High Notes
When I was a wee lad, a TV commercial bombarded our set for a period of time. It was a four or six record collection of the bulk of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons catalog. If I recall correctly, Valli had the rights to the music and against expert advice released this massive offering. My mom used to wrinkle her nose whenever they played the song bits, and say, you don't like that stuff do you? No, I assured her. But really, I did. I really did.
The music was in my mind in seventh grade when I somehow brought it up to Greg Born, who told me he had seen Frankie and the Seasons in concert. Boy, could he sing high, Greg said. Anyway, I was too young to get the record collection from the commercial, and it was years before I came across it in a record store and had to have it.
I bought my first stereo with my paper route money, an all in one number with a turntable, AM/FM radio, and an 8 track player. And two plug-in speakers. At Woolworth's in the Southdale Mall I came across a record called "Story" by the Four Seasons. It had some medieval-looking cover and some recognizable song names to me but also a few odd ones, like "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)." I went back and forth trying to figure out if this two record set contained the same sounds I'd obsessed over since that TV commercial years before, and finally I bought it, my first record for my new stereo.
It was heaven. It really kicked off a lifelong appreciation for both Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I've seen them in concert several times, own all but one CD (the Dylan/Bachrach one), and listen to them regularly.
On my birthday last year my wife took me to see "Jersey Boys," the musical story of Frankie and the boys. Wow. As the show started with a bang and just kept going, you knew in very short order that this was something you'd remember for the rest of your life. The show is that good. The level of talent across the board was unbelievable. The show won the Tony for best musical in 2006 and has permanent shows on Broadway, in London, Australia, and Las Vegas. The touring company is out and about and you should go see this show.
I really can't imagine anyone not liking it. It ended and it broke my heart, I wanted it to go on and on and on and on. As the lights came up, I asked my wife if we could see it again. Sold out, she says. But we both want to see it again. Preferably many times.
The soundtrack album is fun. There's good music there but its magic comes from making you relive those moments in the theater. We've played it so much we haven't hardly been able to get in the car without my son yelling, Play "Sherry!" or my daughter yelling, Play "Silhouettes!" When my kids run on the treadmill they make me plug in my MP3 player and play Four Seasons albums.
Which brings the story full round from music that captivated me in my childhood to the same music captivating my kids in theirs. My wife digs it, too, which isn't something she says a lot when discussing my musical tastes.
Go see "Jersey Boys." You'll never forget it, and you certainly won't regret it.
The music was in my mind in seventh grade when I somehow brought it up to Greg Born, who told me he had seen Frankie and the Seasons in concert. Boy, could he sing high, Greg said. Anyway, I was too young to get the record collection from the commercial, and it was years before I came across it in a record store and had to have it.
I bought my first stereo with my paper route money, an all in one number with a turntable, AM/FM radio, and an 8 track player. And two plug-in speakers. At Woolworth's in the Southdale Mall I came across a record called "Story" by the Four Seasons. It had some medieval-looking cover and some recognizable song names to me but also a few odd ones, like "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)." I went back and forth trying to figure out if this two record set contained the same sounds I'd obsessed over since that TV commercial years before, and finally I bought it, my first record for my new stereo.
It was heaven. It really kicked off a lifelong appreciation for both Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I've seen them in concert several times, own all but one CD (the Dylan/Bachrach one), and listen to them regularly.
On my birthday last year my wife took me to see "Jersey Boys," the musical story of Frankie and the boys. Wow. As the show started with a bang and just kept going, you knew in very short order that this was something you'd remember for the rest of your life. The show is that good. The level of talent across the board was unbelievable. The show won the Tony for best musical in 2006 and has permanent shows on Broadway, in London, Australia, and Las Vegas. The touring company is out and about and you should go see this show.
I really can't imagine anyone not liking it. It ended and it broke my heart, I wanted it to go on and on and on and on. As the lights came up, I asked my wife if we could see it again. Sold out, she says. But we both want to see it again. Preferably many times.
The soundtrack album is fun. There's good music there but its magic comes from making you relive those moments in the theater. We've played it so much we haven't hardly been able to get in the car without my son yelling, Play "Sherry!" or my daughter yelling, Play "Silhouettes!" When my kids run on the treadmill they make me plug in my MP3 player and play Four Seasons albums.
Which brings the story full round from music that captivated me in my childhood to the same music captivating my kids in theirs. My wife digs it, too, which isn't something she says a lot when discussing my musical tastes.
Go see "Jersey Boys." You'll never forget it, and you certainly won't regret it.
posted by Rick Ollerman at 7:56 PM
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