Inside You Album Reviews

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AMG Review

Inexplicably, and almost out of nowhere, Frankie Valli reappeared in 1975 on Motown; no doubt a result of the friendship he struck up with the Motown family as they emerged from Detroit to their new palatial digs in Los Angeles. Gone are the teeny bopper, sugar coated songs that made Francis Stephen Castelluccio a teenage sensation with his Four Seasons; and in its place, Inside You finds him a focused lead vocalist determined to escape the trappings of effeminate falsetto wailing. The five-minute lead-off track "Just Look What You Done" builds on the four-on-the-floor classic Motown sound, but layers Philly string arrangements and the fierce songwriting and production of Frank Wilson. There are some predictably soggy, forgettable moments on the record, including a tepid version of the classic "Baby I Need Your Loving." Even "The Mack" maestro Willie Hutch throws a tune to Valli with "Thank You" that doesn't come across as a painful listening experience. All in all, it's an album from a man who was ready and raring to relaunch his career; a feat that would ultimately find him at the upper echelon of the pop charts three years later with the theme song to the movie blockbuster Grease. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide