March 25, 2008 8:12 PM

Happy birth-day?

"The year I was born" was the theme for Tuesday night's American Idol, where the 10 remaining contestants got to sing songs from the year they were born.
That brought a span of tunes from 1982 to 1990.
The night was also filled with childhood photos and home video of the singers. Cute.
Ramiele Malubay kicked things off with Heart's 1987 power ballad Alone. Though suffering from vocal strain, she powered through it just fine. The judges were lukewarm.
Jason Castro followed with Sting's Fragile, also from 1987. Castro started out with just a simple guitar. The song is perfect for his voice, spoiled only by the fact that a third of the way through he began sprinting through the tune. I've never heard the song done that fast.
What, did he have an appointment with his hairdresser?
Syesha Mercado had her best showing of the competition thus far with If I Was Your Woman. Her voice was strong and authoritative. She owned the song -- and the judges.
Then came Chikezie Eze, who returned to his ballad stylings of the show's early weeks with 1985's If Only for One Night. It was polished and safe, but also surprisingly heartfelt.
More surprising was Brooke White's take on the 1983 Police song Every Breathe You Take. It started out with just her at the piano, then gathered steam and passion when the orchestra joined in. I thought it was her strongest performance ever. Truth be told, it's the first time I actually liked her.
As an added bonus she wore a demure black dress. Last week she bopped around in a silly yellow number than made her look like a sunflower in the rain.
Michael Johns' also returned to his roots, of sort. Early in the season he nailed a Queen song. Tuesday he paired two 1987 Queen numbers, We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions. He nailed them, provoking a rare compliment from judge Simon Cowell to the effect that he had "star potential."
Carly Smithson tackled Bonnie Tyler's 1983 chart-topper Total Eclipse of the Heart, yet even with Carly's ample vocal skills, it wasn't quite right. She lacked grit in this ode to romantic disillusionment. One can only wonder what Amanda Overmyer might have done with the song if she was still on the show.
Perennial favorite David Archuletta surprised the judges and perhaps even himself with an obscure song from 1990, You're the Voice. He sang it quite well, although it was clearly over-orchestrated. And there's something disconcerting about such a young face (he's only 17) belting out a social anthem about change.
You'd have thought he'd gotten that out of his system when he sang John Lennon's Imagine a few weeks back. I'm not saying that something "age appropriate" for David has to be from the Willie Wonka songbook. Just maybe something a little more personal to him.
Having repeatedly been told by judges that her voice skews more country, Kristy Lee Cook got both country and republican with Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA.
It was strong and crisp and every inch the Rotary Club showcase.
I don't mean to be a cynic (the hell I don't), but what do you bet that everyone who supports the Iraq war calls in and votes for Kristy?
Even Simon was impressed, calling it a "clever song choice."
The night ended with a bang, creatively speaking.
Several weeks ago David Cook astonished just about everyone with a reading of Lionel Ritchie's Hello. He did it again Tuesday, this time with Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.
It was one of those gambles that you instantly know is going to be either insane or incredible. Cook turned it into almost a dirge, a downbeat screed against false acusations of paternity, sung to mostly accoustic accompaniment.
How could you not be impressed? He found a unique interpretation of a song so well known it would seem to defy new approaches.
On the whole a strong night for the contestants, who will find out Wednesday which one will be sent packing. My guess is Ramiele Malubay.

Posted by Mike Pearson at 8:12 PM | Comments (2)