| Glee: The Music, Volume 1 |  | Artist: Glee Cast
Label: Sony
Category: Music
List Price: $11.98
Buy New: $6.89
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Seller: carolinagirl1951
Rating:  115 reviews
Sales Rank: 40
Format: Soundtrack
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.7 x 5 x 0.4
MPN: 886975409020
UPC: 886975409020
EAN: 0886975409020
ASIN: B002NJ8X9G
Publication Date: November 3, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Don't Stop Believin' | | • | Can't Fight This Feeling | | • | Gold Digger | | • | Take a Bow | | • | Bust Your Windows | | • | Taking Chances | | • | Alone | | • | Maybe This Time | | • | Somebody to Love | | • | Hate On Me | | • | No Air | | • | You Keep Me Hangin' On | | • | Keep Holding On | | • | Bust a Move | | • | Sweet Caroline | | • | Dancing with Myself | | • | Defying Gravity |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Relive your favorite Glee moments with original cast recordings. 17 tracks including "Don't Stop Believin", "Somebody to Love" and "Take a Bow."
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 115
 This soundtrack is GREAT, not your typical covers album... November 7, 2009
Larry Davis (NYC/Long Island, NY)
103 out of 107 found this review helpful
All in all, this CD confounds expectations with it's contradictory flair, as does the show...it should be THE uncoolest thing out there...a glee club performing songs by uncool people like Journey, REO Speedwagon, Broadway tunes, hiphop/R&B, and more...
But it's COOL!!!
The way the songs are rearranged and reimagined, the kids (and teacher, etc) can all really sing, the context is about underdogs, the writing is sharp as a knife, and you care about the characters...it's an unexpected, exciting, odd, and brilliant treat. The real surprise is how well the songs and performances hold up as a CD, outside of the show...and yes, get the Target edition for 3 great bonus tracks...I met the kids too, and they're all really nice, good kids...but the main 2 girls (Lea Michele who plays Rachel, and Dianna Agron who plays Quinn) are stunningly (as they say in the UK) "fit" in person. Here's the breakdown of the CD:
1- "Don't Stop Believin'" (Rachel & Finn, the Journey song from 1981, nice arrangement with the accappella opening...it works!!)
2- "Can't Fight This Feeling" (Finn, the REO Speedwagon #1 ballad from 1984, it's given a fresh acoustic guitar treatment and imperfect but tender reading that gives it new life)
3- "Gold Digger" (Will and featuring Mercedes, the Kanye West(?!) song that's sorta like the teacher trying to be "hip" and "up-to-date", but it actually works and is as good as the original...Amber Riley's booming Martha Wash-like vocals add flavour)
4- "Take A Bow" (Rachel, the Rihanna song which works in context of the show and this CD, and Lea sings it with real emotion...I like it better than the original!!)
5- "Bust Your Windows" (Mercedes, the Jazmine Sullivan song which works perfectly with Amber's booming soul vocals, which are on par with Jennifer Hudson & Martha Wash...I like it as much as the original)
6- "Taking Chances" (Rachel, the Platinum Weird song...you're like WHO?? PW was a fictional band with Eurythmic Dave Stewart, but the vocals were by Kara DioGuardi...yep, the American Idol judge...and those 2 wrote this song...their album was almost "released" in 1974 but got shelved, and that actually came out in 2006...they also did a "new" 2006 album, which DID get shelved but got packaged at the last minute with ONLY BestBuy's edition..."Taking Chances" is on that BestBuy CD only...this project was botched basically, and Kara & Dave gave this song to Celine Dion for her album of the same name from 2007/2008...Celine is now only known for this song, not Kara...the original KILLS, Celine's not as great and an identical arrangement...LEA's version here is BETTER than Celine's and as great as the PW version...similar arrangement too...I guess best not to change it at all.)
