No accurate evaluation of ‘60s pop is valid without mentioning the musical influence of The 4 Seasons. Huge in the NYC area before the arrival of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, the ‘Seasons racked up hit and after hit while also providing a solid segue between the doo-wop era of early ‘60s pop and the arrival of The Beatles and the first British invasion in early ‘64. That fabled era of American pop is fondly recalled with a 2007 box set from Rhino entitled Jersey Beat - The Music Of Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons. Of course, Rhino and various other labels have done some justice to the band’s back catalog over the past twenty years, but on Jersey Beat Rhino pulls out the stops—compiling 76 tracks on three CDs with a fourth disc, a DVD featuring incredible live video footage from The Steve Allen Show (from 1963), Hullabaloo (1966), incredible ‘71 footage from BBC’sTop Of The Pops, clips from Ed Sullivan Show (1966), The Kraft Music Hall (1968) and more. Perhaps the ultimate tribute to the music of The 4 Seasons are the numerous track by track accolades in the 84 page booklet—written tribute by some of the most illustrious composers of 20th century pop music including Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Barry Gibb, Gerry Goffin and tons more. One of only a handful of pioneering musical legends that left an indelible imprint on the sound of the ‘60s, the magic of The 4 Seasons remains a timeless, generation spanning phenomenon. www.rhino.com

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