The final CD for Season 2, which is the 6th full album, is nothing short of spectacular from front to back. Maybe one of the best of the entire series, thanks to some HEAVY hitting covers, and epic guest stars from Gwyneth Paltrow as the sultry Holly Holliday, to Kristin Chenoweth as the hilarious booze hound April Rhodes, to Jonathan Groff's triumphant return as Jesse St. James. The entire experience is as 'Gleeful' as we've come to expect. And so without further ado, my humble opinions of Glee: The Music, Volume 6...
1). A+ - Gwyneth Paltrow (Holly Holliday) - Turning Tables - This is probably my absolute favorite of Gwyneth Paltrow's Glee numbers. And has anyone noticed that as she is getting more and more confident that she can, in fact, sing... She's getting AMAZING! I loved Forget You, and Do You Want Touch Me, but this is haunting and heartbreaking, as pretty much anything by the masterful vocals of Adele is... And Gwyneth does it complete and total justice. Amazing!
2). A - Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) and Dianna Agron (Quinn Fabray) - I Feel Pretty/Unpretty - Dianna Agron is noticeably underused, and it's almost understandable with voices like Lea's and Amber's and Chris'... But she has a pure, soft, lovely voice nonetheless, and it's REALLY showcased here. This is yet another BRILLIANT Glee mash-up, and the song is all the more powerful once you've seen the episode it comes from. So beautiful...
3). A+ - Chris Colfer (Kurt) - As If We Never Said Goodbye - I look back and I can't believe that the first time I heard Chris Colfer sing, I did a double take and I was like; "WOW that's high! He sounds weird!" And I guess what I really meant is he sounds different... They say a line in the first season of Glee that says Kurt is doing things that no one else can do... This proves that. To say he KILLS this song is a travesty of an understatement. One of the best vocal performances I've ever heard. He's got a long career ahead of him, possibly as a true Broadway Devo.
4). A++ - Amber Riley (Mercedes), Chris Colfer (Kurt), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen Chang) - Born This Way - Gaga's song of self accept, nay, ANTHEM of self acceptance, was brilliant beforehand. Gaga's not for everyone, but this song is going to be looked back on as the soundtrack of a new era, when acceptance was starting to take hold. I loved Gaga's, and then you add the pipes that these folks have? SMOKIN' HOT VOCALS! Just... wow... One of the few Glee songs that I rank above an A+.
5). A- - Kristin Chenoweth (April Rhodes) and Matthew Morrison (Mr. Shue) - Dreams - I LOVE me some Stevie Nicks... But I was born at the time of Fleetwood Mac's mainstream success, and grew up in the 80's, so it just wasn't my style of music. But Kristin and Matthew ALWAYS sound great together. Great vocal harmonies.
6). A - Naya Rivera (Santana) - Songbird - WHOA does Naya sing this BEAUTIFULLY. And the part of the plotline it goes along with... Just wow... I cried, and she sings and acts this one out flawlessly. She needs more solos! Or at the least more major duets! With Brittany! LOL
7). A - Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) - Go Your Own Way - This is an amazing Fleetwood Mac song, and Lea Michele just knocks this one out of the park. Cory's drumming is first rate too.
8). A (And coming VERY close to an A+) - Lea Michele (Rachel Berry), Amber Riley (Mercedes), Chord Overstreet (Sam), Dianna Agron (Quinn), and the Glee Cast - Don't Stop - I have literally had this song on repeat for about 5 plays now. Infectious beat, the same GREAT singing we're used to from Glee, coupled with one of the best Fleetwood Mac songs ever written. Plus, ANYTHING Glee does with the title Don't Stop is destined to come out good right? LOL
9). A+ - Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) and Jonathan Groff (Jesse St. James) - Rolling In The Deep - This is a heart thumping powerhouse ballad that Adele just KILLS! (Plus sized sistas rule the world!) And Lea and Jonathan, with the sparks they have from their real life friendship, just burn this one down. Soooo powerful! However, I noticed they did NOT bleep out the curse word in the song, not even on the live broadcast. Interesting. LOL
10). A- - Kevin McHale (Artie) - Isn't She Lovely - This is one of the sweetest songs on the album, and it was certainly a beautiful moment on the show. Kevin sounds amazing even without the music, and this is a great interpretation of a classic. A little odd that this is originally about a baby, but hey... Still great! LOL
11). Amber Riley (Mercedes) and Naya Rivera (Santana) - Dancing Queen - This song has always been one of my favorite songs for years. And WHAT is it about Amber and Naya that makes them go so great together!? Really takes me back, and the ladies sound amazing.
12). A - Amber Riley (Mercedes) - Try A Little Tenderness - Amber Riley can SING!!! She blows this song UP, like she's in church. And I love what her character said about feeling her songs, and singing them with emotions. They certainly are powerful.
13). A - Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) - My Man - Lea gets yet another chance to absolutely master big theater number songs. She sings with such power and emotion. If you haven't see her performance of this that was in the show, then by all means, do. I couldn't help but cry. She is one amazing singer, that's for sure. I believe Ryan Murphy called her a once in a generation voice... Indeed!
14). A- - Cory Monteith (Finn), Kevin McHale (Artie), Chris Colfer (Kurt), and Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen Chang) - Pure Imagination - Not my favorite song, but they sing it with breathtaking beauty. Not to mention, that episode of Glee was only the second to completely unhinge my emotions. SUCH a powerful episode, and this song was used to perfection.
15). B+ - Kevin McHale (Artie), Mark Salling (Puck), Chord Overstreet (Sam) - Bella Notte - Of all the songs on the album, this was my least favorite. It's sung beautifully, I just don't care for the beat or tune of the song. I imagine it's a great romance scene in the season finale.
16). A++ - Charice (Sunshine Corazon) and Vocal Adrenaline - As Long As You're There - This is another of Glee's original songs, and it's one you have to hear to believe. I've been a fan of Charice for a long while now, and this song is easily one of her best. She hits notes that are just inhuman in their power. For someone so little, she can stun anything with ears. LOL!
17). A++ - Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) and Cory Monteith (Finn) - Pretending - This is another one of my absolute favorite songs from the show. Not just for this album, but of the entire series. This is a Glee original song, and Lea and Michele make an absolutely amazing duet out of it. So good that it goes beyond A+.
18). A+ - Lea Michele (Rachel Berry), Naya Rivera (Santana), Cory Monteith (Finn), Kevin McHale, and the Glee Cast - Light Up The World - This will probably be the big club thumper song, and it is yet another of this album's original Glee songs. It was written by Max Martin, who has made stars of quite a few people, and hit songs that number too many to count. It has such great energy, and if I weren't handicapped, I'd be up and dancing. *Bust's a move from the waist up!*
So alright folks, that's my $.02 about Glee: The Music, Volume 6. I give the overall album a solid A+. It has only one song that ranks below an A-, but quite a few songs that are graded considerably higher than an A+. VERY few albums can I put in and listen to all the way through without needing to skip songs. But this one is great from the very first song, right to the last. For all you non-Gleeks, give this album a try. Even if you're not a fan of the show, these guys and gals can sing any genre of music and sound great doing it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Gleeks of the world, unite!!!
Thanks so much for your time folks.
Sincerely, R.A. McDowell