It's Still Rock N Roll To Me

Okay, so, I had planned to really blog in real time tonight, but instead of was chatting with my really fabulous friend Cat in London...and after tucking Alex in, DVR tells me it's about 40 after the hour. Ryan tells us that Slash is the mentor tonight, which makes it...Rock N Roll night! This will be really great or really cheesy. But Slash is a musician, and we haven't had many of those, so I think he will give great advice. I hope he brings the guitar along. Plus, I find Slash to be quite sexy, ridiculous-carton hair and stupid hats aside. And even in that, there's something smoldering about that guy. My mother would have totally freaked out, but I would have been a complete groupie over Slash.

Ryan tells us about some sort of emergency in the studio, making me think that something has really happened...that one of the contestants got the flu or something, but no, it's just that one of the big idol microphones fell and that the Idols didn't get a dress rehearsal or a real run-through or something like that. Then, apparently, the Idols will pair off and sing a duet. Because, really? They haven't been slammed enough on running out of time? This makes sense?

First up - Adam Lambert - ooh, I kind of feel sorry for the other three that he's leading off, because Adam should, by all estimates, own this night. He refers to Slash as a Rock God, which I kind of like. He does Whole Lotta Love., and I may very well lose all of my Adam goodwill. If he doesn't rock this, and I mean rock it well, I will think he was way too smug to take on one of the best rock bands of all time, with one of their most iconic songs. Okay, so Ricky Minor's band isn't Slash's band but they are still quite fantastic. And Adam is...well, Adam owns this, and it's not a knock-off, he doesn't remind me of Robert Plant or anything. He killed it. Randy loves it. Kara calls him a Rock God, and while I thought it was good, come on Kara. Folk are going to think you and Paula are backstage with the bottle in the paper bag splitting it. Kara then goes a little off her rocker (get it? Rocker!) saying something about he's in his lane and he's alone in his lane, and she must be thinking strictly in terms of Idolettes, because last I checked, Robert Plant is still alive. Paula notes that it's hard to improve a Zeppelin song, but that it was awesome! Simon says it will be impossible to top and he feels sorry for the rest of them (okay, now I think I'm going to start suing for plagiarism), and finally someone notes that this is one of the greatest songs of all time and that he slayed it. Simon is right -- it downright sucks for the other three that he opened. With that.

Next, Alison Iraheta. She reveals that she went with Adam to his hair girl, and uh...well. It's um...so anyway, Alison is doing Crybaby, and I liked it a lot in rehearsal. Slash gives her some advice to not be afraid and then she sneaks a little kiss, and Alison is my hero! Okay, so has anyone checked Alison's birth certificate? I refuse to believe, after this, that she is only 17. I didn't think she'd do this well - that she wasn't mature enough. And that's absolutely the last time I underestimate this girl. What I really like about this is that she didn't throw away the lower notes to get to the "CRYBABY" chorus that everyone knows. She hit every note, and she hit them well. I liked this a lot. Randy says she can sing "her face off" (is this his new line?), but that he didn't love this song choice, that all he heard was "CRYBABY" (I disagree). Kara likes Janis, but not this song, she recommends A Piece of My Heart. Again, I disagree. Okay, maybe I missed something -- I thought she was great! Paula steps into crazy again saying if they ever do a biopic on Janis, she should get the part. Simon says that she's grown leaps and bounds over the past 8 weeks, but that this wasn't very original, but that she should have gone with her first choice, Somebody to Love...only Simon thinks it's the Queen version, but Alison corrects him that she was doing the Jefferson Airplane version. She lips off a bit, and it's actually kind of cute, because she's been so quiet all season, and she's not really smug about it. And Simon likes it too. Translation -- I really want this to be between you and Adam in a couple of weeks, so I'm going to let you slide. I hope when they watch this tape tomorrow, they will realize this was better than they thought it was tonight.

So now we get a duet, but it's not Alison and Adam...it's Kris and Danny. Is this fair, that they have to use their first voice for the performance that won't be judged? They are doing Renegade by Styx. Kris begins a Capella, showing off that lovely tone of his...Danny's is good too. Oh my GOODNESS! Why am I just noticing the resemblance between Danny and Robert Downey, Jr? Okay, so now that Matt is gone, I am no longer cheating on him...this Kris is so cute. However, I don't love this vocal in its entirety. But I'm not completely disappointed, because if I were them, I wouldn't give this my all either, knowing that I won't be judged on it! I did like their voices together though. Randara didn't love the individual vocals, but loved their harmonies. Paula gives a lucid critique that it was compelling...Simon doesn't know what to say. I thought he hated it, but he says that Danny was better than Kris, and I have a bit of an attitude with Simon now. Why go there, Simy?

