American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Hits

Unlike most of its competitive reality-TV brethren, AMERICAN IDOL refreshingly eschews much of the winner-takes-all attitude. Although rivalries certainly appear and controversies flare up, contestants frequently display a spirit of camaraderie. This good-natured attitude finds its way onto this AMERICAN IDOL compilation. Released before the dust even settled on the third season, GREATEST SOUL CLASSICS features finalists side-by-side with contestants already voted down. Individually and together, they put their spin on tried-and-true R&B standards. Fantasia Barrino--along with Latoya London and Jennifer Hudson, part of a trio of candidates referred to by many as the Three Divas--opens the set with a powerful rendition of "Chain of Fools," followed by George Huff's evocative recreation of "Me and Mrs. Jones." No one vying for the third-season crown hits a false note, and other standouts include Diana DeGarmo's remarkably worldly take on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and a subdued, sweet "Neither One ...