RASPBERRIES first album self-titled 1972 vinyl FIRST PRESSING LP NM-/VG+ & bonus

$

29

OK, this is fun. All four of my Raspberries albums (i.e. their entire ouvre) are getting listed on Ebay today. That means that I've gotten to play through them all, and hear them one last time. Wow. 
This is their first album, from 1972, with a picture of a slightly scruffy and windblown quartet on the cover, not quite sure what their rock god image should be, but at least in Eric Carmen's case, showing the confidence and surety of a seasoned heavyweight.
He was right; this little band from Cleveland was destined for big things. But, just as for Big Star and Badfinger, who were making their first records around the same time, the Raspberries would run into a strange wall of being underappreciated and misunderstood, and never quite making it except (as with Badfinger) on the singles chart--yet their big beautiful radio hits paradoxically seemed to reduce the respect they were held in.
Did you notice I said Eric Carmen? After the Raspberries broke up, his first solo album would contain "All By Myself", which ballad is probably more famous than any of his earlier band's hits, kicked off a very successful MOR soft-rock career, and in fact is now "immortal" unto the tenth generation since it figures in any number of sarcastic Tiktok memes about melodramatic loneliness. 
So, even on this first Raspberries album, the ballads are present, catchy, Rachmaninovian, and gorgeous. There are also great deep cuts on the album, both fast and slow numbers. But none of this will likely overwhelm the overall impression you get, which is the lead-off song, the utter classic "Go All the Way," a power pop back-seat-of-her-dad's-car epic hit that probably led to a certain number of 1973 American births.
I can't even choose between the four albums...if jangly pop guitar records ever meant anything to you, this will hit you in that spot.
This is the very first pressing, accomplished at the famed Record Plant in LA, and one of the great vinyl experiences. The vinyl is in gorgeous condition, and listening to it through a set of Stax headphones I only pick up very slight surface sounds, and even then, only on Side One.
I'm including a kind of nice free bonus, the inner sleeve (only) from the first greatest hits album that would come out after the band broke up, 1976's "Raspberries' Best - Featuring Eric Carmen" since Eric had already been out there making a name for himself. The sleeve has the lyrics to the hit songs included on that piece of vinyl, plus a long essay with photos, detailing the whole history of the band from start to finish. 
The existence of such an essay isn't really surprising, since they were always a critical favorite at the time. They were seen at the time as a fresh reaction against what was congealing into late rock sludge; along with Bowie and Big Star, they were helping to keep the flame lit until punk rock came along. They were out of step, too late for the 60's, too soon for the Power Pop revival of ~1979, and by then were regarded as visionary and even saints who gave their hearts for true rock and got despised and rejected and were acquainted with grief. It's an old story, isn't it?
Anyway yeah so i'll throw that in. Enjoy!