The Four Seasons Album: “Rag Doll & 10 Other Hits: Original Classics Collec”

This was the first album the Seasons did that contained all self penned songs (the original albums last track was "On Broadway Tonight" which would later turn up on the b'side of "I've Got You Under My Skin"). The Seasons originally recorded the track "An Angel Cried" in the 50's as Hal Miller & the Rays. But this new version contains Frankie's most powerful vocal to date. Every track on this CD is a gem. Featuring 3 great singles "Rag Doll" "Save It For Me" & "Ronnie" and 2 B sides "Huggin My Pillow" and "Funny Face". It was a pity Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe didn't create more albums like this for the Seasons, instead of relying on old standards and current trends like Dylan & Bacharach.

The Four Seasons are my favorite group of all time. This album features 3 bonified hits-1 number one (Rag Doll), and two top ten hits-Ronnie and Save it for Me. All of the other songs were written exclusively for the group. Each one could have been a hit in there own right. Huggin My Pillow should have been released as a hit, but it wasn't because of their number #1 hit Rag Doll. I was lucky enough to see these guys back in 1968 in Maryland and they were in their prime and Frankie's falsetto was still strong and he sang all of their hits including Sherry, Rag Doll, Ronnie etc. Their harmony was of the street corner catagory, just simply great. Unfornately I recently found out that Frankie has more or less lost his voice, what a shame and what a lost for the music industry. For the reviewer named Danny Beirne, if you want to get a copy of "On Broadway Tonight",

all you have to do is purchase a copy of the double cd entitled Dawn/Go Away-Rag Doll. This is an import from Ace Records which has both albums as they were released back in 1964. You may be able to buy a copy from Collecters Choice Music....

Ah...possibly the most uniquely dynamic vocalist in pop music-- Frankie Valli-- doing some of Bob Gaudio's and Bob Crewe's most inspired tunes along with the original line-up: Nick Massi on bass vocals and bass guitar, Tommy DeVito on baritone vocals and guitar, Gaudio on keys and second tenor. An amazing sound these guys created. Only one flaw: the original album's playlist included "On Broadway Tonight," the theme song to a short-lived sixties variety show hosted by Rudy Valley. It's been replaced by The Seasons' treatment of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" which, though great, has been heard a zillion times and can be found on any number of Seasons anthologies. I would have preferred having the TV theme song. It's a gem and I'd love to know where I could find a copy of it.

Rag Doll is the greatest Four Season album in every respect. The Bob Gaudio/Bob Crewe songwriting collaboration reached it's zenith with hook filled songs like "Save It For Me", "Danger", "Ragdoll". "Huggin' My Pillow", "An Angel Cried" and others. Every song on this album, could have been an AM radio hit, and the production and musicianship puts this band in a select pantheon of great sixties groups. Besides the Beach Boys and Beatles, who else came close to the Four Seasons in the early sixties? Frankie Valli is an underrated vocalist whose ability to convey the timeless emotional pain of unrequited love certainly surpasses most of the "hipper" British invasion singers, and is the equal of great American pop singers like Dion, David Ruffin, and Smokey Robinson.

Sure it's glorified doo wop about adolescent angst but these songs have a melodic beauty and emotional purity that resonates still, 45 years later.

Unlike most albums from the sixties (and most Four Seasons albums), every song on Ragdoll is an essential, well written pop classic. They only throwaway was "On Broadway Tonight", while not a terrible song, has been replaced with the classic "I've Got You Under My Skin". If you like the Four Seasons and you don't own this album, you ABSOLUTELY must hear it.