| The Cars | review #2 | 1978 |
| Candy-O | review #2 | 1979 |
| Panorama | 1980 |
| Shake It Up | 1981 |
| Heartbeat City | 1984 |
| Greatest Hits (compilation) | 1985 |
| Door To Door | 1987 |
| Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology (compilation) | 1995 |
Post your comments about The Cars
COMMENTS
Holy sweet Christ!!!
I will begin by saying that The Cars are incredible. On the second part of our journey, Jesse Meyer, the founding member of J.A.M. Inc., moves on to sell out three consecutive shows at the All-State Arena. This man is a dynamo. A complete work-a-holic. Jesus fuckin' Christ!!! This man's hands are fuckin' bloody. Anyway, The Cars are an influential and an extremely powerful force in the annals of contemporary music. Hey...
(Casey Brennan's review)
The first album from the Cars, which came out in 1978, was a big seller because of its' very commercialized sound. There are hooks throughout each song, good guitar solos, slick beats, and accessible lyrics which really give this band their own distinctive style. This could be a hit album in itself; the first three songs, "Good Times Roll", "My Best Friends Girl", and "Just What I Needed" all have memorable melodies and are full of great guitar hooks. "You're All I've Got Tonight" is more of the same, and a highlight, along with "Bye Bye Love" which comes right after it and boasts some good synthesizer playing. Another good song, "Moving In Stereo", is the slowest song on here and has the most sparse atmosphere.
Besides the hit material we have the herky jerky rhythm of "I'm In Touch With Your World", a subdued song full of little sound effects, and the ultra-cool New Wave song "Don't Cha Stop", which contains some fast and tight playing. The closing tune, "All Mixed Up", is not as slick as the others, but it contains one of the prettiest melodies on here and is a nice inclusion on the album. This is a very excellent debut from this New Wave band, and showed that they had the power to stay on top.
HIGH POINTS: Moving In Stereo, You're All I've Got Tonight, Good Times Roll, Just What I Needed. LOW POINTS: I'm In Touch With Your World.
The Boston of the New Wave/post punk moment, as roughly two-thirds of Ric Ocasek's pop masterpiece has been played to death on the radio at one point or another. The album on which much of The Cars' entire legacy was built around. Heck, the album's accompanying review from Mark Prindle is one of those that he's immortalized for in the web reviewing community to this day. In short, there's not that much new to say about it, and there's a good chance you've heard most of this already if you're a really avid radio listener, but I'll give it a go anyway. What a great sound this one has - a lot of the guitar riffs here aren't built around much more than two or three notes but display an expert sense of minimalism anyway, there's two vocalists that many people can't tell apart spurting out 'good-time' lyrics, there's weird synth sounds and squiggles, almost mechanical sounding harmonies, streamlined production, and extremely catchy hooks all over the place. Like the kind that make almost the entire album sound like a greatest hits collection.
But what about these hits? The opening "Good Times Roll" in particular is a glorious pop paradise - even lines as dumb as 'let them leave you up in the air / let them brush your rock and roll hair' sound so good with that unforgettable melody, and the bubbling keyboard over the two note 'riff'. And I dig that harmony burst in the chorus - 'let the... GOOD TIMES ROLL!' "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Just What I Needed" aren't any more musically complex than that, either, though they still kick. The former's repeating three note guitar part and handclaps in the verse might be simplistic, but again, damn good hook there, cool organ/keyboard embellishments throughout, and that little guitar line after '...and she used to be mine!' in the chorus is a neat little addition. And the latter is one of those powerful anthemic workouts that works on account of the conviction filled vocals (this time supplied by Ben Orr), very effective synth breaks, and musical directness. The melody rules as usual.
While these three smashes start off side one of the album, the other three well-known radio staples do the same for the second half. "Bye Bye Love" probably has the most disappointingly simplistic chorus of them all (with that like, two note riff and repeated chant of the title) and slightly dull ending guitar solo, but the verses are awesome - I especially love the tough sounding vocal intonations thrown in there and the great way in which the synths answer them, plus the more moody sounding chorus buildup. "You're All I've Got Tonight", though, boasts arguably the best melodic flow out of any song on here - it's led by yet another two or three note riff and an infectiously catchy hook, of course, but what really makes the song is how it flows as it gradually builds itself up on the 'ahhhh' backing harmonies and the '...I don't care' pre-chorus to get to that powerful harmony-filled refrain. Kickass.
But my favorite here, however, has probably the most atypical atmosphere of the entire thing, "Moving In Stereo". This is the only song here that Greg Hawkes and his keyboards co-writes with Ocasek, and he makes the most of his opportunity. It pretty much goes for a really creepy atmosphere in the way the synths and vocal effects interact with each other, and only half succeeds, as Ocasek's vocals and lyrical approach don't exactly match with that kind of sound, instead sounding a little goofy. But both the melody, the keys and the chiming guitar sure combine create a truly great atmospheric effect, and it's arguably the most lasting, epic and well-written song here. Certainly my favorite.
