eleven will get ya 50s...

Barry Manilow is in the house, or, well, he's in Las Vegas, but he's hawking a new album so what better reason than to build an American Idol theme around a Manilow new release.

It's 50s night!! The birth of rock, the beginning of roll, the innocence of loves lost and loves found. An entire decade from which to choose.

Barry Manilow not only hosts the kids on stage in Las Vegas, but he serves as advisor, mentor, arranger and cheerleader to all of them. And they try to make him proud. Some do. Some don't.

And so here they are, my early impressions, subject to rewind, re-evaluation and rearrangement and as always, from worst to first:

Buddy Holly, uh, I mean Bucky chooses Oh Boy. He's stayed away from the evil curling machine, but is playing hot potato with the mic. That bothers me, because I'm waiting for him to drop it. He looks like he's really enjoying himself, but the song is not working for me. Randy says great song choice. Paula mumbles the same thing as Randy said. Simon pans the whole thing, calling in classic karaoke. Me? Oh boy. I really, really didn't like it at all.

Yay! Somebody finally gives me some Frankie Lymon, but unfortunately it's Lisa, who seems to spend all of Why Do Fools Fall in Love either ahead or behind the band. She's full of energy and tries hard, but it just doesn't work. Randy says meh. Paula is Paula and Simon talks about being in the middle of a high school musical.

Kevin, wardrobed in keen new glasses, selects When I Fall in Love, begins, as per Barry's recommendation, very softly and sweetly, sitting on the stage, all but in the faces of the judges. The problem with a song of that sort is that any missed note is like a neon light, and he hits some sour ones, but overall, as Simon points out, it hits the target of probable Kevin voters. Randy calls him a dawg. Paula gets all squishy, and Simon tells him he likes him. Again.

Ace gets the coveted pimp spot, going last with his urban jazzed-up version of In the Still of the Night. Maybe it's just me, but he's looking a bit younger John Travolta-ish, and his really cute brother is there. Randy announces that Ace is back. Paula counts the "marry me Ace" signs and Simon says meh, but assures Ace he won't be back on the seal tomorrow. Me? I prefer the original version, thank you.

Pickler does Patsy. How did we know that would happen? And to think Barry Manilow had never heard of Walking After Midnight. Hmm. Something very Picklish about that. Actually it wasn't as bad as I had feared, even though she did hit some rough spots and seemed to forget the sadness that the lyrics convey. Randy says welcome back. Paula well... And Simon continues his Pickler pimping.

I feared that someone would sing Fever by Peggy Lee, not one of my favorite songs. And I should have known it would be one of the teenagers. Paris is looking quite mature, and does quite well with the song. Randy gives her props. Paula does Paula, and Simon says it was perfect. And other such stuff. Me? I don't like the song much, but she got some respect from me, even though I still say she should have sung Frankie Lymon.

I am loving Taylor's perfect pastel blue suit and white shoes as he takes on Buddy Holly's Not Fade Away, with its total of 5 words. He's all over the stage, all over the audience, all over the catwalk, and it's obvious he's having a great time. Randy and Paula gush, once they pull Paula back into her chair. Simon is unimpressed, but at least we don't get any drunk dads of the bride comparisons. Me? I love Taylor, so I'll forgive pretty much anything.

Chris decides that he and Johnny Cash need to hook up, so he chooses to turn I Walk the Line into a part-slow, part-rock, totally-unrecognizable version of the original. I alternatively love it and hate it. Randy says it wasn't his best vocal but it was original. Paula repeats Randy and Simon applauds Chris' unwillingness to compromise. It wasn't Chris' best vocal, not even close, but it was certainly unique, even though he messed up the first two lines and nobody brought it up.

Mandisa gets the lead-off spot, looking absolutely FAB, says she doesn't really know that much about Barry Manilow but has a new respect for him. She then proceeds to blow not only the roof but the walls off the joint, knocking down both Paris and Lisa in the process, with Dinah Washington's I Don't Hurt Anymore. Randy is speechless (plus he has a cold), Paula calls her a thoroughbred among other incomprehensible mumblings and Simon calls her performance sexy and makes some strip club reference. Me? I say that probably was the best Mandisa performance to date. And the sale of Dinah Washington CDs may have just spiked.

Katharine is channeling Ella Fitzgerald with Come Rain or Come Shine. Barry tells her to sing to one person; she promises to do so but says she will never say who. I think she's singing to Constantine Maroulis, who's in the audience, but she may be singing to Kevin. But it doesn't matter to whom she sings. She's flawless as usual, even though Randy and Paula tell her it's not her best vocal performance. She looks FAB, after that wardobe disaster of last week, and she assures us she's taped securely. Bottom line: she IS fab.

Elliott spends what feels like 15 minutes telling Ryan how he wasn't a big Manilow lover, but now he's a Fanilow. He's chosen Teach Me Tonight and, while he doesn't master the backphrasing that Barry tries to teach him tonight, he's stunning, he's smooth, he's Elliott, the Elliott that I love. Randy says "you worked it out dude" for about the ninth time, Paula is incoherent and Simon calls him terrific. Get on the phone people. I [heart] him.

Sammy, the little Ace fan/guest announcer. She wins. Hands down.

So, who was worst? Who was first?

Tomorrow: executions.


tag: american idol