TGIF Rock-n-Roll Oldies: THE CARS - 1984/85

Reaganite Republican ^ | July 1, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

The Cars were a trailblazing pop band who's beat-and-guitar driven rock n roll added synthesizers in a way that created a foundation for the 80s New Wave scene that was to come.

The first album -1978's The Cars- was a smash hit for the Boston-based group that promptly went platinum. That debut has been lauded as a "genuine rock masterpiece" by allmusic, with songs such as "Just What I Needed" "Best Friend's Girl"
"Let the Good Times Roll", and "Bye Bye Love".

After six albums and four Top Ten hits in the US, the band broke up in 1988. Sadly, singer/bassist Benjamin Orr -a close friend to fellow Cars founder Ric Ocasek- passed away far too young in 2000. Following that, Ocasek often said there would never be a Cars reunion, so by 2005 guitarist Elliott Easton and keyboard player Greg Hawkes instead hooked-up with Todd Rundgren and Kashim Sultan (fmr Meat Loaf/Rundgren's Utopia) to form a cleverly-named spin-off band -The New Cars- who toured with classic Cars and Rundgren tunes in addition to some new collaborative compositions.

But as overplayed as they were for so long, The Cars are still one of the few bands it's hard to tire of hearing, at least in my case. The epitome of power pop... what originality and fun!
If you're a rock fan that can somehow manage to be unhappy when The Cars are playing there's something seriously wrong with you. 
Myself, I'll always hold them dear, as this band really made that first summer with my Camaro in '79... couldn't play them loud enough, or often enough.

The Cars also ruled MTV in that era, with hugely popular videos like "You Might Think I'm Crazy", which specifically won Video of the Year honors on the cable music channel.

Band leader Ric Ocasek -son of a NASA engineer- also appeared in Jon Waters' cult film Hairspray, has put out a number of solo albums, and today produces bands such as Weezer and No Doubt. He has been married to the ever-lovely Paulina Porizkova for over 20 years, who he met on the set while shooting the video for "Drive" in 1984, in which the supermodel starred. (clip below). 

But to the surprise of many, just last month a new Cars album
-the first in 24 years- was released. Seems that Mr Ocasek had a change of heart last year, and the surviving members began practicing and composing for a new album: Move Like This.
It's been met with a decent critical reception, if not commercially. I myself have only heard one track -Sad Song- really not bad at all, though- and real Cars all the way, right down to the hand claps. The band is touring again, too... dates -here-

Let the good times roll indeed- remember when bands actually had some sense of humor and sang fun songs about cool cars and beautiful women?  What a contrast to most of the caustic rubbish you hear today. Who needs angry pierced-n-stamped 'outcasts' like Pink or Eminem whining about their childhood and what victims they are? To hell with them, if I want to get depressed I'll listen to George Jones-


The Cars: Tonight She Comes - 1985


The Cars: Drive - 1984


Links/video/more at Reaganite Republican
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Have a great weekend, FReeper patriots... and may God Bless America
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allmusic   NNBD   Wikipedia   Consequence of Sound

Previous RR Rock n Roll Oldies features -here-

[Reaganite Republican]

Talking Heads and Blondie very influential, but to me when bands like Zeppelin brought in synthesizers and wrote poppier songs like “All of my Love” THAT was the end

There was still room in the 80s for a decent rock band... look at Dire Straights, no New Wave there

[Reaganite Republican]

I am doing ZZ Top next week, actually... will post it here Friday 8th

Been doing these oldies weekly for a couple years now

[Reaganite Republican]

I never stopped since the first time I heard em, got all the vinyl up to 85 too ha

[GATOR NAVY]

Class of ‘80 here too. The Cars is another of those bands I didn’t care for much at the time, but which has grown on me since. My younger brother was big fan though and played them all the time, The Cars and Cheap Trick.

[John S Mosby]

And my 18 yo nephew told me about Tin House- produced by Edgar Winter, raving about the “rock” sound. Could not tell him I knew all about em.

Want to feel old? What if you played in a rival band back in the day, prior to these guys getting a contract (group named Marshmellow Steamshovel,for God’s sake— 70’s) with Epic, produced by Edgar Winter. Guitarist in the group Floyd Radford, went on to play several years with Edgar and then Johnny Winter- killer player... and then quit to get an engineering degree and a real job. Now back in the clubs some, and still killer. We were 17 and 18.

Enjoy the 70’s analog recording 16 track, before someone ruined rocking:
“Be Good and Be Kind” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-53lFs9pm0&feature=related

Then, Floyd playing live with Johhny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wckVfP2Efjc

And the 2009 club revival with Floyd in Orlando:
Rock n Roll Hoochie Koo (on a camera quality)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkCYsX38h9E&feature=related

Old but young- Happy Independence Day!

[packrat35]

That and My Best Friend’s Girl are my favorites. Both remind me of girls I dated around that time.

[packrat35]

I think the first 2 Cars albums had every song good on them.

[NoDRodee]

I remember a girl asking me to go to a Cars concert with her in High School, I passed because I never heard of them. plus she was kind of into the punk style but cute. A year later they were one of my favorite bands, she became real good looking. I messed up.

Got the Cars download pac for RockBand (PS3), my 17 daughter loves their songs.

[Zeneta]

That is so cool.

The Winter brothers talent has never been fully appreciated.

In addition to Edgar Winter, my favorite guitarist are: Adrian Belew Robert Fripp David Gilmour Frank Zappa Hendrix And as much as I hate to say it: Neil Young and Elvis Costello

[Zeneta]

Oh, BTW,

The greatest live album ever:

Well it’s a tie:

Made in Japan. Deep Purple

One for the road. The Kinks

[Reaganite Republican]

Kinks edges out DP here

But what about “Get Yer Ya Yas Out”

Best ever, tho just a single LP

imho

[Zeneta]

You want to relate a classic live performance to the world we live in. And yes, The Kinks, One for the Road, is the Best live recording ever.

Check out Ray Davies commentary in this live version of "20th Century Man"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD14kdgQEe8&feature=related

[GATOR NAVY]

Adrian Belew is awesome, and I’m always puzzled why his name doesn’t come up more on various “100 greatest guitarist” lists. His solo stuff, King Crimson, studio and tour work with Zappa, Talking Heads, Bowie, etc. is great stuff. I only saw him live once, about 25 years ago with The Bears at a bar in north San Diego County.

[dfwgator]

Their best song is “Moving in Stereo”, the fact that it also was the song that played when Phoebe Cates showed her tatas in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” didn’t hurt.

[dfwgator]

Live at Leeds is the greatest Live Album, ever.

[Reaganite Republican]

Will do Z, I am surely a fan, right down
to Schoolboys in Disgrace later, even Dave Davies’
solo stuff like Death of a Clown

Been listening to ‘em for 30 yrs- I did a post on “Plastic Man” too, largely unknown in the US- fun video clip too:

http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/2010/02/saturday-night-rr-oldies-kinks-1967.html

Enjoy your weekend-

[Reaganite Republican]

Right on, ha ha

Seen that flick ten times, though not much of a fan of Spicoli in real life lol