CountryTyme Lemon-flavored Idol

OK, don't expect me to remember all the song titles tonight. Country music is not my thing. Apparently, I have that in common with most of this year's Idols. I'll go through the group quickly tonight.

1. Phil - You know, when he sang "Tobacco Road" a few weeks ago, I thought he could do justice to redneck rock songs. He did the same tonight. It was pretty good. Not stunning, but pretty good. The judges told him that country may be his genre. Personally, I don't think he knows country music from a hole in the ground, but his voice seems to fit it fairly well.

2. Jordin - I remember the song was "Broken Wing" and it is a Martina McBride song, because she had to sing it in front of tonight's coach, Martina McBride. Well, Jordin absolutely blew away the audience, judges, television audience, etc. Best of the season. Simon told her that she could win it all (which I've been saying since week one, ahem.).

3. LaKisha - She chose to do "Jesus Take The Wheel", which was done by former idol Carrie Underwood. This was a bad bad bad bad bad choice. This song requires a sweet, lilting voice, and LaKisha....well, imagine James Brown singing a lullaby. Get it? This was another case of the elephant trying to tap-dance, just like last week. She's gonna be bottom three, I just know it.

4. Melinda - She picked some song no one had ever heard of called "Trouble was a lady". This was a straight blues song with country accompaniment. She did it very well, but missed some opportunities to mesh with the band and improve the song. There was a place at the end of the verses where it builds up to the chorus, and the drummer breaks up his beat a bit, hitting off-beats hard while the chords ascend chromatically. Melinda could have broken up her lyrics the same way and rode the wave into the chorus and brought the house down, but she didn't try it. I grade this the same way judges do olympic figure-skaters - it's a stunt that wasn't attempted, so the degree of difficulty of the routine suffers as a result.

5. Sanjaya - ppffft. Moronic song choice "Let's Give Them Something To Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt. He'd have done better trying to do Ozzy Osbourne. This was an abomination. William Hung was better. Off-pitch, Off-tempo, Got lost in the lyrics, improvised badly. If he doesn't go home this week, I don't know how we'll ever get rid of him, because he was offensive. Six-year olds playing violins in grade school concerts are easier to listen to.

6. Chris - I thought he'd have a chance doing country. He has a twang that sometimes hurts him in other kinds of music, but works fine for country. Unfortunately, he was off-pitch badly. He did a Rascal Flatts song, "Mayberry", and it really wasn't good. Flat (pitch-wise and performance-wise). Bottom three material.

7. Blake - He did a Tim McGraw song, and had the very same pitch problems as Chris. The judges didn't even mention it. Sometimes I wonder if they hear what we hear on TV. Anyway, I didn't like it at all.

I noticed something tonight, however. When they recap the show at the end, the clips of the songs are not the same as the live performances. I think these clips are shot in the final dress rehearsal right before the show starts, as I noticed they do not show the audience or judges in them. The pitch problems that Chris and Blake had, weren't present in the recap clip. Sanjaya wasn't off-key in his clip like he was when it was live. Is this cheating?

Here's my ranking for the evening:
1. Jordin
2. Melinda
3. Phil
4. Blake
5. LaKisha
6. Chris
7. Sanjaya

I want to believe it. I'm trying hard to believe it, but I have my doubts. This was by far the worst Sanjaya performance ever, and we've had some real stinkers from him before. I may be wrong, but I have to predict it.

Sanjaya goes home. This is the end of the joke. It's not funny any more.