‘Glee’ soundtrack revisits classic favorites

Few television shows have the ability to control more than one outlet of media entertainment. Fortunately for the people at Fox, their new hit, “Glee,” is one of those select few.

The show, which has received praise from critics and audiences alike, is based on the drama that goes on behind the scenes in a high school glee club. Considering the show’s premise, the music is a staple to its success.

“Glee” features the cast performing a variety of music, from Carrie Underwood to Bon Jovi/Usher mash-ups. On November 3, “Glee: The Music, Volume 1” was released with several fan favorites from the show.

There is no doubt that this will excite fans of the popular series, but what is there to keep the rest of the world from thinking that the album is more than just a few karaoke recordings slapped onto a compact disc?

It is true that some songs on the 17-track album are just the same ole’ songs with a different singer. For example, “No Air,” which was originally performed by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown back in 2008, sounds like the exact same song when Finn (Corey Monteith) and Rachel (Lea Michele) belt it out.

While this may be true of two or three of the tracks, the majority of the album is actually quite original.

Different doesn’t always mean that a song is good, but at least it shows that some thought went into the music. Michele’s cover of Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” is pretty good on its own, but the original is just a better song.

Mercedes (Amber Riley) is the girl who brings the Jennifer Hudson-esque soul to the album in songs “Hate on Me” and “Bust Your Windows.” Again, the songs are unique in and of themselves, but only “Bust Your Windows” is an improvement on its original.

Other positive covers are REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.” Of course, any song that doesn’t include Kanye is better than one that does.

Also, the group managed to make Avril Lavigne’s “Keep Holding On” go from mediocre-skater-song to something great.

The two biggest successes of the album are Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” Both sound fantastic and stand on their own legs very well. Fans of the originals may not like the diminished presence of each song’s “rock” quality, though.

One of the biggest gambles of the soundtrack is the cover of “Defying Gravity” from the musical “Wicked.” The song, taken from what is arguably the most-beloved musical of this generation, is broken into a duet for Rachel and Kurt (Chris Colfer). The two make the song work, but it may have fans of the musical divided when comparing it to the original version by Idina Menzel.

The album also contains two tracks from guest star Kristin Chenoweth. The Emmy winner definitely has a lot of vocal talent, which she showcases in “Maybe This Time” from “Cabaret” and Heart’s “Alone.”

Fans of the show will love finally having all of these songs on one disc, and perhaps the album will even help the show get more fans. However, what makes the show so great in the first place is the combination of the music along with the characters, choreography and everything else. “Glee: The Music, Volume 1” may not be quite as good as the show from which it comes, but it sure beats anything one could see on “American Idol.”