Superb mid-70s A/C solo pop from 4 Seasons lead
hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 07/01/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After a pair of solo albums in 1967 and 1968 (anthologized on the Collectors' Choice two-fer of "Solo / Timeless"), Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons found themselves out of step with the dominant pop paradigms. Even after the release of their 1969 concept album "The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette" and several label changes, their chart fortunes laid dormant until the mid-70s. Valli released additional solo tracks as singles and as part of the 4 Seasons albums "Half & Half" and "Chameleon" in the early 1970s, but his commercial comeback (and the parallel commercial resurgence of the 4 Seasons) was triggered by the #1 hit "My Eyes Adored You." That single, together with the top-10 "Swearin' to God" anchored Valli's 1975 debut for Private Stock, "Closeup."
Valli's solo work in the mid-70s was still more adult contemporary than the 4 Seasons, but distinctly more pop and radio ready than his albums of the late `60s. The opening pair, "I Got Love For You, Ruby" and "Why" exemplify how the string arrangements are moved to the side on pop productions that more heavily emphasize the bass and drums. The country and soul influences provide a much more effective setting for Valli's voice than the heavy orchestrations of his earlier solo sides. The country influences are even more forward in the two-step beat and pedal steel of "Waking Up to Love." Winningly, Valli doesn't go country so much as bring country to him. Similarly, the album's two disco tunes, "I Can't Live a Dream" and the unabridged 10:35 album version of "Swearin' to God" are fine fits for Valli's buoyant tone. Finally, "He Sure Blessed You" and "My Eyes Adored You" show off Valli's talents as an emotive balladeer who really has a way with a melodic hook.
Collectors' Choice's reissue series steps out of sequence by pairing Valli's first album for Private Stock with his third, "Valli." His second album for the label, the disco flavored "Our Day Will Come," is paired with his fourth, "Lady Put the Light Out" on a separate CD. "Valli" followed similar pop directions to his label debut, but without the hit singles to pull it up the charts. Still, as on "Closeup," the arrangements use strings as annotation to more mainstream pop productions, and Valli's unique voice finds some terrific material. His version of Boz Scaggs "We're All Alone" (from Scaggs' 1976 LP, "Silk Degrees") predates Rita Coolidge's hit single by a year and features a dramatic string arrangement that pushes Valli's vocal to a high emotional plane. The album's other single, The Alessi Brothers' "Easily," also failed to score, finding surprisingly little success with its light pop-soul arrangement and introspective lyrics of doubt and recovery.
The album's disco tunes are few, and though neither "Can't Get You Off My Mind" or "Boomerang," have the killer hooks of Valli's hits, they're not the mindless dreck of commercial disco's overground. Valli's voice is sufficiently unique to make just about anything he sings interesting, and the arrangements, though peppered with many of disco's well-worn instrumental clichés, are still bouncy and fun. Valli tries out a funkier beat for the R&B styled "You're the Song (That I Can't Stop Singing)," and the light soul of "Where Were You (When I Needed You)" has all the earmarks of a radio hit, including a memorable melody. The album's ballads include "Look at the World It's Changing" and "Lucia," the latter sung with an excellent arrangement of the London Symphony Orchestra
Valli's earlier pair of solo albums found him searching for an identity apart from the 4 Seasons. Having tried heavy orchestrations on 1968's "Timeless," he pulls back here and finds deeper resonance with the sounds of the mid-70s. Rather than looking beyond radio pop, Valli and his producers find range within its confines with sophisticated ballads, top-40 hooks, disco and crossover elements of country and soul. Collectors' Choice two-fer reissue includes full-panel cover art for both albums and new liner notes by James Ritz. "Closeup" is the more solid spin, but both albums find Valli inhabiting a comfortable, sophisticated solo identity that would sustain him through several more outings. These two are among the most compelling of Valli's solo releases. [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]"
The 1970's disco era
D. Chan | 11/03/2008
(2 out of 5 stars)
"big frankie valli, 4 seasons fan. great talented, hardworking entertainer. i had to pass up on all his recent solo projects. i like to have those CD's seperately. the problem with this CD is that a couple of songs have been edited. that ruins everything.. i'm sure private stock will re-release them in a box set along with extra unreleased tracks in the near future. in the meantime, enjoy.**** i'm glad i had a chance to have met him in 1977.****"
WOW...LOVED IT THEN, LOVE IT NOW!!!!!
Kenneth R. Blaker | 08/22/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Let me tell you about this little piece of Masterpiece. Some of the best Pop music you will ever hear is on this disc. Frankie Valli's voice is in tip top shape. His vocals will knock you on your butt. This CD is a ride from beginning to end. I bought these albums back in the 70's. Played them completely through to the other side "If that's possible". IT IS!!! After selling my complete Album collection in anticipation of the new technology. I let these albums go by the wayside, because I just knew that soon they would be released on compact disc. After years and years of waiting I was just sick because they were not rereleased. I then repurchased them by ebay bidding and luckily won my rewards. I promptly went to a audio tech person and had them transfered to CD. Well low and behold some years later my good friends at Collectors Choice Music got their heads out of their butts and rereleased them "REMASTERED AND ALL" on CD!!! So... I just had to repurchase them. Now let me tell you. I spent a lot of money on these recordings and I'll also tell you it has been worth every penny.
FRANKIE VALLI MUSIC AT IT'S EVERLASTING BEST!!!! Buy this cd and take the best damn musical ride of your life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!By the way the remastered sound is awesome!!!!!!!BUY IT NOW BEFORE IT GOES AWAY FOREVER!
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Track Listings (19) - Disc #1
