It's a tough week for rock 'n roll.
RIP Cars' leadman Ric Ocasek, 70, of natural causes, in NYFC yesterday.
Another great band taken by the sands of time (Benjamin Orr went way too young), and another catalog I can play in my sleep.
Their debut cuts from 41 years ago are as fresh now as the day the needle dropped on vinyl on Track One and Track Two.
Ahem, he was 75.
ReplyDeleteAhem, there are two ages listed multiple places, and no small question about his true age.
ReplyDeleteEither way, no more birthdays.
Memory eternal, Ric Ocasek, age 75, of natural causes according to official sources.
ReplyDeleteIs age really a thing? You get the run you get.
ReplyDeleteGreat music...still. Evocative of times and places to be sure.
Anybody whose job title uses the word "play" as the verb has a damn good gig.
Boat Guy
While not a huge fan growing up(Was into Tull/Queen/Yes/Bad Co./Bowie) ect as a kid/teen in the 70's also did grow up in Boston so as with all Boston bands(Areosmith/Geils/Boston/Cars ect.)saw em a few times in the old garden and had a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteScary thing is all the bands I listened to in early 70's due to friends older brothers and sisters as a kid(Doors/Janis/Hendrix ect.) were dead already and all the bands I grew up with in later 70's dying off or dead,sucks but the music will play on.
From the bastion of accuracy, Wikipedia:
ReplyDelete"Sources differed on Ocasek's age at the time of his death, with some public records stating he was either 70 or 75 years old.[36]"
The NYSlimes listed both ages, btw.
Rest assured my concern on the topic is exhausted.
As is Ocasek's.
I was in college when the Cars and their cohort were at the beginning of their run, so heard them a bit before the mainstream radio stations picked them up.
ReplyDeleteWhat caught my attention about them (along with Blondie (musically you pervs!), The Knack, Talking Heads, the Police and others) was the stripped down sound after groups like Styx, Kansas, Boston, Foreigner etc. (all groups that I liked and owned albums for).
RIP Ric, however old you were.
Off topic, but the Cold Fury blog is down again. Anyone know anything?
ReplyDeleteI was 16 or so and had my first car. It had a shitty Audiovox AM-FM 8-track tape player. The Cars were the new hot thing.
ReplyDeleteI've been a fan ever since. Hopefully Ric and Ben are playing together next to a poll with pretty girls surrounding them.
Yeah, The Cars were a favorite band on the shoulder mounted 'boom box' (remember those ?) during the very late '70's - early 80's, a lot of good times were had with their music in the background. RIP Mr. Ocasek.
ReplyDeleteI was working at the university radio station on a Sunday night when one of the other DJs came crashing in with The Cars album. "You've got to play this!" pointing to Just What I Needed. And out he went.
ReplyDeleteWe had a format, and it was disco. Gack. Several of us always got in trouble for blowing it off. Definitely worth it for this. ;-) Good times, indeed.