I second David B's take on Carmen's first solo album. Celine did her best to ruin "All by Myself" but come on, as a ballad in the "Mccartney" tradition, he hit a home run with "All by Myself". Granted he did steal sections from good old "Rachmoninof" but hey, if you are going to take influences why not steal from a master. The minor sad chords in that song mixed with Carmen's struggling "just under the strings" vocals made that track. Just my opinion. The production is also quite amazing on that track. Mind you, like Mccartney, it is often hard to understand how Carmen can write such great songs like "All by Myself", "and then write a complete throw away track on the same album...and yes I agree there are a few throw aways...Most of the hits far outshine the B or C rate stuff. I would also add the song,"Great Expectations" to the list of high lights from that album...I think I am going to pull that album out again tonight now that I think of it. PS: Boats Against the Current IS another good one...so is "love is all that matters". David >From: "David Bash" >Reply-To: audities@smoe.org >To: >Subject: Re: Eric Carmen >Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2004 11:34:01 -0700 > > > > From: "floatingunder" > > Subject: Re: Eric Carmen > > > So I'm wondering how other's some up his first solo disc (esp. people > > who were huge Raspberrie fans). Was it a major let down? What song's > > stand out? Bruce, very curious which tracks you dug and didn't on > > this one? > > > Steve D. > >It wasn't a letdown to me at all. I was a huge Raspberries fan ever since >I >saw them play live at my junior high school in May of 1972 (I wish I >remembered more of that show!), and was really saddened by their breakup. >When I heard "All By Myself" for the first time, a few months before >Carmen's first album was released, my first thought was "I'm really glad >he's recording", my second thought was "wow, this is way different from The >Raspberries!", my third thought was "this is great!", and my fourth thought >was "is this a song about the aftermath of the breakup?" (I didn't listen >to >the lyrics, and was just going by what I'd inferred from the title; it was >quite an irony for me when I later found out that another song from the >album, "No Hard Feelings", *was* about that!). > >When I finally got the debut album I was very pleased! I love "Sunrise" >(one of my all-time favorite songs, and in my top 2 or 3 of 1975), "Last >Night", "My Girl", and the hits in particular, but almost everything is >great! I like Carmen's next album, Boats Against The Current, almost as >much. Though some critics called it overwrought (and I can see where >they're coming from), I still love it. "Marathon Man," "She Did It", >"Nowhere To Hide," and "Love Is All That Matters"-great stuff! > >After that it's really hit and miss for me in the Carmen catalogue. Each >succeeding album has a few tracks I like, but as whole works none of them >really do it for me...and I just cannot get into the Geffen album at all. >"You Took Me All The Way"; what a load of crap that is! > >Finally, I don't know that one can guage how a Raspberries reunion show >would come off, based upon the "wimp factor" of Eric's solo work. After >all, he'd be performing Raspberries songs, as a Raspberry, and I'm sure he >would do his best to rock. > >-- >Pop Rules!!!!! >Take Care, >David > >======================================================================= >Detailed Audities-List information: >To manage your Audities List settings or unsubscribe: > _________________________________________________________________ Take charge with a pop-up guard built on patented Microsoft® SmartScreen Technology. http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=http://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines Start enjoying all the benefits of MSN® Premium right now and get the first two months FREE*.