femalenetwork.com

First thoughts after the first round of tonight's two-round special: It looked as if the train wreck tonight was not a contestant, but judge Paula Abdul who read off a summary of her thoughts for the whole night and thought that she had heard Jason sing twice after the five contestants finished the first round. Even Randy and Simon seemed to struggle keeping her afloat by repeatedly asking her to name her favorite among the first songs. Uh-oh, not good, especially since their ratings are slipping. It's no surprise that Fox is even asking for suggestions for the next seasons of AI.

But now, back to the Idols themselves. With two songs up for each Idol this week, tonight's Neil Diamond episode really did feel rushed--a true sign that AI is now on the fast lane with only five contestants left. Which of them refreshed your memory of Neil Diamond? I can remember listening to "Forever in Blue Jeans," "Sweet Carolina," and of course, "I'm a Believer" on family road trips when I was a kid, but other than these I'm a newbie when it comes to the legendary composer's songs. Still, the performances tonight registered a renewed appreciation for Neil--but not for all the Idols, I'm afraid.

Regardless of image and vocal prowess, it still depends on whose fan base is the strongest. Over at GIRLTalk, most of our sisters are all for David Cook, who honestly, I think, can still have a brilliant career even without winning Idol. In the long run it all boils down to what America says (or whom the producers have anointed as the Chosen One if the show is really rigged, as per Paula's slip-up), but for now, let me give you a recap of Neil Diamond night.

Jason Castro - "Forever in Blue Jeans" and "September Morn"
Most of the Idols tonight are playing instruments along with their songs, and I'm pretty glad Jason is back with a guitar this time. Sadly, his picks this week seemed to spell doom for him, not much because of his breathy voice, but mostly because of his lack of originality. Sure, Jason is still charming, and I had no qualms with him smiling all throughout "Forever in Blue Jeans," which I actually liked (it's my last song syndrome now), but his style had become pretty boring. "September Morn" sounded very old-fashioned, which was not the point when it comes to inviting legendary musicians like Neil Diamond, and even Jason admitted he felt like choking at the start of the song. It was okay for Randy but it was not the best, Paula thought it was too safe, and Simon nailed it when he said there was no effort to give the songs a whole new arrangement.

David Cook - "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need Is You"
There's only so much I can say about how David really gets better and better every week--not to mention brave, too, because "I'm Alive" and "All I Really Need Is You" happen to be some of the not-so-known Neil Diamond songs. So I'm stopping at saying that "I'm Alive" felt really alive, and if I were one of those mosh pit girls, I would have shouted "I need you, too!" back at him after he sang "All I Really Need Is You." Randy finally outed himself as a David Cook fan, Paula said she felt like she was looking at this year's American Idol (then again she might have been drunk), and Simon thought the first song was okay, and the second song was simply brilliant.

Brooke White - "I'm a Believer" and "I Am...I Said"
After last week's train wreck, Brooke seemed to be a bit more careful, relaxed and even more confident now, but let's be honest, her energy wasn't enough for "I'm a Believer." Thankfully, she pulled herself together for an emotional, heartfelt rendition of "I Am...I Said," which to me felt like the real Brooke. I'm also glad she followed Neil's advice about replacing "New York" with "Arizona," which must have helped her feel that she owned the song. Randy said she did a nice job, Paula said that her vulnerability works for her, and while Simon hated the first song, he was all praise for her second choice.

David Archuleta - "Sweet Caroline" and "America"
Unlike Kristy Lee Cook's failed attempt at a nationalistic pop song, David Archuleta's "America" is a greater success with the judges--although was that just me, or did his voice really crack twice? Looks like our baby's growing up, and the good thing about it is he just went on with a strong finish. On the other hand, "Sweet Caroline" sounded like his usual, pop self, which has sadly become a bit tiring, too. Randy said he was definitely in the zone despite being too young, Paula loved the fast pace, and Simon gave him a check, check, check all the way.

Syesha Mercado - "Hello Again" and "Thank the Lord for the Night Time"
Obviously, Syesha has learned so much from her experience last week, which was why she probably put on a fantastic show tonight. While "Hello Again" sounded like the usual diva-ish style, "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" was such a fun song that gave her another chance to put up a show again. With her powerful vocals and her command of the stage, I really don't think this girl needs to worry if she can't crack the pop scene because she can have a good future in Broadway. Randy thought "Hello Again" was too karaoke-ish but he loved her second song, Paula thought her vulnerable side was beautiful and her theatrics are really her thing (why did she call her Brooke, though?), and Simon said she was a very good actress and singer, but gave an ominous prediction that she might be in trouble this week.

My favorites: David Cook and Syesha
We may have to say goodbye to Jason Castro if his predictability turns off his fans, but it can also be Brooke's time.


Overall, however, the show felt very chaotic, but it's good that even Simon's snappier-than-usual comments at the end of round one didn't get most of the contestants down, since almost all of them sounded better during the second round. Still, we'll have to say goodbye to one of them tomorrow, and hopefully get a follow-up on Paula's mistake. Do you think the show is definitely rigged? And who do you think will get the ax this week? Let us know what you think!

Photos courtesy of AmericanIdol.com