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American Idol 7, February 26 Recap: Super Sounds of the ‘70sby Betsy Wasser -- 02/27/2008
View Printable version of this article Welcome to another episode of American Idol. We’re down to ten guys, who Ryan quickly introduces. The boys whoop to promise a good night. Ryan then says hello to Randy, Paula, and Simon, who he refers to as “genius, brilliant, amazing, king of all beings.” I doubt Simon disagrees. Randy says that the nerves should be gone and that the guys should be “in it to win it.” Paula thinks that the boys are growing into their own comfort level. Simon says that the guys who he didn’t praise last week need to be better, simple as that. The songs this week will all be from the ‘70s, and the introductory clips about each boy will be “something America might not know about me.” We begin with Michael Johns. Michael says he loves to play tennis, which he’s done since he was a kid. I am sure it comes as a surprise to no one that he looks really cute playing. He says that playing is a good way to relieve stress and work out songs he’s writing. 
Michael sings “Go Your Own Way,” which is a good choice for him. He is very comfortable performing, and the camera loves him. The singing, however, is just okay. He’s not nearly as strong as he was last week. Randy: It was good, but not his best. Randy advises that Michael let go when he’s performing. Paula: The crowd loved it and it was a great start to the show. He is a “seasoned performer.” Simon: This was his weakest performance so far in the competition. Simon thinks he was coasting. The audience boos loudly as Ryan joins Michael on the stage. “Hey, it happens,” Michael shrugs. He says he was happy to be able to sing Fleetwood Mac. Jason Castro is up next. This guy did a great job last week of plucking himself out of obscurity. My cousins in California totally love him, and I suspect they’re not alone. Jason says that he hates doing interviews. He looks adorably nervous as he says he makes stupid faces because he doesn’t know what he’s saying. We see him have to stop and start over again several times. He admits that he’d rather just do his music. Jason’s got his guitar out again, singing “I Just Wanna Be Your Everything.” I think the guitar is a little too loud for this song – it overwhelms his voice. He also doesn’t come anywhere near the high notes, not that it would be easy to do. It’s not bad, but it’s pretty middle of the road. Still, because he did so well last week, I think Jason is gaining fans, and they’ll keep him around for another week, easily. Randy: The guitar is cool, but his vocals were just okay. The audience doesn’t like that. Paula: Paula likes it better. Randy thinks the guitar is cute, and Paula adds that Jason himself is cute. She likes his interpretation of the song and the arrangement. She recommends that he sing without the guitar next week, to show some vulnerability. Simon: The song was horrible and schmaltzy. The song, Jason, and the guitar were “all out of sorts,” and he looked uncomfortable. Simon thinks the song was a poor choice for him. Luke Menard tells us that he sings in an acapella group and has travelled all over the world with them. Luke says that with no band to back you up, you have to be flawless, and he loves the challenge. He thinks it’s been great preparation for the show. Luke tackles the song “Killer Queen.” He is just cute as can be, but I just don’t think his voice is strong enough. The song never really gives him a chance to soar vocally. I’m not impressed. This is a guy who desperately needs to stand out, and he’s not doing it. He’s in trouble this week unless someone else really screws up. Randy: It was a tough song, and Randy likes him better this week. This sounds like Luke’s kind of song, despite a few pitch problems. Paula: This was a great week for him, and the song was perfect for him. Simon: The performance was a mistake. He is always going to be judged against the original, and Luke doesn’t have the charisma and personality Freddie Mercury does. It was theatrical and “verging on whiny.” Ryan says it’s confusing to hear the judges giving such different feedback. Luke says last week he was 0 for 3, and this week he’s 2 for 3, so he’s happy with that. Ryan calls Luke “Dawson’s Creek,” which I suppose I can see, though he’s much, much cuter than Dawson was. 
Robbie Carrico chats with Ryan in the red room about whether or not he’s authentic. Robbie says that all he can do is be himself. He adds that there are many styles of rock, so maybe what he does isn’t what Simon envisions. “Get used to it,” he adds. Robbie tells us that he loves drag racing. He’s into the rush and would recommend drag racing (safely) to anyone. Robbie’s ready to rock with a performance of “Hot Blooded,” which is a cool choice for him. I like what he’s wearing much better this week – it looks less like he bought a Rock Star Halloween costume. However, like Simon, I’m not convinced that he’s a rocker. His vocals are good, but he’s a little too wimpy to pull off the song. He’s not sexy or dangerous enough. And man, I can’t help but think of how much I would love to have heard Bo Bice sing this song. Randy: Randy agrees that there are different forms of rock – but now, he agrees with Simon that maybe he’s not really a rocker. He doesn’t think Robbie has a rock voice, and he was never wowed by it. Paula: She suspects it must drive him crazy to have people who don’t know him call him inauthentic. That said, she thinks he played it too safe, which made him loose his character and personality. Randy says that rock is an attitude, something he doesn’t have to prove. Paula tells him to up the ante. 1 2 3 Next-->View Printable version of this article
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