The Idol Final Four

Funny... I go a week without blogging, the I post twice in 12 hours. Anyway, iIn case you missed it, the review of Spiderman 3, among other things, was posted on Monday so just scroll down!

Before we begin, let me say a quick Happy Birthday to my favorite Funk, that being Sammy Funkhauser... I actually got to meet her the other night. Could she have been any cuter and Funky? Don't think so.

IT'S IDOL TIME!!!!!

Tonight's guest "mentor" is Barry Gibb, that of the Bee Gees. That's one of those groups that, no matter your taste in music, you probably like or at least think some of their songs are fun... classic are "Staying Alive" (which makes you want to do the finger pointing up and down), "More Than a Woman" (used in a disturbing robot-Ally Sheedy love dance scene in Short Circuit), "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart (the Al Green version is far, far superior) and "Islands in the Stream" (the Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers version is, again, far superior).

In case you didn't figure it out, with four, they each do two songs tonight, and yes, they're doing the Bee Gees collection.

For her first song, Mindy Doo is doing something called "Love You Inside and Out", though I'm not sure I know this one. Actually... I do know this, only I'm familiar with the Feist version heard at Starbucks. Its a hip song, really, that sounds like it could have been from the 70s. And guess what? It is! I rule.

It's actually pretty good, and suprisingly, Mindy looks really cool and not frumpy tonight. I'm going to download this song from iTunes tonight, I think.

Randy says "another solid performance", while Paula finds it hard to critique Mindy. So, here's the sunshine. Blow away. As for Simon, he wasn't impressed by it--he said she sounded like a back-up singer vocal (Mindy is a former backup singer)

Blake's first song is "You Should Be Dancing", which is quite a fun song... very, very 70s. And he's going back to what he does best, beatboxing. It killed last week, let's see this week...

Right out of the gate, he's got his falsetto on, he's got his moves, and he's tossing in the beatbox. Once again, not just a song, a performance. I think the one problem with a Blake Lewis album is that you don't want to hear him... you want to hear AND see him. Only hearing him is just no fun.

Randy didn't like the beatbox at all, saying it was corny tonight. Paula said he was "pitchy" (which is funny, because she was standing up clapping). Simon says "unique", but thought it was absolutely terrible. Humph. I liked it.

LaKisha is actually busting out with "Staying Alive"... a chick doing a song made famous by a dude who sang it like a chick. Hmmm...

So Kiki is putting some Soul Glo on Bee Gees. Wow... I think its pretty good. And, it actually helped me decipher some of those words in the first verse.

Randy didn't like it. Paula didn't like it. Simon says "no kiss tonight", calling it almost scary.

Up next is Your Next American Idol, Jordin Sparks. She's singing a song called "To Love Somebody", which was originally done by Nina Simone, but made famous by The Bee Gees, and then brought back by the legendary Michael Bolton in the 90s.

If there's a chance to impress, its this song, because its not a song done by a guy in falsetto, its a song originally done by a soulful jazz singer. Strange... I've heard all versions, but can only think of Michael Bolton.

Randy says it was the best vocal so far (which is not alot, because no judge has really liked anything). Paula agrees. Simon agrees.

Before we get to the second set of songs, can I just say how hard this much be? I mean, two black chicks, a mixed chick and a white dude who likes to beatbox black are trying to cover songs that were made famous by a very white band who sang it such high pitches that you'd think there were crotch vises installed. Bad times.

As guilty-pleasure inducing as "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" might be, it makes me angry that trife like that would still be on the air, and "Drive" was yanked due to low ratings. Again, bad times.

Mindy Doo is doing "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart", which, as stated before, is better when Al Green is singing it. When that song comes in in Notting Hill, my favorite chick-flick of all time, its magic.

She's doing a good job with it... which leads me to recognize this really is a good song. I mean, really. And hard to sing. The "sha-la-la"s alone would kill me--or you, if you were listening to me.

Mindy ends with the big, big notes that draw huge applause. Randy liked it alot. Paula liked the vocal too. I'm not really sure what Paula just said... and Simon says "Melinda, you don't understand a word of what Paula just said, do you?". He then adds "The second half of that song put you into the semi-finals."

Blake is singing another song I'm not sure I've ever heard. It's called "This is Where I Came In". Barry Gibb is very proud, because its an obscure song, and he says "maybe it can be a hit... its been waiting to be discovered".

You know, if I wore a vest to Samson High like Blake is wearing, Drew King and Shane Gillis probably would have beaten me up. I've noticed the voice flutter that he added to the song in the video with he and Barry Gibb has now been taken out--possibly due to the harsh... never mind. He just added it back.

Randy says "This is better, but still not the best... you don't have to beatbox every time. We know you can do it. It gets old". There it is. Paula is just rambling. Simon thought the song was completely tuneless, and that Blake has not had a very good night.

In the random D-list celebrity department, Judge Judy is in the audience. What show is she plugging? We know thats why celebrities appear on American Idol.

LaKisha is singing "Run To Me", which is not the same as Whitney's immortal "Run To You". Or Bryan Adams adultary anthem "Run To You". Or Del Amitri's "Roll To Me". Or Solomon Burke's classic "Cry To Me". Or Collective Soul's "Run". (I'm playing this fun game because this song is totally boring, and I'm trying not to stick my iPod charger in my eye).

Randy, Paula and Simon all say it was better than the first, and Simon adds "LaKisha, you and Blake are vunerable tonight".

Random--I have four versions of "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" on my iPod. Why? I don't know. Jewel, Burl Ives, Ella Fitzgerald and... Mickey Mouse. My life is sad.

Another random note--The Mac and PC commercials starring Justin Long might be the best ad series on tv that doesn't involve a Caveman.

Jordin is doing a Barbra Streisand/Bee Gee tune called "Woman in Love". Oh Barbra. Steph loves her. We can't all have good taste, I guess.

Wow, Jordin is good looking. Seriously. Seventeeen yes... 16? Still.

Randy says "pitchy", but gives props to Barry Gibb for having good songs. Paula only kinda liked it. Simon says it was "pageanty". And they are totally running out of time, as Ryan is speeding through the information.

After turning off the tape and rewinding, the channel is on E!. And the Saved By The Bell: E! True Hollywood Story is on. Did you that Screech is on Vh1's Celebrity Fit Club? I need to go to bed.