God help me for loving this version of the song.
I missed the whole High School Musical craze, so the concept of TV cast songs totally went over my head (I despise “We’re All In This Together, by the way). That had me expecting to hate the cast of Glee’s take on the 80’s rock classic by Journey, which is oft in iTunes Top 100.
What I came to realize is, by the time the song hit the first big guitar riff, I had listened to the song on repeat five times already.
The song itself is perfect, a fact many won’t try to refute. The magic in this interpretation lies within the arrangement and the vocalists. Having the singers replace the piano with “dum-dum-dum”s throughout the entire song is cute, infectious, and all-around brilliant. It also adds to the song’s famous build-up, providing a continuing dose of energy that explodes in the all-important climax.
Just like her character, Lea Michele’s voice is another source of the song’s youthful and joyful energy. Her Broadway experience works to her favor, giving her an exceptional range that sounds wonderful enough to put a smile on the grumpiest of faces. She clearly outmatches her partner, Cory Monteith (the singing jock), in the singing department, but that’s really an nonissue. The identities of the solo singers are ultimately forgotten as the excitement the song creates sweeps in.
What this song does, which songs from the HSM, Camp Rock, and Hannah Montana songbooks have failed to do, is that it doesn’t sound cliché. Sure, its a cover, but it sounds fresh and new and joyous, without being corny or embarrassing. That certainly helps build the hope for Glee, which continues in the fall.
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