American Idol Top Nine - Lennon/McCartney NOT Epically Destroyed?!

Lennon/McCarney night on Idol and it wasn't a TOTAL disaster. Hooray! I think the song choices could have been heaps better for a few people (Siobhan, Lee, Aaron, Andrew) but thought others absolutely nailed which song (and arrangement for that matter) would best suit them (Casey, Tim, Katie). Once again, I predicted the winner of last week's show (Lee) would get tonight's pimp spot. Next week's pimp spot will either go to Katie or Casey, but it really should go to Casey cause he...changed things. ... I can't stop thinking about Lost. I have to stop typing now. To the recap!

Aaron Kelly - The Long and Winding Road
This arrangement makes me wanna strangle someone. Sounds like the ending song on a Disney movie. And this is a great song. Ugh. He is sounding kinda off in parts too. Boring. Step backward.
Randy - "Ahhh here we go." This is one of the ones that needed to be changed up, country version, something differerent
Ellen - Big song to take on, felt long and winding.
Kara - he's been delivering good performances, but he needs to great and he isn't on that level yet, feels like every performance is the same, wants tempo next week. He says he has something planned for next week
Simon - Wants to know why he picked the song and stuck with the arrangement. (Aaron DID change it, he made it worse.) Old fashioned, boring, got to become young and relevant, doing the same thing every week, needs a moment and some risks. Should have done research on that song.

Katie Stevens - Let it Be
Looks cuter than normal. More comtemporary, even if it means she had to raid a Wet Seal. She prostitutues herself for votes. Katie often does the single ladies dance in the house. Someone in our room over here observes that the show makes us think of the contestants as family, then kills them off, following the structure of a slasher film. Agreed.
HER WITH LET IT BE? OUT OF EVERYONE? NOOOOO.
Oh, she at least sounds good. This is actually...quite beautiful...dare I say it. Actually incorporating some of the ATU style I was hoping for. I still am not a huge fan of the tone of the voice, but this is probably her best performance. Big Step Forward
Randy - Best performance ever. Reaffirms to everyone watching that she belongs in the top 9. That was hot.
Ellen - Perfect example of changing it just enough to make it her own without disrespecting her song
Kara - Bottom three two weeks in a row, come on stage, no excuses, make the song her own, blossoms on stage. Her attitude is great, she's confident tonight, which is amazing considering she's been beat up for two weeks. Never looked or sounded better. Tearing up.
Simon - Got it right. Got it right because she was absolutely leaning in the direction Simon is hinting at, country. The other judges disagree that it was country, say it was more r&b.Seemed like she was actually singing about somebody, not being a robot.

The rest after the jump

Andrew Garcia - Can't Buy Me Love
Andrew is goofy apparently! Guitar best friends with Lee.
Funk? cover? A little out there...not sure how I feel about the arrangement, but he did change it and his voice does sound pretty good. Yeah, no, not a fan of the arrangement. The part where the music drops out is kinda neat. I don't know, it's weird, but I like his voice. Kind of a confusing performance. Vegasy? Did he make the Beatles vegasy? Step...sideways?
Randy - Solid performance, wasnt jumping up and down, interesting arrangement, voice sounded good
Ellen - "First of all, you can buy love" Perfect song choice, lots of fun, loved it.
Kara - wants to love it, but doesnt think she saw anything new from him that she doesnt already know. Thinks people dug it more because of the song. But liked the break down, classis Andrew.
Simon - Problem was the band overpowered the guitar and made it corny and old fashioned and unfortunately irrelevant. Him and band together kind of got it all wrong tonight.

Michael Lynche - Eleanor Rigby
I don't know about that...David Cook killed it, sooo....this could be awkward.
Soul? Disco? What genre is this? We're confused. Kinda cool, for him, maybe. Definitely making it his own. I ask the room what genre this is. The responses I get? "Not quite selling it." His voice sounds amazing though. This is kinda cool. I'll go with liking this. Yes! Actually he sounded kind of amazing. I approve. Mild step forward.
Randy - Not sure all of it worked, but the parts that did work were great. Love Big Mike. Could be on his album.
Ellen - Huge risk, but thought it was incredible
Kara - Thought it was fire. Vocals were amazing. Building, building building, sold the story, committed, Randy is right, made it commercial today. That's what the show is about. Great job.
Simon - Didnt love it as much as the other three, was sort of thing you see and hear in musicals.Didnt think it made him comtemporary at all, but went backwards, was what it was. Too over the top, slightly confused now about type of artist he wants to be. Randy points out that musicals are in, like Glee. The judges have a kerfluffle.

Crystal Bowersox - Come Together
She is maternal and kind and a great artist, everyone says.
She's cool. This is cool. Coca Cola in a lyric! Didgeridoo is cool. She's awesome. Forgot the words and said Coca Cola again. Hahaha, awesome. Step forward
Randy - Another solid performance. Doesn't know if it was her best. Even though the diggeridoo was distracting, she won him ever, he loved it, she's in the zone
Ellen - Loved the diggeridoo. The only thing Ellen worries about is a new way to tell her how great she is. Never ceases to amaze her. Made it current. Amazing job.
Kara - One of her favorite performance she's ever done. Kinda had Bonnie Rait feel. Never expected where the vocals went. More accessible tonight.
Simon - That's a performance he could hear on the radio. He loves that she is true to herself. That's how you make a song work. Terrific, much better than last week.

