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The Raspberries
The Raspberries
Live On Sunset Strip
(Rykodisc, 2007)
It takes a special kind of mood to enjoy pure power pop. Sure, in the days of heavy FM radio consumption, it was hardly a surprise when an open-window, full volume, sing-a-long driving anthem from Cheap Trick or Badfinger came on the car stereo. And guilty pleasure or not, power pop could really pull you out of the doldrums on a long stretch of highway. But really, those days, at least for me, are over. I don’t really stumble upon old power pop ballads too much these days. I don’t even have a car.
But that’s not to say I don’t sit back and appreciate a strong, cheesy tune once in a while. Enter the Raspberries, a definitive band of the power pop genre, notable for a resounding ability to recall harmonies like the Beach Boys and guitar work reminiscent of the Who. Or so dedicated fan Bruce Springsteen claims (and I agree) who penned the liner notes. Even John Lennon, from whom the Raspberries drew great influence, is found prominently displayed wearing a Raspberries sweatshirt on the first page of the accompanying booklet. Admittedly, my current weariness with the genre is turned on its heel when I realize what an impact this band has had on popular music.
This double disc live album captured on L.A.’s Sunset Strip (complete with a bonus DVD) showcases the Raspberries 30 years after they originally disbanded, and even a skeptic like me can admit that, though their sound is dated, their exuberance is not shared by many other bands out there today. The four-piece band consisting of Jim Bonfanti, Wally Bryson, Eric Carmen and Dave Smalley (and rounded out here by three backing musicians) are excited as hell to be up there performing together, and the musicianship of these band members is topnotch. Like most power pop songs, the arrangements are really strong, and the band is tight. The vocal harmonies are, dare I say, glorious (only comparisons in vocal capability to the Beach Boys qualify using the word “glorious”). Their sound is polished, and in a live capacity the Raspberries shine, supported by the cheering crowd of patrons clearly thrilled to be there.
With piano flourishes and crooning choral arrangements, I am reliving a time when I cruised in my ’87 Honda Accord with the sunroof open and hit seek on the car stereo dial until I found something that was conducive to an endless open road. Surely the Raspberries fit that mold. While much of the material gets infinitely repetitive—and, in my opinion, a double disc is a bit much—there are some gems captured on Sunset Strip. Springsteen’s rationalization in the liner notes claiming that the Raspberries were “THE great underrated power pop masters,” has real merit, as their melodramatic compositions are all that great power pop should be, with themes of sex, love and broken hearts.
Kicking into their set with “I Wanna Be With You” they sound pretty dated and the song pretty much annoys me, but I hold on, and I’m treated to some redeeming material—“Tonight” boasts a charming chorus and “Should I Wait”, a lovely gem of a tune, ventures into twangy territory, with an almost country-rock feel, and though the lyrics make me wince, I know that thousands of people have related to this song, so I find it forgivable. “A love that makes you sad can only turn out bad / So I’ll be hanging ‘round until you’re free.” There are a fair number of slow, piano-driven ballads here too, like “If You Change Your Mind”, “I Can Remember” and “Don’t Want To Say Goodbye”, which are, of course, all about aching lost love. Other strong tracks are the very catchy “Needles and Pins” and the epic “Overnight Sensation”, which Carmen wrote about hiding a transistor radio under his pillow and scoping out the new hit songs on the airwaves. By the time the second to last song, “I’m A Rocker” comes along, Carmen’s voice, though pretty solid through most of the set, is starting to sound a little strained (certainly understandable), but the band really rocks it, jamming along and having a great time. Even though I’m sick of listening to them, they are completely endearing and totally deserve their place on Sunset Strip.
Credit must be given where credit is due, and the Raspberries were well-deserving of their time in the sun, and certainly deserved to get back out there again, playing to their legions of faithful fans. I wouldn’t have necessarily thought it at the beginning of my trip through a long live set of power pop, but they’ve proven their worth. Maybe even I can be a believer.
Watch: Clips of Raspberries Reunited [at raspberriesonline.com]
19 Comments
First discovered the Raspberries through Eric Carmen’s first sole effort. Wore that one out on vinyl has since been replaced by a CD. Power pop at it’s best!
why the hell did this person do this review? how inappropriate, not to mention condescending. and, in CRAWDADDY, of all places! oh, well. i got to see the RASPBERRIES a few times, including their NYC debut at Carnegie Hall with openng act, STORIES (with Michael Brown already AWOL), and then twice at clubs, the third time being with the two “new” guys, Scott McCarl el McBride. they were always great, especially the last time. i remember them opening with OVERNIGHT SENSATION that time. great songs, great singing, great playing, pretty good haircuts, and in the dreaded early 70’s when almost nothing resembling Rock’n'Roll was being played anywhere, let alone on the radio. and, those were some big ass hits, too. oh, and super cool guitar licks. they deserve better than that asinine snotty review.
that should have read ….Michael McBride
i think the writer agreed several times that they were great, but that power pop annoys her after awhile. this is a double disc! i don’t think there’s anything snotty or asinine about that. pretty asinine for you to say so, actually.
i totally agree with that guy who felt that the writer given this assignment was completely the wrong person. there is a big difference between writing a review of a contemporary band, with a contemporary record but, a band like the RASPBERRIES who’s fans are pretty much the same ones who have been fans for decades, you want someone who is into the band, and can relay the various pluses and minuses contained therein from that perspective. the purpose of these kinds of archival releases are for those fans essentially, and any new ones a nice little cherry on top. no one is seriously expecting a new generation to discover the guy they know from ALL BY MYSELF’s first band. to review it like it’s something else is just wrong, and, as another RASPBERRIES fan, i find it, well, asinine.
a new RASPBERRIES release? a live one? that is good news. hey, scott, don’t worry about these kids and their “reviews”. we know. they don’t. are these the same people who listen to BRIGHT EYES? MY CHEMICAL BULLSHIT? MADONNA? who cares?!
