Artist: Ric Ocasek
Genre(s):
Rock: Pop-Rock
Discography:
Nexterday
Year: 2005
Tracks: 11
Troublizing
Year: 1997
Tracks: 11
This Side of Paradise
Year: 1997
Tracks: 10
Negative Theater
Year: 1993
Tracks: 15
Fireball Zone
Year:
Tracks: 12
Although he's topper known as the leader, isaac Merrit Singer, round guitarist, and songwriter for the Cars, Ric Ocasek has too produced for a wide variety of other artists over the geezerhood. Born Richard Otcasek in Baltimore, MD, on March 23, 1949, Otcasek was 16 when he became interested in music via such early rockers as Buddy Holly & the Crickets. In the early '70s, Otcasek affected from Cleveland to Boston and began playing in a family band called Milkwood with friend Ben Orzechowski. They released a lone, disregarded album in 1973 called How's the Weather. When the record failed to chart, the group pronto split up, but Otcasek and Orzechowski would stay together. Inspired by proto-punk outfits the Modern Lovers, the Velvet Underground, and Roxy Music, they formed Rick & the Rabbits and changed their last name calling from Orzechowski to Orr, and Otcasek to Ocasek.
By the mid-'70s, the new set included extra members Greg Hawkes (keyboards/synths), Elliot Easton (guitar), and former Modern Lovers member Dave Robinson (drums). Shortly afterward, the quintet changed its list to the Cars (with Ocasek becoming the unquestioned loss leader -- penning all of their tunes), resulting in a more than aerodynamic sound and wait, which go in utterly with the burgeoning newfangled wave move. Signed to Elektra, the group rocketed to stardom on the strength of their classic, mega-selling self-titled debut in 1978, and with farther releases such as 1979's Candy-O, 1980's Panorama, and 1981's Shake It Up, the stria became one of the circus tent tilt bands in the U.S. It was besides during this clock time that Ocasek began to branch out artistically by producing for Suicide, Bad Brains, Romeo Void, and Iggy Pop, and issuing his 1982 solo debut Beatitude.
With the second Coming of MTV, the way a ring looked proved well-nigh just as important as the music, and the Cars seemed to be custom-made for the new channel as their 1984 release Heartbeat City became one of the year's biggest rock records, spawning several Top Ten singles and heavily rotated and fashionable videos. Ocasek ground himself in the tabloids around this time when he began geological dating, and finally marrying, fashion framework Paulina Porizkova (world Health Organization had appeared in the video for the Cars' hit ballad "Drive"). 1986 saw Ocasek release his second solo feat, This Side of Paradise, in front returning to the Cars for what would be their final album, 1987's gently received Door to Door, in front splitting up a year later.
Not much was heard from Ocasek immediately afterwards the Cars' split, merely he finally resurfaced in 1990 with Fireball Zone. He after released other solo deeds throughout the decade, including 1993's Quick Change World and Negative Theater, 1996's Getchertikitz (a collaborationism with Suicide's Alan Vega), and 1997's Billy Corgan-produced Troublizing (for which he supported with a very abbreviated turn, his showtime since going the Cars). Beginning in the mid-'90s, Ocasek began producing once more for acts of the Apostles such as Bad Religion, Black 47, Johnny Bravo, D Generation, Guided By Voices, Hole, Possum Dixon, Martin Rev, Jonathan Richman, and both of Weezer's hit self-titled releases in 1994 and 2001. In 2005 the Sanctuary distribution family gave him his have label, Inverse, to develop new acts of the Apostles and released the first-class honours degree new Ocasek album in eight-spot days, Nexterday.
