Customer Reviews

Half & Half/Helicon

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first CD is comprised of 50% songs featuring the great voice of Valli, while the remaining 50% is comprised
of Frankie and the Seasons. The second half of the CD is the wonderfully produced Helicon. This CD shows
where the Seasons are going, Valli only appears on 15% of the songs, yet they pull it off. Great CD for
fans of both Frankie Valli and just the Four Seasons. Great sonics, great arrangements, and great selection of
songs. This is one that you need to add to your collection. You will thoroughly enjoy it. Every song on Helicon
works it's magic. As a whole, the CD is worth purchasing because you get the best of both worlds.

I think that when the Genuine Imitation Life Gazette was released in 1969, songwriter Bob Gaudio was given a license to explore more emotional, heartfelt music. They had, in a way, "grown up." This is what we got from the Four Seasons during the 1970s.

Even though they had such personal music during this time, I still prefer the straight, happy pop stuff that they released during the 1960s. Don't get me wrong, the Seasons will always be great; and during the 70s they were not better, but different.

I love both of these albums. I had them both as albums but didn't think that they would come out on cd. Thankfully I was wrong. Any 4 season fan should get these cds

Helicon is ofter referred to as a road or place of poetic inspiration. Well as a recent fan of this group and Bob Gaudio as a songwriter, here he definately wants to inspire rather than ignite a pop revolution. This is the best songwriting (lyrically and musically) that Gaudio has done. Why some of these songs were not a huge hit is up for debate, but surely anyonw who was inspired by the Who loves you album or some of the Seasons later hits like Beggin will find a true gem here. I played the Helicon component of this album 5 times in one week already. The half and half album is a representation of the confusion in music in the early 70's and will please some and not others, but the Helicon album is a missed masterpiece.

It's strange how these albums from 7 years apart are on 1 CD, however it represents good value at 78 minutes.
Half And Half refers to 5 songs from Frankie Valli and 5 from The Four Seasons.
This is not a typical 1960s Four Seasons sound, being a little more mellow.
I had only heard And That Reminds Me before, it's a good track and so is Any Day Now/Oh Happy Day. This appears to be a story of love lost and spiritual forfilment found!
All in all a better than OK album.
Before Helicon, the Four Seasons had recorded some Mowtown stuff in 1972 and the landmark Who Loves You in 1975.
Helicon itself tends to follow the disco of Who Loves You, with a hint of The Bee Gees thrown in.
I had heard Raphsody and Down The Hall before and liked them, add I Believe In You and there is the basis of an album which I expect to grow on me.
Don't expect the Four Seasons of the 1960s, but it's still very good.

Thi disc is what I've been searching for since the release of the record in 1975. I finally found it. It has some of the best songs on it I have heard from the Four Seasons.VeryGood album.

Classic Frankie Valli,a must for anyone who loves the great Rock & Roll
music of the 70s....

RAM