In May 1978 I was almost twenty. A good friend of mine had broken up with his girlfriend a couple of months before and the girl and I were drawn to each other and recently become a thing.
About three weeks later, early June, I remember driving, listening to the radio, and guess which new song was being played? “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Was I supposed to feel guilty? I thought of my friend; they were done with each other, my intentions were clear, so I mostly felt ok about it. And the fact that there was a song about this situation was my first experience of that kind as a young adult. I couldn’t shake some feeling that something wasn’t right.
Turns out he wasn’t happy about our dating. And we lasted only about six months. Suzanne, I hope you’re doing well all these years later.
4
You can't go on, thinkin',
Nothings' wrong, but bye,
Who's gonna drive you home,
Tonight.?
Who's gonna pick you up,
When You fall?
Who's gonna hang it up,
When you call?
Who's gonna pay attention,
To your dreams?
And who's gonna plug their ears,
When you scream?
Thanks Ric, you did, and much more RIP. Peace to family, friends, and fans.
4
Curious: I wonder that there's no mention of the resurgence of "You Might Think" in the 2016 summer series "Brain Dead", nor of his "special appearance" as Beatnik Cat in the movie "Hairspray".
1
I worked in a bakery in Newton Ma and The Cars used to stop in, always right before closing, and buy bubkas. THE CARS, all of them, in a tiny Jewish bakery, with a bunch of high school girls, who knew every song on The Cars/The Cars in shock, ready to give them the entire bakery. Still have their autographs, written "To Carolyn". Thanks Ric, your music is magic.
21
This will certainly be a great time of sadness for the loved ones and friends of Ric Ocasek, and I do not wish to belittle their loss.
So, please do not misunderstand me when I write that the past 24 hours since the news of Mr. Ocasek's death has been mainly one of relived joy and happiness for me, as I purposely take the time to go to YouTube and listen to all those wonderful Cars songs. Without fail, every single one evoked a great memory: of times spent with people I knew and liked and loved, in long ago happy places, during what was the happiest time of my life. So many of those people, even more than a few of the places, exist now only in memory.
What great memories. Those of us of a certain age are ever so grateful for the musical soundtrack that energized and ennobled our lives over the past half-century and more. It is, I can confidently state, impossible to imagine living life in the second half of the 20th century without the likes of an Elvis or a Beatles or a Cars. Or an Eddie Money even. Impossible. It would be like separating white blood cells from red ones. No, it's all part of our cultural DNA.
Thank you, Ric Ocasek.
16
One thought I have is that Ric Ocasek was to New Wave as Joey Ramone was to punk. There's just no replacing that voice.
For all the comments here, Ric was still underrated. Blessings to the Ocasek family and his friends.
6
My sympathies to Ric Ocasek's family.
I had the pleasure to meet Ric and his wife, Paula, about 25 years ago. I was on tour with a band that was opening for Weezer. Ric produced Weezer's first album, and they showed up at the New York City concert. Ric and Paula were very down-to-earth, pleasant, and humble people, as most successful people I've met have been. I was always a huge fan of the Cars, especially their first album. I still have it (and play it) on vinyl. I had no idea he was 75 years old (meaning he was 34 when the Cars first album debuted in 1978).
Ric was a wonderful man, and he will be missed.
11
As a Deadhead, I must say I dug The Cars. Thank you for the gift.
7
As a young teen, barely, I admittedly went to see Foreigner at the Philadelphia Spectrum in 1978. Those were the days when nobody heard of the “warm-up” band and usually talked over them and also used that time for other activities that are not fit for outlining in the Times. Anyhow, this band comes out with skinny ties and crazy haircuts and of course it is The Cars. Within three songs the whole place, 18,000, is booing them ( this was a rocker crowd and The Cars looked like what would soon be called new wave.) I looked to my friends and said I thought they were fantastic. My friends were busy booing as well. I went to Sam Goody the next day and bought the debut and wore out the grooves and probably bought it at least once more before digital. What a great all around band that cut through stereo-types ( no pun intended.) RIP Rick.
14
A musical giant. An artist well ahead of his time. Thanks for sharing your amazing gift with us. There will never be another Cars or Ric Ocasek. RIP
5
You know you're getting old when the rock songs you liked as a kid are playing in the grocery store. You're getting really old when the rock legends of your youth pass on. RIP Ric.
11
Just adding a memory to the litany posted before me: saw The Cars @ Bogarts in Cincinnati in 1978 when I was 18, with a high school friend I love to this day, though I haven't seen him in years. Great show, fresh and energetic and the music felt so new after all that '70's stadium rock we'd put up with as teens. "Let the Good Times Roll" still sends a shiver up my spine. Thanks for the music.
9
"Just what I needed" ! Songs that made me happy, melancholy, smile,think, rock. Rest in peace and thank you.
11
Sad to hear about his passing. Curious as to the time, though, as news reports state that he passed in the afternoon, and a 911 call was placed (or responded to) at 4:00 PM. However the family statement says he passed in his sleep, and they couldn't wake him for his morning coffee. I doubt Ric was an early riser, but that's a large gap of time. Probably just a mix-up as to the time of the 911 call.
1
‘Drive’ is what I’ll always remember Ocasek, Ben Orr, and the rest of the band for. And I’ll also remember the role that WBCN played in breaking the band in the Boston market, back when FM meant something.
5
I always liked the band. I also recall John Lennon sayjng he liked their music.
6
When I was a senior in high school or freshman in college I had finally saved enough money for a good stereo. I still remember walking into stereo shops all over town with my Cars album. The clean sound of the guitars and drums and layers of keyboards made it easy to tell the good from the bad. Besides, I could listen to the Cars all day. Some 30 years later I was brainstorming phone app ideas with a friend and we came up with shaking the phone as an attention getting gimmick. Immediately i heard the needle drop and Shake It Up was playing in my head.
2
Moving in Stereo.
I saw them at Wollman Rink in Central Park back around 1981 or so, it was so great and fun to be with my loser HS friends having a blast.
2
If you haven't see the Rock Goes To College concert the Cars did, please go to YouTube and watch it. Phenomenal, even though the audience clearly had no idea what they were seeing and hearing.
One of the comments on YouTube seemed perfect: "Their music is X years old now, but it still sounds as if it is coming from the future."
Each member was an incredible talent, and together they produced wonderful music.
RIP, Mr. Ocasek.
12
I was a child when I first saw the video for You Might Think. It was the most imaginative thing I'd ever seen up to that point and was the reason I fell in love with Rock and Roll. RIP good sir, you made the world brighter.
5
@AH — That was innovative for an early music video. Playful, and suited the song perfectly.
1
Been a huge Cars fan since my college days (early 80s). I was introduced to their music by a good friend, who also introduced me to the Talking Heads. Saw both of bands in concert (separately) with her and a small group of friends. Fantastic shows; still love their music! I just downloaded their Complete Greatest Hits - all 20 songs - on my iPhone. Amazing how I still know all of their songs, listening to "Just What I Needed" right now. So sorry to hear that he has passed on, but thanks for the music, Ric!
3
"The Cars" is one of the best debut albums there is. They made such great music.
14
The Cars were the epitome of the 80's, when I was growing up and really listening to music. My friends, cousins, siblings, we all constantly listened to The Cars and now I am spoon feeding my children their music. There truly is no other band quite like them. My youth is slowly dying out.
2
I love The Cars. All of their stuff except the last albumn. Sad to hear of his passing. That first albumn is a classic. It still holds up to this day. I saw him once shopping at a ShopRite in New Paltz.NY. He was with his model girlfriend Paulina Portzigova. Well,he will live on forever in his music.
I’m old enough to remember what music was like before The Cars. There wasn’t a then-current band that sounded anything like them and to call them a breath of fresh air is an understatement. They profoundly changed popular music for the better. No one wrote lyrics like Ric Ocasek, and no one put it together like the five incredible musicians known as The Cars.
