THE CARS

[alan nagsworth]

MATE, FUCKING HELL, HOW GOOD IS THIS BAND?

I HEARD THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY AND I INSTANTLY LISTENED TO THE ALBUM "CANDY-O" THREE TIMES IN A ROW

THEN I GOT HOME JUST NOW AND I PUT ON "HEARTBEAT CITY" AND FOR FUCKS SAKE, "LOOKING FOR LOVE"!

THIS SHIT ABSOLUTELY FUCKING RULES AAHHH

THE CARS, MAN, WOW

[The Culture Bunker]

Like the first two albums a bit, not so much beyond that bar the singles. Ric Ocasek's lyrics never quite connected with me, but the band itself had a good vibe going, though they did always look like a bunch of older guys jumping on the "New Wave" gravy train.

Always wondered if it pissed off Jonathan Richman that two of his former sidemen ended up in hugely successful bands. Maybe he didn't give a toss.

[grassbath]

I only really know the self-titled album and 'Drive,' but it's all real good stuff.

[itsfredtitmus]

Roxy Music for people that have piano ties

[the science eel]

Devo for people who didn't go to university

[itsfredtitmus]

Devo for people who didn't go to university

thought that was Devo?

[itsfredtitmus]

you've all i got tonight (I NEED YOU)

[itsfredtitmus]

bye bye love rocks like no other song

[Z]

They suffer a bit via Just What I Needed being absolutely perfect.

I had a greatest hits album of theirs, single disc. Overall it left me suspecting I should've just gotten the debut but there was enough in the later material to not feel too badly burnt.

[PaulTMA]

They're fucking ace, not a ton of depth but who needs that anyway.

First album is obviously indispensable and only recently came round to Candy-O, an album which has a bit of slow (or mid-paced) start, but having gone back to it recently, well the run of songs from 'Shoo Be Doo' onwards is every bit as good as the debut.
Will also stick up for Panorama being underrated, while Shake It Up has lost pop klassix 'This Could Be Love' and 'Maybe Baby'.

I'll vouch too for Ric's debut solo album Beatitude, which is entirely great also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RczATjSmdNs

I 'treated' myself to a vinyl copy of their unloved (and least in demand on eBay) final album Door To Door which seems to get little love at all, but it does contain the unintentionally comedic number 'Strap Me In'. (I would suggest to leave bothering with that one to the very end)

Had a real blast earlier this year discovering all the post-debut records, well apart from Door To Door anyway...good times. 

[itsfredtitmus]

not a ton of depth but who needs that anyway.

why say that? you've ruined the thread forever!

[Kane Jones]

Debut album The Cars and Candy-O are grade-A, spikey, power pop, new wave brilliance. Diminishing returns after that, although I do quite like Heartbeat City as well. The opening to the album 'Hello' sounds exactly like Def Leppard. Why? Well it's because it was produced by Robert John 'Mutt' Lange who also produced Def Leppard's stuff and sang backing vocals on all of it. That recognisable Leppard vocal style is actually Mutt Lange.

[the science eel]

'Lange' to rhyme with 'flange' or two syllables like 'lang-uh'?

[the science eel]

if it's the latter he can stick it up his bum

[itsfredtitmus]

I've never thought of The Cars as new wave or power pop; too interesting to be a skinny tie band

[Twed]

why say that? you've ruined the thread forever!

Who's gonna drive this point home... tonight?

[JesusAndYourBush]

The other day I was listening to an album by Natalia Medvedeva and I discovered it was her on the cover of The Cars first LP.

[itsfredtitmus]

the bass on Moving in Stereo is very Morricone isnt it

[alan nagsworth]

On further listening I will agree that the first half of Candy-O is nowhere near as brilliantly realised as the second, solid though it is. Nevertheless that album and Heartbeat City have been ticking my boxes throughout my work travels yesterday and today, and again in my garden this evening over a couple of beers, shooting empty cans with my housemate's air rifle.

It's just exactly the sort of wholesome pop music of that era that I love. Not as bonkers as Oingo Boingo, not as gorgeous as Big Star, but somewhere in between. Very good stuff.

Gonna finally check out that debut album tomorrow but you know how it is when you get into a groove and want to jam the fuck out of an album on repeat.

