Pretty much the same rankings, here.

I stopped watching this show 3 episodes into season 1

Thanks Adee! I'll check that out! Most of the time I wind up watching it from TiVo cause now that I have that, I tend to spend more time at the gym after work, so I'll miss out on the chats, but I enjoy reading what other people thought of the performances and so on.

Speaking of, I thought the girls were much better as a group this week than last. Course, last week most of them had the flu, so that's not surprising I think. It was hard to pick a favorite, and in fact, my top five were all really close to each other, IMO.

Anyway, here's what I thought of them:

Best:
1. Ramiele Malubay. It's so funny to hear her talk and then hear her sing. It's like there's two different people!
2. Carly Smithson
3. Brooke White
4. Amanda Overmyer
5. Kristy Lee Cook (MUCH improvement from last week!)
6. Syesha Mercado
7. Asia'h Epperson
8. Alexandrea Lushington
9. Alaina Whitaker
10. Kady Malloy

One thing I noticed, almost all the girls had problems with the slow parts of their songs. Anyone else notice that?

I don't know if it's the slow parts or the low parts. It seems like any parts of the song that are sung softly or normally are giving them trouble.

I pretty much agree with your rankings except Ramiele being #1. I thought at least Carly and Brooke were better than she was.

I'm especially sorry that Kady Malloy picked such a great song to completely mangle.

It was hard to decide between Ramiele, Carly and Brooke for me, honestly. I think I did break the mental stalemate just with the fact that I think Ramiele is adorable though.

She -is- pretty cute.

I did however see the Paula Abdul music video and kept thinking 'Isn't she too old to wear clothes like that?'

I laughed so hard during Paula's whole music video. It was so funny!

The guys tonight were pretty On. There were only two I really didn't like and it's my hope they get voted off on Thursday. Is it just me, or does Paula get more rambly on each episode?

Here's how I rank the guys:

Best
1) David Cook. I loved his version of that song and I agreed with the judges completely about it.
2) David Hernandez.
3) David Archuleta. Really close to #2 though. His constant gross lip-licking dropped him down a spot.
4) Chikezie
5) Michael Johns
6) Danny Noriega
7) Luke Menard. Boring.
8) Jason Castro. Awful. I don't know why the judges liked it so much. Hallelujah is one of my favorite songs, the Rufus Wainwright version anyway, and to me, this guy murdered it and just generally sounded bad.
Worst

I got in halfway (during Michael Johns' performance), so I don't know how those guys fall out, but the ones I did see, I'd rank just like you did. David Cook was really creative, and he did it very well. I think he "gets it" more than the other guys do, even if he isn't the best singer (he isn't).

You know, I think you're right. He probably isn't the best singer as far as straight up vocals go. But he knows how to work what he's got to make the most of it and put on a heck of a show. I'm looking forward to next week when the top 12 performances kick off and they're on the big stage with the big audience. I bet he'll really rock it out then.

The girls were really awesome tonight too. There was only one I really didn't like and hopefully she'll finally get booted cause she was awful last week too.

Best
1) Amanda Overmyer. I love the way she sounds when she sings!
2) Brooke White. I really liked the different way she did the song, and I agree with Simon that it's the only way that song would work for her so it was great that she did it that way.
3) Ramiele Malubay
4) Carly Smithson
5) Syesha Mercado
6) Asia'h Epperson
7) Kristy Lee Cook
8) Kady Malloy. So awful!
Worst

I'm not sure where to put Amanda. She's a lot more unique than most of them, and she did a really good job last night, but I don't know. She's not a terrific singer, compared to some of the others.

You still like Ramiele better than I do. I would have put her a little lower and Carly a little higher. I thought she was just a little better than Syesha, but not much. Carly still did probably the best vocal, but it just wasn't a great song. I'd never even heard that song, before, and I thought I knew every 80s rock song ever made.

Brooke was probably my favorite performance. Not the best vocals, but still really good. But what she did with that song was really great. It's the same reason I like that rocker guy so much - the one that did "Hello." I don't think she did the best performance, necessarily, but hers was the only one I might actually download. It was really unique and quite good.

