The Beatles marry The Beach Boys on The Raspberries' "Fresh" album
Written: Aug 24 '04 (Updated Nov 13 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The Top 40 hits "I Wanna Be With You" and "Let's Pretend."
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: The album reached #36 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart, producing the Top 40 hits "I Wanna Be With You" and "Let's Pretend," both featuring lead singer Eric Carmen.
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| Don_Krider's Full Review: Fresh Raspberries by The Raspberries |
Raspberries were riding high on the U. S. pop charts following the success of their first album, "Raspberries," which hit # 51 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart during a 30-week run earlier in 1972.
Tied in with that, the band's first two singles had both made the U. S. Hot 100 Singles chart, with "Go All The Way" ("...baby, please, go all the way...") rising to # 5 and selling 1.3 million copies stateside.
The band featured keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Eric Carmen (who named his Siamese cat "Puppy"), lead guitarist Wally Bryson, bassist Dave Smalley and drummer Jim Bonfanti (who promised to get a Dalmation and name him "Spotless").
Carmen was the only Cleveland native in the bunch (Smalley and Bonfanti were from Pennsylvania, and Bryson (a proud, part-Cherokee Indian) was from North Carolina, though all had lived in the Cleveland area for many years when they joined Raspberries).
Carmen described the band's sound to Circus magazine, a rock music publication, saying, "I like to think of the group as being more American than The Beatles, but more British than The Beach Boys --- right in the middle... our whole concept was, and is, to bring back the halcyon days of clean rock, 1965 and '66... We want to bring back that good-time feeling that was around back then."
For the second album, called "Fresh," the band members were clad in matching white suits (I'm told their "uniform" included shoes with Raspberry-colored gems embedded in them and even their underwear (if there was a debriefing, I haven't heard tell of it) had raspberries on them ).
The band played before 75,000 people at the Los Angeles Coliseum during a national tour in 1972, among other venues where the act was hugely popular. Success, it seemed, was their's to be had.
Capitol, in its many promo efforts, had giant billboards of the "Fresh" album cover on Hollywood and Vine. They also had a contest in conjunction with Star magazine to give away a car designed by George Barris, a Raspberries "Rollswagen" --- a vehicle that was a Volkswagen customized to look like a small Rolls Royce.
Barris had also designed the Batmobile, the Monkeemobile and the Munsters Koach, so this was a big deal. The promotion was big enough that the band and the car appeared on the TV series "American Bandstand."
On the picture sleeve for the album's second single, "Let's Pretend," was a mail-in ballot to pick the "foxiest Raspberry" and to enter to win the car.
Surprisingly, teen heartthrob Eric Carmen lost the title to the band's equally gorgeous drummer, Jim Bonfanti. The story, with previously unpublished photos, is well-told in a new book, "Eric Carmen: Marathon Man" by Bernie Hogya and Ken Sharp (available from http://www.ericcarmen.com).
Such things gave the band a teen image, and try as they might, the band was being cast by Capitol Records as teen superstars when all they really wanted to be were The Beatles.
Everything worked, though, and who could argue with Capitol, home of The Beatles and The Beach Boys?
The "Fresh" album hit the charts on December 9, 1972, and during its 16 weeks on the charts it peaked at # 36. Helping things along were two popular singles, both penned by Eric Carmen, "I Wanna Be With You" (which peaked at # 16 during its 11 weeks on the charts in 1972-73) and "Let's Pretend" (which hit # 35 in 1973 during a 16-week chart attack).
The band was tight on this effort, but the band's other members began to resent Eric Carmen getting all the singles (in reality, producer Jimmy Ienner and Capitol Records made that choice, but the royalties go to the guy who writes the hit, which hits the wallets of the guys who didn't write the song).
By the end of 1973, Smalley and Bonfanti would leave the group after their third album, "Side 3," flopped. The band (Carmen and Bryson with two new members) continued on until 1975, scoring a total of seven Hot 100 hits (six by the lineup that included Smalley and Bonfanti).
In 1974, Capitol, despite Smalley's and Bonfanti's departures, released a third single from "Fresh," "Drivin' Around," but it failed to chart.
Still, when this album came out in 1972, the band members were united and happy. TV appearances on shows like "The Midnight Special, "American Bandstand" and "Flipside" won large numbers of fans for the "Fresh" album.
