Forever Legends - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons [Box set, Collector's Edition]

The Four Seasons | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 18, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set, Collector's Edition
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: MADACY SPECIAL MKTS
• ASIN: B000S1KRMC
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,524 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #45 in Music > Pop > Oldies > Doo Wop

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Sherry

2. Candy Girl

3. Sincerely

4. 16 Candles

5. Earth Angel

6. Opus 17 (Sundown)

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Big Girls Don't Cry

2. New Mexican Rose

3. You're Ready Now

4. That's the Only Way

5. Stay

6. Dawn (Go Away)

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. My Eyes Adored You

2. Who Loves You

3. Our Day Will Come

4. We're All Alone

5. Swearin' to God

6. Fallen Angel

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed with the sound quality, June 16, 2009

By 

Jimmylavino - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever Legends - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Audio CD)

As others have said, I purchased this set after seeing the musical on stage. I was very disappointed with the quality of the audio. The volume is not balanced between the left and right channels. On some tracks the vocals are 95% on the right channel and 5% on the left channel. The same story with the instrumental, 95% on the left channel and 5% on the right channel. I am trying to return this for a refund and will be looking for another recording.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Poor Song Selection & Sound Balance Undercuts 3 CD Set, October 15, 2010

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forever Legends - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Audio CD)

Frankie Valli had been recording since 1953, but it wasn't until the late 1950s that he teamed up with Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi to form a band named The Four Lovers. Around 1960 the band changed names to The Four Seasons, and after a few false starts hit number one on the Billboard Charts with "Sherry." Their sound, once established, would remain constant throughout most of the 1960s: a mixture of do-wop featuring Valli's astonishing falsetto, wall of sound, sharp drum and bass lines, and an oddly stripped down quality that allowed you to hear every single note. Although the line-up would change over the years (Massi left in 1965 and was replaced with Charles Calello and later Joe Long Valli and Gaudio remained constant, with Valli becoming such a stand-out that the band was popularly known as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.

Like most bands of the era, The Four Seasons recorded a lot of covers--everything from Sixteen Candles to The Book of Love--but with one or two exceptions they were best known for their originals. "Sherry" was quickly followed "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like A Man," "Candy Girl," "Opus 17," and a host of others. The typical Four Seasons cut features a short, slow-tempo introduction that suddenly blasts into Valli's falsetto lead with the other members of the band splitting into tight harmony around him. The drum work is almost always especially noticeable on a Four Seasons song, the underlying glue that holds the piece together. Quite a few groups would make an effort to duplicate the sound, but Valli's falsetto was such a unique sound that no one ever equalled, much less surpassed, the original. The band is commonly thought to be the single most popular 1960s recording group before the advent of the Beatles. Some fifty years later, Valli still gives the occasional performance--and their recordings have sold close to two hundred million world wild.

There are a lot of CDs by The Four Seasons on the market, and FOREVER LEGENDS would seem to be a good choice: a three CD collection that collects the band's most famous work. Unfortunately, it also contains a lot of their filler work as well, particularly in the form of covers of "Earth Angel" and similar pieces. And why is that, on three CDs, the producers couldn't find room for "I've Got You Under My Skin?" If the selection is hit or miss, so too is the audio. 1960s stereo was somewhat different from contemporary stereo, but even so the balance is distinctly off on a number of selections. That said, the collection isn't so much bad as it is disappointing. You have the feeling that with a little more thought and touch of effort, this could have been a knock-out. As it is... it's worth having if you don't already own anything by the band.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Remastered - ugh!, November 30, 2009

By 

J. Huhn - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Forever Legends - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Audio CD)

The remastered version has taken a lot of character out of the original sound of the songs.