"Something to Grab For" by Ric Ocasek

Song#:  1345
Date:  02/12/1983
Debut:  76
Peak:  47
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Rock, New Wave



Pop Bits:  After their tour in support of their 1981 album "Shake It Up," which featured the #4 title-track single, The Cars decided to take a little break. The band's leader, Ocasek, chose to pursue some solo work and issued his debut album "Beatitude." The album allowed Ocasek to explore different sides of his music and as a result was less pop-oriented than the previous Cars release. This first single couldn't quite crack the Top 40, but it did fine at Mainstream Rock reaching #5.

ReduxReview:  I'm thinking that in order to secure a solo album release, Geffen most likely required a good song they could promote at pop. Something vaguely Cars-ish would probably be best. And here it is. Sounding like a lost cut from their "Panorama" LP, the tune doesn't deviate too much from the Cars' formula. It's good, but like a lot of cuts on the "Panorama" album, it doesn't rank among Ocasek's best work.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  Ocasek also kept busy producing records for several other artists including Bad Brains, Hole, and No Doubt. Quite possible his most famous production would be the now-classic 1994 debut album by Weezer. The self-titled LP, now more commonly known as the "Blue Album," featured the band's #18 gold single "Buddy Holly." Ocasek would go on to produced the band's third album, which was also self-titled (now known as the "Green Album.")

_________________________________________________________________________________