'American Idol': 'Eleven Finalists Compete Again' Recap

Tonight's two-hour Elton John extravaganza was jam-packed with reggae flavor, flaming pianos, mowed-down beards and highly flammable Mohawks. Just the way Elton would want it.

After an obligatory introduction to the 'Piano Man,' John's writing partner Bernie Taupin and their shared musical legacy, the Idols got down to the business of trying hard not to be one of the two going home tomorrow night.

The two-hour Elton John-a-thon was a much sleepier affair than last week's excellent Motown night. And while no one crashed and burned, the two going home tomorrow night are fairly predictable. It's who turned things around, that's the surprise.

Scotty McCreery kicked off the hit parade with a song from an early Elton album many 'Idol' fans were hoping he'd turn to, 1970's country-themed, 'Tumbleweed Connection.' Once again, Scotty proved he's mere months away from a record deal with a Nashville label, whether or not he wins this 'American Idol' thing. His take on 'Country Comfort' was just that: comfortable because it's country.

It was another all-American, apple pie performance. The guy was singing to his grandma in the audience, for god's sake. Scotty's in this for the long haul and the judges are behind him. J.Lo commented on his "amazing instincts" and Randy remarked on how fast he's "seasoned" in the competition. As long as Scotty continues to work the down-home charm and perform consistently, we're stuck with him.

On a completely different note, Naima Adedapo brought her trademark reggae flavor to 'I'm Still Standing,' which the judges mostly panned. For what it's worth, I love Naima's voice, which -- though much less powerful than Pia Toscano's and Lauren Alaina's -- was spot on for this stylized rendition. The judges, however, respectfully disagreed.

J.Lo questioned whether or not the reggae-fied version worked and Randy said it felt "corny" at moments. Doing his best Ellen DeGeneres impersonation, Steven said "good for you," picking a song she felt comfortable with.

Paul McDonald whispered through 'Rocket Man' and the judges were finally on him about his hushed vocals. Both Randy and J.Lo implored the rose-suited rocker to push himself. Why Paul chose to sing a song that was a "total disaster" when his band covered it, I don't know.

Then again, Pia Toscano went with her umpteenth ballad after the judges begged her to stop. She put in a flawlessly dull performance of 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me.' Jimmy Iovine dropped names like "Axl" and "Fergie" while coaching Pia in the studio, but it was more like Mariah Carey on Ambien. The judges ate it up, but mainly because Jimmy bristled over Randy putting the kibosh on ballads, if you ask me. Pia promised to do 'River Deep, Mountain High' next week, but I'll believe it when I hear it.

Next up was bottom three-er, Stefano Langone, with 'Tiny Dancer.' It was a proficient performance, but I just didn't like the tone of his voice on this one. However, he did, finally, manage to make eye contact with the audience. However, he also failed to remember the lyrics, even after Jimmy Iovine got on him for it in the studio. It wasn't a "nuts of wonder" level disaster though, and Randy and J.Lo gave him high marks for connecting with the audience and moving about the stage.

Lauren Alaina made a predictably safe choice with 'Candle in the Wind.' Randy said it was her best performance yet and J.Lo and Steven echoed his approval. For me, it was another instance of the girls remaining stuck in the ballad ghetto. Naima may not be on the same level vocally as Haley, Lauren, Thia and Pia, but give her props for keeping it interesting and putting herself in the competition.

Thankfully, the sleepy first half of Elton John night came to an end when James Durbin decided that a piano should be set on fire for his take on 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting.' James is one of the most well-rounded performers this season. In fact, J.Lo said watching him do his thing felt more like a concert performance than a competition. I'm not a huge fan of his sound, but he does know how to entertain. Not to keep harping on Naima, but she's the only girl that comes close to equaling James in charisma and stage presence.

Like Pia, Thia Megia also played it safe with her ballad of choice, 'Daniel,' betting that emoting about a childhood separation from her brother would move the judges and voters. J.Lo said it was "beautiful," but Randy felt the "very relaxed" performance veered towards the safe side. Thia needs to get a pulse in this competition if she wants to stay in it. But with two cuts looming tomorrow, it's probably too late.

After last week's drama, Casey Abrams decided a haircut was in order, at the urging of Jimmy Iovine. A freshly shorn Abrams showed his tender side with 'Your Song,' mostly stifling his patented growl. It was sweet, soft and got all three judges patting themselves on the back for giving him the save. It's going to be interesting to see just how long Casey sticks around. Tonight's softer showing should buoy him this week, at least. But beyond then, who knows?

Jacob Lusk was back on the bloated, self-indulgent ballad train with 'Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.' Mary J. Blige paid a surprise visit to the studio while Jacob, who was only familiar with her version of the song, rehearsed. Hyperventilating and awkward photos ensued.

As for his performance, all three judges loved it, but Randy urged the church singer to find "the Jacob spot" in the song, where he takes it up a notch. Personally, I think we've heard enough of "the Jacob spot." I'd like Jacob to explore the "not screaming spot," but there's probably no hope of that now, thanks to Randy.

And the Cinderella story of the night, Haley Reinhart, closed out the show with what I thought was a fantastic version of 'Bennie and the Jets.' Haley brought her raspy growl and some new found confidence to the Elton classic. "That was it!" said J.Lo, Randy called it "the best performance of the night" and Steven said Haley "sings sexy."

A few additional observations from tonight:

-- Photographer Art Streiber thinks Scotty has "natural elegance." It's true, no one pulls off a camouflage visor like Scotty.

-- Jacob Lusk thought he was the biggest diva in the room until Mary J. Blige showed up.

-- Tonight marked the first time I really missed Simon. The judges were asleep at the wheel. I don't think they're paying Steven Tyler the big bucks to say things like "You sang a great Elton John song really well."

-- Taio Cruz showed up to announce the "Coca-Cola Perfect Harmony" songwriting competition. More on that here.

-- I am 10-years-tired of Randy opening every critique with a rhetorical question.

Alright, so who's going home in tomorrow night's double whammy? Stefano and Thia for sure. Think I'm wrong? Let 'er rip in the comments and vote for your favorite in our poll!

And check out what an Idol whose been there and done that, Blake Lewis, has to say about Elton John night!

'American Idol' airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8PM ET on Fox.