From the Vault...

08/12/2001
#746

info
The Raspberries
"Collector's Series"


© Capitol Records

Year of Release: 1991
Rating:

track listing
  • Go All The Way
  • Come Around
    And See Me
  • I Saw The Light
  • Don't Want To
    Say Goodbye
  • I Wanna Be With You
  • Let's Pretend
  • I Reach For The Light
  • Nobody Knows
  • If You
    Change Your Mind
  • Drivin' Around
  • Tonight
  • Last Dance
  • Hard To Get
    Over A Heartbreak
  • I'm A Rocker
  • Ecstasy
  • Overnight Sensation
    (Hit Record)
  • Party's Over
  • Rose Coloured Glasses
  • Cruisin' Music
  • Starting Over
  • Radio Jingle 1
  • Radio Jingle 2

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    The Raspberries related sites:
    The Raspberries Website
    Wikipedia
    Previous Review: #745
    Mariah Carey--Butterfly
    Next Review: #747
    Argent--In Deep
    The Raspberries
    "Collector's Series"



    Capitol Records have always provided excellent "best-of" Collectors Series CDs for the many popular artists and groups who had their success with the label. The Raspberries were popular in the 1970s, with lead singer Eric Carmen. To some, both these names may not exactly ring a bell, but their hits I'm sure are well-known when you hear them: "Go Your Own Way" and "I Wanna Be With You" probably stands out as the most popular Raspberry tunes off the top of anyone's head. Eric Carmen would later pursue a solo career, with hits like "All By Myself," and "It's Rock N Roll". He also had a hit record from the soundtrack of Dirty Dancing, "Hungry Eyes."


    The Raspberries music can easily be compared to The Beatles -- especially Paul McCartney/Wings. Like McCartney, Eric Carmen can easily sing the love song pop numbers, and scream out the rock and rollers, just as McCartney has done. "Come Around and See Me", sounds like a fast tempo'd version of McCartney's first solo record, "Another Day."


    "Let's Pretend," "Nobody Knows" and "If You Change Your Mind" easily gets the McCartney & Wings compared-to sound, and also "Tonight", which definitely ROCKS, just as good as Wings' "Jet." Another great rocker is "Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak," where this song doesn't really sound like a Beatles or McCartney tune at first, but it definitely has the rock sound of the 1970s. And with a name such as "I'm A Rocker," it's another McCartney-type screamer.


    More of The Beatles' influenced songs are "I Reach For The Light," where this one could have been penned by Paul, and "I Saw The Light," where John Lennon could have easily penned this one for the Fab Four, or even for himself in his solo career (Lennon).


    "Ecstasy" is a good rocker, just as good as "Go Your Own Way," and if you're familar with that popular song, you can easily recognize this song being by The Raspberries. In fact, "Ecstasy" rocks just a little bit harder. "Party's Over" really doesn't compare to McCartney and/or The Beatles at all; it's a rocking song, as heard in common 1970s Rock. In fact, the lead vocalist doesn't sound like Carmen (if it really is him). Yet "Cruisin' Music" is a nice pop upbeat number, and can easily be recognized as a Raspberries tune.


    There are some wonderful harmonies (another Beatles feature) in Drivin' Around, likewise in the pop numbers "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) and "Last Dance." "Rose Coloured Glasses" may get the least attention, it's a fairly good pop ballad song. Much better though, is the piano-based ballad "Starting Over," which was the title of The Raspberries last album. (The Raspberries only had 4 original LPs.)


    The remaining two tracks are radio commercial promos for The Raspberries upcoming albums Fresh (1972) and Starting Over (1974).


    The music of The Beatles, Paul McCartney/Wings can easily be referred to in The Raspberries music. Likewise, piano-based tunes were used by McCartney, and even in some of the tunes found here on this Collectors Series, some of the guitar solos could be compared to that of George Harrison's from The Beatle-years. Even the hamronies are exceptional, compared to The Beatles, and even a little resemblance to The Beach Boys.


    Another band that was just recently reviewed here on this website, also is compared to Beatles and McCartney: XTC. With two Beatles reviews already chosen during the past 12 months, maybe hopefully there's a good chance that a Paul McCartney solo release will be reviewed here on the WSVNRadio website. (The previous McCartney solo release mentioned on this site was Wings' Greatest, in October, 1996.)


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    Previous Review: #745
    Mariah Carey--Butterfly
    Next Review: #747
    Argent--In Deep