Best Week of the Year

This was the best week of the year in terms of overall performances. I had trouble deciding who was best so I had to go back and re-watch my three favorite performances. Well, technically, not “re-watch” because what I like to do when I replay a performance is listen with my eyes closed so I can just focus on the singing. It is, as Randy reminds us, a singing competition. While the difference between my Top Three of the Night is small, I was clearer the second time around.

#1. Adam – superior from beginning to end. I do get that you either love him or you hate him but he demands and commands attention and is the most complete package ever as performer, singer and even arranger.

#2. Danny – his best week in a while and he needed it because, ironically, he was getting kind of boring just being good each week. He was incredible in the way he built the song up from a slowly paced beginning to a passionate ending - and he totally tore up the end of the song. He is so, so good but his problem is Adam - kind of like all the great basketball players who never won championships because they had to play against Michael Jordan.

#3. Allison – but this is a 3rd place with honor because she was fabulous, too. She just sings beyond her years and finally showed a broader stylistic range than we had previously seen. I could find no fault in her performance. It’s just that Danny and Adam were ever so slightly better. I, like Simon, do fear for her as I did last week. But I wish he hadn’t said that so emphatically, especially since he apparently likes her as a singer (just not as an ego) and since he knows how much his opinion matters in the voting.

I’m willing to allow that others may rank these three differently and I won’t think bad thoughts about you as long as these were your Top Three of the Night.
Which brings us to the back of the Idol Rat Pack:

Kris – sorry, Kris Lovin’ Ladies of Scottsbluff, it takes more than great eyes to impress this writer. I agreed with Simon here rather than the other gushing judges. Look, he sang fine. But it was a pretty forgettable performance unless you’re remembering how cute you think he is. Jazzy standards aren’t his style of song at all and I give him credit for doing as well as he did. He’s just not a good enough singer to go outside his narrow range of strengths.

Matt – was absolutely, positively dreadful. He was so pitchy and My Funny Valentine – a true classic among classic songs – was way bigger than his talent. I suggest he take lessons from Kris on how less = more; and from Danny on when and where to place your vocal runs; and he should have watched a video of Melinda Doolittle doing that song two years ago to realize he can’t sing it.

I hope Simon is wrong about Allison. Matt has deserved to go and deserves to go this week.

By the way, best Rat Packer album ever is Sinatra's Songs for Swinging Lovers.