Love em myself. Soundtrack to My Youth and all that. And I think they are one of the greatest Synth bands ever. Not to mention they totally rock and were a huge New Wave influence.
So what's Your Opinion on The Cars?
Fell free to toss out fave songs or albums as always
Here's My List
1 My Best Friend's Girl
2 The Dangerous Type
3 Double Trouble
4 Moving In Stereo
5 Shake It Up
Your Turn Barbara Sookie Fonzie
Nice Lists
Sookie..Good Morning
Agree
Fonz
Agree Love 'em! Their first album would be my favorite, followed by Candy-O. They had some great stuff after that as well.
All the songs you've mentioned are classics!
They were one of a few late 70's new wave bands that made the transition into the 80's without sacrificing too much, and becoming even more popular! Other bands that achieved this were XTC, Talking Heads, and The Clash, which another R&P member has also eluded to. When I first heard them in 1978, I have to admit I thought they were British, due to their slick production/sound.
Elliot Easton is really one of the most underrated guitarists in rock...a true virtuoso in every sense of the word. He can switch from country pickin' / rockabilly, to jazz, classical, and even shred at the drop of a hat! I saw him play this past summer with Creedence Clearwater Revival Revisited (CCRR), and he was phenomenal. I think he surprised half the audience that day with his jaw dropping chops!
I played in a band in the early 70's whose circuit was the Northern States, and parts of Eastern Canada. We were on the same bill as a Boston based group called 'Milkwood', not to be confused with the Canadian rock band of the same name from the 60's. The group featured two young future Cars members; Ric Otcasek (Ric Ocasek), Ben Orzechowski (Benjamin Orr). They released one album in 1973 called 'How's the Weather' on the Paramount label. The album sounds nothing like The Cars, and is indeed more of a 70's mellow rock / folk thing! Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes also appears on the album but is credited only as 'Hawks'. Greg provided some horn arrangements as well.
Of course I never realized who these guys were, until many years later when The Cars became International 80's monsters.
Milkwood also played the famous CBGB's when it was a country/folk/blues/jazz club, prior to it's fame for promoting punk bands:
http://cbgb.com/club/band/milkwood.htm
The Cars were great! yeah, my mom used to listen to them alot when i was a kid. can't remember any song names besides the ones you mentioned. Yeah, I'm a fan of the Cars ..... rarely did a bad tune and Heartbeat City was a great album.
Probably the memory that everybody has of Live Aid (besides the Freddie performance of course) was Drive and the video that was shown in the background.
Top Band!!!! Well being that I don't live too far from Boston they always got heavy airplay here and I loved them. I do remember though my mother not letting me have the Candy-O album until I was older because of the album art.
My favorites: Dangerous Type, Let's Go, Since You're Gone, Think It Over & Misfit Kid. It's funny that you bring up the Cars because I just played their first album last week (after not listening to it for years) and I didn't like it. I don't know why because I used to be a huge fan of theirs, maybe I just wasn't really in the mood for it, dunno.
My List:
Movin in Stereo
Candy-O
You Might Think
Let's Go Morning, Darth! Yes, I do dig The Cars...
"Just What I Needed" is one of my favorite songs on the planet - I absolutely love it.
And I think "Drive" is one of the most haunting songs ever written. Was sad when Ben died a few years back.
Love those guys. Slick recordings for their day. Someone once said they had a great blend between classic rock & the new wave. I'd agree w/ that. Elliot Easton is one SMOKIN' guitarist. Highly underrated player.
What I like about them is that a lot of their songs have this quirky "50s gone awry" sound. Like bouncy love songs in therapy! lol Mighta been Rik's off-beat delivery. (though many argued that he got it from Iggy Pop's style)
Just What I Needed
Double Life
All Mixed Up
Got A lot on my Head
Since You're Gone
Bye Bye Love
Don't Go To Pieces
Slipaway
So many!
*edit
I got that Cars anthology from BMG or one of those "12 cds for a penny" deals. lol Great unheard stuff on it.
I always thought their vocal harmonies were incredible! Reminded me of Queen sometimes. Love The Cars!!!! I remember getting their first album on 8- track tape back in 1978. Candy-O was my favorite album.
I collect vinyl records, I have every Cars album on vinyl...in fact I frame a lot of my albums and hang them on my "Rock Wall" in my finished basement.......I just happen to have Candy-O up there right now among another dozen of my favorite album covers..,,,,,,anyway
All Mixed Up
Been A Long Time Since I Held You
I Know Tonight She Comes
Touch and Go
You're all I Got Tonight
Later All,
G I love the Cars music, especially You're All I've Got Tonight, Moving In Stereo, Candy O, but they were the worst concert band ever.
HeartBeat City, Pine Knob, Michigan, terrible effort, but I forgive them and I still listen to them often. Very underrated band.
Just what I needed
The Dangerous Type
You're all I've got tonight
I'm not the one
Hello again Oh yes, big Cars fan but I never figured out how Rick O'Casek married Paulina Parizkova (or however you spell it). My favorite is Drive, like Sookie said it's an extremely haunting melody, probably followed by Shake it Up and Let's Go. Then again, none of my lists are ever definitive. Realy made a song i did not like .Love em all 1. Moving in Stereo
2. I'm in Touch with Your World
3. Let the Good Times Roll
4. Dangerous Type
5. Just What I Needed
The Cars effing Rule!!!! WOW I KNOW IM LATE-i just saw this post.
i love the cars-benjamin orr (rst in piece was from ohio)
great band.hard to pick favorites. i love moving in stereo, and i love the song heartbeat city-(beginning sounds great on my cerwin vegas speakers cranked up) also love the song drive.
good post I am intentionally not including anything from Heartbeat City -- It just has too many great hits - so I'm going for lesser played material --
1. Don't Go To Pieces (b-side of 7" "Touch & Go")
2. Since You're Gone (I just love the Frippish flange-guitar and Bob Dylan parody by Rik)
3. Candy-O (just a really cool song)
4. Good Times Roll (the one that started it all)
5. Moving In Stereo (Thank you, Phoebe Cates)
6. Dangerous Type (great closing cut for a great albumZ)
7. You're All I've Got Tonight / Bye Bye Love
9. Panorama (after 2 hit albums; Cars take a risk with extraordinary, yet unpopular approach)
10. Shake it Up (cool video)
btw - 1978 was an incredible year for music with The Cars, XTC, Talking Heads, Magazine (very underated), The Clash (a lot of these bands on their 2nd releases) -- and the New Wave had truly begun, after a more Punkish, but exciting 1977 -- and WE the Survivors -- were able to CRUSH the awfulness of DISCO dominance. Fav song - "Just What I Needed"
I like Benjamin Orr's voice. Nice difference from Ric Ocasik. I wished Ben has sung a few more songs. I love the cars..its good to hear other people besides my family still like them too hahaha!
I remember as a kid me and my 5 other siblings always turning the cars cd on and dancing to it together...My little sister was obsessed when she was like 4 haha.
I like your list..im having trouble remembering the song right now...I think Moving in Stereo is my fav..if its the one im thinking about.
and jsut waht i needed is a good one too... Love the Cars--my favorite is Drive
although Shake it up is my album choice rock, punk, new wave. all of the above. if you grew up in the eighties, you had to like this band, although i gotta disagree with w/ darth. after shake it up and beyond, things were going downhill in my opinion. the cars - anthology, a two cd set is what fans will want, if interested. pretty much covers everything. | 