Early Wynn

I agree...it's the old chocolate/vanilla argument. I bought Radio City at Woolco in 1975 for 33 cents and just loved it. The CD is always near my changer. True, the records aren't as polished as most of the other bands that are being kicked around in this thread, but most of the songs, IMO, are incredibly good. Jody Stephens' drumming is great...kind of reminds me of Jim. I wasn't a huge fan of #1 Record or Third. Rolling Stone just gave the new Big Star CD a good review...3-1/2 stars.

Raspberries CDs: Starting Over Side 3 Fresh Raspberries EC Solo: Tonight You're Mine Boats Against the Current Eric Carmen (1) Eric Carmen (2) IWBTLY Change of Heart

Grass Roots - Where Were You When I Needed You? Stones - Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadows?

The C10 was a Chevy, not a Ford.

1979 Elvis Costello - Armed Forces The A's 20/20 Get the Knack Cheap Trick - Live at Budokan The Kinks - Low Budget Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes The Rubinoos - Back to the Drawing Board and the best of all: Graham Parker - Squeezing Out Sparks

This is tough to narrow it down to just five. I hate going to the big places to see bands - I'd much rather be at a club standing close to the stage with a beer in my hand than sitting in the upper deck watching the video screens. I saw Dire Straits once at the Mann Music Center in Philly in 1985, and some lug nut behind me was yelling sit down, during Sultans of Swing. What the.....? I've been to maybe 4 or 5 shows in arenas (or even big theaters) in the past 25 years. Springsteen - Mobile, AL 2/81. This was when, IMO, Bruce peaked. The River was my favorite Bruce LP, and it was on this tour. I had 2nd row seats, and was front and center against the stage for Rosalita and the 3 encores. I got some great photos too. This was my last arena show for a long time because I almost got in a fight with a guy behind wanted to sit down, and he couldn't see. I think it was during Sherry Darling or Cadillac Ranch. Steve Earle - Phila Chestnut Cabaret 11/88. It was on Steve's Cooperhead Road tour. He had an incredible band with him. I liked Steve alot more when he was on heroin, and all he sung about was girls and cars (and growing pot). He didn't need to make a political statement with every song. He played for over 3 hours. The Searchers - Phila Chestnut Cabaret - 1983. They did two long sets, and played stuff throughout their entire catalog, even from that great album, Love's Melodies, which came out in 1981. They sounded incredibly good, harmonies were right on. The place was pretty empty, and they seemed to be just having fun. Plus they told some great stories between songs. A week later I read a review of their show in NY in the Village Voice, and the critic called it one of the greatest shows ever. Who am I to disagree? Graham Parker and the Figgs - Phila SXSW 6/2005. I love Graham Parker, and his new CD with the Figgs backing him up is my favorite since Mona Lisa's sister, and that was my fave since Squeezing Out Sparks. Anyway, the Figgs are 4-piece hard edged power pop type band from upstate NY, and they've teamed with GP before. He did a great set covering his entire career, and the band was great. The songs were stripped down but had a nice hard edge to them. Just a great show from "Soul Shoes" to "Vanity Press." Raspberries - Cleveland 11/2004. I drove out from NJ, picked up my brother in Pittsburgh (who flew in from Dallas), and headed in. The four Raspberries CDs (and LPs before) have never been far from my CD changer since 1975, and the band has been in legendary status for me since that point. So I was pretty nervous for the month or so leading up to the show. Like Eric said in his Rolling Stone interview, I didn't want to walk away thinking that they were just okay. Well, obviously they were more than just okay - they were incredible. The harmonies were perfect, the guitars were loud and raw, and Jim, well...Jim was unbelievable. He was Keith Moon with a little more discipline. And they were just as good in NYC...but the Cleveland show was extra special. We need a Worst Five category next.

Tie: "Kick off them jeans, put your hands inside my shirt, I'm living up to your mama's dirt Hey who's she kiddin' honey this don't hurt" or "Why don't we get drunk and screw, I just got a water bed filled up for me and you"

Ian Gomm? I haven't thought about him for years. He had a few great songs. Also forgot about Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds...although I put them in the Pub Rock category along with one of my all time favorites, Graham Parker (a true musical genius).

Check out John Eddie's "Please Jodi" from his first CD on Sony (1986). It sounds alot like "Tonight", right down to the drums at the end.

I hate to admit it but I agree with beatlebum - there was some great pop music that came out of the New Wave time - Shoes, Plimsouls, 20/20, Knack, Jags, Vapors, Records, plus you can throw in Elvis C (his first 5 records), Joe Jackson's first couple, The A's and Quincy out of Philadelphia............... The Raspberries were actually a few years too early. If their first album would have come out in 1978, they would have ruled the charts for years.

