The Cars – The Cars – 1978
Thirty plus years after it was one of the most spun records of my youth I’m struck by something listening to The Cars’ eponymous debut again: “Let the Good Times Roll” is a weird opener, a near laconic, stoner rocker. The kind of song that would and should play on the beach during a weekend beer fest. The “Good Times” are lazy. But also tightly controlled. There’s little air and you don’t want it, you don’t miss it. The airless, nothing left to chance, hyper controlled arrangement of the classic doo wop by way of New Wave “My Best Friend’s Girl” is just what the doctor ordered during an era of endless jams and classic rock tropes that included bloat like drum solos.
No room for that here. The Cars are economical at best. But it’s that economy that really wins the listener over.
One of the most stellar debuts in history, Ocasek, Orr, Hawkes, Easton & Robinson rewrite the rules on rock by taking it wayyyyy back to it’s roots and moving wayyyy forward at the same time. The result is something timeless.
Can anyone NOT air drum to “”Just What I Needed”? Can anyone resist the herky jerky vocal nervosa of Ocasek that calls to mind Elvis Costello, Roy Orbison & seasickness at the same time?
Hawkes’ synth keys, the American version of Gary Numan’s early stuff (which happened at the same time, believe it or not), never sound dated. Which is really incredible. And Easton’s guitar is like a laser. Precise when applied.
Queen’s over the top producer Roy Thomas Baker fleshes out the sound, which, without him, might have come off weak as just about every instrument and voice is fighting for prominence but, because of him, each one shines. He puts Ocasek’s vocals way back on “I’m in Touch With Your World” and pushes the drums right up front on the side one rave up, “Don’t Cha Stop”. And the elixir is delicious.
The real hero of The Cars isn’t any one individual but, lost in the hoopla of Ocasek’s voice/songs, Orr’s looks & Hawkes’ futuristic keys is the brilliant guitar work of Easton. I can not praise him enough. His solos are worthy of any band of the era and yet, while he could have been the star, he’s satisfied with just laying in what’s needed.
The closest the album gets to a ballad is the slow tempo, spacey, sci fi, “Moving in Stereo”, which works as a new wave, geek sex romp backing track. It’s hard not to picture images from Fast Times at Ridgemont High when it’s on, although there’s I wonder if it’s the images that enhance the song or vice versa. I go with the latter.
The Cars is one of the 1000 albums you need to hear before you die.
Grade: A
ASide: Good Times Roll, My Best Friend’s Girl, Just What I Needed, Don’t Cha Stop
BlindSide: I’m in Touch with Your World, You’re All I’ve Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love
DownSide: Nothing. A great debut.
