Ric Ocasek
Troublizing
Columbia Records
Release Date: August 26, 1997
Rik Ocasek has aged well -- first outrunning the Reagan-era compilation disks that threatened to transform the Cars from a New Wave icon to another '80s nostalgia piece, now rising again as some punk rock Phoenix with bands like Bad Religion and Hole on his production resume. So what does Ric Ocasek circa 1997 sound like? About what you would expect, only more so. Cars classics like "Just What I Needed" and "Shake It Up" never quite went far enough; they were catchy as hell, but a bit too synthed-out to really rock. Not so on Troublizing, Ocasek's solo debut. Check out the furiously messy "Fix on You," a loud, dense track that throws all restraint to the wind, or maybe "The Next Right Moment," a somewhat more radio-ready track that folds some vintage Cars keyboards into the mix. But, thank god, this isn't some Pat-Boone-Rocks-Out-on-AC/DC fiasco. No matter how aggressive the guitars or how dense the sound, Ocasek still only sounds like one person -- himself.
-- Chris Schwartz
schwartz@outersound.com