7- "Alone" (Will & April, the Steinberg/Kelly song that was a huge #1 hit cover for Heart in 1987...Heart's version is iconic, and it's never been a duet before, but it works...this blows all attempts on Idol...except for Alison Iraheta's career-making take...Kristen blows the roof off while Matt is ample support...the guitars are rawer here than on Heart's version...love it)
8- "Maybe This Time" (Rachel & April...the "Cabaret" song, in an iconic spot on "Glee", works excellently here...GREAT vocal dual by Kris & Lea and I love the jazzy arrangement)
9- "Somebody To Love" (Rachel, Finn, Mercedes & Artie...yep, the Queen song, and the cast's take is as great, or better, than George Michael's take...it comes mighty close, believe it or not, to Queen's original)
10- "Hate On Me" (Mercedes, the R&B/hiphop song, TI?!?, not sure, I don't follow mainstream hiphop/R&B really, but it's a decent track, better than the original, as I'd rather listen to this than seek out the original, and that's rare)
11- "No Air" (Rachel & Finn, a hit as a Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown duet, and it's as good as their version...JS/CB didn't write the song, so it was easy for Lea & Cory to match)
12- "You Keep Me Hangin On" (Quinn, the #1 hit Supremes classic, and Dianna pulls it off!!! The arrangement is close to the Supremes original, not Kim Wilde's 1987 #1 cover, but Dianna brings an innocence to her take, which meshes well with the lyrical defiance of the song...it works both in the cheerleader scene on the show and as a track on the CD...not easy...and I LOVE Lady Di's vocals...many think they're weak, but I disagree...I find her vocals charming)
13- "Keep Holding On" (Rachel & Finn, the Avril Lavigne power-ballad which works better on this CD and on the show than in Av's repertoire, I think)
14- "Bust A Move" (Will, see "Gold Digger", but his take on Young MC's memorable late 80s pop/rap classic works better than Kanye, as it showcases Matt's personality better, and the musical track is still just as fun, with the Glee-sters adding fun "you want It, you got it"...girls...and "Bust A Move!!"...guys...)
15- "Sweet Caroline" (Puck, the #1 Neil Diamond standard...on an unrelated note, this tribute to Caroline Kennedy and the Turtles' "Happy Together" are similar songs and the Glee-sters should do that song too...Mark does an AWESOMELY great take on this song, adding fresh energy to his great voice...he's like Neil Diamond mixed with Robbie Williams really...and I'm THRILLED the Glee-sters didn't add the annoying horn-line imitation "ba ba ba" on the chorus that they did on the show and fans of this song always do...but my one complaint is that this version is TOO SHORT!!!! It should have been 2 minutes longer...sorry, 1:58 is too short, it's inexcusable...I should loop it or something)
16- "Dancing With Myself" (Artie, the Billy Idol/Generation X new wave/punk classic, reimagined as a finger-snapping acoustic jazzy shuffler, and it really works...I at first found it annoying, but it was the biggest grower for me on the whole CD...go "Wheels"!!)
17- "Defying Gravity" (Kurt & Rachel, the song from "Wicked", sung originally solo by Long Islander Idina Menzel, and it IS a beautiful song, love it, and I was curious if Lea's vocals would be just as magical, and they are...predictably...if not more so, but the REAL surprise is Chris' BEAUTIFUL falsetto on this duet...like goosebump-worthy...he's worthy of complete adulation...I asked him at the signing when he will get his own song on the show, he said next week...this is the one, and people will be blown away, seriously...again, my one complaint is that the song's a bit too short...2:21, should have been a minute and a half longer)
TARGET BONUS TRACKS:
18- "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Will, the Color Me Badd song freom 1992...here is the ACAFELLAS version, and it's actually pretty cool on record...I never thought I'd love ANY take on this song, but this version's pretty sweet and cool...an achievement)
19- "I Could Have Danced All Night" (Emma, the one track sung by fave Jayma Mays, and she has an utterly sweet voice, not unlike Julie Andrews, and the song fits her like that wedding dress, but the track is, again, way too short...a minute and a half, are you kidding?? 1-2 more minutes please...I'm not into these too-short tracks)
20- "Leaving On A Jet Plane" (Will, the real surprise of the CD...this song hasn't been performed on the show yet, and I had no clue that Matt would be doing this utterly sweet take on this John Denver classic...the guy is better at doing these types of songs than silly rap numbers...being he arranged this himself, I wonder if he's also a songwriter and has put out records before...cuz he has talent...and if you listen to the lyrics, you wonder how it will play out in the show...if it's geared towards his sham of a wife or towards Emma...we shall see...but these 3 bonus tracks are reason enough to buy Target's edition)
The show "Glee" is brilliantly realized and original, this CD is so good and fun and stands apart from the show as a CD itself, which is quite rare, the singing is great, the arrangements are cool and creative, and it makes me anticipate more music and CDs to come...boxsets perhaps???