Tim Urban - All My Loving
He is very smiley, everyone says. Crystal "He's a good looking guy."
He can't sing ever. The arrangement is cool! Omg I like the arrangement. Could this be working for him? Even though his voice is still stupid? His hair is very Beatles tonight. He IS trying, we give him. Repeating the first verse instead of singing the 2nd voice. Eruditechick observes that he needs someone up there with him to mask how boring he is. This might be his best performance, bwhahaa. Oy. Oh no. He seems right in that spot though. Step forward
Randy - Own category, so judging it as a "good tim" performance. Thinks it was better that the last couple of weeks. Rocking Beatles-ish do.
Ellen - Perfect song choice, 2nd best performance after Hallelujah. Has Paul McCartney look about him and the girls go crazy for him.
Kara - Best performances are when he has guitar, was honest. She admits they really come after him and she likes that he took some of their criticisms and it's hard to hear that and still be confident.
Simon - Not gonna judge you as Randy did as a Tim performance. Must judge him based on everything else. But thought he did really well tonight. But he didn't try to oversing it, suited his voice, sounded current the way he did it. Likes that he takes the criticism like a man, no whining.

Casey James - Jealous Guy
One of the best performance of the season yet so far, if not the best yet. Well done. We never like his vibrato, but I don't really care right now. Such a good performance. HUGE STEP FORWARD
Randy - Loved the acoustic guitar, loved the sensitive vibe of you, really impressed that he took this kind of leap, set himself apart, was an individual. Really good. Wasn't the perfect vocal but was so heatfelt.
Ellen - Felt like it was about somebody. His best performance to date. Beautiful arrangement. Really poured himself into a song instead of just sounding great
Kara - Showed a vulnerability, very tasteful and acoustic, sang and played to accompany himself, showed depth, showed his range, switched things up and can still do more, really knows his voice. Pushed himself.
Simon - The best performance of the night so far. Very impressed.

Siobhan - Across the Universe
Everyone thinks she's crazy, but incredibly talented.
This arrangement is weird. Not liking it. Casey (and Lost) are also a tough act to follow. Very strange. I've never heard a cover like this of this song. Her voice is sitting in a weird place of her...voice. This is pretty horrible. Oh no. Siobhan, WHYYY. Some parts of the song were okay and when they worked, it worked, but...most of it...didn't....Oh noooooo whyyyyyyy Step sideways from last week's performance, backward from earler performances
Randy - No one screams artist more than she does. A little sleepy for him but liked the tender side and singing the high note in her falsetto.
Ellen - A big fan of people who march to the beat of their own drum and she supports that and honoring who you are, she is special and talented. Loved that it was different, she did cool it on the high notes and good job
Kara - From purely singing perspective, she hit the notes and showed great control. Restrained and polite, which they aren't used to. Not sure anyone would hear that on the radio. But she onnected personally to it.
Simon - What was she connecting personally with? Siobhan says she connects to "nothings gonna change my world" cause she connects to her baby sisters are here for them and nothings gonna change that. He says he agreed with the judges - she's weird but that's why they like her.

Lee Dewyze - Hey Jude
Resident worrywart. Every week - guys, I'm going home. Bwhaha.
Crystal makes a reference to the fact that Lee and Andrew would have Danny Gokey babies. EXACTLY. How does she know who Danny Gokey is? She's never watched the show before. Just from his performance on the show?
Doesn't really fit with his voice or style. He doesn't need the backing band. We think he is maybe trying to show that he can really sing. But now we are observing that he actually can't sing. Bagpipes come out on stage. We are confused. This is really strange. This is hilarious. He's cute though. Step backward from last week's, step sideways from earlier performances
Randy - Thinks the bagpipe guy was funny and he likes it. Another hot one for him. Tells him to believe.
Ellen - The confidence he showed tonight was great, more smiley, Great job, loved it
Kara - Feels more comfortable there, good moments, off moments, but still loves him, it's hot when he stretches himself
Simon - Doesn't know what they are drinking in the house with the instruments. Wouldn't have done the bagpipes. Was doing great then the bagpipie player entered. Lee said it was 100% his idea. Is Lee high? He seems high.

What we learned? Andrew and Lee are best friends, Siobhan is weird, Aaron has a thing for Yoda and Casey laughs loudly. 

Bottom three:

Top three:

Grades:
Casey James: A
Crystal Bowersox: A
Katie Stevens: A-
Michael Lynche:- B
Tim Urban:B-
Lee: C
Siobhan: C
Andrew: C-
Aaron: D

If we're going by simply who has the least support, because there were no clear losers tonight? Andrew's going home. But this results show may be quite unpredictable.