Last night the fab four selected tunes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 most influential songs. Given the breadth of music history from which to choose, the performances showcased the competitors’ talent while revealing their own musical preferences. NOT! It seems all but Archuleta were thrown by the freedom the open-ended theme provided, choosing classics that were either out of their league or wildly inappropriate. Charm and skill may have saved Cook and Mercado, but Castro is surely head back to nowheresville – hey guy, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out. More after the jump.

The evening began with David Cook’s mediocre rendition of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf.” What a fantastic choice! Perhaps he could have retained some of the song’s pop-y appeal. Cook’s version was shout-y, and ended with his mouth open, despite his having finished singing. Yuck

Next up, Syesha Mercado. She looked fantastic in a gold mini-dress and big hoops during a pre-performance interview. But it was just a prelude to the cruise ship version of Tina Turner that followed. Mercado was admittedly reluctant to perform “Proud Mary,” a song whose covers rarely compare to Turner’s 1971 explosion. What made her embrace the challenge? Perhaps she figured she there was nothing to lose, given her frequent appearances in the bottom-two club. The judges weren’t wild about her shriek-y update, which sounded like the track to a Dove body wash commercial. I poured some out for Danny Noriega.

But Syesha and David’s bombs didn’t reach the depths of amateurism as much as Jason Castro’s did. It would be too easy to laugh at the Deadheaded doofus’ karaoke spin of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” and naïve to wonder, as Simon did aloud at its conclusion, “What was [he] thinking?” Castro’s silly faces and childish mannerisms are evidence that he’s as flabbergasted at his unworthy placement in the top four as we are.

Thank goodness for David Archuleta, whose adorable and well-sung version of “Stand By Me” followed. Perhaps it’s his age, but Archuleta seems to be the only participant not deluded by his or her own success. Paula, with unusual insight, commented that despite the young crooner’s consistency, he has taken the advice of the judges to heart every week. Refreshing!

Despite his earlier romp into wannabe land, Cook returned with a strong performance of The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly.” The choice showed off the rocker’s vocal range more effectively than his first selection, and the arrangement wasn’t nearly as orthodox as previous. “Welcome Back, David Cook,” said Simon through a grin at the end of the performance. Phew! That was a close call at suckiness, David. Don’t scare us like that again.

If Syesha’s “Proud Mary” was an indulgent exit tune, her next choice, Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” was her attempt at a diva-worthy encore. After plenty of research, the singer must have realized that this favorite of hers was originally written about the Civil Rights movement, a hopeful forecast of the liberation African Americans would experience once granted the freedoms their leaders demanded. What a coincidence!

Unfortunately, her delivery was utterly grandiose, overlooking the melody’s simplicity in order to make room for vocal acrobatics. Yet, Syesha looked like a star on stage, seeming more like a possible Idol than ever before. Randy agreed with my gripes, but Paula and Simon praised the performance. Ironically, Syesha’s goodbye songs may have guaranteed her a spot next week.

If the strength of that performance doesn’t keep her in the running, Castro’s failure will. Flubbing the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” marred what could have been a legitimate stab at moving forward. Simon advised him to pack his bags. Paula and Randy waved goodbye.

Archuleta should have no problem stealing all of Jason’s votes. His gooey version of Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender” was totally swoon-worthy. In Simon’s words, this sweetie “crushed the competition.”

Tune in tonight to see Jason voted off. Finally! - Amy Beecher


Tags: American Idol, Video