Ceeg February 24, 2015 Share February 24, 2015 Feel sorry for the Kurt fans. He's supposed to be a lead and we're not likely to get a single solo from him this season. I don't really think Kurt has been a lead since season 2, tbh. Maaaybe season 3, but even then I'm not sure. Link to comment
Pink ranger February 24, 2015 Share February 24, 2015 I am annoyed by how much the Warblers and especially VA have sung this year. They have had more songs than many of the long term characters and that's ridiculous for fringe groups. I would have much preferred that songs went to the characters that we know. 3 Link to comment
indeed February 24, 2015 Share February 24, 2015 (edited) Obviously, if the season is going to involve competitions, there will be singing by other groups. But they haven't even really competed yet and the other choirs have had plenty of songs. And we're only going to get more. Final season should've had more established cast singing. But apparently that wasn't on fans' wish lists... Edited February 24, 2015 by indeed Link to comment
jaytee1812 February 24, 2015 Share February 24, 2015 Seriously if I had a wish list for this season it would've been a solo for every single member of New Directions, ever, and Will. That's it. I mean some I'd never listen to because the actor can't sing but just on principle. (And by everyone I mean all 28 plus Will) But for the love of God it would never have involved listen to that cretin from The Wanted. I mean who said 'for the last season, I know what we need the lead singer of a mediocre British boy band'? 1 Link to comment
Pink ranger February 24, 2015 Share February 24, 2015 An epic powerhouse solo by season 1 Matt would have been amazing. 1 Link to comment
caracas1914 February 24, 2015 Author Share February 24, 2015 I agree Kurt hasn't been a true lead character since Season 2. I dunno the acclaim and Emmy/Golden Globe buzz may have worked against him. Link to comment
Glorfindel February 24, 2015 Share February 24, 2015 Jane is singing on the song. She starts it off. I can't tell who the other male voice is besides Roderick though, is it Spencer? Yes, it's Spencer. I like the voices of the newbies (with Spencer definitely being the weakest link), so I'm enjoying their songs and the focus they get in the episodes. But did we really need to spend the last season on new ND kids and 2 rival choirs? When in the mean time some of the old characters get practically nothing to sing, not even when they are returning as a guest star for an episode or two? Let alone the lack of song focus for regulars Kurt and Will, who've been there from the start. 2 Link to comment
jaytee1812 February 24, 2015 Share February 24, 2015 I like the voices of the newbies (with Spencer definitely being the weakest link), so I'm enjoying their songs and the focus they get in the episodes. But did we really need to spend the last season on new ND kids and 2 rival choirs? But the newbies aren't getting focus, it's just the boys. Link to comment
Glorfindel February 25, 2015 Share February 25, 2015 ^It's still the same thing: focus on newbies in storylines we don't want in a final season, as they are rehashes of show choir competitions we had a zillion times before. Link to comment
allonsyalice February 27, 2015 Share February 27, 2015 Still puzzled as to why they didn't just give Uptown Funk to Jane. like seriously. Those guys (not sure who they are) need to go. Link to comment
jaytee1812 March 3, 2015 Share March 3, 2015 Wow. I usually spend a fortune on the music from Glee. And it always dominates my music, I've got 5 songs I listen to from this season: So Far Away Tightrope Rather Be I Know Where I've Been Problem (but that's for the comedy) That's it! Link to comment
jaytee1812 March 9, 2015 Share March 9, 2015 Top Ten Inappropriate/Out of Context Songs Blurred Lines Really needs no explanation, but it's made worse by being lead by Will and having both Jake and Artie sing parts to their respective girlfriends. 2. Poker Face During one of the discussions on this I looked up what this song was about. It page on Wikipedia actually says it's about cock teasing! So perfect for that mother/daughter duet! 3. Lose My Breath Really, who thought 'I know, let's have a straight 13 year old boy sing about women demanding men are good in bed'? Not creepy at all. 4. No Scrubs Always thought this was weird. If girls didn't date scrubs none of those guys would ever get a date. 5. Free Your Mind/Stop In The Name of Love. Stop was fine. But Free Your Mind is about the stereotypes black women face. Using it so mostly white guys can show just how awesome they are was awful. 6. I Kissed a Girl Really? A song about experimenting with girls, mostly for the male gaze is appropriate for a lesbian coming out? Also the other half of the duet is sung by a straight girl who is way too straight laced to ever kiss a girl. 7. Sweet Transvestite Sung by a girl in women's clothing. Whatever the point was they missed it entirely. 8. Never Can Say Goodbye Could be sung appropriately by many members of New Directions, Quinn Fabray is not one of them! She got out quickest and goes back least. 9. At Last For the wedding of people barely out of their teens? Really? 10. Loser Like Me (Season 5 version) How to console our friend who worried about her future, when we all have ours planned out? Ah let's patronise and condescend to her. Also this isn't helped by Sam looking at Tina as he sings "I know one day you'll be screaming my name" Did I miss any? 1 Link to comment
