Frankie  Valli & The Four Seasons
'The Motown Years'
Motown/Hip-O-Select/Universal
UK Release Date: 29th September 2008

Long awaited by many the legendary Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons' output for Motown during the early part on the 1970's finally gets it's own platform to shine. Remembered by most music fans during the early part of the previous decade it was 1963 that they first burst onto the US music scene with such memorable hits as 'Sherry' 'Big Girls Don't Cry' 'Walk Like A Man' and a song that went on to become a massive hit for former label mates the Detroit Spinners entitled 'Working My Way Back To You' after their move to Atlantic Records. It was of course the groups lead singer Frankie Valli that set the vocal tones for the group with his high falsetto vocal range most evident on their earlier recordings (issued here in the UK on Stateside & Phillips labels) but credit too must go to the tight background harmonies that made such a definitive impact on shaping the sounds of the 60's in the USA.

With regular TV slots to promote their constant string of single and album releases (most notably Ed Sullivan) the group enjoyed a string of chart successes both here and in the USA between 1953-1966. It was after the introduction of the flower power era of 1967 their 'sound' suddenly became out of vogue with what was happening and the hits and exposure dried up for a number of years until the group arrived at Motown in 1972 and were signed to the company's Mowest label after they made to move from Detroit to L.A.

Two LP's were recorded at Motown along with numerous 45's but it was after the group parted company with Motown did the label issue here in the UK (presumably on the back of the wave of popularity of the thriving UK northern soul scene) the uptempo 'The Night' which whilst not being the most soulful of songs did contain all the right ingredients to keep followers of the famous Wigan Casino nightclub more than happy and if you listen to 'Touch The Rainchild' from this CD it does contain similar arrangements to the aforementioned and would have made a great 'northern' pop tune . 'The Night' whilst making some noise on the UK charts didn't get get a follow up proving the power of the dancefloor in breaking tunes at that time.

'Sun Country' a plodding piece of pop magic is a cross between the Average White Band and harmony wise, the Fifth Dimension spring to mind but the star cut has to be the gorgeous 'A New Beginning' a stunning piece of Four Seasons magic that could have made some serious impact on the US charts. Pure pop, but delivered with passion and one that other semi rock acts later this decade would have been proud of. Whatever track you listen to there's always the group's trademark sound somewhere in each song and whilst on first initial play I was somewhat wary at what I was hearing, subsequent plays over the last couple of weeks have resulted in a real appreciation at what we have here.

For those liking their original style will love one of the bonus tracks 'Walk On, Don't Look Back' which you'd swear was written and recorded ten years earlier but wow! what a super tune. 'Life And Breath' captures some of that classic early 70's Motown guitar and drum riffs and dare I say it a song that would have suited David Ruffin down to a tee.

The group has a stab at Brenda Holloway's mid sixties classic dancer 'Just Look What You've Done' and for a pop version do the song real justice and one that would have been play listed by the northern soul DJ's had they had access to it at the time. Valli takes the Fortunes song 'You've Got Your Troubles' and delivers it in the same groove at Little Anthony & The Imperials on 'Going Out Of My Head' whereas their take on The Four Tops' 1964 classic 'Baby I Need Your Loving' is pleasant considering just how brave he must have been taking on such a song - but again the more you listen to it, the more it grows on you.

Motown purists may have mixed views on this CD but if you remove any references to the sound of the previous decade and judge this as piece of pop magic you won't go far wrong.

Rating 7/10


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