Hey, they weren’t the Beatles, but so what, Did anyone even call it power pop when those guys were having hits in the deep dark wastleand of post-60’s crap that was American radio? i remember them as a cool breeze in Hell each time they put out a new one. and i love “I Wanna Be With You”. By the way.
isnt there something to be said for a reviewer with a fresh perspective, that isnt emotionally invested in a band?? i dont know what everyone is freaking about about. she says they’re “great”, “polished” “strong”"and even “glorious”. that is NOT condescending.
well well well- looka here! first of all i apologize to Angela Zimmerman for using the word asinine, although it was not directed at her, but at the idea of,to paraphrase Chester, trying to review a record of a band who hasn’t existed in 30+ years as if it is being reviewed for a new audience potentially deciding whether this new RASPBERRIES record is for them. 99.999% of all copies of this record that will be sold will be sold to people who, like myself, made up their minds about the RASPBERRIES 30+ years ago. these kinds of reviews should be written by someone who is, if not a fan, than someone who is at least very knowledgeable about the artist in question. that way the audience that is potentially interested in the record can get some idea of the quality of it before plunking down $300 or whatever a cd costs this week. that is what i thought was asinine although i now apologize for using that word. i certainly meant no offense to the writer, she’s just calling it as she sees it. sorry, Angela.
As a faithful reader of Crawdaddy! and a member of a younger generation, who has absolutely not an inkling of interest whatsoever in My Chemical Romance or crap bands of the like, I have to say that this is a great review. It’s very even-handed and captures a newer more contemporary point of view. But I have to admit, I won’t buy the CD and if that’s what you old farts are pissed about, well, I guess…But whatever, at least I checked them out and listened to some of their songs. Now I have an idea of the definition of power-pop. I NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THE RASPBERRIES until this review. I mean I’ve heard some of their more popular songs, but seriously geezers, step off.
Bright Eyes: yes.
My Chemical Bullshit: no.
Madonna: no.
Hmmmm,
I smell formaldehyde. My dad used
to have their records, and used to rock them in the 80’s. They were better than most in the 70’s and better than even more in the 80’s (excluding the underground music that took root.) But having said that, that’s not saying much. It’s like saying the MOJO deserves some respect for only taking 15min to send a 1 page fax. I don’t think it takes a person who was using them in the 70’s to give an honest appreciation of the device, nor does does it negate the fact that in the grand sceme of things it’s still mediocre…and that goes for the Raspberries too!!
Appreciating it in it’s zeitgeist is certainly a good thing, but doesn’t mean it deserves any extra points for just being OK in a time when most everything else sucked.
Their arrangements were boring, and musically just not that inventive, and that doesn’t change just because disco was being pounded through the airwaves back when you still had hair.
She did have have positive things to say about them. In-fact, I think if she’s at fault AT ALL, its for being too generous.
As a Raspberries fan who has bought the record, I would like to say that the reviewer was off base in her negatives (is there a Raspberries fan who doesn’t love I wanna Be With You, as opposed to finding it “annoying”?) as well as in her praise. The performances are pretty good, but, if you’re a Raspberries fan, or “someone who is very knowledgeable about them”, it would be hard to not talk about the great guitar riffs that distinguished those songs as much as any other aspect of them. Unfortunately, the mix here is crappy; it’s horribly guitar-lite, and drum heavy. and diminishes the band’s power (the power part of power pop). i’m sure the gig itself was not like this. the parts are there, just not where they should be in the mix. so, anyway, while there is certainly something to say for a fresh perspective from a reviewer, there is something missed,as well. unfortunately, the people for whom something is missing are the ones who would be interested in buying the thing to begin with. By the way, given the (un)availability of Raspberries live recordings, and the strength of a good performance, for all those who give a shit about the Raspberries, it’s still worth buying.
i love these letters. i couldn’t be prouder of being older. this is soooo funny. you go, kids. while you’re at it, you should kill your parents, and burn all their records. yahooooooooo!
DON’T LISTEN TO OLD MUSIC! EVER!
i think this just shows that people this fiercely faithful to a band as dated as the raspberries are horribly limiting themselves. get over it. it’s just one reviewer’s opinion. and “i wanna be with you” is fucking annoying.
so now her praise is off base, too? you people are all off your rockers. literally.
I was a young teenager and my thoughts were not so complicated, when the Raspberries were active and contemporary. I could relate to there songs of love and lost love,there music was neither philosophical or ideological just plain innocent like my young teenage mind. Thanks Raspberries for the memories.
This was a pretty good review for someone who was not that familiar with the Raspberries. The Raspberries were a great band…for the short time they were together.I find the feuding between the regular readers of this site and the old time Berries fans pretty silly. The new Raspberries release is a fine record.