Music Review: Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this CD is one of Glee's most appropriate musical releases for younger audiences. While the cast still slips in an eyebrow-raising line here and there, the majority of these songs are Christmas classics with very clean lyrics. The flirtatious "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is sung by two gay male characters. Parents who prefer that their children avoid holiday songs with religious overtones should be aware that this album includes a few.
- Families can talk about how it sounds when contemporary artists cover classic holiday tunes. Does it work when contemporary kids do more modern covers of older songs like "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Merry Christmas, Darling"? Why or why not?
- What's your favorite classic holiday song that's been covered by a contemporary artist? Why?
- How does this album compare to others featuring the Glee cast? Do you think it's aiming for the same audience?
GLEE: THE MUSIC, THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM is a collection of holiday songs from the second season of Glee -- the musical show that's taken TV by storm. The record includes 12 tracks that run the gamut from uber-traditional ("Jingle Bells," "O Christmas Tree") to newer classics ("Last Christmas," "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"). While many of the previous albums connected to the show have included more mature songs, the choices in this collection are pretty clean overall, making it an acceptable listen for younger ears. Note: Some of the songs have religious themes.
The Glee cast once again puts their best vocal feet forward on this album, with mostly positive results. While a couple of their covers, like "Jingle Bells" and "Merry Christmas, Darling" are a bit on the annoyingly cheesy side, there are lots of highlights: "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" has a hauntingly beautiful quality in its modern arrangement, "Angels We Have Heard on High" packs a powerful contemporary punch, and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" -- with a special guest appearance by country singer k.d. lang -- is right in step with the show's quirky characters.
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