LobsterLvr

me too!!

I just hope my old ears can appreciate everything Mark, Tim and you have put into this! Can't wait!!

Instead of re-playing the same old broken record, let's celebrate the new CD!

Eric, To enjoy your new Essential CD to its fullest, do you recommend we pursue a CD copy or a download version? I spent the day yesterday in an NYC recording studio and asked the audio engineer the same question. He definitely recommended the CD version. Downloads, he said, can be extremely good, but will never have a totally accurate compression level (or whatever it's called). A CD, on the other hand, because it's as close to a first-generation as the consumer can get, will ALWAYS contain the audio-levels the artist intended. Your thoughts? Dave

Thanks PJ! Dave

Bernie won't tell you this...so I will. He was recently promoted from an SVP to an EVP Group Creative Director at the ad agency he works at. This is a huge deal and it speaks volumes about Bernie as a "creative" and as a person. First of all...as a "creative" it means you're good. Very good! It means everyone values your creative contributions; from the ideas you come up with, to the ideas you inspire in others. And doing it in New York (the advertising and media meca of the world) multiplies the accomplishment ten-fold. What makes the promotion even more impressive is that, unlike 99% of the "creatives" out there, Bernie has stayed with the same company for almost 30 years. Most creatives move around or get laid off dozens of times. It's just the way it is in the ad-biz. But not for Bernie! In the time he's been with his agency, the company has gone through at least 4 name changes and an un-imaginable number of management changes. Surviving this long...in this business is testament to his creativity and likabilty and is applause-worthy, if not miraculous! (Some how I made it 23 years at the agency I worked at so believe me, I know.) So let's tip our hats, raise our glasses and put our hands together to the newest EVP on Madison Avenue...our man Bernie! Congrats Bernie Dave

Eric, I downloaded 'Brand New Year' the day it was posted, but have deliberately waited a few days before commenting. I thought by waiting I'd be better able to put into words how much that song means to me. I now realize it's impossible because, on every level, BNY captures the story of my life over the past several years. So I'll keep it simple and just say thanks for, once again, giving us the words and music we so deperately need to hear. Happy New Year, Dave Shea

I can't get that hook out of my head...and all we got was 38 seconds worth!! Heaven help us when the full length version comes out! Dave

Hmmmm, I wonder why Eric put quotation marks around the word "new". Is it a "new" version of previously unreleased demo? A "new" version someone else's song? A "new" take of one of his older tunes? Or simply a new "new" song? Inquiring minds want to know!! Dave

All I want for Christmas is for March 11th to come ten weeks earlier!

For your birthday I'm giving you and your Cleveland Indians the World Series Championship. (If my beloved Red Sox feel differently, well, that's up to you and the tribe to figure out!) Happy Birthday E! Dave Shea (aka lobsterlvr)

I have a lot of reasons to be grateful tonight. You're one of them, and I wanted to take this opportunity to say 'thanks'. For the last few years I've been torn apart emotionally and financially. It all ended today. At 8:30 this morning I wrote a five-figure check to my ex-wife as part of an alimony settlement that, God willing, will begin to bring peace to everyone involved. ("Celebrate" by Three Dog Night just come on Pandora...I love that!!) Oh, and by the way, writing that check basically wiped me out...but I don't care! It's the beginning of the end of a long, painful journey that no family should ever go through. Which is why I'm grateful. Because for the first time in years the light at the end of the tunnel isn't an on-coming train. Also grateful for my two girls. Anna graduated from Rutgers last week. She interned with Howard Stern all winter and spring and with Cousin Brucie (DJ at 77WABC in the 60's and '70's, SiriusXM these days) last summer. She has landed a job in NYC with a film/video production house and starts June 3rd. Katie, my oldest, is a literary agent in NYC. She just landed two (!) six figure deals for an author she reps. They are two of the most beautiful, smart, and driven women on earth and I'm proud to be their father. Also grateful to be working. It's a freelance job, but it has been consistent for the last five months. I'm writing ads for Rolaids, Cortizone 10, Allegra, Campbell's Soup, and Trojan Condoms (!). After being out-of-work for 2 and half years, it's good to be working again...on so many levels. Also grateful for my wife Annie who has stood by my side, held me up, pushed me forward, and believed in me from the day we met 9 years ago. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm grateful for all of you. No matter how bad things got (and believe me, they got really bad) I knew you'd be there. Every day I'd stop by and see what you had posted. Our mutual love of all-things-Eric brought sunshine into even my most dreary days. Ok, enough of the melo-dramatics. Surfice to say, even though you didn't know it, the best part of my day was very often logging onto EC.com. Thanks for being there. Now, who wants a lobster roll?? Dave

