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Glee takes on 'The Power of Madonna' [REVIEW]

Antoine D. Reid | Durham, NC United States | 04/20/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a bit surprising that our biggest release from Madonna this year besides The Sticky & Sweet Tour CD/DVD comes in the form of a tribute album from the cast of Glee. 'The Power of Madonna' features 7 songs that have been given the 'Glee' treatment. For the most part, the songs arrangements are very close to the original. The episode that features all of these songs centers around Mr. Schuester and coach Sue Sylvester trying to empower the females in the glee club and cheerleading squad by using Madonna's songs. Schuester also tries to teach the guys to respect and honor the girls in the glee club more. It seems only natural that to teach these lessons, Schuester and Sylvester would turn to Madonna's songs. The 7 tracks are mostly from the 1980s era of Madonna's career which means the album really feels peppy, upbeat and pure dance.



The Good: The best part of the album at times is how the 'Glee' versions of these songs stick very close to the originals. At times, it sounds somewhat karaoke only because the arrangements don't stray much from how we're used to hearing the songs. To me, while the 'Glee' versions of the songs plays it safe, it also does well in respecting and showing off the best of these iconic songs. I felt 'Vogue' worked best with Jane Lynch sounding very much like Madonna while tossing in a few Sue Sylvester quips to tie the song into "Glee". There were a few songs that were turned into duets, including the mash-up of "Open Your Heart / Borderline" and "Like A Virgin". The best track of them all is "Like A Prayer" in my opinion because it has a big choir accompaniment, the singing is ridiculously good and like the original, it's performed with great depth and conviction. It's been on constant repeat for me since getting the album.



The Bad: Certain songs just didn't work as well for me. '4 Minutes' felt out of place among the other songs, as if it were chosen just to give people a modern Madonna song they'd know. It's a duet between Kurt and Mercedes and to me, based on the few episodes we've been treated to where Chris Colfer (Kurt) sings, it really sounds nothing like Kurt and makes me wonder how much of the vocals were or have been auto-tuned. That thought or concern usually doesn't come up with me in regards to 'Glee'. Also, I felt "Express Yourself" felt a bit flat and really karaoke. As with a lot of 'Glee' songs, the actually performance on the episode may prove better than the stand-alone track. I was excited to see "What It Feels Like for a Girl" included since it's one of those songs from Madonna that hardly gets mentioned. Again I felt the performance within the show may prove better than the stand-alone track which is performed by the guys and meant to be sentimental and reach out to the females in the choir to let them know the guys are sensitive and aware of their issues and feelings. It just didn't work for me.



Overall, 'The Power of Madonna' is a good selection of songs and I look forward to seeing how many of the songs fit into or are performed in the actual show. I kind of felt the overall album is 3.5 stars just because I was split down the middle when it comes to how I felt about the music and vocals. There are some things that don't figure into my review, such as being somewhat let down that the producers had free-range to choose from all of Madonna's songs and catalog but they ended up choosing her biggest old hits. I would really have been interested in seeing some of Madonna's lesser known tracks woven in rather than "4 Minutes" or "Express Yourself" or even a few more songs from the 1990s and late 2000s when Madonna mixed it up a bit and started experimenting with new styles within the dance genre. That's just me and my opinions though and it didn't influence how I came down on the songs that were chosen and performed. Definitely a fun album and I'm glad someone is finally honoring Madonna with a tribute to her musical contributions while she's still alive and kicking.



Listen to These: "Like A Prayer", "Open Your Heart / Borderline", "Vogue""

Maybe I'm rather biased....

Reginald D. Garrard | Camilla, GA USA | 04/23/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"but this collection features four of my favorite Madonna songs: "Express Yourself," "Like a Prayer," "Borderline," and "Vogue". That said, the versions stick close to the originals with only "What it Feels Like a Woman" being arranged differently with a slower tempo.



The cast does exceptionally well, adding their own touch to the familiar. Jane Lynch is especially effective on the cover of "Vogue" and one appreciates her more after having viewed the video version, found on YouTube before it aired on the Fox Network.



As a whole, the download is enough of a satisfying "appetizer" for a possible full "main course" of "revisits" to the music of Miss Ciccone."

Wonderful Souvenir of Glee Episode

Richard E. Berger | West Babylon, NY | 04/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The performers of Glee are second to none. They shine, week after week with excellent vocals, choreography and loads of charm. The latest one, The Power of Madonna realy shines. Creator Ryan Murphy has set it up well having Sue force the principal to play Madge's songs throughout the school all day which helps to make the breaking out in Madonna songs more believable. This CD contains all the performances from that episode and is SO good I long for more when its over. If you missed the episode or can't be near a video screen, this should satisfy. This cast could record an hour long Madonna tribute CD and never be boring or corny. Lea Michele is my favorite due to her wide range which helps to sell all her solos. She shines brightest on Like a Prayer. Chris Colfer usually seems to sing only high soprano but on 4 Minutes we get to hear his wider range. And he sings as strong as belter Amber Riley. As funny as Jane Lynch was in the recreation of the Vogue music video, her vocals are definitely good enough to warrant a listen. She holds her own alongside the New Directions cast. Also love hearing Matthew Morrison and Jayma Mays on Like a Virgin. Though he's the stronger vocal they work as well vocally as they do at acting together. Cory Monteith gets better and better but Jonathan Groff makes a welcome addition to the cast. Now there's a male lead as vocally strong as Lea. Could add more variety for those tired of Lea always singing lead....



In short if you love the previous Glee soundtracks, you'll love this one. Now hopefully Ryan Murphy will wait for at least an hours worth of material before releasing the next."