Four Seasons Edizione D'Oro Genres:Pop, Rock 1997 release, a reissue of their top 40 1969 compilation that translates into English 'Gold Hits', 26 of them to be exact! A double LP when first released, this album featured some of the most innovative packaging to date,... more » faithfully reproduced for this disc! Also featured here are stereo versions of several hits that differ from the original mono versions, including the chartbusters 'Sherry', 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'Walk Like A Man' & 'Rag Doll'! An Ace release.« less
1997 release, a reissue of their top 40 1969 compilation that translates into English 'Gold Hits', 26 of them to be exact! A double LP when first released, this album featured some of the most innovative packaging to date, faithfully reproduced for this disc! Also featured here are stereo versions of several hits that differ from the original mono versions, including the chartbusters 'Sherry', 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'Walk Like A Man' & 'Rag Doll'! An Ace release.
"The people bashing this CD (originally released as a 2-LP set in late 1968) obviously don't realize that all the material on this Greatest Hits package was already released by ACE on various two-fer CD packages. So to give the customer something different, ACE gave us the original 45 rpm single mono mixes, which is, yes, a GOOD THING because these are the mixes that were the hits on the radio. Often times, these mixes sound better (have more punch) than the stereo mixes which often suffer from poor sound balance & separation. Instead of bemoaning this, we should be happy that we have this special product option from the amazing 4 Seasons, who were one of the greatest pop/rock vocal groups ever. This CD catalogs the best stuff the group did between 1962 and 1967. The one curious thing about this CD is that it omits three songs from the original double LP package: "Tell It To The Rain", "Watch The Flowers Grow" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". It is claimed there wasn't enough time left on the CD, but there was. However, having 72 minutes of music on a CD is still hard to beat. And the 3 songs left off can be easily found on other Seasons CDs.Also, all of the stereo mixes (unique to this album) except for "Big Man In Town" are here. However, these mixes were all done in 1968 expressly for this album. For some of their hit songs, the Seasons never made genuine stereo mixes (fake stereo mixes yes, but real stereo no). So they went into the studio for two weeks, and took the original song tracks and turned them into stereo recordings. However, for some odd reason, they added new vocals, omitted intros ("Dawn" and "Let's Hang On") or remixed certain instruments to sound louder, so that these stereo versions are quite different in all aspects from the original hit recordings. ACE only includes these mixes to please the people who remember hearing them on the original LPs. These rushed mixes pale compared to the original meticulously-produced mono hit mixes, and contrary to what the one reviewer writes, Rhino has used these mono mixes on the new Anthology compilation for songs like "Ain't That A Shame", "Dawn (Go Away)", "Ronnie", "Rag Doll", "Girl Come Running", and "Let's Hang On". One has to remember that stereo mixes for pop/rock music in the early/mid Sixties were done as an afterthought and tended to be rather shoddy because mono was the "name of the game" until Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band came out and popularized LPs and helped people realize how stereo could be utilized effectively. Also, better recording technology came out at this time and the advent of stereo FM radio served to boost the quality of stereo recordings. Anyway, mono is not a bad thing for pre-1968 recordings. In fact, most record collectors prefer mono recordings over stereo recordings from this era because it was the mono mixes that were on the singles which were played on Top 40 AM radio and that everybody knew and loved.So, in sum, the other reviewers felt gypped only because of their ignorance of both the ACE reissue of Seasons CDs and the 1960's music industry. Any CD which gives you the original hit mixes of classics like "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like A Man", "Working My Way Back To You", etc. etc. is a special treasure."
Deceptive Maketing
John Gardner | Houston, Texas | 02/24/2000
(1 out of 5 stars)
"If you are interested in predominantly monophonic versions of 4 Seasons hits, then this CD may be for you. However, for the most part, it does NOT contain the versions of the songs that appeared in the 1968 vinyl release of Edizione D'Oro.If you are interested in stereo, consider the Rhino 25th Anniversary Collection, which contains stereo recordings taken from absolute first-generation master tapes.I've generally been impressed with Ace reisssues. But not this one."
CD Content Is Different From The Original Album
James C. Allewelt | Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA | 06/12/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The original Edizione D'Oro album (released in 1969 on the Philips label) contained versions of the 4 Season's hits that have never appeared anywhere else. This Ace CD does not include all of those alternate versions, such as "Big Man In Town". I am grateful for the Edizione D'Oro versions that were included on this CD, but Ace should have given it a different title. Now, with the "Edizione D'Oro" title held by a CD in circulation, it is unlikely any company will ever consider reissuing the original album in its entirety."
Edizione D'Oro is great listening!
Zub | 07/29/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Always a Frankie Valle fan, I owned the LP version of Edizione D'Oro years ago. In an overseas move, it disappeared, and I have looked to replace it ever since! For some of the best music ever recorded, treat yourself to this Gold Edition of the Four Seasons. You will never regret it!"
You do need to read the fine print...
Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 04/09/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Ace Records of the U.K. has reissued a lot of the Four Seasons catalog over the CD-era years. When it came to the "Edizione D'Oro" piece, originally a double lp greatest hits collection from 1968, the compilers at Ace did not merely try to replicate that product. First, to fit on a single CD, three songs originally on the lp's had to be omitted for time restraints. More importantly, yet perhaps less obvious to the observer, is the flip-flopping of sorts of the versions used for this piece. Except in those cases where the stereo version was unique to this lp, the original mono mixes are presented here where the lp had the usual stereo mixes. While some prospective purchasers may be put off by this "tweaking", this does provide these "alternate" versions rather than just regurgitating the songs as they have appeared on other CD reissues. And in Ace's defense, they do provide that information on both the front and back outside of the CD. However, that may not be easily noted if you are buying on line and not able to see the entire outside of the package. Finagling notwithstanding, this is an excellent collection of most of the Four Seasons' amazing musical output from their golden age of the 60's."