I was fortunate to see The Cars for the first, and sadly only, time last year at their long overdue Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. In fact, their induction was the reason I attended. They did not disappoint.
Less than a week ago, I was attending an event with my sister and as we were about to leave “It’s All I Can Do” came on the overhead. I told her we had to wait, because I just couldn’t walk out on my favorite Cars track—and this was forty years after hearing it for the first time and despite frequently plays on my vinyl, CDs and MP3s.
Compelling, magical, wonderful music lasts forever…
Thank you always, Ric Ocasek!
12
“It’s All I Can Do,” is such a beautiful song and has always been my favorite, too. Takes me back to being 15 in an instant — what a great feeling.
3
He was my neighbor, and I saw him around frequently. There was never any mistaking him— no-one else looked like him.
He made great music, and I’m so saddened to hear this. Rest in peace, Ric.
223
@A J
I saw him around Gramercy Park in maybe 2009. I had no doubt it was Ocasek.
At Clark University we somehow bagged bands just breaking and having the Cars in '78 was one of the most memorable, opening with Good Times Roll in a intimate, 700 seat auditorium. They showed that punk/new wave didn't always have to be distorted noise or sound like a car crash. From the start they had this clean, polished sound that was to be envied as well as enjoyed. As a guitarist myself, Easton's solos still do my head in with how clearly he plays each note in a fast riff.
102
@Expat3, That auditorium at Clark was great, woderfully intimate. Would have loved to have seen The Cars there but I did see Keith Jarrett there in '75 or so, which was unbelievably great.
12
"They showed that punk/new wave didn't always have to be distorted noise or sound like a car crash."
Hilarious - but true! lol
4
The Cars first album was my first LP at 14 and remains the soundtrack of my youth. They were offbeat and a little weird like me, and in retrospect, cooler because of it. Candy-O was an amazing follow-up and cemented them in my musical heart.
Ric was one of my musical heroes.... Moving in Stereo.
63
The music of the Cars and Ocasek, along with the advent of MTV videos helped define a generation. RIP Rick, you made your mark on me and many more, and that is truly something worth celebrating.
56
Remembering a great concert they gave in Buffalo NY while I was in high school in the early 80s. Drove there in a blinding snow storm with 6 pals in a Chevy Suburban from 2 hours away. Nothing was going to make us miss that, and we were not disappointed. Remains one of my favorite memories from HS.
101
@Norm Yea, Cars and the Flock of Seagulls at Purdue University in 82
2
Such great songs! I love them all but I still think their first single “Just What I Needed” was their best song. Such a big and powerful rocker and the perfect song to introduce them to the world because it appealed to both older rockers and the younger “new wave” crowd. They sort of got poppier as they went along. Rest In Peace, Mr. Ocasek and thanks for the amazing music.
31
I was barely born when the Cars came out with their first hits but they were one of my favorite 80s band. Many years later during the era of CDs, I went hiking with someone several years older than me and accidentally left my Cars "best of" CD in her vehicle. A week later, she sought me out of return it and raved about how fantastic the group was. I was somewhat shocked she did not know them -- since she would have been in her 20s when the Cars were at their peak -- but she told me she went out and bought the exact same CD that week. Such is the power of the Cars' music.
33
The Cars were the most important American band of the late 70's (along with Talking Heads). The Cars are one of the top 40 charting bands most widely respected by other musicians. Every rock musician I know loves The Cars. The only other band I can say that about is Cheap Trick. The Cars made terrific music and worked well with pop iconography to create their image. I've never met anyone who knows the Cars who doesn't love their music.
227
Who doesn’t know the Cars?
Their music transports me instantly back to the 80’s and high school. RIP
29
And don’t forget David Bowie’s version of ‘Pablo Picasso’ as well.
13
@Lazlo K. Hud
I feel Johnathan Richman (who is still performing) never receives the credit he deserves as one of the founding fathers of punk.
17
For years my wife would have to listen to me tell her over and over that The Cars not being in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame was bleeping ridiculous.....thank God they were finally inducted last year and Ric was alive and well -- minus the great Mr. Orr -- to experience the much-deserved ceremony while healthy. I never got to see them in concert, and I'm so sad today knowing it will never happen. Long live The Cars, their amazing music and the two geniuses that crafted the group's magnificent run -- Mr. Orr and Mr. Ocasek.
6
he produced the second suicide lp - forever thankful.
3
I’m sorry for Ric Ocasek’s family, friends, and fans. His fans are so numerous that I’m posting this comment here anonymously instead of on Facebook, for fear of backlash. And I was certainly interested enough to read the obituary (where for the first time I learned of the Cars’ connection to the Modern Lovers, whom I consider a more seminal band than Mr. Pareles seems to). But the Cars never did much for this punk-rock fan. Back in the early ‘80s, they sounded more like the slick pop music we were rebelling against.
7
@Some Tired Old Liberal , so much of it was of an era and location, and for this old punk who practically lived at CBs in the mid-70s, you're technically right -- witness Blondie, somehow lumped as a punk band despite being pure pop music. At that time there was a distinct difference between new wave (Patti Smith, Television, Richard Hell & the Void Oids, Talking Heads) and punk (The Dictators, Dead Boys, Ramones). I totally agree that the Modern Lovers were one of the more influential bands that never got the credit they deserved (saw Jonathan Richman play about two years ago in an intimate club and he still rocks it). Likewise Big Star. And much credit is due Lenny Kaye for releasing the composite of 60s garage bands "Nuggets", which showed early punk bands that one need not know how to play well to have success as a band.
6
@Some Tired Old Liberal, no worry, I'm with you on this one. They pretty much follow the standard pop hits trajectory. How can they not with the catchy hooks. Ric does have a commanding sound that grabs attention. Twisty lyrics never hurt either. I'm still uncomfortable about the stalking video.Today that stands out more than ever.
@sboucher Agreed. The difference between Blondie and the Cars was that, at least to my ear, Blondie had a more ironic sense of pop. The Cars took pop a little too seriously.
2
Big ol' smile on his face! I'd be smiling too if I married Paulina Porizkova, and I'd gladly trade a few years off of median life expectancy to do it. Way to go, Rick!
1
Dangerous Type was/is still a speeding ticket song for me.
R.I.P Ric
28
Used to smoke dope with my college roomie and listen to the first 2 albums. Saw 'em twice, once in a rainstorm, kissing my gf while people slid down a hill on cardboard to soundtrack "touch and go".
2
Last week it was « Eddie Money »... this week...
Candy O - I need you....
3
The first, thunderous, echoey drumbeats of the first track on their debut album heralded a fresh sound I never thought possible in popular music in 1979. Truly one of the best debut albums by any band. And, thank you Rik, for my radio handle, Electric Angel. RIP you brilliant, humble star.
"It's such a wavy midnight
And you slip into insane
Electric angel rock and roller
I hear what you're playin'"
22
It wasn’t just their music and Ocasek’s voice, the band’s name The Cars was strange. That was my impression when I first heard them over the radio in the late ‘70s.
1
To the family, we really liked his music, it made a lot of us happier.
Heck, we still like it and it still makes us happy.
31
Saw them at Boston Garden either 81 or 82 and what was memorable to ne was not the concert but I asked a girl who I had admired and it was probably the first time I had ever done a cold call date request. Living in B.U west campus tower I went down 2 floors and knocked on her door and my nerves escalated when she opens the door and she is in her room with like 4 other girls drinking beer and I still mustered the courage to ask her to the concert. She was a cool chick and I remember walking around a deserted area looking to find a spot to smoke a joint and as we fumbled around laughing that was a good adventure. We never dated after but when I decided to write a comment I wanted to soften the blow that the Cars live were up there in top 5 most boring live bands I have ever seen. Great studio sound but it was like watching a wax musuem. R.I. P. Rick your music will live forever. Still not on spotify but here's hoping it will.
