Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons were one of the biggest acts of the 1960s. By the end of the decade, however, the hits had dried up. Jumping from Philips to Motown in 1970, Valli and company followed the Bee Gees into glassy soft pop and smooth proto-disco. The Motown Years finds the Four Seasons sounding less like doo-wop icons and more like brassy cheese a la Chicago. None of the singles sold particularly well, but some of the deep cuts here succeed; the best, "Sun Country," offers a funky Italian-American wah wah, baby.