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I'm watching the Browns game today (9/25), and suddenly ABM is playing during a commercial. I thought my computer started playing for some reason, but it was a car or car stereo commercial playing Eric's song: A guy gets out of his car, and there is a gigantic boombox on his garage playing the song. I didn't catch what the commcercial was for: did anyone else see it?

While using Google to search for a Cleveland show review (which was great), I came across this from the Denver show earlier in the month. http://www.kingkoncert.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=974 In case the link doesn't work, here it is: Strangest of the day was the reunion set by the Raspberries- sandwiched in between the Raiders and Little Richard. Featuring a big eight piece band, including Eric Carmen on guitar, keyboards and vocals, the group’s sound was big and powerful indeed. While the Raspberries were responsible for several radio hits, the group was very short-lived and first of all suffered from not having enough universally familiar material to win over this oldies crowd- some audience-members near my seat were audibly complaining as the set wore on. Added to this was the fact that squeezed in between the Carmen-penned Raspberries hits that put a modern rock gloss on doo wop-influenced vocalizing were several tunes that made the set uneven. After cranking into a multi-layered hit song, the group would then play some country-influenced rock, or just plain hard rock. While this may have represented the varying musical interests in the group, it made for unbalanced listening. Maybe this divergence in group vision is what broke them up in the first place. However, despite being somewhat out of place on a pure oldies show, as well as losing momentum thanks to scattered material, there was one brilliant moment during the Raspberries’ set. That was when Carmen sat down at the keyboards and performed “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record,)†a tune he explained expressed his cynical attitude towards the music business at the time. Propelling themselves beyond performing the song just for the sake of playing, the Raspberries achieved a rare moment of emotion and artifice. Carmen gave himself over to the song and the group supported him with big chunky layers of electricity and vocals. It was the single most sincere artistic triumph of the day, the Raspberries achieving something that went entirely beyond the concepts of hit songs and favorite tunes- it was just great, inspiring music, played with panache.

(In a quick change of subject topics): I wanted to mention that in the Apprentice 3 tv show that starts Thursday Jan. 20th, my friend "Danny" is on it. He's from North Olmsted, OH, and is a big Raspberries and Eric Carmen fan. He taught me the opening riff to 'Go All the Way' many years ago (though not quite the same way as Wally plays it). If you watch the show, you may want to root for him just for this very reason. Thanks

Bernie - Thanks for the song. I was up late Xmas Eve trying to get my dial-up connection to have the full song in the buffer and then record it internally through the sound card - it was worth it. Now here's a challenge: Can anyone name a singer/songwriter who has a higher ratio of songs about the recording industry/career in his catalog than Eric? I haven't counted, but he must have at least 10 or so. I need to make a playlist called "Eric sings about the business." Thanks again.

Here's a quick question to people in the music business that might know: For the Live CD and DVD of the concert, will the Raspberries include the Who and Beatle covers? I was wondering if royalties/rights would be an issue at all. Thanks P.S. I heard Ticket to Ride on the radio in the car tonight. John and Paul do a good job with the harmonies, almost as good as Wally and Eric.

I'm more of a lurker here, but wanted to post some miscellaneous comments from the show: - Great choices of songs from their own catalog and the covers. Especially liked the 2 Choir songs. In a way I was happy there was no solo Eric songs (that'll wait for his solo show someday at the HOB). - I read Paul Sidoti's comment about the cutting of Cruisin' Music: I think I saw Eric looking at his watch during Overnight Sensation, so he must have realized at that point the time of the concert and the need for some cuts. - I noticed Eric's wife and kids a few rows up from us: his kids must have been a bit perplexed watching their Dad up on stage playing such loud rock n roll. They had some neat light-up lights on them that Eric could probably have seen from the stage. - During Ecstasy, there was a guy dancing by himself in the balcony just to the left of where Bernie and Ken were in the 1st row. You don't see dancing like that very much anymore. He was in pure heaven. - Once every now and then, Bernie would stand up and his head would block my view of Eric, so I would then stand up as well. From the distance of the stage to Bernie to me, Bernie's head was able to completely eclipse Eric from my view. - Dave didn't sing too much back ground vocals. His songs were very enjoyable (though I noticed he took some of the notes down in Should I Wait, but then that was a high song 31 years ago). The Party's Over was also great, though it looked like Eric didn't have too much to do on that song. - The Beatle harmonies from Wally and Eric on No Reply, Baby's in Black, and Ticket to Ride were amazing. The resonance/vibrato/whatever that they have when Eric takes the high harmony is a wonder to hear. -I sat in the balcony next to Blackhawk Pat. He sat in the seat that my wife was supposed to sit in but wasn't into the $100 cost. It was great to chat with someone and made it better than being alone. It was a great time. Now I need to buy the live CD/DVD. Thanks

