Phil Speaks: Will he miss the tour?

So if I needed another reason not to fork over the $48.50 for the Idols Live, I may have just found it…

During his interview with the media today, Phil said that he might miss the tour. "My primary responsibility is to the U.S. Navy. The possibility exists that they will need me for a mission." But Phil says it looks “promising” for him to be there...

Phil is a Musician Third Class stationed with the Navy Band in Jacksonville, Florida. He said he plans to fulfill his commitment (which is until October 2008) but said that could change “depending on the circumstances that come my way.” Apparently, there are some security concerns with the Navy that may affect his position as a Naval singer, which takes him to high schools around the country…

So how did Phil find his groove in the last two weeks? Less pressure. “I think once I got to the bottom three, and the bottom two, at one point or another I just said, 'Ah, forget it! It's all gravy now, I should have gone home weeks ago!'”…

Phil told reporters that next week will be Bee Gees week and he was planning to do “Islands In the Stream.” But Phil said he’s kind of glad he won’t be around. “Here's the deal: Next week, what's gonna be funny is that all four of those jokers are going to shine. It's going to be a great week for them. That's one of the reasons I'm semi-glad I got cut this week. I would have hated to have gone out on a night when all of the judges were like, 'Man, I just wasn't feeling that.'”

Phil also gave his take on the competition from here on out: “At this point, here's the deal: Melinda may be the best singer that's ever been on “American Idol.” LaKisha may be the most passionate singer ever. Jordin may have the strongest upper range of anybody. And Blake is the most original artist. So, being a fan of the show — and I'm not participating anymore, so I can say this unbiased — I think it's the best top four in the history of “American Idol.” I try to predict who gets voted off each week, and I'm never, ever, ever right, but I couldn't possibly predict who'll go next week”…

Phil scores with the judges...

First of all, kudos to the show for taking a moment to recognize the tragedy at Virginia Tech. It made for a bit of a somber opening, but it was highly appropriate.

On with the show…

Phil Stacey, “Where the Blacktop Ends”: 18
Yes, the vocal was very good and it was an excellent choice of song, but why didn’t I get as excited about it as the judges did? I don’t know. I still felt a little bit of an emotional disconnect. But I do agree that he could have a future in country. Interesting that he finally took Paula’s advice from Martina.

Haley shakes her groove thing and Phil cracks...

Haley Scarnato, “Turn the Beat Around”: 14
I gave her a five in song choice, because it was actually quite shrewd (Simon agrees with me.). There was limited singing and plenty of opportunity to shake her groove thing.

Phil Stacey, “Maria, Maria”: 18
You know I love Phil and I wanted to give him a good score, but I agree it seemed a little lifeless. And there was that crack at the end, but it was a great choice. Plus, is it me or does Phil sound like a guy trying to enjoy himself as much as possible since it could be his last moments on the show?

And I just realized that Sanjaya is getting the final spot tonight. Can you say milking it?

Phil gets gloomy, while Melinda gets rhythm...

Phil Stacey, “Night and Day”: 14
I’m torn on this one. You know I like Phil, but what is up with him and the beginning of songs? It just didn’t work for me. Nice to hear Tony Bennett say he has a good voice, though.

Melinda Doolittle, “I Got Rhythm”: 20
This is getting old, isn’t it? I hated her dress, though. Simon said he didn’t think they’d ever be able to criticize her and that was a problem. I loved his answer when Ryan asked why it was a problem: “Because we like being mean to people occasionally.”

Phil and Melinda Wow the Judges

Phil Stacey, “Every Breath You Take”: 18
I figured out why it is I like Phil. He sounds like Paul Carrack. If he gets the chance to do a Squeeze song, he should. This was a great choice and Simon liked it as well. But what was with the back-handed compliment from Gwen? “I didn’t think it was going to be that good.” Alrighty then.

Melinda Doolittle, “Heaven Knows”: 20
That’s how to do a Donna Summer song. But I agree with Simon. The outfit was awful.