Wonderful retrospective of Motown to kick off the theme night on American Idol. I really enjoyed that. The contestants got to go to Detroit and see the birthplace of Motown, listen to the wisdom of Berry Gordy as well as Smokey Robinson, and then have Smokey come back to be their mentor for the week. Both are in the audience. Just a little pressure.

I think Smokey’s eyes are spookysexycool and he’s still Got It. Yeah, I said it.

Okay, blogging as I watch…..

Matt Giraud kicks if off with Let’s Get It On. I probably selfishly would have liked him to stay behind the piano, though I understand completely why he started there and then got up to sing, especially after the comments to Scott last week. He did a really good job, but he was a bit uncomfortable to watch, didn’t own the stage for me. But if you didn’t look and just listened? He did a beautiful job with the song, great voice for it. Not a bad kick off for the night. Judges all agreed he chose the exact right song.

Kris is up next, singing another Marvin Gaye song, How Sweet It Is. Smokey was a close friend of Marvin’s and he’s digging the contestant’s versions of his songs so far. He loves Kris. But will we? With the guitar, he has a good opening. Hey, I finally figured out who he reminds me of! He looks like the offspring of Dana Carvey with his facial expressions while singing. (Choppin’ Broccol!) Great arrangement, great performance, and very quickly country week is fading into a long lost memory. Thank goodness. This is much more memorable. Hope it continues. Judges applaud.

Scott is up next, and I realized when they walked out in the beginning that by voting off Alexis last week he lost his “leader” as she was the one who had been guiding him. Tonight it looked like he was using Sarver, maybe? It wasn’t as clear. So, he chooses to stay with the piano as it is who he is, and I think, in his case, he’s smart to do it. He has to have realized he’s not the best talent on the show at this point in singing or showmanship, so he might as well stick with his strengths, since, ultimately, I don’t think he’ll be pulling a win out of this. So, ride the wave, Scott and just enjoy. He’s singing You Can’t Hurry Love by Diana Ross and it sounds a bit church revival-y, but it’s pure Scott and he does a really good Scott job with it. And he gets the back up singers right beside his piano, so while he’ll never make me want to run download a song, this was possibly the most entertained I’ve been by him. Paula loves, Randy didn’t dig ig dawg, Kara liked that he brought tempo and actually gave good critical advice…Simon trashes him, and though he is making perfect (and true) sense, it just seems kind of pointless to dish this out as it’s not like Scott’s gonna change. I guess he’s just done with him riding the wave and is going to tell him like it is. Which, okay. But still harsh. Scott, for his part, is so earnest about this, and glad to see him taking it seriously, but you have to wonder if he gets where he really stands in this game.

Smokey might not be giving any real critical help to the contestants, but he seems so sincerely tickled and impressed with their talent that he’s enjoyable to watch. And the kids are all awed to be singing for him. Fun to watch.

Megan is singing For Once In My Life. And for once, Smokey seems to be reaching a teeny bit to be totally sincere. He calls her “original.” Kiss of death? We’ll see. She gets great band intro. And then she starts singing. Is it me or is she alllll over the damn place? Wow. And look away (please, because scary outfit/tattoo combo going on there) and it sounds even worse. This makes Rockin Robin look like Grammy material, y’all. Just sayin. Bottom 3, America. I beg you. If you really love me, Bottom 1. (And yes, it is all about me.) The judges pick on the song and I’m like, at some point you have to pick on Megan. I mean, seriously? When is it going to be that she just can’t sing? And wow, so Megan thinks she’s all that with her fans? Reality Check, table for one!

And Paula, you are freaking me out with all your point on, technical, specific advice that makes you sound so coherent and info worthy. Wow. Nice clarity, this evening.

Anoop is up next singing Ooh Baby, Baby (to Smokey…must be kinda wild.) I love this song, so he’d better do it justice. We get seated, sincere Anoop on the edge of the stage. And to me, he’s kind of sharp and not really grabbing me. He got better as he moved on, but it wasn’t Smokey. All in all, he won’t go home. The judges were very fair with him, bordering on too kind, but, in the end, it wasn’t my fave from him. (And Ryan? Wow, no singing.)

