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An 'Idol' Fit for The King
The Final Four
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Elvis Night produces some strong performances, but will voters be cruel to Katharine?
Singer: TAYLOR HICKS
Song: "Jailhouse Rock"
My Take: The "Idol" producers have offered up a nice gift to Taylor and to the entire Soul Patrol with this week's theme. For two songs, Taylor just gets to be Taylor, the nation's favorite rowdy party crasher. The only way the Powers That Be could show more love to Mr. Hicks would be if next week is Joe Cocker week and then we move on to the Best of the Doobies the following frame. Then you'll truly know that the fix is in. Except for the unfortunate spastic moment where Taylor gets preoccupied by his mic cord, he delivers a spirited performance, the type of crowd-elevating romp you'd expect to see at a bar mitzvah, wedding or snazzy corporate event. No, it's not much of a stretch for him, in terms of vocals or persona or much of anything, but the Red Sox are currently beating the Yankees and I'm feeling generous.
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: Randy claps and tells Taylor he's in his element. Paula, unaware of the meaning of the word "original," says that Taylor was as original as ever (unless she means that he wasn't original). Simon's not so impressed, announcing, "In the real world, that was a terrible impersonation of Elvis Presley. The dancing was hideous and it was just Karaoke with a Capital K." Low Earning Man of the People accuses Simon of being out of touch with the real world.
Singer: CHRIS DAUGHTRY
Song: "Suspicious Minds"
My Take: Chris, who apparently wears boxer-briefs, is rocking big aviator glasses and a bulky jacket. On one hand, it makes him look like he's ready to hop on his motorcycle to go have sex with Kelly McGillis. On the other hand, with his eyes covered, I can't tell if he's threatening to kill me. Based on precedent, I'm just assuming that he does, indeed, want to drink my blood. It's a nice, serviceable and unremarkable rendition of the endlessly karaoked song.
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: Randy doesn't think it was Chris' best, but calls it nice and tender. Paula had forgotten how great the song was until she heard Chris sing it. This is also how she remembers her name and phone number every morning, I suspect. Simon says that it worked.
Singer: ELLIOTT YAMIN
Song: "If I Could Dream"
My Take: This is a slightly less exhausted Elvis song, so I'm more able to hear Elliott and I really like what I'm hearing, or at least what I can hear over the brass-heavy orchestration. Every week, it seems, Elliott is drowned out by the arrangement, which may also have something to do with his vocal tone, which is smooth, but not powerful, necessarily. I just wish I was getting something more than pure earnestness out of Elliott's stage presence. They've yet to train him on using the stage or his body language and at this point in the competition, that's a bit disconcerting. He's obviously more confident than he was, but it's time to parlay that confidence into craft.
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: Randy says it was hot and that Elliott made it his own. Paula, again on the verge of tears, calls it his best vocal of the season. "So far, that was the best performance so far," is Simon's Paula-esque critique. He must be sipping from her cup of "Coke."
Singer: KATHARINE MCPHEE
Song: "Hound Dog"
My Take: Tommy Mottola seems to have his eye on Katharine and since it's been several years since he last married an aspiring pop sensation, this may be a good pairing. Katharine and her song of choice? That's a bit less natural. I can't see Katharine. Where is she? She's dressed in gray. The house lights are low. She's not exactly dancing, because she doesn't really seem to have any moves, but she's certainly flouncing, which is what she does best. Katharine botches the lyrics in the middle, but rebounds fairly well. Simply because the song has been transposed for a female range, it ends up sounding a little different, but it's another safe, but fun turn. Does she need to do more?
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: Randy isn't sure what happened in the middle and Katharine laughs about the kidding notes. Simon calls it a desperate, manic audition performance. He hopes she's got something better coming up next.
Singer: TAYLOR HICKS
Song: "In the Ghetto"
My Take: Was there any chance on Earth that Taylor wasn't going to be the one to snag Elvis' most cheese-tastic ballad? It's too perfect not to work. I'm not sure how Taylor's rendition was personal, but I know that he delivered a version that was ripped straight from the Elvis playbook. He's combining the Elvis soulful schmaltz with his own soulful schmaltz and for the first time in several weeks, he breaks out of the Event Performance Ghetto and actually does something real.
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: Randy thinks everything was right about it. Paula suggests he showed how well-rounded an artist he is. Simon says this was a world apart from his first performance and says that Taylor sang his way into the semi-finals.
Singer: CHRIS DAUGHTRY
Song: "A Little Less Conversation"
My Take: But Chris... How can you hope to compete with Jon Peter Lewis' seminal "Idol" desecration of this song? Luckily, he doesn't attempt to emulate Pen Boy. After last week's second-song vocal rawness, Chris wisely goes with something deeper here and he gives a measured and well-articulated performance. The need to get the words right may be cutting into his energy a smidge, and the part where he goes into the audience feels robotic and awkward, but Chris even lets out a little shrieking at the end, just to show he has something left in the tank.
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: It was another hot one for both Randy and Paula. Simon, interestingly, thought his first performance was better, calling it just OK.
Singer: ELLIOTT YAMIN
Song: "Trouble"
My Take: I'm not buying Elliott's attitude here, but the director, perhaps sensing the phoniness, keeps cutting away to the busy orchestra, once again threatening to overshadow the vocals. No singer tonight has had to do as much as Elliott does here. He goes high and low, loud and soft, missing more than a few notes. The parts he hits are very impressive, but this doesn't look easy. I don't want to be mean, but Elliott's head looked like it was going to explode at the end and that freaks me out a little. I shouldn't feel this exhausted at the end of a song. It's not pleasant.
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: Randy's feeling like it's a remarkable night all around and calls it Elliott's best performance ever. Paula agrees completely. Simon tells him he deserves to go through to the next round.
Singer: KATHARINE MCPHEE
Song: "Can't Help Falling In Love"
My Take: Given the judges' comments to her testosterone-heavy competition, Katharine needs to pull out a showstopping performance. This is Katharine in a mode that's caused her some problems this season, but this may be the best of her diva-style performances, if that matters. There's less over-singing here and more true power, but the arrangement attempts to overcompensate, raging out of control. She looks beautiful and composed, though not necessarily engaged with the meaning of the song -- too placid and adorable, not enough yearning and passionate.
Fat Elvis, Skinny Elvis and Simon Say: Randy's tepid. Paula liked that she was fun on the first one. Simon, cheeks like a blowfish, and complains that the middle was over-the-top, like apple pie with a gallon of cream.
TONIGHT'S BEST: The night saw lots of solid, mistake-free performances, but Taylor's "In the Ghetto" probably had to be the standout.
IN DANGER: I can't but feel that Katharine has been held to a different standard by the judges, week in and week out, and what the seem to want her to be -- a male, mostly -- she's never going to be. She's a better singer than Taylor and Chris and a far better (and more polished) performer than Elliott. It saddens me to say it -- and even the Red Sox working a substantial lead does nothing to improve my temper -- I'd be surprised if she weren't heading home.
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