On November 24, 2004, the original four members of the Raspberries, Eric Carmen, Wally Bryson, David Smalley and Jim Bonfanti, came together to play their first concert in over thirty years.
Not just a short reunion appearance, the band played a twenty seven song set that was captured on tape and will be released on August 18 as Pop Art Live via Omnivore Recordings.
The appearance was the opening night of a stint at the House of Blues in Cleveland and led to a reunion tour the following year that brought the classic pop-rock sound of the group to the fans across the country.
Mixed in with songs from all four of the Rasberries albums were covers of tunes from the likes of the Beatles and the Who.
Also included in this 2-CD package are reflections and testimonials from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and rock scribe Cameron Crowe, pop music author James Rosen, and longtime Raspberries aficionados Bernie Hogya and Ken Sharp. Hogya also contributes a wealth of ephemera from opening night in Cleveland.
Crowe wrote “It was the early ’70s, and the editor of the local underground newspaper where I worked was confused and fascinated by the Raspberries’ debut album. I watched as a room full of post-hippie political journalists passed around the album cover, solemnly smelling the scratch ’n’ sniff cover. I’d talked my way into the job despite of, or maybe because of, my age (15), and the editor trusted me to fill some space reviewing records. I took the record home, and gave it a spin. Go All the Way opened the album, and the Raspberries’ career, with a sonic knock to the jaw. Within three chords, I knew I had to blast it. The run of songs continued, each one building on the giddy promise of the last, from Come Around and See Me to the rapturous I Saw the Light and beyond . . . it was one of the strongest introductions to a record I’d heard. The assurance, the kick in the band’s attack, and the pop majesty of Eric Carmen’s vocals made me a life-long fan.”
The track list:
Disc 1
I Wanna Be With You
Play On
I Can’t Explain
Nobody Knows
Let’s Pretend
Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye
Party’s Over
Overnight Sensation [Hit Record]
Might As Well
It Seemed So Easy
Baby’s In Black
If You Change Your Mind
Tonight
I Can Remember
Disc 2
Starting Over
Last Dance
I Saw The Light
No Reply
When You Were With Me
It’s Cold Outside
Should I Wait
Come Around And See Me
Makin’ It Easy
Ticket To Ride
Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak
Ecstacy
I’m A Rocker
Go All The Way
