Glee The Christmas Album
When delving into the world of Glee music it's always best to
watch the show before you buy the album. The emotionally and
hormonally charged adolescent storylines are what drive millions of
fans to listen to the songs on repeat. But with this musically
gifted cast, the album is a treat for fans of the show and
non-Gleeks alike. Fans will appreciate a diverse range of
Christmas songs, but the those who are used to Glee's creative
mashups might be disappointed that most of these songs stick to
their original format. Regular viewers may also be a bit
disheartened to find that a fan favorite from the show "Welcome
Christmas" is missing from the soundtrack. That aside, fans will be
pleased to hear their favorite performers give their all to these
classic holiday numbers.
1. We Need a Little Christmas- If you watch Glee, you remember
that Glee Club is heckled when they sing this. But if you are
unlike the students of McKinley High and have a high tolerance for
a sickeningly sweet dose of Christmas cheer, this number is right
up your alley. Chris Colfer sings soprano on this one. And as in
"Defying Gravity," he proves that he can reach all the high octaves
just as well as any Glee girl.
2. Deck the Rooftop- Younger Glee fans will appreciate this fast
paced, modern mashup of "Deck The Halls" and "Up on the Rooftop."
Sprinkled with solos, Finn's(Cory Monteith) voice seizes the
opportunity to shine without being overpowered..
3. Merry Christmas Darling- Fans who enjoyed this song should
listen to the original Karen Carpenter recording immediately.
There's no denying the power of Lea Michele, who gives this song
her all, but Carpenter nailed it the first time, no rendition
needed. Michele's version, although perfectly adequate, seems to
lack the heart and soul of Carpenter's version. .
4. Baby, It's Cold Outside- My personal favorite on the album:
Kurt(Chris Colfer) and Blaine(Darren Criss), in classic Glee style,
flirt with the help of a song. Colfer's voice, which is
occasionally awkward, is perfectly on pitch here singing the female
lead. Criss's masculine tenor is the perfect compliment to Colfer's
trademark androgyny.
5. The Most Wonderful Day of The Year- In one of my other
favorites from the album, the entire cast collaborates on a
precious mashup between "The Island of Misfit Toys" and "The Most
Wonderful Day of the Year" from the beloved original claymation
Rudolph. The track features adorable character dialogue to boot.
Unfortunately, Dianna Agron's sexy, sultry vocals from the show
have been replaced with Chris Colfer who sounds
uncharacteristically awkward on a few of the high
notes.
6. Last Christmas- This falls into that abundant category of Glee
songs that are made infinitely better if you are able to connect
the emotional context with the sound by watching the show. Simply
listening to the song without the visual will not do it any
justice. Like so many songs on this album, Last Christmas is only
mildly pleasant when standing on its own. Lea Michele's vocals are
impressive, but, per usual, Cory Monteith's voice seems to
literally and metaphorically fade into the background.
7. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen- When the Glee girls collaborate,
magic happens. Rachel, Mercedes, Santana, Quinn and Tina kill it on
their rendition of another church classic. I was happy to hear
Dianna Agron's underused voice featured, although her part was all
too brief. While every girl brought their best to the song,
Mercedes's guttural tones seemed best suited for the low tempo of
the song. I wouldn't have complained if she had dominated the
entire number.
8. O Christmas Tree- There's not too much of a modern take on
this song- just a beautiful, simple, solo delivery from Mr.
Shue(Matthew Morrison). It's nice to hear someone besides Michele
and Monteith have a lengthy solo on this album. I'm not a huge
Matthew Morrison fan, so it surprised me when I found this song to
be one of the best of the CD. He has a classically beautiful
quality to his voice that transcends the "only good on TV" curse
that so many Glee songs suffer from. This song is one that anyone
could enjoy on the radio while Christmas light sighting on a chilly
December night.
9. Jingle Bells- I was pleasantly surprised by the Glee boys
playful rendition of Jingle Bells. The guys have fun mastering a
fun, kicky, big-band sound. Anyone who has heard Puck(Mark
Sailling) sing "The Lady is a Tramp" knows that he has a special
talent for music created in the 1950s. His voice takes on smooth
talking quality that doesn't show itself during his modern songs.
But as usual, Artie(Kevin McHale) shines as the strongest male
vocalist. As lovely as his voice is, Cory Monteith still can't seem
to keep up with his costars.
10. You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch- The question is, why is k.d.
lang singing this song, especially when she has never guest starred
on the show? On Glee, Sue Sylvester(Jane Lynch) dresses up like the
Grinch and sets out to destroy the Glee Club's Christmas tree. The
scene is hilarious and Lynch is a talented singer, so I cannot
understand why they simply did not have Jane Lynch record it Also,
do we really need to hear Matthew Morrison narrating? It seems
irritating and unnecessarily chops up the flow of the music. Most
people buying this album are Glee fans to begin with, so why bother
commercializing the CD when the fans would rather hear the Sue
version? That aside, k.d. lang's voice is enchanting.
11. Angels We Have Heard On High- Mercedes takes the lead on
this soulful rendition of the classic hymn. Fans of Amber Riley's
Herculean vocal abilities will appreciate the gospel twist on the
song. There's no denying that Mercedes can belt a note louder,
longer and stronger than anyone else in Glee Club.
12. O Holy Night- Truly, Lea Michele's voice sounds heaven sent.
Fans are treated to five glorious minutes of vocal perfection. I
was even able to overlook the fact that Rachel, a proud Jew, would
be an odd choice to sing about the birth of Christ. However, fans
of the show know that Rachel Berry takes any solo opportunity.
Lucky for us, she remains the star of Glee and the standout voice
on this album.
Glee The Christmas Album Christmas Videos
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