The cars were all over early 80's Boston radio and boy do I miss those days.
2
The best formula for pop. Hands down. The use of the synth washes ( really the synth in general) in the pop context gave them kind of an eerie, if not ethereal sound. Lush, maybe? "Just a dream away" had a huge impact on me. The Cars, as a well as Rush, are definitely responsible for me working with synths in some way.
He gave some recording advice in a music magazine that I sometimes follow. With regards to overdubbing, he recommends: 'Don't listen to the track and just play by feel'. It was something like that. I try to follow the advice occasionally just to see what happens.
In any case, RIP, Ric Ocasek you strange man with your great ears, and sunglasses. The guy that had his head superimposed on a fly in a cheeky MTV video....
"...you kept it goin' 'till the sun fell down/ you kept it...goin'"
19
"The Dangerous Type" always transports me back to memories of a certain woman from 40 years ago. How time has passed. Thank you and RIP Mr. Ocasek.
17
I loved Adam 12; great cop show
1
“And it was hard, so hard to take
There's no escape without a scrape
You kept it going 'till the sun fell down
You kept it going”
RIP
2
Correction to my post: The yearbook in question is 1961-1962, not a year later. Ocasek's senior yearbook is not online, as far as I know.
1
Video might have “killed the radio star” but MTV was the perfect medium for The Cars and their style of new wave music.
Bye bye love, Ric Ocasek.
3
Super sad about Ric Ocasek.
I honestly can't listen to "Drive" without crying my eyes out.
Who is going to drive me home, tonight?
25
Very sad to loose Rick Ocasek and many others recently.
Drive is and always be my favorite drive song,
Thank you Rick.😞
Paulina Porizkova, “his wife at the time”? They may have been estranged, but she was still his wife when he died, and they were married for thirty years. How about just “his wife.”
6
I spent a lot of Friday nights watching the Cars music videos on Friday night Videos... Loved Ric Ocasek
1
No mention (yet) in the obituary that he had a cameo role in Hairspray (1988), that starred Ricki Lake along with Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono, and other well-known figures.
1
Ric Ocasek was born in 1944. He attended Maple Heights High School in Cleveland, Ohio, graduating in 1963. A copy of his junior year high school yearbook (1962-1963) has been uploaded to Classmates. Ocasek was on the track team during that year. He may have started school a year later or was held back sometime along the way, but it is indisputable he graduated in 1963 instead of 1962, most likely making him 19 when he graduated.
2
For all those grieving here for a certain era and their youth, please remember: Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard still walk this earth.
Will never forget what caught my attention and prompted me to become a huge Cars fan: 1- Saw them at the US Festival (Steve Wozniak sponsored event in San Berdoo) and my then-girlfriend was SO excited when they played "Let's Go." Sort of the guy's eye version of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." 2- The laid-back irony and superb humor of "Good Times Roll." Just the tempo of the song is borderline hilarious. Many many other outstanding songs/records, but those two were my gateway ... Hope Benjamin and Ric are singing together somewhere.
7
Maybe the best debut album ever made. Thanks, Ric.
7
I was in high school in 1979. The Cars and Blondie were my #1 mix tape. I wore it out. Their music is still fresh and full of interest. RIP RIc. You made my life better with your brilliance.
11
I admired him no end. His passing makes me feel sad, but the music will live on. I'll remain ever grateful to Ric and his band-mates for the gifts they gave. Sending condolences to his family.
1
What a shame he and Paulina Porizkova separated last year, after almost 30 years of marriage. They seemed to be the rare celebrity couple with staying power.
3
I have several "cars" tunes on my 80s play list. I always listen to it while:skiing, biking, or hiking and yes, driving. It never gets old. Hearing this sad news however, makes me feel old now. Another of my cultural heroes gone.
2
He was the epitome of Downtown Manhattan cool, maybe even more than Lou Reed, because he made being geeky cool.
4
At parties in the late-1970s through the early-1980s when I was in college, if there was any doubt about what music to play (the crowd I ran with included progs, rockers, and new wavers) you put on The Cars and everyone was happy. Fond memories. R. I.P.
3
So many great songs . Right on time. R I P Ric . Let them brush your rock and roll hair .
3
And not just their music, but their videos were cutting edge. Andy Warhol directed the video for "Hello Again". Ric had said that Andy could chose any song he wanted. "You might think" rocked early MTV. Nothing like it anywhere!
2
The Cars were an important part of the soundtrack of my youth -- radio, ski trips, parties -- always. The first real concert that I ever went to was The Cars at Nassau Coliseum (I was allowed to tag along with my older brother and his friends). And really, would the Phoebe Cates bikini scene in "Fast Times" have ever worked as well with any song that wasn't 'Moving In Stereo'??? I remember with absolute clarity the day in the early 90s that I was walking on West 10th Street and there was Ric and Paulina (sigh...Paulina...) walking right at me! I wanted to say something, but in the end I lost my nerve and just muttered "thanks" in Ric's direction...he probably didn't even notice. A definite loss for the world of music.
3
Obit of one of a kind musician by one of a kind reporter critic. Probably showing my age but really truly they don't make talent like this anymore, or at least not of late.
2
"...Mr. Ocasek’s lead vocals (of) suppressed emotion... his songs drew hooks from... punk... from emerging synth-pop... from echoes of... glam-rock and from hints of the 1970s art-rock avant-garde."
Aren't we talking about David Bowie? That's whose voice I always heard when I listened to the Cars.
1
something about his lyrics was conspiratorial, as if the band and the listener were both "in" on the story being told. sometimes it was "wink wink" good fun, sometimes it was somehow malevolent, moody. perfectly crafted, exquisite production and instrumentation, kick-butt hooks. real masters of the craft. RIP big guy.
4
I lived in Northeast Ohio in 1978 when The Cars were (and may still be) the darlings of WMMS ("The Home of the Buzzards") Cleveland and DJ Kid Leo. Their debut album was my first New Wave record. There was a nightly battle between my stereo blasting "Bye Bye Love" and the guy across the apartment complex parking lot cranking Meatloaf "Bat out of Hell". If it is not too late, I would like to apologize to the neighbors. And I still have the album and a better stereo if Mr.Meatloaf wants to have another go.
12
Thank you for the "Essential Songs" side piece. I would only occasionally listen to pop radio in the '80's and wasn't aware that two of the songs I'm familiar with were by The Cars.
1
A friend had the Cars' first album on 8-track (which meant it played on loop).
No one ever wanted to take it out of the player. One good to great song after another. How could you interrupt any of them?
7
I actually remember seeing Ric Ocasek in Cleveland as a member of the Grasshoppers in the mid-1960s. He kept at it a long time and finally achieved stardom.
Ocasek supposedly had this library of several thousand vinyl LPs which gave him ideas and aided his long career as a record producer shaping the sounds of others.
Ocasek was a musicologist who made a significant contribution to American pop music.
4
@Wordsworth from Wadsworth
Wait, who doesn't have a library of several thousand vinyl LPs (and 45s)?
2
Listening to The Cars...such nostalgia and poignant memories of my younger days. Wonderful songs and sound.
5
I still remember the opening riff for good times roll, coming from the dashboard of my parents car for the first time. Great then . Great now. RIP Rick.
4
A great piece of my youth was listening to the Cars. Sad.
3
Last week, preparing for a trip to Boston in a few weeks, I added my all-time favorite Cars song to my playlist. ALL MIXED UP brought me back to my life there (1980-1990). The song is a haunting, elegiac ode to an impossible love. Exactly like my time there. And then Ric Ocasek dies. Ah. Well...
3
I loved "Just What I Needed" the first time I heard it on the radio driving to work. I remember thinking the band was destined for greatness. Ric's voice and the band's sound was so unique. RIP.
