Author Topic: RIP Ric Ocasek  (Read 991 times)

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Offline T-ski

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RIP Ric Ocasek
« on: September 15, 2019, 06:59:33 PM »
passed away today at 75.

Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?

Offline TAC

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2019, 07:03:15 PM »
Oh shit!
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2019, 07:07:56 PM »
Had no idea he was so old. Can't go so far as to say their debut is a masterpiece, but it is one of the top tier debuts in pop/rock.
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Offline Stadler

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2019, 07:42:20 PM »
Fuck me.  I'm really sad about this.  I'm a very big Cars and Ric Ocasek solo fan.   

 I can remember driving to hockey practice as a freshman and sophomore with the goalie, Jeff M. and he made me listen to Squeeze and The Cars almost exclusively (there was a little Bob Seger in there). Remember, I was a metal guy, into Kiss and Iron Maiden, and yet it struck a chord.   I really came to like The Cars (Squeeze too, actually).  Everyone takes about the first album, but that second album is almost as good.

Offline SystematicThought

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2019, 07:57:34 PM »
Not a good week for classic rock heroes with songs that have Shake in the title.

RIP Ric. Gonna go listen to their debut album
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Offline bosk1

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2019, 07:46:20 AM »
Wow.  When the Bosk band got together for practice last night, our first song was Just What I Needed, and we had no idea.
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Offline ProfessorPeart

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2019, 08:37:12 AM »
Alex Skolnick from Testament did a great write-up of both Ric and Eddie Money. It is pretty spot on.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2dMzK7Bu1d/?igshid=10sk7hkpx3u9w

Back to back “one-two punch” for rock music in one weekend, damn. Eddie Money & just now, Ric Ocasek of The Cars .

Full disclosure: In high school, my friends & I always gravitated more towards music that offended & defied convention: The screaming guitars of Van Halen & Ozzy, the screaming (literally) of Halford & Dio, the shock of Kiss & Alice, the complexity of Yes & Rush, the sexual boundary-pushing of Prince (& for that matter, Plant) the weirdness & cultural critiques of Zappa etc etc...But what’s interesting about both these guys’ work is that despite its relative “safeness” (it fit none of the above descriptions, was generally accepted by mainstream gatekeepers, was never threatened with censorship, didn’t cause concern by parent/teacher groups or DC Congressional Committees), it somehow occupied that safer space while being liked by those of us into the more unconventional (even dangerous, if you will) side of music. No, my friends & I didn’t wear Eddie Money or The Cars T-Shirts; we didn’t hang up their posters; we didn’t run out to buy their albums or attend their concerts..But you know what else we didn’t do? We didn’t turn the dial when they came on the radio (and these guys were ALL over the radio)! It may have been “safe” sure, but the songs were undeniably good, the hooks incredibly strong - so strong, in fact, that I can’t even look at titles like “Just What I Needed” & “Let The Good Times Roll” or “Shaken” & “Two Tickets to Paradise” without the songs getting stuck in my head! And I can only imagine their pressure to do some stupid gimmick or rely too much on image in their area of radio friendly rock, but they did not. Even after MTV, they kept it real, just a couple dudes who happened to make super-catchy, fun to listen to music.

I met Eddie once - a former guitar tech of mine worked with him for many years - he struck me as down to Earth funny and a great guy. I have heard the same about Ric, though we never met. These two may be more associated with early mid 80s , an era long past, but they were great guys and true artists who will be missed & remembered for many years to come. RIP #eddiemoney & #ricocasek #Thecars
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Offline EPICVIEW

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2019, 08:46:37 AM »
sad news   .. their first 2 cds were epic at the time
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Offline Stadler

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2019, 09:13:18 AM »
My opinion only, but Ric embodied that "danger" more than Eddie (though Eddie seemed to LIVE it more than Ric) and he seemed to escape the 80's better than Eddie.   Some of the lyrics to the Cars songs were quietly subversive; they don't always tell happy poppy stories, even if the music is happy and poppy.  And Ric transcended his role as writer/singer/band leader to become a pretty highly regarded outside producer (Weezer, No Doubt, others...). 

Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2019, 09:16:16 AM »
The Cars were never quite my cup of tea, but no denying their impact and influence.

RIP
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Offline King Postwhore

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2019, 10:42:33 AM »
The cars broke out in Boston big time and WBCN played the hell out of them.  I was 11 and it was an album that got me into Rock N Roll.  I have a vivid memory of hearing Just What I Needed going to Battleship Cove in Fall River, Ma.  Funny how certain songs triggers good memories.

R.I.P. Ric.
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Offline Orbert

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #11 on: September 16, 2019, 10:53:20 AM »
I liked the way The Cars infused their pop/punk/synth/new age thing with a little weirdness.  There was a dark side that showed itself sometimes, and it seemed to go well with the slightly demented lyrics.  "Let them brush your rock and roll hair" "Life's the same, except for my shoes" "She shatters me in the mirror"  Great stuff.  I'll miss Ric.

Offline Stadler

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #12 on: September 16, 2019, 11:02:16 AM »
I liked the way The Cars infused their pop/punk/synth/new age thing with a little weirdness.  There was a dark side that showed itself sometimes, and it seemed to go well with the slightly demented lyrics.  "Let them brush your rock and roll hair" "Life's the same, except for my shoes" "She shatters me in the mirror"  Great stuff.  I'll miss Ric.