I was never a huge Sweet fan, but I did see them on the 4th of July, 1978 in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was Louisiana Le Roux, Eddie Money, Sweet, and Alice Cooper. Overall a pretty good show. I remember being surprised at how good Sweet was and how many hits they had had. They didn't play Ballroom Blitz, though. The thing I remember the most was the well endowed girl that was standing next to me took off her shirt and got up on her boyfriend's shoulders. Quite a thrill for a high school kid. :-)

It's the old Joey Molland / Badfinger argument all over again.

Just for the record, I'm thinking about making a comeback. The Indians could probably use another starter.

Has anyone mentioned the Gin Blossoms? Both of their CDs were, IMO, very good. They have a new one coming out soon. www.ginblossoms.net

Being from the Philly area, I loved both The A's and Hooters. But they were two distinct groups. The A's included guitarist Rick DiFonzo who went on to play with Cindy Lauper, Patti Smyth, and Roger Waters (during the famous "the Wall" concert in Berlin). Rob Hyman and Eric Brazilian were the main song writers in the Hooters. They were huge locally. They still are pretty big in Europe and they play there almost every summer. Their first local CD called "Amore" was great, as was their first Sony CD "Nervous Night". The A's first record was incredible. The second one "A Woman's Got the Power" had a few great songs on it, including the title track. They had an EP out in 1982 called Four Dances which contained the classic "Do the Dance". Too bad they broke up shortly after that was released. Can't tell I was a big fan of both groups, can you?

I always thought that George Michael would be a better replacement for Freddie. He did a nice version of "somebody to love" at the Queen tribute show in London several years ago.

...and don't forget Marshall Crenshaw. They're all good, but my favorites are the first one, Good Evening, Life's too short, and Mary Jean and Nine Others.

I recommend: any Tommy Keene CD; Paul Collins Beat's first two albums (on one CD now...www.woundedbird.com); also the Plimsouls - Everywhere at Once; The Shoes - Present Tense; the Knack - Re-Zoom; any Smash Palace CD (www.smashpalacemusic.com). The list goes on and on.

Geez, even the Stones bring back up musicians.

Thanks for all of the great posts about the Cleveland show. I can't wait for NYC this weekend. I'm obviously in the minority here, but I'd prefer they skip the covers and do a few more Raspberries songs. I'd much rather hear them do "I Can Hardly Believe You're Mine" or "All Through the Night" or "Don't Wanna Say Goodbye" instead of a cover of an old Beatles' song. I'm glad to hear everyone liked the Knack. They are sadly under-rated. Their CD "ZOOM" (since re-released as Re-Zoom) is great.

1. Starting Over 2. Side 3 3. Fresh 4. 1st Album. In listening to them now, I really see development and maturing from one album to the next. For me, Side 3 is THE power pop album...it's the one that all the others ever released are measured against. Other bands have tried to copy "Tonight". The Posies did Dream All Day, John Eddie did Please Jodie...but none of these songs are "Tonight." My favorite is Starting Over. I don't see this album as a power pop album though...at least not in the same vein as Side 3. While Mike McBride's drumming is great, I really like Scott's contributions...Play On and Cry, as well as his vocals. Every song, with maybe the exception of Rose Colored Glasses, is a classic. Enuff said. Now what this has got to do with college kids, I don't know. But at least that's my two cents worth. See you in NYC.

Tommy Keene - Shake Some Action Ramones - Have You Ever Seen the Rain Steve Earle - Before They Make Me Run Graham Parker - Cupid Marshall Crenshaw - Valerie Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold Elvis Costello - What's So Funny 'bout Peace.....

Was that the duet between Daniel Boone and his Cherokee friend, Mingo?

I remember the Denny McLain commercial when he got out of jail, he was doing a commercial for a used car lot. So somehow the license plate of the car fell off during the filming, so without missing a beat he picked it up and said, hey I think I made this one.

CDs that are always near the CD player in my house are: Raspberries - Side 3 Raspberries - Overnight Sensation Badfinger - Wish You Were Here Stones - Exile on Main Street Tommy Keene - Songs From the Film Tommy Keene - Ten Years After Tommy Keene - Based on Happy Times Who - Who's Next Steve Earle - Copperhead Road Ginblossoms - New Miserable Experience Elvis Costello - This Year's Model Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick (1997) Graham Parker - Mona Lisa's Sister The A's - The A's Springsteen - Live 75 - 85 (disc 1 only) Smash Palace - Fast Long Loud