the cars

We are down to only The Cars on the reviews page. I am not sure how I missed this for 37 years, but I realized today Let's Go is one of the catchiest songs ever concocted by the mind of Man. I like the nightlife baby!

Still my favorite Cars song. I have a vivid memory of hearing it on the radio in a schoolbus on some junior high school or church youth group roadtrip.

few comments about the cars.
1. they never sounded like anybody else. hard to define their musical influences.
2. one of the most boring bands live. they were amazing in the repect that they can replicate their studio sound and play flawlessly. even the times of their songs were exact by the second.
3, best friends girlfriend is one of the best power pop songs ever

Musically speaking, The Cars were the hood ornament on the entire 80s. You couldn't watch MTV for an hour without seeing one of their tunes. You might have even heard it as well.

I once had a warehouse manager scoff at them as they played on the radio. I asked him what his #^&*!% problem was with them. Here's what he said:

"Those guys were #^&*!% faggots!"

I reminded him that Paulina P. was part of the equation, but it made no difference. The guy was all country rock all the time. A real douche.

They might not be actual musical influences, but would it be too much of a reach to say that The Cars inhabited the empty lot between Television and Kraftwerk?

"They might not be actual musical influences, but would it be too much of a reach to say that The Cars inhabited the empty lot between Television and Kraftwerk?"

Not a reach at all. I'd add Roxy Music to that equation as well.

> one of the most boring bands live.

As much as I love The Cars, I gotta second Rebel's assessment. One of the dullest stage acts ever to make the big-time. I saw them in '82 (I guess) on the Shake It Up tour, and although they sounded great, they were about as static as a band gets. (Nick Lowe opened the show, and for enthusiasm, energy and sheer entertainment value, he left The Cars in the dust.)

I saw their Denver show in May, mainly because (a) I was eager to see one of my all-time favorite bands again, even though I knew what a dull live act they always were, and (b) my wife had never seen them, and wanted to. Again, they sounded fantastic (although Ben Orr's absence sure leaves a hole in the vocal harmonies), but were boring to watch.

Post-script: Leaving the venue at that May gig, an old college friend of mine bumped into us. He was gushing about the show we'd just seen. He said, "They were really animated tonight, weren't they? Especially compared to the way they were onstage, back in the day."

I saw my wife's jaw drop, but she didn't say anything. As we walked away, she asked me, "Jeez, what were they like back then? Did they do the show lying on couches onstage?"

Rick Ocasek appeared last night on The Colbert Report and after his interview by Stephen Colbert he and The Cars (minus Orr) played the tune "Keep on Knocking" from their recent album "Move Like This." They played out the last 15 seconds of the show with "My Best Friend's Girl." Sure, they didn't put on a wild stage show but the performance was rock solid despite missing Orr's vocals.

Aaand now the review page is empty.

My apologies to my TP comrades. Between work and responsibilities at home, I haven't managed to keep up my reviews either for this site or for KRCC.

I'm plotting a vacation during which I'm going to finally begin (and hopefully finish) my long-promised Porcupine Tree entry. Wish me luck.

"Let's Go" was memorably covered by Ernie Isley on the Rubaiyat compilation on Elektra.

Really! The station has that compilation in the library; will check it out. (I knew I should've bought that box set when I had the chance. Pity I was frickin' broke in those days.)

its a great compilation. john eddys version of inbewteen days has a sweet touch.
its extremely eclectic and its more hit then miss on the covers.