FMD – Ric Ocasek’s “Other Career”

Lots of love and sadness for Ric Ocasek, especially for his work with The Cars. I was lucky enough to be in high school when those first two albums came out and they are still active on my playlist. In fact two good high school friends had a “Best Friends Girl” issue way back when and we still joke about it using that song.

Besides fronting The Cars, Ocasek produced 38 albums, some of which were The Cars of course, but a wide variety of others. Researching this post, I discovered he produced two Bad Brains albums, which I find amazing. Those are classic punk albums.

In the GBV world, Ocasek is known for producing Do The Collapse, which was Guided By Voices first foray into a highly produced rock album for a “big” label (Matador). Generally the album was well received and GBV fans have come around to the fact that it’s an album that wasn’t produced on a 4-track in the garage. The only issue that remains today is that Teenage FBI is probably over produced with a weird synthesizer effect that really isn’t needed oh and Hold on Hope was too much of a syrupy ballad. See video below.

Any way, Ric, you were your one weird looking dude who got to marry a super model and made or had a hand in a shit-ton of cool music. Plus you made me post about you instead of the the 50th anniversary of Abbey Road, which is my favorite album of all time. So good for you.

11 thoughts on “FMD – Ric Ocasek’s “Other Career””

  1. 1. The Aphex Twin “Digeridoo” Classics
    2. The Pointer Sisters “Pinball Number Count (DJ Food Re-edit)” C Is For Cookie/Pinball Number Count 12"
    3. Dirty Vegas “Days Go By (7" Mix)” Days Go By CDS
    4. Fog “Check Fraud (non-album version)”* Check Fraud 12"
    5. The Cranberries “Ridiculous Thoughts” No Need to Argue

    6. Bonnie Prince Billy “Stay” Wolf of the Cosmos*
    7. Animal Collective “Winter Wonder Land” Strawberry Jam
    8. Eels “I Like Birds”* Daisies of the Galaxy
    9. Alt-J “Fitzpleasure”* An Awesome Wave
    T. Coldcut “Pan Opticon (The Irresistible Force Remix)”* Let Us Replay!

    *Notes:
    4. An vocal version much superior to the instrumental. I absolutely loved the single "Pneumonia", and this vocal version is really the only song he did in a comparable style (but without "Pneumonia"'s wobbly turntable "guitar solo"). Broder's vox fall somewhere between Neil Young and Beck. The lyrics were printed in the sleeve (of at least the Ninja Tune re-release).
    "Us and our cars are confident and happy".

    6. An album of covers of the Norwegian singer/songwriter Susanna (with whom he had collaborated at least once).

    8. A personal theme song. "It's all right if you act like a turd, 'Cause..."
    I also find the broken rhyme of the chorus charming (though it might make others cringe):
    "If you're small and on a search
    I've got a feeder for you to perch on"

    9. From my faulty download of the entire album which in which each song was truncated by about 10-15 seconds, which makes it a jarring listen yet somehow feels appropriate. Kindof wish it was the actual version of the album.
    I see there are a bunch of remixes for the singles (This song, "Breezeblocks", and "Tessellate")... I wonder if any of those are good.

    T. Remixed by Mixmaster Morris (who recorded an album as The Irresistible Force for Coldcut's label, Ninja Tune)

  2. 1. Right Down the Line--Gerry Rafferty
    2. Something in the Way She Moves--James Taylor
    3. Take the Long Way Home--Supertramp
    4. Hummingbird--Seals and Crofts
    5. Every Woman in the World--Air Supply
    6. Lady--Styx
    7. Lido Shuffle--Boz Scaggs
    8. Rosalinda's Eyes--Billy Joel
    9. Miracles--Jefferson Starship
    10. Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song--B. J. Thomas

  3. 01. "Caroline" – LowLong Division
    02. "Train" – Uncle TupeloNo Depression
    03. "John My Beloved" – Sufjan StevensCarrie & Lowell
    04. "Like The Sun" – TanukichanSundays
    05. "Eronel" – Thelonious MonkCriss-Cross
    06. "King Of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 1" – Neutral Milk HotelIn The Aeroplane Over The Sea
    07. "Triple 7" – Japanese BreakfastAmerican Sound
    08. "Od" – Young ThugBarter 6
    09. "Can We Go Inside Now?" – Blood OrangeCoastal Grooves
    10. "They Don't Know" – Lydia LovelessSomewhere Else

  4. Boston - "Higher Power [Kalodner Edit]"
    Rush - "Fly by Night"
    Patrick Doyle - "Opening Title: O! For a Muse of Fire" (Henry V soundtrack)
    Elmer Bernstein - "Tree Treasure" (To Kill a Mockingbird soundtrack)
    Bruce Hornsby - "Down the Road Tonight"
    Chick Corea - "Children's Song No. 5"
    Steve Hackett - "Tales of the Riverbank"
    Toto - "It's a Feeling"
    Yes - "Does It Really Happen?"
    Alan Parsons Project - "Step by Step"
    bonus track: Animals as Leaders "Behaving Badly"

  5. Bad Company - "Feel Like Making Love"
    Eric Clapton - "Mainline Florida"
    Weezer - "Say It Aint So"
    Bad Company - "Bad Company"
    Franz Ferdinand - "No You Girls"

    Supertramp - "Goodbye Stranger"
    The Replacements - "Swinging Party"
    Gin Blossoms - "Allison Road"
    The Jam - "Town Called Malice"
    JT & the Gunslingers - "It Takes Time"

    1. I guess I could have said, if you like Chris Stapleton, you will like the new Sturgill Simpson album.

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