Glee: The Music, Volume 2
Encyclopedia
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.
. "True Colors
" charted highest in all regions except America, reaching number 15 in Ireland, number 35 in the United Kingdom, number 38 in Canada, and number 47 in Australia. In America, the best-performing single was "Lean on Me
", which charted at number 50. 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, based on fan–demand and the popularity of karaoke tribute videos to the series.
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." While a full version of "Don't Make Me Over" is included on the album, only an instrumental version was used in the show.
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." 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." Overall, however, Leahey believed that returning fans would find the album enjoyable.
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." 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."
Source: allmusic.
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
by the cast of the American musical television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, featuring songs from episodes nine to thirteen of the show's first season
Glee (season 1)
The first season of the musical comedy-drama television series Glee originally aired on Fox in the United States. The pilot episode was broadcast as an advanced preview of the series on May 19, 2009, with the remainder of the season airing between September 9, 2009 and June 8, 2010...
. It was first released on December 4, 2009 in Australia by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. 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
Lea Michele
Lea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
, Amber Riley
Amber Riley
Amber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
, and Kevin McHale, but felt the album was weak in arrangements and similar to a collection of karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
tracks. All tracks were released as singles and performed on the series, with the exception of "Don't Make Me Over
Don't Make Me Over (song)
"Don't Make Me Over" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which marked the recording debut of Dionne Warwick in 1962.-Dionne Warwick version:...
"—only an instrumental version was used.
Production and songs
Each of songs included on the album were released as singles, available for downloadMusic download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. "True Colors
True Colors (song)
"True Colors" is a song written by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, additional lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. It was both the title track and the first single released from Cyndi Lauper's second album. It was the only original song on the album that Lauper did not help write...
" charted highest in all regions except America, reaching number 15 in Ireland, number 35 in the United Kingdom, number 38 in Canada, and number 47 in Australia. In America, the best-performing single was "Lean on Me
Lean on Me (song)
"Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...
", which charted at number 50. The only songs which failed to chart in any region were "(You're) Having My Baby
(You're) Having My Baby
" Having My Baby" is a song written and recorded by Canadian popular music singer Paul Anka. Recorded as a duet with female vocalist Odia Coates, the song became Anka's first No...
" and "Don't Make Me Over
Don't Make Me Over (song)
"Don't Make Me Over" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which marked the recording debut of Dionne Warwick in 1962.-Dionne Warwick version:...
". Karaoke versions of "Lean on Me", "My Life Would Suck Without You
My Life Would Suck Without You
"My Life Would Suck Without You" is a song performed by American pop rock singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson. It is the first single from her fourth studio album, All I Ever Wanted. Dr. Luke and Max Martin, writers of her hit "Since U Been Gone", co-produced and co-wrote the song. Claude Kelly also...
" and "True Colors" were also released, based on fan–demand and the popularity of karaoke tribute videos to the series.
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
was hesitant about allowing Glee the rights to "Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
". 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." While a full version of "Don't Make Me Over" is included on the album, only an instrumental version was used in the show.
Reception
The album has received mixed reviews from critics. Whitney Pastorek of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
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
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
's "Jump
Jump (Van Halen song)
"Jump" is a song by the American rock group Van Halen. It is the only single the group released in their career to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was released in 1984 as the second track on the album 1984...
" that made my cheeks sore from smiling—the title of this joyful franchise could not be more apt." 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." Overall, however, Leahey believed that returning fans would find the album enjoyable.
Christopher John Farley of The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the 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." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
'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."
Track listing
Personnel
- Dianna AgronDianna AgronDianna Agron is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Quinn Fabray on the television series Glee.-Early life:Dianna Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in San Antonio, Texas and San Francisco, California. She is the daughter of Mary and Ronald S. Agron, a general...
– vocals - Lily AllenLily AllenLily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
– composer - Adam AndersAdam AndersAdam Anders is a music producer who has sold more than 60 million albums and developed songs for motion pictures and television programs.Anders’ work has earned him Grammy Award nominations, a People’s Choice Award and two Golden Globe Awards...
– engineer, producer, vocals - Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
– composer - Peer ÅströmPeer ÅströmPeer Åström Peer Åström Peer Åström (born in Ljusdal, Sweden is a Swedish composer, lyricist, musician and record producer and partner with Anders Bagge. The two songwriters / producers are known as Bagge & Peer. They have together written and produced songs for Lara Fabian, Celine Dion, Madonna,...
– engineer, mixing, producer - Iyiola Babalola – composer
- David Baloche – vocals
- Dave Betts – art direction, design
- PJ Bloom – supervisor
- Geoff Bywater – executive in charge of music
- Charlie ChaplinCharlie ChaplinSir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
– composer - Kevin Clark – composer
- Chris ColferChris ColferChristopher Paul "Chris" Colfer is an American actor and singer known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television series Glee, for which he won a 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated twice for an Emmy...
