"Talk about hidden gems : this collection of 1963-1969 LP tracks and single B-sides is a real eye-opener. The concept is A-side could-have-beens & it works, as well as makes you want to seek out the original albums. The early tracks give good competition to the 4 Seasons' actual Top 10 hits, the later tracks rival even the Beach Boys late 1960s work in harmony & creativity. Track listing : Big Man's World, Seems Like Only Yesterday, Cry Myself to Sleep, Huggin' My Pillow, Funny Face, Danger, Marcie, Comin' Up in the World, Everybody Knows My Name, Beggar's Parade, Around and Around, (I Dig You) Dody, Good-Bye Girl, I'm Gonna Change, Let's Ride Again, Raven, Heartaches and Raindrops, Saturday's Father, Something's on Her Mind, Genuine Imitation Life."
Criminally Ignored
John Peterson | Marinette, WI USA | 05/19/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is meant to compliment the release of their "In Season" double CD anthology of their popular songs and for me it works. The compositions (mostly by keyboard player Bob Gaudio) are very strong and you'll find some of these mostly b-side singles would have worked very well as a-sides ("Cry Myself To Sleep", to mention one song). There are some classic album tracks here as well ("Saturday's Father", a song lyrically along the lines of the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home").If you're a fan of the Four Seasons, you'd be cheating yourself from not checking this CD out. And if you're not you just might find yourself converted."
What could have been
John Peterson | 02/10/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD just shows what could have been for Frankie and the Seasons...They have sold over 100 million records but could have sold double that if only they had been on a major label that could have ,would have promoted them better..The main reason they are just a notch below the Beachboys ,Beatles ,Stones as far as popularity is the music labels they have been on..This CD proves it wasn't the quality of the music as EVERY cut here could have been a hit single..The fact is that from 1962 to today F.Valli and the 4 Seasons have never been promoted by what ever label they have been on..Vee Jay signed them in 1962 but was a small local label out of Chicago that also was the first to sign the Beatles but quickly ran out of money ,could not pay either group their royalties much less promote them and quickly lost both groups..Phillips was mainly a easy listening label with the likes of the Swingle Sisters and the Singing Nun..never really knew how to promote a main stream rock act like the Seasons..released many of their albums with no promotion..dumped many into the cut out bins within a year of release..signed with Motown and got no support at all ..Just one album released (barely) with no promotion..Other great recordings just shelved..On to Private Stock another small label with little resources..Curb records...some releases on Warners aome on MCA but still not really part of the major label..just the small Curb label which had a distribution deal with the majors...Of course the labels spent the big promotional dollars on their own rosters of artists..They are still signed to Curb which is 95% a country music label..But again this is primarily just a distribution deal..The partnership completes the album on its own and turns it in to Curb for distribution..(one left on the deal)..Anyway the point is that Frankie and the Seasons are just as good as almost any artist out there..They just "don't get no respect"..These are hidden gems that should have been hits..If only the group could have signed with a major label..things would have been much different.."
This is unbelievable!!!
Anthony V. Piscotta | Hamilton Square, NJ | 04/28/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For anyone who's a Seasons fan - or just an American Rock and Roll Fan in general - this CD is amazing! Just received it today and it's like getting a new release from one of your favorite bands (which the Seasons are).
The liner notes say it's not a "best of the rest" type of album and that is so true! Had the band not been as big as they were, this album could've stood alone as one of the great albums of the 60's. As it is, it's almost a recorded history of that period - the shadows of Dawn or Walk Like a Man are all over the early songs like "Big Man's World" or "Funny Face". On a song like "Everybody Knows My Name", you can easily hear Sonny and Cher singing it (minus Frankie's soaring vocals of course!)
"Cry Myself to Sleep" is as good as any of the big hits and there are at least a half dozen others on this collection that stand up to the "classics" that oldies radio loves so much.
Even the latter tunes - while not huge commercial successes - show just how far the guys could go and how they could fit in to the particular period with little problem (if you're lucky and open-minded enough, check out Streetfighter from the early 80's or the dance album the band made in the late 90's to see just versatile Frankie is).
The song that most impressed me on this album was Beggar's Parade. The political answer to the now glorified protest songs of people like Dylan, CSN, and the like, the song says in it's own way what so many people were thinking during that period - and stands as a response from the "silent majority" that is all but whitewashed out of history by the "academia" of today.
Frankie, unlike all the Woodstock devotees, makes a stand for the common man.
I literally can't say enough about this CD!"
Great Find!
Music Man | Nevada | 08/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a Seasons fan ever since I can remember. The thing I like most about them is the fact that for basically a doo wop group these guy were not afraid to experiment with diffrent stuff. Frankie Valli has one of the best falsettos out there, and this collection gives you a chance to hear such gems as "Big Man's World" who for the life of me can't understand why it wasn't a single? But songs like "Dody" "Goodbye Girl" and "Raven" make this Cd a must for any 4 Seasons fan. These Jersey Boys are gonna really surprise you when you hear these gems, and maybe just maybe they will get the preps so long over due"