Ric Ocasek's work with Suicide

I found out about Ric Ocasek's passing via a tweet from Weezer's Twitter account.  I'd forgotten that Ocasek was a producer of some note, known for working with No Doubt, Weezer, Suicide, and many others.  At that point I realized that I'd bought too far into the Suicide myth, lionizing their punk era debut album and neglecting everything they recorded afterward (everything they recorded as Suicide that is, I have a few albums that Rev and Vega worked on as solo artists). 

Suicide had a career similar to that of Jesus and Mary Chain.  The first album is considered the legendary, groundbreaking, extreme work of art.  The later albums saw them mellowing out and settling into a comfortable career as commercial artists.  Again, the myth is a difficult thing to overcome.  I never thought that "Psychocandy" was the best JAMC album.  The concept is the key, and everything surrounding it (the Velvets adoration, love of noise, the fifteen minute gigs) makes for a great story.  It's just that the follow-up albums are far more listenable.   "Darklands" was the favourite of the goths, an intense (but rarely "dark") proto-emo classic.  "Automatic" is simply a great rock and roll album, and probably their most consistent.  On the other hand, I never feel the urge to listen to "Psychocandy".  If I want to hear the early stuff, I go for the singles or the Peel Sessions from that era.

Similar things could be said about Suicide.  The first album is brilliant, but perhaps too over the top, too punishing a listen for one sitting, and too fixated on shock value.  The second album gives off a true real rock and roll vibe even though its entirely electronic and most definitely lo-fi.  The beats are softer, the vocals are smoothed out, more lyrical, and less shouty.  Ocasek deserves his due credit.  I can even imagine these songs as Cars demo recordings, with the electronic bass taking the place of a rhythm guitarist.  Suicide were transformed from provocateurs to a fascinating pop/techno hybrid.  In the pseudo keyboard solos on "Diamonds, Furcoat, Champagne", I hear a lot of Kraftwerk's "Computer World", even though the latter wasn't released until the next year.  I hear the combination of inner city grit and brash electronic pop with which Soft Cell would find great success (but once again, not for another year following this). 

"A Way of Life" is a highly underrated record that managed to keep up with then-contemporary trends while remaining true to their minimal, lo-fi roots.  When you hear the opener, "Wild In Blue", it's easy to understand why Wax Trax released this album.  It's jittery, proto-industrial beats and cavernous echoes fit seamlessly with the material released by Wax Trax at the time.  The next track, "Surrender", is a 60's doo-wop number that Phil Spector would have been proud to produce.   Somehow, Ocasek holds these different styles together, and he didn't stop there.  The slashing guitars and propulsive beats on "Rain of Ruin" predates Ministry and KMFDM's signature styles from the 90's.  "Dominic Christ" could have been a synth-drenched, new wave-y hit for the Cars, very much in the style of "You Might Think".    "Heat Beat" is wonderfully queasy, reminiscent of mid-90's hard house in its insistent rhythm and bludgeoning intensity.  It's the last thing you'd expect from a (nominally) rock producer. 

Ocasek also produced their "Dream Baby Dream" single, and this is one case where I prefer the cover versions to the original -- both Neneh Cherry and Bruce Springsteen have brilliant takes on it, done in totally different styles.