Below is an actual letter — yes, Mike, it’s unedited — from the great Michael Stanley. And above, in case you somehow blocked Stanley from your memory, is a little reminder of who he is, in the form of a a video promoting a musical about him that ran last year. To whom it may concern … Obviously I’d like you folks to print this letter but, if you’re going to edit it, I’d rather you just forget it entirely. Justin Farrar’s recent article [“Why the hype,” August 15] on how The Raspberries are overrated was certainly a bi-polar bit of writing and another in the storied tradition of our town’s music writer’s continuing quest to disparage anything that doesn’t happen to be called Pere Ubu. Were The Raspberries a “success” Let’s see… First of all, The “Berries” could (and still did on their reunion tour and album) back it up live which, unfortunately, seems to have become a lost art. Four top forty singles, two top twenty singles, one top ten single, millions of albums sold and the ability to impress both Springsteen and John Lennon? That pretty much works for me! Were the matching suits a good idea? Not exactly my cup of tea but if you had to choose between those suits and wearing red plastic flowerpots on your head which way are you going? Years on the road have convinced me that the ladies tend to gravitate more toward the suits! Any guitar player worth his salt would kill to have played Wally Bryson’s intro to “Go All The Way” (and any other number of great guitar parts!).?No guitar player I know owns the first eight bars of a song like Wally! Did they make great albums? Definitely not; too much filler. But back then it was all about “singles” and, in that regard, these guys were masters. “Tonight”, “Ecstasy”, “Let’s Pretend” and “I Wanna Be With You” are almost perfect records and “Go All The Way” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” are! As music lovers (and I fully realize that we’re into “to each his own” terrritory here) we ought to just be proud of the fact that Cleveland gave the world such a great “power-pop” group (a term that was lovingly coined by the strangely critic-proof Pete Townsend), one of the all-time great power trios, The James Gang and, in Eddie and the late Gerald Levert, two of the greatest R&B singers of all time. I never wanted to have The Raspberries pick out my wardrobe, tell me how to end the war, or mine my soul; I just wanted to turn ’em up and make the dashboard shake! That was more than enough for me and for that I thank them! And how did your band do? Michael Stanley Cleveland
This article appears in Aug 15-21, 2007.
So let me get this straight…Michael Stanley write you a letter saying he disagrees with your Raspberries story…backed with solid reasoning and facts…and you print it with a goofball parody video of him to remind people of who he is. Why not just post the video to ‘My Town’…his top 40 song which is basically a love letter to this beleaguered city.How petty.
You guys can sure be assholes sometimes. I mean, I’m no huge Stanley freak, never heard of him before I moved to Cleveland, and didn’t really care for his attitude the one time I talked to him. But that really isn’t the point. While his music doesn’t make me want to orgasm, I’ve heard far worse shit that got rave reviews by your paper. He is still a legit and respected act to thousands of people in this area, with the kind of longevity that all of us who do this music thing “for real” hope to achieve.
I guess I got lost somewhere along the way. Maybe it’s because I’m not originally from here. I’m just having trouble understanding why it’s cool and funny for you guys to wave your asses in the general direction of a credible artist who has accomplished some real and tangible success in this business. Did he knock up your sister? Steal your car? Or is it because he wrote a well worded and solid letter that disagreed with one writer’s opinion? I mean, I’m missing whatever he did to get treated that way. I don’t see the humor in it, and it doesn’t make you look incredibly professional.
I shudder to think what your writers could learn about the music scene in this town, and the things they could accomplish to further it for the good of everybody who’s involved in it(including themselves), if they put away the shitty attitudes, sarcasm, and smart-ass crap for awhile and actually took the time to just be journalists and do their jobs. If that’s too much work though, you could just keep looking like a bunch of dicks.
Oh, and just for the record, The Rasberries are fantastic, and truly a great asset to this city’s musical history.
I think that video was absolutely hysterical. I met MS at a bar my band played at in Eastlake, Ohio called Rhino’s (no longer there) a few years back. The guy is a bonified douche bag. He was so rude it wasn’t funny. Not to mention he was all strung out.
So we know you have just made a post personally attacking Stanley.Wow..it’s a real surprise you like the video idea. Does not change the fact that Scene has acted in a immature and petty way in response to a legitimate letter.
Like Donnie Iris says: It’s a tough world.
Some of these (older) Cleveland rockers really don’t get it. I followed many Cleveland bands in the seventies and cannot believe their over-inflated egos still exist? I believe they take themselves much too serious! They fail to realize the bands were “excellent” due to the talented group members. MSB had some of Clevelands’s finest musicians just like the Raspberries and the compilation of that talent made the difference. Thanks. Ron E. Duncan – Middlefield
Cute video,guys! (and, by the way, there was some seriously funny stuff in that show!) Does it upset me? Not a bit. And why would that be? Because it’s Scene’s default setting and, as such, is not unexpected. Welcome to Cleveland!
Just a couple of FACTUAL corrections for you. Nowhere in my letter did I state that Justin’s article “sucked”. It was well written and I just happened to disagree with his conclusions. My bad, I guess!
And, sorry again, but the only thing I’ve ever been “strung out” on are cigarettes and cholestoral medicine, a costly and contradictory combination that I don’t reccomend. But, hey,let the good times roll!
The Scene article is yet another example of the Cleveland inferiority complex. The Raspberries are appreciated by those who should know — Springsteen for example — and they still play better than 95 percent of the bands a third of their ages. Mocking the best band to ever come out of this town is rather pathetic. Of course, I realize the average Scene reader is looking for a bar that serves $1 draft beers or afternoon specials at strip joints.
“… the average Scene reader is looking for a bar that serves $1 draft beers or afternoon specials at strip joints.”
As a tear dribbles into my Molson, I can honestly say I’ve never been more proud to work for this fine rag.
The Cleveland “Scene” magazine has revealed more (TRUTH) than any other Cleveland publication throughout the years. Especially referencing environmental issues in northeast Ohio. Keep up the great job! VankyPanky
Beware of anyone signing their comments with a nickname.
Especially when the poster includes their real name with the nickname. Right? VP
I know this whole thread is really suposed to be about the Raspberries, but Ive gotta add another comment or two about Michael Stanley.
You two or three that called Michael a “douche bag” or whatever and said he had serious attitude…are you going by an impression that you got from just walking near him without talking to him or at best maybe a 10 second conversation??!!! I’ve had the pleasure of talking to him many, many times and ,believe me, there is no finer, nicer person that you could meet! I admit to being an MSB (Michael Stanley Band) fanatic but that does not cloud my judgement . A nicer guy you will never meet….let alone a more talented person!
And to call the guy strung out??!!!!I cant even comment on that ridiculous comment!
I have had the pleasure of meeting Michael Stanley Gee and talking to him in person. Yeah, he may seem a bit rude to some, but has always said hello to me and talked a while too. I se him at bruggers having lunch with his daughter, and sometimes I just wave because I do not want to bother him. After all they are people just like we are. He will always be my number one!
This is and has always been a trashy,cheap,and unprofessional magazine. Just a bunch of hogwash! You have no clue about real music, talent, nor any clue what’s really going on. Michael Stanley strung out? Lol he’s probably one of the most cleanest, and drug free musicians I have ever met. You all are a disgrace to other journalists. What a joke! Are they even old enough to give an opinion on Wally Bryson or Eric Carmen? Let alone to give an opinion on great talent vs no talent? Your a bunch of knuckleheads winging it and just are completely clueless! Get a real job and make your education count. Mommy and Daddys college $ went to this? Really? What an embarrassment! Low budgeted cheap publication of crap! Isn’t this magazine free? Lol Consider the source.