Craphole Island March 9, 2015 Share March 9, 2015 Ben always jumps out at me because it's about a rat... I love the Free Your Mind mashup but never really stopped to think about what they were singing. I just took it as let's sing songs by girl groups but heh yeah that is kind of an odd choice. I didn't think the Loser Like Me was that inappropriate but maybe because I thought they all sounded great. I think Poker Face told it but I still love it. Don't even get me started on Lose My Breath... Link to comment
phoenixrising March 9, 2015 Share March 9, 2015 Everything about IKAG pisses me off. Not only is it about drunk straight girl experimentation, it was a pezberry duet. Why should Rachel be singing on it? Also, they threw in a Faberry moment, and while I'm not anti-Faberry, Glee teasing those fans while an actual lesbian is having her supposed empowerment moment was so shitty. Add the guys looking like they all had boners, when the problem with lesbians being sexualized for the pleasure of straight dudes is something Santana will face for a long time, and she should've demanded to be treated like an actual person who isn't there to get these straight guys off...ugh. But her even doing the song to begin with was crap. It was so demeaning to all the actual queer women watching this show and to who were impacted by Santana's story. 5 Link to comment
Ceeg March 9, 2015 Share March 9, 2015 Over the years, I've gotten kind of blah about things that happen/have happened on Glee. Nothing really angers me or upsets me anymore, because it's all so ridiculous. I just roll my eyes when I think about "angry lesbian bloggers" and Ryan's hateboner for Brittana shippers, and I roll my eyes when Klaine get married in the same episode they get back together again in, and I roll my eyes when Rachel gets back into NYADA and Tina asks Mike to marry her, because well, it's Glee, and most of the crap they do amuses me because I wonder how this show is even still on the air. But when I'm 80 years old, and think about Glee, I will STILL be ragey about the travesty that was the entire episode of I Kissed a Girl. 9 Link to comment
Ceeg March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 I had my iPod on shuffle earlier, and a Glee group number came on, and it kind of struck me how strange I find it that all the ladies have very distinct, arguably polished voices, and only a few of the guys do. Chris and Kevin's voices are very distinct, but other than those two, the other guys are interchangeable and blend together IMO. Chord, Darren, Cory, and Mark all have the same kind of tone and sound, with a limited ability to sing vibrato. And yet, Lea, Naya, Amber, and Jenna are all great singers with their own sound. Even Dianna, who is one of the weakest in terms of quality, still manages to have her own sound. I don't think I would ever get her voice confused with another girl's. I'm purposely leaving off Harry and Heather, because they were each cast for their dancing abilities. I don't quite understand it either, because male vocalists shouldn't be more difficult to find than female vocalists. It makes me wonder how different TPTB's thought processes are when casting men vs. women. (Disclaimer: I'm only talking about the "kids" seasons 1-3.) Link to comment
caracas1914 March 15, 2015 Author Share March 15, 2015 (edited) What does it say that some of the more "dedicated" stanners of Chord and Darren even now have a hard time distinguishing their voices in songs without a scorecard. Even one of the recent Warbler/ND songs some swore Darren was singing on it until the actual roster came out. Edited March 15, 2015 by caracas1914 1 Link to comment
ancslove March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 I kind of feel like that, in general. Out of the mainstream pop scene right now, I can absolutely identify the top female artists every time they have a new song out. Male artists/group frontmen are often harder for me to differentiate, unless there is something notably off about their voices. I have no idea why this is, but I find the same thing happening with Glee. Out of the Glee girls, I can easily pick out Lea, Naya, Amber, and Dianna. Jenna is harder for me, unless she's singing in her more childish voice. Out of the boys, yep, Chris and Kevin are the only ones I can tell. I'm still not sure who exactly sings what in Man in the Mirror. Chord's earlier singing was more distinctive to me, but he's filed off some of that identifiable whine he had in Marry Me, Don't Stop Believing (the X Factor version), and the Justin Bieber songs. As for the newer kids, Marley was identifiable only because she had the bulk of the female singing in NND songs. Kitty can have a nasal whine similar to early Chord, although not in Cool Kids. Jane, I think, has a lower voice than any of the other girls, and they've used her well in group songs where she's been featured. Madison is nice, but probably the blandest of the girls. And Jake, Ryder, Spencer and Mason join Darren, Chord, Mark, and Cory in the "boys who sound nice but I can't identify" group. Link to comment
