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| Ew |
 You're no one in TV these days, it seems, without your own soundtrack — and a little boldfaced bait, whether it be a folk-rock icon or the umpteenth revival of a deathless '80s power ballad.NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack, Vol. 2 begins, wisely, with its big get: Bob Dylan's previously unreleased ''California,'' a wry vagabond lament dating from his 1965 Bringing It All Back Home sessions. Norah Jones practically purrs on the surprisingly sexy R&B shuffle ''That's What I Said,'' and Sheryl Crow, John Mellencamp, and show star Michael Weatherly follow with earthy, solid originals for the adult-contemporary set. Earnest Aussie rockers Sick Puppies and lite-metal angsters Saosin, alas, feel much more CW than CBS. In fact, they could have escaped from the teen-targeted Soundtrack 90210, a collection of enjoyable-enough throwaways from MTV second-stringers (the All-American Rejects, OK Go, Jet) and mall-alt upstarts (Owl City, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus) alike. More than a few years out of homeroom? Stay for Adele's pairing with the Raconteurs, the aching blues-waltz torcher ''Many Shades of Black.''...full text |
| Allmusic |
| Like the High School Musical franchise, Glee became more than a TV show when several of its songs cracked the Hot 100, including the number four hit "Don't Stop Believing." That song kicks off this soundtrack, the first in a series of albums cataloging the music performed by the show's cast. Not all Glee members are created equal -- Cory Monteith (the show's hunky football captain) and Dianna Agron (the alternately caustic and vulnerable head cheerleader) can't sing nearly as well as their co-stars -- but this soundtrack has enough star power to keep things trucking along, especially when powerhouse alto Lea Michele takes the wheel. She sounds fantastic throughout, whether she's holding her own during a duet with Broadway queen Kristin Chenoweth or covering the likes of Jordin Sparks, Avril Lavigne, and Queen. The soundtrack is mostly a vehicle for her voice, yet it also gives ample stage time to Matthew Morrison, who downplays his own Broadway career by rapping on two different tracks. Tuneful performances by Mark Salling (the Neil Diamond-loving jock) and former boy band member Kevin McHale (the wheelchair-bound Artie) also point to the fact that Glee is an ensemble production in disguise, but Lea Michele still receives top billing, as she sings circles around most of the pop stars whose music is featured here....full text |
| Rollingstone |
| Translating American Idol-style stardom to CD depends on the X-factor of good original material. Glee, Fox's mix of The Breakfast Club and High School Musical, solves that by recycling classic hits. In Glee-land, rock, tween pop and Tin Pan Alley aren't at odds — Journey, Jordin Sparks and Kanye are all karaoke fodder. Star Matthew Morrison couldn't rap his way out of a 98° rehearsal. But Amber "Mercedes" Riley crushes Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows," and the Gleeks' "Don't Stop Believin'" is a triumphal moment against which resistance is futile....full text |
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