Opinion: Ric Ocasek left many good recordings behind

SANDUSKY — Ric Ocasek's recent death invites a look back at the music of the legendary rocker, who grew up in Cleveland and forged important music links in northern Ohio before moving on to the East Coast.Ocasek, 75, died Sept. 15 in New York City. According to news reports, he had been suffering from heart disease and was recovering from surgery when his ex-wife, model and writer Paulina Porizkova, found him dead in his townhouse when she was bringing him coffee.Ocasek was the main songwriter and leader of The Cars, which filled arenas and produced hits such as "Just What I Needed" and "Drive" during the band's heyday in the late 1970s and 1980s and which issued a comeback album in 2011. Ocasek also recorded solo albums and had solo hits such as "Emotion in Motion" and produced albums by other bands.Although Ocasek was born in Baltimore, his family moved to Cleveland when he was 16 and he graduated from Maple Heights High School in 1963. When he was still in Cleveland, he met Benjamin Orr, who was born in Lakewood and grew up in Parma Heights, and the two were in various bands in Ohio and Michigan before they moved to Boston, where The Cars formed in 1976.Ocasek returned to Cleveland last year for the induction of The Cars into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He told Rolling Stone, "It's a long journey that vaguely started in Cleveland and vaguely comes to some resolve in Cleveland again."He also told the magazine, "Cleveland is pretty dear to me since it was a launching pad for a lot of things. The first time I ever saw the Velvet Underground was in Cleveland. I went to a party at somebody's apartment with the Velvet Underground."I have listened to all of The Cars' studio albums, and I also tracked down all of Ocasek's solo albums. For this article, I have brief remarks on three favorite Cars albums and three favorite solo albums. Where possible, I've noted that the album is available on Hoopla, the free digital music app supported by Sandusky Library and other local libraries.Cars albumsThe Cars, 1978. The album, a huge hit which helped launch "New Wave" rock as a viable commercial category, includes the hits "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl" as well as the ambivalent love song (an Ocasek specialty), "You're All I've Got Tonight." Available on Hoopla.Heartbeat City, 1984. The other classic album, featuring several hits, including "Drive" and "You Might Think." Andy Warhol directed the video for "Hello Again." The band put in months of work on the album, and it shows. (On Hoopla).Just What I Needed, 2002. Not a studio album, but a compilation, and a great example I know of how to do it. Detailed notes on the history of the band, all the hits, and a careful selection of deep cuts and rarities. (Not on Hoopla, but Hoopla has the "Complete Greatest Hits," another good compilation.)Ric Ocasek soloThis Side of Paradise, 1986. Carefully produced with lots of electronic effects, it's a good album to listen to at night and includes Ocasek's biggest solo hit, "Emotion in Motion." (On Hoopla).Beatitude, 1982. Ocasek's first solo album, recorded when The Cars still had years to go, is a bit more "out there" than his work with his famous band, and therefore interesting, although there's still plenty of melody. Includes "Something to Grab For," which got airplay on MTV. (On Hoopla).Nexterday, 2005. Ocasek's final solo album is a nice gift to his fans. It didn't have any hits or get much attention, but it's a solid, tuneful album. It includes "Silver," a nice tribute to Orr, and "Please Don't Let Me Down," which sounds like an above-average George Harrison song.Ric Ocasek of The Cars.