The Cars

[Dennis Taylor 18,809]

Those nerdy fuckers had some pretty damn good tunes...I'll start 

 

[Hate 20,106]

Candy O was a great album!

[jimmyjazz 45,890]

One of my favorites from that era, but I gotta say, their music isn't aging as well as I thought it would.

Elliott Easton is still a badass on guitar, though, and Ben Orr was a rock star (RIP).

[tfoolry 8,202]

Houston ‘84.  

[retread 2,951]

 

 

Edited May 27, 2019 by retread

[DougO 5,243]

First two albums were great, then it got a bit sketchy. Loved the Cars.

[Onboard 2.0 9,083]

Great 80's music, horrible 80's concerts. They sucked ass in concert.  I could have just listened to the album.... errrr CD.  I didn't need to see their concert because they played their tunes just like the album 2:20 and on to the next cut....

[retread 2,951]

 

[retread 2,951]

 

[Wyatt Mann 17]

Warrant blatantly ripped off the Cars in this song. That being said, I still enjoy the song.

 

[HenryJames 66,038]

I also enjoy the music made by the band The Cars.

[Rip76 4,925]

I love the Cars.

For me, it was the originality.  They sounded like no one.  A mix of straight Rock and Roll, New Wave and 50’s.  

And good grief Elliot Easton.

[mr. sunshine 2,824]

Like you, I celebrate their entire catalogue

[Rip76 4,925]

 

[tbone_ 14,112]

My band does a marginal rendition of Dangerous Type. Great song though.

What is a geranium lover anyway?

[retread 2,951]

1 hour ago, Rip76 said:

For me, it was the originality.  They sounded like no one.  A mix of straight Rock and Roll, New Wave and 50’s.  

And good grief Elliot Easton.

Same here w the originality. Trying to think of other bands that had their own kind of unique sound...

[Radical Larry 28,565]

1 hour ago, Rip76 said:

I love the Cars.

For me, it was the originality.  They sounded like no one.  A mix of straight Rock and Roll, New Wave and 50’s.  

And good grief Elliot Easton.

All of this, and like jimmyjazz mentioned earlier, Orr was awesome. 

[the idoit 165]

Still the benchmark for me all these years later.

Easton’s technical precision is exceeded only by his innate ability to craft a catchy hook. Or the other way around. I still haven’t decided.

[Pato del Muerto 52,486]

I crank up moving in stereo in the truck at least once a week

[Paul Wesley 3,278]

Obligatory:

[the idoit 165]

I’d never seen this before. Live in Germany in ‘79. What a performance. Ocasek’s frenetic rhythm juxtaposed against Orr’s smooth delivery is amazing. And what I’d give for an iso of Easton doing Easton things here.

[Carl Spackler 3,479]

13 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Great 80's music, horrible 80's concerts. They sucked ass in concert.  I could have just listened to the album.... errrr CD.  I didn't need to see their concert because they played their tunes just like the album 2:20 and on to the next cut....

This.  One of the most lifeless concerts I've seen. 

[Carl Spackler 3,479]

6 hours ago, Wyatt Mann said:

Warrant blatantly ripped off the Cars in this song. That being said, I still enjoy the song.

 

Easton has admitted he copped McCartney's playing on  "I Will" by The Beatles for the guitar fills in "My Best Friend's Girl."  

[jimmyjazz 45,890]

Easton definitely had a little Nashville hot lick style in his playing, too.  I don't think I ever knew that he is a Berklee guy -- I can't find any references to Nashville anywhere.  I guess he's just a sponge.

[Carl Spackler 3,479]

While that first album was full of great stuff, I think this might be my favorite song of theirs.

 

[South Austin 52,454]

Seems like I may be in the minority, but even as a kid I thought the Cars were pretty boring. 

[Paul Wesley 3,278]

2 hours ago, Carl Spackler said:

 

 

I love how that song starts out.  Only when the band kicks in do you realize those were the upbeats.  

[UTCzech III 2,907]

In my top 10 all-time favorite bands.  Bought everything they've ever done, I bought f-ing Door to Door, and the comeback CD a few years ago.  Just like ELO, some hits, some filler, and some hidden gems.  

 

 

 

[dcar00 14,155]

2 of the strongest debut rock albums ever released in 78.  The Cars and Van Halen.

I'd argue the Cars is pound for pound in the top 3 as it relates to radio play.   5 of the 9 songs are regularly still played on classic rock stations and Moving in Stereo has the cult following of course.

Boston is really close along with GnR Appetite.

I'm not arguing best debut rock album just strongest in terms of longevity of radio play

 

 

 

[jimmyjazz 45,890]

Yeah, I'd buy that argument.  I'd put Heart "Dreamboat Annie" in there on the strength of the two mega-singles.

Edited May 28, 2019 by jimmyjazz

[Rip76 4,925]

5 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

I love how that song starts out.  Only when the band kicks in do you realize those were the upbeats.  

