It’s about damn time that Glee got back to tying in great music (that most people might not have heard before, or haven’t heard in a while) and really do a great job tying it into the storyline.
Tonight’s episode dealt with the great dilemma of accepting the things about yourself that you might get ridiculed for, because after all, that’s what makes you one in a million! And after episode after episode solely dedicated to the guest star (yes, Ms. Paltrow) or how many current songs they can throw in (Adele’s “Turning Tables” and Katy Perry’s “Firework”), it was so refreshing to see Glee tonight get back to what really made it amazing in the first place.
The Good
First of all, I’m SOOOOO happy that Kurt is back at McKinley! And as randomly spontaneous as it was, The Warblers’ rendition of Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” was precious and beautiful. Hopefully we’ll be seeing Blaine at McKinley soon!
I was very happy that they brought Karofsky’s storyline back to the forefront too. And who didn’t love his talk with Santana?!! You go girl and all your bitchiness! And thank you for starting to show your true colors!
Aside from all of that, the humor was spot on, the music fit right in, the characters developed even more, and the storylines were beautiful and poignant, especially with Emma’s acceptance of her OCD. It was great that such a mainstream show like this (which has already earned its place by sponsoring acceptance and what makes us all different and unique) bring that to a new extreme and really focus in on insecurities and accepting who we all are.
But no moment can compare to my two favorite ones of the night. First: the mash-up of TLC’s “Unpretty” and “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story! I saw that they were covering this and really got confused as to how they would fit these two together, but they pulled off another great mashup.
And Two: Kurt’s shirt at the end that simply said “I like boys” (something I know everyone can relate too). But in all seriousness though, it was a proud moment to see that on at 8:30 primetime on FOX!
Might not be the actual shirt, but this is the closest I could get to :)
The Bad
While I do admire that Quinn has a big flaw and skeleton in her closet, at first glance her ugly picture seemed like a joke. And even though I did like Santana’s little quirks with Karofsky (the gay humor and all) I don’t like the fact that it built up all my hope that he was going to finally come out tonight! Those were both tiny moments in the episode, only two that I had to really think about and find because everything else was just about perfect!
But one thing that has been bothering me throughout the season that needs to be addressed…can Ashley Fink (who plays Lauren Zizes) please learn to annunciate and clearly speak her lines? She has amazing one-liners, but you can never understand her!
What to Look Forward To
I can’t help but spoil the surprise for myself. I know what’s happening in the next upcoming episodes. Best of all, I know who is going to be Prom King and Queen (but I won’t spoil it for any of you just yet). But I’m really looking forward to how all these little angles in the storylines play out and come together. And best of all…I’M SO EXCITED KRISTIN CHENOWETH IS BACK NEXT WEEK!!!
And now the time has come to celebrate only the best covers that came from Glee’s first season. This was a tough task to accomplish only picking ten, since there were so many to choose from this time around, but hopefully someone out there agrees with it.
10.) “Vogue”
(from the episode The Power of Madonna)
Here is the first of three songs from Glee’s best episode in both seasons that have been airing. This episode started off the theme craze, and it was perfection at its best. What made this episode the best was the fact that they worked really hard to make sure the songs tied in well with what the storylines were. This was Sue’s big make-over, presenting her new image by also paying tribute to her icon, Madonna. It was a frame by frame remake of the classic music video, but one that passes off as genius and not just a copy cat. They updated the lyrics to give a little Sue twist, and who knew Jane Lynch had such a beautiful singing voice!
9.) “Maybe This Time”
(from the episode The Rhodes Not Taken)
Before people like Gwyneth Paltrow and Neil Patrick Harris were stopping by to visit the Glee Club, it was Kristin Chenoweth who helped pave the way with this powerhouse duet she does with Rachel. What starts out as some kind of competition between who does it the best, Rachel puts up a good fight, but it’s Kristin with that last note that knocks it out of this world! God bless that voice, and here’s to hoping for more April Rhodes in the future.
8.) “Don’t Rain On My Parade”
(from the episode Sectionals)
What makes Glee a great show is not just the writing or performances, but it’s also its ability to show off classics that today’s generation may not be aware of. I would consider this to be one of Glee’s signature songs. After all that Rachel has been through (and after all the tormenting and slushies the club has received) this was a dynamite opening to their Sectionals set-list, and definitely set the bar for starting a show by walking through the audience (which also has become yet another Glee signature).
