Anthology-Greatest H

This is a 26 track version of the "25th Anniversary" box condensed on a single CD. Anthology is a Four Seasons compilation for the CD era, 75 and a half minutes of hits in roughly chronological order, from 1962's "Sherry" to 1975's "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)." The only break from strict chronology is the positioning of the group's Top 20 revival of Maurice Williams' "Stay" at the point at which it was belatedly released as a single without their authorization by a record company they no longer worked for, rather than earlier, when it first appeared as an LP track, which only means that, technically, it should be sequenced fifth instead of seventh. The only break from the criterion of hitmaking is the inclusion of "Silence Is Golden," a Four Seasons song that was not a hit for them but was later a hit for the Tremeloes. The only other break from including the Four Seasons' biggest hits is the B-side "Marlena," which got to number 36 in the Billboard Hot 100, while the group's revival of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame!," which reached number 22, and its version of the Shepherd Sisters' "Alone" (another unauthorized re-release), which got to number 28, are missing. Despite the billing to Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons, only one of Valli's solo hits is featured, his first big one, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." The chronological sequencing gives the listener the sense of the development of the group's sound, from its early doo wop-derived arrangements, complete with solos for Nick Massi's deep bass voice in contrast to Valli's falsetto, to the approximation of Motown's Funk Brothers' approach on songs like "Working My Way Back to You" and "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)." As time goes on, the group clearly has more multi-tracking availability in the studio and uses it to introduce horns and strings and sound effects, plus intricate arrangement elements only possible through editing. The switch from the late '60s to the mid-'70s on the disco-inflected "Who Loves You" and "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" is thus not as jarring as it might otherwise be. There are more Four Seasons and Valli hits than can fit on a single CD (particularly Top Ten Valli solos like "My Eyes Adored You" and "Swearin' to God"), but this collection is filled to the brim with Four Seasons hits and is their best one-disc selection. ~ William Ruhlmann