Ah. We’re coming down to the wire here, aren’t we? My favorite iTunes performances this week is Lee DeWyze’s “Simple Man”. Crystal’s vocals on “Come to My Window” and “Maybe I’m Amazed” are stunning. Read my take on the rest. Listen to the You Tube recordings and write your own reviews…
Download American Idol iTunes Studio Performances HERE. Or click the links below.
- Casey James – “OK It’s Alright With Me” – Oh Casey. Why did you pick such an ordinary song when you had the chance to choose your own song? This mid-tempo ditty is as unremarkable recorded as it was live. – Audio – Video – You Tube
- Crystal Bowersox – “Come To My Window”- Crystal seemed out of gas Tuesday when she took on this Melissa Etheridge tune, but the recording is fine. She doesn’t add any new twists to the original, but her vocals are strong and powerful. Very nice. – Audio – Video – You Tube
- Lee DeWyze – “Simple Man” – Easily one of Lee’s best performances of the season. He sounds terrific here. His raspy vocals tell the story of the every day guy beautifully. Lee sings it like it’s his own story, which it probably is. – Audio – Video – You Tube
- Casey James – “Daughters” – I give Casey props here. He did the very best he could with the material he was given. I don’t like this song much, the message is a little weird and self-serving, but I think Casey’s tender vocal renders the song touching rather than creepy. – Audio – Video – You Tube
- Crystal Bowersox – “Maybe I’m Amazed” – When I first heard Crystal would be singing “Amazed” I imagined her putting her own deeply personal spin on the song. But she chose not to alter the gender and suddenly she’s playing a character, and it took me right out of the song. Her vocals are awesome as always–the recorded version is even better than the live version. – Audio – Video – You Tube
- Lee DeWyze – “Hallelujah” – Here’s the thing–I hated the way Simon manufactured a “moment” for Lee in the most heavy handed way possible when he assigned and helped put together “Hallelujah” for Lee. But, I do not hate the finished product. Lee’s performance is connected and heartfelt. I’m not even going to regard other, excellent Idol versions when I judges this one. It’s just…different. – Audio – Video – You Tube
