Bon Joviality in Idol

Fun night tonight.

I wondered how some of the contestants would pull off the songs by Bon Jovi. Here's how I heard it:

Phil - I disagree with Simon. Phil did a really good job with Blaze of Glory, singing and performance-wise. He did seem a tad awkward with some of the rocker moves, but I wouldn't hold that against him. It was a strong vocal, and the crowd was solidly behind him.

Jordin - Living on a Prayer. Ohhhh, Jordin. Started off weak, hit the big chorus well, then slid back to difficulty in the verse again. She overcompensated somewhat with the chorus, which brought it to almost the level of screeching, as Simon likes to say. Not surprising and very common - hit the stuff you do well hard to try and mask the rest. If her sustainability was based on tonight alone, I'd say she could be going.

Blake - I have been a Blake detractor for a while. I absolutely hated Imagine (don't really like the song anyway; I think it's fatuous), but this week, I was really impressed with Shot Through the Heart. He took the risk of morphing the song and in turn was able to pull off something that was actually quite interesting. The beginning was atmospheric, leading into the mainline, then the rhythms and beat playoff with the drummer. It was a pleasure and I tip my hat to him.

Lakisha - It was good. I don't know if it's enough to keep her going, but it was good. Definitely much better than....

Chris - Dead or Alive. His performance was tedious, boring. I just wanted it to be over. Chris has outlived his ability I think. He should have gone a long time ago, JT notwithstanding. Look, Chris Daughtry did Dead or Alive far better than Chris Richardson, and Daughtry's version still doesn't match up to the original Bon Jovi version.

Melinda - Yeah, I saw the Tina Turner in the performance too. Wondered how she would adapt, or make the song adapt to her. She's a professional, though, and can usually figure something out. I also happen to think that tonight she looked the hottest she ever has on the show.

That's it for the wrapup and my view of it. Who will go? Tough call. Two are leaving, and I don't know if they are taking the lowest vote getter from last week plus the lowest from this week, or combining the vote tallies from both weeks and choosing the lowest two from that.

Do you realize that if they do it the first way... Blake could go, even after his performance tonight? Interesting thought, isn't it?