I'm sure that others feel the same way, but after all these years of wondering/hoping for a reunion, here it is now within 1 day. - Reading the Scene magazine note with Eric, Wally, and Dave playing in the Flats in the '80s.. hoping. - Going to see Wally and Dave's band in Mentor in the '80's to see them (with their new 'Eric' as front man: does anyone remember his last name and know where he is now?) and hope Eric might show up again. - Going to the Odeon show and hoping that Eric might show. - The aborted reunion a few years back. And now it is November 2004, and it is going to happen. Now if this can happen, I can move on to my next hope: a new album.

Just wondering if anyone received their tickets from Ticketmaster yet for the show? (I haven't; I ordered the ticket on Oct. 4th thanks to reading a posting tip here about joining the HOB, and then I went online and saw they were for sale. I asked my wife (a mild fan of the band) if she wanted to stand for 3 hours for $90 for the 2 of us or sit for $200. She told me to sit for $100 by myself.) Thanks

Eric and the Raspberries are a strong musical interest of mine, followed by Dwight Twilley (as well as Marshall Crenshaw). Having heard most all of what both have recorded, I can say musical styles are different, but both like a good pop song. They have some things in common: -Dwight had a song 'Looking for the Magic' with his musical partner Phil Seymour, and for some reason felt compelled to record another song solo a few years later called 'I Found the Magic'. It was a weaker follow-up to the original (like Eric and 'You Took me all the Way.'). - Dwight wrote a good attempt at the title song for the movie 'That Thing You Do.' It didn't make it into the movie or CD, but is a strong song (like Eric's 'Heaven Can Wait'). - Dwight has some history of record company problems (but who doesn't I guess). I would only suggest that if someone likes Beatles pop music and Eric's catalog, buying Twilley's albums 'Sincerely', 'Twilley Don't Mind' or his Best of 'XXI' could bring you another taste of well crafted music. Thanks

(Without You) Surfing around Amazon.com for Eric's albums brought me to this review I thought others would appreciate (it's from 1999, so many of you may have seen it and laughed about it before): "Eric Carmen is one of the greatest power ballad writers in my opinion. He combines the theatrics of a Styx, the acoustic softness of a Paul Davis, and the climactic range of Queen but he adds a mix of sensuality almost unavailable in all the other great power ballads by the likes of REO Speedwagon, Journey, Toto, or Foreigner; this is inherent in his vocal arrangements but also in the composition. This is a classic compilation- including his best cover "Hungry Eyes" and some of the best of his own including "Go AllThe Way" and "Sunrise". Unfortunately, what it is missing is his absolute best ballad and possibly of all time "Without You"- which I can't find anywhere. I don't understand why such a mediocre cover by Mariah Carey is available so readily, and this song is completely left off this collection and others by him. From the standpoint of the construction of a classic power ballad- "Without you" has it all from its slow melodic start to its overwhelming climax- many people have a bad taste in their mouth from the Mariah carey re-do- not that its bad- but it makes it sound like an average commercial tune- Does anyone know where I can find this tune? They shouldn't have left it off if they weren't gonna make it easily available. I definitely recommend this recording. It is classic, purely melodic, excellent harmonic arrangements on the vocals, sensual, moving, and very climactic like perfect power ballads should be."

Hello Everyone. My 1st post in 2+ years is related to the "Tonight" quicktime video file Bernie posted a few months or so ago (Thanks Bernie). After watching this a few times previously, I caught something new yesterday: Just before the "I don't know myself..." verse, Dave Smalley hits a very bad and obvious clunker of a note on bass. Eric sings his line, and then looks over at Dave and smiles, though Dave ignores him. Anyway, just a small thing I wanted to share.