Glee: The Music, Volume 2

Summary

Glee: The Music, Volume 2 is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Glee, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records. It has been certified platinum in Canada and Australia, and gold in the United Kingdom and the United States. Volume 2 received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the vocals of cast members Lea Michele, Amber Riley, and Kevin McHale, but felt the album was weak in arrangements and similar to a collection of karaoke tracks. All tracks were released as singles and performed on the series, with the exception of "Don't Make Me Over"—only an instrumental version was used.

Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Photographs of ten people on a multicoloured background fill in a large Arabic numeral "2" to the right. The word "Glee" is in lowercase white to the left. In lowercase yellow font are the words "The Music" (above "Glee"), "Season One" (below "Glee"), and "Volume" (beside the "2").
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedDecember 4, 2009 (2009-12-04)
Recorded2009
GenrePop, rock, R&B, soundtrack
Length58:19
LabelColumbia / 20th Century Fox TV
ProducerDante Di Loreto (exec.), Brad Falchuk (exec.), Adam Anders, Peer Åström, Ryan Murphy
Glee Cast chronology
Glee: The Music, Volume 1
(2009)
Glee: The Music, Volume 2
(2009)
Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna
(2010)

Production and songs edit

Each of songs included on the album were released as singles, available for download.[1] "True Colors" charted highest in all regions except America, reaching number 15 in Ireland,[2] number 35 in the United Kingdom,[3][4] number 38 in Canada,[5][6] and number 47 in Australia.[7] In America, the best-performing single was "Lean on Me", which charted at number 50.[6][8] The only songs which failed to chart in any region were "(You're) Having My Baby" and "Don't Make Me Over". Karaoke versions of "Lean on Me", "My Life Would Suck Without You" and "True Colors" were also released,[1] based on fan–demand and the popularity of karaoke tribute videos to the series.[9]

Yoko Ono was hesitant about allowing Glee the rights to "Imagine". Series music supervisor P.J. Bloom explained: "It was very difficult to convince Yoko Ono that it was the right thing to do. She needed to truly understand how the music was going to be used. The added component of us wanting to have a deaf choir signing the song made for this incredibly poignant moment. ...It really took a lot of convincing to get her on board and realize that it was a great, great moment, and a tribute to John and his song."[10] While a full version of "Don't Make Me Over" is included on the album, only an instrumental version was used in the show.[11]

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [12]
Entertainment Weekly(A-)[13]
IGN7.3/10[14]

The album has received mixed reviews from critics. Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment Weekly felt that there was much about the album that should not work, including "sickly-sweet vocals", "theme-park-level arrangements" and "cheesy song choices". Despite this, she commented: "When the Glee kids nail something—like a version of Van Halen's "Jump" that made my cheeks sore from smiling—the title of this joyful franchise could not be more apt."[13] Allmusic's Andrew Leahey observed that the soundtrack felt "a bit rushed" due to its release four weeks after Volume 1 and the fact it features songs from half as many episodes as the first album. He criticized: "As before, this album sometimes strays away from choral arrangements and sounds more like a collection of karaoke recordings."[12] Overall, however, Leahey believed that returning fans would find the album enjoyable.[12]

Christopher John Farley of The Wall Street Journal commented that Michele, Riley and McHale have "the most distinctive voices" of all the Glee cast members, suggesting that Michele's rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade" would "have some listeners hoping she'll be sharing her talents with Broadway again soon."[15] IGN's Brian Linder recommended the album to Glee fans only, opining that "only two or three tracks will be of interest to the non-hardcore fan. Unlike the first installment in the show's soundtrack series, Glee – The Music, Vol. 2 isn't going to win over any skeptics."[14]

Track listing edit

Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from the album's Liner Notes[16]

No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist(s)Length
1."Proud Mary" (featuring Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz and Lea Michele)John FogertyCreedence Clearwater Revival3:43
2."Endless Love" (featuring Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele)Lionel RichieDiana Ross and Lionel Richie4:25
3."I'll Stand by You" (featuring Cory Monteith)Chrissie Hynde, Tom Kelly, Billy SteinbergThe Pretenders3:51
4."Don't Stand So Close to Me / Young Girl" (featuring Matthew Morrison)Sting / Jerry FullerThe Police / Gary Puckett & The Union Gap2:28
5."Crush" (featuring Lea Michele)Andy Goldmark, Mark Mueller, Berny Cosgrove, Kevin ClarkJennifer Paige3:23
6."(You're) Having My Baby" (featuring Cory Monteith)Paul AnkaPaul Anka and Odia Coates2:47
7."Lean on Me" (featuring Kevin McHale and Amber Riley)Bill WithersBill Withers4:17
8."Don't Make Me Over" (featuring Amber Riley)Burt Bacharach, Hal DavidDionne Warwick3:25
9."Imagine" (featuring Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele and Cory Monteith)John LennonJohn Lennon2:23
10."True Colors" (featuring Jenna Ushkowitz)Tom Kelly, Billy SteinbergCyndi Lauper3:34
11."Jump" (featuring Cory Monteith, Lea Michele, Kevin McHale and Amber Riley)Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Anthony[17]Van Halen3:57
12."Smile (Lily Allen song)" (featuring Lea Michele and Cory Monteith)Lily Allen, Iyiola Babalola, Darren Lewis, Donat MittooLily Allen3:14
13."Smile (Charlie Chaplin song)" (featuring Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Amber Riley)Charlie Chaplin, John Turner, Geoffrey ParsonsCharlie Chaplin (instrumental)
Nat King Cole (vocal)
3:01
14."And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (featuring Amber Riley)Tom Eyen, Henry KriegerJennifer Holliday in the musical Dreamgirls4:06
15."Don't Rain on My Parade" (featuring Lea Michele)Jule Styne, Bob MerrillBarbra Streisand in the musical Funny Girl2:47
16."You Can't Always Get What You Want" (featuring Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Lea Michele and Kevin McHale)Mick Jagger, Keith RichardsThe Rolling Stones3:27
17."My Life Would Suck Without You" (featuring Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley)Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly, Kelly Clarkson[18]Kelly Clarkson3:31
Notes
  • Lily Allen's "Smile" contains replayed elements of "Free Soul" written by Donat "Jackie" Mittoo and Clement Dodd.[20]
  • While Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jayma Mays and Mark Salling are listed in the "Glee Cast Vocals" section of the album's Liner notes, their vocals do not appear on any of the album's songs. While Naya Rivera is not credited in the notes, her vocals appear on the Japanese bonus track "The Boy Is Mine".

Personnel edit

Source: allmusic.[21]

Charts and certifications edit

Release history edit

Region Release date
Australia December 4, 2009[49]
Canada December 8, 2009[50][51]
United States
Japan December 15, 2009[52]
New Zealand January 11, 2010[53]
Mexico March 2010[29]
Ireland March 12, 2010[54]
United Kingdom March 15, 2010[55]
Taiwan April 20, 2010[56]
Italy January 26, 2011[57]

References edit

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