Ric Ocasek has been changing the face of pop music for nearly 30 years. His incredible musical odyssey began in the late ?60s and includes opening shows for the MC5 and the Stooges, producing some of the most seminal artis... more »ts of our time (including Weezer, No Doubt and Le Tigre) not to mention a decade-long stint leading The Cars, whose never-ending string of platinum albums and Top 40 hits helped define the post-punk and new wave eras, selling over 25 million albums and creating a blueprint for many of today?s most popular bands. Now Ric is preparing to influence a whole new generation. Nexterday is full of the irresistible hooks and soaring choruses that have made him an icon to so many. Not one to simply stick to formula, Nexterday showcases his unmatched talents as a songwriter, from the darkly twisted "Crackpot," to the heartbreaking melody of "I?m Thinking," to the playful synths (and unshakeable hook) of "Bottom Dollar." Nexterday is the first release on Ric?s new imprint through Sanctuary, Inverse Records.« less
Ric Ocasek has been changing the face of pop music for nearly 30 years. His incredible musical odyssey began in the late ?60s and includes opening shows for the MC5 and the Stooges, producing some of the most seminal artists of our time (including Weezer, No Doubt and Le Tigre) not to mention a decade-long stint leading The Cars, whose never-ending string of platinum albums and Top 40 hits helped define the post-punk and new wave eras, selling over 25 million albums and creating a blueprint for many of today?s most popular bands. Now Ric is preparing to influence a whole new generation. Nexterday is full of the irresistible hooks and soaring choruses that have made him an icon to so many. Not one to simply stick to formula, Nexterday showcases his unmatched talents as a songwriter, from the darkly twisted "Crackpot," to the heartbreaking melody of "I?m Thinking," to the playful synths (and unshakeable hook) of "Bottom Dollar." Nexterday is the first release on Ric?s new imprint through Sanctuary, Inverse Records.
CD Reviews
Hello Again.
Jason Stein | San Diego, CA United States | 10/21/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Ric did it his way on his sixth solo cd. He made the album quickly with hardly any production gimmickery on 8 track. I admit that I thought it a little strange that Ric became an A&R man for a major recording label recently. I believe he was originally going to release "Nexterday" on that label. Things must have fallen apart, and Ric quit the label and took his album to Sanctuary for distribution and release. Good move!
"Nexterday", despite what others are saying here, has similarities with all of his previous solo cds: Beatitude (1983), This Side Of Paradise (1986), Fireball Zone (1991), Quick Change World (1993) and Troublizing (1997). There are several songs that ape The Cars sound of yore such as the first single "Bottom Dollar", "Don't Lose Me", "Come On" and "It Gets Crazy". All of which should and could be top 40 hits. Other songs like "Crackpot", "Carousel" and "Heard About You" offer an alternative direction for Ric, pushing his musical muse in a more exploratory arena. If I'm not mistaken, "Silver" seems like it was written about the death of Benjamin Orr, former Cars bandmate.
Overall, "Nexterday" is pretty good considering Rick is about 56 years old, has already proven himself as a cornerstone of new wave/punk music, influencing many current artists. So, one might ask how this compares to his previous solo work, or his work with The Cars. In terms of his solo material, this is pretty good, though all of his albums are that way. I think I liked "This Side Of Paradise" best. Of course, I do not believe any of Ric's solo work has overshadowed anything he did with The Cars, particularly "The Cars" (1978) and "Heartbeat City" (1984).
If you are a rabid Cars and Ocasek fan, this will not disappoint, and you should check it out. Newer fans might want to start with The Cars, but "Nexterday" is still a good place to begin and work back from."
The Cars' Ric Ocasek Is Back - Finally!
Kent D. Bentkowski | Buffalo, New York USA | 09/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In his first mainstream solo album since 1997, Cars frontman Ric Ocasek is back, finally! While somewhat removed from the sound of the Cars and early solo album oeuvre, Nexterday is more reminiscent of the progression that would have existed had the Cars continued on into the 21st century. On that front, the song COME ON is the closest thing here to the original sound to The Cars. And, this is because of the the presence of Greg Hawkes, Cars keyboardist, and frequent collaborator with Ric on his various solo albums.
Still in all, Ric's quirky lyrics and vocals remain, and even though the guitar sound has been dialed back considerably from the fuzz-out of 1997's Troublizing, Nexterday sounds closer to that album than any of his previous solo outings. And, that is NOT a bad thing!