Just thinking the same thing

[tbone_ 14,112]

Yeah, I'd buy that argument.  I'd put Heart "Dreamboat Annie" in there on the strength of the two mega-singles.

Great thread idea

[honolulu horn 6,158]

Easton is criminally underrated as a guitarist. Solo on Touch and Go is ridiculous (2:20)

 

[Mach 1 1,677]

csb

Got last minute tickets to Lollapalooza, about 10 years ago.  Glanced at the line up and saw Big Audio Dynamite, so I was in. Met up with friends, had a shitload of drinks, and while walking to my hotel saw Ric Ocasek outside smoking.

Me:  Hey are you Ric Ocasek? (looking around for his wife)

Ocasek: (takes a drag of his cigarette, looks away)

Me:  You guys playing tomorrow?

Ocasek: (takes another drag, looks at me like I'm an idiot)

Me: (obviously drunk) You know, you guys should tour more. Fans would love to see you. I mean, when was the last time you toured? Jesus, the number of hits you guys have.

Ocasek: (throws cigarette to ground, walks away)

Me: Hey man, love you guys!

/csb

*Forgot to add some serious thunderstorm hit Chicago and they evacuated everyone from the concert. Didn't even get to see them. 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Mach 1

[Onboard 2.0 9,083]

6 minutes ago, Mach 1 said:

csb

Got last minute tickets to Lollapalooza, about 10 years ago.  Glanced at the line up and saw Big Audio Dynamite, so I was in. Met up with friends, had a shitload of drinks, and while walking to my hotel saw Ric Ocasek outside smoking.

Me:  Hey are you Ric Ocasek? (looking around for his wife)

Ocasek: (takes a drag of his cigarette, looks away)

Me:  You guys playing tomorrow?

Ocasek: (takes another drag, looks at me like I'm an idiot)

Me: (obviously drunk) You know, you guys should tour more. Fans would love to see you. I mean, when was the last time you toured? Jesus, the number of hits you guys have.

Ocasek: (throws cigarette to ground, walks away)

Me: Hey man, love you guys!

/csb

You've captured the actual experience of a Cars concert.  Bravo sir.

[dcar00 14,155]

2 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

You've captured the actual experience of a Cars concert.  Bravo sir.

no shit. heartbeat city reunion arena 1984.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Cars or some such intro

play 20 songs that sound exactly(and I mean exactly) like the record

Thank you, Goodnight

Weirdest concert experience ever.  I think they hated touring and it seems they didn't want to be rock stars.  I give them props that they didn't participate in contrived concert banter if they didn't really care.

Fantastic fucking songs though.

 

 

[dcar00 14,155]

On 5/27/2019 at 10:03 PM, retread said:

Same here w the originality. Trying to think of other bands that had their own kind of unique sound...

besides the really experimental guys like Zappa and heavy electronic/synth like Kraftwerk my first answer would be Jethro Tull then Devo.  but neither of those are heavy radio play like the Cars.

[Onboard 2.0 9,083]

5 hours ago, dcar00 said:

no shit. heartbeat city reunion arena 1984.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Cars or some such intro

play 20 songs that sound exactly(and I mean exactly) like the record

Thank you, Goodnight

Weirdest concert experience ever.  I think they hated touring and it seems they didn't want to be rock stars.  I give them props that they didn't participate in contrived concert banter if they didn't really care.

Fantastic fucking songs though.

 

 

Saw em in 82 or 83 I believe.  Same exact experience.

[utee94 15,808]

I loved the Cars and disagree with jimmyjazz, I think their music has aged very well.  Heck, a huge portion of the 2010s music has consisted of bands trying to recapture the pop/rock/synth/new wave types of sounds that The Cars pioneered.  What's old is new again, etc.

 

But I will certainly agree that they weren't a particularly enjoyable live band.  That's ok, some songs are meant solely for the radio.

Edited May 29, 2019 by utee94

[retread 2,951]

10 hours ago, dcar00 said:

besides the really experimental guys like Zappa and heavy electronic/synth like Kraftwerk my first answer would be Jethro Tull then Devo.  but neither of those are heavy radio play like the Cars.

It's interesting to think about. In the best debut thread, somebody mentioned Hendrix's debut in '67. He def had his own sound. I personally find songs by The Cars more musically enjoyable.

[jimmyjazz 45,890]

3 hours ago, utee94 said:

I loved the Cars and disagree with jimmyjazz, I think their music has aged very well. 

I was (and remain) a huge fan of the band, but I listen to mostly FM radio in the car and they are getting tons of airplay on the "classic" stations these days.  To me it's just not quite the same as it felt back in the day.  The recordings are good, the production is good, the performances are good, but in particular I kinda feel Greg Hawkes had a little too much shit going on in those mixes.  To me the band is Ocasek/Orr/Easton.  I could largely do without the dorky synths.