Maybe I am a "Gleek"!!!
get it at target, it comes with 3 extra tracks.... November 3, 2009
Bumpy (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
33 out of 39 found this review helpful
i dont watch the show at all, i found out about these songs after my friend played them for me, and i thought they were pretty good, its a different take on some good songs. like i stated in the title of my review, get it at target cause it comes with 3 bonus songs, which are i wanna sex you up, i could have danced all night, and leaving on a jet plane. since i dont watch the show at all, i dont know or care about what songs are missing really, i will say this, i will get the next volume in december though. i thought gold digger was pretty nifty. what they need to do next is sing some iron maiden, or some black sabbath, now that would be pretty cool. since i like all kinds of music and all, im sure they will sing a heavy metal song or two sometime down the road.
great music--and I love those three bonus songs January 2, 2010
Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This excellent first volume of music from the show Glee with its three bonus tracks gives us nothing but excellent music; there's not a dud in the bunch here! It's rare that I hear and enjoy so many fine cover songs all on one album--but here they are and I'm very impressed. If you can, try to get this version of the first volume of the music from Glee so that you have the three bonus songs. The quality of the sound is excellent and those liner notes give us the song credits as well as which cast members sing which songs.
"Don't Stop Believin'" gets the royal treatment from Lea Michele and Cory Monteith; they perform this ballad by Journey with panache and their excellent diction enhances their performance all the more. The musical arrangement is lush with guitars, drums, percussion and that chorus all going full throttle to make this number shine! "Can't Fight This Feeling" gets a sensitive interpretation from Cory Monteith who makes this tune sound new and fresh. In addition, "Gold Digger" is very well done; this rendition of "Gold Digger" has lots of energy and that beat is awesome! The background vocals sound awesome, too.
"Take a Bow," a poignant song recorded by Rihanna, features Lea Michele nicely and it's a major highlight of this album. The piano sounds great in the arrangement, too. And listen for Amber Riley, a star destined to become a superstar, to do "Bust Your Windows" with quite a stunning arrangement. "Bust Your Windows" is not a happy song yet it's a hauntingly beautiful tune that lingers in my head long after I hear it; I find myself pushing the "repeat" button on my CD player every time I hear Amber do this one up right!
"Taking Chances" is terrific; and "Alone" starts with great music--when Kristen Chenoweth and Matthew Morrison perform it, "Alone" takes flight! "Maybe This Time" gets the royal treatment from Lea Michelle and Kristen Chenoweth--I love it! Moreover, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley and Kevin McHale do a splendid rendition of Freddy Mercury's "Somebody to Love;" "Somebody to Love" has a chorus that makes it sound even better! "Hate on Me" is a memorable number that Amber Riley aces as effortlessly as if it were mere breathing--but of course we know that Amber's talent easily carries her through.
"No Air" is quite moving and brilliantly executed; and there's yet another gem in "You Keep Me Hangin' On" which features Dianna Agron. The tempo is slightly faster than I'm used to but it still holds its own very well. "Keep Holding On" is very memorable; and their take on Young MC's "Bust a Move" is excellent. Listen also for Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" which features Mark Salling singing at his very best. The album then gives us a splendid "Dancing with Myself" featuring Kevin McHale and "Defying Gravity" with Chris Colfer and Lea Michele in the spotlight.
