and then there were 10, part 2...

The guys don't have to jump through too many vocal hoops to top last night's women, but who cares, cause Bo Bice is in da house!! I know that Carrie's going to leave the wheel to Jesus on tomorrow's one-hour result show, but why can't they just skip about three of tonight's performances and just let Bo sing. He does a cappella, after all.

Alas. Deep sigh.

Overall the guys are a mixed bag, ranging from great to great-god-how-the-hell-did-he-make-it-this-far. But they are far superior, as a group, to the women. And Bo's there. Did I mention that?

So here are my picks, as always, from worst to first.

Sway Penala fulfills the Stevie Wonder FCC regulation with Overjoyed. Thankfully he's shed the pimp wardrobe. He starts off poorly, even with Taylor singing backup from the balcony, and stuff just goes downhill. Simon calls it pure karaoke. I don't think it was that good. Randy says it was worse than last week. It wasn't. Nothing could have been worse than last week. We are not overjoyed. Stevie Wonder is beginning legal proceedings to rescind all of his music from AI clearance. I support that.

Uncomfortable was a good way to describe David Radford's performance of The Way You Look Tonight. One of my biggest criticisms with David has always been that he tries too hard, and it shows. That song has been performed before, and better, on this show.

Who needs Ace Young when we've got Kevin Covais, the lady-killer sex machine who's Hearing Through the Grapevine that tweens everywhere think he's cute. I think he's cute too. And funny. And self-effacing in a mature and adorable sort of way. But damn, that hurt my ears. And my heart. But he does kinda resemble little Chicken Little.

I hate when they sing songs I've never heard, but after last week, I figure it won't matter what Ace Young is singing. However, I'm wrong. It's terrible, but I'm not certain if it's the song I don't like or the performance, especially after Randy and Paula praise it. Actually I think they're still hung over from the bland that was the women, that anything, to them, sounds good. Cause it sure didn't sound good to me.

Because we've not heard enough ballads over the last two nights, Will Makar decides to treat us to Kenny Rogers' Lady because, well, Kenny is from Texas like Will is so he has to represent. And all. It's very pleasant in an easy listening sort of way, especially with Mom singing backup, but I doubt I'll be humming it to myself after the show. The judges are expectedly lukewarm, even though the kid cringes when Simon tells him essentially that little 11-year-old girls are throwing their panties at television sets across the country.

Bucky Covington doesn't like the food in the Hollywood because he can't understand it. Kinda like we can't understand a single word he mumbles. But his When the Thunder Rolls is not bad at all. It's certainly an improvement from the previous week, but Simon says he's a supporter to the stars. Simon's right. Bucky is someone who's just there. If he can find his own Whipping Post and essentially kidnap the audience, he may break out of the supporting role. But until then, he's one of the "and the rest..."

Did I mention that Bo Bice is in the audience tonight?

Taylor Hicks goes from the anchor spot to the opening one with :::whoa!::: Lionel Ritchie's Easy. And Taylor is easy like Sunday morning with a song that is just so un-Taylor. :::Whoa!::: The "whoa" cry just doesn't work with the Commodores. None of the judges are overly impressed, and, as much as I adore Taylor, neither am I. :::Whoa!:::

Well, I've found a new favorite in Gedeon McKinney who shows the utmost respect to Sam Cooke's A Change is Gonna Come. The the biggest change comes from Simon who tells the kid with the smile that had he been around 40 years ago, Berry Gordy would have snagged him. I think he's got a ticket, but not a ticket home. I think he just bought his way into next week.

Elliott Yamin announces plans to sing yet another ballad, despite the fact that the women balladed us to death the night before. His performance is so mesmerizing that it's over by the time I realize I haven't even gotten as far as writing down his name. Paula stands. Randy stands. The crowd stands. Simon tells him he needs to pull something great out of his back pocket if he's to win before giving him the Simon good seal of approval. The man is terrific.

Wow. Chris Daughtry. Wow. That performance is gonna make those episode-ending recap moments totally suck. Wow. Have you just ever been at a loss for any word other than that?

Tomorrow the results. Four people get shot down. No, Dick Cheney will not be there. But Carrie Underwood will be.

And did I mention that there was a Bo sighting?

So, who was good? Who was bad? Who should bite the dust?