'American Idol' Top 4: We are 'Falling Slowly' for Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox
Actually, there's nothing "slow" about it. If it's not a Lee Dewyze-Crystal Bowersox finale on "American Idol," then the show is broken and cannot be fixed.The judges were absolutely right -- the duets blew the solos out of the water Tuesday night (May 11) and we definitely think the Top 4 could have chosen better songs.
Here is our list from best to worst:
No. 1 Lee and Crystal's duet, "Falling Slowly"
Duet on stage: We have only one word written down in our notes -- "goosebumps." We were completely taken with this from the moment they started setting up Lee and Crystal's staging before the show came back from commercial. Best performance of the show so far. It sucked us in, it was intimate, the harmonies were good and they both were able to still rock out.
Duet on TV: We have nothing to add. This was so good that we downloaded it off iTunes (both versions). It's the first time we're downloaded anything so far from this season. They need to duet again on either this song or something new for the finale because their voices complement each other so well.
No. 2 Casey and Mike's duet, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman"
Duet on stage: Casey didn't start off great on this one and he sang so long by himself that we actually wrote, "Is this a duet?" We also weren't sure if they were going to actually attempt the harmonies or just take turns singing, so it was awesome that they did try the harmonies and surprisingly they worked. The song is more in Big Mike's wheelhouse than Casey's but overall it was a strong performance.
Duet on TV: The Casey opening was even rougher on TV, but once Mike took over and then they sang together, it really came together. Mike was like melty chocolatey molassesy goodness on this song, he carried it, but we do have to give Casey props on the high harmony and the guitar work.
No. 3 Crystal Bowersox, "I'm Alright"
Crystal on stage: We did miss the driving, swing-y beat of the original because that's what makes it fun, but we will applaud Crystal for the change-up. She's only No. 3 because the other three performances were worse, not because she was the best, if that makes sense. It was definitely better than she's been in weeks but she still felt disconnected from the song.
Crystal on TV: This got even better upon the second viewing and we rescind our comment that she's the highest-ranked solo because the others were worse. She was clearly the best and this got back to what we like about her. It was a funky kinda groovy kinda thing (Randy Jackson'd) and it suited her perfectly. We still wish it would've just been a little more driving with the beat, like maybe lose the bongos in favor of some real drums, but that's a minor quibble.
No. 4 Casey James, "Mrs. Robinson"
Casey on stage: We actually disagree with the judges that this wasn't that great. It actually let Casey get back to his quiet moments of goodness, like on "Jealous Guy" and "Don't." He also managed to make it sound original, which is hard to do with such a well-known song.
Casey on TV: This is kind of a boring song. It's fun and we love it, but it's repetitive and not that interesting, so it says something that Casey gave it his own groove and made it interesting. His tone was very pretty and he nailed all the weird little minor notes in the melody.
No. 5 (tie) Lee Dewyze, "Kiss From a Rose"
Lee on stage: The opening was rough. He couldn't reach the high note on "love" and the "didja know that when it snows" part that goes from high to low twice in a row was off pitch too. Once he hit the chorus, though, he really let it rip and got back to the Lee we all know and love.
Lee on TV: When we could hear Lee with the levels balanced, it turns out there were more note flubs than we realized in person, even on the chorus. This just felt very karaoke until the very end. The last line was the one shining moment -- good tone, a little half-smile from Lee. But other than that, it was one of his weakest nights.
No. 5 (tie) Michael Lynche, "Will You Be There"
Michael on stage: At least in the studio, Michael got totally lost amongst the amazing background singers. It was like he was almost interrupting a gospel choir performance and the bridge of the song became too rushed and the lyrics were almost incoherent. Not a strong week for Mike.
Michael on TV: This was actually better on TV than it was live because the background vocals were balanced so as not to overshadow Mike. The bridge was still a mess, but his gorgeous tone came through 100x better with the gospel choir reined in. He also hit the key change better than we initially thought. His TV performance actually bumped him up into a tie with Lee.
Who should go home?
Honestly, it's a toss-up between Mike and Casey. Casey had a better solo this week but Mike was stronger on the duet. As long as it's not Lee or Crystal who goes, it really doesn't matter that much at this point.
Thoughts & Tidbits
- What was up with the judges tonight? First of all Randy and Simon, stop acting like the Idols had every song that has ever been in a movie since the dawn of time available to them. The initial list had only 34 songs on it and a lot of them were stinkers -- hence why they added 16 more songs. 50 songs is still not very many. The song list was incredibly limited and you both look like idiots when you act like the Idols had every movie song since "The Great Train Robbery" hit theaters in 1903 at their disposal.
- The Casey James-Kara cougar thing is old and tired. Get a new joke, fellas. Way to make a complete mockery out of a decent performance.
- Speaking of completely missing the point, the same goes for the "Free Willy" shenanigans. Oooh, "willy." Let's all act like we're 5 years old and just discovered our penis! Critique Mike and the song and leave the stupid movie out of it, which has nothing to do with anything anyway.
