Where is that %^&$@#&* MIC Box Set @#$%^&*(!!!

[The Shift]

A cheap comp of Still Crusin/SIP/ Stars and Stripes with singles like "rock and roll to the rescue" and "California dreaming" would actually make sense. I can't stand most of the material, but it still should be available.

Why?  So no one would buy it?

Not only would completists buy it but gfac22 already acknowledged that he would be interested and I'm sure he's not alone.

Again, I ask, why in the hell is there no mention of "Chasin' The Sky" in these lists? It's my favorite track from the 80's! Powerful Carl vocal, interesting chord changes, catchy melodies, nice guitar solo break, etc. How does this gem get overlooked when we remember dreck like "Rock And Roll To The Rescue" and "Lady Liberty" just to name two?

It's not overlooked – you've now mentioned it.

And hey, Rock n' Roll To The Rescue ain't dreck – stick all the mixes in the box and I'd be happy. (tho' I suspect I'll be waiting for the next box…)

[rogerlancelot]

 

Okay, fair enough about R&R2TR. How about the covers of "Crocodile Rock" and "Back In The USSR"? And duets of "East Meets West"* and "Wipe Out"? None of these are necessarily dreck but in my opinion this was a better era to see them in concert then buy their latest record.

* My interest in all things 4 Seasons has actually increased by several hundred percent thanks to my "discovering" Genuine Imitation Life Gazette last Fall. How did an album this spectacular evade my radar for so long? Actually that's exactly the same feeling I had when I "discovered" Beach Boys too.

[AndrewHickey]

* My interest in all things 4 Seasons has actually increased by several hundred percent thanks to my "discovering" Genuine Imitation Life Gazette last Fall. How did an album this spectacular evade my radar for so long? Actually that's exactly the same feeling I had when I "discovered" Beach Boys too.

It's an astonishingly good album, isn't it? "Fun to have a daddy every Saturday..."
If you like that one, check out Frank Sinatra's Watertown album. It's written and arranged by the same Holmes/Gaudio team, and is like a sequel to Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, except even better.

[rogerlancelot]

* My interest in all things 4 Seasons has actually increased by several hundred percent thanks to my "discovering" Genuine Imitation Life Gazette last Fall. How did an album this spectacular evade my radar for so long? Actually that's exactly the same feeling I had when I "discovered" Beach Boys too.

It's an astonishingly good album, isn't it? "Fun to have a daddy every Saturday..."
If you like that one, check out Frank Sinatra's Watertown album. It's written and arranged by the same Holmes/Gaudio team, and is like a sequel to Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, except even better.

Yes. Thank for you the tip, Andrew.  I've heard about that project and will hunt it down next. I grew up in the Buffalo area but have been to Watertown a few times.

[Mike's Beard]

A cheap comp of Still Crusin/SIP/ Stars and Stripes with singles like "rock and roll to the rescue" and "California dreaming" would actually make sense. I can't stand most of the material, but it still should be available.

Why?  So no one would buy it?

The completist in me would buy it and then never listen to it.

[Mike's Beard]

* My interest in all things 4 Seasons has actually increased by several hundred percent thanks to my "discovering" Genuine Imitation Life Gazette last Fall. How did an album this spectacular evade my radar for so long? Actually that's exactly the same feeling I had when I "discovered" Beach Boys too.

It's an astonishingly good album, isn't it? "Fun to have a daddy every Saturday..."
If you like that one, check out Frank Sinatra's Watertown album. It's written and arranged by the same Holmes/Gaudio team, and is like a sequel to Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, except even better.

I'm a 4 Seasons fan but when I first heard that they'd done a concept album with psychedelic overtones I half laughed and half groaned. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that it's actually quite brilliant. Shame the band was put on the backburner in favour of Frankie's inferior solo career so soon after it's release.

[El Molé]

Okay, fair enough about R&R2TR. How about the covers of "Crocodile Rock" and "Back In The USSR"? And duets of "East Meets West"* and "Wipe Out"? None of these are necessarily dreck but in my opinion this was a better era to see them in concert then buy their latest record.

* My interest in all things 4 Seasons has actually increased by several hundred percent thanks to my "discovering" Genuine Imitation Life Gazette last Fall. How did an album this spectacular evade my radar for so long? Actually that's exactly the same feeling I had when I "discovered" Beach Boys too.

