THE CARS - PART 2

In which we conclude our tiptoe through THE CARS' tulips....

Their first album is still their best; their third, PANORAMA, remains their worst. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE, NO DOUBT, WEEZER, and untold others owe them a debt.

[Note: The photo above clearly does not -- cannot -- depict the actual band members. That would be entirely too horrifying. So... I must assume that some enterprising Geek-Squad artiste has gone and got his groove on with the Photoshop. By this logic, the "character" in the lower-left corner is not keyboardist GREG HAWKES, but a digitally-enhanced amalgam of GEORGE HARRISON and Adolph Hitler. Above him ("it"), guitarist ELLIOT EASTON has been replaced by either GENE SIMMONS' scion, NICK, or a young, pre-rehab STEVEN TYLER. Next over, it's PAT BENATAR or JOAN JETT (again, impossible to tell which), in full-on, Kabuki-mime regalia, standing in for BENJAMIN ORR. RIC OCASEK is doppelganged by "Office" boss Steve Carell (both the mullet and adam's apple are clearly fake). And a very nice Jewish woman (who may or may not be Italian to boot) poses in place of drummer DAVID ROBINSON.]

From the LP PANORAMA, 1980 >>>
[MP3] "Touch and Go"
[MP3] "Running to You"

From the LP CANDY-O, 1979 >>>
[MP3] "Let's Go"
[MP3] "Dangerous Type"

From their self-titled LP, 1978 >>>
[MP3] "Just What I Needed"
[MP3] "You're All I've Got Tonight"
[MP3] "My Best Friend's Girl"

THE CARS - PART 1

I have admitted on this blog in the past that THE CARS were my favorite group in the 1980s and that their 1983 release, HEARTBEAT CITY, was the first LP I ever purchased (on vinyl, no less).

Oddly enough, I think it was GREG HAWKES' integral synthesizer work that hooked me in to their sound at the start. Then there were those super-slick chorus harmonies -- courtesy of super-slick uber-producers ROY THOMAS BAKER (QUEEN) and JOHN "MUTT" LANGE (DEF LEPPARD). Throw in an underrated guitar player (ELIOT EASTON), a MODERN LOVER drummer (DAVID ROBINSON), a Rutger Hauer-lookalike on bass and vox (BENJAMIN ORR), and, last but not least, RIC OCASEK -- a lead singer/songwriter who looked like a cross between JOHNNY RAMONE and Lemony Snickett. I mean, come on.... What was not to like?

Clearly, then, HEARTBEAT CITY will always hold a favored place in my heart. But it's their first album that remains their true classic -- the perfect blend of rock and new wave. We'll be working our way back to that one both today and Monday. Hope you come along for the ride....

From the LP DOOR TO DOOR, 1987 >>>
[MP3] "Strap Me In"
[MP3] [VID] "You Are the Girl"

From the LP GREATEST HITS , 1985 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Tonight She Comes"

From the LP HEARTBEAT CITY, 1983 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "You Might Think"
[MP3] [VID] "Magic"
[MP3] [VID] "Why Can't I Have You"

From the LP SHAKE IT UP, 1981 >>>
[MP3] [VID] "Since You're Gone"
[MP3] [VID] "Shake It Up"