Tag: The Cars

Band leader Ric Ocasek of The Cars said it would never happen but in 2010/2011 four-fifths of the original band regrouped to record the final album – Move Like This. Missing bassist/co-vocalist Benjamin Orr who passed away in 2000, the band produced half the tracks on their own and half with producer Jacknife Lee. The snappy, 10 track album takes in many of their hallmark sounds, starting with the plinky plonk keyboard of “Blue Tip”, Ocasek with the spry vocals and catchy chorus.

The drums of David Robinson mix well with the keyboards of Greg Hawkes on “Too Late”,Hawkes later creates a Moby-like soundscape on the dramatic “Take Another Look”. A couple of tracks dip back into the 80s with mixed results, better are the songs that mix modern guitar sounds with their classic Cars’ sound like “It’s Only”. The single “Sad Song” puts the guitars of Elliot Easton up front on a track that sounds like a brighter take on Interpol.  Their 80s swansong Door to Door left the group with a bit of a sour note but Move Like This was a sleek update on their classic guitar/keyboard sound.

7/10

The first phase of Boston’s The Cars ended with the release of Door to Door in 1987. Produced by Ric Ocasek, it is the first time the band didn’t use an outside producer, somewhat surprising considering the massive success the band enjoyed with the Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange produced Heartbeat City album.  “Leave Or Stay”, the first track on the album certainly sounds like The Cars.  The drums of David Robinson are back instead of the mostly programmed beats on the last album. Listen closely and the insipid lyrics leave a lot to be desired – “She changed into her silk/I stood there drinking milk”.

Looking back on the band’s history, Door to Door is mostly forgotten and typically ranks at the bottom of the list when publications rank albums by The Cars. Songs like “Double Trouble” and single “Strap Me In” are non-descript 80s rock songs with little personality. Where the album does pull through is when the band sticks to what they are good at – new wave pop songs with Greg Hawkes’ keyboard flashes.

“You Are The Girl” was the biggest hit on the album, peaking at #17 in the US – it has a arpeggio synth lines and solid vocals from Ocasek and Benjamin Orr. “Go Away” could have been on Heartbeat City and the sped up Western tempo of “Everything You Say” is a definite highlight. A terrific pop song with some piano trills to fill in the gaps. While not the complete dud that was expected, Door To Door does sound uninspired and the couple of lows are awful. But when it’s good, it’s solid. Likely for many reasons, the band would break up a few months after the album was released and sadly, the last one to feature Benjamin Orr who passed away from cancer in 2000.

6/10

After the first two albums that went multiple platinum, Boston new wave band The Cars saw their fortunes start to sag.  Neither Panorama or Shake It Up came close to selling their previous albums. For the first time, the band decided not to use long time producer Roy Thomas and instead used Robert “Mutt” Lange.  Lange was fresh off massive credits with AC/DC and Def Leppard, here he adds a mainstream pop sheen to The Cars sound. 

Heartbeat City plays like a greatest hits with six singles being released from it. Taking advantage of MTV, the band produced two memorable videos with their first singles.  “You Might Think” is a staple of 80s nights where the video’s the camera trickery gained the band plenty of attention as it rose to #7 in the US singles charts.  They followed it up with the guitar driven “Magic” before releasing their most popular international hit, “Drive”.  The synthesized ballad sung by Benjamin Orr about someone either dealing with alcoholism or a mental condition struck a nerve that creates a tear jerker across shiny tiled floors under neon lights.

After the big hits are dispensed, “Why Can’t I Have You” is a computer generated song of love making the disappears in the chorus.  “I Refuse” may be the song that best distills all the elements on the album. The up tempo track takes in synths with guitars and spunky vocals to make it a memorable rocker.  The album closes with the title track.  Like a dystopian “Boys of Summer”, the robotic yet warm soundscape lays a bed under the mysterious “Oh Jacki, what took you so long?” storyline.  Using Mutt Lange was a stroke of genius as Heartbeat City album sailed into the US top 3 and went 4x platinum.  It would have put a great cap on their late 70s/early 80s heyday, but instead they released another album 3 years later…

10/10

On the first few songs from the album Shake It Up, The Cars immediately return to former glories.  “Since Your Gone” comes in hard, then mellows out at midtempo with what sounds like clipped handclaps. “Since you’re gone/I can’t help it/Everything’s a mess” sings Ocasek on a track that barely dented the US singles chart.  The title track is a new wave classic and dancefloor filler on 80s nights.  “Dance all night keep the beat/Don’t you worry ‘bout two left feet”.  The call to arms is amazingly the band’s first top 10 single, going to #3. Oddly, “I’m Not the One” would get remixed five years later and released as a single for their first Greatest Hits collection.

“Victim Of Love” has a retro 50s bop to it’s simple drum and keyboard lines that is later matched on “Think It Over” and its poppy chorus, a buzzing guitar that pops every few seconds. Darker is “This Could Be Love” as Ocasek sings “is this the kill, is this the thrill?”.  The thrills here are more understated and minimal, it would have not sounded out of place if it came out in indie rock dance boom of the early 2000s. It’s hard to live up to their early success and Shake It Up doesn’t seem to try.  Instead the band retreated into their newly build studio to tinker, delivering an understated album of new wave tracks that live in the dark shadows of the club.

7.5/10

Following up their classic debut was always going to be difficult but The Cars pulled that off extremely well with Candy-O.  A year after their sophomore album came Panorama. Even though the album hit the US top 5 and went platinum, none of the three singles made much of a dent in the charts.  Scraping into the top 40 was “Touch and Go”.  The track starts off with minimal synth/drums combo before a guitar adds in warmth, with a galloping rhythm that recalls songs from the 50s.

“Gimme Some Slack” also rides a galloping guitar on this upbeat track.  “Misfit Kid” has a plinky-plonky keyboard that then mellows out in the chorus.  Rick Okasec sings “I’m the American misfit kid/still wonderin’ what I did” on the should have been single. “Up and Down” hits a bit harder with a chiming guitar.

With Panorama, The Cars still show in several places that their new wave chops are still there. What lets it down is a few unmemorable songs and even worse, a few dreadful ones including the Benjamin Orr sung “Don’t Tell Me No” that is more whiney than forceful.  Many of the tracks sound like B-sides, more experimental than past releases but lacking better songs.

6.5/10