HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try … whoops. Disney did succeed with “High School Musical,” to the tune of 7 million albums sold worldwide, a catalog of DVDs, a concert tour, stage and ice shows, and lyrics that every teen on the planet knows by heart. “High School Musical 2″ doesn’t dance too far off the beaten path. The full-cast opener, “What Time Is It,” even references its predecessor’s closing “We’re All in This Together” as it sends the kids of East High School off for a summer vacation filled with the requisite romantic tribulations, light class warfare and, yes, a Midsummer Night’s Talent Show for everyone to strut their stuff. The music again skews toward hip-hop beats and hooky pop melodies, and such tracks as “Work This Out,” the sports-themed “I Don’t Dance,” “Bet on It” and “All for One” make you feel like Backstreet not only is back, but never left.
