Out of Cleveland Ohio came Raspberries. Led by Eric Carmen, they scored a monster hit in 1972 with “Go All the Way.” Carmen guided the band through four studio albums before embarking on a successful solo career in the mid Seventies, scoring hits like “All By Myself” and “Hungry Eyes,” and writing hits for other people, including “Almost Paradise” for Ann Wilson & Mike Reno.

Finally, in 2004, the four original Raspberries reunited to commemorate the grand opening of the House of Blues in Cleveland.  Now, that historic night has been made public, with the release of Pop Art Live, a 2-CD live set featuring 28 songs – everything the band played that historic first night, made available through Omnivore Recordings.

We chat with Carmen about putting that reunion together, and why this recording sounds so much better than ones released before.  Plus, he talks about the Raspberries’ hit “Go All the Way” being included on the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack.