Dolly Parton still has a wonderful voice (if you like that class o’ country) to go with the massive mounds o’ hugeness.

I love the idea of Brooke White doing “Jolene” and think it’s funny when she says that Dolly is “huge.” I’m pretty sure she wasn’t talking about the chest. Pretty sure.

The performance is pretty solid, although without some of the drama of Dolly’s version. She has just a tiny bit of reed in her voice that makes her one of the most pleasing to listen to--it isn’t a great voice from a standpoint of range or control, but it’s one of the few voices I’ll want to hear even when this show is over. Great stuff.

Randy didn’t dig it and says she rushed it a bit in places, which is probably true. Paula thinks--no, no, that would be a lie. Sorry about that. Simon thinks that she needed more emotion and thought that the band looked a bit strange. Especially the poor violin player.

David Cook is promising to do his own arrangement of the song “Little Sparrow.” Is it just me or is Dolly just one of the nicest people ever?

Cook should do his own arrangements more often. That was freakin’ hot. That truly could be a single--polish it up a little, release it, I’ll buy it. Amazing. This guy has a decent voice, a great stage presence, and an understanding of how to make music that people want to listen to. Brilliant brilliant brilliant.

Randy loves him with the love of a thousand Spartans. Or something like that. Paula is still, sadly, caught in the brainless zone. Simon doesn’t think it was as good as last week--which, he’s utterly wrong--but still thinks it was good.

Do I care what Ramiele sings? Not so much. Now would be a good time to eat my food.

PS- I chose a good time to check out, didn’t I?

Randy: blah. Paula: I’m still a cheerleader at heart. Simon: yeah, whatever. It must suck to follow up Cook on a night like tonight. Unless someone else fails dramatically, I think she’s going home.

Do I care what Jason Castro sings? I’m not sure. The more I see him, the less I like him and his voice. The vacant smile, the longing hobbit gazes, the limited vocal abilities. Singing a song I’m not even vaguely familiar with, he’s okay but not particularly good. He sounds a bit like a visiting vocalist at your local church: someone more talented than most of us, but not good enough for a real career.

Didn’t do much for me. The crowd seemed to like it, though.

Randy thought it was a little better than I did, but wasn’t overly impressed. Paula is a complete idiot. One of his best performances? Paula, get a clue. Simon closed in on hater territory and hits him hard. I can’t imagine Jason leaving, though, because he’s got a committed fan base.

Carly was one of my early favorites and I still like her, but “Here You Come Again” isn’t what I would consider a great song choice for her. She misses the bit note at the end, the song drags, it’s boring, and I wish she’d chosen something else.

Randy thought it was one of the better performances of the night. Paula wants a lap dance and another drink. Simon isn’t particularly impressed and wants her to dress better. Yeah, I guess so, but that wasn’t really in my head. G-phrase thinks Simon is totally right, by the way.

Aside: Strange. Jackson Browne makes me want to kill myself, too, but not for the same reason.

Dolly loves David Archuletta--which is nice, because I really don’t. She also thinks he can be a big star; I’m not sure I disagree, but I’ll never buy one of his songs. He sounds good tonight doing “Smoky Mountain Memories” with a few pitchy bits. Everyone else loves it to the point that everyone seems to think it was the best of the night. I simply do not like his voice.

This should be a good night for Kristy Lee Cook and her country inclinations. She is absolutely gorgeous and the dress if lovely; the song ("Coat of Many Colors") is a great fit. But this is the best that she’ll sound throughout the entire show and still isn’t quite convincing. She really should have been gone weeks ago.

Randy gives reasonable praise as does Paula. Simon thought it was “pleasant but forgettable.” Ouch.

How will Syesha handle country night? It doesn’t seem like a natural fit for her, but who knows? Well, it doesn’t matter, because she chose “I Will Always Love You” which isn’t really a country song anymore, is it? She mangles a few bits early when she’s singing the softer bits, she misses a few of the big notes, and she sounds a little lost. She almost hits a big ending, though.

Dunny. Not really very good. Probably should have chosen something else.

Randy wasn’t all that impressed. Paula. Yeah. Paula. Simon thinks it was a bad choice, too.

I can’t help but think that Michael Johns could have gone home a few times, too. Genuinely nice guy--and an honest-to-God chick magnet--and this was actually a decent night for him. “It’s All Wrong, but It’s All Right” gets all bluesy and sexy. Easily his best and it was seriously good.

I expected little, but he did really well.

Paula and Randy thought it was really good and Simon agreed that it was the best that he’d done.