CD Preview: The Raspberries’ Pop Art Live

The Raspberries were power-pop pioneers who, like just about anything to come from Cleveland, still struggle to get respect to this day. Formed in 1970 by singer/guitarist Eric Carmen, guitarist Wally Bryson, bassist John Aleksic, and drummer Jim Bonfanti, the line-up shifted when Aleksic left the band, Carmen took up the bass, and they added guitarist Dave Smalley. With a sound steeped in British Invasion bands like the Beatles and the Who, along with a dash of blues and gorgeous pop-derived melodies, the Raspberries enjoyed modest chart success with a half-dozen radio-friendly hits.

The Raspberries released four albums during their brief existence, including their 1972 self-titled debut and, later that year, Fresh (their best-seller, which yielded two hit singles). Side 3 followed in 1973, and the following year’s Starting Over would prove to be the Raspberries’ swansong. Carmen went on to a successful solo career after the band’s 1975 break-up, but the enduring influence of the Raspberries could be heard in the music of fellow-travelers like the Bangles, Game Theory, the dB’s, Jellyfish, and many others. The band counts among its fans such musical heavyweights as Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, and Paul Westerberg of the Replacements.

In November 2004, the classic line-up of the Raspberries – Carmen, Bryson, Smalley, and Bonfanti – reunited at the grand opening Cleveland’s House of Blues club for a boisterous, well-received show. The response prompted the band to undertake a 2005 mini-tour which in turn led to the release of a double-album, a VH1 Classic television special, and a concert broadcast by XM Satellite radio. On August 18th, 2017 Omnivore Recordings will release the Raspberries’ Pop Art Live, a two-disc set that documents that near-legendary House of Blues concert performance from 2004.

Pop Art Live features live versions of songs from all four of the band’s classic studio albums, including favorite hits like “Go All The Way,” “I Wanna Be With You,” “Let’s Pretend,” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” as well as their unique performances of timeless songs by rock music legends like the Beatles and the Who. The double-disc set also includes notes and testimonials from fans like Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Cameron Crowe, pop music author James Rosen, and band aficionados Bernie Hogya and Ken Sharp. In addition to the CD release, plans are to release Pop Art Live as a three-album vinyl set later this year.

Buy the CD from Amazon.com: The Raspberries' Pop Art Live

The Raspberries' Pop Art Live track list:

Disc One
1. I Wanna Be With You
2. Play On
3. I Can’t Explain
4. Nobody Knows
5. Let’s Pretend
6. Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye
7. Party’s Over
8. Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)
9. Might As Well
10. It Seemed So Easy
11. Baby’s In Black
12. If You Change Your Mind
13. Tonight
14. I Can Remember

Disc Two
1. Starting Over
2. Last Dance
3. I Saw The Light
4. No Reply
5. When You Were With Me
6. It’s Cold Outside
7. Should I Wait
8. Come Around And See Me
9. Makin’ It Easy
10. Ticket To Ride
11. Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak
12. Ecstacy
13. I’m A Rocker
14. Go All The Way