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LobsterLvr

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Posts posted by LobsterLvr

  1. (In my humble opinion) "Let's Pretend" got as far as it could because it was unclassifiable. It wasn't power-pop, it wasn't a ballad, it wasn't a song a guy could sing along to without getting looks from his supposedly cooler, more musically savvy friends. Its two predecessors (GATW and IWBWY) were clearly power-pop rockers.  "Let's Pretend" was a different breed. To this day, even I have a hard time trying to describe what genre/phylum/species of Top 40 music it falls into. Its softer side and higher notes forced a lot of people to question what the Raspberries were. I'm just glad I wasn't one of them.

     

    Dave

    • Like 2
  2. James, I've now had the chance to listen to most songs severals times (mostly via the CD player in my car). I've also compared some of the new remastered versions to older CD's.  There's definitely a difference. I found "My Girl", "Last Night", "Change of Heart" and "It Hurts Too Much" to be noticably better. Probably because they have the greatest varitety of distinctively different instruments and voices in them (that's a guess). In every song I'm hearing things I never heard before. And Eric's voice has never sounded better (except in person, of course). The only negative comment I have is, for some reason "Nowhere To Hide" sounds unchanged...even a bit muddier...but perfection is consuming and it seems...well, you know.

     

    Hope you get your copy soon.  It's worth the wait.

    Dave

    • Like 2
  3. 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

  4. 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

    • Like 12
  5. 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 

    • Like 3
  6. 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

    • Like 2
  7. 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

    • Like 1
  8. 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

  9. 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

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