Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a huge, broad theme, so no one should have trouble. The downside of themes like this is picking something too safe, or even thinking you’re playing to strength and overplaying it. If Scotty picks a Johnny Cash song, it’s just too damn simple. So let’s see how they do, if Pia picks something uptempo, if Casey melts down again, and if Stefano or Paul can save themselves with a big performance …

Jacob, let’s get it on. Jacob needs to dial it back and he’s singing … Wait, he changed to Man In The Mirror? This is terrible. The guy is going to put himself in the crying zone again. And then he blames the voters? Screw him. I’ve never thought his voice or performance was bad, but he comes off effeminate. That’s not a slight, it’s a fact. So did Michael Jackson and no one minded until he went full freak show. Jacob went skipping around rather than crying, but that’s not going to play well in the south either. This probably wouldn’t have put him in the bottom three, but now he’s making it an issue and it’s really not what he’s making it out to be. 

Haley, piece of my heart. I was thinking Bonnie raitt, but Janis works (if obvious). She sounds more like Alannah Myles to me than Janis, and how many hits did either of them have? I still don’t get what people are seeing in Haley. Shes not bad, but she’s got something that’s take or leave with that growl. Moreover, can she do that week after week? I don’t know, but it’s enough this week to see if she can go at least one more.  

Casey, have you ever seen the rain. Creedence? Ok didn’t see that one coming. I like that he brought the bass back. This seems like the guy I thought was a contender. This seems as much sam Cooke as John fogerty, which is a weird mix, but it works for me. I think he played some riffs from under the boardwalk on the bass and TiVo agrees. Interesting. Good enough. He’s that guy in high school who used weird and a bit crazy as a defense mechanism. Downside of that is that the only way to go with it is crazier. He has to keep it here. 

Lauren, natural woman. I can see her doing this, though it’s an odd pick for her age. That mullet is even odder. Did will.I.am dress her? There was a lot more soul than country here and I feel like she lost some of her inn that mix. Shes more subdued than sassy. Did Jlo just call this an Aretha song? I know she sang it, but do we really think of it as an Aretha tune? Good enough, but it feels like a step back. 

James, while my guitar gently weeps. Prince crushed this at a rrhof thing. Check it on YouTube. Ok, turning into a pseudo-power ballad is a risk, Hutu not a huge one at this stage. He’s not in danger unless he kicks a puppy during the song. It’s not special, it’s not great, but it’s good enough at this stage. I have to think he was looking for a ‘mad world’ moment there. 

Scotty, that’s all right. The word will.I.am was looking for is rockabilly. Elvis was more country than most realize now and I give Scotty credit for going up from his normal low range. I could have done without the scat, but he was generally good and just different enough not to be boring. The downside is that some of his mannerisms were born of his childhood Elvis imitations and that’s very much how they came off here, a bit Vegas Elvis and I don’t mean that as a compliment. 

Pia, river deep mountain high. I don’t see Tina turner in Pia, but ok. She does need to perform his song. Like James, she’s got enough room to have an off (but not bad) week and survive. Nope. It doesn’t work. She’s just not convincing on this and I’m not sure it’s just the song. If Celine dion sang this ,you wouldn’t take it seriously and that’s the space pias in right now. Her stylist is working overtime to keep the mean girl vote at bay as well. Like James, good not great, but good enough. Good enough seems like the theme tonight for my review. 

Stefano, when a man loves a woman. He slit his own throat with this selection. I don’t think will.I.am has made one cogent comment yet. The vocals were fine,but I just didn’t think he had any connection beyond reading a lyric sheet. Maybe he could have taken a lesson from Jacob on doing the edge of tears thing, which would work here. It was boring, which is the kiss of death for him, finally. And wow, here come the judges reading this way different than I did, like Haley last week. Maybe I’m wrong.

Paul, Folsom prison blues. Wow, this is what I thought Scotty would sing. I don’t buy it from him, even though I kind of dig how he does it. Paul wouldn’t last long in prison. I think he was on the right track with Jerry lee lewis or something there blue suede shoes maybe? I’m not sure if it’s enough to save him if america agreed with the judges on Stefano. I hope so because he’s intriguing. 

I’m really not sure on the bottom three. I’d say Stefano, Paul, and maybe Jacob. It could really bie a weird voting week.