Personal note:
I was 15 when "Fresh" came out in 1972 and when this Capricorn turned 16 in January of 1973 there was a massive display in a local record store of the "Fresh" album. Giggling and touching the album cover were several girls about my age at the time. After that, I decided then and there that Raspberries were my Beatles and hoped some of that attract-the-opposite-sex magic would rub off on me.
Okay, that magic didn't rub off on me, but Raspberries music sure did. I love these guys!
Trivia buffs:
In the new Hogya-Sharp book bio on Carmen mentioned above, it's interesting to note that Joan Jett of The Runaways, a Raspberries' fan, bought Carmen's "white baby" (he had it painted white) Melody Maker rhythm guitar years later. It's the guitar Carmen used on this album, and Jett says she has played the guitar on 17 chart hits, including "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Pretty cool.
This album:
"Fresh" was generally praised by the rock press. Phonograph Record Magazine called it "the most impressive new album I've heard in years and one that you're going to enjoy immensely if you dig Raspberries' singles and the middle '60s Beach Boys/Beatles."
Rolling Stone magazine said the music was "straight out of 'Rubber Soul,'" with critic Mike Saunders adding, "It looks like we have an important group on our hands."
There has never been a U. S. release of the album on CD, but it has been released twice on CD in Japan in the 1990's and is an expensive, hard-to-find, import.
However, the good news is that the first two Raspberries albums, "Raspberries" and "Fresh," are both available on a single, inexpensive British CD from RPM Records called "Power Pop, Volume One" (http://www.epinions.com/musc-review-2FD4-37E24EC-38552D47-prod5).
The 10 tracks:
"I Wanna Be With You," "Goin' Nowhere Tonight" (since covered by Bill Lloyd), "Let's Pretend" (since covered by both The Lettermen and The Bay City Rollers), "Every Way I Can," "I Reach For The Light," "Nobody Knows" (since covered by both Kyle Vincent and Scott McCarl), "It Seemed So Easy," "Might As Well," "If You Change Your Mind" and "Drivin' Around."
The best tunes:
First, there truly isn't a bad track on the album, but I'll just comment on the best tunes here. The band's concept was to recreate the mid-'60s, melodic pop they loved, and in so many ways the songs on "Fresh" take you through that "Time Tunnel" on the road we call Memory Lane --- not a bad place to travel to.
"I Wanna Be With You" is the song that won me over to Raspberries. "Go All The Way" just didn't grab me that way. The Carmen-penned "I Wanna Be With You" just jumped out of my tabletop AM radio speakers at me like a breath of fresh air into my lungs.
Jim Bonfanti's rapid fire opening drum roll (with Eric yelling "hit it!"), followed by Wally Bryson's jangly 12-string guitar, all join forces with some wonderful harmonies and Carmen's sweet, yearning vocal:
"If we were older / we wouldn't have to be worried tonight / baby oh (Oh!) I wanna be with you / so bad (yeah, I wanna be with you)..."
All followed midway through the song by Carmen's out-of-left-field bridge ala Brian Wilson:
"...hold me tight, ha / our love could live forever after tonight / if you believe what we're doin' is right / close your eyes and be still / whoa, baby, yeah, I wanna be with you..."
As the song fades, the band is playful, singing the chorus over-and-over, with Carmen giving an almost inaudible laugh as the song closes.
On "Let's Pretend" you get Carmen's sequel to The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice," a sweet, gentle, uptempo ballad about a guy in love with a girl, all sung by Carmen's pretty voice (listen for Wally Bryson singing directly beneath Carmen on the chorus and you'll understand how special their presence in the band was):
"...baby, let's pretend / that tonight could live forever / if we close our eyes and believe / it might come true / baby, let's pretend / we could always live together / but for now just let me / spend the night with you..."
"I Reach For The Light" is Carmen's tribute to The Beatles' "Penny Lane," full of "Magical Mystery Tour" horns, tight harmonies, light guitar and sweet piano:
"...I tell myself I'm better off / no one can have me now / I see your crumpled photograph / it makes me laugh aloud / ... / I reach for the light / it shines above my head / reveals the bed that you're not in / I reach for the light / it shines across the room / and brings to mind what might have been..."
