Neil Diamond Night! Who will go? What is Paula on?

Neil Diamond Night was bizarre. It was so rushed (the pacing of idol has me shaking my head this year; it seems they have extra time when they don’t need it, and no time when they do). It made the first performances feel like throw-aways. It killed me how some of the performers didn’t know the words well at the time they started working with Neil, I knew about Neil Diamond night since the first week. You’d think they’d think about it prior to him showing up, but outside of the two David’s, I don’t think that was the case. (It looked like David C pulled songs out of the catalogue of Neil Diamond songs he does, and David A picked two of his most popular songs.) And of course Paula trying to shred the show’s credibility even further than she usually does.

As for the show, it was kind of blah. I thought the first five performances contained two good performances by both David’s (although the way David A sang Sweet Caroline was weird, it didn’t fit perfectly), an ok performance by Syesha (She’s kind of detached from the audience, it’s hard to explain), Brooke destroying I’m a Believer, and Jason looking so disinterested I think he might be sharing whatever Paula is on. I give Brooke one thing, she seems to want to win although she’s not close to that level, Syesha seems a bit disinterested, and Jason clearly there for the ride.

The second five songs I thought were better. Starting worst to first, I thought Jason was blah again (which Paula decided from his rehearsal (See below), Syesha was ehh (I hated the song choice, and I hated she sang it second. Her weaker performance was second..), Brooke was much better but not great, David A was good (although I HATE that song, it hasn’t aged well, it’s so cheesy) and I think the song choice will help him a lot (not that he needs it) and David C took a less popular song, and made it great, again. David C is the kind of contestant I like, one you can take his body of work during the show, put it together, and it honestly sounds like an album. David A is almost there too. The other contestants, week to week, are not like that. Some of the best prior contestants, Carrie, Chris, Clay, Ruben were like that – they delivered week after week in a consistent style that was there’s.

Paula’s worst idol moment ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AdL_wjdq_8
For those of you wondering what was going on, no the show was live and they were commenting after the first performances. Paula confused her notes from rehearsals with the notes from the show. The judges see the rehearsals so they can get a feel for what the contestant’s are doing. Simon has mentioned in the past that he thought sometime would be a mess from rehearsals but it wasn’t. (They don’t mention that anymore the last few seasons.) Paula, because she is high, an idiot, or some unknown combination of the two not only forgot they only sang one song, but apparently doesn’t make any notes besides those in rehearsal. Fortunately, they could put a hand puppet in between Randy and Paula and have the same impact her comments do, so it doesn’t matter what she says. But that was a mess. To top if off, she tried to say her Jason 2nd song comment was really about David Cook. UGH…a mess. Thank you Simon for shutting her up. Basically, we now know that Paula, as well as being a horrible judge, bases her decisions on the dress rehearsals.

Note: I’m into this puppet idea. Randy, Kermit, and Simon. Kermit saying “Well, you looked nice” after scrunching his face up. How would that not be better than Paula?

As for the bottom three, do I even need to say it? You’d have to think Brooke and Syesha are in the most danger of the three.