Music Review: High School Musical Soundtrack

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Fun teen pop
Cons: Teen pop
The Bottom Line:
Music made movie
CD will keep fans happy
Between film viewings




Wonderful for Those Times You Can't Watch the Movie

It started as a Disney Channel Original Movie. However, High School Musical was an instant hit and has become a phenomenon.

I finally gave in a couple weeks ago and watched the movie. I immediately discovered what all the hype is about. It may be cheesy, but it is lots of fun. I just had to get this soundtrack CD.

This is not a musical in the traditional Broadway sense of the term. Since this was made by Disney, it is teen pop, something that has worked well for the company for several years now. This will limit the appeal to adults, but it explains the love of teens.

Personally, I find it highly addictive and a little embarrassing. I find myself with these songs stuck in my head when I'm not listening to it. When I am listening, I can't help but tap and groove to the beat, which can be just as embarrassing.

While the majority of the songs are teen pop, they do incorporate other styles into the mix. "Get'cha Head in the Game" is a hip hop song complete with basketballs bouncing and shoes squeaking to the beat. "Bop to the Top" has a catchy Salsa rhythm and "What I've Been Looking For" has a 70's feel to it.

"Stick to the Status Quo" is their nod to the traditional Broadway big cast song. It still gets a pop feel and is a great cross between the two styles. This funny song includes the spoken dialog from the movie as some of the students share their secret desires that are not appropriate for their click.

My favorite song on the CD is "When There was Me and You." Vanessa Anne Hudgens truly shines in this ballad singing about the hurt she feels when another character turns his back on her.

And that does bring up a great thing. All the vocal work here is top notch. Even with the wide range of styles covered, the actors cover it all without missing a beat.

This soundtrack has been released in two different versions. The first is a single disc with all the songs from the movie. There's a bonus song "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" performed by the four main characters. New group B5 covers "Get'cha Head in the Game." Then there are two Karaoke tracks for "Start of Something New" and "Breaking Free." The special edition soundtrack is a two disc set. It contains everything from the first disc, but the second disc has Karaoke versions of all the songs.

Naturally, this CD will most appeal to fans of the musical. It captures the fun of the movie when you can't watch it and is the perfect way to learn all the words so you can sing along next time you do.

Tracks:

1. Start of Something New

2. Get'cha Head in the Game

3. What I've Been Looking For

4. What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)

5. Stick to the Status Quo

6. When There was Me and You

7. Bop to the Top

8. Breaking Free

9. We're All in This Together

10. I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

11. Get'cha Head in the Game (B5 version)