I've been a HUGE Four Seasons fan since I was young and have strived to collect their entire catalogue. With these new releases, it leaves me one step closer. And, as with all obscure collections, sometimes you find a diamond in the rough.
This combo release is good, but the first contains a lot of "greatest hits" material you might already own, and the second half fails in song choice and arrangement.
The first album, ENTERTAIN YOU, starts off well and has some popular songs such as "Show Girl," "Bye Bye Baby," "Big Man In Town," "Betrayed," and "Toy Soldier." Odds are, however, that if you have any of their greatest hits, you might be double dipping with these. It does have other great hidden gems such as "Somewhere," "Living Just For You," and "Where Is Love?" that you can't find anywhere else. These songs are the diamonds in the rough that was previously stated.
The second album, LIVE ON STAGE, is a bit of a letdown. It is supposed to be a "live" album, but you can quickly see how it is a studio album with crowd noises dubbed in. This isn't too bad, but the choices of songs are a letdown. Even though it is a "live" album, we don't get any hits, but songs with a broadway type arrangement and lesser quality. The best part is the selection "How Do You Write A Hit Song." It is a unique selection and actually showcases all four seasons. The rest of the album is good if you want to hear an album full of Four Seasons songs that are not well known, but for the most part, it is not essential. LIVE ON STAGE is only for collectors such as myself who want as much Four Seasons output as you can get, even with the hits and misses.
