Reviewed by Tom Mott
Released: November 1980 Frankie Valli Heaven Above Me Genre: Dance Your Tears Away Highlights: If It Really Wasn't Love Soul/Heaven Above Me Rating: 3.9 out of 5 Frankie Vallie is a G.O.A.T. four times over. 1. The early Four Seasons hits. ("Peanut" and "Rag Doll" are personal favorites) 2. Can't Take My Eyes off of You. One of the greatest songs ever. Deer Hunter! 3. Grease! 4. Stylishly taking a back seat for "Oh What a Night (December 1963) 5. Who Loves You (Pretty Baby) I love Frankie Valli. And his voice. It cuts through everything like ... well, not butter, more like grapefruit juice! Bam! At my old job, we would call him a C.H.U.D. So now it's 1980. Disco's still going strong, but the writing's on the wall. What does Valli do? He delivers an album that's half adult contemporary, and half disco. Split personality. And guess what? He nails it. This album is off the wall. The adult contemporary songs sound like hits--perched in Venn diagram between "Up Where We Belong," "Theme from Ice Castles," and "She's Out of My Life." As for the disco: If I found this album white crate-digging in 1995, I would have been E.L.A.T.E.D. One of those albums you approach ironically ecstatically, until you're brave enough to say dammit Jim, I love Herb Alpert. Not just for the Other Delights, but yes those too, but because the music is FUN. It's got a good beat, and we can dance to it, Dick. Stay with me here. Valli was on the front-end of the disco steamrollerskate back in 1975 with Who Loves You (Pretty Baby). And then he scored huge in 77-78 with the theme from "Grease" that super catchy Barry Gibb joint. He's on the pulse. The disco here is not Donna Summer/Bee Gees quality, but it's close. It's Irene Cara "Fame" level. It's a step above Love Boat peak cootchie-cootchie disco. More like Academy Awards High Disco. A full string section with an electric rhythm section, some Moroderik flourishes, bubbling liquid love ("Bring forth the mecha-porpoises of Venus"), and those delicious female "Verb! That's what's happening'!" backing vocals. The 10:27 centerpiece "Soul/Heaven Above Me" is right there with Meco's Wizard of Oz disco magnum opus and Peter Allen's live version of "I Go to Rio." Heady, giddy stuff. My new workout routine--in my mind. Passion for Paris -- Disco Gershwin -- cheesy? Fuck yeah! Frankie Vallie singing "Ooh-la-la" over chicken scratch guitar and conga drums. Heaven Above Me indeed! P.S. He starts with a break-up song. Where did We Go Wrong. At first, I thought it was a misstep. But then he delivers a hedonistic dance your tears away album. Smart! P.P.S. His 1975 album is called "Inside You" -- ewww -- and the opening track is "Just Look What You've Done." That's ... no.
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