Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

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Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

Doo-wop music didn’t make it out of the ‘50s as a commercial force, but New Jersey’s the Four Seasons, the genre’s Caucasian branch, flourished in a form updated for the go-go ‘60s. Relying on tight doo-wop group harmony, an utterly distinctive lead tenor (Frank Valli [pictured above {in 1966} from left to right is the band: Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, Charlie Calello and Frankie Valli]), and songs of love and loss- with added ballast for the new era provided by exquisite, visionary production that blended the best of Phil Spector-era rock & roll and Motown pop-soul sensibilities- the quartet topped the charts out of the box with “Sherry” in 1962 and maintained a steady presence in the Top 30 before its run petered out in 1968 with a perfectly serviceable remake of the Shirelles’ hit “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” By then, the group had sold more than 80 million records worldwide. Against all odds, a retooled Seasons lineup- still featuring the same utterly distinctive lead tenor- returned in 1975 and cut two more chart-topping hits before the singer took his songs and went solo for good. There’s a raft of splendid choices available for the hardcore Four Seasons fan as well as for the tourist who wants the prime cuts and nothing more. Among single-disc compilations, Rhino’s 26-song Anthology assembles more of the ‘60s and ‘70s hits, including Valli’s solo smash “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and makes fanciful side trips, such as the 1965 version of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” recorded by the Seasons in chipmunk voices. Rhino also offers two solid 15-song Greatest Hits collections, with Vol. 1 completely devoted to the ‘60s classics, whereas Vol. 2 includes the Seasons’ ‘70s hits and Valli’s solo material. The studio albums are a mixed bag but do contain some interesting off-road excursions beyond their hit tracks. Of special note is the 1964 album Rag Doll, with four blockbuster singles: the title song, “Ronnie,” “Save It For Me,” and the Top 10 cover of Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” From the first note to the last, Rag Doll is a tour de force of exemplary pop singing. Another first-rate studio album is 1964’s Dawn (Go Away) and 11 Other Great Songs. Here Valli and the guys return to their doo-wop roots on terrific versions of the Crests’ “16 Candles,” the Penguins’ “Earth Angel,” and the Willows’ “Church Bells May Ring.” There’s also a solid interpretation of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” along with, of course, the towering “Dawn.” Two offbeat titles are worth noting. Rhino’s Off Seasons: Criminally Neglected Slides offers 20 cuts that purport to be overlooked Four Seasons gems. One of these, “Cry Myself to Sleep,” is one of the best teat-jerking ballads the group ever recorded. Ultimately, the collection to own is Rhino’s 2001 double-CD In Season: The Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons Anthology, which leaves no important ‘60s track unrepresented and also offers all the solo Valli and ‘70s Seasons tracks anyone really needs, plus detailed liner and session notes to boot. There’s no going wrong with this one, especially the first disc, which contains the bulk of the overpowering ‘60s hits. 

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Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons