Ric Ocasek - This Side of Paradise
List Price:
Our Price: $2.41
You Save: $4.57 (65%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Music CD
See more new music releases
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Music CD Cover
Artist: Ric OcasekEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1997-06-01
Music Label: Geffen Gold Line Sp.
Soundtracks:
- Keep on Laughing
- True to You
- Emotion in Motion
- Look in Your Eyes
- Coming for You
- Mystery
- True Love
- P.F.J.
- Hello Darkness
- This Side of Paradise
Free Music Notes for This Side of Paradise
Free Music Review: at the current list price of $6.98, you can't go wrong with this one
Hit: 5 Stars
Ric Ocasek's second solo album, "This Side of Paradise", came out in 1986, prior to The Cars final album and disbandment.
It should come as no surprise that, on the whole, "This Side Of Paradise" is just slightly removed from the sound of The Cars. Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes is all over this album, credited for playing all of the keyboards on 9 of the 10 songs (Ric chips in on the title track), and man, there sure are a lot of keyboards here. The late Benjamin Orr chips in with background vocals on several songs, and even Elliot Easton appears on one song. Hawkes gets his usual one co-write ("Hello Darkness") with the rest of the tracks being written by Ocasek alone.
From start to finish, this is NOT a stellar effort, and could have really benefited from some careful editing. "Mystery" is a reasonably good Ocasek pop-rocker, though pretty rote and forgettable. "True Love" is a listenable-but-middling composition, lifted up by some nice acoustic lead guitarwork from Steve Stevens (of Billy Idol fame), but weighed down by bleary keyboard chords and corny synthesized trumpet. The quasi-'experimental' "P.F.J." (aka "Pink Flag Joe") is perhaps supposed to be humorous, but ends up being a cutesy, hookless bore. And the title track, which is actually quite moving, gets carried away with co-producer Chris Hughes' drum bashing, and then ends with a pointless reprise of "True Love".
However, the first three tracks all hit the nail squarely on the head.
The album-opening "Keep On Laughin'" in particular is one of my absolute personal favorite songs ever. There's a brief intro section that uses the same chord sequence as the album's 4th song, "Look In Your Eyes", and it kind of sets the scene, if you will. Once the intro passes, it gives way to an absolutely astonishingly great uptempo song that comes together in such a way that is simply beyond belief. As usual, the lyrics are a bit allusive, but it seems to be about a woman clutching to the strains of a dying relationship, and it's extremely moving, with deftly-executed and tension-building chord changes, a driving beat, vocals from Ocasek that are pure inspiration, masterfully-placed power chords on the chorus, loads of brilliant keyboard textures from Hawkes (including a "Heartbeat City"-style looping riff), plus lots of great guitar stuff going on in the background (courtesy of Ocasek and Stevens). To say it all adds up to more than the sum of its parts is virtually pointless--what a hauntingly powerful song that compels you to listen again and again. And again.
The following track, "True To You", is so upbeat that it feels downright jolting appearing so suddenly on the heels of "Keep On Laughin'", but getting past that, it's a wonderfully catchy, sunny pop-rocker in its own right.
The top 20 US hit "Emotion In Motion" is also wonderful, a really lovely ballad (it features guitar from Tears For Fears' Roland Orzabel). Ocasek uses his unique and instantly identifiable 'quivering' vocals to wring a lot of emotion from the tender lyric and melody. I can think of almost no one else who might be able to sing this song so movingly.
"Look In Your Eyes" is pretty damn great too--the vocals are a bit frustratingly buried in the mix, but it's got effectively pulsating bass, David Gilmour-style echoing guitarwork, an ominously yearning atmosphere, and an irresistible chorus featuring layered backing vocals from Ben Orr. I also love the thudding, doom-laden metallic rocker "Coming For You". And "Hello Darkness" sounds much like "Keep On Laughin'", yet without being a mere carbon copy of it--irresistible stuff.
Overall, "This Side Of Paradise" is sort of a frustrating, choppy listen. Like I said before, this album could really use some editing and fine-tuning here and there, because there are lots of quality ideas floating around. For all the complaining, the only tune that's really outright skippable is "P.F.J.". Add to this the low list price, the presence of the extraordinary "Keep On Laughin'", and the other great material, you really can't go wrong getting this album.
(P.S. Ric also wrote and sang a wonderful song called "I Still Want You" that didn't make it onto the "This Side of Paradise" album. Actually, Ric may have not even written the song quite yet--it turned up on the 1987 "Made In Heaven" soundtrack.)
Classic Rock Music CDs
Music Genres
Top music charts in Classic Rock Music CDs
Paul Mccartney, Wings - Wings at the Speed of SoundRelease date: 1996-09-24; Music CD
Best price: $287.77
Small Faces - BoxedRelease date: 1997-11-01; Music CD
Best price: $39.95
Dr John - Gris GrisRelease date: 1994-07-15; Music CD
Price in other shops:
![Eric Clapton: Live in Hyde Park [VHS] Image](/images/Eric-Clapton-Live-in-Hyde-Park-VHS-6304817037-X.jpg){kind=small}
Eric Clapton: Live in Hyde Park [VHS]Warner Bros / Wea; Release date: 1998-02-17; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $13.50
Price in other shops:
![Human Highway [VHS] Image](/images/Human-Highway-VHS-6303589219-X.jpg){kind=small}
Human Highway [VHS]Warner Bros / Wea; Release date: 1995-08-08; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $153.94
![The Monkees - Head [VHS] Image](/images/The-Monkees-Head-VHS-6303337023-X.jpg){kind=small}
The Monkees - Head [VHS]Rhino / Wea; Release date: 1995-01-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.40
Price in other shops:
![Live & Loud [VHS] Image](/images/Live-Loud-VHS-630276193X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Ozzy Osbourne - Live & Loud [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1993-05-25; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $3.96
Price in other shops:
![Unplugged [VHS] Image](/images/Unplugged-VHS-6302639859-X.jpg){kind=small}
Bruce Springsteen - Unplugged [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1992-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $2.75
Price in other shops:
![Peter Gabriel - P.O.V. [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel - P.O.V. [VHS]Virgin Records Us; Release date: 1992-06-29; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Past to Present [VHS] Image](/images/Past-to-Present-VHS-6301817664-X.jpg){kind=small}
Toto - Past to Present [VHS]Sony; Release date: 1991-07-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $77.99
Top Rated Albums
Cars - PanoramaCARS; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $99.98
Cars - Candy-OCARS; Release date: 1990-10-25; Published: 1990; Music CD
Best price: $4.24
Price in other shops:
Ric Ocasek - TroublizingRelease date: 1997-09-09; Music CD
Best price: $14.04
Ric Ocasek - NexterdayRelease date: 2005-09-27; Music CD
Best price: $6.31
Price in other shops:
Ric Ocasek - Quick Change WorldRelease date: 1993-09-28; Music CD
Best price: $11.94
Price in other shops:
Ric Ocasek - Fireball ZoneRelease date: 1991-06-25; Music CD
Best price: $3.34
Price in other shops:
The Cars - Door to DoorRelease date: 2011-05-10; Music CD
Best price: $11.47
Price in other shops:
The Cars - Move Like ThisRelease date: 2011-05-10; Music CD
Best price: $6.78
Price in other shops:
Cars - Shake It UpCARS; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $4.55
Price in other shops:
Benjamin Orr - LaceRelease date: 2006-08-15; Music CD
Best price: $9.57
Price in other shops: