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| From | Not Lame <popmusic@notlame.com> |
| Subject | Raspberries in LA |
| Date | Mon, 24 Oct 2005 07:29:57 -0600 |
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From (Bob)Lefetz Letter Post over the weekend, this guy has a really find
Podcast on the Rhino web site, but he's a music biz consultant, always
interesting views that are contrary to the rest of the industry, generally.
Anyway, some here will find this interesting, no doubt:
So Eric Carmen's sitting as his keyboard. And he starts telling this story.
Of lying in bed every night with his transistor glued to his ear. Listening
to the Beatles, the Stones, everybody on the radio. And then his fingers
start waltzing over the keys.
"Well I know it sounds funny
But I'm not in it for the money, no"
"Rolling Stone" was my bible. I read every issue. It took HOURS! I
MEMORIZED IT! And I TRUSTED IT! When Lester Bangs said "Killer" was the
record of
the year, I purchased it and when the first notes of "Under My Wheels"
emanated
from my stereo, I was instantly converted. I'm STILL an Alice Cooper fan.
And when, in the spring of '74, the same magazine said that "Overnight
Sensation" was one of the best records of the year, I took another risk. I
thought
the Raspberries were AM fodder. But when I put this record on my Dual
turntable
and I heard that piano part Eric played last night, my ticket was taken, I
was cashiered, I was IN!
They say the biggest non-hit of all time is "River Deep, Mountain High". I
had to track that Phil Spector record down, and when I heard it I said HUH?
My
life wasn't changed, this didn't DESERVE to be a hit. If you want to
discover a record radio missed, a true classic, one that will change your
life just
as much as any of the hits of yore embedded in your brain, THEN you've got
to
hear "Overnight Sensation".
It's a secret club. Of people who know the track, and those who don't. No
handshake is involved, you just look at each other and thinly smile, like
you
just fucked the girl of your dreams. Like you ALL did. Your life is
complete.
Everybody else is still searching.
But I didn't expect the rendition last night to be "Bohemian Rhapsody", to
lift me out of my seat and float me high above the band, doing cartwheels in
the
sky, mesmerized and elated by this SOUND!
They get no respect, these Raspberries. Or, at least they didn't USED to.
You see they just weren't hip. They made singles in an era of albums. And
Eric referenced this. He thought it would be REVOLUTIONARY to cut three and
a
half minute singles in an era of extended prog rock solos. But FM didn't
get
the joke. Oh, hipsters would understand today. AFTER the Ramones. When
everybody got a sense of humor. Unfortunately, no bands with such a sense
of
melody, who could play hit delicious power pop, have ever walked the earth
again.
The Raspberries were the last iteration. In the early seventies.
But really, the Raspberries are a sixties band. When you saw the Vox amps
littering the stage you realized you were home.
You see that's what the Beatles used. We all knew. We knew EVERYTHING
about
the Beatles. That's why we all picked up guitars and formed bands. We
wanted not only to be the Beatles, but to be INVOLVED! In this music
REVOLUTION!
As they're running through their hits, and there are quite a few, everything
from "Tonight" to "Let's Pretend" to "I Wanna Be With You", I felt like I
was
at a high school sock hop. My life was flashing before my eyes. Somehow I
was visualizing all the ski areas in Western Massachusetts. Most of which
don't
exist anymore. Like Jug End Barn. You see I was a believer back then, in
music, skiing and LIFE! There was endless opportunity, and the tunes
provided
the grease, as we tried to discover and become who we wanted to be.
And back then there were no tapes. You slung your guitar around your neck
and wailed. It was all about technique. And this guitar player in the
Raspberries, this Wally Bryson, he didn't miss a note. He had the EXACT
SOUND OF THE
RECORDS!
And Dave Smalley still has his pure voice.
Actually, all three of them sang. And played. You see in the sixties it
was
about your talent, not your looks.
And then, we hit the piece de resistance.
"Overnight Sensation" starts with Eric's paean, sung to simple notes. But
then the band comes in... It's Phil Spector's wall of sound, but a decade
later. And, now it's being re-created LIVE!
What can I compare it to... The Tubes performing "White Punks On Dope"?
When they'd troop fifteen people on stage to be the choir?
But that was comedy rock. That was about intellect more than sound. This
was about sound. The guitars were wailing, the drums were pounding, and
sitting
on top of it all was the pure angelic voice of Eric Carmen.
They trucked all the equipment from Cleveland. Where they still live. They
rehearsed at SIR. All to deliver, to show us, those who still believe, that
it wasn't a mirage, that they could rock with the best of them.
You can go see Paul McCartney. You can see him mug as he plugs Fidelity
Investments and Lexus. You can try to party like it's 1969.
But it won't work. You'll only be reminded of how old you really are. As a
sexagenarian clinging to his fame tries to re-convince you, when you're
already convinced.
Rock wasn't made for the arena. It only went there when the bands got
greedy, when they wanted more money.
And rock wasn't hyped on TV. It wasn't covered endlessly in the press.
Rock was something that happened in your bedroom. Or between you and a
girl.
And if you saw it live, it was a sacred ritual, including only members of
the tribe.
Last night was a religious experience. A forgotten band from a derided era
went all the way, and we were along for the ride.
Just imagine it. If you were alive back then you know the riff. You're
only
a few feet away. And Wally slaps that sound out of his axe and it's like
you're back in your car in 1972. Feeling that you've got this life thing
nailed,
that you're gonna make it work, that just like the song says, you're ready
to
GO ALL THE WAY!
Maybe you got sidetracked. Maybe life's just too unwieldy. But for two
hours last night, the flame was rekindled. The assembled multitude not only
had
hope, they had faith. But really, it was the precious moment of being
there.
Listening to guys from our era, who we never got to see, knocking us dead.
Finally, I've got to tell you, "Overnight Sensation" was the best live
performance I've heard all year. It was SENSATIONAL!
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