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The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette

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The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette
Studio album by
The Four Seasons
ReleasedJanuary 1969
GenrePsychedelic pop, rock
Length44:50
ProducerBob Gaudio

The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette is a 1969 psychedelic pop album by American band the Four Seasons. With musical influences changing in the late 1960s, the Four Seasons teamed up with Jake Holmes to create a concept album that placed their traditional pop stylings into the psychedelic era.[1] Instead of love songs, the group tackled subjects such as war and racial tension.[2]

The album's packaging was also distinctive, with the cover being stylized as a newspaper and the sleeve containing an eight-page newspaper-like insert that also had specially-done color underground comics strips by Skip Williamson and Jay Lynch. This unique packaging inspired John Lennon and the band Jethro Tull to use the concept for later albums of their own.[3]

The first single issued 7 months before the album's release (5/68) was "Saturday's Father" (Philips 40542). It only bubbled under at #103 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. A 2nd single with both sides culled from the album, "Idaho" and "Something's on Her Mind," was released in March 1969 as Philips 40597. Both sides barely crept into the Billboard Hot 100, at #95 and #98, respectively.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]

In a review for AllMusic, Donald A. Guarisco says the album "lives up to its reputation as the most bizarre album in the Four Seasons' catalog", describing it as "a concept album that casts a satirical eye on American life." He calls it "relentlessly inventive, skillfully constructed, and never dull" and "a stunning example of the artistry of the Four Seasons at their most ambitious."[5]

Track listing

All tracks written by Bob Gaudio and Jake Holmes, except as noted.

  1. "American Crucifixion Resurrection" — 6:50
  2. "Mrs. Stately's Garden" — 3:15
  3. "Look Up Look Over" — 4:42
  4. "Something's on Her Mind" — 2:49
  5. "Saturday's Father" — 3:14
  6. "Wall Street Village Day" — 4:27
  7. "Genuine Imitation Life" (Jake Holmes) — 6:16
  8. "Idaho" — 3:02
  9. "Wonder What You'll Be" — 3:31
  10. "Soul of a Woman" — 7:14

Personnel

The Four Seasons

Additional musicians

  • Joseph Cassiere (aka Joey Cass) – drums
  • Vincent Corrao – guitar
  • Anthony De Angelis – woodwind
  • John Holmes – percussion
  • Richard Natoli – woodwind
  • Salvatore Piccolo – trumpet

References

  1. ^ Chapman, Rob (2015). Psychedelia and Other Colours. Faber and Faber.
  2. ^ Kaplan, James (2016). Sinatra: The Chairman. Knopf Doubleday. p. 798.
  3. ^ "'The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette': The Four Seasons' unheralded masterpiece of vocal psych pop". DangerousMinds. 2014-08-06. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  4. ^ Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 (Billboard Books 1994) ISBN 0-89820-105-5
  5. ^ a b Guarisco, Donald A.. The Four Seasons – The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
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