mien_mo_man

 The piece sounds new to all fans’ ears.

 An inevitable vertical drop in terms of overall quality, originality, and maybe even 'honesty' (sometimes they sound a bit mannered to me...).

The review highlights The Cars' Shake It Up as an album with an inspiring and fresh start, particularly the first three tracks. However, the latter half suffers from compositional dryness and overuse of electronic drums, reducing emotional impact. Despite these flaws, the album remains more listenable than its predecessor, Panorama. Overall, Shake It Up showcases the band's evolving sound with strong keyboard contributions and genre blending but signals a creative plateau before their later resurgence. Discover the highs and lows of The Cars' Shake It Up – listen now and explore the evolution of 80s rock!

 "If I said that this track alone justifies the entire album, I might be exaggerating, but the fact remains that from 'Panorama', only 'Touch And Go' has been pulled for compilations."

 ‘To truly veer, this album needed to run faster towards innovation. But to do so, you need the right engine, and the right engine is the quality of the tracks.’

Panorama marks a stylistic shift for The Cars with a stronger keyboard focus and altered vocal delivery by Ric Ocasek. While tracks like "Touch And Go" and "Running To You" stand out, the album overall struggles to capture the energy of earlier releases. Despite fresh arrangements, the songs lack consistency and innovation, showing a mixed success in moving away from their classic new wave roots. It’s a respectable but uneven effort in the band’s rapid four-album run. Explore The Cars' Panorama for its standout tracks and unique keyboard-driven sound—listen and judge the evolution yourself!

 "Ric Ocasek's stylistic perfection is nothing short of maddening."

 "Candy-O is the strongest episode of the album, raising the musical wall with perfect dark atmospheres."

Candy-O, the 1979 follow-up to The Cars' successful debut, solidifies their style with clear keyboards and gentle guitars. Ric Ocasek's songwriting showcases simplicity and perfection, mixing radio-friendly sounds with darker moments like the title track and Shoo Be Doo. The album balances repetition with innovation, confirming the band's place in the new wave scene and revealing Ocasek's evolving artistry. Dive into The Cars' Candy-O to experience the perfect blend of catchy new wave and dark rock innovation!

 Listen to it begin, 'Good Times Roll', with that riff that alone is worth an album.

 Ric Ocasek mixes the dream of ’70s rock ’n’ roll, the taste for the ’60s 3 and a half minutes, a surf or rockabilly guitar, a confidential and rock-romantic voice, just a hint of prog and a lot of joviality.

The Cars' 1978 debut album brilliantly blends ’70s rock iconography with a fresh new wave sound. Ric Ocasek's songwriting, supported by tight arrangements and Roy Thomas Baker’s production, delivers catchy yet sophisticated tracks full of memorable riffs and vocal harmonies. Standouts like ‘Good Times Roll’ and ‘Just What I Needed’ showcase the band’s effortless ability to fuse rockabilly, surf, and hard rock elements. The album flows smoothly, balancing joviality with darker undertones, making it a timeless classic that launched a major influence on rock and new wave music. Discover The Cars’ groundbreaking debut—listen now and experience the perfect blend of classic rock and new wave energy!

 With Ocasek’s pieces he seems a bit caricatured when he hums the “Oh oh” and the sobs in “My Best Friend’s Girl”; it goes better when the atmospheres become darker.

 The band is mighty and demonstrates how the tracks from the first Cars LP... have a structure that, in the right hands, becomes pure rock, raw material to erect an imposing sound wall.

The review explores The New Cars' live album 'It's Alive!,' highlighting Todd Rundgren's strong yet occasionally imperfect vocal performances. Despite missing original members Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr, the band delivers powerful renditions of classic hits. The album also includes new studio tracks showing promise but needing time to mature. The New Cars successfully channel the essence of the original band through skilled musicianship and a modern rock approach. Listen to The New Cars' 'It's Alive!' for a fresh yet respectful revival of classic new wave rock with Todd Rundgren's vibrant vocals!

