Wizarding Times

With a name like Cosmo Brown, you'd expect me to be a fan of filmic musicals, which I am. I love 'em. Sometimes, I can't shut up about them. Needless to say, this year's hit freshman show Glee is a sort of television nirvana for me; it's a TV version of a musical, complete with weird character motivations and bizarre plots and fabulous, completely-redeeming-the-whole musical numbers. And, because the television executives realized they could satisfy fans as well as their bottom line, they made the very wise move to release an original cast soundtrack of songs from the show. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 was released at the beginning of November, and Volume 2 was released December 8.

Volume 1 features songs from the first nine episodes. And, even if you don't watch the show, in which case you lose some of the emotional significance of the songs, it's a fabulous soundtrack to listen to. A lot. Which is something I've done. (It's kind of eaten my brain. This hasn't happened to me since the Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog soundtrack came out.)

One of the surprising things, for me — who's never had any real-life experience with a glee club (I don't think my high school had a show choir; there was, I think, the "jazz ensemble" or something, but I never went to any of their concerts, anyway) — is how non-Broadway this soundtrack is. The expectation is, I think, that there's bound to be a lot of Broadway songs, but there are two in the regular edition, with a third in the special Target version. Out of 17 (or 20) songs, that's a really good non-Broadway percentage. Not that there's anything wrong with Broadway songs, but it might be a turn-off for some people.

Overall, the singers all sound great. People who have been on Broadway don't have a strong BROADWAY!!! *jazz hands* sound, which is wonderful. The album focuses a lot of attention on the vocal stylings of Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, who play the student leads of the glee club, which makes perfect sense on one hand; on the other hand, it would have been nice to have spread the focus around a bit. Not that it makes the album bad, but I do admit I'm looking forward to Volume 2 in the hopes that we can hear more from the rest of the group.

The album starts out strong, with probably my favorite song so far, the big number from the pilot, a cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." It really sets the proverbial stage for the music in the show: a little cheesy, maybe a bit unexpected, and heavy on the power ballad. As if to prove that point, the second song is Cory Monteith's rendition of REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling." His vocals may seem to pale in comparison with others on the show, but there's an earnestness to his performances that, to my mind anyway, more than makes up for any wobbly notes. However, I hope the music producers decide to cut back on some of the more egregious Auto-Tuning in the future; I don't think that's really necessary.

Next, we jump to the 21st century with Matthew Morrison's version of "Gold Digger," which also features Amber Riley and Kevin McHale. I think most of the appeal of this is the novelty of this Broadway performer (Morrison was nominated for a Tony for the musical The Light in the Piazza) doing a not-at-all-Broadway song. Unfortunately, the novelty wears a little thin for me. Lea Michele's version of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" is lovely; she's able to give her voice a different sort of color, which makes her fun to listen to (and sing along with). Unfortunely, this song also marks the beginning of a trend of giving the earnest, ballad-ish songs to her. My only issue with this is that I'd like to hear more from everyone.

Amber Riley's "Bust Your Windows" is admittedly not my style, but she really works it. She occasionally chews her r's, as I've heard choir teachers say, which I find occasionally distracting, but I think that can be chalked up to style. "Taking Chances" gives us Lea Michele tackling Celine Dion, and she does it well; she definitely gets to show off her Broadway-style belting in a nice, non-Broadway way.

Kristin Chenoweth, the Emmy- and Tony-winner, guest-starred on an episode of the show, and she naturally got to sing a few songs. Her duet with Matthew Morrison on Heart's "Alone" features nice harmonies, although they're occasionally drowned out a bit by the music. But, you really have to appreciate the Chenoweth's artistry; she sounds like a pop singer, though she's a classically trained soprano (I suspect years of musical theater helps a person sound more conversational when singing). She also has a duet with Lea Michele in "Maybe This Time," from the musical [i]Cabaret[/i]. Both ladies sound sensational, like it's their vocal home.

