The Cars

Post by **aTOMiC** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:00 pm

Probably my favorite band of the late 70’s and early 80’s, The Cars seemed to appeal to everything I liked in those days. (and to a great extent these days). When I first heard “Best Friend’s Girl” (even before new wave hit the beaches in earnest around 1980) I became an instant fan. Whether Ric Ocasek or Benjamin Orr was singing lead I seemed to genuinely love every song. Elliot Easton’s guitar leads impressed me with their brevity of content but seemed to deliver volumes of creativity. After hearing Ric Ocasek’s solo work I realized just how much Greg Hawkes’ keys contributed to the sound. I found out recently just how much David Robinson changed the band when he became the drummer. He came up with the name and a great deal of the polished look and feel that defined the Cars. To this day I can load up my mp3 player and do nothing but listen to Cars tunes for hours. For those of you who are fans I’ll give you my favorite albums from top to bottom.
1. Panorama – Different from the rest and a thoroughly original new wave disc.
2. Candy-O – Slightly more polished collection of songs than “the Cars”.
3. The Cars – Killer debut album.
4. Shake It Up – Feels like Candy-O’s disc 2.
5. Hearbeat City – No question the pinnacle of success for the band.
6. Door to Door – Feels like a contract fulfillment effort though it has a lot of cool tracks.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 9:13 pm

I can't take this pain much longer
expecting to survive
with all these hidden inuendos
just waiting to arrive
it's such a crazy midnight
you slip into insane
electric angel rock and roller
I hear what your playing

It's an orangey sky
always with some other guy
it's just a broken lullaby

bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love

substitution mass confusion
clouds inside your head
were bogging all my energies
until you visited
and with your eyes of porcelian and of blue
you shock me into sense
you think your so illustrious
you call yourself intense

It's an orangey sky
always with some other guy
it's just a broken lullaby

bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love...

Post by **matrixman** » Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:50 am

I first heard the Cars through their hit songs from Heartbeat City. I immediately took a liking to the band's sound. Songs like "Drive" and "Magic" are part of my precious 80's memories; they instantly bring me back to my junior high days.

Only a couple of years ago I bought the Cars' Greatest Hits collection and enjoyed it, but I still haven't acquired the individual albums.

Post by **dANdeLION** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 2:09 pm

Ahh, the Cars. Elliot Easton was the perfect soloist; amazing how he just dove in, did a killer solo, and was out in a flash. Greg Hawkes; man, he was good, as were Rik and Ben. Drummer wasn't bad, either;-) I loved them the day I heard "Let's Go" way back in the beginning of time......

Post by **ProRider514** » Sat Oct 16, 2004 12:17 am

hey everybuddy! seriussly, who duznt like the cars? they are soooo cool. my dad has the anthology and swear i listened to every single song and walked away absolutly ubsessed wit them. my all time fave song from them tho is tonight she comes.

~*Kyrstie*~

Post by **Cord Hurn** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 11:53 pm

Their first album was flawless ear candy. After that, they got more hit-and-miss with output quality, in my opinion.

Post by **Cord Hurn** » Sun Dec 27, 2015 5:59 pm

There were some neat surprises and sudden changes in Cars music that entertained me. One example is the sudden burst of lead guitar fury in the song, "Candy-O".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxB8Z7GL6yc

Post by **sgt.null** » Wed Dec 30, 2015 8:34 am

Hello Again

Andy Warhol directed the video for Hello Again. Gina Gershon appears in it.

I grew up in New Hampshire, and heard them a ton. most songs were just kind of there, the first that made me sit up and notice was Drive.

Drive

now looking them up on Youtube I realize that I know a lot more Cars songs than I ever thought about. they could write a hit. best of the New Wave bands?

Just What I Needed - a favorite.

Bye Bye Love

it's funny that I picture Ric Ocasek as the front man, but my favorite songs (for the most part) feature Benjamin Orr handling leads. funny how memory works.

Post by **Cord Hurn** » Sat Nov 05, 2016 11:01 pm

Anonymous wrote:I can't take this pain much longer
expecting to survive
with all these hidden inuendos
just waiting to arrive
it's such a crazy midnight
you slip into insane
electric angel rock and roller
I hear what your playing

It's an orangey sky
always with some other guy
it's just a broken lullaby

bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love

substitution mass confusion
clouds inside your head
were bogging all my energies
until you visited
and with your eyes of porcelian and of blue
you shock me into sense
you think your so illustrious
you call yourself intense

It's an orangey sky
always with some other guy
it's just a broken lullaby

bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love...
bye bye love...

Love this song like it's a dear old friend!

Updating the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR6GDGoiO8Y

Post by **dANdeLION** » Sun Nov 06, 2016 12:24 am

I love Orr's vocals on that track!

Post by **Cord Hurn** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 8:03 pm

dANdeLION wrote:I love Orr's vocals on that track!

I think he does a great job, too, Dan! The band is tight, Elliot Easton tucks in some blistering guitar note, there's some pretty solid slamming by drummer David Robinson. I love the keyboard sound, too! Somehow, I've never gotten tired of this song, though I've probably heard it over a thousand times since 1978.

Post by **aTOMiC** » Tue Nov 08, 2016 8:33 pm

Cord Hurn wrote:
dANdeLION wrote:I love Orr's vocals on that track!
I think he does a great job, too, Dan! The band is tight, Elliot Easton tucks in some blistering guitar note, there's some pretty solid slamming by drummer David Robinson. I love the keyboard sound, too! Somehow, I've never gotten tired of this song, though I've probably heard it over a thousand times since 1978.

It would be impossible for me to agree more.

Post by **Cord Hurn** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 11:58 am

The Cars somehow made the so-called "new wave" music (since it's old, now, I suppose it's called "80s retro" music, despite some of it having its start in the late 1970s) accessible to me with the catchiness of their melodies, when I was still rejecting most of their contemporaries. Something about the Cars' music was just too...irresistible to me. And I loved how Elliot Easton could just suddenly surprise me with a skillful-sounding lead line. Great band, and deservedly in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. RIP to Ric Ocasek, the genius behind it all.

YOU MIGHT THINK
(Written by Ric Ocasek)

Oh well uh, you might think h'm crazy
To hang around with you
Or maybe you think I'm lucky
To have somethin' to do
But I think that you're wild
Inside me is some child

You might think I'm foolish
Or maybe it's untrue
(You might think I'm crazy)
You might think I'm crazy
(All I want is you)
All I want is you

You might think it's hysterical
But I know when you're weak
You think you're in the movies
And everything's so deep
But I think that you're wild
When you flash that fragile smile

You might think it's foolish
What you put me through
(You might think I'm crazy)
You might think I'm crazy
(All I want is you)
All I want is you

And it was hard so hard to take
(So hard to take)
(There's no escape)
There's no escape
Without a scrape
(Without a scrape)
But you kept it going till the sun fell down
You kept it going

Oh well uh, you might think I'm delirious
The way I run you down
But somewhere sometimes
When you're curious
I'll be back around
Oh, I think that you're wild
And so uniquely styled
You might think it's foolish
This chancy rendezvous

(You might think I'm crazy)
You might think I'm crazy
(All I want is you)
All I want is you, aoo
All I want is you
(All I want is you)
All I want is you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dOx510kyOs

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

The Cars

The Cars