For those not in the know, Play On: A Raspberries Tribute proves why these power-pop pioneers matter: Rick Springfield electrifies “Go All The Way,” Lou Gramm powers through “Tonight,” The Bangles’ Vicki and Debbi Peterson sparkle on “I Wanna Be With You,” and John Waite owns “I Don’t Know What I Want.”

Add The Lemon Twigs’ brilliant “Let’s Pretend,” Marshall Crenshaw’s rootsy “Should I Wait,” plus original drummer Jim Bonfanti plays on four tracks and Eric Carmen’s new iconic count-in on “Tonight” — producers Ken Sharp and Fernando Perdomo have assembled everyone from chart-toppers to indie darlings, all celebrating the band that perfected Beatles melodies and driving rock.

Disc One:
1. Go All The Way - Rick Springfield
2. I Wanna Be With You - Vicki & Debbi Peterson
3. Let’s Pretend - The Lemon Twigs
4. Come Around And See Me - Katie Ferrara
5. Goin’ Nowhere Tonight - The Caulfields
6. Don’t Want To Say Goodbye - Robin Taylor Zander
7. Might As Well - Jesse Bryson (feat. The Kennedys)
8. It Seemed So Easy - The Spongetones
9. I Saw The Light - Adelaide Estep
10. Ecstasy - Eric Dover
11. On The Beach - Darian Sahanaja
12. If You Change Your Mind - Ken Sharp
13. Nobody Knows - Chris Price
14. I Reach for The Light - Bird Streets
15. Drivin’ Around - Popdudes
16. Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak - P. Hux
17. Waiting - Olivia Rubini
18. I Can Remember - Karla DeVito
With the two discs capturing pop perfection at its most deliciously best, the first disc opens on the melodic pop rock of Go All The Way (Rick Springfield), the jangly I Wanna Be With You (Vicki & Debbi Peterson), the airy Let’s Pretend (The Lemon Twigs) and the acoustic fare of Come Around And See Me (Katie Ferrara), then we get the alt-indie hit Goin’ Nowhere Tonight (The Caulfields), the streamlined Don’t Want To Say Goodbye (Robin Taylor Zander), the pop-tastic Might As Well (Jesse Bryson feat. The Kennedys) and both the indie essence of It Seemed So Easy (The Spongetones) and the breathy balladry of I Saw The Light by Adelaide Estep.

Along next is the _in your face pop-rock of Ecstasy (Eric Dover), the driven soft rock of On The Beach (Darian Sahanaja), the languishing If You Change Your Mind (Ken Sharp) and the euphoric Nobody Knows (Chris Price) and then we get brought forth the reaching alt-rocker I Reach for The Light (Bird Streets), the fun pop of the Beach Boys-esque Drivin’ Around (Popdudes), the AOR of Hard To Get Over A Heartbreak (P. Hux), with the ethereal Waiting (Olivia Rubini) and the rambunctious I Can Remember by Karla DeVito rounding the first disc out.

Disc Two:
19. Tonight - Lou Gramm
20. Play On - The Lemon Twigs
21. I Don’t Know What I Want - John Waite
22. Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) - Shoes
23. All Through The Night - The Hudson Brothers
24. Should I Wait - Marshall Crenshaw
25. Cry - Kasim Sulton
26. Making It Easy - Brasko
27. Last Dance - Evan Stanley
28. I Can Hardly Believe You’re Mine - John Powhida
29. Rose Colored Glasses - Rob Bonfiglio
30. I’m a Rocker - Ken Sharp
31. Party’s Over - The Chefs
32. Cruisin’ Music - Ronnie D’Addario
33. Starting Over - Tori Holub
34. Hands On You - Cherie Currie
35. Every Way I Can - The Toms
36. With You In My Life - Willie Wilcox
37. Please Let Me Come Back Home - Bambi

The second disc then opens on the throaty rocker Tonight (Lou Gramm), the alt-rocker Play On (The Lemon Twigs), the boombastic I Don’t Know What I Want (John Waite) and the rhythmic rock of Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) by Shoes, and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the crushing sounds of All Through The Night (The Hudson Brothers), the melodious duo of both Should I Wait (Marshall Crenshaw) and Cry (Kasim Sulton), and then come both the feisty rocker Making It Easy (Brasko) and the boat rock of Last Dance by Evan Stanley.

Up next is the playfully upbeat I Can Hardly Believe You’re Mine (John Powhida), the AOR of Rose Colored Glasses (Rob Bonfiglio), the glam rocker I’m a Rocker (Ken Sharp) and the dirty pop rocker Party’s Over (The Chefs) and then comes more Beach Boys-esque sounds on Cruisin’ Music (Ronnie D’Addario), the weightless balladry of Starting Over (Tori Holub), the gritty Runaways rock of Hands On You (Cherie Currie), with the likes of the rhythmic rocker Every Way I Can (The Toms), the beat-tastic With You In My Life (Willie Wilcox) and the late 60’s-imbibed Please Let Me Come Back Home by Bambi Kino bringing the 2CD set to a close.

This is two shiny discs of power-pop perfection packed in a digipak sturdy enough to withstand your most enthusiastic air guitar sessions and which also contains a 20-page full-color booklet with credits, photos and liner notes by Howie Edelson.

It contains 37 tracks meticulously arranged for maximum earworm potential Ultimate sonic time capsule preserving Raspberries’ legacy in a format that won’t disappear with your next phone upgrade.

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