Check out our Dispatch from the Studio here for all the off-camera action and then check out our backstage interview with the Top 4 Idols here, where Crystal talks about her crush on Lee and Mike divulges his secret romance with Casey.
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If the previous shows have been trainwrecks, this one was a nuclear bomb! Recognizing that this is the weakest bunch of pretenders ever on Idol, this show overall was astonishingly bad. This show has effectively destroyed itself. This Top 4 is the worst in history - no personality, no stage presence, no vocal range.
out of the four contestants left, Lee Dewyze should be the next one to fly the friendly skies. His consistent pitchy, off-key singing needs some assistance from a vocal coach. About Crystal….even though I really like “bluesy†arrangements, for some reason, I didn’t like this version of “I’m Alrightâ€. I much prefer the Kenny Loggins version….it just works much better. Crystal is really good and I usually like her song choices and arrangements, but she is similar to other entertainers out there…..most of her songs and arrangements sound the same. It’s kinda like the ‘ole saying, “If you’ve heard one, you’ve heard them allâ€.
I thought Big Mike did a pretty good job on the “Free Willy†number. It was a typical Gospel-sounding version that obviously works for him. He seemed to stay on pitch and his performance was (in Simon’s famous words)…. believable.
Casey’s version of Mrs. Robinson was pretty good as well. It wasn’t an exciting song, but he performed a very good version of the song. He just needs to show more emotion and connect with the audience. About the duets…….Big Mike and Casey’s performance was better than Crystal and Lee’s performance. Casey and Mike performed a nice arrangement of “Have you Really Ever Loved a Woman†and Casey showcased his incredible acoustic guitar skills. Casey and Mike actually sounded good together and complimented each other.
What’s left for a season in which one of the heavily hyped frontrunners never could sing in tune, and now that his voice is shot, has got absolutely nothing left to offer at all, not even to those who liked that raspy mess when it still had its limited range. Why on earth did they pimp this guy when he had little to offer when he was fresh and would therefore have NOTHING to offer when fatigued? I can think of other overhyped finalists but at least they were amusing in some way. Lee? Looks and sounds like the paint salesman he is.
Srt's 1st paragraph--are you kidding me?! Are you watching the same show as me?? I've watched EVERY show since day one, and believe me, there have been way worse years--this year I actually liked, and liked ALOT of the ARTISTS--get it!! Anyway Crystal should win and deserves to win, but I almost hope she doesn't!!
Michele, I actually agree with srt. This year is terrible and yes, we are watching the same show as you. It's called a difference of opinion. None of the finalists have the star quality that will give them a lasting career. I stopped watching weeks ago but tried again this week in the hopes that it had improved. It didn't.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who found Lee's performance to be substandard. The backing band did their best to cover up his lack of range and off-key performance but trust me, it was not the delight the judges would like you to think it was. I don't understand why the judges want to push another everyday guy on us as the second coming. Maybe, maybe it was legit for David Cook but not for three years in a row.
The final four – and just a couple of episodes left – to decide a winner. Last night’s performances were far from cinematic, but they at least helped give us two somewhat stirring duets. Will it be Michael or Casey that goes home tonight? I think it’s safe to say Lee and Crystal will make it through to the end – or will there be an upset? http://thesmogger.com/2010/05/12/idol-hangover-the-final-four-perfourm/
regarding idol: sometimes there are hits, sometimes there are misses. david cook was clearly the stronger 'idol' than david archuleta. however, kris allen is better served as a ford spokesman as adam lambert was far and away the stronger 'idol.' this season there is no question that crystal is the 'idol.' lee has his thing (although not good last night) and should be the runner-up.
big mike or casey need to hit the road tonight.
Lots of email from my friends and family: We all want to be Casey's Mrs. Robinson! Casey james is a very talented performer who has the whole package and will have a great career no matter what happens tonight. Being in the top four is something to be proud of though it does become a popularity contest at this point. I voted numerous times for Casey because I shudder to think what the show would be without him. The three remaining are not enough to keep me watching..sorry...
I missed last night's performance but I will definitely be looking for it since I've heard a number of people say that the duets were something to see. I'm indifferent to whem I would like to win this season as I feel that the final 4 are all very talented and wouldn't be diasappointing either way. Actually the main reason I'm commenting is becuase I was shocked with the maturity level on this blog. I'm used to reading comments that become insulting and childish as soon as there's a difference in opinion. I didn't see that here and it made my day. Sorry to waste your time with such an irrelevant comment but I was just happy to see people being civil even when they're in disagreement.
100% agree with Crystal's solo performance was by far the best of the night.
Let me know what you think of my recap:
http://iamnoahjames.com/2010/05/12/idolspec-top-4-performance-show-%e2%80%93-5112010/
I totally agree with your thoughts and tidbits. I don't watch AI for the judges' silliness.