5 Power Pop classics from the Raspberries you should know
Power pop is a rock subgenre that inevitably divides fans. The style is held in high regard by listeners who love the sharp hooks, strong melodies and exuberant arrangements that characterize the style. Detractors point to what they see as its derivative nature, based upon the music of specific eras in the catalogs of The Beatles and The Who (and only a few others). But there’s no denying that among the most fully realized exponents of power pop were the Raspberries. The Ohio-based group led by Eric Carmen made music that might have been a bit out of fashion by the ‘70s, but nevertheless scored hits and enduring popularity.
The Raspberries would only release four albums during their initial time together (1970-75). But each of those albums is filled with gems. On the 50th anniversary of their last LP of the ‘70s, Starting Over, here are five power pop classics from the band: one each from those four albums, plus one from an onstage reunion in the 21st century.
“Go All the Way” from Raspberries (1972)
This was the opening track on the band’s debut LP (memorable also for its raspberry-scented scratch-and-sniff cover). With its signature bracing guitar riff, “Go All the Way” signaled the Raspberries’ approach: a “don’t-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus” style that featured loads of soaring harmonies and an impassioned lead vocal from Eric Carmen. “Go All the Way” soared to the Top 5 on three U.S. singles charts; it performed well in Australia and Canada, too.
“I Wanna Be With You” from Fresh (1972)
A mere seven months after their debut album, the Raspberries returned with Fresh, another winning collection of power pop gems. Again opening their album with the lead-off single, the group scored another hit with “I Wanna Be With You.” Yet again focusing on themes of adolescent love, the single made it into the Top 20 on U.S. singles charts.
“Tonight” from Side 3 (1973)
Fresh eschewed gimmickry for its album cover, simply featuring a band photo. But for Side 3, the Raspberries offered up a die-cut album cover. More significantly, the album's opening track was the uptempo “Tonight,” a single that once again delivered on the promise of the group's high-energy, romantic power pop approach. Unfortunately, and despite its undeniable quality, “Tonight” barely cracked the Top 40 on one U.S. singles chart. The song would find a newer audience eight years later when covered by glammy hair metal band M?tley Crüe.
“Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” from Starting Over (1974)
For Starting Over the band took on a harder rocking approach, delivered by a new lineup (only Carmen and lead guitarist Wally Bryson remained from the original lineup). And Starting Over was a departure in another manner: its opening track was an ambitious, epic composition that combined Eric Carmen’s love of classical motifs with a grandiose, anthemic approach that hinted at the music Meat Loaf and others would soon make. A sardonic statement on success, “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” may well be the finest Raspberries song ever recorded, but the band’s catalog is filled with many songs that could fit that description.
“Needles and Pins” from Live on Sunset Strip (2007)
The Raspberries’ first show in some three decades was recorded and released 13 years later as Pop Art Live. That album is marred by heavy-handed use of post-production Autotune, but a 2007 release of a different show from 2005 captures the group is a more faithful manner. Live on Sunset Strip found the foursome running through all of their hits plus a select few covers. This is one of the latter, a tip of the hat to their influences. An oft-covered song written in 1962 by Sonny Bono and Jack Nitzsche (likely with Jackie DeShannon); the tune provided part of the template for the Raspberries’ timeless sound. Live on Sunset Strip is significant as the last officially recorded concert from the Raspberries: Eric Carmen died in March of this year.
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