 "Nexterday is homemade: the 'underproduction' in some tracks is a flaw; in other tracks, however, it’s a merit from a diametrically opposed point of view, namely the total absence of overproduction."

 "This album is certainly, along with 'This Side Of Paradise,' the most inspired of Ocasek’s career, and it’s much more imaginative, complex than 'Troublizing.'"

Ric Ocasek’s Nexterday stands out as one of his most inspired works, embracing homemade, minimalist production while delivering classic pop-rock songwriting. The album evokes early Cars styles with stripped-down arrangements that highlight the core of each track. While the lo-fi production may divide listeners, it also adds authenticity and charm. The reviewer praises the songwriting and creativity but notes the absence of full-band warmth as a minor drawback. Overall, Nexterday is a rewarding listen for fans of Ocasek and alternative rock. Discover the raw charm and inspired songwriting of Ric Ocasek’s Nexterday—listen now and experience minimalist pop-rock at its best.

 "This is a pure rock album, without frills, played as it should be, with geometrically squared tracks à la Ocasek."

 "The album served Ric Ocasek to show what he wanted/needed: he is and will always remain great."

Ric Ocasek's album 'Troublizing' marks a solid return to rock, supported by Billy Corgan's intense collaboration. The record combines sharp guitars, minimalistic yet complex arrangements, and impressive contributions from notable musicians. The review highlights key tracks and reflects on Ocasek's shift from conceptual experiments to straightforward rock. Though not a masterpiece, it reaffirms Ocasek's place as a respected rocker. Dive into Ric Ocasek's 'Troublizing' and discover a powerful rock comeback crafted with Billy Corgan's signature touch.

 Ocasek inserts too many 'yeah yeahs' because he knows he composed a 'lacking' piece.

 'Race To Nowhere' with Alan Vega is the best episode, where the heart still vibrates and strikes hard.

This review of Ric Ocasek's 'Negative Theater' explores the album as the unreleased 'Left Side' of his 'Quick Change World' project. While some tracks, especially the collaboration with Alan Vega, shine as conceptual and musical highlights, other parts suffer from weak vocals and uninspired spoken word attempts. The album remains an intriguing though uneven work, appreciated for its experimental spirit but limited by inconsistent execution. Discover Ric Ocasek’s experimental side and listen to the standout tracks from 'Negative Theater' now!

 In 1993, Ocasek wants it known in America too, that he has changed. At least halfway.

 Artists do well not to yield to conditions imposed by record companies, but do very poorly if they believe they can, by cutting here and pasting there, assemble a piece that could never stand on its own.

Ric Ocasek's 1993 album Quick Change World is a split work released in the US as a single disc after his record label refused a double CD. The album combines radio-friendly pop-rock songs and experimental spoken word tracks, reflecting Ocasek's shift as an artist. While the pop-rock half shows him in good form, the experimental side is uneven and less successful. The album's release complications and uneven quality reveal the challenges Ocasek faced in expressing his evolving musical identity. Discover Ric Ocasek’s unique blend of pop-rock and experimental sounds in Quick Change World – listen now and experience his artistic evolution.

 Ric Ocasek is a rocker a bit undecided whether to take a 'singer-songwriter' path or a bolder, harder role.

 If Ocasek had been a genius, it would have been a hard-rock-soul album as in the best track, 'Keep That Dream,' which is, a genuinely different album, a masterpiece.

The review explores Ric Ocasek's 'Fireball Zone,' highlighting its blend of rock, pop, and experimental sounds. The album showcases Ocasek's songwriting craft but suffers from occasional unevenness. Standout track 'Keep That Dream' receives praise as a hard-rock masterpiece. Overall, the album reflects Ocasek's artistic identity post-The Cars with mixed results. Discover the diverse sounds of Ric Ocasek’s 'Fireball Zone'—listen and explore an album that blends rock grit with thoughtful songwriting.