Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons - Jersey Beat: Music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

~ESSENTIAL FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS~

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons exploded on the musical scene with a Bob Gaudio original composition and this small label debut "Sherry" sold millions...huge diverse hits from the brilliant songwriting teaming of Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio like "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like A Man", & "Marlena" followed and a legendary group unlike any other was born! Remakes mixed in to this very edible musical souffle like "Ain't That A Shame", "Stay" and "Peanuts" showed that when Frankie & The Four Seasons focused on a remake it would usually become a brilliant definitive version of the chosen song and this has continued throughout a incomparable career that is peerless and this wondrous collection is definitive and the one to have. An engrossing eight-two page booklet is included in this wonderfully crafted box-set is the best ever with a running commentary on each song by a wide range of the who's who in the entertainment industry such as Quincy Jones, Barry Manilow, Leslie Gore, Dick Clark, Fats Domino, Jay Black, Bill Medley, David Foster, Donna Summer, Neil Sedaka, Tony Orlando, and the list goes on and on!!! This feature makes sitting down and getting in to this mesmerizing collection a fun & satisfying musical venture...nobody has a career to compare with Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons as this mega collection clearly illustrates after a very successful run with Vee Jay, they blew it out of the water again with their major label debut.
"Dawn (Go Away)" was that awesome Phillips single debut and everywhere one went this classic was heard and made many who were already hooked on this great group even bigger fans..."Rag Doll" went to the top of the charts the same year and classic hits like "Save It For Me", "Big Man In Town", "Bye, Bye, Baby", "Girl Come Running", "Let's Hang On!" continued a winning streak which has gone on and on. Fascinating off the wall songs from "Wonder Who?" are fun & entertaining diversions the first being a tremendous Dylan cover "Don't Think Twice (It's All Right)" which is an infectious take on this classic..."Lonesome Road" continued this winning incarnation. Another side road venture turned into a smash were Frankie Valli solo's with the first being the mesmerizing "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" showing Frankie Valli possesses a great & passionate voice with incredible dimminsion and a great deal of genuine pathos...a stunning debut from a great singer and as Neil Diamond notes this soulful performance as being one of his all-time favorite Frankie Valli recordings in the sublime liner notes which take one through the story of the original Jersey Boys! Frankie Valli continued making great solo recordings with great success and the hightlights include classic recordings such as "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", "I Make A Fool Of Myself", the spine-tingling "To Give (The Reason I Live)",a wonderfully hypnotic "My Eyes Adored You", the chart topping "Swearin' To God", a great remake with Patti Austin of "Our Day Will Come", and the huge blockbuster #1 smash written by Barry Gibb "Grease"...quite an impressive list of solo hits and great performances!
"Working My Way Back To You" & "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)" continued the hit cycle in a most exhilarating way then a stunning surprise came with a Cole Porter brilliant cover of "I've Got You Under My Skin" which is a tour-de-force version of this classic and this formula continued for years to come with great success with superb versions of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and the Della Reese hit "And That Reminds Me (My Heart Reminds Me)" spun in a new and original way which has always been the hallmark of these great talents.
Frankie & The Four Seasons could also rock out with the best of them and edgy hits like "Tell It To The Rain", "Beggin'", "C'mon Marianne" and "Electric Stories" are terrific examples...many should have been hits fill out this collection and it is clear they only failed because of no airplay as quality was not the issue..."The Night" is a brilliant cooker from The Four Seasons Motown stint and was never heard in the US but a few years later sold millions in Europe showing that artistry reigns supreme across the ocean while in the US radio will only tolerate an artist so much fame then it is on to the next fad and musical trend which they control...no matter how great an artist is when radio decides your day is through, then it is through and no matter how great the product it will only be heard by a few...discover a treasure of could have been hits in Disc Three and this is one that is filled with gems to be experienced over and over...Bravo to Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Bob Crewe and the rest of the sublime artists who give us this musical treasure!
Experience this wondrous group in various settings over the years on the DVD and this addition is a nice bonus treat. July 29, 2008

Surprising and Exiting

I would never imagined how many greatest hits and perfect songs were Frankie Valli and 4 Seasons's. I've been to Broadway's "Jersey Boys" recently and got fascinated. Then I decided to check the original, through this Anthology. It's amazing, and worth every cent you pay. June 30, 2008

The Jersey Beat..Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

I found the CD's included several songs I had never heard them sing before. The DVD was great, demonstrating the old choreography of their era. In general,the package was very entertaining and I received it in a fairly quick manner. April 12, 2008

Pure Musical Splendor.

