Disco de Donna Summer: “Four Seasons of Love”

When Donna Summer first hit in 1975 with "Love To Love You Baby,"

it was tempting to dismiss her as just another voice planted in the middle of a disco groove, who would be forgotten almost as soon as the beat faded off the charts. Indeed, her first two albums featured Summer's voice at its highest; its breathiest. Their sales success notwithstanding, one couldn't help but wonder if there was anything to Donna, other than Oooohs and Ahhhhs. Four Seasons of Love answered that question. Donna still

is singing in a wispy falsetto, but it is the WAY she is singing

that captures one's attention. She is sounding like a professional in this album, trying to get the most meaning out of

each new phrase. Four Seasons was a successful expansion of some

of the drama of her previous concept album, A Love Trilogy. Here,

Donna explores four stages of a love affair; stages that anyone who has been in love can relate to-- especially those who have loved and lost. "Spring Affair" captures the hope and optimism that come with new love. The beat is bouncy, the mood of the song

is bright. You can cut Donna's sense of anticipation with a knife, and she sings as if she's completely involved in her new feelings. As "Summer Fever" takes over, Donna and her new lover can do no wrong. The guitars and bass twang and throb with the heat of a newfound passion. Love is burning bright, and Donna obviously loves playing with the fire. But then come the "Autumn Changes"! The beat slows. The mood fluctuates. Donna begins to questions things, as woodwinds replace the brass that punctuated

the first two songs. She is vulnerable and almost somber in her tone, as her lover begins to pull away from her. Then comes the "Winter Melody." Her man is gone. She is alone. The beat is even slower, like a heart that wants to stop beating. The strings

in the arrangement are drenched in pathos. Pain is all around.

But even as that pain becomes distant and starts to fade, we hear

anew the throbbing bass of "Spring Affair." The reprise leaves us

Back in the day she was known for her concept albums. Parti-

cularly this one where she sings about the four seasons.What made this one special is how a song overlap into the next one. Keeping continuity although the rythms change. Besides the

famous "Spring affair" I have a preference for "Winter Me-

lody" and "Autumn Changes". Even the harmony of the back up

singers make this an unforgettable classic. Add it to your collection.

This was one of numerous concept albums Donna Summer has released in her dazzling career. More like an EP really as there are 5 tracks on it but what a fab collection. It was also the third Gold album in a flood of Gold and Platinum awards for Summer.

The concept was as the title states; the four seasons of love, starting with the giddy, happy feeling of falling in love in spring, the affair becoming scorching and intense in summer, the affair taking a downturn in autumn, and going cold in winter, and then a revival the next summer. A concept Destiny's Child would use for their most recent `Destiny Fulfilled' CD.

This was also reflected in the four stunning photos on this CD (the original vinyl LP included the four photos in a pull out calendar, each representing a season). The cover shot of a very sexy looking Donna reclining on a moon, and the Marylin Monroe aping shot with Donna's dress billowing up around her are the most famous.

Getting into the music, we start with `Spring Affair', a catchy upbeat dance affair replete with strings and horns (excellent sax by the way), and Donna cooing seductively in her trademark falsetto.

Next is `Summer fever', (this was my favourite especially because I felt Donna was singing this to me as I was born in the summer, LOL!) a horn and bass laden magical sounding piece with a hesitant sounding beat. Standout here have got to be the parts where Donna hits incredibly high notes.

`Autumn changes' is a richly orchestrated number with a very melancholic falsetto from Donna. There is also a wonderful break that has a slight reggae/calypso feel and what sounds like Caribbean steel drums playing. Beautiful!

Next, we get the sounds of a winter storm heralding the jazzy ballad `Winter melody', with Donna singing in a sad, lower register in the verses and falsetto for the chorus. You can almost see and feel the snowflakes. Great strings, guitars and horns.

`Spring affair' gets reprised.

Four songs but each intricately constructed with numerous changes and twists, totally different from what everyone else was doing then...

according to Donna Summer. This was the first Donna Summer album I bought and I bought it for "Winter Melody," a touching song about love that leaves. This album showed that Donna was no "one hit wonder," a tag she could have easily gotten after "Love to Love You." This project did have more of an R&B/disco feel with "Summer Fever" and "Autumn Changes" being the example of that type of vibe. Donna's vocal on "Spring Affair" was smooth and classy, disco at it's best. Donna set herself apart from most performers of the era by having a theme to her albums. Whether she was singing about love (as she does on "A Love Trilogy" and this album) or "Bad Girls," (looking for love) Donna was an original and a talent that would survive the Disco Era.

my mom had a copy that i borrowed one day. i had no idea of the songs or anything; all i knew of donna summer was hot stuff, etc. half an hour later i was enraptured and wondered why they don't make this stuff anymore. such a warm sound, excellent to hear on cd w/good headphones. it's a shame 2 hear present-day r&b/pop music that is used 4 romance and then listen 2 this. u will burn all the modern stuff. yes, only a half-hour long but u will be different a half-hour later.