The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette

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The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette
The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette.png
Studio album by
The Four Seasons
ReleasedJanuary 1969
Recorded1968
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 seven months before the album's release (May 1968) was "Saturday's Father" (Philips 40542). It only bubbled under at number 103 on the Billboard Hot 100. A second 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 number 95 and number 98, respectively.[4]

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic4/5 stars[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

  • Charles Calello – arrangements, conductor
  • John Holmes – percussion, hi-hat
  • Joseph Cassiere (aka Joey Cass) – drums
  • Vincent Corrao – guitar
  • Anthony De Angelis – woodwind
  • Richard Natoli – woodwind
  • Salvatore Piccolo – trumpet
  • Emmanuel Green – concertmaster
Production staff
  • Bob Crewe – “presenter”
  • Roy Cicala – engineer
  • Shelly Yakus – assistant engineer
  • Frank Scrsggi – coordinating producer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Don Snyder – design, photography
  • Desmond Strobel – graphics

[6][7]

References[]

  1. ^ Chapman, Rob (2015). Psychedelia and Other Colours. Faber and Faber. ISBN 9780571282753.
  2. ^ Kaplan, James (2016). Sinatra: The Chairman. Knopf Doubleday. p. 798. ISBN 9780307946935.
  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. ^ Jump up to: a b Guarisco, Donald A.. The Four Seasons – The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  6. ^ "The 4 Seasons* – The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  7. ^ "The Four Seasons – The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette : Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
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