"The Cars"

While owning one of the Cars' rather exhaustive compilations is certainly not a bad way to go, doing so in lieu of this album is nothing short of criminal. There simply may not exist another album in rock that accomplishes so much in such a small running time, with not a filler tune in the bunch. Nine classics that would be classics in any era or if played in just about any style. Performances that raise the already exemplary level of songwriting up a few more notches.

Somehow the frequency with which the songs from this album have been played over the years on commercial radio have not detracted from their impact. Perhaps that familiarity has fostered an occasional tendency for listeners to take the Cars for granted, but in no way does that mean the songs don't hold up.

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.