Better than the other Greatest Hits CD's
05/20/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you're looking for a good single-disc collection of Franki Valli & the Four Seasons, this is one to consider. It has more tracks then the latest "Very Best Of" CD and has slightly improved sound quality over the single-disc version of "Anthology". The Four Seasons had 29 Top-40 hits and a bevy of other popular favorites, so any single-disc collection is bound to be missing a few. "Definitive" contains all the really big hits including a few from Franki Valli's solo years. Some missing hits include: Ronnie, Alone, Save It For Me, Big Man In Town, Opus 17, Beggin', C'mon Marianne, and Watch the Flowers Grow. And missing from Franki's solo years are: You're Gonna Hurt Yourself, I Make A Fool Of Myself, To Give The Reason I Live, The Girl I'll Never Know (Angels Never Fly This Low), Swearin' To God, Our Day Will Come, and Fallen Angel. If any of these exclusions bother you greatly, then you may wish to consider either of the Anthology sets (the single-disc or the double-disc version) as an alternative. If you're more of a casual fan and are looking for the cream of the Four Seasons along with Franki Valli's biggest solo hits, then this is a fine choice. The sound quality is excellent throughout and most of the tracks are presented in true stereo. The mono tracks are: New Mexican Rose, Dawn (Go Away), Rag Doll, Girl Come Running, and Let's Hang On."