Gold Vault of Hits [Curb]

Performer: The Four Seasons
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: A well-programmed, if necessarily incomplete (only 12 tracks) best-of by one of the great critically underappreciated bands of the '60s. The song selection splits the difference between the Season's pure pop side (the often covered "Silence Is Golden," "Let's Hang On") and their more socially relevant material, including working-class realist epics like "Rag Doll: and "Dawn (Go Away)" that on both the musical and lyrical level were tremendous unacknowledged influences on Bruce Springsteen. If you prefer the pure pop stuff, however, there's no need to apologize; in fact, thanks to Seasons songwriter Bob Gaudio's infectious tunes, lead singer Frankie Valli's seemingly helium-induced falsetto, and Bob Crewe's psychedelically vivid productions, one can make a reasonable case that some of the stuff here is the purest pop music ever made.

In the 1960s, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons churned out hit after hit to become one of the most successful vocal groups in pop history. Their signature was Valli's stratospheric falsetto, but their success also resulted from sharp, melodic songwriting. During their prime, singles like "Sherry" and "Walk Like a Man" emphasized close-harmony singing with an urban swagger, providing the missing link between doo wop and Motown-era pop. The group topped the charts again in the '70s with an updated, disco-influenced sound. There was a resurgence of interest in the Four Seasons in the early 2000s thanks to the hugely successful Broadway musical JERSEY BOYS about the history of the beloved group.

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