3
@MC
Ben Orr sang the lead on Just What I Needed.
1
I frankly hadn’t thought of the Cars or listened to their music in years; maybe even decades.
When I read that Ric Ocasek died, I played their tunes again and these scenes from my youth came flooding back. For those of us of a certain age and sensibility, the Cars were the background music for so many fun and carefree times. I grew up in many places but wherever I was, the Cars were what you listened to if you were a cool kid (or thought yourself to be). Listening to the Cars got me all excited and happy again.
So I made a playlist which will be looping in my house, car, and office for the next few days. Thanks for the tunes, Ric.
11
I was thinking recently that The Cars' sound is timeless. They play them on WXRT often in Chicago, and don't strike me as "oldies" but "classics". There was a rumor in the early 80's that some of the band members met or worked at a Scrub-a-Dub carwash on Route 9 in Natick, my hometown. Never was confirmed though!
I. Loved. The. Cars.
In order, Dangerous Type. Just What I Needed. Panorama. Dream Away. Blue Tip. Shoo Be Do into Candy-O. Let’s Go. All Mixed Up. It’s All I Can Do. Running To You. Drive.
And yes, Never Say Never...still near the top of my most played...
And the album covers were pretty cool too.
6
The Cars' quirky sound was a much-needed breath of fresh air in the late '70s, when rock radio seemed oppressively stale. They helped sneak New Wave into rock, and I'm incredibly grateful for that.
The video for "Magic" seems a giant wink to Ocasek's "detached" and "introverted" persona. His messianic figure appears focused on singing to the camera but betrays hints of unease at all the worshipful fuss around him.
Another auteur from my musical coming-of-age gone. Thanks for the music and the memories, Mr. Ocasek.
3
There is nothing else from this era of music like The Cars.
Rest in Peace.
1
There isn't another band that sounds like the Cars. And that is the greatest compliment a rock band can get.
"Bye Bye Love" is the perfect rock song. And if that doesn't do it for you, crank up "Let's Go" or "You're All I Got Tonight."
I hope Ric and Benjamin Orr are jamming together again, and I hope it's loud.
8
'The Cars' followed by 'Candy-O'. There have been others, but not many one-two punches like those two.
RIP Ric.
6
That debut was so fresh and clean it saved the summer.
2
Oh jeez. I was just listening to “Dangerous Type” the other day thinking, The Cars sure stand the test of time and still manage to thrill me.
The music of The Cars was ubiquitous at my high school too, not only because they were new, different and amazing (both boys and girls played them from their huge boom boxes) but because Ric’s oldest son Chris Otcasek was in our class. Looking exactly like Ric, he played it down and played it cool, just like his dad of course. RIP.
4
The Cars were my introduction to music that was post 60's and 70's hippie and electric blues.
Hated it instantly. Never changed my mind.
What many may not recall is that most of the tracks on their first album would be repeatedly played on "rock" radio, new wave radio AND pop radio stations. In 1978 that simply did not happen ever. Even the glorious Talking Heads could not say that. The band Boston ruled the classic rock stations at that time but you would never hear them on college or new wave radio. The Cars were immensely listenable without being derivative.
5
He accomplished much when Sony Walkman and automobile cassette players ruled the day, back when we were "Moving in Stereo."
I'll bet many others my age heard the news this morning with the first thought being about Paulina Porizkova. A little bit "he stole the girl of my dreams" and the memory of saying "If Rick Ocasek can marry Paulina Porizkova, there's hope for the rest of us ugly guys."
I guess that thought is as far from woke as can be and now looking at the photo I'm asking myself "Why did I think Ric Ocasek wasn't good looking?" There is still a little of the old me in there because my first action was to Google Paulina Porizkova.
And then I went through a collection of songs that brought so many memories back. Is this what all of the upcoming deaths of rock stars will be about, finding our younger selves? I couldn't help but think while listening to the lyrics of "Drive," perhaps listening for the first time becauses everyone was talking over the music back when it was a hit, I couldn't help but think the lyrics to that song was written for the remaining audience of today, not the people we were back then.
Rest in Peace Ric, thanks the tunes, the forgotten soundtrack of almost forgotten days and the memories. Now I'll go back to singing "Let the Good Times Roll."
4
When he launched the New Wave, Ric Ocasek rocked the world with a newer, more intelligent, gentler vibration that still resonates in the inner ear.
4
I am a member of The Motels; and we opened for The Cars on their 1980 Summer tour, promoting "Panorama." Although I had been on several tours prior to that one, it was the first time I felt like I was in the big time: The Cars sold out coliseums and large venues. Although not a scintillating live act, all they had to do was play the first few measures of almost any of their songs (read: hits) and the audience would spontaneously rise to their feet and often sing along with the chorus. Ocasek was seemingly aloof; his songs did all the work. The Cars's influence on The Motels was vast. Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton became friends and they had only great things to say about Ocasek. He was a major pop songwriter.
18
@Marty
Well I must say the Cars were a pretty interesting breath of fresh air about the time they came along.
Then, a little later, so were The Motels! I particularly like the pre-Val Garay Motels. Talk about emotive music and a riveting presence on stage! Hope you're well, Marty! It was nice to see your name.
3
@Marty - Hi, Mr. Jourard. I am sorry to correspond with you under these circumstances; I greatly admire your work. When I get through "The Cars" and "Candy-O" (an album of which I own two copies in case the first on breaks), I'll listen to "Shock" and enjoy it all over again. Thank you for sharing some inside history and I am especially sorry for the loss by Ric Ocasek's friends, family, and fellow musicians. How can "Bye Bye Love" be a track on a group's DEBUT album??
2
Graduated from high school in 1981 and under my picture in the yearbook it says "Fan of the Cars." Saw him once sitting in Madison Sq Park because I used to live in the neighborhood but I left him alone and didn't gush like a fanboy. Really thought about it though. If you find a better song than "Nightspots" buy it.
21
@DatMel HAHAHAHA me too!!!!!!! (the yearbook part) :) And agree totally with Nightspots. Wow! There are a few versions of Nightspots floating around on Spotify. Also love the version on youtube taped at the Musikladen nightclub in Germany.
2
@tchamp Let's lobby Fountains of Wayne for some kind of special Cars tribute.
4
@DatMel
That would rock! Nice to know there was more than one of me out there...BTW graduated in 82. I was just coming of age in 78-79 and I happened to be at a neighbor's house, and there was a very (let's say) attractive 18 yo living there, way out of my league (I was 14 or 15), and she was playing the Candy-O album. My mind was racing. This was like throwing a lit match on kindling. That was "all that I needed" to be hooked on the Cars!
2
Ocasek and Orr were a great team. Rid wrote the songs but almost every song listed here in the comments as being a favorite was sung by Orr.
12
@Morgan
Ben Orr had a beautiful voice and great control and range. He could perform difficult songs live and not miss a note. Apparently some of their studio work required only one take from him.
It was a symbiotic relationship for a time, but not a long enough time, sadly.
2
I swear I was just in my car a week ago or so when "Drive" came on the (satellite) radio, and I thought, "Wow, I had forgotten how many great songs Ric Ocasek had written." Farewell.
20
I'm in my mid 60's and my incredibly hip mom, before she passed in 1988, loved the Cars.
Their music always brings me thoughts of her and my own appreciation of how uniquely cool and wonderful the Cars were.
Rock on, Ric, and thank you.
17
I'm totally sad. The Cars were an awesome band many do not know anymore except excellent musicians and those who are cool. I constantly listen to them, almost everyday. I never get tired of listening to their high energy music and variety of sounds in every song. It was bad enough Benjamin Orr died in his 50s in Atlanta, GA in 2000.
12
When I was in high school in the early 80s, The Cars were played at every party and were in every tape deck in every cute guy's car.
