The final 12 singers in the third season of American Idol each lend a song to “Greatest Soul Hits.” The album is everything what you would expect if you are a regular viewer of the show: the people who were bad on TV are bad on CD and the people you love are great.

Take John Stevens, who arguably received the harshest criticism from critics, probably because he lasted a lot longer in the competition than he should have. Stevens is a good singer and one day he will be great, but his performance of “You Are Everything” is not worthy of inclusion on this album. The same can be said about Jon Peter Lewis’ rendition of “My Girl” and Matthew Rogers’ version of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.”

It’s a rough showing for the males. The only other male in the top 12 is George Huff, who almost makes up for his counterparts with “Me And Mrs. Jones.” It’s exciting to hear Huff’s soulful voice build up as the song progresses.

Again, just like on the show, the CD is all about the ladies: Fantasia Barrino’s “Chain of Fools,” Latoya London’s “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” even “Betcha By Golly, Wow” by Leah Labelle, who got cast off the Idol island early on, stand out.

Overall, the album “just doesn’t do it for me” as the judges would say. This is supposedly the “top 12 singers in America” but several sound mediocre at best. I guess we heard the top 24 in the first two seasons.






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