Ric Ocasek RIP

[Bobbert]

Every classic rock station in the country should have a moment of silence for the late Ric Ocasek, the mastermind behind the first Cars album that helped establish the classic rock format in the late 1980s and still helps support it.

And of course, Eddie Money did his share too.

[sfpcc]

In the last week we lost Daniel Johnston, Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek. it's starting to look like 2016 again.

[Honeyman]

Sorry, I gotta say it. I never could stand The Cars. And calling Ocasek a "great songwriter" like I have heard on many eulogies is absurd to me.

She's winding them down
On her clock machine
And she won't give up
'Cause she's seventeen

She's a frozen fire
She's my one desire
And I don't want to hold her down
Don't want to break her crown
When she says,
“Let’s Go”.

.....really?!? Great songwriting? A thrid grader could have written that.


That said...RIP Ric.

[Chris1980]

I preferred Benjamin Orr (sang lead on "Drive") myself, both as a songwriter and as a vocalist. They both had solo hits in 1986-87 and Ocasek's "Emotion in Motion" was pleasant enough, but Orr's "Stay the Night" is an underrated classic.

But yeah, 2019 is turning out to be another hell of a year for celebrity passings. Olivia Newton-John also has Stage IV cancer and Alex Trebek has had a setback and is back on chemo. And today we lost Cokie Roberts as well. Forget 2016, it's starting to feel like 2012 again.

[joe60]

List the hits you wrote in your songwriting career

Sorry, I gotta say it. I never could stand The Cars. And calling Ocasek a "great songwriter" like I have heard on many eulogies is absurd to me.

She's winding them down
On her clock machine
And she won't give up
'Cause she's seventeen

She's a frozen fire
She's my one desire
And I don't want to hold her down
Don't want to break her crown
When she says,
“Let’s Go”.

.....really?!? Great songwriting? A thrid grader could have written that.


That said...RIP Ric.

[fuzzpower]

Orr was the better singer and frontman, but he didn’t do much writing in his Cars days.

Never liked Drive in the least.

[blizzard]

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/musi ... it-884683/

[JLesinski]

Meh.

[matt1]

Ric's "Troublizing" (from 1997 on Columbia) is his best solo album. Produced by Billy Corgan, lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins!! His last album 2005 "Nexterday" isn't bad either!!

[Honeyman]

List the hits you wrote in your songwriting career

Really?!? That's your retort? Jeez, you got me...yeah Ocasek wrote better songs than me.

I understand the Cars had a big following and sold millions of records. My wife and I have a fight for the volume dial in the car (no pun intended) when a Cars song comes on the radio, she loved 'em too. I just think they were insipid lyrically.

let the good times roll
let them knock you around
let the good times roll
let them make you a clown
-------------------------------------
I don't mind you hanging out
And talking in your sleep
It doesn't matter where you've been
As long as it was deep, Yeah
-----------------------------------------
All I want is you tonight
I guess that dress does fit you tight, yeah
You know that look does make me shake
It almost looks too good to fake
---------------------------------------

[ftballfan]

I preferred Benjamin Orr (sang lead on "Drive") myself, both as a songwriter and as a vocalist. They both had solo hits in 1986-87 and Ocasek's "Emotion in Motion" was pleasant enough, but Orr's "Stay the Night" is an underrated classic.

But yeah, 2019 is turning out to be another hell of a year for celebrity passings. Olivia Newton-John also has Stage IV cancer and Alex Trebek has had a setback and is back on chemo. And today we lost Cokie Roberts as well. Forget 2016, it's starting to feel like 2012 again.

2019 seemed lighter for the first half of the year than past years in regards to major celebrity deaths. However, I do feel one or both of ONJ and Trebek will survive long enough to see 2020

[Sgt. Sackto]

I love 80s music. I find the Cars, however, annoying and unlistenable. Eddie Money I could listen to all day.

[Realist]

I love 80s music. I find the Cars, however, annoying and unlistenable. Eddie Money I could listen to all day.

Exactly the opposite for me as I can’t change the station fast enough when Eddie Money comes on. Really burnt out on his music from radio overplay. Most Cars tunes I’ll listen to

[matt1]

Ric's first solo song & music video "Something To Grab For" (from 1982 "Beatitude"). Went to # 47 (Hot 100) & # 5 (Billboard's Mainstream Rock) in February of 1983. Model Marianne Gravette appears in the music video. Marianne was Playboy's Playmate Of The Year 1983. Marianne also appeared on the album cover of Ratt "Invasion Of Your Privacy" & the music video "Lay It Down" in the Summer of 1985. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml9ZB98EfzY

[Y M Ionhere]

List the hits you wrote in your songwriting career

Really?!? That's your retort? Jeez, you got me...yeah Ocasek wrote better songs than me.

I understand the Cars had a big following and sold millions of records. My wife and I have a fight for the volume dial in the car (no pun intended) when a Cars song comes on the radio, she loved 'em too. I just think they were insipid lyrically.

let the good times roll
let them knock you around
let the good times roll
let them make you a clown
-------------------------------------
I don't mind you hanging out
And talking in your sleep
It doesn't matter where you've been
As long as it was deep, Yeah
-----------------------------------------
All I want is you tonight
I guess that dress does fit you tight, yeah
You know that look does make me shake
It almost looks too good to fake
---------------------------------------

I find that a whole lot of songwriters are pretty weak. Especially the pros who churn out stuff for other singers (ahem, Diane Warren). I had a cd from a ska-revival band called Save Ferris that I listened to only once and gave away because the songwriting was so basic that it ruined the whole experience. I never paid attention to most of the Cars lyrics, with a few exceptions. The music is catchy enough to district from them. But I think if you read other writers lyrics, they wont be much better.
Still better than the cliche-ridden, second grade level crap Taylor Swift writes. Easily the dumbest and most embarassing songwriting ever.