ALBUMS: The Cars (1978); Candy-O (1979); Panorama (1980); Shake it Up (1981)
MVC Rating: Cars 4.5/$$$; Candy-O 4.0/$$$; Panorama 4.0/$$$; Shake it Up 3.5/$$$
Let’s see. The soundtrack of my high school days:
Born to Run, Springsteen in 1976.
Night Moves, Seger in 1977.
Just What I Needed, The Cars in 1978.
The Cars? It’s almost like which one of these things doesn’t belong game.
But their self-titled first album sold 6 million. That’s a lot of high school soundtracks. Overall the group is well past the 20 million mark over a span of a half dozen or so records.
Yet, I played the first Cars album recently for one of my daughters, now 31, and she asked who that was copying David Bowie?
Or could it be Roxy Music knock-offs? For some reason, the Cars seem to be this mega-grossing band that turned into a passing phase. (Enter good car analogy here. No not the DeLorean.) It seems that the group zoomed through the 70s and 80s at 100 mph and disappeared in a -cloud of dust. I like the analogy ‘Vanishing Point,’ the movie. Shift into 5th gear if you get that reference.
Ok, here’s how I break it down. The debut is dynamite, first to last song. These guys had a sharp austere playing style with catchy hooks. Very precise crunching chords and quick pick bass lines. It’s all within the framework of power pop. They were just better at it than anybody else. Their sound popped, probably courtesy of producer Roy Thomas Baker (Queen).
Earlier I reviewed The Beat, led by Paul Collins, and mentioned one of their songs ‘Don’t Wait Up For Me,’ one of power pop’s best songs. It was a Cars-like song. Only the Cars had about 10 or so of that quality over the course of their half-dozen or so albums. Many if not most were on that first one. I have four Cars albums and I don’t listen to them too much anymore. The lyrics were about nothing or nothing much, arch, bouncy but never really went beyond the hooks’ catchphrases.
I am one of a seeming minority that actually liked Panorama which had a little more complicated songs and a little more experimentation. But truth be told, the Cars were never as good as that 1st album. Indeed few artists had debut albums that strong. In the end, they fell victim to a formulaic sameness. But there were moments on later albums: ‘Touch and Go’ and ‘Shake it Up.’
On that debut, there were sharp guitars and radio friendly songs throughout — with the band nailing the walk-off with the last three songs of side 2: “It’s all Mixed up.””Bye Bye Love”and “Moving in Stereo.”
However, when I feel myself nostalgic about those HS cruising days, I usually go back to Springsteen, Seger, a little less, or the classics, Rolling Stones (I even enjoyed the Stones’ and Rod Stewart’s disco eras. Don’t quote me on that.) Daddy I’m a Fool to Cry.
One soundtrack that can’t go without mentioning here came out when I was about 17. Elvis Costello’s ‘My Aim is True’ album. Opened my ears to a new style, on a similar road, paved the way for the Cars.
Had the Costello on cassette. Played that in my Mustang until it broke. And of course there was Zeppelin.
Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.