HOB: My 2 Cents

[marvin]

Hollies65 yes I love the Turtles also, but as you say, their best songs were written by outside writers and their 'band' consisted of ace studio musicians.

[Anna R]

I brought my 20 year old Neice and her friend ( also 20) to the HOB.

They have heard "All By Myself" but nothing else before that night.

My neice just called me a day later and said

" Those guys ROCKED!" " We really enjoyed the show and we listened to your CD on the way home after the show"...

but the best part she said was...

" Can you get me their Live on The Sunset Strip CD"

A new generation of FANS!!

[hollies65]

Marvin...The Turtles played on all of their recordings...except the horn & strings and what not...read this GREAT article..http://mixonline.com/recording/tracking/audio_turtles_happy_together/

[frankenberrie]

I dragged a friend to the AC HOB show, and he loved most of the show, but said he didn't think he'd see them again, because they did too many covers. Now that they've decided to only play 90 minutes, the covers are more of a drag to me, with them cutting songs already. I missed Dave singing some of his stuff, and still waiting to hear I Saw The Light & Starting Over. To say nothing of Cruisin Music, On The Beach, Rock & Roll Mama, etc.

[marvin]

Since the first few shows, I think there are 8 original songs that they've dropped. That's a good chunk.

[stringer]

I like the covers, they do them very well. I like Eric's solo numbers, what great songs, and I also like as many Raspberrie songs as they can throw as us.

I vote for a three hour show!!! Double the ticket prices!!

[darlene]

Stringer, I like your enthusiasm! Actually, I LOVE it!

--Darlene

[Anna R]

Me too!

I like the covers, Eric's solo, and of course all the Raspberries hits!

They can do no wrong in my eyes!!

Anna

[Kirk]

Anna, I was eating dinner next to your niece and her friend. I don't know if you heard me, but I commented something to the effect that they may not know who the Raspberries are now, but after the concert they'll know why we're so excited to be here. I guess that was an easy prediction, huh!?! Kirk.

[Reid C.]

Indeed, the covers do provide a certain degree of interest for both fans and the uninitiated alike. It is neat to hear what a song sounds like when given the Raspberries treatment. I never thought much of "Needles and Pins" until I heard their version. Now, it's a favorite. "Ticket to Ride"? Listen up Beatles, the Boys are back in town. Still, it dosen't aways work. Nothing can save "Substitute" imho, and I give "Can't Explain" barely passing marks. Of course, I never liked these songs to begin with so please, no screaming retorts. It is just my taste in music, and you may well feel differently. Good as a cover may be, however, I find it really hard to give up "Drivin' Around", Crusin' Music", or "Starting Over". These songs are just too good not to be included.

As far as tracks from the EC solo catalog are concerned, "Sunrise", "That's Rock and Roll", and "No Hard Feelings" would do really well with some Raspberries flavoring.

OK, start shootin'!

[MJ]

Oh Reid I beg to disagree regarding Substitute - I actually like it better than the Who's version! But everyone is entitled to their opinions

And on an unrelated note - did you hear the guy next to me when we first got in after the M&G - he was harrassing me because I walked up to the front of the stage past him and he gave me shit because I thought I was better than him because we were VIP's lol. I tried to be diplomatic - but you know my NJ upbringing was ready to come out full guns lol. Finally he shut up when I told him how much we paid for our tickets and that I flew from Florida to see them. You can tell he doesn't post on the boards lol. Unfriendly so-and-so.

[hollies65]

"Nothing Can Save Substitute" I've look at that sentence for a half hour...there is something very wrong with it.

[JohnO]

Well, in addition to the "Substitute" comment, the 'Berries' version of "Needles & Pins" is pretty much The Searchers' arrangement, which Reid didn't care for until he heard Eric & co. do it. Likewise, "I Can't Explain" gets "barely passing marks"? Oh well....different strokes and all....(interesting concept - doesn't care for the early Who, but loves Raspberries!)

(The N&P comment kinda reminds me of a debate I had one time with a friend who loved Tom Petty's take on "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better", but said he couldn't stand The Byrds' version....and TP's is a virtual clone, only substitute his voice for Gene's....)

[hollies65]

Ha! No offense to Mr Petty..but Gene had a MUCH better voice.

[Tim From Wisconsin]

My how my little thread has grown since I was here yesterday!

I liked both covers on Friday night!