How about a DVD that includes the video for Crocodile Rock? Just saw this recently - how did a video that spectacular evade my radar for so long? I'd take the Getcha Back video too! Both hilarious.

[EgoHanger1966]

* My interest in all things 4 Seasons has actually increased by several hundred percent thanks to my "discovering" Genuine Imitation Life Gazette last Fall. How did an album this spectacular evade my radar for so long? Actually that's exactly the same feeling I had when I "discovered" Beach Boys too.

It's an astonishingly good album, isn't it? "Fun to have a daddy every Saturday..."
If you like that one, check out Frank Sinatra's Watertown album. It's written and arranged by the same Holmes/Gaudio team, and is like a sequel to Genuine Imitation Life Gazette, except even better.

This is the album by the Four Seasons that you're "supposed" to like, because it's got social commentary and serious subject matter. And yes, it is very good. I'd suggest checking out their "Rag Doll" LP - all original compositions (meaning, no cover tunes of hits from the day). It's like the Hard Day's Night of vocal pop.

[Micha]

I find the word "Dreck" popping up in English phrases a bit vexing. Its literal meaning is "dirt", but it is a really strong pejorative word in German, expressing extreme contemption and scorn.

Of course you're all free to use it!

[Bill Ed]

I can relate well to your last line. We (diehards who all have been bankrupt because of our BB obsession) all have the same monomaniac desires. Then there's a substantial part of the public that is well pleased to purchase something like the 50 BO stuff. But there is also a large segment that sits between these two poles. Now, bear in mind that the GV box was put out 20 years ago, roughly: one generation. So there's simply a new generation of fans-but-not-patients that will get the MiC box set. And indeed: pleasing some large common denominator is very hard.

But Don, haven't the wants of the "50 BO" crowd been recently satisfied by, say, "50 BO"? Personally, I'd like to buy reissues of the rest of their "regular" album releases and a box set which includes stuff I don't already own.  I'd love to have "vocals only" and backing tracks on the new box as well, though I understand some folks don't care for that sort of thing.

[Custom Machine]

Made in California box set is complete and about to be delivered to Capitol.  Release date as yet undetermined.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Sweet...I'd heard rumblings but didn't know it was confirmed

[Freddie French-Pounce]

Okay, fair enough about R&R2TR. How about the covers of "Crocodile Rock" and "Back In The USSR"? And duets of "East Meets West"* and "Wipe Out"? None of these are necessarily dreck but in my opinion this was a better era to see them in concert then buy their latest record.

* My interest in all things 4 Seasons has actually increased by several hundred percent thanks to my "discovering" Genuine Imitation Life Gazette last Fall. How did an album this spectacular evade my radar for so long? Actually that's exactly the same feeling I had when I "discovered" Beach Boys too.

How about a DVD that includes the video for Crocodile Rock? Just saw this recently - how did a video that spectacular evade my radar for so long? I'd take the Getcha Back video too! Both hilarious.

Rock 'n' Roll to the rescue is the best music video to ever have existed.

[The Shift]

Made in California box set is complete and about to be delivered to Capitol.  Release date as yet undetermined.

Good news indeed. Assume you mean the sound? Packaging, artwork, accompanying notes etc to be brought together, perhaps even started from scratch in some instances?

[Cabinessenceking]

Made in California box set is complete and about to be delivered to Capitol.  Release date as yet undetermined.

I have no idea what choices they made for this box, I just hope they made the best ones.

[The Heartical Don]

Made in California box set is complete and about to be delivered to Capitol.  Release date as yet undetermined.

I have no idea what choices they made for this box, I just hope they made the best ones.

I hope a track list will leak ASAP.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Made in California box set is complete and about to be delivered to Capitol.  Release date as yet undetermined.

Is it... is it indeed ?

[The Heartical Don]

Made in California box set is complete and about to be delivered to Capitol.  Release date as yet undetermined.

Is it... is it indeed ?

This sounds either knowledgeable, skeptical, or desperate.

You tell us, Andrew! 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Experiencing The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette for the very first time as I type.

Um.

Not really happening. Somewhat sub-Jimmy Webb... trying a bit too hard. When I first heard Odessey & Oracle I was doing backflips around the room after two cuts. That's not happening here, at all.

[later] OK, so over halfway through. Getting a bit tedious now. I'll see it through to the end, but this will be the first and last listen.

