Ticket 2 Ride

The Cars were labeled New Wave, but that really didn’t fit. With Benjamin Orr and Rick Ocasek gone, and The New Cars were more like a retread, The Cars deserve to be remembered for their fresh rock and roll sound. You either like their quirky sound, punctuated by those video arcade-sounding synth noodles and ringing guitar fills, or you don’t. They wore goofy clothes and odd hairstyles, and had that tall, gangly lead singer. Nerdy. But just remember, that lead singer married the supermodel.

I sat down and listened to their Elektra albums and loved every minute. By the last album it was clear that something had changed; their time was up. I don’t love every song, but I certainly love more than those I don’t.

The Cars lasted the decade of my twenties. It was fun revisiting that music and I didn’t need a flux capacitor to do it.

The Cars were:
Ric Ocasek – vocals, rhythm guitar
Benjamin Orr – vocals, bass guitar
Greg Hawkes – keyboards, percussion, saxophone, backing vocals
David Robinson – drums, percussion
Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocal

Let’s go…

The Cars (1978)

Their is a fresh energy to their sound. The songs jump out of the speakers. Rarely have I ever thought that of a debut album. These five guys were on fire. I remember listening Tommy Johnson spin his copy on the turntable and tried to understand what I was hearing. My head was tied to Yes, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Chicago and Neil Young. These synth grooves and the quirky sounds, plus Ocasek’s strange voice were so different from what we were listening to.

The start of side one was bright and bouncy, but not like the pop tunes of the mid-1960s, these songs possessed an attitude and a grit. “Best Friend’s Girl”, “Just What I Needed” and “Good Times Roll” are crazy good.

The whole the second side was like a mini trip, the songs connected in interesting way. “You’re All I Got Tonight”, “Bye Bye Love” is my favorite and the segue into “Moving in Stereo” and finally “All Mixed Up” are hauntingly cool. Even though these four songs weren’t singles, together they are the best part of the album.

The bonus disc that comes with the remastered album contains demos and working versions of songs not included on the original album.

Right out of the gate, that energy I mentioned was shaped by producer Roy Thomas Baker and engineer Geoff Workman. These guys would have many great credits and were the right choice for The Cars. Interestingly, it was a little more than ten years earlier that Electra introduced a band with a unique sound that spun rock and roll on its head too. The Doors. A different vibe entirely, but a band that swept in with a sound unique to them. Manzarek’s Vox Continental combo organ was as recognizable as Greg Hawk’s Prophet-5 synth. Quirky and authentic.

Candy-O (1979)

The band’s second album, quick on the heels of their debut record. Again it was Baker and Workman behind the recording console. Frankly, I didn’t love this album like many fans and critics. The first three songs on side one are bright, poppy and instantly likable. “Let’s Go”, “Since I Held You” and “It’s All I Can Do.” They employ the same degree of creativity as they used for the first side of their debut record. On side two, “You Can’t Hold On Too Long” and “Dangerous Type” are the standouts, solid and irresistible.

The other songs on the album have a very high quirk-factor, with “Candy-O” being the best. I’ve read that the band thought their debut album was a bit too slick and that they wanted their sophomore effort to be a bit more rough. I believe they achieved it. BTW, the album cover is a Vargas painting.

Panorama (1980) Album three had Roy Thomas Baker, but Ian Taylor replaced Geoff Workman working the knobs. “Touch and Go”, “Gimme Some Slack” and “Don’t Tell Me No” are single-quality.

“Misfit Kid”, “You Wear Those Eyes” and “Running to You” are the best of side two, but a step down from the three on the first side. The rest of the album sounds a little uninspired and generic 1980s. At the time, The Cars were leaders in the 1980s sound. Unfortunately, a lot of that weird synth noodling hasn’t aged very well.

Shake It Up (1981)

The last album with Roy Thomas Baker, but the first with in their new Boston studio. Less weird than their last album, Shake It Up was poppier and more accessible, even if this wasn’t their best stuff.

“Since You’re Gone”and “Shake It Up” are the two best-known songs on the album. “I’m Not the One” and “Maybe Baby” are a step below, but songs you want to hear again. The rest of the album is really mediocre I’m sorry to say. The playing is fine, the odd sounds not very original by now, but the main problem is the songwriting.

Heartbeat City (1984)

This is damn near a perfect album. Not every song is a single, but nay a weak song on the platter. The band changed producers, hiring impresario Mutt Lange and taking the recording to London. The result was – magic. And a huge seller. Lange had the band recording songs in pieces and using a lot of drum samples and programmed sounds.

What an improvement over Shake It Up! The songwriting is superb.

“Hello Again”, Magic”, “Drive”, “You Might Think”, “Why Can’t I Have You” and my favorite song on the album “Heartbreak City.”

My only issue is what sounded chic and stylish in the mid-1980s production wise, sounds a bit dated now. True of most albums recorded then.

If you own only two Cars albums, or have a Cars playlist, the bulk of these songs and their first album should dominate.

Door to Door (1987)

It wasn’t a surprise when the band broke a few months later. Was the chemistry gone or were they just burned out and wanted to get away from each other. As usual, Ocasek wrote all the songs again, but this time he also produced it (with production assistance from Hawkes).

Critics were pretty savage toward this album, which was reflected in the lackluster sales and chart positions of the album and the singles.

I hadn’t listened to this album in years. Decades more likely. If you asked me anything about this album I would have plead ignorance. It just failed to make a listing impression. Giving it another spin, I really enjoyed this album. There are a couple of weak songs, but there are eight or nine good ones. Toned down is the synth noodling and the quirky 1980s sounds, replaced by stronger guitar work and more riffs.

In particular, I liked “Strap Me In”, “You Are the Girl”, “Fine Line” and “Coming Up You.”

Parting comments…

The Cars sound very 1980s. They have that playful, quirky vibe with the synths that sound like a video arcade. That had charm, but could also be annoying.