Of course, there's also the matter of the last two-thirds of the album (i.e. the non-hit section). Two of these songs are good, in the case of the closing "All Mixed Up" fairly impressive - Orr takes the lead vocals again, and by this time the album has settled into a very peaceful, moody kind of sound (the opening guitar line in particular). There's some fairly gorgeous melodies and harmonies here, especially the 'she said to leave it to me...' refrain. And the punkier "Don't Cha Stop" is certainly catchy enough that it could have been a hit were there not about seven more deserving songs here. It's good, though - the incessant chorus and guitar breaks in the verse make it all worth it. If there's any weak spot here, however, it would be the kind of grating "I'm In Touch With Your World", whose kinda dumb melody and annoying back and forth groove that serves as a vehicle for some cheesy keyboard sounds keeps me from enjoying it much. Ah well, this is still a very impressive debut anyway, and a very, very fun listen to boot.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
COMMENTS
Oh man, I love "Bye Bye Love". What a great, swinging song. Very rhythmic. It pisses me off that they left that song off the greatest hits, since it was easily the best tracks they ever did.
"Just What I Needed" is definitely memorable: it has the same exact riff as "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
i give it a ten
(Casey Brennan's review)
This album is even more slick-oriented than their debut, and isn't as guitar dominated. The first half of the album is somewhat poppy and contains the two hits, "Let's Go" and "It's All I Can Do", which are highlights that stay within the typical Cars formula. There is the poppy "Since I Held You", and the robotic sounding "Double Life" which segues into "Shoo Be Doo", a short track that turns the album away from pop and into it's experimental second half. "Candy-O" comes next and is the most hardhitting on here, with a great beat and a calculated guitar solo. The next five songs switch between fast and robotic New Wave ("You Can't Hold On Too Long" and "Got A Lot On My Head"), and the moodier, yet still sleek and polished ("Night Spots", "Lust For Kicks", and "Dangerous Type"). Those songs are tacky and neat-sounding, but the dumb and silly lyrics is what makes this and some Cars albums so enjoyable. This album is pretty good and less commercial than their previous one, because of it's experimental half.
HIGH POINTS: Let's Go, Candy-O. LOW POINTS: None.
Somewhat weaker than the debut, but I have a feeling that's mainly because they just exhausted a good amount of their most well written melodies the first time out. Or maybe it was just because they fell in love with slick production values on here, as the songs are more dominated by Greg Hawkes' keyboards and less by the guitar work, which maybe gives the album a bit of a dated feel to it. That doesn't mean the songs still aren't enjoyable, though - in fact, although a couple of them border on ordinary and/or generic, there aren't any here that I don't like to some degree. Maybe the hooks aren't timelessly awesome or anything, and the sound is hardly varied at all, but the album works for what it is - a good New Wave record with slight synth pop touches that almost has the feel of a guilty pleasure to it.
Even though Candy-O might even have a more commercial feel to the tone than before, the actual radio hits aren't anywhere near as prominent in quantity or popularity as they were before. Both are good though, of course, especially the opener, whose synth part that runs through it shall forever be known in my mind as the '"Let's Go" synth squiggle' (copyright Cole Bozman), and the song itself is probably the best on the album - the 'synth squiggle' certainly helps its' hook power, but the verse melody and 'I like the night life baby' clapalong chorus constitutes the most well-written melodic burst here. The other single "It's All I Can Do" is a fine pop number that's also not unlike the sound of the debut - good uplifting verses and infectious chorus. Both of these, interestingly enough, are sung by Ben Orr again, and no, it's not that hard to tell the difference between the two vocalists, unlike what some Mark Prindle associates might think.
The material elsewhere, though, is closer to a slightly experimental New Wave format. There's some really goofy organ lines driving "Lust For Kicks" (which bounces around like some slick, dorky song pretending to be incredibly catchy, though it's still fun) and one of the more anthemic, harmony-filled songs in "Got A Lot On My Head", which also might be the song that rocks the hardest, not that this is saying much for The Cars. We also have a couple other more unmemorably generic though still entertaining tracks like "Since I Held You" and "You Can't Hold On Too Long", as well as a song that attempts to repeat the chorus as many times as possible so you can't possibly forget it ("Dangerous Type"). This is actually one of my favorite album gimmicks, as ending the experience with a singalong hook puts a satisfying taste in your mouth, though it does get a little repetitive towards the end, and makes you totally forget the song actually has verses.
