ERIC CARMEN: Marathon Man By Rick Schadelbauer There's no denying the fact that Eric Carmen's story is one of alternating triumph and disappointment. Emerging from the Cleveland rock scene of the late 60s/early 70s, Carmen was a driving force behind Raspberries, a power pop cornerstone whose four LPs and numerous AM radio-friendly singles managed to achieve simultaneous critical and commercial success. Following Raspberries premature dissolution, his eponymous solo debut album spawned a massive hit single, "All By Myself," that would ultimately prove both a blessing and a curse.

An ambitious follow-up, Boats Against The Current, though a critical triumph, proved a commercial failure. After a series of half-hearted attempts to find the pulse of the record buying public, Carmen all but vanished, only to return to the charts years later with an improbable single taken from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

After several syints as part of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, Carmen is today a happily married husband and father, and talks openly of reuniting Raspberries.

Carmen's story of staggering success and missed opportunities is covered in exquisite detail by authors Bernie Hogya and Ken Sharp in their book Eric Carmen: Marathon Man.

Hogya and Sharp have done a remarkable job—at nearly 400 pages, with 150 photographs, Marathon Man manages to be both completely comprehensive and compellingly readable.

The insider glimpses into Raspberries' in the studio—such as how Carmen, unsatisfied with early attempts to capture "Go All The Way" on tape, begged to have the song kept off the band's debut—are fascinating. (The track was ultimately saved by a long-forgotten and infrequently used piece of studio hardware.)

Other anecdotes—such as Todd Rundgren's alleged musicial thievery or a fragile, late 1970's Brian Wilson visiting Carmen in the recording studio—are worth the price of the book alone.

Best of all, Hogya and Sharp have spared no effort in interviewing all of the key players in the Carmen saga. Consequently, the resulting tome is no mere idolatrous agitprop, but rather an objective telling of Carmen's story from all angles, providing a fascinating insight into the lifelong struggles and triumphs of a musical wunderkind. The end result reveals Carmen, warts and all, as no more than human, and no less than occasionally brilliant.

For pop music afficionados, Marathon Man is highly recommended; for Eric Carmen/Raspberries fans, it's essential.

Available at EricCarmen.com, both in paperback and as a limited edition hardcover edition signed by Eric Carmen.

Amplifier / November 24, 2004