American Idol and the Beatles don’t mix very well (what could go wrong with a bunch of amateur singers tackling some of the greatest songs of all time?). Two years ago, the show devoted two weeks to songs from the Lennon/McCartney catalog, with mostly dull results. At the good end of the spectrum, David Cook impressed with rocked-out versions of “Eleanor Rigby” and “Day Tripper,” David Archuleta sang a velvety “The Long and Winding Road,” Brooke White did a touching “Let It Be” and Chikezie broke out a creative take on “She’s a Woman.” And then there was everyone else.
Last night’s episode lacked an innovative, stand-out performance, but it did feature a few words of encouragement from Sir Paul, who’s currently showing everyone how it’s done on an incredible solo tour: “I just want to say get out there, go for it, enjoy yourselves!” Everyone did get out there — even a didgeridoo player and bagpiper hit the stage. Here’s how it turned out:
Ones to Watch:
• Casey James admitted he got choked up during his performance of “Jealous Guy” when he focused on … being a jealous guy. Easy to see why Kara DioGuardi said he showed “depth.” But seriously, Simon nailed it when he called his tune “the best performance of the night so far.”
Meh:
• Aaron Kelly’s boring “The Long and Winding Road” led me on a short and direct journey to my remote to see what was happening on The Biggest Loser.
• Katie Stevens’ straightforward “Let It Be” had the judges gushing and Simon hallucinating (he claimed credit for leading her in a “more country” direction. Was that country “England”?).
• Andrew Garcia’s “Can’t Buy Me Love” was so loungy, Simon didn’t bother comparing him to a wedding...
Article Source: Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily