Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Oh What a Night: The Best of Frankie Valli CD

Oh What a Night: The Best of Frankie Valli songs Relying less on synths, strings, and operatic background vocals, Cradle of Filth turns up the guitars a notch and delivers wave after wave of brutal yet melodic riffs anchored in the band's early influences. Guitarists Paul Allender and James McIlroy twist lines into dark harmonies on "Nemesis" and "Coffin Fodder," while delicate piano intros add atmosphere to "English Fire" and "Absinthe with Faust." The title track features a duet with Liv Kristine (Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves Eyes) that epitomizes the idea of beauty and the beast. NYMPHETAMINE proves that less can indeed mean more. NYMPHETAMINE (according to the band, a term defined as a ravenous addiction to classically beautiful women) is Cradle of Filth's sixth full-length album, and third in a row on a new label (in this case, Roadrunner Records). It's also stripped of the grandeur provided by a full orchestra and choir on 2003's DAMNATION AND A DAY. Time spent on the road with 2003's Ozzfest left the band with a need to simplify the arrangements, in an effort to capture the ferocity of their legendary live shows. What's left is heavily thrash-influenced and teeming with fluid guitar lines rooted in the classic British metal of Iron Maiden and Judas ...

Oh What a Night: The Best of Frankie Valli album for sale It seems that Sony BMG's Country series is designed to provide a well-rounded introduction to noteworthy artists from the genre who've had not merely successful careers, but exemplary ones. In some cases, these volumes represent the truly iconic. Such is the case with this set by the late Vern Gosdin. Gosdin scored his share of hits in the late '70s, '80s and even the early '90s, and kept recording until his death in 2009. His name may not be as recognizable as Willie Nelson's or George Jones', but it is just as formidable. That sweet baritone could carry ballads ("Slow Burnin' Memory"), honky tonk strutters ("I Can Tell by the Way You Dance"), and bluesy roots country ("Who You Gonna Blame It On This Time?") with a grain that carried in it both the tough and the tender. But in each song he delivered, a profound vulnerability let itself shine through. As a vocalist, he was eternally bloodied but unbowed, always willing to go the extra mile to reveal empathy for both his protagonists and their lovers or betrayers. This is true strength. This ten-song collection offers a beautifully well rounded portrait -- at a budget price -- of an artist who deserves far more than he ever got, but who country music producers, artists, and hardcore country music fans will never forget. ~ Thom Jurek