Thanks to the hit musical "Jersey Boys," the once largely ignored impact and influence of The Four Seasons is now more relevant and recognized than ever. This new 4 disc boxed set, containing 3 cds and one dvd, is by far the most comprehensive and essential collection of their music ever released. With 76 classic Four Seasons tracks and a bonus dvd of tv appearances and live performances, the group's legacy has never been more accuarately represented.

Disc 1 and the first half of Disc 2 chronicles the band's meteoric rise to success from 1962 to 1967. Thanks to the band's angelic harmonies, top notch production values, lead singer Frankie Valli's soaring falsetto and insanely catchy and brilliantly written songs by members Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. Songs such as "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like A Man," "Dawn (Go Away)," "Ronnie," "Rag Doll," (one of the most perfect songs ever written), and "Let's Hang On." All of these songs helped define American Rock and Roll and provided ample competition during The Beatles' invasion.

Of course, besides these all time classics in the pantheon of popular music, lesser known tracks such as "Marlena," "Peanuts," "Marcie," "Silence Is Golden" and the woefully underrated "Big Man In Town" were further proof of The Four Seasons' kanck for creating well crafted, Spector esque musical productions with the same professionalism and uniqueness of early Beatles and Motown records that for many years cast The Four Seasons aside.

By 1966, The Four Seasons' music starting getting more exprimental and complex as the 1960s' wore on. Records like "Working My Way Back To You," "Opus 17 (Don't Worry 'Bout Me)" an their cover of "I've Got You Under My Skin" represented a more mature, adult sound to their music, a far cry from the Doo-woop sound just four years earlier. By 1967, Frankie Valli was working part time as a solo artist and scored a massive hit with one of the most beautiful songs in the world, "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You." A rift began forming around this time. Frankie was ready to venture out on his own. Still, great music was still to be found from the group, despite a lack of chart success. "Watch The Flowers Grow," "Will You Love Me Tommorrow," (one of the best versions of the song), "She Gives Me Light," and "The Night." But by 1972, differences drove them aparrt. The original lineup departed from each other.

Frankie Valli, however, remained active in the music field, and by 1975 he had established himself as a successful solo artist, scoring him a number one hit with the melancholy "My Eyes Adored You," a haunting reflection of lost childhood love that topped the charts. Frankie scored further hits with the funky "Swearin' To God" and an updating of "Our Day Will Come." His newfound success assured, Frankie put together a new version of The Four Seasons, with him as the only original members. The new incarantion of the group scored a massive hit with "Who Loves You?" and scored the biggest hit of their career with the timeless "December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)," a classic foray into disco known the world over.

Valli scored further with "Grease," and by the 1980s' he and The Four Seasons were legends, still cutting records and performing. These rarely heard songs are a highlight of Disc 3.

The set's accompanying booklet and dvd are both fantastic, and the book has some wonderful notes on each song by various well known celebrities in the entertainment field.

This excellent collection is essential for all music fans.

March 9, 2008

What a great collection...

I was born and raised in Philly and danced to many of these songs at that time. After seeing "Jersey Boys" here in Houston 6 times, I decided that I needed as much of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons music as I could get my hands on. This collection is amazing. So many of the songs I did not even remember. The book with the CD's was so enjoyable and educational also. The DVD is a trip! Watching the changing wardrobes was really incredible. Did we really like these styles? Anyway, thank for a collection that fulfilled all of my expectations and more.
Phillygal February 26, 2008

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