The Cars were loved by both the girls and the guys, and I remember that as a rare thing. They were that cool. I'm playing their self-titled The Cars from 1978 -- on vinyl -- as I write this.
It is as good as ever. RIP to the soundtrack of my youth.
32
@Giantjonquil It's funny how music can bring us back in time. I too grew up with the cars and enjoyed many, many of their songs right into the 80's. Who could forget those fantastic videos on Friday Night Videos--back in '84--during which the Cars were played prominently. First Ben Orr, then Tom Petty and now Ric Ocasek. Oh well, great artists are impermanent but their music will live on. RIP.
3
Music makes me happy, sometimes it seems that’s the only thing that does. I was never a fan of pop music, whatever that means. But the Cars, play em loud, and sing along.
10
One of my favorite bands of all time. Thanks for brushing my rock 'n' roll hair. RIP, Ric.
18
I loved Cars music from the start, and find it odd that it crosses so many boundaries from radio pop to "high art". The work has aged impeccably, I have never known them to be considered a "guilty pleasure" or dated by the era as other progressive artists were. Ocasek was (and surviving Cars are) elegant weirdos, and wizards of the best hybrid of art and pop. What an inspiration.
20
In the early 80s, he used to stop in Canal Jean Co., on lower Broadway, to chat with certain friends that worked there(I won't name them). He towered about everyone and seemed to enjoy the attention he got when he snaked through the crowds. I worked the "Sock Wall" for a while, where I had to stand on a tall, sliding ladder above everyone, to get at the top racks. I was never introduced to him but, for no reason in particular, he'd often wave to me on the way out the door, as though he knew me. I'm guessing he did that out of friendly pity because I had to sell socks but it was sweet, in any case.
32
@Al Eugene I used to see him at Flip! on 8th Street. I loved Canal Jean!
3
I was attending college at UMass Amherst, about 90 miles from Boston in the fall of 1977. We had just returned to school after the summer break with a new bunch of freshmen on our co-ed dorm floor. Someone suggested a large group of us go to the on-campus bar the Blue Wall, as there was a band from Boston playing. They must have been good, as not everyone could command a cover charge, and I think they were charging a whole dollar. I remember quite well dancing right in front of the band, clearly noticing Ric’s black fingernail polish, and the band’s backdrop - basically a bedsheet with “The Cars” handprinted on it with a marker. They were so good, me and most of the same group coughed up another buck the next night to see them again. Not long after that we were all buying “Just What I Needed” singles at the local record store, and then their first album. Whenever the question comes up regarding the best band I ever saw before they made it, I never hesitate to say The Cars. Great fun and memories!
43
Mr. Ocasek's voice and delivery are unmistakable; he's one of those artists whose sound will never be mistaken for another's. My father bought Panorama for me just after its release (on 8-track) and though I was still in elementary school, I could tell that it was unlike anything else I'd heard before. The Cars opened up a whole new musical world to me.
12
The end of the seventies and start of the eighties were a very unsettling time for me musically. The whole punk scene made no sense whatsoever, and the overproduced, synth driven New Wave that was the sound du jour, was about as exciting as a prostate exam. But then, there were The Cars. Exceptionally well crafted pop songs that still maintained a razor sharp guitar driven rock and roll edge that separated them from the rest. Still have my original vinyl albums, The Cars and Candy-O, with that sweet Vargas cover. RIP, gentlemen. You are still rocking my world.
14
@Stephen El - you have captured late '70's and early '80's music well. There were a few bands that made the grade and the Cars were certainly one of them. Sad day.
1
This man provided the soundtrack for my HS and early 20s. thanks, Ric
RIP
15
The first concert I ever saw-I remember so much from that magical night with the Cars.
5
One of the greatest rock n' roll songwriters of all time.
From a time when pop music was good, and rock music was popular.
3
Big fan of the Cars. Saw them at MSG on the Shake it up tour. I marveled at their minimalist approach to performing live but they were a sonic force. Touch and Go is probably my favorite song for its inverted off time keyboard riff. Thank goodness we'll always have their music. RIP!!
8
I also enjoyed the car is not only for their music but for the bands particular style and presents. RIP Rick. Tonight I should put on some old Cars music as I’m sure many others well.
2
Great music that makes me feel good whenever I hear it. What more could anyone ask for? Thanks, Ric. I hope your jammin' with the greats in Rock 'n Roll Heaven.
1
The song “Dangerous Type” from Candy-O was my personal favorite. I especially love the layered instruments at the end of the song. All their hits take me back to late high school and all of college, a very happy and fun time in my life. Thank you Ric. RIP
8
When I heard of his passing last night, I casually remarked to my girlfriend: "I never liked The Cars."
I'm of that era - loved the punk days and danced constantly at various NYC clubs.
Reading about Ric, reading the heartfelt comments from fans, recalling sweet, youthful, wild dancing I did to "You Might Think" in the 80s, and, especially listening to the beautiful composition "Drive" just now with all the memories it evokes…
I'll take back my flip reaction.
With a tear in my eye.
22
All my Rock icons are dying before my eyes. A few days back it was Eddie Money and now Ric. If there was one thing I envied Ric the most is his beautiful wife Paulina P. At least he died with a smile on his face. Thanks for all the great music Ric. Your legacy will last for a long time in your music.
3
Love the song Candy O. Sir, thank you for the great music, and RIP.
7
Side 2 of their first album, "The Cars" is non-stop pop/rock brilliance... "You're All I've Got Tonight" > "Bye, Bye Love" > "Moving In Stereo" > "All Mixed Up".
Perfect album side. Thanks Ric.
18
I was growing up in Soviet Union where western music was a forbidden fruit. Had to go to black market to buy LPs and with no advance knowledge of artists I was basically buying blindfolded. Some music stuck, some I disliked, but there were few albums I really cherished and like to this day. Sting’s Dream of Blue Turtles was one of them and Cars’ Heartbeat City another among very very few. No one knew about The Cars in USSR back then, but everyone hearing their songs immediately was asking the band’s name. Their music was very unconfomist and yet so appealing through many hooks and multilayered instrumentals that created symphony of sound that you could listen to indefinitely. Rick Ocasek, you will always be in our hearts.
61
"Just What I Needed" is a perfect little crystalline pop masterpiece where you wouldn't change a note, an instrument, or any of the choices along the song's path. "My Girl" by the Temptations comes to mind along this line. Perfectly arranged, produced, executed. I was working in a record store when the debut album came out with, in my opinion, one of the top ten LP covers ever. Alas.
48
If I were stranded on some proverbial desert island and had to choose only one band's catalog to listen to, The Cars' would be the subject of serious consideration. Simply put, they made some really great music.
Thank you Ric. RIP.
42
I worked in a fancy downtown hotel as a busboy while living in and going to school in Boston back in the day.
My busboy friend (who was gorgeous) was walking down Newbury Street one day when someone from The Cars saw her and asked her to pose for the cover of their upcoming album "Shake It Up".
That's her, my long lost friend immortalized on the album cover.
You couldn't get much more Boston than The Cars.
I think they're just what we needed.....
127
Wow! Thanks for sharing - cool story.
2
@r mackinnon
Let's Go!: Benjamin Orr and The Cars by Joe Millike says it is a professional model named: Mary Ann Walsh.
1
@r mackinnon
Oh yes you can. It's called Gang Green.
1
For those of us from Boston, WBCN and the Cars - there was a good length of time when you could not turn on a radio in Boston without running into a Cars song.
They were the soundtrack to my high school and college years. They were the sound of rock, but different. Something new they were calling “New Wave.”
Moving In Stereo: I feel old today somehow.
Rest In Peace, Ric... and thanks!
75
@GWBear
Remember “Mattress Mishigas”!?!?
1
A great and a great songwriter and producer. RIP Ric.