True fans of Ric and The Cars will also be interested in searching out the bonus track GOODNIGHT LITTLE ONE, which is a lullabye to his four year-old son Oliver, who also came up with the album's title, as the little boy searched for a word to describe tomorrow. The word Oliver Ocasek came up with was NEXTERDAY.
Enjoy these songs, while all Cars fans wait patiently for the forthcoming DVD THE CARS: UNLOCKED, which is slated to be released in time for the holidays. More information on this can be found on ricocasek.com."
Past Times Behind
Laura Vona | Boston, MA | 11/28/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've long since lost the youth I spent in Boston rock clubs so,
I first heard "Bottom Dollar" on the station for middle age rockers not quite ready for easy listening, WBOS.
Shocking as it was to hear a new song on the radio it was even more of a shock to enter a chain music store slightly south of Boston and when I asked if they had the new Ric Ocasek,
the (born the year I first rocked) child behind the counter had never heard of him and asked me to spell his name.
That was truely shocking,
a Massachusettes rock and roll sacrelidge.
She eventually found the disk on her computer and told me there was one copy somewhere in the store and that if it wasn't with the O's, it could be anyhwere.
Good customer service met it's match in this record store clerk, she was having none of it...
I'm a bit too old for that kind of scavenger hunt so I went to another store that I was sure had a larger selection.
Turns out that store (rhymes with "orders") certainly had a large selection of offerings by The Offsping but like the mall chain store had only one copy of Nexterday.
Nestled like a time lost gem in the putrid ruffage of teen angst on parade was a single copy.
Worth more than gold by that point on my quest to get the beat of "Bottom Dollar" out of my head, at $18.99 I had to have it.
Even with the twists, turns and slight of hand tricks of modern record production,
("In a little bit" sounds suspiciously like a slowed down version of Hall and Oates "Miss DJ"...)
it's an excellent album.
I would not have expected less from the man who first produced
NYC Irish rockers Black47 into the mainstream field of vision.
After several listens, I finally got the beat of "Bottom Dollar" out of my head now if I could only find some kind of antidote for the powerful lyrics of "Crackpot"...
Would have loved to hear this album beating upstairs as I drank and watched cockroaches climb the walls downstairs at Bunratty's,
but no one knows so much as Mr. Ocasek that you can't go back.
Beautiful move forward, love the disk.
"
Ric Ocasek still alive in 2005.....
J. Bilby | Kingston, New Hampshire United States | 11/10/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Its great to hear so much of the 80's best sneakin through
the mush of todays music scene ever reminding those of us who
lived through the days of the 70's-80's that there are still
some survivors out there, its almost impossible these days to
find artists like Ric and his former great band The Cars getting
much airplay, let alone find them in a music store, thank god
for Amazon. Our local triple A radio station BOS' in Boston has been playing the current single,"Bottom dollar" from NEXTERDAY.
This is some crafty pop and rock with a voice that sounds like
it hasn't aged a day since the 80's. Listening to Ric sing
"Silver" you can't help but think of the late Ben Orr and all
his contributions to what made The Cars so special. Here in Boston they, like Areomsith, Bonnie Raitt and JGiles are not forgotten for they all shot out from this area. Ben Orr's spirit
sure rides through the melancholy sounds of several cuts as
well as the Cars sound in "Come on", "Carousel" and others.
This is a well put together collection and is easily his best
since his 80's work. I hope it reaches a market where this
music can be appreciated for all its brillance. Radio should
be playing "Gets crazy", "Come on", "bottom dollar" for starters, but what is radio anymore??
"
Nexterday is a trip remembering
David Carney | point pleasant,nj usa | 10/31/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ric Ocasek's newest album which snuck passed me in Sept is a great collection of Cars tracks down to dark cutting edges Ric loves to explore.The opening track Crackpot is a guitar rip that drifts slowly into a dreamy like flotation device.The second track Bottom Dollar sounds like the B side from their 1989 Door to Door album{Which incidently the whole album is all unreleased tracks}The song Silver is dedicated to Benjamin Orr who sadly passed away of cancer in 2000.I was stunned upon hearing this news.This particular track brought some water to my eyes mainly due to their relationship on stage as well as off.The rest of the album balances smoothly with a little mixes here and there and It Gets Crazy is a pleasant way to end this well achievement from the 56 year-old frontman.It clearly shows that he has not slowed down,That in itself is a blessing.I find myself playing this cd over and over and hopefully so will you."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1