High School Musical Hits Collection: OST

(Disney)

Bubblegum pop doesn't get much sweeter or stickier than the tweens-targeted sing-alongs in these recent hit Disney Channel movies. So for concerned, conservative parents, this six-disc set must be a godsend. You get the multiplatinum High School Musical and High School Musical 2 soundtracks, two 16-track karaoke albums, a concert CD, and a DVD.

From a parental perspective, putting these ultra-wholesome discs on Infinite Repeat might not be the smartest idea. But in our media-saturated world, what better way to erase memories of the nude-Internet- photo scandal that ensnared Vanessa Hudgens back in September?

Music purists might be more offended by the realization that nouveau heartthrob Zac Efron, who plays East High Wildcats basketball captain Troy Bolton alongside Hudgens's good girl, Gabriella Montez, didn't perform all the vocals originally credited to him. Efron got significant "reinforcement" from Ottawa's Drew Seeley, who then played the lead in the touring musical. But hey, will anyone care a decade from now?

For tunes crafted by committee, these are pretty good. From the sanitized Latin fun of "Bop to the Top" to the groove-laden, 'N Sync evoking "I Don't Dance", it's Prozac for 12-year-olds. And lest they forget the importance of being themselves and chasing their dreams, Disney's California Adventure theme park has rolled out a High School Musical show, and a third movie is slated for 2008. Truly, there's no end to all this bopping.

Comments