Musical nostalgia is a troublesome thing, feeding the current deluge of reunion albums and tours as well as providing safe, family-friendly fodder to the casino and state fair circuit. It is why the recent release of a two-disc set of a reunion show by the founding members of the Raspberries is already a curious artifact. The concert documented is nearly two years old, meaning that the band knew to get out before they did something silly like trying to write new material; from the sounds of these discs, a fair amount of post-production time was spent to clean things up (and add such unnecessary moments like the “song played through transistor radio” breakdown meant to recreate the studio version of “Overnight Sensation”). Unlike any young and hungry bands of their ilk, the four gents from Cleveland refuse to look foolish on this disc, meaning the addition of two extra guitarists and a female singer/keyboardist to help cover up flubbed vocal and guitar notes. It does help their overall performance, but it also renders the songs spineless. True, the Raspberries were never the toughest sounding of bands in their heyday, but the mix sweetened and the vocals EQ’d just so, they sound even more glossy, more slick, and a hell of a lot less rock ‘n’ roll.
--Bob Ham