13
I have a list in my head of great first albums, albums in which a band nailed its sound from their first recording. Usually it’s about the third album when a band breaks through. But The Cars’ first album and Pearl Jam’s head my list of astoundingly great first albums. They remind me of what Emerson wrote to Walt Whitman when Whitman sent to the great man his first edition of Leaves of Grass: “I greet you at the beginning of a great career which yet must have had a long foreground for such a start.” So with The Cars! And that saxophone at the end of “It’s All Mixed Up”!!
25
@Boswell First album, First song “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight.” The Cars at their detached and cynical best.
In the 80s I preferred the British and Irish rock music: The Police, Duran Duran, Tears For Fears, U2. I never liked that power pop music of Journey, Foreigner and especially Van Halen.
1
@Mark Ryan- Thanks. What does that have to do with The Cars? And check the definition of "Power Pop". Wrong category if you were including The Cars in that grouping.
2
@Mark Ryan What does either genre have to do with the Cars?
1
So what? What does this have to do with the Cars?
Thanks for the correction on his age. 1949 to 2019 doesn’t equal 75 by any math formula.
6
@Vivien Hesselj - he was in the Class of 1963, Maple Heights High School so I believe the 1944 date to be correct. I'm not an expert, though ...
Loved them in the beginning. Recently I’m learning bass on the video game Rocksmith and downloaded a Cars song pack. Those songs stand the test of time but at the same time recall those early years of new wave. RIP to him and Orr.
8
I still miss WBCN.
25
@Cynthia
Me too,
and starting out the day listening to Charles L. on the Big Mattress ( college+ years), later getting informed by Danny Schechter, the “News Dissector”
And WNEW with Allison Steele was great too (high school years)
Stations like that were eclectic in their programming, not just formulaic, my tastes were greatly expanded with their help.
They, like the Cars, were just what we needed in those times.
11
Elliot Easton’s guitar playing was a big influence on me, saw them live in 1979. A great band. Soundtrack of my high school years.
16
See folks? This is what happens when you live long enough. You'll eventually die from living long enough. Accept my motto for old age. Get old or die.
9
@Martino- I always "Hope I Die Before I Get Old". I think most of "My Generation" do.
1
“They’re [the lyrics] more twisted than I’ll ever be.”
I think I love you.
14
That Bad Brains album: Wow!
11
"Tonight She Comes", one of the best singles with the most perfect guitar solo ever !
15
Oh, Ric, what a great big gawky rock and roll god you were. The Cars were the background to the 1980s. RIP.
36
This one just hurts. The Cars are a huge piece of the soundtrack of my life. Anyone wishing to pay homage should blast The Cars today. Play them loud. Upset your nieghbors.
RIP Rick. Thanks for the songs.
49
Minor correction
Car ‘Course’
Should be Car ‘Coarse’
Of course
3
Be miss like cars music good voice for he music
1
I met Ric at Electric Lady Recording Studio in Greenwich Village in the 90’s. He was producing a record for a media darling band I was doing the PR for that landed a mega deal that could afford him as a producer. The record and band didn’t do much but he was extremely complementary of my work...more than the band I was working ever was...but that’s the music biz, RIP...I still remember blasting Just What I Needed before going to Junior High in the morning just loving the hyper cool deadpan sexy sound.
70
One too many times I fell over you
Once in a shadow I finally grew
And once in a night I dreamed you were there
I cancelled my flight from going nowhere
It's all I can do
To keep waiting for you
It's all I can do
It's all I can do
Godspeed, Rick. We love you!
61
Somewhere, Keith Richards is reading this - go figure.
51
@Sambamann haha, truer words have not been spoken!
The end of yet another era. Rock on.
10
I lived in the Gramercy Park Hotel in the late 70's. One day a corvette parked out front with a plate that said "The Cars." Later Rick would move into a townhouse on "Block Beautiful" and marry a model. Not bad. It's only rock and roll, but I like it!
27
Who’s gonna drive us home??
(Rest In Peace, Ric. XO)
37
@Nan
Who's gonna plug their ears when you scream? Dang; nearly wrecked my whole day yesterday hearing this. :(
His family told me he was 75.
3
So sad to hear of Ric's passing. saw the cars and Eddie money together at the Yale bowl in 79" right as they were making the big time.
17
Who could forget that scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High where Phoebe Cates saunters over to Judge Reinhold to the Cars' Moving in Stereo?
"It's so easy to fly through a window.."
We hope it was for you Rick.
Thanks for everything.
29
I may keep recommending this all day
“Drive” still stops me in my tracks whenever I hear it by choice or chance. You had a great run, Ric. Now, on to those dreamless drifts of sleep. Rest In Peace.
16
The Cars were the beginning of new wave. What a thrilling time to be in high school, when the Cars' first album came out within months of the Police's first album.
I'm sorry to hear of Ric Ocasek's passing. He always seemed a little introverted for a guy who fronted a band, yet amused by it at the same time.
32
The Cars is one of my favorite bands. Got to see them at MSG before they finally called it quits as a band. I have a large vinyl album collection and one album I treasure is a vinyl pressing of one of their concerts. It has a "killer" version of "Candy-O" on it. I bought it from a record store in the West Village back in the 1980's. I remember reading an interview with Ric and he was asked why Benjamin Orr sang the lead on "Drive" and he said it was because Ben has a "Paul McCartney voice." I had a huge crush on Ric and one reason was (as another person commenting here said) because he was so sexy!! No matter his age, his death is a huge loss for all music lovers. RIP Ric Ocasek and thanks for all of the great music.
15
Oh how sad. I love Drive.
RIP
7
@Rax
Yeah, that & You Might Think. :\
Saw the Cars in Detroit twice during college. Ranked as my favorite concerts, for many years after. RIP Ric, you really rocked it.
6
Just the mention of Mr. Ocasek's name awakens long dormant earworms in my head.
R.I.P., Ric
11
Ocasek was 75 - he graduated from Maple Heights HS (Ohio) class of 63, which can be verified through a search of hs yearbooks -
20
I am shocked and terribly sorry to hear this. The Cars are one of my favorite bands of all time. Thank you for the incredible music, Ric, and rest in peace.
17
I remember seeing the Cars as the opening act for Tom Petty sometime around 1980 at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford NJ. It was an amazing show. So many great rockers from the 60's and 70's have passed away in the last year or so. We also just lost Eddie Money. Every time this happens a piece of my youth dies too.
29
From 1984 into 1985, Heartbeat City was my album, because even then, in a sea of corporate hitmakers, I knew Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr were unmistakably authentic. May they both rest peacefully.
14
I’ve loved The Cars since their first album came out. Ocasek was such a great songwriter. Some of their songs were the soundtrack to the finest moments in my life. I liked them enough to see them five times, even though they were one of the most boring live acts I’ve seen. It’s weird that the man whose band and music were virtually never controversial has passed away leaving a bizarre controversy about his actual date of birth. RiP, Ric.
10
Sad day today. My condolences to his family.
I first found out about The Cars when I went to college in the Boston area. My turntable / tape deck / Walkman knockoff / CD player / iPhone all knew them well.
They came in and out of my life; I had a rediscovery of sorts about 10 years ago, and half-hoped for a book on the band. (Though, given their lean towards privacy, it probably would have had to come from one of them.)
And then got to make up for lost opportunities with the 2011 tour.
I liked how they all did their own thing, but they did it as a *unit* (well, until they didn't, but that's another story).
And even if there are a lot of people who don't know them, there are a lot of people who do. And we'll remember.
11
@dg Toby Goldstein wrote a quickie book called Frozen Fire back in 1986 or so (copies available on ebay). It's not bad, but a serious biography of all five band members with a serious analysis of the music would be most welcome. A biography on Ben Orr was released last fall, but I haven't read it. But, really, everything you need to know is in the songs.
1
He played some of my favorite leads. Melody and chops combined.
6
@Wayne Jacobsen That would've been Elliot; Ric was rhythm.