THANK YOU for lyric-checking my favorite Cars song of all time, bar none, "All Mixed Up" (though it's actually "She shadows me in the mirror...").

The last verse is classic Cars:
"She's always out makin' pictures
She's always out makin' scenes
She's always out the window
When it comes to makin' dreams
It's all mixed up"

Offline Orbert

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #13 on: September 16, 2019, 01:32:12 PM »
Holy shit, you're right!  :eek  I've been singing those lyrics wrong for 40 freakin' years!

To be honest, I think "shatters" works better because, you know, mirrors; but "shadows" and mirrors have like a second-degree relationship, so it's even more obscure, more Cars.  I sit corrected.

The background vocals on that track are sublime.  The whole first album sounds amazing.  I've always loved the production on the first album, and how along with the New Wave, Punk, and Pop in there, there was just a hint of Prog in the arrangements.  Not much, but a few things not usually found in the mainstream.

Offline WebRaider

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #14 on: September 16, 2019, 07:46:23 PM »
Alex Skolnick from Testament did a great write-up of both Ric and Eddie Money. It is pretty spot on.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2dMzK7Bu1d/?igshid=10sk7hkpx3u9w

Back to back “one-two punch” for rock music in one weekend, damn. Eddie Money & just now, Ric Ocasek of The Cars .

Full disclosure: In high school, my friends & I always gravitated more towards music that offended & defied convention: The screaming guitars of Van Halen & Ozzy, the screaming (literally) of Halford & Dio, the shock of Kiss & Alice, the complexity of Yes & Rush, the sexual boundary-pushing of Prince (& for that matter, Plant) the weirdness & cultural critiques of Zappa etc etc...But what’s interesting about both these guys’ work is that despite its relative “safeness” (it fit none of the above descriptions, was generally accepted by mainstream gatekeepers, was never threatened with censorship, didn’t cause concern by parent/teacher groups or DC Congressional Committees), it somehow occupied that safer space while being liked by those of us into the more unconventional (even dangerous, if you will) side of music. No, my friends & I didn’t wear Eddie Money or The Cars T-Shirts; we didn’t hang up their posters; we didn’t run out to buy their albums or attend their concerts..But you know what else we didn’t do? We didn’t turn the dial when they came on the radio (and these guys were ALL over the radio)! It may have been “safe” sure, but the songs were undeniably good, the hooks incredibly strong - so strong, in fact, that I can’t even look at titles like “Just What I Needed” & “Let The Good Times Roll” or “Shaken” & “Two Tickets to Paradise” without the songs getting stuck in my head! And I can only imagine their pressure to do some stupid gimmick or rely too much on image in their area of radio friendly rock, but they did not. Even after MTV, they kept it real, just a couple dudes who happened to make super-catchy, fun to listen to music.

I met Eddie once - a former guitar tech of mine worked with him for many years - he struck me as down to Earth funny and a great guy. I have heard the same about Ric, though we never met. These two may be more associated with early mid 80s , an era long past, but they were great guys and true artists who will be missed & remembered for many years to come. RIP #eddiemoney & #ricocasek #Thecars


This was a great write-up by Alex but I agree The Cars had a little more edge in their music and still Eddie Money lived a bit of the rock n' roll lifestyle even if their music may have been considered "safe" comparatively. I really enjoyed both but to pay respects to Ocasek here I think I enjoyed The Cars catalog more. R.I.P.

Offline New World Rushman

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #15 on: September 17, 2019, 06:07:06 AM »
RIP Ric


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Offline bosk1

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Re: RIP Ric Ocasek
« Reply #16 on: September 25, 2019, 08:08:27 AM »
Wow.  When the Bosk band got together for practice last night, our first song was Just What I Needed, and we had no idea.

We got together again last night for a quick rehearsal.  We knew we weren't going to get through all our material, so I suggested that we focus on the songs that needed the most work.  Just What I Needed isn't the tightest, but we've been at least decently locked in to where I was willing to skip that one last night.  One of our guitarists really wanted to do it since this is the first time we've played since hearing the news (and we all just really like it).  There was such a cool emotional vibe when we were playing through it.  Partway through, I decided to turn on my phone and record a snippet.  It's up on my FB page if anyone is interested.  (and, yeah, I know that some of you have seen it and commented already.  :heart)

EDIT:  One more thing I want to add about this song.  I've always liked it.  But it's been stuck in my head since playing it last night (that, and King's X's Looking for Love).  I think it's going to go down as one of those songs for me that remains an iconic all-time favorite, even though I never used to pay it all that much attention outside of thinking it was just a solid, good song (I remember years ago when a couple of guys in the band asked if I knew it and wanted to play it, and my reaction was a hesitant, "Yeah...I think I vaguely recall how that one goes...").  It's sad that sometimes it takes someone passing away to really appreciate their work.  I liked the Cars when I was younger.  But outside of Heartbeat City (which I LOVED), I was basically only familiar with a handful of hits.  But playing the song now after Ric's passing, I guess I just paid more attention to it, and I now appreciate it much more.  And I like that it has quickly gone from a song that I considered "good," but not really on my radar, to one that I really, really like.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2019, 08:14:55 AM by bosk1 »
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