American Idol Top 10

Motown music was the theme this week. I was a teenager in the 1960s, and Motown music brings back a lot of warm memories, so I was looking forward to it. I was not thrilled to have my Tuesday evening guilty pleasure postponed for 24 hours because of the President's speech, especially since, as it turns out, I came down with a cold during those 24 hours. I'm thickheaded and not too coherent at the moment, but I want to get something up before the results show, so here goes.

Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson met with the kids, and Smokey (a wonderful musician whose music I love) was their coach of the week. They took the contestants on a trip to the old Motown studios in Detroit, MI.

Matt Giraud was up first. He chose to perform "Let's Get It On," by Marvin Gaye, a song I think is overrated. He started out at the piano, and it was actually pretty good. I haven't seen what the great attraction is with Matt, but I thought this song suited his style. He came out from behind the piano after the first verse. The judges liked him, of course. Paula compared him to a great pair of worn-in jeans.

The other overrated male singer, Kris Allen, did another Marvin Gaye song, "How Sweet It Is." He accompanied himself on his favorite crutch, his guitar, and the accompaniment was just as bland and boring as the rest of the song. I didn't hear anything new or exciting in this performance, and I couldn't wait for it to end. He shouted the last note and I found it painful. The judges, though, seem to inhabit a different universe; they thought he was wonderful. Paula liked that last note. Simon called the song a smart choice, but thought Kris needed to believe in himself more. “To be a star, you've got to be conceited.” Does that make Simon a star?

Scott MacIntyre decided to do "You Can't Hurry Love" by Diana Ross and the Supremes. It was a terrible choice. He didn't sound good; even his piano-playing couldn't pull this one off. Simon said he couldn't wait for it to end. He didn't think it was a great version of the song, and the piano-playing was too honky-tonk. It was the wrong choice, a bit cheap for him. Randy called it a "very hotel kind of performance." It didn't do anything for him, either. The women liked it, though neither one of them seemed to be blown away. Scott should find himself in the Bottom 3 tonight.

At long last, my least favorite performer, Megan Joy, has managed to sing herself into a corner. (And I use the term "sing" loosely.) She murdered "For Once In My Life," by Stevie Wonder. She was all over the place with her pitches, and her voice sounded terrible. Randy said it was a train wreck. Simon said it was horrible. Even Paula and Kara couldn't find anything nice to say about it. Simon said she was in trouble, and I sincerely hope that America agrees and sends her packing tonight.

Anoop Desai did "Ooh, Baby, Baby," one of Smokey Robinson's own songs, performed with his band the Miracles. He was wonderful. I think there were a few weak and off-key notes, but he's really coming into his own. The judges seemed to like it, too, although Simon thought he was half asleep and Randy wanted to see more energy, too.

Michael Sarver did "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," by the Temptations, and he was terrible. He oversang the entire song, beating it into submission. The judges didn't like it, either. Paula said it felt a little old-Las-Vegas-loungey to her. He needs to dominate the song, not the other way around, and he didn't reach all his notes. Simon couldn't wait for it to end. He said Michael was screaming and shouting the song. It just wasn't good enough. Randy thought the song was too big for Michael. He's not an R&B kind of dude. A little bit corny; he tried to do too much to it.

The next performance was my biggest disappointment of the night: Lil Rounds, who had been moved to tears by her trip to the old Motown studios, chose to do "Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas. She should have been wonderful, and she just wasn't. During their coaching session, Smokey used Paula's favorite platitude, saying that Lil could "sing the phone book." The notes weren't all true, and there were a lot of inaccuracies. It's hard to oversing that song, but she managed. Randy said the first half of the song was a "little bit torture" for him. He didn't think it was the right song choice for her, and he thought she rushed it. Kara thought she screamed parts of it. Simon thought the song was an authentic tribute to the sound of Motown. However, he wouldn't have chosen that song. It didn't give her a moment. It was too fast. He said pretty much what I did – she's one of the best singers in the competition, and he expected better of her.

Adam Lambert gave a startlingly sweet and beautiful performance of "The Tracks of my Tears," by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. He combed his hair back into a classic 60s look, slicked off his face, and he wore a silvery-gray suit. The accompaniment was an acoustic guitar and bass. Simon said it was the best performance of the night. I'd download it, except they said that this week's downloads are going to be the singers singing along to the classic Motown versions...

Danny Gokey did "Get Ready" by the Temptations. He had a lot of energy, but his voice wasn't always all that accurate. He's a showman, though; at one point he went back and did a little dance with the backup singers. Simon thought he was clumsy and amateurish.

Last, but far from least, was Allison Iraheta doing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," by the Temptations. She blew me away. Allison usually does; I've picked her as a potential winner. She performed like a pro, and she's only 16. The judges thought it was wonderful, too. Their commentary was a little bit weakened by the fact that Simon had drawn a mustache onto Paula using the crayons she'd given him earlier in the evening; they were giggling a lot. Last week Allison was in the bottom 3. It'd be a serious error of judgment if she ends up there again tonight; this was, along with Adam Lambert's, the best performance of the evening.

My vote (again) for the performer who should be leaving tonight is Megan Joy. Scott MacIntyre and Michael Sarver should complete the Bottom 3.