Rocketdog2000

I read Francis Rizzo III's DVD review of Glee, Vol. One: Road to Sectionals at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=40083 and...

Great review, although I will disagree on one aspect...

That said, not everything is top-shelf, and it seems like when it doesn't work, it really stands out negatively, like almost any venture into the world of hip-hop and several of the rather forced mash-ups.

..I'd have to say the hip-hop numbers, and particularly the mash-ups, are some of the best musical material the cast has done.

The only other thing I'd add is about the show's wicked sense of humor. One of the things I've enjoyed are the little blink and you may miss them jokes, or the recurring ones that pay off dividends on repeated viewing of the show. I don't want to list them and spoil them for anyone who hasn't yet seen the show - but you will definitely pick up on them if you watch the episodes more than once.

FrancisRizzo3

I guess it depends on the definition of hip-hop. For me that includes Bust-A-Move, Push It, Ride wit Me and Thong Song, which are all iffy at best, with Ride wit Me being terrible.

From the mash-ups, there are very good ones, like Halo/Walking on Sunshine and It's My Life/Confessions, but Don't Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl doesn't flow the way a good mash-up should (each song basically stands on its own, as if in a medley) and Hair/Crazy in Love is like hearing two songs from different groups smashing into each other, with no integration.

Rocketdog2000

Well, I guess we'll just have to disagree, because in most cases, I feel exactly the opposite. With the hip-hop stuff, I'm not saying they're the best versions of the songs out there, but in the context of what they are, they work for me. Many times, I've actually preferred the Glee cast versions of songs on the show to the original artist versions. And personally, I wish they had done a complete version of "Ride With Me", as I enjoyed theirs so much. But to each their own.

I will agree a bit on the "Don't Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl" mash-up. However, if you take issue with that, you might as well take issue with the fact they changed the lyrics and perspective view of "Young Girl" to suit their needs, too. But since it works, regardless, I don't have a problem with it.

The only other thing I meant to point out regarding the music - if there is a downside to it at all, it's that with the actors who may not be great singers, it's all too apparent when they have been auto-tuned. It's very noticeable.

FrancisRizzo3

And it just kept getting worse. Especially with Finn.