Next up - Solo Kris takes on the Beatles, singing Come Together, after rejecting Revolution (a wise choice, I think). Kris gets to play Slash's guitar, and Slash (rightly) notes that it made him nervous, as Kris said he almost wet his pants. I love the genuine moments, and I appreciate it when these folk realize that this show has taken them places they never DREAMED of. Okay, so I love Kris, and I love this song...if the Beatles ever had a song with a sexy beat, this is it...and Kris is just too damned nice for this song. My inner cougar ducked out, and then kind of went back in. If I didn't LOVE him, I don't know that I would have liked this, if that makes any sense. Randy wasn't blown away. Okay, this is a first for me and my AI blogging. I am rewinding to listen to this again. Excuse me. Okay, I liked this a lot. He got the sexy right, and my inner cougar came out and sat down the second time. So back to the judges...Randy liked his guitar thing and notes that it's a good performance. Kara didn't love the performance, that he was trying too hard. Paula starts off lucid, noting that it's hard to do a Beatles song, but then she takes a sip and says something about imprint and artistry...and I'm not sure if she liked it. Simon didn't like it that much, comparing it to eating ice for lunch, that afterwards you have nothing. Ryan calls bullsh!t, telling Simon that he's far too rich to have ice for lunch. Once again, I hope, when the judges see the tape, they will see what I saw. No, Kris is not an Alison, or an Adam, or a Danny, but I would bet money that 19 Entertainment will sign Kris beyond the tour. This kid has chops, and I don't appreciate Simon comparing him to Adam...he's NOT Adam. He's not over the top, but he's better than credible. he has a voice and a talent that I would love to hear on the radio...and while I am not comparing the two, I think that John Mayer would sneer at Adam, invite him to pick up a guitar and see where it went. I'm not comparing John Mayer to Kris either, but I am saying that while Adam is the better performer, hands down, I don't necessarily think he's a better vocalist than Kris.

Ooh...Paula has a confession on Fox News tonight. But you know, Fox is questionable, so who knows what Paula is about to say.

Danny is doing Dream On, and rehearsal made me a tad uncomfortable. The screech...oh no. Okay, so Danny doesn't look all that comfortable with this, but the chorus really works with his voice...but then we got to the end and that was an unmitigated mess. I'm sorry, he was out of sync with the band, and that screech is not in the same zip code as his natural range. Holy sh!t, that was bad. Randy says that he knows this wasn't his genre, but gives him an A for effort, noting that he had 3 notes at once with that last note. Kara says he took the swagger compliments and took it a little far, but notes that he took a risk, and says that rock is roll is about being bold and going for it, and she goes on, and I wonder. Why does Kara insists on doing the fist pump? Paula says it wasn't her favorite song, but that she gives him an A++ for going for it. Simon compares the last note to a horror movie, saying it was over-the-top. I think that Paula tells him (Simon) she loves him and he gives her a look as if to say "later, Boo". He compares him to Adam as well, but says it didn't work for him, but that he'll be safe tonight. Translation -- this really sucked, but we are ready for Kris to go instead. Wow.

Last performance of the night is Alison and Adam doing Slow Ride, and I'm hard pressed to hear it because Adam's pants are alarming me. So, I like this better than the other duet, mainly because these two are more comfortable with a band than the other two. But you know what else? They are both very comfortable with the rock thing, and that may work in their favor as well.There is also a camaraderie between Alison and Adam, a generosity in the duet that was lacking with the other two, and you can tell by the way they embrace at the end that they were practicing this all the way to Adam's hair girl and back. Plus, endearing Adam to me even more, I see that he has given her some tips on owning the stage; it was like she siphoned a little of his confidence. And, you know, when you've won AI 8 like Adam has, you can afford to be generous. I liked this a lot. Randara loved it, noting that they pushed each other to be better on stage. Kara says something about Rock God and Rock Goddess. Any more comments like that, and I'm thinking that Kara has her own cup of happiness. Simon says this performance was leaps above the last duet, and that Adam may have given Alison an extra week in the competition. Yup, this is definitely who they want in the finals.

Okay, tonight, if we were judging only on the merits of tonight...Danny should call Jamal and ask him to come pick him up from the Idol Mansion. But we know it doesn't work that way. I'm afraid this might be the end for Kris, but like last week, I'm hard press to call it.

Lastly, to my friend Neesha -- I will keep the DVR if you want to come over and watch for yourself!

'night, Friends!