Sarver is up next. He was sick and didn’t do Detroit, but is all better now for having rested. Yay. (Hey, that sounded sincere. Didn’t it?) He decides to “church up” Ain’t To Proud To Beg and for the first time Smokey gives advice. A lot of it. See? He’s right in step with me on this guy. The delivery makes me question how well the guy is, and his dancin’ for the audience is still very, very bar band for me. He’s still very full of himself and I think he needs to get that he can still be full of himself and listen to constructive criticism at the same time. I mean, dude, when Paula is getting boo’d for telling you there are things you need to work on? Think about it. Bottom Two for me, and for more than just singing ability.

Lil is singing Heatwave. (I hope someone cleared Simon up on her name.) I think it’s a great song for her and I want her to knock it out of the park. I love that she gets the history of what has led up to this night. Love her hair. Very Diana Ross. Not the knock-it-out-the-park rendition I was really, really wanting. She seemed to be kind of over singing and over reaching when she just needs to settle into it. Judges agree, for the most part. Kara says she’s screaming it and not making it sound effortless, and that’s totally on point. Paula is the only one who thinks she had “a moment.” Don’t agree. She needs to sing like she did for Smokey, and pretend she’s singing to one person, in the same room, instead of trying to reach the cheap seats with every note. I think she’s safe this week, but really needs to find her groove. I do like that she’s taking the criticism and figuring out what to do with it. (Sarver.)

Adam! Finally. What I’ve waited for. And he’s singing Tracks of My Tears, which is one of Smokey’s song. Smokey loves. I loved that Adam picked his brain a little on the song and seemed truly awed to be standing there. It was a good collaboration. Loved it. And now he decides to go all Adam Unplugged on us and I’m a Big Fan of acoustic, so wild clapping from me! And then double wild clapping when I get a load of his look this week. Wow with the hair. The suit. The tender, waaaaay toned down delivery. And all of it in an impossibly high range that he hits, effortlessly, the whole way through. Dang, Adam. After two very flamboyant weeks, way to show you can change it totally up and still be yourself. Smokey gives him a standing ovasion and is teary eyed at the end. Need I say more? The judges all get it this time and give much deserved love. Kara gives her first standing O. And he’s such a grounded guy, very comfortable in his own skin, whether singing or listening respectfully to the judges. Really, what’s not to love here? Sorry, I’ll be right back, I’m off to rewatch. Download. Watch again. Rinse, lather, repeat. Lots of lathering…

Now we get Danny who is singing Get Ready. And, really, after Adam’s performance, the show is kind of over for me. All downhill now, in terms of anticipation. So it’s good for him that he’s changing up the tempo, as it’s about the only thing he could do to make us stop chattering about Adam and pay even the slightest attention. Smokey gives him advice and Danny’s all “well, he’s been doing this longer than me, so, ooookay.” Really, Danny. Ya think? And so, he can sing, very well in fact, and he delivers yet another great Danny Show Performance as he always does…but do you want to buy this album? He’s fun to watch and listen to…but I don’t have the urge to just listen to him. He’s not downloadable for me. And he disregarded Smokey’s advice, too. As Simon would say…Sorry.

Allison sings Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Love to hear Smokey’s explanations about what the song is about and where they came from. He gives her a critique, too. Unlike others, Danny, she does listen to him and her gruff, growly, powerful delivery really does do justice to the song. Judges love her, and then her reaction to Simon drawing on Paula’s face is so typical Allison. I wish she was more socially savvy, but I think that’s not going to happen. Still, great night for her and my fave performance of hers thus far.

On looking back over the little snippets at the end, my tops for the night are:

Adam, Matt G, Kris, Allison

Middle of the Road:
Danny, Lil, Anoop

Bottom three:
Megan dead last, then Sarver, then Scott

What say you? Who did you love? Who, not so much?

Don’t forget to enter this week’s contest. Details in Monday’s post, winner announced right here tomorrow morning. And yes, I do realize there is no Survivor MAC in this spot today….but it was a never-before-seen-clips episode, which isn’t really an episode so much as an hour of filler. So I’ll wait for the actual show to come back on. Thanks, show.

Now, it’s your turn! DISH!!

Tags: Writing //