Soundtrack of my life - The Cars, the Cars, 1978
A bridge, that’s a great way to put it.
Yep. Everyone I knew had Boston - ELO - Journey. And The Cars. I think it says a lot that the midnight special had the cars on there. I think they were the only "new wave" band to ever be on there.
So even today when I hear a cars song my mind goes to the next song on the album when it finishes that’s how many times we listened to that album/8track
Rick Ocasek got all the screen time because his praying mantis physique played well on MTV, but Ben Orr was the real star of that band.
Benjamin Orr had a solo album called "The Lace" that came out in '86.
It had a different sound from The Cars. Below is a link to one of the better songs.
Saw them at Long Beach arena. Their first West Coast show. I was actually with my best friends girl.
Life imitates art. What a memory that song must summon for you.
Did she used to be yours?
Let the good times roll
Friend of mine worked at a club in Boston and the cars played there…mid show someone yells out “ play best friends girlfriend “…the band shouts out “ we played that a half hour ago- get here earlier next time “…five beer bottles get thrown at the stage and without missing a beat they instantly break into the song again…
OK-sick. (Say it out loud)
A totally new sound to me back then and those first three albums are killer. Candy O sparks the most memories.
I bought the CD of Candy O a couple of weeks ago. Heartbeat City is next.
I still need Shake It Up. Don’t sleep on Panorama, it’s a bit of a curveball but it’s really good, especially Touch ‘N Go.
Dammit, now I’m off to the record store.
Give us a full report!
I picked up a used Heartbeat City LP. They had a new one but the cover is mostly white so I’m glad they had the original version (like the one I had in high school). Ah, nostalgia. I also picked up a CD set, The Cars, Original Album Series. It has The Cars, Candy O (extra copy for my car), Panorama, Shake it Up and Heartbeat City. I had seen the CD set before and almost got it but I don’t like the sleeves the CDs are in but for $18 it was a good deal. Now I’m all set!
You made out like a bandit, my friend. I used to scoff at nostalgia but it’s real and so important to me nowadays. I take great comfort from the music I listened to back in the day. Heartbeat City is another great album.
I wore out 2 copies of Candy O! One of the best sophomore albums by any band ever.
I gotta add here also R.I.P. Ben and Rick. And that their last album, Move Like This, was criminally underappreciated.
2 copies is impressive. You’re so right about Move Like This. It’s a great comeback record and the Target edition has some great bonus tracks!
Oh wow - a Suicide cover!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3_1WtfhoH8
Good Times Roll, ftw
For me it's moving in stereo
All Mixed Up
Same.
I’ve sung that song at kamikaze while hammered
why does auto-in-correct always change karoke to kamikaze?
My Best Friend's Girl is our song. I dated his friend, then when he broke up with me I noticed the guy I eventually married. We are both still friends with the guy I dated first
Great studio band, but their concerts weren’t that good. Saw them twice in the 80’s and was underwhelmed.
Ric Ocasek was adamant that they played their songs live exactly like the recordings
Not at the two shows I saw. Great studio band though.
I was reading some magazine like Hit Parader or Creem and it had a section or two where they asked record stores what was good and new. The Cars was mentioned three or four times and one of the people said that the album sounded like a greatest hits package.
I walked the mile to my local record store and asked for The Cars. They didn’t have it. I went every week for a month. Still no luck until the sixth week they had it waiting for me.
Dude was right, it sounded like a greatest hits album.
I still dig The Cars. Their interviews were where I first heard of the VU!
Weisenheimer brainstorm
I don't care what anyone says, I like "I'm in Touch with Your World"
This is my group and my album that I always come back to. I love them. They were just what I needed.
And your right, I went from The Cars to Blondie to B-52s to the all the great New Wave along with The Clash and other punk rock bands.
Live show often criticized as stale, but this '78 TV gig in Germany is on point...
My love for The Cars got me playing air drums as a teen, and eventually actual drums once I could afford some.
Thank you Cars!
I didn't realize how much I needed to hear this again.
Their first album was a breath of fresh air and a wonderful departure from the stale guitar rock bands that had dominated the airwaves for the previous 2 or 3 years. New Wave was coming like a freight train and the Cars album was the crossing gate alarm.
Midnight Special https://youtu.be/xdA8EB5Oz6c?si=iq8QSNMX8mVWol0Y
Every single track is great! I saw the cars live twice. They never disappointed.
Saw this played live when they opened for Styx for their pieces of eight tour.
Edit: my first concert at 14
My friend came back from a vacation on Cape Cod with the first Cars Album. We immediately began ignoring the popular line up of the time- The Eagles, Led Zeppelin and others…when they called us “punk rockers” we put on The Clash and said “THIS is punk rock!” We got there via The Cars and New Wave.
Saw them in Medford, Oregon.
This album is getting inducted for preservation into the National Recording Registry at Library of Congress: https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/national-recording-registry-inducts-sounds-of-abba--blondie--the-cars--the-chicks--juan-gabriel/s/29ee4224-3060-4247-a7a4-7deea2c2f816
I was surprised to learn that Ric Ocasek was born in 1944, making him a contemporary of the Beatles. He was in his mid-30s at the time this album came out. I loved this record too
The songs endure. They still sound good. I liked them, and Elliot Easton is a superb guitar player. They were part of that "new wave" period where things were ambiguous and the genre of power pop became a thing. I love that stuff! I listen to it to this day.
I saw them that year in a stadium concert in Cleveland. Wasn't familiar but they made a impression.
I loved this band. They mixed new wave with classic 50s themes, creating some great hooks. And Eliot Easton is a phenomenal guitarist.
Excellent album. I liked all sorts of music from that era. Saw so many excellent bands come through my podunk city of 115,000 thousand. But my absolute favorite from that era and still is to this day is Rush. I went work, military, and then college.
To me, they “rescued” the world from disco. I bought this LP when it was released and still have it. Love it.
Gary Numan - Cars was a sound track for me
He did have some cool stuff.
This is the album I listen to in memory of my college roommate. One of the greatest ALBUMS of my era.
This album was my bridge from Classic Rock to New Wave......then to punk, post-punk, college radio, and eventually alternative
favorite track: Let The Good Times Roll 10/10