Greatest
With most comprehensive Raspberries' hits collections out of print as of 2005 and the band set to reconvene for a summer tour, Capitol dusts off its tapes and issues this sturdy but unimaginative overview. Those who already own one of the previous best-of sets won't need to spring again for this generous 20 track, nearly 80 minute rarity and B-side-free set. That said, anyone new to the 70s power pop band's Beatle-esque charms will delight in hearing these songs.Eric Carmen'sdistinctive voice effectively combines McCartney's cutesy charisma with Lennon's more cynical edge, and his tunes, while not as revolutionary or innovative as the Fab Four's, sure make for some hummable retro listening.      This go-round adds "I Can Remember," an ambitious eight minute, string-enhanced suite not found on most of the band's compilations and it is a welcome addition. Lesser known but defining album tracks like the enticing "Nobody Knows" share space with more popular tunes from the band's four discs, providing an excellent career summation of the quartet's short (1972-'75) yet productive run.         From the opening blast of "Go All the Way," to the closing Phil Spector-styled mega-production of the bite-the-hand-that-feeds epic "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," The Raspberries' music blasts out of the speakers with a surly, confident pop authority that few other groups--English or American--ever achieved.Hal Horowitz