At three CDs, Rhino's 25th Anniversary Collection may have featured just a little too much. But at one CD, Rhino's distillation of that box set--also titled Anthology--may have been just a tad too short, neglecting cuts ("The Proud One," "Peanuts") that true aficionados wanted on CD. The label remedies the situation with its 2001 Anthology, which, at two CDs, is really only three songs shorter than the 25th Anniversary Collection. Thus, the casual fan may still get a bit more than necessary (including a very vanilla take on Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame"). The tradeoff is you'll also get everything you could possibly want by this wonderful group, including the great obscurities (although the label also released a new rarities package, Off Seasons, to coincide with this compilation). It prominently features those amazing '60s radio hits that merged Spector-ish production with East Coast street-corner doo-wop to produce epic miniature rock operas. Much of the imagery in those very class-conscious love stories would turn up in the songs of another great Italian rock star from New Jersey named Springsteen. And to this day, the music and production still sound passionate and glorious. --Bill Holdship

Customer Rating:
Summary: Oh, What a Collection!
Comment: I picked this CD up after watching "Jersey Boys" in Manhattan, bringing back childhood memories of the best known of the Four Seasons songs. However, the Disc 2 Frankie Valli solo material was interesting too, and I must confess that I was not aware of what a prolific songwriter Bob Gaudio was, having co-authored such numbers as "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and "Who Loves You (Pretty Baby) ." Put another way, I was surprised a Four Season had authored these songs. I am glad I saw a number of the songs on Disc 2 performed by Frankie on a tour recently, including "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," another Gaudio-authored number.

Still, the real party is with the Four Seasons. (I say the same thing with The Supremes vs. Diana Ross solo.) For some reason, I did not really know the No. #1 hit "Walk Like A Man" when I was younger, but now I back this spirited, masculine number as the best candidate to outdo The Beatles' best in that well-known double album of 1964, "The Beatles vs. The Four Seasons" ("You be the judge and jury," it said). Of course, in Frankie Valli's day, his falsetto voice made kids say he sang like a girl. There are moments of excess like "Peanuts" (I cannot stand that song), but how great his falsetto works through and through!

After they came out, I played my brother's 45s "Let's Hang On" and the driving "Working My Way Back to You," their biggest latter-day hit, over and over again. They had enough songs that made them sound distinctive from the 50s carryover popular groups that preceded the electric-guitar hard-rock era ushered in by the Beatles and faded soon afterward. Who doesn't love the precious "Rag Doll" with those heart-throbbing vibraphones? That harmony in "Dawn" and "Ronnie"? I am happy that Frankie entertains us with a number of the Four Seasons' greatest in his tours of the 2000s, but all of their greatest of the 1960s, from "Sherry" onward, can be found on this CD.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: What a Disappointment ...
Comment: Disc One had many of the songs I wanted, but the sound quality is definitely substandard, particularly in this day of digital remastering. I could have skipped Disc Two altogether - it consisted of a lot of screeching and poor arrangements of songs sung better by other groups. Based on some of the reviews I read, I really expected better for the money. Wish I could get a refund!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Better to buy remastered!
Comment: The sound on some of the songs sounds like it was the original recording of back in the day, with limited technology for sound, particularly on Disk 1. I was pretty disappointed.
Some of the songs on disk two however, I suspect, have been remastered and are much better. The GOOD thing is this is one of the best selections of their music. I would still recommend one of the remastered cds.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: In Season:Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons Anthology
Comment: In Season: The Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons AnthologyJust great,love the music,the original 4 seasons,well worth buying

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Customer Rating:
Summary: 4 Seasons of hits
Comment: Great package after seeing "Jersey Boys"! Everything I could want to hear from this dynamic sounding group. Seeing a great facsimile, makes you urn for the original.

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