seemingly advising after the event what she should have done instead of doing what he did with the others and looking at what she did do. Steven did the usual. You do get the impression that they simply aren't prepared, despite seeing all the rehearsals, presumably, to back her against Scotty and James who them are forever pushing up the ladder as potential finalists when it should be her, Scotty and one other, probably Lauren.

James
Without You
This is one good song choice for this guy. A tough one, mind, and he resorted yet again to the scream and, remarkably, missed the important note that might have made all the difference. It seemed to go down well but you have to ask just who he appeals to as that would have been a hate song for the others backing his first song. Randy's 'emotionally perfect' comment is weird, especially from him. And saying the contest is 'his to lose' is worrying. The amount of advertising he's getting from those judges makes me wonder if Coca Cola aren't sponsoring him and James'll be wearing that shade of red next week. It was good at the start but I felt he showed immaturity and pretentious emotion in the second half. Not that good at all as a performance.

Jacob
Love Hurts
One fine track from the Everley Brothers and this is possibly where I see him being at his best. Unfortunately, the wailing still comes through and destroys it as he just can't hold himself back and at times I couldn't tell the difference between him and the trumpet backing him. Annoying wreck of a marvellous song. Cheryl Crow had demonstrated how it should have been done and got more passion in one line that this bloke did in two and a half minutes. The ruddy judges forgive him, like James, for crap. Why on earth don't they do that for Haley?

Lauren
Unchained Melody
Oh dear. That was dreadful. But will anyone say so? Really not good, no hope of reaching any of the important notes and breathless rubbish where she couldn't. Pity. She looked fantastic. Just sounded awful. How the hell could the judges not say that was 'nicely done'??!! Ridiculous! 'Nothing to judge??' What is happening on this show tonight? I would say that that performance could have upset so any viewers that she should be out. The thing is, though, people don't vote that way. She'll be lucky to survive, though, and probably knows it.

Scotty
Always On my Mind
Excellent. Now that's a performance that I thought would deserve some praise. Not fantastic, though, and shows that he is not infallible as it lacked all that this very special song should have by way of meaning. I guess he's a bit young to understand that, though. It's an older man's song. Judges comments: well-rounded, so beautiful, true performer, blah blah blah. Yes, the guy's going to do well but that wasn't one of his best performances. Someone really should tell him. Oh, I just have.

Haley
The House of The Rising Sun
Amazing. Brilliant. Well done. Cut ridiculously short and I would have loved to hear the whole thing but she absolutely blew everyone else away tonight. I have already forgotten most of the others now. That was an Adam Lambert moment.

American Idol Top 6

Interesting to hear Ryan Seacrest getting more applause than the judges at the start. Carole King was a good writer and anyone who wrote Pleasant Valley Sunday for The Monkees can't be bad either but this is still an odd choice. But there you go. Jacob Jacob Jacob for the bottom three.

Jacob ♪5½ ☼6
Oh No, Not My Baby
Just stop at the "Oh no," bit, please, and go home. And take that ridiculous jacket with you. Whoever told him to move around and attempt to dance? I mean, the guy must weigh a ton and his voice is wobbling around enough already. "Hopefully America will give you some votes and you'll stick around," says Randy Jackson, not terribly convincingly. To be fair it wasn't a disaster but if this guy stays then someone who could win goes and that's silly. I just can't see who on earth any record company would market him to in 2011, 2012 and I'm sure that by 2013 he'll be just a contestant name on a list we dig out from time to time.

Lauren ♪7 ☼8
Where You Lead I Will Follow
What she was doing bringing some boy onto the stage I suppose might be revealed at the end. Weak track, uninspiring performance. When she went to hit the high notes she may have done so well but a bunch of professional backing singers gave her insurance and we didn't notice whether she did or not.  She's worked hard with the hair straighteners too again which certainly suits her. The UK audience really won't get all the fuss over the boy being 19 and her being 16.

Haley & Casey then break the monotony with a fun, cheerful and talented rendition of I Feel The Earth Move. They have a great style together and it works well. Whatever they do in their solo spot that should pull in some well-needed votes for each of them.  I presume they'll all get to duets somewhere along the line tonight in amongst the solos. Although I still find the bear-like Casey an odd sight rolling around the stage and slapping the outstretched fingers of fans in the front row when he'd probably be better fronting a band with an instrument in his hand, Haley just looks totally at home there and is really turning into a contender. Subject to what Lauren's duet is like and Haley's own performance going well, she may turn into the second favourite.

Scotty ♪9 ☼10
You've Got A Friend
Nice work. Beam him up! Really professional performance. You could tell he was trying to make this his own and this track could sell a lot. There's a weakness we haven't seen before when he hasn't got the strength in his higher notes that would make him really really good. He made you listen and understand the words Carole wrote in a way that James Taylor never did and all credit is due to this guy for that. He's becoming unbeatable in theory but, of course, this being Idol, he may well come second! Certainly one of the two in my book.

James ♪9 ☼10
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
Unplugged at the start was excellent. Then he really showed how good he can be with a fabulous fairly straight guitar and singing production that was simply superb. I didn't like the inevitable screech here and there, particularly the end, but that was one cool performance and with an otherwise unremarkable song he's blown my top two apart in just under three minutes!

Another duet follows - the delightful pairing of Lauren and Scotty again (well done the producers!) Sharing Up On The Roof, well, I say 'sharing' but with Scotty trying to sing to her she was permanently looking the other way and that kinda spoilt it all. It was a pretty light affair anyway. They do perform well together but The Drifters needn't worry about losing a grip on the best version by a mile, no, make that a hundred. It won't have harmed their votes, though. James has already done enough damage anyway.

Casey ♪9½ ☼8
Hi Di Hi
The Blood Sweat And Tears number and this guy was in his element. Totally natural and entertaining, cool and he just picks tracks that he really seems to enjoy performing. Again, I have no idea how he'll fit into the Idol scene but he'll have a ready market for his stuff and I can even see him creating a new wave of intresrest amongst youngsters who haven't yet caught onto jazz with a difference and scat. Nicely done. He may not get the votes, though, as it wasn't something telephone number pressers will have adored but he certainly deserves to stick around after that.

Haley ♪8½ ☼7½
Beautiful
This wouldn't have been my choice and she seemed to rush the slow bits with uncharacteristic nervousness. She pulled it back with lots of energy and fun in the groovier sections. I so wanted this performance to make her super safe but It didn't quite manage that. Pity. Never mind. Keep the faith. Fingers crossed too. and I won't walk under ladders until after the results show either.

James and Jacob then come on with a Herman's Hermits' number! "WTF?" as the girl who blogged at the live show yesterday so aptly said at the time! Actually it was pretty reasonable- Jacob stayed under control and James lead the way. It won't affect the votes though.