Ric Ocasek
Troublizing

Every time you observe the commercial outcomes of Ric Ocasek's works, you're ready to bet that the more than lanky former frontman of the Cars will hang up his guitar to focus on producing records for others.

After the "non-double" CD "Quick Change World" and the spleen album (this one is a double) "Getchertikitz" with Alan Vega, a work ignored by the public and literally torn apart by critics, poor Ric is left with only producing for others and keeping his songs locked away in a drawer.

Yet the artists he produces keep telling him that the Cars were great, that he is a star, etc. But this doesn't help him regain the necessary confidence until one day a certain William Corgan Jr. appears before him, known to all as Billy Corgan, and to some as Billy "split pumpkin," a tall, pale guy with icy eyes just like him. The only difference - and not a small one, unfortunately for Ric - between the two is that while Ric's record label even refused to publish his double CD (resulting in a flop), Billy's double CD was published and led to worldwide success, allowing him to ascend definitively into the rock Olympus!

Back to our story, even Billy Corgan declares himself a long-time admirer. Imagine what went through Ocasek's mind, an artist in declining favor, standing before a young "demigod," one who, succeeding Kobain, bears the temporary crown of rock king on his bald head!

"Are you preparing a new album?" his majesty might have asked.

"I have some pieces set aside," the aged knight might have answered, perhaps a bit out of breath.

As to which of the two "made the first move," whether Corgan proposed to "work on it" together or if Ocasek "begged him," we don't know; the fact is that this isn't a CD with a couple of cameos or some guitar parts by Corgan, but rather an entire CD co-produced and often co-played: Billy is the lead guitarist on many tracks and sometimes the only one playing keyboards.

Returning to us, the old knight decides to reclaim his sword, Gibson Les Paul come what may. He chooses as his "squire" the loyal Greg Hawkes on keyboards and punk guitar hero Brian Baker (recently Ocasek had produced "The Gray Race" by Bad Religion), plus Nada Surf's drummer Ira Elliot. Corgan, on tracks without Elliot on drums, brings in Matt Walzer, former Filter, sessionman on Pumpkins tours after Jimmy Chamberlin's overdose expulsion. Again, it's unknown who introduced mademoiselle Melissa Auf Der Maur on bass into the combo, whether it was Corgan (who would later "choose her" during "Machina" period) or Ocasek, who to my knowledge never produced Hole's works.

"The Next Right Moment" is a shot: to the flowing guitars, Melissa's counterpoint responds, too sweet for such a guitar-heavy piece. Perhaps the annoying Corgan-rock voice would have suited it better; "Hang On Tight" isn't the usual spoken word, because on the predictable video game keyboard base, Ric's voice is low and "confidential," without "tearful" jerks or theatrical aspirations. Indispensable (and well managed) this time is the sweet little voice of Melissa A.U.M., childish enough for a fun-song. More than beautiful, it's well-produced.

If you love "Get Ready" by New Order, especially for how the whole album sounds, then you’ve found your match with "Crashland Consequence", only this isn't a ballad like "Turn My Way" but a rock song, literally to pogo to. "Troublizing" is one of those dark tracks Ric has accustomed us to since the "Candy-O" days. The guitars are hallucinating, and the keyboards spew out notes that stutter, making everything more trance-like; then other keyboard notes rise, akin to Gregorian (like Enigma, I say); so, in the middle of what's seemingly an endless loop, a piercing solo of long key notes splits the loop in two.

"Not Shocked" is like "They Tried" in "Fireball Zone." In the sense that Ocasek repeats "not shocked" a hundred times and generously has Auf Der Maur affirm it too. Still, it's another song that rocks hard. Also ironic in the lyrics, Ric, who for obvious reasons can't mock the pumpkins, decides to play a bit with the meanings of the term "cucumber." "Situation" is a mid-tempo with guitars playing banal, predictable, already-heard chords for the verses... yet it's played/produced/sung greatly (you read it right: also sung) by Ocasek... Making you realize, upon reflection, that originality isn't a necessity to be good... It's enough to be, so to speak, "perfect." If this isn't the song of a genius, it's by someone who resembles one.

"Fix On You" is a rock song so fast that Ocasek can't help but talk, or rather run with the verses at the speed of the music. It's the hardest episode of the album: beautiful the delineated, sharp guitar parts, just as the end of this track that refuses to know when to stop its gallop. "People We Know" seems like a folk song, but there's a lot of overproduction underneath. Electric guitars explode from afar, sea surge, chord after chord. Corgan's lullaby voice works perfectly. Still recommended to those who loved "Get Ready" by New Order. Imaginative and in a sense reconsiliatory.

"Here we go" continues without fully convincing, perhaps due to those keyboards that aim to fill and instead cause harm. But the chorus is molten lava, and the notes of the guitar solo (repeated several times the same way in the track) burn. "Society Trance" is the only dark spoken word episode. A voice with a ten-echo effect under an "eighties-inspired" base. Inside this, Ocasek’s dream state purity. Then a yell, or better said, an implosion, even more echoing: "Just watching the society trance"... It ends up outing and clarifies: "you won't be understood / but always nearly praised or blamed."

Ending an album like this is somewhat bleak, don't you think? How about finishing it with one of those Corgan chart-topping songs? Maybe one to sing together? I mean not sing and counter-sing, but "one verse me, one verse you"? Instead, the self-loving Corgan (who will give life to Adore and end with Machina) thinks "Asia Minor" is more than a positive track. The result, in the opinion of the writer - granted that the writer is not and will never be the rock king, nor will join his noble court - is indecent. A pity, for such a beautiful, cohesive album unlike the previous "Quick Change World" and "Fireball Zone."

Summing up, this is a pure rock album, without frills, played as it should be, with geometrically squared tracks à la Ocasek, who wants to be a bit less of a "conceptual artist" and a bit more of a "rocker," perhaps like he was during the first Cars album days. Yet his unshakeable minimal-mania (more present in the lyrics than in the music, although even the durations of the solos show how little he cares for those who decide to "overdo it") and his taste for sound complexity (all within the 4/4 drum structure, never stepping out a micron) lend themselves well to these "easy" rock pieces, and perhaps they fit even better than in his "experimental" spoken-word, spleen, nocturnal metropolitan chill, 80s pop wave and so on.

It remains only to question why such a hard turn, given that about sixteen years have passed since the pretentious 4 strong final tracks (on essentially different, almost martial rhythms) of "Fireball Zone". Is it Corgan's merit and his arranger-producer taste? Or has Ocasek never stopped composing rock and hard rock, and has deliberately chosen to overshadow over the years this "uncompromising sui generis rocker" identity of his to try to shed as much light as possible on his other self, a conceptual-minimal-avant-garde artist?

The fact remains that the album in question, although not a masterpiece, served Ric Ocasek to show what he wanted/needed: whoever the next unfortunate with a guitar over their shoulder might be to snag a handful of MTV American Music Awards on the same night, he is and will always remain great.