camussie March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 (edited) The only person I ever mixed Cory up with was Mark and that was only a few times (Glory Days being one). Other than that I could always tells his voice. As far as the casting process, we know a little about it for Finn. They wanted someone who was physically believable as the quarterback (which is why Darren didn't make it very far in the casting process). He had to be able to sing (although not necessarily trained) but more than that he had to be charismatic enough that he was believable as both the quarterback and ND lead. I personally think they got it right because I can't see anyone else but Cory playing Finn. We also know that, other than Dianna, he was the last person cast. Edited March 15, 2015 by camussie Link to comment
SNeaker March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 Hmm. I very rarely had a problem telling apart the male voices (not counting newbies, don't really know them.) Very very occasionally I'll have a hard time telling if something is Mark or Chord only because they can sound similar when they go high, but if I listen closely enough I can tell it's Chord when there's a nasally whine to it that Mark doesn't really have. I don't think I can remember having a hard time recognizing any of the rest of them. I can easily tell you which voices are singing what lines on "Friday" or "Man in the Mirror." That said, yes, their voices are all pretty similar. They never got a guy with a growly rock voice or a really deep baritone or anything like that. Link to comment
caracas1914 March 15, 2015 Author Share March 15, 2015 (edited) Well Cory , for better or for worse, had a distinct voice and singing style. Just like Dianna. Take something like " We are Young" there is no way I would confuse Cory's lead vocals with anyone else. Mark Salling it depends on the song. But yeah, " Man in the Mirror" is the perfect example of a number where it's hard to tell a lot of the make voices without a written list on a first " listen" for me. Edited March 15, 2015 by caracas1914 Link to comment
Ceeg March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 Conversely, take a song like Shake it Out, and I can distinctly tell Naya from Amber from Jenna, and I can even hear who is singing high, low, and melody when they're all three singing at the same time. I think it takes a certain skill level to be able to both blend really well while also maintaining your vocal individuality. Link to comment
fakeempress March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 (edited) As far as the casting process, we know a little about it for Finn. They wanted someone who was physically believable as the quarterback (which is why Darren didn't make it very far in the casting process). I don't get what was Darren thinking trying to audition for a football player. I know people audition for anything at least to try get themselves noticed, but this was quite an unrealistic overshooting choice. Edited March 15, 2015 by fakeempress Link to comment
jaytee1812 March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 That said, yes, their voices are all pretty similar. They never got a guy with a growly rock voice or a really deep baritone or anything like that. But they have they guy who sounds like Otis Redding!! ... Sorry, couldn't resist! I agree about the guys being easily confused. I wouldn't say Kevin is that distinct though. I get him, Chord and Darren mixed up quite a bit. The male twin and footballer this season I often get confused for Chord and Darren. I'm not sure about Jacob and Blake mostly because when I listen to them I know I'm listening to them, as in they're the reason most of the season 4/5 songs are there. And they're not in that many group numbers to mix them up with the others. I have a weird one for mixing up voices. I heard Singing In The Rain/Umbrella months before I saw the episode it was in and up until I saw the episode I had no idea about Paltrow's casting. So between listening to the song and seeing the episode I would've sworn blind that was Chris Colfer singing. Link to comment
camussie March 15, 2015 Share March 15, 2015 Answering about Darren in the fandom thread. Link to comment
camussie March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 (edited) Popular from "2009" is out. I have to say I am pretty disappointed. I thought this would be fantastic and it really isn't. As I am not usually a fan, surprisingly, I like Chris in it a lot but, unfortunately, instead of putting her own stamp on it Lea is channeling Kristin Chenoweth and not doing a very good job of it. Too bad she sings most of it because going by Chris' small part I think I would have enjoyed this as a Kurt solo a lot more. Edited March 16, 2015 by camussie 1 Link to comment
tom87 March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 It was leaked weeks ago and I think they are both good. Rachel playing the part is her mo from day one. Link to comment
camussie March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 (edited) But she isn't playing Glinda. She is imitating Chenoweth playing Glinda. Those are two different things. I have said before that is one of my issues with the show touting Rachel as the greatest talent to ever talent. There has been many a time that the production of songs are straight up imitations which undermines the idea that Rachel is a unique awesome talent that blows people away. They did the same thing with "Let it Go" earlier this year. That was a straight up imitation of Idina singing the song not Lea's/Rachel's own take on it. To be fair the blame for most of that lies with the songs' production. Edited March 16, 2015 by camussie Link to comment
