There are two discs in the Ultimate Four Seasons set that are of speciaql interest, and that is the unreleased recordings from two eras - the last Philips recordings up to say 1971 and the unreleased Motown recordings that initially spurred on the desire for this project.
Disc 19 is Unreleased 1966-1971, a period that encompasses some extraordinary music that always left a sense of unfulfilled development when the group moved on from Philips. This set shows that there was plenty of that promise yet to be made, although when Bob Gaudio told me in the 1970s that there was some stuff but "not so much" that existed from this time, he wasn't far off.
The set starts off with a rather dull, boxy-sounding version of Raven that is much better reproduced already elsewhere, but moves onwards through various versions of material already released but probably to the wider audience rare and unheard of. The solid rock instrumentation of Heartaches and raindrops continues in a progression from the earlier Half and Half sound of Any Day Now/Oh Happy Day (not on this disc, but on the Half and Half one) right through to even the last instrumental on the end of the disc. Whatever You Say is of the same ilk and it's all a great sound. Oh for more of the same!
There is new material, and although some sound as if they are demos, many are fully polished. The early version of One Man is interesting, and at last we have a good quality version of the final mix as well. This would have been a great follow up to Where are my Dreams. The Peggy Farina demo of Beggin' is very interesting, what a driving bass line that song has. The really new unreleased show some real class, and the pinnacle for me is a song called The Goose, with the potential to be an epic anthemic release. If only....
The closing tracks are instrumentals, being the backing without vocals for C'Mon Marianne (one for our family karaoke nights I think) and And That Reminds Me. The latter is a particularly slick arrangement. The final track is just a backing track, but how well done. very reminiscent of Oh Happy Day, and as soon as it starts it evokes a Bob Crewe Generation feel as well as an on-stage Four Seasons vibe from say 1971. Whatever it is, it's a cracker.
Disc 19 is one of those that I was especially looking forward to, and it does not disappoint. I'll move onto the Motown Unreleased in another review, just so this one doesn't get overpoweringly long!