[Sunflowerpet]

Genuine Imitation Life is not easy to listen; the first times I played it I was a little bit shocked but it improved all over the years; anyway there are some terrific songs: "Saturday's Father" (the outro is out-of-this-world), "Mrs Stately's Garden" (very Kinks sound alike), "Wonder What You'll Be"...

But if you look a very good Four Seasons album I'd talk you about "New Gold Hits" from 1967 (don't be fooled by the tittle, it's a studio album and not a compilation), that one is a very good lp with impressive tracks such as "C'mon Marianne", "Beggin'", "Around And Around", "I'm Gonna Change", etc.

[seltaeb1012002]

"Idaho" is genius.

[doc smiley]

"New Gold Hits" was their best attempt at a classic in the later 60's.. great listening experience that I would compare to BB's "Today"

[Rich Panteluk]

I am a huge Valli / Seasons fan.  I have seen him / them live several times.  Jersey boys a couple of times.  Started listening to them in 1973 (I was born in 1974) and listened to The Beatles, Beach Boys and Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons the most growing up (I still refer to those three groups as the holy trinity in the music of my youth).  Though Valli and the Seasons are still one of my fave groups I still don't believe they made particularly great complete album statements.    But damn, their singles were out of this world.  I like the Gazette album but find it to way over hyped.  Oracle, Pet Sounds (and many other BB and Beatles albums) are  far superior IMHO.  I far prefer the Gaudio / Crewe combos work to the Holmes / Gaudio team.  Having said that I still feel that Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons work is so often under rated in the rock world.  At their best their music rivals and can often best that of their contemporaries.  Rag Doll for instance is about as perfect as a song can be.  Killer backing track that bests Spector, vocals that come pretty darn close to the mighty Beach Boys best vocal work, a great lyric and a coda and lead vocal that might be one of the strongest in the history of pop music.  I know some here are down on Valli's falsetto but both his tenor and his high range's power cannot be disputed.  I still like Brian's high range better because I like the whine and the tender delivery that he brought, but sometimes a punch can be as good or better than a kiss in pop music and in that respect Valli's falsetto takes the cake.  The high vocal vamps at the end of many of their songs are other worldly in the power and beauty.  Let's Hang On, Silence Is Golden, Working My Way Back To You, Beggin', C'mon Marianne are also up there as perfect pop slices.  As for the lesser known stuff Around and Around, Danger, and I'm Gonna Change are well worth a second look too.

[EgoHanger1966]

Experiencing The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette for the very first time as I type.

Um.

Not really happening. Somewhat sub-Jimmy Webb... trying a bit too hard. When I first heard Odessey & Oracle I was doing backflips around the room after two cuts. That's not happening here, at all.

[later] OK, so over halfway through. Getting a bit tedious now. I'll see it through to the end, but this will be the first and last listen.

It takes more than one listen. You're free to do whatever you want, but if I'd only listened to Pet Sounds one time and didn't get it (as a teenager, this happened), I wouldn't be here, and I would be missing out on some of the best music in life. Some albums click instantly, some don't. Of course, sometimes it really isn't for you, but Andrew, I would try again at somepoint.

Also, I guess it does help to be a fan of The Four Seasons before you listen to this album. Or at least Frankie's voice. If you don't like his lead vox, that can be a dealbreaker.

There are some truly wonderful moments on this album - lyrically ("no one told the heads of state, the prince of peace is sleeping late"), and musically (the sound of a woman giving herself to God as she passes in the end of "Soul of A Woman"). I dunno, it's a special album, it warrants more than a 40 minute dismissal. There is a reason why so many people love it.

"Idaho" is genius.

I once read a review of this track that had the quote "sounds like The Beach Boys on laxatives". Now, everytime I hear the track, I have to think of the quote!

"New Gold Hits" was their best attempt at a classic in the later 60's.. great listening experience that I would compare to BB's "Today"

Yeah - a very good comparison. Although, I like the "hits" on that album much more than on Today - deep tracks I'd go for the BBs.

And, again, listen to the "Rag Doll" album from 1964. Yes, it's teen vocal pop in some places, but that whole album is a unified thought, and it's not nearly as "corny" as their other album from this time period, in which they included lame covers.

[Andrew G. Doe]

I'm a Seasons fan, right up to the "Silver Star" era but this... no. Trying too hard to be hip. If something doesn't catch my ear from the off, it won't suddenly do it later.