[PaulTMA]

On further listening I will agree that the first half of Candy-O is nowhere near as brilliantly realised as the second, solid though it is. Nevertheless that album and Heartbeat City have been ticking my boxes throughout my work travels yesterday and today, and again in my garden this evening over a couple of beers, shooting empty cans with my housemate's air rifle.

It's just exactly the sort of wholesome pop music of that era that I love. Not as bonkers as Oingo Boingo, not as gorgeous as Big Star, but somewhere in between. Very good stuff.

Gonna finally check out that debut album tomorrow but you know how it is when you get into a groove and want to jam the fuck out of an album on repeat.

I would say they ended up being a middle ground between Talking Heads at the their most basic/poppy and Cheap Trick.  Liked by rock purists and new wave types alike...

I actually like the sequencing on Candy-O now since the album clicked for me...  After playing the debut to death for ages years ago, I thought that the second album was a bit of damp squib with all those safer, mid-paced numbers starting up the album, which is probably why I never got into it at the time.  While it wasn't a helpful sequence for getting into the album, I know think it works great because it sets gently things up for the great run beginning with Shoo Be Doo, where things get more interesting.

Don't want to oversell it or anything, but the debut is one of these perfect albums (although a lot of people hate I'm In Touch With Your World) which passes for a Greatest Hits (ironically, this was considered as a title but given the heave-ho by the record label).  Even the non-singles were staples on US radio in the late 70s (and they're not even shit!)

[alan nagsworth]

Shoo Be Doo

I find it interesting how Double Life fades so sloppily into Shoo Be Doo, almost as though the album itself gets impatient for the best material and starts bleeding itself into it. Ditto how Shoo Be Doo ends so abruptly and blasts right into Candy-O.

I also love Shoo Be Doo for how much of a standalone oddity it is. It reminds me of the first Suicide album, or TVOD by The Normal, both of which only came out one and two years prior respectively, and likewise sounds very proto John Maus and Dirty Beaches.

[PaulTMA]

I find it interesting how Double Life fades so sloppily into Shoo Be Doo, almost as though the album itself gets impatient for the best material and starts bleeding itself into it. Ditto how Shoo Be Doo ends so abruptly and blasts right into Candy-O.

I also love Shoo Be Doo for how much of a standalone oddity it is. It reminds me of the first Suicide album, or TVOD by The Normal, both of which only came out one and two years prior respectively, and likewise sounds very proto John Maus and Dirty Beaches.

Well, Ric Ocasek produced the second Suicide album (circa Candy-O's recording) and later worked with Alan Vega on his first 'pop' album, the great 'Saturn Strip', as well as some other stuff I've not heard, so he was undoubtedly a fan, although perhaps the two don't seem like the most obvious of pairings.

[Funcrusher]

Well, Ric Ocasek produced the second Suicide album (circa Candy-O's recording) and later worked with Alan Vega on his first 'pop' album, the great 'Saturn Strip', as well as some other stuff I've not heard, so we was undoubtedly a fan, although perhaps the two don't seem like the most obvious of pairings.

The second Suicide album is aces -never heard the Alan Vega album. The really mad one for me is that Ric Okasec produced Bad Brains 'Rock For Light'. 'Heartbeat City' is the absolute apex of synthy Michael Mann soundtrack pop. A masterpiece.

[the science eel]

'American Dreamer' is the co-write from Saturn Strip and it's fabulous.

[manticore]

'The Cars' were a highly professional outfit who played an appealing pop-rock blend that appealed to young and old alike. They gave the 'new wave' a glamorous sheen and were a real boost to the music world when they arrived on the scene in 1978.

They were a big hit on the live circuit too! No wonder 'Rolling Stone' readers rated them the best new band of 1978!

[Johnny Yesno]

THREADS WITH OVEREXCITED ALLCARS TITLES

[itsfredtitmus]

THREADS WITH OVEREXCITED ALLCARS TITLES

all cocks more like

[alan nagsworth]

Well, Ric Ocasek produced the second Suicide album (circa Candy-O's recording) and later worked with Alan Vega on his first 'pop' album, the great 'Saturn Strip', as well as some other stuff I've not heard, so he was undoubtedly a fan, although perhaps the two don't seem like the most obvious of pairings.

Heck, I didn't know that, thanks for the info! Those first two Suicide albums are indeed fucking excellent.