Play On

Scott McCarl may have only appeared on a single Raspberries release (their 1974 swan song, Starting Over), but the bassist was a very talented singer/songwriter -- one of the reasons why Eric Carmen and company enlisted him in the first place. So why it took McCarl so bloody long to issue a solo album in the wake of the Raspberries' 1975 split-up was a bit puzzling to fans. Titled after his best-known Raspberries composition, Play On surfaced in 1998, and showed that despite the long layoff, McCarl's gift for Beatlesque vocals and power pop had not dulled in the slightest. Standouts include such melodic originals as "I'll Be on My Way," "In Love Without a Girl," and "Run for the Sun," as well as a pair of covers -- "Yes It Is" by the Beatles and "Nobody Knows" by his old pals, the Raspberries. Hardcore Raspberries fans should definitely try to hunt down a copy of Play On -- it's pretty darn impressive how well McCarl single-handedly approximates his former band's sticky-sweet sound. ~ Greg Prato