– vocals - Kamari Copeland – vocals
- Hal DavidHal DavidHarold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
– composer - Tim Davis – vocals
- Dante Di LoretoDante Di LoretoDante Di Loreto is an American writer and producer, best known for executive producing the 20th Century Fox series Glee.-Career:Prior to joining Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk to create Glee, Di Loreto produced several shows for cable and broadcast television as well as a selection of films...
– executive producer - Tom Eyen – vocals
- Brad FalchukBrad FalchukBrad Falchuk is a television writer, director and producer. He is best known for his work on the television series Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story.-Early life:...
– executive producer - John FogertyJohn FogertyJohn Cameron Fogerty is an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for his time with the swamp rock/roots rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival and as a #1 solo recording artist. Fogerty has a rare distinction of being named on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest...
– composer - Jerry FullerJerry Fuller-Biography:Jerry Fuller was born in Fort Worth, Texas to a musical family, his father having been a singer with Bob Wills' Light Crust Doughboys. Jerry Fuller and his brother Bill performed as a duo in their home state, recording for the local Lin label, before Jerry branched out on his own and...
– composer - Emily Gomez – vocals
- Heather Guibert – coordination
- Nikki Hassman – vocals
- Chrissie HyndeChrissie HyndeChristine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
– composer - Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
– composer - Jeannette Kaczorowski – cover design
- Jenny Karr – vocals
- Tom KellyTom Kelly (musician)Thomas F. Kelly is an American musician, best known for his songwriting partnership with Billy Steinberg. Steinberg and Kelly co-wrote numerous hit songs for popular music artists, including five number-one singles on the Billboard Top 100 chart in the 1980s....
– composer - Robin Koehler – coordination
- Henry KriegerHenry KriegerHenry Krieger is an American composer.Krieger wrote the music for the Broadway shows Dreamgirls , The Tap Dance Kid , and Side Show , as well as other works of musical theatre.He was nominated for the Tony Awards for Best Score for both Dreamgirls and Side Show, won a Grammy...
– composer - Kerri Larson – vocals
- John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
– composer - David Loucks – vocals
- Meaghan Lyons – coordination
- Chris Mann – vocals
- Max MartinMax MartinMartin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
– composer - Maria Paula Marulanda – art direction, design
- Jayma MaysJayma MaysJayma Suzette Mays is an American television and film actress, and singer. Mays' most prominent roles include that of Emma Pillsbury on the American television series Glee, recurring appearances on Ugly Betty and on Heroes as characters named Charlie.- Life and career :Mays was born Jamia Suzette...
– vocals - Kevin McHale – vocals
- Lea MicheleLea MicheleLea Michele Sarfati , known professionally as Lea Michele, is an American actress and singer. Michele began working professionally as a child actress on Broadway in productions such as Ragtime and Les Misérables. She originated the role of Wendla in the musical Spring Awakening and currently plays...
– vocals - Cory MonteithCory MonteithCory Allan Monteith is a Canadian actor and musician, best known for his role of Finn Hudson on the Fox television series Glee.-Early life:...
– vocals - Matthew MorrisonMatthew MorrisonMatthew James "Matt" Morrison is an American actor, director, musician, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for starring in multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including his portrayal of Link Larkin in Hairspray on Broadway, and most notably for his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated...
– vocals - Mark MuellerMark MuellerMark Mueller is an American songwriter whose career spans pop music, television, film and stage. A two-time winner of the ASCAP Pop Award for writing one of the Most Performed Songs of the year, he’s had three Billboard Top Ten singles and one #1 Adult Contemporary hit...
– composer - Ryan Murphy – producer
- Tiffany Palmer – vocals
- Geoffrey Parsons – composer
- Ryan Peterson – engineer
- Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
– composer - Lionel RichieLionel RichieLionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
– composer - Amber RileyAmber RileyAmber Patrice Riley is an American actress and singer best known for her role on the series Glee as Mercedes Jones.-Early life and career:...
– vocals - Mark Salling – vocals
- Sting – composer
- Jule StyneJule StyneJule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
– composer - Louie Teran – mastering
- Jenna Ushkowitz – vocals
- Alex Van HalenAlex Van HalenAlexander Arthur "Alex" Van Halen is a Dutch-born American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. Originally, his brother Eddie had taken lessons for drums, while Alex practiced guitar...
– composer - Eddie Van HalenEddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
– composer - Windy Wagner – vocals
- Bill WithersBill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
– composer
Source: allmusic.
Weekly charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 8 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
5 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
3 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Soundtracks |
1 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
44 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 16 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
1 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 39 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
77 |
| French Albums Chart | 74 |
| Italian Compilations Chart | 20 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 71 |
| Chart (2010) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 41 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
29 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 29 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
26 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Soundtracks |
3 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum |
| Ireland Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
2x Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold |
Release history
| Region | Release date |
|---|---|
| Australia | December 4, 2009 |
| Canada | December 8, 2009 |
| United States | |
| Japan | December 15, 2009 |
| New Zealand | January 11, 2010 |
| Mexico | March 2010 |
| Ireland | March 12, 2010 |
| United Kingdom | March 15, 2010 |
| Taiwan | April 20, 2010 |
| Italy | January 26, 2011 |