EXCELLLLLLLENT job, Bernie! Love it!

This was never a hit (here in the US), but I can't get it out of my head!! Love it! (mullets and 80's fashions aside). Dave

Two people I know were there. My brother has volunteered at the Marathon for 25 years. He works the finish line. He was 100 feet from the first blast. 100 yards from the second. One of best friends was running the marathon and was literally caught between the two blasts. One exploding in front of him. 12 seconds later, the other exploding behind him. And he knew his wife and kids were in the area! I can only imagine how he felt. And how my brother felt. But having been only 10 blocks from the Twin Towers on 9/11, I know how frightening...helpless...and mad you can get. Both my friend and brother are okay. Shaken, but okay. My prayers are with the others who weren't so fortunate. Dave

Great question B! Loved the insightful answer E! Questions like this one really help us to understand each other. Last week I had the chance to give advice to my daughter (who is graduating college next month). One of the best pieces of advice I had was based on one of my biggest regrets. Hopefully she listened. Dave

hello mahk from new hampshah! Go Sawks!

Signed... Dave (lobsterlvr) Shea

How did I miss these? Thanks for uploadin' Bernie. And well done Mr. Carmen. You interview well. Dave

I'm 'pushing the pencil'...but it's definitely not 'magic'!!! But it's good to be working!!! Thanks, Bernie. Dave

Yesterday I had of rush of Raspberries Pride. I've been doing some freelance copywriting at a local ad agency. When I connected with the agency's intranet I was able to tap into other people's iTunes. One of those folks had almost as many Raspberries and Eric Carmen songs on his playlist as I did!! (He also had Badfinger, Guster, and every other equally talented and similar band on there too.) I mentioned my connection to the Eric, the band, and this site to him. So don't be surprised if you get a new EC.com member from the Great Garden State this week. Dave

Welcome Raspberry Girl....Eric and the Raspberries music have touched us all. You're in great company here. Dave

Merry Christmas Everyone! (Meet me under the mistletoe) Dave •<}:-) (I just made up that emoticon! It's me in a santa's hat.)

LC...the truth is; we're getting old! WXPN is a college-based alternative rock station. (although they don't promote their UPenn relationship at all). The average listener is probably 35 yrs old, born in 1975. I totally agree with your dismay at the oversights and the lack of respect that some great rock songs got. But this list was voted on by the listeners...and us ol'timers are going to have to come to grips with the fact that our rock heroes aren't as relevant as they used to be. Sadly. But hey, Raspberries still made the list!! Dave

We're still out of power in our section of Princeton, NJ. We escaped to NYC for a few days (warming ourselves at my sister-in-law's apt). Returned on Saturday. (4 people in a one bedroom is a bit too close for comfort). House is now 52 degrees. We sit around the fireplace, bundled in blankets, eating crappy takeout food (cha-ching!), we perk our coffee on the bbq grill (that stopped being fun a long time ago), our clothes smell like DuraFlame Logs and pine trees. We go to the library to charge our devices. We're drinking too much wine. But we're safe...we had no damage...and we're still smiling (most of the time). I gotta go now and buy some Chapstik. Dave (and Annie) in Princeton, NJ