7.) “Bust Your Windows”
(from the episode Acafellas)
There’s no denying it, Mercedes can sing! And while it was obvious from the very first episode that she had the attitude to back it up, this was her big shining moment to take the entire spotlight. This happens to be one of the rare songs that sounds great originally by Jazmine Sullivan but also stands on its own by Amber Riley too. And the ending dialogue made it even more great: Kurt, “Mercedes, you busted my window!” Mercedes, “well you busted my heart!”
6.) “Like a Virgin”
(from the episode The Power of Madonna)
Another great cover from the best episode Glee has produced. “Like a Virgin” had it all: six big stars of the show all taking a big step in their sexuality, matching outfits, genius choreography, and the introduction of Santana actually singing! Everything was there, and boy did Jessie, Rachel, Will, Emma, Finn, & Santana deliver. What was even better was that last moment after this big musical fantasy when it cuts back to reality to see Emma, Finn, and Rachel taking one last look in the mirror before their big “debut”. Words can’t even begin to describe what it’s like to see Rachel’s cold stare as she tells herself she’s ready with those big, beady eyes of hers, then gently walks away.
DISCLAIMER: Due to all of the copyrights on YouTube, I tried my best to find the actual video, but sadly this was the best I could find. But after all, you should know what I'm talking about by now!
5.) “Poker Face”
(from the episode Theatricality)
It may not have been the most appropriate song for a mother-daughter duet, but it certainly stands out as one of the most memorable moments in Glee. We all knew (or at least I did) that the minute they announced Idina Menzel was going to be guest starring on Glee that she would end up being Rachel’s long lost mom. With those beautiful faces and those Broadway voices, it’s hard to determine if Lea Michele and Idina Menzel aren’t actually related in real life. Let’s just clarify though, Lady GaGa stripped down this club anthem way before Glee put its touch on it, and it was perfection that stood on its own compared to the original. But what Glee did was take it even further, taking her spontaneous cover and structuring it with beautiful harmonies between mother and daughter.
4.) “One Less Bell To Answer/A House Is Not A Home”
(from the episode Home)
It was hard to tell at first where this was going with April staying in Will’s home. Were they going to hook up? Would they become an item? What happened instead was more beautiful than I expected, a special bond between two heartbroken people, trying to find solace in the midst of all their pain. What we get in return is a knock-out duet that gives me chills even just writing about it. Again, PLEASE bring back April Rhodes!
3.) “Like a Prayer”
(from the episode The Power of Madonna)
What to you get when you take Madonna’s song about late night pleasure, add in a gospel choir, and put in highlights from not just Finn and Rachel? You get this classic cover which did a great showcasing a broader range of voices, from Rachel to Kurt, from Jessie to Finn, and all the way to Mercedes to take it home! I can’t help getting teary-eyed just from the beginning cries of Rachel’s opening.
2.) “Somebody To Love [Queen Cover]”
(from the episode The Rhodes Not Taken)
The rule stood strong in the Top 10 Worst Covers list: if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. But this is the exception to that rule. Queen’s original version stands on its own as one of the most original songs in music. And Glee provides this signature song that truly can stand on its own when compared to the original. We get to hear Artie really get into it for the first time, not to mention Mercedes once again taking it all the way home with her powerhouse voice. This just happens to be another one of those covers that gets me all teary-eyed.
1.) “Don’t Stop Believin’”
(from the episode Pilot)
Was it any kind of mystery as to what the #1 best song on Glee was? “Don’t Stop Believin’” has become Glee’s theme, and it’s hard to imagine that originally they wanted to use Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” instead. It was also hard to choose between the original version from the first episode, or the Regionals Version from the first season finale, since it puts up a really good fight compared to the first. But it’s better to go with the first at its best, and what a memorable moment it was! It was the beginning of the Glee takeover, the spark that created the fire in all of us Gleeks. If they could pick themselves up, not give in to negativity so easily, and never stop believing in themselves, then BY GOLLY all of us have something to look forward to as well! And while there may be moments in both seasons that have us question the quality of the show we’ve come to adore and love (more so in Season 2 than in Season 1) we will never be able to stop believing…
As we get ready to come back from yet another Glee hiatus next week, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and release my very own favorites list, but this first list is deliciously awful. Here are my choices for the top 10 WORST Glee covers from the first season.
