Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas (CD)

Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas
Jersey Boys, the successful Broadway musical that chronicled the story of the Four Seasons, the vocal group that gave the world classic pop hits like 哤alk Like a Man,� 咮ig Girls Don唗 Cry,� 哛ag Doll,� 咲awn,� 哠ilence Is Golden,� 哠herry,� and so many others, has become its own sort of cottage industry, spawning several stage runs internationally and a national touring group, and now, a holiday album featuring various cast members from around the world singing Christmas songs and carols in the Four Seasons vocal style. Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas was produced by Bob Gaudio, a founding member of the original Four Seasons and the group唖 main songwriter and arranger, so naturally he knows exactly how to get that vocal style, although he has one huge problem. There唖 only one Frankie Valli, the group唖 iconic lead singer whose high, soaring vocals defined everything, and Valli isn唗 involved in this project. That doesn唗 mean A Jersey Boys Christmas fails as a recording. It唖 actually quite interesting, full of joyous energy and delightfully quirky arrangements, some of which intertwine bits of Four Seasons hits into the mix, and it drives along on big drums and bold rhythmic signatures. The various vocalists who take turns at being Valli do a pretty good job of approximating his signature vocal style, but it唖 never more than a close facsimile, so it唖 probably wrong to approach this album from a Four Seasons perspective. It really sounds as much like the kind of album Brian Wilson and what唖 left of the Beach Boys would make if they were to reconvene in a studio these days, which means, well, less than it could. That said, this set makes for a pretty darn good Christmas album, once one stops wondering what it might have sounded like if Valli had been out front. Highlights include a Drifters-influenced doo wop version of 哤hite Christmas,� 哤inter Wonderland� (with traces of 咮ye Bye Baby� embedded in the arrangement), and a gorgeous 咰arol of the Bells/Angels We Have Heard on High� medley, among others. The whole album is of a piece, and it rocks with joy and drive, and if it isn唗 exactly the Four Seasons, it comes close enough to bring a whole lot of good cheer. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi All Music Guide