The Bottom Line
Pros
- This is simply one of the best debut albums in rock history.
- The album represents one of the strongest marriages of guitar and keyboards in rock.
- Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr sharing lead vocals is the epitome of proper musical collaboration.
Cons
- The record is only about 36 minutes long.
Description
- Possibly the most essential new wave album ever recorded.
- Possibly the most essential classic rock album you should own.
- Definitely a must for any thinking, music-loving person's music collection.
Guide Review - "The Cars"
While I'm going to gloss over the precision and efficiency of "Good Times Roll" and "My Best Friend's Girl," it's only so I can get to "Just What I Needed" a little sooner. Despite this song's recent attachment to a Circuit City advertisement and the umpteen times I've heard it on classic rock radio, this tune is nothing short of perfection. Ben Orr's vocals never cease to connect, and the keyboard lines from Greg Hawkes simply have no peer. As for Elliot Easton, I can only wonder why his guitar solos don't get much more attention among guitar aficionados, because this one scorches from start to finish.
The other best songs on the album, "You're All I've Got Tonight," "Moving in Stereo," and "Bye Bye Love" are nearly interchangeable only in the sense that each one threatens to replace the other as your favorite after every listen.
It's amazing just how much this album rocks, grooves and glides all at the same time, and that is the essence of the Cars. Few bands had the talent, much less the vision, to create combinations as rich and magical as Ocasek and Co. do here. Listening to this album and even thinking about it reminds music fanatics of their place in the world.
