The Raisins

The Raisins (Author) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Label: Strugglebaby
• ASIN: B000LX4BVU
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,063 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

pre-Bears Rob Fetters band. Adrian Belew produced. full length album, 14 tracks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fame should have followed, September 19, 2008

By 

D. Wyatt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raisins (Audio CD)

I first saw the raisins live when they opened for Adrian Belew. They were described to me as a 'bar band', but it took only two or three bars to dispel that notion. They played songs I'd never heard before with fire, wrote lyrics insulting all the right people and genuinely kicked my @$$ back in in the seat. I had never heard a band so strong as players, singers and songwriters. Simply put, it was the raisins who taught me that great bands didn't always find fame and fortune.

The album starts with guitarist Rob Fetters little hit "Fear is Never Boring" a slashing cynical rocker with brains to spare and a great hook. But that's just the opening line. "The Bends" chronicles the travails the life of a non-famous road band with hooks and wit Spinal Tap might envy. The raisins version of the Stones classic "19th Nervous Breakdown" has a manic energy that drives their version clear past the original. "Let Us Prey" has an acid edge that just drips.

In short, this is a great album, mixing R&B, acid rock and power pop with lyrics clever enough to have been penned by Ray Davies or Frank Zappa.

The thing about panning for gold is you have to go through a lot of rocks to get a nugget. No rocks here. This record is pure gold.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Raisins - Fear Is Never Boring, February 26, 2009

By 

M. Gibson (Cincinnati, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Raisins (Audio CD)

This is an excellent album. When I was just out of high school I listened to this album (vinyl I think it was) all the time. The band originated from Cincinnati, Ohio (i think) and the members were Bob Fetters, Bob Nyswonger, Rick Powell, and Neiheisel Bam I believe. I am unsure how, who and when the band changed to "The Bears". I liked the "The Raisins" sounded better. :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsFTi1DuZ8U

5.0 out of 5 stars long live the Raisins, October 5, 2011

By 

kevin h usleman (Austin, TX, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raisins (Audio CD)

The Raisins started playing in Cincinnati(in and around the University of Cincinnati campus) around 1977,78 or so, and I think i remember them being from Toledo, Ohio originally. They found great success in CInci and stayed for a long time. I think most of the original band members still call Cinci home. Fetters was just a kick ass guitar meister and songwriter, way ahead of his time. Bob Nyswonger was (and probably still is) his trusty side man on bass, rounded out by master keyboardist Rick Neiheisel(who was NOT the original keyboardist, which was Tom Toth). Bam Powell was on the skins for a long time, but Chris Arduser was the original drummer.
The Raisins' first recorded song of memory was "Your Song is Mine", which was on the WEBN Album Project 3 in 1978 (local rock radio station). IT was a fantastic song which i still croon to today. It was recorded with the later band mates on Fear is Never Boring, but I thought the original version was the best.
Their music was the most exciting music going at that time, and i surely thought they would have much more commercial success, especially after teaming up with local guitar great Adrian Belew, as the Bears. But alas i think they didn't mesh with the commercial music business as it was in the day, so they elected not to play the game, but still played out at times and i guess Fetters kept (and keeps?) writing. They released a 3 cassette compilation of all their music sometime in the 80s, which i wish i still had possession of (it vanished eventually from my 67 mustang somehow) and i would love to get ahold of that set if it was ever re released on CD, which i heard it was briefly a few years ago. And they just did a reunion show back in August in a club in Covington KY. sorry i had to miss it.
A great band of whom i owe a great deal of admiration to for all my music interests. I cant tell you how many nights i spent with them at the clubs in Cincinnati over the years. Just thought i would share. BUY the "Fear" set....its a great piece of work.