We're down to the Top Four on American Idol this week and tonight's theme is Songs from the Movies,a favorite of mine. As of this writing,the actual songs that the remaining contestants are planning to perform this evening are unknown to me.
However,that doesn't stop me from thinking about and choosing the cinematic tunes that I feel would suit each one of them best. Movie songs are often times mocked for their inevitable cheese factor,but when one hits the pop culture pulse in just the right spot,melodic magic is made.
So,without any further delay,let's look at the LRG Picks for Idol's Movie Night and see if they make any sort of singalong sense. Again,I must say that these are simply what I would have the Top Four perform,mainly for my own amusement(and perhaps yours as well):
Crystal Bowersox/"There He Goes"
Crystal is an amazing singer,with more than enough talent and heart to make it all the way to the finals. The tricky part of selecting a song that suits her is her eclectic taste in music,which is part of her unique charm. Crystal is not a cookie cutter gal when it comes to song choices,all the better for her.
I thought that a song from the Loretta Lynn biopic,Coal Miner's Daughter,would be an interesting one for her to do and this one in particular because it's not a big grandstanding tune. There's a down home energy to "There He Goes" that would click well with Crystal's "Mamasox" vibe.
Plus,I always liked this part of the movie,where Loretta is starting to sing in public and Sissy Spacek skillfully showcases Loretta's growing confidence as she goes thru the lyrics:
Michael Lynche/"Kiss From A Rose"
The story of Michael "Big Mike" Lynche is total Hollywood material;he auditioned for the show just as his wife was giving birth to their first child(a beautiful baby girl) and the Judges' Save for this season was granted to him after a heart rendering plea to stay in the game by giving an even stronger performance of "This Woman's Work" than he did on an earlier show.
Big Mike possesses a powerful voice that can be soaring and yet tenderly touching at the same time. That's why Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" from Batman Forever is picture perfect for him. True,Simon snarked at him for singing "Hero" from the soundtrack of the first Spiderman movie but,hey,if you're on a superhero streak to begin with,why stop now?:
Casey James/"Everything I Do(I do for You)"
Casey can be a great entertainer when he sets his mind to it;he's like the little girl with the curl,when he's good,he's very very good. However,as it was clearly obvious to many of us(except the folks calling in to vote)last week,when Casey is bad,he's horrid indeed.
He needs to pull off a really big song to stay in the competition this week and his best shot,in my opinion,is a page from the playbook of Bryan Adams,one of the movie song champions from the 1990s. His signature tunes are definitely in Casey's wheelhouse,as he proved earlier on this season.
It also helps that "Everything I Do" comes from the soundtrack of Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves,since a new Robin Hood flick is about to open up on this coming Friday. While I suspect that Russell Crowe's Sir Robin will be a hell of a lot better than Kevin Costner's take on the role,this song has the potential to be a real life saver for Casey here:
Lee DeWyze/"Why Should I Worry"
Lee is an odd duck,in the best sense of the word,in this competition. His quirky style and laid back demeanor have made him a dark horse,with signs that he could overtake the front runners and make it all the home.
With that in mind,Billy Joel's "Why Should I Worry" from Oliver and Company seemed to be the porridge that Goldilocks chose for Lee. He has the vocal chops to take on a Joel song and one of the bigger complaints about him from the judges has been his lack of onstage presence. This funky little number should allow Lee to strut his stuff nicely and it's a genuine toe tapper to boot:
By tomorrow,someone's musical fate will be sealed on American Idol and hopefully,a key factor in that decision won't be another editing screw-up by Fox,like the chop job they did on Lady Gaga's number last week(what was up with that,seriously? It was a crazycool performance,too-sort of like watching a gothic Poison Ivy reenact the Season Two finale of True Blood).
It would also be good if the mentoring for the finalists is an actual help to them. Jamie Fox is fine for this, yet again,I suppose,but I'd rather have a more movie music savvy guy on deck such as Quentin Tarantino,who encouraged a future Dream Girl rather well and unlike some of the people on the Judges' Panel this season,actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about(sorry,Ellen,you're sweet but a tad too sugary at times).
Then again,with Simon leaving the show next year,there's a seat that needs filling,so you never know there,my wish could come true. Stranger things have happened,folks:
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