The first song that's got more than two people listed is "Somebody to Love" (originally by Queen), which features Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, and Kevin McHale. I really enjoy this version, particularly the use of what I can best describe as double duets, but I can't help but compare it with the version from the movie Ella Enchanted, which I may love a bit more (also, it's just a woman singing it, so it's more in my sing-along range; this fact may be coloring my judgment a bit). That said, I'd like to hear more from Kevin McHale, who's got an interesting voice. Amber Riley's "Hate on Me" is predictably good, although (again) not my favorite style. It feels a little bombastic, which, come to think of it, is completely appropriate.

"No Air" gives us another Lea Michele-Cory Monteith duet. I think this is a bit of a stretch for Monteith's upper range, which is unfortunate, as his voice becomes a bit... sharp. Dianna Agron is earnest in her rendition of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On," but she doesn't quite have the vocal power to back it up. Unfortunately, it comes across as more simpering than defiant. But, I have to commend them for going for the unexpected song choice.

Lea Michele and Cory Monteith lead the group in Avril Lavigne's "Keep Holding On." I'm not familiar with the original, but I think (hope?) some of weird pronunciations that I find somewhat distracting are inspired by the original. But, I really like this as a multiple-singer song; it becomes rather uplifting and inspiring. The next song I love, even though it makes me contradict myself. Remember when I said the novelty of Matthew Morrison rapping wears a little thin for me? Well, that does not apply with "Bust a Move." I mean, it does, but I kind of love it because it's kind of embarrassing. Besides the fact that it's an entirely inappropriate for a high school teacher to sing with his students (which isn't important for the soundtrack, but it comes to mind if you've seen the show), it's... kind of hilarious. Morrison doesn't sound completely comfortable here, a little awkward, and the rest of them, singing backup, all sound... rather starched and not loose at all. This is especially noticeable when the guys all say, "Just bust a move!"

Mark Salling's "Sweet Caroline," frankly, loses some of its appeal from the show without seeing the full performance. Vocally, it's fine, but it's not particularly noteworthy. Plus, it's really short. "Dancing With Myself" is a nice showcase for Kevin McHale. As I said before, his voice is interesting, and it's great to hear it fairly unencumbered with a heavy arrangement. I should note that this too is a song made much better in the context of the show, though it stands on its own merits much easier than "Sweet Caroline."

The CD proper ends with my other favorite song, a duet between Lea Michele and Chris Colfer on "Defying Gravity." As a fan of voices working together, I really like the harmony parts of this, and I think it works well with the line trades, too. I'd have liked to have heard Colfer featured a bit more, simply because this was his only song on the album, but it's still a great duet. (If I were completely honest, though, I'd have to say that I prefer Chris Colfer's solo version of this — available as a paid download — a bit more than this version.)

iTunes offered a bonus track for their downloadable album (so it totally counts for this review), which is another Dianna Agron song. This time she tackles Dionne Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer." Again I find that there's not enough oomph in her voice to fully carry it off, though it's a bit better suited for voice than "You Keep Me Hangin' On."

Target's special edition features three bonus songs. The first is an a capella version of Color Me Badd's 1991 hit, "I Wanna Sex You Up" (no one tell McNish!). I don't have much to say about this, other than it's good, kitschy fun. Next, we have Jayma Mays singing "I Could Have Danced All Night." I have to say, I'm a little impressed. Her voice is stronger than I expected it to be, and it's got a lovely lightness to it, without sounding weak. And, she doesn't try to sound at all British, which I think most people unconsciously do when singing this song. Though, there is a line where she really gets her Julie Andrews on, in terms of pronunciation. *g* Finally, we have Matthew Morrison singing John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane." It's my favorite song of his so far; there's something very appealing about a single voice with limited accompaniment. If he could do more songs like this rather than "Bust a Move," I'd be a happier listener.

Overall, Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is really entertaining, with a variety of musical styles and some really nice performances. It gives us the best of the show but is not dependent on knowing the show in order to be enjoyed. And, if you know the show, it's that much better. My only wish is that the other volumes feature more singers in lead roles... and that they're careful about not putting their singers in vocal ruts. My two wishes are that the other volumes feature more singers in lead roles and that they're careful not to put their singers in vocal ruts and get them out of the ruts that they're in. Amongst my wishes are that the other volumes feature more singers in lead roles, that they're careful not to put their singers in vocal ruts, and that they get their singers out of the ruts they've already been put in.
Monty Python reference for the win!