Before there was the massive opus known as Heartbeat City (1984), the members of The Cars decided to take a two-year break upon completing their 1982 tour. During this period, Ric Ocasek and Greg Hawkes would try their hand at solo projects. Hawkes would release Niagra Falls (1983), his only solo album until 2008's The Beatles Uke. Meanwhile, Ocasek would release Beatitude (1983).
The album would reach number twenty-eight on Billboards Hot 200, and spawn a the Billboard Rock Charts singles, Jimmy Jimmy (peaking at number 25), and Something To Grab For (peaking at number 5). Jimmy Jimmy would also land on the Billboard Dance Charts, peaking at number 60. It would be joined by Connect Up To Me, which peaked at 37.
Beatitude wouldn't see a CD release until 1997, and when Geffen finally pressed it, there was an error at the plant. While the covers were printed correctly, the discs were all stamped with the album title, Beautitude. This wouldn't be corrected until 2020's CD release by Rubellan Remasters, mainly because the album didn't see a CD re-release until then, and hasn't since. Both versions are now far out of print, can fetch premium prices. It's worth noting that the Rubellan version is not only remastered, but contains bonus mixes of a couple songs.
Honestly, I'm surprised not many people talk about this one. Beatitude was a surprise sleeper hit for me. I started out my listening session jotting down Jimmy Jimmy, Something To Grab For, Prove, and I Can't Wait for my shuffle list before finally yielding. The reason being, this was every single song back to back so far.
If you're a fan of Ric or The Cars, then I definitely recommend this one. I dug the entire thing from start to finish. It has a sound familiar to what an album from The Cars would sound like, with all that "weirdness" that only Ocasek can bring. Heavy synth and drum machine, with fantastic use of guitars to create ambiance.
After the release of The Cars Heartbeat City, and the massive tour that followed, Ocasek, and the other members were ready for another break. He'd return to the studio to record his second solo effort, 1986's This Side Of Paradise. Though the album as a whole wouldn't rank better than his first, it would spawn his one and only solo effort number one. However, we'll get into all of that tomorrow.
Until then, you should check this one out.
Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution. |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS November 16, 1985 |
No comments:
Post a Comment