Oh, besides another minor highlight on here in "Night Spots" (which almost reminds me of a faster version of "Moving In Stereo" in the keyboards), there's also my favorite portion of the album in the stretch of tracks 4 to 6. Well, not so much the somewhat plodding pop number "Double Life" (if only because it goes on too long - that 'it's all gonna happen to you' chorus is as good as anything on here), but because of how it leads into the robotic interlude "Shoo Be Doo" (which almost sounds hilarious and downright creepy at once), and how that melts into the title track, probably the biggest reason for the 'guilty pleasure' tag I put on this album. It's also the second best song here, with that nagging 'Candy-O, I need you so' hook, a fantastically energetic and memorable guitar riff, and those instrumental breaks. Short, but oh so sweet. Like the record, which, actually, only runs 36 minutes, just like the debut.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
COMMENTS
HEY NICK! YOU FORGOT THE COVER! I HAVE IT AT HOME OH MAN! SEXXXY! SEXY AS HELL! MAN I WAS 16 AND WAS SEXED UP! BELIVE ME BETEEN STRIPERELLA AND THS COVER! I SPENT HOURS MASTURBATING WHILE LOOKING AT THE COVER! ANYHOW NICK IF YOU WANT GREAT POP WITHOUT THE SYNTHS GET THE RAVEONETTS! I DID HAVE WHIP IT ON! OH MAN PLUS DID FIND A CD BY THE PUNK BAND 13 CATS! MAN! I GOT MUSIC THAT DOES NOT HAVE THAT COCKSUCKING 50 CENT! I HAAAAAAAAAATE HIM! ANYHOW EXCUSE ME WHILE I MAKE OUT WITH MY GIRL TIFA! CLOSE NOW!
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Besides the melodic and smooth sounding hit "Touch And Go", most of the songs on here have a highly mechanical and robotic sound to them. They are really at their most experimental and least commercial here, which critics really hated. This album makes for an interesting listen though because most of these songs have awesome beats and rhythms, along with crystal-clear vocals and neat synthesizer sound effects. The songs probably sound better than they actually are, because of a lack of memorable melodies, but it's still a fine album that you can really get into.
"Getting Through" (a short song with neat keyboard sounds in the middle), "Down Boys" (a fast and energetic song), "Misfit Kid" (the slickest one on here), and "Gimmie Some Slack" (another energetic one), have the most robotic beats on the album and are interesting. Most of the songs on here will keep you moving along to the beats too like "Running To You", "Up And Down", and the odd pulsating title track. The slow songs, "Don't Tell Me No" and "You Wear Those Eyes", are pretty similar too each other but are good breaks in between the tighter and faster songs. By this time The Cars have a much more keyboard dominated sound.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
Another hit album, which contains "Shake It Up", "Since You Are Gone", and "I'm Not The One". From the start, this album isn't as robotic sounding as 'Panorama', and in turn is filled with slick pop songs that are all fairly commercial sounding. "Victim Of Love" and "Cruiser" are two highpoints on this mostly average album; they have interesting beats and tempos in them which makes them the least poppy sounding songs on here. The last four songs are new wave love songs, that are listenable but not very memorable. They are mechanical tunes with typical early 80's keyboard sounds and drum beats (each song has an interesting opening). After this album The Cars would go on a three year break with the head Car, Ric Ocasek, making a solo album, before the Cars decided to reunite and make their fifth album, Heartbeat City.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
(reviewed by Casey Brennan)
This has many of The Cars hits from the heart of their career (1978-1985), 13 songs taken from five albums and one single. Their last album Door To Door came out in 1987, so nothing from that is on here, but since there are no hits from it and it is regarded as a horrible album anyway, it doesn't matter. Big chart toppers like "Good Times Roll", "My Best Friend's Girl", "Let's Go", "You Might Think", "Shake It Up", "Touch And Go", and others are on here. The problem with this greatest hits though, is that the majority of the songs on here are taken from their last two albums, Shake It Up and Heartbeat City. Considering that those two are at the best average albums, it is really annoying that eight of these songs are from those albums (besides the single), so that leaves five songs from their first three. Great songs such as "You're All I've Got Tonight" and "It's All I Can Do" are hits too, and should have replaced songs like ""Drive" and "Tonight She Comes". So overall it is fairly disappointing, but besides that flaw it is still worthwhile because it is a hits album.
Post your comments / reviews for this album
COMMENTS
[email protected] (Rich Bunnell)
The album is Greatest Hits, not Best Of, so leaving off "Drive" and "Tonight She Comes," the band's two biggest hits (both #3), would sort of go against the title. But yeah, in that case, why are the title track to Heartbeat City and "I'm Not The One" on here instead of "It's All I Can Do" and "Moving In Stereo"? And why was "Touch And Go" released as a single anyway?
I like "Drive," actually. I guess I didn't very much at first -- I do remember when it was a current hit song, although I was just in the second or third grade then. It was sure overplayed. It's grown on me, though; very pretty. "Tonight She Comes" does suck though. Oh, right -- the greatest hits album, not my life story. My ex-girlfriend has it (dammit, there I go again!). It does have some crappy newer songs and not enough older ones. But the Cars had so many radio hits in their era that I personally only noticed one or two missing highlights. I guess it's a 7, as greatest hits albums go.
Index | Main band/artist reviews page