Raspberries
Live on Sunset Strip (Rykodisc)In one bathetic swoop, ex-Raspberries frontman Eric Carmen nearly laid ruin to the pioneering power-pop band’s legacy with his overwrought 1976 solo smash, “All by Myself.” Nevertheless, the Cleveland quartet’s perfectly concocted mix of Who-inflamed fury and wide-eyed Beach Boys tenderness has enduring cult appeal. This 2-CD set documents a 2005 Los Angeles reunion gig by the best-known Raspberries lineup. With musical prowess intact and vocal harmonies only slightly weathered by time, the show begins with guitarist Wally Bryson’s bright-blue Rickenbacker intro to “I Wanna Be With You,” followed by a cover of the Who’s “I Can’t Explain.” Band life was second only to sex as the Raspberries’ favorite lyrical subject, as evidenced by rollicking renditions of “Play On,” “Party’s Over,” and of course, “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record),” a masterful transistor-radio saga driven by drummer Jim Bonfanti’s teeth-rattling drum rolls. Although this album is available in a truncated single-disc form, most anyone who cares will want the deluxe 21-song version, which comes with a nonessential but enjoyable five-song DVD of concert highlights.
This article appears in December 14 • 2007.