10.) “No Air”
(from the episode Throw Down)
The premise of the episode was there, a battle between the whites and all the other races. With Mercedes leading the way with her powerful cover of Jill Scott’s “Hate On Me”, it was time for the white folks to show us how it’s done. Instead they give us a terrible rendition of this sweet pop song from before Chris Brown was a woman-beater. This is also where I started to get sick of the Rachel/Finn duets. The auto-tune didn’t help Finn out one bit!
9.) “Can’t Fight This Feeling”
(from the episode Pilot)
Granted, the version of this song most people hear now is the recorded one in the studio from Glee’s first compilation album, but it still doesn’t improve on the original a capella version Finn sings in the shower for the first time. I’ve never really been a big Finn fan as far as singing is concerned, and yes he has improved quite a bit since this cover. But unfortunately it doesn’t give enough reason to keep him off this list. You have better moments Finn, let’s just move forward.
8.) “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”
(from the episode Throw Down)
Here it is the first of three Quinn songs on the show. I guess it’s safe to say that I’m also not a very big Quinn fan with singing either. That’s not to say that I don’t love her on the show. She’s deliciously evil when she wants to be, but sweet and vulnerable when she needs to be. This cover came at a time when she was dealing with her pregnancy out in the open, putting her love life and cheerleading career right on the line. And while the song choice doesn’t exactly fit the storyline extremely well, that’s not the worst part. Some people can get away with the weak, whisper-like singing, but I find myself cringing ALMOST every time Quinn belts it out (when she duets with Sam in season 2 with “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life”, she didn’t do half bad).
7.) “I Say A Little Prayer”
(from the episode Showmance)
Back to back Quinn songs! This one was just all over the place for me. Quinn is trying to audition with a wholesome song to get into Glee Club in order to take back her man and help Sue bring down the team along the way. It would be a genius cover with the background vocals alone. The big booming gospel voices coming from Santana & Brittany is what gives it potential to be one of the more memorable covers, but sadly Quinn’s whisper voice and awkward high notes get in the way.
6.) “Good Vibrations”
(from the episode Funk)
Not even Mercedes could save this one, and we know she certainly does her best. This is the second most awkward and pointless episode of the season that showed us all that the theme episodes were going a little too far, and getting old quick! The rapping on the show worked in the beginning with “Gold Digger” and “Push It”, but it got old as soon as soon as “Bust a Move” came along. This was just an awkward moment, especially with Finn and all his awkward dancing adding fuel to the fire.
5.) “Ice Ice Baby”
(from the episode Bad Reputation)
Here comes the end of Mr. Schuster’s rapping reign…AT LAST! What started out as cute and interesting turned into a big annoyance by the second rap song he was in. This was another great chance to showcase his insane dance moves, but it couldn’t save the cheesiness of him rapping (to Vanilla Ice of all people)!
4.) “Loser”
(from the episode Funk)
All I’ll say is this: why? What was the point? Beck is really considered a funk artist? End of story.
3.) “Smile [Lily Allen Cover]”
(from the episode Mattress)
This is a great example of trying to fix something that wasn’t broken in the first place. Lily Allen’s signature voice (with the accent and all) is what makes it a great song to begin with. What made it awful was giving it to Rachel, attempting to use some kind of accent. Not to mention that the song is about a cruel girl smiling at her ex’s misfortune, but in the episode wasn’t she trying to teach a lesson about smiling for the cameras? Just because it’s called “Smile” doesn’t mean it works that way.
2.) “Thong Song”
(from the episode Mash Up)
Coach Tenaka was always ridiculous, but really? He wants his first dance at his wedding to be the “Thong Song”? And then to add insult to injury, you put Emma in the biggest poof of a dress, plus just mixing in Will and his corny rapping again, it had all the makings of the worst moment in Glee’s first season, until…
1.) “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”
(from the episode Funk)
…along comes Quinn again, pregnant and all, trying to bring her A-game. Unfortunately, this brings more Z's than A's if ya know what I'm sayin'! I get what they were trying to do with the pregnant choreography. I felt like I needed to start taking lamas classes just to get through this one. And if you thought Quinn’s voice wasn’t good before, just wait until those really piercing moments when she tries to pull a Christina/Mariah moment and ends up sounding like Roseanne Barr singing the National Anthem. Luckily they cut back on giving her solos in the second season.