Even long after The Cars, he was producing some really great songs. My favorite song on No Doubt’s 2001 album “Rock Steady” is “Don’t Let Me Down”, which was produced by Otcasek.
8
Mr. Ocasek was very talented. His songs remind me of really good times...they made for the perfect party music, but were equally great when you found yourself alone, just listening.
19
Saw then in the 80's at the Providence Civic Center. Great band - as good live as they were recorded. RIP, Rick O.
6
Such a great band - though I got in trouble the day I brought home a copy of Candy-O. My parents were very upset about that cover! No mention of his cameo in the original "Hairspray?"
28
@Annie I love that scene! You can find it online - him and Pia Zadora as beatniks. Priceless.
2
Echo thoughts here about how great the first two records were, a really excellent BAND and how strong Ocasek and Orr were together in early days.
Also up there in the 80s cultural moments brought to you by The Cars... pool scene in Fast Times w Moving in Stereo. Perfect in every way.
Since You’re Gone, I took the big vacation.
RIP Ric.
22
Read Al Cooper’s book about his days of being a producer, he was assigned to producing the first Cars album. He states that they were a mess, barely able to play their instruments.
In any case he apparently did a excellent job of sorting them out, he saw the potential.
Never a good day when a contemporary dies. Rick led a good life, rich, did what he wanted and married to a spectacular woman. I can only be jealous.
He will be missed.
6
@Paulie
Roy Thomas Baker produced the first Cars album. Given that they'd all been playing 15+ years and that Greg Hawkes and Elliott Easton are tops on their instruments, all of them were seasoned pros who killed it out of the box.
65
@Mexico Mike
Not to mention, both Greg and Elliott were students of Berklee School of Music, which is an extremely heavy hitter.
42
The Cars were the band that broke open radio for new wave. They were one of those bands that everybody liked, regardless of genre preference, because they consistently created good music. Mr. Ocasek's career as a musician and producer was remarkable and his success and accolades were well-deserved. He was a great artist.
52
Candy-O and Panorama will forever be two of my favorite albums.
13
Bought their debut album on vinyl at 15 when it came out; I still have it and it still sounds fresh. Subversive pop, you can't beat it. RIP Mr Ocasek.
32
"Just What I Needed" was one of the first songs my teenage band learned, and one of the best pop singles in an era that had a few. That first album is wall to wall pop heaven; a worthy contender for the title of best debut LP ever. Second and fifth LPs also amazing. RIP, Ric. Thanks for the music and memories.
30
From mid-teens to, well, decades later--the Cars and Ric Ocasek always made me feel good when I heard their music.
Sometimes, when I'm listening to the radio in my car (yes, I still do that), and all I hear are songs that sound exactly alike, banal and rote, a Cars song comes on and I'm immediately happy. I'm sad Ric is no longer around, but consoled that I can always listen to his music. One of a kind.
47
I grew up in Boston, and when the Cars went from cherished bar band to superstars, we figured we'd never see them again. Instead, they stayed and continued to support local music. Either I or my friends all had encounters with various Cars in clubs, used record stores, or the recording studio. Ric would zoom around Harvard Square in a red sports car, as though he didn't stand out already. And apart from the personal, they had a sound and a presence that I will always feel ushered us into the '80s like no other. A great talent lost today.
126
When I think of music which defined my coming of age, my era, The Cars, are always at the top of the list. Shake it up, Ric, thank-you for sharing your gift.
23
Ric Ocasek was my top crush when I was 12 (alongside a longstanding crush on Sting). I must've seen the videos for You Might Think and Drive a million times, and that's back when you had to actually watch hours of MTV and not just stream your favorites on YouTube... Some brightly-colored childhood memories are dimmer today without you in the world, Mr. Ocasek. Rest in Peace.
43
I was *just* dancing around the living room to “Night Spots” the other day, and musing on how well it holds up after decades. Dance the long night away, Ric. You made the world a better place.
40
Having been born in 1950, I was not a big fan of much of the music from the late 70's and early 80's. However, The Cars struck a musical nerve in my, and I loved what Ric and the band did. I still do. RIP.
21
How can anyone not like The Cars' music? Thank you Ric Ocasek for so many great songs and memories. And wow, do I feel old this morning.
65
A writer and self described awkward performer- a rarity in the MTV age where the premium was placed on the look and style. RIP.
24
@Rob
Not much MTV could do about popular bands that pre-dated the network's existence.
3
@Rob — Actually, you might want to check out “You Might Think” on You Tube. It was a playful, upbeat tune and its video perfectly showcased Ocasek’s gangly awkwardness. The video was also pretty innovative for the early days of MTV.
1
I've been a lazy listener, but on first hearing 'You Might Think...' I woke up almost as much as I did to early Beatles. In my world, the words 'clean sound' seemed to apply. I believe the ambiguous quality of the lyrics helped; sort of an opportunity to be vital and at the same time open and curious.
Life, such as it is, seems to allow gratitude for the work of such as Ric Ocasek.
23
Candy-O, Moving in Stereo-- I listened to the Cars music in the 70s and now, some 40 years later, it still sounds futuristic. And it still sounds awesome. Rest gently, Mr. Ocasek.
165
And so it begins: I'm at the age where the makers of my teenage soundtrack begin to die. Two things to mourn today.
164
@e w
Exactly what I was thinking: Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek within days of each other. The soundtrack of my youth is dying : (
33
It only gets worse.
12
@e w
I feel the same, e w. It's a lonely, strange feeling. We were so lucky to come of age in that era with such awesome music.
8
Caught The Cars at the Cow Palace in SF. I was amazed that their live sound captured the record sound exactly. Or vice versa not quite sure...anyway great show. RIP Ric
16
@Rick Foster I prefer bands who don't replicate their records. It's the easiest, least creative thing to do.
1
@David Henry To each his own. My friends and I saw a ton of concerts in the 70's, and we were always most impressed by the few bands able to recreate the record sound. It was always a let down to see a band live and not hear some of the nuanced sounds in a song that made it special to me.
7
@David Henry On the contrary, it not that they replicated the album on stage but the album replicated the live band.
They created their music, not the post-production mixing. Much like when you listen to Santana or Stevie Ray Vaughn live, it is better than anything the studio could manipulate into music.
Lip-syncing was never a thought. They made the music right before you eyes, with such great talent and skill.
11
Ric was a great writer.
The lyrics on the Cars debut album stuck with me more than any other band. Many road trips driving with the stereo cranked and singing out loud.
Never had a chance to see them live and was so bummed I couldn't get a ticket when they played First Avenue in 2011.
Certain things mark the passing of time in everyone's life and this is certainly one for me.
27
@Garfunkle I feel your pain about not getting to see the Cars at 1st Ave. I got lucky and got a ticket. Right up front, at the feet of Greg Hawkes. Ric was awesome - total stage presence and he barely moved. At the end of the show, there was a bit of confusion as the band collectively decided to do one more song for an encore, completely spur of the moment. It was "You're all I've got tonight." It's a Dave Robinson showcase with his expert fills and propulsive swing. At the end of the song, Ric cracked a huge smile all the while never removing his RayBan's. Unforgettable show in an awesome club. What a band, what a loss.
5
The appeal of The Cars on AOR in the late '70's really helped introduce so many of us to alternative and punk that exploded in the early 1980's.
Rick was a master at weaving warped and dark romantic aspects into a 3 1/2 minute pop song that was always produced with the finest attention to details.
32
So many of the greats passing. I know it dates me to say this but we’ll never see their like again.
93
@angus So true. Tom Petty comes to mind, David Bowie of course, and others. Sadly it seems it's no longer economically viable to produce memorable, iconic music. Instead, we're left with formulaic corporate drivel that's forgotten almost as soon as it arrives.
96
@Scott G — I too was thinking of that this morning.
