New Release Tuesday: Glee Music Volume 2; 1st Season DVD coming, How about a 'Glee'-ful Christmas?

The cast of FOX's Glee releases second soundtrack

With Glee a certified fan-favorite, American Idol isn't the only popular FOX show that features a soundtrack's worth of great songs each week.  Today marks the release of the second CD of Glee-ful takes on popular songs.  For their second offering, the cast of Glee sings songs ranging from John Lennon's Imagine, Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie's Endless Love and the Dreamgirls' show-stopper, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going to more current fare like Kelly Clarkson's My Life Would Suck Without You and Lily Allen's Smile.

While Volume 1, released the first week of November, pulled form the show's pilot and first episodes, Glee: The Music Volume 2 is comprised of songs from the final 5 episodes of the series' freshman year. 

Up first is Proud Mary.  The Creedence Clearwater Revival tune forever re-imagined by Tina Turner, features Amber Riley as Mercedes, Kevin McHale as Arty, Lea Michele as Rachel and Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina.  Proud Mary was featured in Episode 9.

Next is Endless Love the first of several songs from Episode 10, this one featuring vocals by Matthew Morrison as Glee club faculty advisor, Mr. Schuester and Michele's Rachel.  In the context of the episode, Rachel has developed a bit of a crush on Mr. Schue, while the unhappily married Mr. Schue has a bit of a crush on a cute, but ditzy fellow teacher.

Also from Episode 10 is I'll Stand By You.  Originally recorded in 1994 by The Pretenders, Glee's version is performed by Cory Monteith as Finn.  A bit of background on Finn, he's the football star who dates cheerleader and fellow Glee-clubber, Quinn, played by Dianna Argon.  Seems Quinn is preggers and has lead Finn to believe he's the father.  Singing the song to a sonogram of what he believes to be his baby, I'll Stand By You is the perfect anthem for the inevitably doomed couple.

Morrison is front and center on the next track, a mash-up of The Police's Don't Stand So Close To Me and 1968's Young Girl by Gary Puckett and The Union Gap.  Another song from Episode 10, this fantastic mash-up was Mr. Shue's way of staving off Rachel's misguided crush.

Speaking of Rachel's preoccupation with Mr. Schue, Michele sums up her feelings with still another Episode 10 offering, Crush.  Crush was originally released by late 90s one-hit-wonder, Jennifer Paige and reached #3 on the US chart.

Monteith's version of You're Having My Baby was hands down the funniest moment of Episode 10 and of the second half of the season itself. Here's the set up: Finn is invited to Quinn's house to have dinner with her parents.  Day of Our Lives and NYPD Blue fans were treated to a guest appearance by Charlotte Ross as Quinn's mom.  It was Finn who stole the show, however when he leaps up from the dinner table and breaks into You're Having My Baby.  What a lovely way to find out your daughter is pregnant, huh?

Episode 10's final representation on Glee: The Music Volume 2 finishes up with Lean On Me featuring Riley and McHale. Riley and McHale are arguably the best singers of the cast and this song highlights them both perfectly.

Riley is again featured on the next track, Don't Make Me Over.  The first of only three songs from Episode 11 featured on the new soundtrack...guess they couldn't get to release songs from the episode first made famous by Madonna and Beyonce.

Then comes a song that can do no wrong.  John Lennon's Imagine is beautiful, and thanks to a heart-tugging storyline involving a glee club from a school for deaf students, Glee's version is inspired.  Once again, it's Riley, McHale to the rescue as they take lead along with Monteith and Michele.

Just when you think it couldn't get any sweeter, Glee pulls out all the stops with the third track from Episode 11, a cover of Cyndi Lauper's True Colors.  Yeah, it might seem a bit too theme-park, but like Lennon's Imagine, True Colors is just one of those songs of hope, that sadly in our way too cynical world may seem cheesy, but rings true at its core.  The typically under-used Ushkowitz does an amazing job with this one.

Last week's Episode 12 provides the next three cuts on the soundtrack.  Van Halen's Jump is probably the weakest song to be included, but it's cute none-the-less.  In the episode, the kids get an opportunity to appear in a local mattress commercial and instead of the boring script provided by their wannabe video auteur, leave it to Rachel  to jazz things up a bit by including the ultimate party song while she and her friends do what else, but jump around on a warehouse full of mattresses.

Finn and Rachel aka Monteith and Michele keep the sugar pulsing through our ears with a cute version of Lily Allen's Smile next.  These two doe-eyed characters have the sort of will they or won't they storyline that fueled Friends for years.

Not ones to shy away from a smart opportunity, Glee's version of  a Charlie Chaplin tune, also titled Smile follows.  When Jermaine Jackson reminded mourners at Michael Jackson's funeral recently that this was Michael's very favorite song, you knew it was only a matter of time before someone re-recorded it, who better than the cast of Glee?

With today's release of Volume 2 coming a full day before the final episode of the season airs, the remaining four tracks are a bit of a sneak preview for Gleeks.  That's right Gleeks are...you guessed it, Glee geeks, like myself.  Riley's powerhouse vocals exquisitely hit every note as she tackles one of the biggest songs in musical theatre, And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going.  Michele's vocal sugar is an excellent choice for a modern take on 1964's stubbornly optimistic Don't Rain On My Parade, from the musical Funny Girl. The inclusion of You Can't Always Get What You Want may be a bit of lyrical foreshadowing as to the outcome of tomorrow's pivotal season finale, titled Sectionals, in which the Glee club finally competes at the all important competition. Like the rest of the tracks included on the soundtrack, it's performed with just the right mix of fun, cheese and talent to satisfy every fan. 

The final offering on the soundtrack is My Life Would Suck Without You.  Glee's version of the Kelly Clarkson hit mirrors what the kids have discovered throughout the first year as members of the Glee club, it's not who you are, but what you do that counts.  Glee The Music Volume 2 reminds Glee's fans of the same message and leaves us eagerly awaiting Season 2.

A little more about Glee:

Glee is the story of a mixed group of students at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, who are thrown together as part of the school's newly revitalized choir, New Directions.  Under the watchful eye of former glee-clubber and current Spanish teacher, Will Schuester  played by Matthew Morrison, these students are learning there's more to life than being in the in crowd. Will's nemesis comes in the form of the always brilliantly funny Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester, faculty advisor to the the school's cheerleading squad, The Cheerios.  From the genius mind of Ryan Murphy, who first stepped on the scene in 1999 as the creator of another quirky high dramedy, Popular for the then-fledgeling WB network, Glee steps up the formula of teen comedy by incorporating plot devices of teen pregnancy, dysfunctional marriage and unrequited love all set to clever and often-times elaborate, but always unique musical numbers. Murphy is also the force behind FX's literally cutting edge series, Nip/Tuck.

Glee's first soundtrack was released November 3 and sold more than 113,000 units during its first week out, prior to the physical release, Glee's version of Journey's Don't Stop Believing, from the pilot episode was available for digital download, selling more than 2.5 million single downloads, thus becoming a certified gold selling single.  

Can't get enough Glee?  The original pilot is currently available on DVD in two formats, the original episode, and a newly released Director's Cut full of DVD extras.  There's also a paperback available.  The complete first season is due on DVD on December 29 as Glee Season 1 Volume 1: Road To Sectionals hits stores. Despite its volume 1 title, this is the full first season, with the exception of the original pilot episode.  Gleeks can CLICK HERE to pre-order.

Still eager for more Glee?  Gleeks rejoice!  Plans for a national tour have been announced for Spring of 2010!