camussie March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 (edited) This time Lea sounds great (especially earlier in the song when she isn't belting it) and the lyrics are beautiful but it is over-produced. They needed to dial back the instruments some, especially the drums. If they had done that along with toning down the belting later in the song I think it would have been fantastic. Still Darren should be commended for the lyrics. They are beautiful and really capture the moment. I just wish the producers had let Lea's incredible voice shine a light on them instead of filling up the arrangement with so much instrumentation and belting (so she could be heard over the instrumentation), especially later in the song. Edited March 16, 2015 by camussie Link to comment
dizzyizzy01 March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I mean they get an hour to record a song sometimes, but they have certainly gotten lazy over production over the years. Link to comment
tom87 March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 But she isn't playing Glinda. She is imitating Chenoweth playing Glinda. Those are two different things. I have said before that is one of my issues with the show touting Rachel as the greatest talent to ever talent. There has been many a time that the production of songs are straight up imitations which undermines this idea that Rachel is a unique awesome talent that she blows people away. They did the same thing with "Let it Go" earlier this year. That was a straight up imitation of Idina singing the song not Lea's/Rachel's own take on it. To be fair I suspect the blame for most of that lies with the songs' production. Ok. But to me it works for this 14 year who admires the artist and the musical. I think it is often a matter of time but in some cases it works for the character like this time. Link to comment
Snow Apple March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I use to like Lea's voice, but now I'm really tired of it. It's just so much same-ness, and too much breathing. A shame This Time isn't sung by another character or a group song (perhaps for all the originals). But the spotlight off of Lea? Never! Link to comment
SevenStars March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I don't hate "This Time" but I don't love it either. I think since it was Rachel/Lea's last solo, I wanted it to be more. It is underwhelming. I feel the same way about all the songs in this episode, even Amber/Mercedes' solo. But I guess the season is ending the way it started and continued, lackluster, like the writers are more than ready to end the show and are eager to say good-bye to it. Like they don't really care anymore, despite the fact it's their last season. Link to comment
Ceeg March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I haven't listened to This Time, but the Glee music production people have been phoning it in for a long long time. I can't even remember the last time that they did an interesting, different arrangement on something. Season 4 maybe. 1 Link to comment
camussie March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I agree with that. They are doing straight up imitations for the most part and doubling down on the instruments to try and cover that up. The end result is usually an over-produced derivative mess. 1 Link to comment
Ann Mack March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 (edited) Oh my just listened to "This Time" and while I think Darren did an incredible job with the lyrics I felt it was sung without much emotions. Lea sang this like she has every other song and I got nothing from it. I'm sure there will be a bunch of face scrunching, crying and hand waving per usual when Lea wants you to feel something she is singing. But here's the thing for me if she actually put some real EMOTIONS into her songs she wouldn't have to use gimmicks to convey it. Overall most of the finale songs are NOT what I would think the show would want as their finale curtain calls but it is what it is now! P.S I'm fairly sure Glee will try to pull out every heart wrenching flashback scene they can while she sings. If they don't I will truly be surprised. Edited March 16, 2015 by Ann Mack 4 Link to comment
caracas1914 March 16, 2015 Author Share March 16, 2015 (edited) Personally, the Beatles "In my life" (yes, they've done it already) with a simple arrangement would have had a lot of emotional impact as Lea's last solo. A bombastic female empowerment song is just going to the well once too often. The song and lyrics aren't bad, but it doesn't pack the emotional punch it should have, oh well. Too late now. Edited March 16, 2015 by caracas1914 Link to comment
tom87 March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I love the night and day of comments depending on where you look in this fandom. 1 Link to comment
Hana Chan March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 This Time wasn't unbearably awful (and the lyrics are much better than the last song Darren penned for Glee so kudos for him). The performance though is typical Lea and rather boring. Agree that it's badly overproduced, which doesn't help, and Darren's rather good introspective lyrics got swallowed up by a bombastic arrangement and Lea's caterwauling. For a last solo, it's a letdown (and I'm not blaming Darren for that - wow... can't believe I just said that). 1 Link to comment
