Fireball Zone
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox album Fireball Zone is the third solo album by the American musician Ric Ocasek, frontman and songwriter of the Cars.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first single from the 1991 release was "Rockaway".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Production
The album was produced primarily by Nile Rodgers and Ric Ocasek.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Its title is a reference to Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "Over and Over" and "The Way You Look Tonight" are ballads.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In contrast to his Cars days, Ocasek recorded the album live, with his band, rather than part by part.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Critical reception
Template:Music ratings The Ottawa Citizen wrote that "the main thrust of Fireball Zone is to emphasize a funk element within what has always been Ocasek's music style—cold, lean, electronic pop with a tortured bottom end."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Chicago Tribune opined that Fireball Zone "may not be a masterpiece, but it's better than any album by the repetitive Cars, easily one of the most overrated bands of the '80s."<ref name=CT/> The St. Petersburg Times determined that the album finds Ocasek's "rubber-band voice crawling over indistinguishable over-synthesized tunes set to a maddeningly tedious beat."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Track listing
Personnel
- Ric Ocasek – vocals, keyboards, guitars
- Richard Hilton – keyboards
- Larry Mitchell – lead guitar (1-9, 12)
- Nile Rodgers – guitars (1-9, 12)
- Dann Huff – guitars (10, 11)
- Al Berry – bass
- Larry Aberman – drums (1-9, 12)
- Mickey Curry – drums (10, 11)
- Steve Elson – horns
- Stan Harrison – horns
- Matt Collehon – horns
- Tawatha Agee – backing vocals
- Dennis Collins – backing vocals
- Curtis King Jr. – backing vocals
- Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals
Production
- Nile Rodgers – producer
- Ric Ocasek – producer, basic track producer (10, 11), other computer photography
- Nile Rodgers – producer
- Rick Nowels – basic track producer (10, 11)
- Jon Goldberger – engineer, mixing
- David Heglmeier – basic track engineer
- Steve MacMillan – basic track recording (10, 11)
- Katherine Miller – assistant engineer
- Hiro Ishihara – assistant engineer
- Justin Luchter – associate engineer
- Dave Schiffman – assistant engineer
- George Marino – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York, NY)
- Jeff Gold – art direction
- Janet Levinson – design
- Paulina Porizkova – cover artwork
- Marco Glaviano – photography
Charts
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 119 |