At the risk of being labeled a “get off my lawn” type of older person, who/what will remembered from this current crop of often unlistenable and unmemorable music? I know every generation thinks this of music that comes after it (Big Band generation calling The Beatles and Elvis flashes in the pan, for instance), but now there seems to be some grain of truth as the icons begin to pass.
38
@angus
So much music out there now - even if you are great you're competing in a much larger universe than 40-50 years ago, so much harder to have a few megastars. Radio has also lost its ability to consolidate tastes for the public. But so much great music now of all different genres. I usually scan the NPR top albums list at the start of the year (current list is https://www.npr.org/2019/08/30/755128973/npr-musics-top-12-albums-of-august). I also listen to the NPR station in Santa Monica, KCRW, which has great new bands playing in their studio (https://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/morning-becomes-eclectic).
3
I've often said The Cars made the best one and one-half albums of the 70's in "The Cars" and the first side of "Candy-O". Elliot Easton's guitar work was diamond wrapped in cream. Greg Hawkes minimalist keyboards could have easily folded into Devo. In front of all of that wonderful band were Benjamin and Ric, both now departed.
Thanks Ric - you rocked it well. :-}
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@Joseph Taylor, Dangerous Type is a great song too, out lasting the pop songs that got played to death.
9
Very sad news to lose Rick Ocasek. I saw them play live at the Norfolk (Va.) Scope, and it was great. RIP
8
It was always a relief when their songs came on the radio -- bouncing and funny, hip and sexy....
Ocasek Orr, an American response to Lennon McCartney.
...But I always got lost on beauty Paula and the odd duck storyline, missing how special Ric was...until I took three hours tonight, listened and laughed to their youtube hits...
-- As good as my English god's!
When the Cars came on, I bet even Ray, David and our Bob smiled and nodded.
It was a sound that could even pull Cobain from a soggy bog to his first guitar.
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@frankly 32
I think I am one of many women who found him to be very charismatic and yes, sexy.
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@LM Yes, after listening to him, especially at the rock and roll hall of fame induction...remarkably humble, precise and worth the time ...so deserved fans, fame and fortune. A diamond from the rough, O H I O, beveled and polished by experience, talent and hard work that cut through all the mediocrity...5 Chapeaus!
1
We were fortunate to see the Cars up close at the 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Event. Mr. Okasek was a slow rocking enigma and quite enjoyable to witness with his self conscious swagger..."Drive" defined the 1980's...RIP gentle man...
13
Another piece of my youth gone.
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I saw them open for Foreigner in 1978 in Hollywood Florida. We left during the main act’s set. The Cars had a South Florida crowd dancing. That was pretty unusual back then. Another lifetime ago...Maybe the mothership finally came to take him back to his home planet. If there was ever a man who looked like an alien, it was Rick Ocasek.
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A great loss to rock and roll. Thanks Ric
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They had many hits over the years but if you want to hear them in all their glory try "Bye Bye Love" from their debut album. Youtube has various videos of this song being played live, also.
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I agree. My favorite Cars song.
4
Too many artists, many who were a big part of my youth and teenage years, are crossing the rainbow bridge. Rock on good knight.
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@northeastsoccermum
It's called Death, my friend, a naturally occurring phenomena that if we are lucky greets us in our dotage. We're old, deal.
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The music of The Cars is tied to places & people for me. I went to see The Cars in concert on my nineteenth birthday. Thanks for the memories Mr Ocasek, you will be missed. RIP
13
Often would see Rick, sometimes with kids in tow walking from Food Emporium in Gramercy with bags of groceries. A regular guy and would always reply to our greetings with a calm - “hey man.”
Saw The Cars at the Dr. Pepper Summer concert series at what is now Wollman Rink in Central Park in ‘80 I think it was. I was in awe of this band who had dropped so heavily onto the music scene.
Always fond memories of Rick Ocasek.
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@biijii Yes, the Ocasek's were fixations in Gramercy for decades. Rick pushing a stroller and Paulina walking the dog. A happy image I will always have. RIP Rick.
1
I fondly recall dancing like a lunatic to the Cars.
I really miss that era.
RIP
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@Lost In America you can still dance like a lunatic if you want to! Celebrate his life, don’t mourn his death!
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Ric Ocasek was an excellent song writer. And the Cars were a great band. RIP Ric.
34
1978, the year disco died. Van Halen and the Cars finally provided a welcome relief from the BeeGees or classic rock (now they are classic rock).
This was also the last generation of organic music from real suburban basements and garages. 5 years later we were in full boy band casting mode. Ocasik would never have had to fear being cast in a boy band!
Still, what I remember most is the strange music videos of this hideous guy stalking some teenage model. I realize we live in different times, but it struck me as weirdly predatory even then.
8
There is no better period than 1978 through 1983- for some of the best music was released during that time. Beginning with the Cars perfect self-titled debut - what an album! Ric and the other band members were immensely talented - and what they made was sonically gorgeous. Everyone in the band knew their place, and each was allowed to showcase their playing on the debut LP. I feel so fortunate that I was able to grow up listening to bands like The Cars - and an entire album track for track for that matter. What a great time it was back then. RIP Ric and thank you!
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@Russ: I agree that some great music was released at that time, but the 60's was probably the most phenomenal period in music. Between rock, folk and Motown, I don't think there was a more productive period in contemporary, popular music. And then in 1972, along came Steely Dan, the Eagles...
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@Russ you obviously weren’t alive in the 60s, they shear deluge of great music of many types spoiled me forever. It seemed there was a great album released every week. First time I heard Who’s Next I was floored. Electric Ladyland, astounding.
2
The Cars debut album is one of the best rock albums ever IMHO.
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I remember getting that album from some promo bin at a record store, listening to it, and calling all my friends and saying “ you gotta hear this!”
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@Joe: Agree wholeheartedly. Their first and second albums will never get old. To me, they sound as fresh today as when I first heard "Just what I needed " at the tender age of 13. while I lost interest in The Cars after Candy-O (too pop for me), those first two albums will forever be on my top 10 go-to list of best albums of all time.
11
@Sheila ditto..absolutely lovved them when they came out, and listen to both about every other month.
I used to get mixed up at times with Ric’s voice and Ben’s. They has a deep baritone like quality to them and at times sounded very similar at times. I preferred Orr but Ocasek was the writer and the band revolved around him the most. The first album still sounds great today on the radio,
16
Their debut and then CandyO we’re always on in my world and in my head at the end of the 70’s. And no one was cooler than Ric Ocasek. And then he got THE girl. A life well lived indeed. Thanks Ric; RIP.
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In the early 80's I was living in extreme frugality and had very little money to spend on records. Robert Plant, Thomas Dolby, and The Cars made the list.
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A great song writer. I miss him already. So sorry. R.I.P...
18
Sad loss. I was in High School when The Cars hit big, bought their music on cassette and listened to it constantly while driving. Loved the catchy pop tunes sung by Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr. The band had two singers which made it interesting. They also got a lot of radio play from what I remember.
18
If he was 75, then he didn't make it big in rock music until he was in his mid-thirties. That seems unlikely, in that rock musicians almost always peak in their twenties. Who in rock comes up with their first big hit at age 34?
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@Jon Harrison
In the music industry, though not necessarily the strict definition of “rock”: Bill Withers, Cyndi Lauper, and Sheryl Crow, off the top of my head. And probably a few others.
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@They Call Me Relish: Sure, but none of these are rock musicians/singers/songwriters by any stretch of the imagination. I can't think of a rock artist whose best work wasn't behind them by age 34, Kim Gordon excepted. Bowie had big hits in his mid-thirties, but were they rock or something else?
@Jon Harrison after reading it was unsure if he was 70 or 75 I remember at the time Ocasek was quite old for a rock star. If I recall correctly there was a bit of subterfuge hiding his age. Sort of like was done with Blondie’s Debby Harry, another non-spring chicken.
22