Hail To the Gleeks

The soundtrack to one of the most buzzed-about TV shows of the season has finally arrived. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 hit stores last week, much to the delight of every self-proclaimed gleek. We can finally have the car sing-a-longs we have been waiting for. Yes! Glee is a biting musical comedy that has a few tricks up its sleeve every Wednesday night on Fox. There are enough romantic tensions, ridiculous plot twists, and cheeky song renditions to satisfy viewers from all over the TV-watching spectrum. To be brief, Glee is about high school teacher Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison, of the original Broadway cast of Hairspray) who decides to revive the glee club, drawing in students from different social stratospheres and criticism from the always hilarious cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch, Two and a Half Men, Role Models). Think extremely edgy High School Musical with actual talent. Cliffhangers every week leave audiences craving the unfolding drama and impressive cover songs. We're barely halfway through the first season and we've already seen pregnancy (both real and faked), over-the-counter drug use, and football players doing the "Single Ladies" dance. Oh my! Glee club members Rachel (Lea Michele, of the original Broadway cast of Spring Awakening) and Finn (the largely unknown but definitely swoon-worthy Cory Montieth) provide the leading vocals on most of the album's tracks. Michele's voice is simply amazing, and it's sometimes a bit difficult for the less-trained Montieth to keep up, but he does try, with pretty decent results. Queen's "Somebody to Love" is definitely one of the soundtrack's many highlights (I think Freddie Mercury would approve), along with Jill Scott's "Hate On Me," which showcases the fantastic vocals of the character Mercedes (Amber Riley). "Sweet Caroline," sung by my new favorite character (until he inevitably ends up doing something shady, as they all do) Puck (Mark Salling), is also a crowd-pleasing favorite. Kristen Chenoweth (best known for originating the role of Galinda in Broadway's Wicked) guest starred and belted her way through an episode last month. Her distinct voice shines through her duet of Heart's "Alone" with Mr. Schuester in a bowling alley, and again with Michele on "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret. It's impossible not to compare Michele to a young Idina Menzel, with her powerhouse voice and dark features, especially after pairing her with Chenoweth. And the last track on the CD is a more mellow cover of Wicked's momentous "Defying Gravity," bringing these two Broadway sensations one degree closer. The Glee cast's version of "Don't Stop Believin'" from the pilot episode reached number one on iTunes quickly after the episode's premiere preview last May. It's a Broadway-worthy rendition with some remarkable harmonies, and have I mentioned Michele's voice? My only complaint thus far with the CD and the series is the excessive rapping of Mr. Schuester. I'd also like to see more from the other members of the glee club, but I have a feeling that by the end of the season I'll get my wish. I've heard some non-Glee fans refer to the songs as being merely karaoke, but to skip over them and the show in general would be a mistake. There really is something for everyone in this eclectic mix-where else could you find songs by Rihanna, Billy Idol, and Young MC in one surprisingly cohesive album? Glee: The Music, Volume 2, with the rest of the selections from the first season, is set to hit shelves on Dec. 4. A 2010 Glee tour is also being discussed by the Fox network.

Grade: A-