And then we have the three bonus tracks that I love to hear. "I Wanna S** You Up" has a great beat and Matthew Morrison with the rest all deliver this really, REALLY well. The backup vocalists harmonize faultlessly and the music is just right for this number--good percussion in particular. "I Could Have Danced All Night" comes originally from the show "My Fair Lady;" Jayma Mays sings with all her heart and soul and her sophisticated phrasing impresses me to no end. The arrangement makes good use of the strings, too. The album ends with the third bonus track, "Leaving on a Jet Plane" featuring Matthew Morrison; Matthew gives this ballad a most sensitive interpretation and it leaves me wanting more! The guitar playing enhances the music for this last track, too.
Glee: The Music, Volume 1 with its three bonus tracks is a must-have for fans of this show. In fact, this music is so good that even if you've never watched the show you will love this album. People who enjoy pop will also want this for their collections.
Some of the Music From the Best New Show of 2009 November 4, 2009
tvtv3 (Sorento, IL United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Back in May of 2009, FOX made one of the biggest gambles in recent television history. The network decided to air the pilot of one of the new fall shows just before summer. The thinking was that doing so would build an audience and build the hype for the fall. However, there was a huge danger in that people would forget about the show and no matter how good it was it would die an early death. That show was GLEE and the gamble paid off tremendously because GLEE is by far the best new show on television right now. The show is a strange mixture of quirky drama, fairly realistic drama, and outstanding musical numbers. One might not believe that the premise of the show, following a group of mostly outcasts in a high school around as they attempt to revive their school's failed glee club. However, due to some incredibly strong writing, solid acting, and charming music numbers the show has gotten better with almost every episode.
GLEE: THE MUSIC VOLUME 1 is the first of what will probably be a string of CDs released from the show. Normally, I would be aghast at such a thing. However, the most of the musical numbers on the show are so good that for once in my life, I can overlook the shamelessly self-serving shilling. The regular CD contains 17 songs, but depending on where you buy the album there are up to three additional tracks. My favorite songs on the album are:
"Don't Stop Believin'"--the song that started it all. It was the #1 downloaded song on iTunes for weeks after the original airing of the pilot. Journey made the song and was the master, but the Glee Version has such a youthful optimism that it really does is better.
"Gold Digger"--I've never been a fan of Kanye, but Matthew Morrison's rendition made me interested in his music for the first time in my life.
"Maybe This Time"--a song from the musical CABARET, but sung by the gorgeous an incredibly talented Kristin Chenoweth and Lea Michele.
"Somebody To Love"--a cover song of Queen? I know, you wouldn't think it would work, but it does and though it isn't as powerful as the original version, there's enough heart hear that makes the song worthwhile and enjoyable. Besides, this song is one of the anthems of the season.
"You Keep Me Hangin' On"--I'll admit it that this song looses a bit of umpth when not seen on screen with the whole conflicted cheerleader vibe going on. Still, it's the only song on the album featuring the vocals of Dianna Agron.
"Defying Gravity"--Another tune that suffers a bit from removing it from the show's context. Still, the number is performed well and there's just something about the song's message that is uplifting.
Overall, GLEE: THE MUSIC VOLUME 1 is a treat for not only Gleeks, but people who just enjoy good music.
Amazing show! Amazing CD! December 27, 2009
M Kennedy (Brooklyn, NY USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The only thing missing from this soundtrack is a DVD bonus of some choreography steps so we can dance along to the songs Glee-style! I love this show and I love the new spin on every tune. In the earlier songs, there was a lot of processing on the vocals, but they seemed to have cut back on that a bit as the season went along and it sounds much better. Kristin Chenowith's two tracks are incredible. Do not hesitate: BUY THIS!!!!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 115
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