American Idol: Top 3 Review

We are finally down to 3. The season seems to have been on since the beginning of time. By the time the final 2 step out to sing next week, we would have heard them sing in 13 performance episodes, not counting their occasional forays into group songs and repeat performances during the result shows. It's been a LONG season.

And so we have the top 3 in a bumper edition, singing 3 songs each! No theme, unless you count "Judges', Clive Davis's and Contestants' Choices" as a theme. Clive Davis looks more and more like a Mafia gang-lord every time I see him; the impression is not helped when he opens his mouth because he sounds like he could order a hit between recording sessions.

Vonzell:
Clive Davis's Choice: I Know I'll Never Love this Way Again
Ooops, she was really struggling with pitch issues, especially in the first part of the song. She finished well enough, and managed to hit a few power notes on the way. Her voice can be very rich and textured, but on this song, she sounded thin and strained. Slow numbers are not her friend.
Contestant's Choice: Chain of Fools
Vocally, this was a much better performance than her first song. She hit all the notes and her voice sounded smooth. This is just the type of song that suits her style and sense of fun. The girl can perform and sell a song, because her personality is so open and winning.
Judge's Choice: On the Radio
Simon chose this song for her, and it's a home run. This was a let-your-hair-down performance, with all the trademark Vonzell cuteness and mid-song chuckles. Vonzell shouldn't try to be the next Whitney Houston, because she lacks mastery of her instrument. She should traverse the path of Donna Summers and revitalise disco-pop.

Bo:
Clive Davis's Choice: Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Ooooh, it's THAT song! The one that Clay Aiken knocked out of the park during his Wild Card performance in Season 2 (the performance that made me take notice of him). Jasmine Trias wailed it to destruction last season. How did Bo do? Pretty well, as it turns out. This performance did not have Clay's beauty of tone and sureness of technique, but it was a completely different approach and arrangement, so it did not suffer by comparison. Bo's gravel-toned voice brought an emotional edge that worked well for this song.
Contestant's Choice: In a Dream
Sung a capella, no less. Of course, that's how they all audition for AI in the first place, but it does take guts to sing unaccompanies on live TV. Singing a capella takes great musical instinct; you might hit sour notes (as Bo did) but the great and difficult thing is to modulate to the corrects note without instrumental aid (as Bo also did). I am not so enamoured with the song itself, but his voice sounded fantastic here, very nuanced, distinctive and full of character. The last note had a horrible time finding its right place (and never quite did), but did not mar an impressive performance. Bo showed that he can sing. Although his range (in terms of octaves spanned) is not wide, he knows how to work his voice.
Judge's Choice: I Can't Get No Satisfaction
Paula chose a non-song which is more a performance stunt than a musical number. Bo did what he could, jamming to a rather nice slow groove in the middle and finishing with a rock-roar, but this is not a song that showcases singing prowess. I suppose I should view it as a performance, in which case, it was pretty much standard Bo - some bouncing, some hair-tossing and much stalking-around while carrying the mic stand. Nothing you haven't seen before.

Carrie:
Clive Davis's Choice: Crying
Carrie sounded great on this song; the best I have ever heard her sound. For once, there was no straining and I wasn't reminded of vocal chords being stretched beyond repair. She does have a rather pretty head-tone when she sings more quietly than is her wont. The problem with this song is that you can't hear it without thinking of Roy Orbison's and KD Lang's versions. Carrie's performance lacks poignancy compared to these. But in all fairness and comparisons set aside, this was beautifully done.
Contestant's Choice: Making Love Out of Nothing At All
Hahaha, Air Supply! Anthony Federov would have sung this had he made it to the top 3. Given the rumours of their supposed canoodling, perhaps Carrie sung this as a tribute? I had never thought of this song as a power ballad, which is what it became in Carrie's hands. She sung it well, hit all the right notes, and held a couple of good notes. Technically, this was strong and incredibly impressive. But her voice began to sound strained again, particularly when she was powering her way through the chorus.
Judge's Choice: Man, I Feel Like A Woman
Maybe Randy chose this after getting wind of all the Carrie-bot jokes making the rounds on the Internet. The first part of the song was horrendous. She croaked rather than sang it, and her lower register problems were having a field-day. It ended rather better, with her hitting her comfort zone in the middle of her range. On this song, her voice lost all the prettiness on display in her first song, sounding strained and thin again. When she sounds like this, all her technical superiority cannot help to make her singing more pleasing to my ears. This is maddenning; she can obviously sing and she has a pleasant voice somewhere in her, so why do we not hear it more often? Also, she seems awkward and very self-conscious of her physical movements on stage. This is magnified when you compare her to Vonzell; Carrie's lack of stage presence becomes glaring and rather painful to watch.