Close-Up/Valli

he good news is that Collectors' Choice Music is digitally reassessing Frankie Valli's solo catalog. Some consumers might notice, however, that the reissues are not presented in a chronological fashion. Hence, the incongruous pairing of Closeup (1975) and Valli (1976). Both long players were released in the wake of the vocalist's less than stellar stint as an artist on the Los Angeles based Motown Records subsidiary MoWest. In fact, Valli had to buy back his own master tapes from the label for a then-unreleased tune that he wanted to include on an upcoming project. In relatively short order, that leftover, titled "My Eyes Adored You," sold millions of copies, hitting the top of the Pop Singles chart in the process. Valli then turned the catchy proto-disco "Swearin' to God" into gold, scoring his second Top Ten entry in under six months. The remainder of Closeup is typical of Valli's innocuous middle of the road fare. The slightly rural twang on the opener "I Got Love for You, Ruby" and the laid-back bluesy "Waking Up to Love" are about as diverse or far afield as the material goes. The charming "He Sure Blessed You" is lightly orchestrated, while "I Can't Live a Dream" reiterates the artist's disco predilection. By comparison, the eponymous Valli (1976) was not as eagerly embraced -- even though (or quite possibly, because) the singer was reeling off yet another collection of half-hearted ballads with the occasional upbeat track mixed in to stave off predictability. Although it failed to yield a successful single or even make the Top Pop Album survey itself, there are a few above average to excellent offerings scattered throughout. Primary among them is the cover of Boz Scaggs' "We're All Alone" -- predating Rita Coolidge's better-known take by a year -- the funky and definitely danceable "Boomerang," as well as the midtempo groove permeating "You're the Song (That I Can't Stop Singing)." ~ Lindsay Planer|