caracas1914 March 16, 2015 Author Share March 16, 2015 So what did you think TOM? The arrangement should have been simpler for this solo. Link to comment
tom87 March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 So what did you think TOM? Haven't listened to any of the songs, I am trying to wait until the show. But I have little will power so we will see. :) Link to comment
camussie March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 (edited) Hana Chan, I agree about the production. I edited my initial post to put in this observation - I just wish the producers had let Lea's incredible voice shine a light on those beautiful lyrics instead of filling up the arrangement with so much instrumentation and belting (so Lea could be heard over the instrumentation), especially later in the song. I wouldn't call Lea's vocals caterwauling as much as a necessity so she could be heard over the bombastic arrangement Edited March 16, 2015 by camussie Link to comment
Hana Chan March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 Lea's solos have in the last few seasons become belting festivals. To the point where it's not pleasant and it's certainly not interesting. It's great that Lea can belt as strongly as she does (because that can add a lot of interest to a song when used properly). The problem that it gets over-utilized. I'm nor sure if the arrangements are amped up to match her singing or vice versa, but it's gotten very boring to sit through repeated performances when I feel like I'm being yelled at through the TV. Which is a shame because some of my favorite Lea songs were her quieter, more dialed back performances. This is just a display of power. Link to comment
Hana Chan March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 Will wonders never cease... a Klaine duet that I don't automatically hate. Daydream Believer is actually one of the better duets between them in a few seasons. The distribution is balanced (so we don't feel like it's a solo with a second voice shoehorned in to make it a technical "duet"). The song didn't strain Darren's voice so he sounded quite good and Chris has really been excelling in pop numbers. The harmonizing was really very nice (using Chris's higher range but not shoving him into air raid siren territory) and I ended up really enjoying it. 1 Link to comment
camussie March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 (edited) Here is daydream believer I like it a lot as well. They both sound great and yay for a song that isn't horribly over-produced! Edited March 16, 2015 by camussie Link to comment
Ann Mack March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 (edited) I like "Daydream Believer" I think its one of the better duets these 2 have had. I like "Someday We'll Be Together" the arrangement is more upbeat not complaining because Amber is one of the few on the show were they can actually change an arrangement without losing the context of the original version. "This Time" love the lyrics but I really hope they don't let her sing the whole 5 minutes of this song cause honestly in my opinion that would be serious boring overkill! So I guess now we wait for Matt's song and I wonder if they are going to release the group song or save that for the finale. They don't have too much left to surprise anyone with any more IMO (well at least not song wise)! Edited March 16, 2015 by Ann Mack Link to comment
Sara2009 March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I like "Daydream Believer" I think its one of the better duets these 2 have had. I like "Someday We'll Be Together" the arrangement is more upbeat not complaining because Amber is one of the few on the show were they can actually change an arrangement without losing the context of the original version. "This Time" love the lyrics but I really hope they don't let her sing the whole 5 minutes of this song cause honestly in my opinion that would be serious boring overkill! So I guess now we wait for Matt's song and I wonder if they are going to release the group song or save that for the finale. They don't have too much left to surprise anyone with any more IMO (well at least not song wise)! We also have Matt and Jane on " The Winner Takes It All." Link to comment
jaytee1812 March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 I like Daydream Believer but I can't take it seriously as a song since I'm so used to hearing it as a football chant. Someday We'll Be Together is lovely. I really hope she's not singing to Sam though. This song always reminds me of Motown's 25th Anniversary Concert. Apparently Diana Ross and Mary Wilson nearly came to blows onstage during this song. I like This Time. But for the last episode is meh, actually they all kind of are. Their best is behind all of them on this show. We also have Matt and Jane on " The Winner Takes It All." All the autotune on earth couldn't make that good. Link to comment
Ann Mack March 16, 2015 Share March 16, 2015 We also have Matt and Jane on " The Winner Takes It All." Completely forgot about that song. There is going to be a lot of singing crammed in. I just hope they don't rush the story lines too much. Because so much of the focus has been on Rachel this season. I hope the others get more than 3 or 4 minutes each! Still trying to figure out why Kitty is standing with the graduates/OGCM and not with the rest of the Glee Club members hmmm? Link to comment
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