The Four Seasons Album: “Folk-Nanny/Born to Wander”

One can always expect a certain level of quality(high) from a Four Seasons disc. No matter what genre the Seasons were expressing their presentations were impeccably arranged, produced and performed. No other group past or present could match the degree of mastery they achieved for their particular style of music. That they continued in ther Born to Wander disc, which at the time that I first heard and purchased it, in the winter of 1964, was probably not listened to by too many Rock and Roll or Folk followers. It impresses me as more of an Easy Listening Folk (yet extremely satisfying) album than a revolutionary Pete Seger/Bob Dylan type exaltation. They didn't need to protest. Their sound was what it was all about. Pure perfection. Gaudio and Crewe put together exceptionally fine group of Folk tunes. Cry Myself to Sleep & Silence is Golden in particular, but not to a lesser degree Don't Cry Elena, New Town, Golden Ribbon & Millie. I had not listened to these tunes since the 60's, having expanded my listening experiences since(Beatles, Cat Stevens, Pink Floyd, etc.). They still hold my attention as they first did then-an album that I've been trying to get for 3 years. Folk Nanny:a compilation of some of their best 2nd team material: Lost Lullabye-Tremendously soulful! Why is" Soon" so often overlooked. It belongs next to their other big hits. It was so different than the first three hits that they were probably over "cautious" to tamper with the "big" rock and roll beat. It was much more popular in Pittsburgh than "Shame".

Connie-O is another that was so different - everybody loved it!. Shoulda been a hit on its own. Now it's so Seasons, back then it totally fooled everbody to find out it was them. Harmonies were spectacular. Many of the others are highly credible remakes of other hits from the 50's. The one that stands out is "Stay". It's one of those early instances when a remake of a great hit is so unique that it so different from the original that it stands alone as an almost entirely new song. The "calypso" beat in that tune is so driving & intense its hard not to want to break out and dance even in my car. Go Seasons!...Keep on going forever!!!

The Four Seasons are amazing and this proves they always have been. This is such a phenomenal compilation of no less than two dozen beautiful and amazing songs. The Seasons have such a way with zooming harmony and unlimited falsetto, and they don't hold anything back. I'm addicted. This has to be one of the most revealing, versatile and supremely melodramatic examples of their work. Only the REAL Jersey Boys could do these audio acrobatics. Turn off the phone and lock the doors for maximum enjoyment.

The folk music bug was flying high during the early '60s. It even bit the biggest band of the era, The Four Seasons.

The pairing of these two albums shows that the Seasons could handle any style as good as the rest.

Folk-Nanny (later re-titled "Stay and Other Hits") is a great laid-back album that showcases the Seasons harmonies. Born To Wander was a continuation of that formula. Frankie Valli was the lead vocalist, but these recordings show that Bob Gaudio, Tommy Devito, and Nick Massi could wail right behind him (or out front with him) and hold their own.

The entire band was a triple threat with songwriting, singing, and performing. These albums show that The 4 Seasons were much more than a musical group. They were musical geniuses.