The great power-pop band the Raspberries (left) is currently out playing together for the first time in more than 30 years. (I was thinking that might be some kind of a record for a gap between tours, till I remembered that Cream is getting back together for the first time since the ’60s.) At one point in an otherwise explosively wonderful show at L.A.’s House of Blues on Friday, I began to worry that we might see the Raspberries break up again right on stage. Introducing “I Can Remember,” from the quartet’s first album in 1972, Eric Carmen said, “Wally and I wrote this together on the phone. He had some lyrics and I had some lyrics, and whaddya know, they fit together!” Countered guitarist Wally Bryson, briefly resurrecting an old beef, “I think I had the lyrics and SOME music… Oh, s—, here we go again!” Would this real-time credits dispute end in an alley fight, like the band’s last gig in 1975 had?
Fortunately, any such old flare-ups aside, these four guys seemcommitted to burying the hatchets that kept fans waiting anunconscionable three decades. And the fact that all four members arenot only alive but in fighting trim is rare indeed; think of fellowpower-pop legends like Big Star, which now blends half of the originallineup with half of the Posies, or Badfinger, who had yet anothermember pass on this month. The miracle reconcilation means mostattendees were getting their first-ever live renditions of “Tonight”and “Go All the Way,” which should both go on anybody’s short list ofThe Most Perfect Rock Singles Ever — the former, in particular, is asif Paul McCartney fronted a particularly horny incarnation of the Who.Jim Bonfanti still hits those tom-toms like Keith Moon, belying thegroup’s then-wimpy image. Between songs, Carmen tried to explain wheretheir reputation went off-track, explaining that they wanted to createshort, mostly solo-less songs as a reaction to bloated prog-rock. (Nowonder they were a model — of sorts — for fellow prog-haters the SexPistols, whose Steve Jones regularly plays the group on his L.A. radioshow.) “We thought that we were being radical,” Carmen told theaudience, “but FM radio thought we were being reactionary.”
Three decades hence, can we just settle on heavenly?
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I was at the show, too, and it confirmed all my contradictory feelings about the Raspberries. Their heyday (so to speak) was a couple years before my time, so my introduction to their music came in the context of Eric Carmen’s solo career. After first hearing such stuff’n'fluff as “All By Myself” and “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again,” it’s difficult to hear even a song as revered as “Go All the Way” as much more than an Eric Carmen song with some fantastically crunchy power chords attached.
In other words, it seems to me the Raspberries were prime ’70s MOR pop dressed up in rock gear to court street cred. And that’s fine, for what it was–but it makes the band’s cult status a bit hard to fathom, for me at least. To my mind, it’s not surprising that Eric Carmen gathered in a lot more cash once he’d dropped the rocker pretensions (and the power chords) and laid on the violins–he was finally giving the little (and not-so-little) girls what they wanted, and giving up on the boys who heard through the Raspberries’ guitars to the romantic pablum at Carmen’s core.
So I thought the show was fun, and kinda funny in that “THIS is where they are now?” way…Wally’s scary hair, Eric’s frighteningly buff physique…but I thought the truest moments of the show were the endless audience calls for a rendition of “Hungry Eyes.” The crowd knows where Eric Carmen butters his bread, even if he’s momentarily forgotten.
Couldn’t disagree with you more Jon C. Chris Willman is right on target.
It was heavenly.
The Raspberries are the ultimate power pop group of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
The band was magnificent. The fans were ecstatic and the celebs in the audience, which included Paul Stanley of Kiss, Rick Springfield, and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols were singing along with big smiles plastered on their faces.
I could care less what the band looks like now. Frankly, they’ve held up a lot better than other bands their age. I mean, geez, look at the Stones, they have more crevices in their faces than the Grand Canyon, but can they still rock? The answer is a resounding yes!
And isn’t the music what ultimately matters anyway? The Raspberries delivered on that front splendidly.
Seeing the Raspberries live was a transcendent moment that I will never forget. They are the big bang of all power pop and IMO deserve any kudos that come their way.
I wasn’t able to make it to the LA show but have been priveleged to see the Raspberries six times in the past year. Chris Willman is right on the mark. The band is better than ever. Looks have nothing to do with talent and these guys are loaded with talent. If da Berries are playing in a town near you don’t even debate whether or not to go, just do it.
These guys deserve to be in the R&R Hall of Fame. They are far superior to some of the inductees.
I’ve traveled from Calgary, Alberta, Canada to see the ‘berries 5x over the last year, and every dollar spent has been worth it. In my mind, there has never been a band that has better-merged melodicism and musicianship into an art form as Raspberries. They have been a god-send and one can only hope that in the annals of popular music, a new chapter is being written. Thanks for the write-up Chris.
In response to JonC — I don’t know what show you attended? Endless calls for “Hungry Eyes?” I recall one call for it that had a decidedly ironic tone, but clearly you have no appreciation for irony, or the deliciously tongue-in-cheek quality of the Raspberries in a musical age where many acts of borderline ability took themselves oh, so seriously. The Raspberries were, and still are, a statement best understood by those critical of musical inadequacy, demanding of talent, discipline and integrity, and intelligent enough never to mistake popularity or pretention with that worthy of revisiting 30 years on.
I loved the Raspberries and Eric Carmen! Any chance of then coming to San Diego??? I hope so!!!
Jon C’s comments are coming from someone whose chief point of reference regarding the Raspberries is Eric C’s solo career. This, IMO, is like someone saying they have mixed feelings about the Beatles because they were first Paul McCartney fans, and, to them, Beatles songs are like Macca songs, only with killer harmonies and a bit of an edge, or words to that effect. To me, that’s precisely the difference between the Raspberries’ material and Eric’s easier-listening, watered-down subsequent releases (still better, mind you, than 99% of what’s out there, but…). I’ve attended 4 of their shows, and heard no calls for “Hungry Eyes”, “All by Myself”, etc., except from smart-asses who are trying to be funny. Great, great shows, BTW…..
MOR , middle of the road ie: Billy joel, Bob seeger, Elton John. This term came about in the mid to late seventies.
Raspberries wre no where near the middle.
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