Here's my ranking of the top 12, the top five were really close to each other though cause they were all so awesome. And really, there were only three that weren't great in all.

Best
1) Chikezie. The way he redid that song was awesome! Really fun and different and he sang it well too.
2) Carly Smithson. Likewise, her arrangement of the song was awesome.
3) Brook White. Totally awesome song and great choice for her.
4) Amanda Overmyer. Great song and the spin she put on it made it fit her style perfectly.
5) David Cook. He's really good and knows how to work a song.
6) Ramiele Malubay
7) Michael Johns
8) David Hernandez
9) Syesha Mercado
10) David Archuleta. The only reason he's not lower is cause I like him so much in general. He forgot his words! Shouldn't be doing that this far in.
11) Jason Castro
12) Kristy Lee Cook. I don't like country, but even so, that was a mess. It sounded like the music was on some kind of speed setting and she wasn't even trying to keep up with it.
Worst

Alright. WTF was Paula wearing tonight? Seriously!

Everyone did fairly well, but there were a few people who didn't do as good as they should have, honestly. Here's what I thought:

Best
1) David Cook. Really, seriously, the most awesome rendition of that song I've ever heard.
2) Carly Smithson. Totally awesome, I don't know what the judges were thinking.
3) Michael Johns
4) David Archuleta
5) Brooke White. I really liked that she started over and I disagreed with the judges about the band.
6) Chikezie. Not so great this week.
7) Syesha Mercado
8) Kristy Lee Cook
9) Ramiele Malubay
10) Jason Castro. Go home already.
Worst

I was worried about Dolly Parton night, but all for nothing! Dolly Parton night was actually really good! The reason I was scared was because I'm honestly not a country fan. But the singers did such a good job! Even the two I'm not fond of, Jason Castro and Kristy Lee Cook did well!

Here's what I thought:

Best
1) David Cook. He owns American Idol. Seriously. The only way he might lose this is if he gets murdered before the finale.
2) Michael Johns. I loved his bluesy rendition of that song! So awesome.
3) Brook White. She's so good when she's got an instrument in her hands and so awkward without one!
4) David Archuletta. He's so sweet.
5) Carly Smithson
6) Kristy Lee Cook. Her genre, so she did pretty good, but she's just not as talented so..
7) Ramiele Malubay
8) Syesha Mercado
9) Jason Castro. Not as bad this week, but still the weakest performance of the night.
Worst

I kept waiting for Paula to have a 'wardrobe malfunction' in that get up. Why is she wearing such weird crap each show?

Everyone was actually really good tonight! I didn't even dislike Jason Castro's performance (that version of Over the Rainbow is my favorite ) all that much - though it was the weakest of the night. Even Kristy Lee Cook was decent!

Best
1) David Cook. Seriously, they might as well call the show 'Let's See Who'll Be In Second Place After David Cook Idol' (but that would be really long and tiresome to say ). That is one of my most favorite songs ever and he did a great job, as usual, with it.
2) David Archuleta. The second half of the song was better than the first half, but it was so good!
3) Michael Johns.
4) Carly Smithson
5) Syesha Mercado
6) Kristy Lee Cook
7) Brooke White. It was pretty, but boring.
8) Jason Castro. Go home!
Worst

Oh my gosh, I love David Archuleta. He's such an incredible singer for his age.

As far as looks are concerned... I'm still very partial to Brooke and Jason. I just don't know why, but those dreads do it for me.


And yea, Noola- fricking Paula's outfits are ridiculous lately.

I might actually go to iTunes and buy David Cook's performance.... It was just... so good. I agreed with Simon about tonight though, the guys were really good and the girls, mostly not, with one shocking exception.

Best:
David Cook. Seriously. I mean... seriously. If you didn't watch it, watch THIS!
David Archuleta
Kristy Lee Cook. Really! She shocked me, she was actually really good tonight!
Syesha Mercado
Carly Smithson
Jason Castro.
Brooke White. She really messed up tonight, I think. Usually she kinda rides the middle of the pack for me, but tonight she just wasn't good.
Worst