Other covers I've seen live that I liked a lot:

Angel: "Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" and "All The Young Dudes"
Judas Priest: "Diamonds And Rust"
Van Halen: "You Really Got Me" and "You're No Good"
Foghat: "I Just Want To Make Love To You"
Heart: "Love Reign Oer Me" and "Without You"
Nazareth: "This Flight Tonight" and "Love Hurts"
Bruce Springsteen: "Devil With The Blue Dress"
Elton John: "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"
Starz: "Route 66"
Cheap Trick: "Ain't That A Shame"
Def Leppard: "Action"

I'm sure I could think of lots more, and none of the above took away from the enjoyment of hearing the band live.

Tim

[HT from Mo]

Tim,

It just goes to show that you never know what might be the "Hot topic"!

HT

[Reid C.]

Well, I knew that would get a rise out of you, MJ. JohnO and Hollies65, I will agree that it might not make much sense on the surface, but that is just the way I relate to music. Some things hit and a lot of things don't. No particular reason, it just is what it is.

[Ecstasy]

I didn't take any offense to it, Reid. It just sounds like there are certain songs you dislike no matter who does them.

[LC]

Hey, after every Raspberries concert, there's a thread about the set list --- what worked, what they should have done, etc. etc. While it's great to read the opinions, I always come back to this: Let Raspberries play whatever the heck they want to play.

You know they're gonna give us "Go All the Way," "I Can Remember," "I Wanna Be With You," "Let's Pretend," "If You Change Your Mind," "Tonight," "Ecstacy," and "Overnight Sensation" not to mention Dave's best song ("Should I Wait") and a Wally rocker ("Party's Over"). And that's awesome.... That's about how many songs the Beatles used to play at some concerts!

Beyond that, I'm good with whatever the boys are "feeling."

If it's an all-Raspberries set, with "deep" cuts from the albums, that's awesome.

If it's a two or three or four covers of song that really influenced them (I LOVED "Ticket to Ride" and "Substitute," and I wish I had heard "Mr. Tambourine Man"), that's awesome too.

If it's a pre-Raspberries song ("Cold Outside") or post-Raspberries music ("All By Myself"), bring it on! A Fotomaker number would be great. So would "Sunrise," "Boats," and "She Did It." So would "They Grow Up" from Dave's album.

Why can't their concerts celebrate not only what the 'berries did on their original four recordings, but what they dig playing? When they performed "All By Myself" in NYC, the sight of my wife being moved to tears (and she's not even a fan, by any stretch) warmed the heck out of my heart, and reminded me of qualities I'd forgotten or given up on.

Play on! (Anything!)

[marlene]

Absolutely GREAT post, LC !!! You articulated my thoughts exactly !!!

[mannoman]

I have mixed feeling with regards to covers. The Berries do a nice job but I can do without them because they eat up precious time for Berries music - which is the main reason I am attending (but they did do a nice job with Mr. Tambourine Man in AC). To each his own.

[Anna R]

Kudos to you LC!

I could not agree with you more.

SInce these last 2 shows were my first Raspberries "live" experience- I was in absolute heaven watching them play... ANYTHING!!

I love The Beatles- so I thoroughly enjoyed Ticket To Ride. I would like to see them play a Led Zepp song- that would be interesting! I know Eric would do a great job on vocals.

I think it is so fun to see them play covers.

I love the surprise!

Now that my "berrie" has officially been popped

I WANT MORE!! ( shows that is! )

Anna

[frankenberrie]

Not saying I hate all covers, in fact, I love Needles and Pins, that is the Ramones version:) I like it when a band owns a song and makes it their own, like the Raspberries did on Locomotion. But for a band with as deep a catalog and recently shortened set lists to pass over their own material in favor of note perfect renditions of covers is not the way to go, IMHO. I can go see Beatlemania if I want to see Beatles covers, I'd much rather hear anything by the Raspberries. My friend that came to AC with us is a big Who fan, so in theory he should have loved their probably better than the current Who's rendition of I Can't Explain, but it was just the reverse, and he thought it made the whole show cheesy to do so many covers. If they paid in to see the Raspberries, then give them that. If they can't appreciate the musicianship and quality of your shows & original songs, well screw 'em!!!!

[AnneG]

Precisely, LC!

The Raspberries have good judgment - that's abundantly clear. Let them play what they want, in what order, and where. Fortunately our feedback matters to them --but let's not tarnish that precious gift.

Just let them play!!

[Sherberries]

The 'Berries can play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" for all I care, ANYTHING. I like their versions of "Can't Explain" and "Needles and Pins" better than the original!