"Nobody Knows" shows what a wonderful songwriting team Carmen and Dave Smalley could be.
This is perfect "Beatles '65" pop, with Carmen the equally perfect Paul McCartney. The song is packed with ringing acoustic guitars, a fairly marching chorus and a gorgeous melody beneath some delicious harmonies:
"...now those smiles and looks upon her face / are meant for someone else whose in my place / and he's her lover the way I used to be / nobody knows / what it does to me (nobody knows) / no one could ever see / nobody knows what it does to me..."
"Might As Well" by Wally Bryson is an uncanny marriage of John Lennon bravado and George Harrison innocence. With its sweet acoustic guitar-work at its base, Bryson offers a gorgeous, uptempo Beatles-inspired ballad:
"Might as well give in / have to say it's true / can't believe it's happened to me, but / ooh, I'm glad it's you / I guess you were there from the start / and try as I may I can't say that we'll part / so I might as well give in / and say I love you..."
Carmen's "If You Change Your Mind" is an outstanding piece of piano pop, backed by lush strings and and beautifully played acoustic guitars, which genuinely conveys the sadness of a lost love and a hopeful lover:
"...but if you change your mind / won't you take some time / and let me know that you / still want me too / 'cause I'll wait night and day / until you say that you have / changed your mind ..."
The ultimate Beach Boys'/summer fun tribute, Carmen and Smalley's "Drivin' Around" features producer Jimmy Ienner on bass vocals.
Carmen was in his early 20's when he sang lead on this, but I was 16 when I first heard it, and it fit my high school years perfectly:
"...when school lets out / and the summer's here / we'll have some time for the sun / throw my notebooks out / and put my car in gear / 'cause we'll be havin' some fun / drivin' around (long hot days, we'll be catchin' the rays)..."
Just released:
Live On Sunset Strip (Deluxe Edition of 2 CDs and a DVD recorded during the 2005 reunion tour) By Raspberries, a 2007 Rykodisc release with liner notes by Bruce Springsteen and a photo of John Lennon in a Raspberries sweatshirt in the CD booklet, produced by Mark Linett and Eric Carmen: http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588
On the web:
"Reflections: Side 3 - Songs From The Raspberries Fan Community" by various artists is a tribute album that benefits the VH-1 Save The Music Foundation: http://www.epinions.com/content_271718911620
Capitol/EMI's 24-bit digitally remastered CD released in May of 2005 in the U. S. and Europe, "Greatest," features all 7 of Raspberries Hot 100 singles, has 20 tracks and runs 78:53 minutes: http://www.epinions.com/content_186044681860
Jim Bonfanti and his group Boxer released a new CD in 2004, "By The Seat Of Our Pants": http://www.epinions.com/content_180171804292
Wally Bryson and Jesse Bryson, with friends, deliver great sounds on The Bryson Group's CD "Dry": http://www.epinions.com/content_177981263492
On tour to rave reviews as a sideman on Raspberries' 2004-2005 tour is guitarist Billy Sullivan (personally chosen by Eric Carmen for the tour). My review of Billy's solo album, "All-American Popster," appears at: http://www.epinions.com/content_170531917444
My review of The Raspberries' CD "Raspberries": http://www.epinions.com/content_153014079108
My review of The Raspberries' CD "Side 3": Raspberries "Side 3": http://www.epinions.com/content_153560452740
My review of The Raspberries' CD "Starting Over": http://www.epinions.com/content_152728538756
The official Raspberries' website: http://www.raspberries.net
The official Eric Carmen website: http://www.ericcarmen.com
The official Wally Bryson website: http://www.thebrysongroup.com/
The official Dave Smalley website: http://www.davesmalley.com/
The official Jim Bonfanti website (featuring his Cleveland band, Boxer): http://www.boxerrocks.com
Special thanks:
To Epinions.Com Music Category Lead Shelly, aka Lambchops (http://www.epinions.com/user-lambchops), for adding Raspberries' "Fresh" to the Epinions.Com musical database.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Driving
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Epinions.com ID:
Don_Krider
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Member: Don Krider
Location: USA
Reviews written: 301
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About Me:
Fan of power pop (Raspberries, Badfinger, Cheap Trick, The Knack, Romantics, Slade,Sweet...) --- "Play On"!!!
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