Starting Over (Raspberries album)

Starting Over is the fourth and final studio album by the 1970s power pop band Raspberries. It peaked at #143 on the Billboard pop album chart in 1974. The LP generated the #18 Billboard pop single "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," while a second single, "Cruisin' Music" did not chart.

Starting Over
Studio album by
Raspberries
ReleasedSeptember 16, 1974
RecordedRecord Plant Studios, New York City
Genre
Length40:00
LabelCapitol
ProducerJimmy Ienner
Raspberries chronology
Side 3
(1973)		 Starting Over
(1974)		 Raspberries' Best
(1976)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Tom HullA–[2]
The Village VoiceA–[3]

Stylistically, Starting Over represented a more aggressive arena rock/hard rock sound compared to previous albums in a way reminiscent of The Who, which was one of the groups' biggest influences. The album also included softer ballads such as "Rose Coloured Glasses" and "Cry".[4]

This album was re-released on CD as part of Power Pop Volume 2, which also contains their album Side 3.

Starting Over featured a new line-up with Michael McBride (drums), who had drummed with Carmen and Bryson in their previous band in the late 60's, Cyrus Erie, and Scott McCarl (bass, vocals). Jim Bonfanti and Dave Smalley had left the band the previous year.

Bruce Springsteen's drummer Max Weinberg has said that he based his early drum style (particularly on the Springsteen album Darkness On The Edge of Town) on Raspberries drummer Michael McBride's work in this album,[5] while Springsteen himself has also mentioned several times in live performances that the title track is one of the greatest pop songs ever written.

John Lennon, a Raspberries fan, particularly liked the song "Overnight Sensation." He was present for part of the recording of the Starting Over LP[6] and, although not credited on the LP, is said to have assisted with the mix, including "Overnight Sensation."[7]

Critic Mark Deming of the All Music Guide praised the album as "a fine farewell from one of the best American pop bands of their era, though they didn't know it would be their last album when they were making it."[4]

Track listing
  1. "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" (Carmen) – 5:34 / Lead vocal: Carmen
  2. "Play On" (Carmen, McCarl) – 3:01 / Lead vocal: McCarl
  3. "Party's Over" (Bryson) – 3:14 / Lead vocal: Bryson
  4. "I Don't Know What I Want" (Carmen) – 4:13 / Lead vocal: Carmen
  5. "Rose Coloured Glasses" (McCarl) – 3:38 / Lead vocal: McCarl
  6. "All Through the Night" (Carmen, McBride) – 4:30 / Lead vocal: Carmen
  7. "Cruisin Music" (Carmen) – 3:09 / Lead vocal: Carmen
  8. "I Can Hardly Believe You're Mine" (Carmen, McCarl) – 3:34 / Lead vocal: Carmen
  9. "Cry" (Carmen, McCarl) – 2:41 / Lead vocal: McCarl
  10. "Hands on You" (Bryson, McCarl) – 2:22 / Lead vocal: Bryson and McCarl
  11. "Starting Over" (Carmen) – 4:10 / Lead vocal: Carmen

Timings and credits taken from the original Capitol issue (ST-11329).

Charts
Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 72
United States (Billboard 200) 143

Band members
  • Eric Carmen — vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
  • Wally Bryson — vocals, lead guitar
  • Scott McCarl — vocals, bass
  • Michael McBride — drums

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Hull, Tom (April 1975). "The Rekord Report: Second Card". Overdose. Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via tomhull.com.
  3. Christgau, Robert (November 21, 1974). "Consumer Guide (50)". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  4. http://www.allmusic.com/album/starting-over-r16179/review
  5. Let There Be Drums Vol 3: The 70s liner notes
  6. http://www.rickresource.com/rrp/raspberriesstory.html
  7. http://www.cliffordmeth.com/methonericcarmentheraspber.htm
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 246. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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