The Album Review Club - End of Round #9 Break (page 1904)

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Reading that really makes me want to listen to it, and you can’t say fairer than that.
Cheers pal.

Thanks mate, I appreciate it.

 

[mancity1]

The Album Review Club – Week #33

The Cars – Candy-O (1979)

Selected by FogBlueInSanFran

View attachment 43623

Well done to @Mancitydoogle -- the animals in my clue are all associated with cars (Mustang, Bee(a)tle, Jaguar), and my selection is The Cars’ second record “Candy-O” from 1979.

This is an album I’ve loved for over 40 years. After the rush I got with Bad//Dreems, I almost changed my selection to something garage-ier (pun intended), but I revisited this album recently and I still enjoy it a lot. So here we go.

To some extent The Cars were the punchier new wave Roxy Music, or maybe The Ramones meet Roxy Music, if Gary Numan was somehow, you know, in The Ramones (and therefore named Gary Ramone).

Unlike most fans I have always thought "Candy-O" is the best of what they had to offer. Most early fans would say their first record is definitive; pop fans would say “Heartbeat City” is. But I like this one because it’s bouncier, rockier, more cynical, has sharper guitar, and keyboard hooks everywhere.

This record takes me back to age 14 when suddenly punk was morphing to new wave and suddenly bleeding into pop and suddenly on the radio. Music was changing fast and everything was on the table, as became apparent in the early 1980s.

Like The Pretenders, The Cars were one of the most influential transitional bands everyone always forgets to cite – at least in the States, they were one of the first tagged with the “new wave” label who broke into pop radio. Surprisingly few followed them at the time, which is one of the reasons they retain their freshness, IMO. No one’s ever really sounded quite like them.

Noted physically-unattractive singer-guitarist geek Ric Ocasek has just as distinctively thin a vocal range as David Byrne without the quirkiness, but a lot of the best songs come from bassist Benjamin Orr (he who wrote and sang their biggest hit “Drive”), and Greg Hawkes’ semi-cheesy keyboards and Elliot Easton’s super-clean guitar all contribute a lot too.

The lyrics are pretty direct – girls screw up guys’ lives, and as nice as we try to be, we all get hammered in the end and they win, and thus men are resigned to a dark obsessiveness. I’d take this theme more seriously if Ocasek hadn’t nabbed Paulina Porizkova, one of THE super-models of the era. Rich rock stars have it tough, eh?

Romantic obsession is where the Bryan Ferry comparisons are pretty apt, though Ferry had (has?) style, while Ocasek decidedly did not. Roxy Music is also much more a collection of crazed genius weirdo musicians than The Cars.

As usual for me when it comes to pop, I like quality and quantity and to love a record I need every song to stand on its own as one that I’d put on shuffle, and to me, this record is chock full of potential singles beyond the three that were released. But one that was deserves special mention.

A long time ago bluemoon had a “perfect song” thread, and I think I offered up Sugar’s “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”, but I am certain I thought through a few Cars songs, especially “It’s All I Can Do” with its clever, wistful lyrics (“One too many times / I twisted the gate / When I was crazy / I thought you were great”), pristine guitar solo and chorus harmony with the organ chords backing up the last stanza and sending the whole tune soaring. I love it.

The opener (“Let’s Go”) is fun, and the two closers are strong, especially “Dangerous Type”. About the only weak spot is “Lust For Kicks.” “Shoo Be Doo” is a little odd (and less than two minutes long), but morphs right into “Candy-O” and “Nightspots”, two completely different songs (one rocks, one bounces) but my favo(u)rite 1-2 punch on the record.

I don’t think The Cars were quite as popular in the UK as the US, but if you don’t know them or aren’t old enough to remember the emergence and confluence of pop and new wave, this record marks a great examination of that crossroads.

Happy listening!

You have hinted on the Cars before Fog and while my memory is fading I considered Ric O to be the one you will reveal we should have nabbed in the favourite vocalists but now I know he is not the one.

BTW If it was that would be a good choice he is in my top 30 song writers of the pop/rock era.

As for the Cars again you have excelled but I am biased because of my appreciation and love of Ric O and his immense song writing ability.

Not my favourite Cars album but a near second to Panorama because of its aggression.

I suspect you are a fan of their video's I certainly am when video was experimental , appealing and humorous unlike the vast majority of trash you see today and they did it to a tee without compromising the music.

Quality and quantity the Cars have it in spades.

 

[mancity1]

I might be first cab of the rank for this one largely because I don't need to play it again and again as I have done so for over 40 years now.

I might be slandered for being biased and deservedly so because I am such a huge fan of Ric O from his Richard and the Rabbits days ( what a name for a group ) onwards.

If it was Panorama it would be a 9 but its an 8 for me and anybody who loves power pop / rock or new wave should have this album in their collection.

My only regret is I never saw the Cars live but my collection more than makes up for it.

Not a weak track on the whole album for me and they all compliment each other to a nicety , the production is right on the money.

 

[RobMCFC]

The Album Review Club – Week #33

The Cars – Candy-O (1979)

Selected by FogBlueInSanFran

View attachment 43623

Well done to @Mancitydoogle -- the animals in my clue are all associated with cars (Mustang, Bee(a)tle, Jaguar), and my selection is The Cars’ second record “Candy-O” from 1979.

This is an album I’ve loved for over 40 years. After the rush I got with Bad//Dreems, I almost changed my selection to something garage-ier (pun intended), but I revisited this album recently and I still enjoy it a lot. So here we go.

To some extent The Cars were the punchier new wave Roxy Music, or maybe The Ramones meet Roxy Music, if Gary Numan was somehow, you know, in The Ramones (and therefore named Gary Ramone).

Unlike most fans I have always thought "Candy-O" is the best of what they had to offer. Most early fans would say their first record is definitive; pop fans would say “Heartbeat City” is. But I like this one because it’s bouncier, rockier, more cynical, has sharper guitar, and keyboard hooks everywhere.

This record takes me back to age 14 when suddenly punk was morphing to new wave and suddenly bleeding into pop and suddenly on the radio. Music was changing fast and everything was on the table, as became apparent in the early 1980s.

Like The Pretenders, The Cars were one of the most influential transitional bands everyone always forgets to cite – at least in the States, they were one of the first tagged with the “new wave” label who broke into pop radio. Surprisingly few followed them at the time, which is one of the reasons they retain their freshness, IMO. No one’s ever really sounded quite like them.

Noted physically-unattractive singer-guitarist geek Ric Ocasek has just as distinctively thin a vocal range as David Byrne without the quirkiness, but a lot of the best songs come from bassist Benjamin Orr (he who wrote and sang their biggest hit “Drive”), and Greg Hawkes’ semi-cheesy keyboards and Elliot Easton’s super-clean guitar all contribute a lot too.

The lyrics are pretty direct – girls screw up guys’ lives, and as nice as we try to be, we all get hammered in the end and they win, and thus men are resigned to a dark obsessiveness. I’d take this theme more seriously if Ocasek hadn’t nabbed Paulina Porizkova, one of THE super-models of the era. Rich rock stars have it tough, eh?

Romantic obsession is where the Bryan Ferry comparisons are pretty apt, though Ferry had (has?) style, while Ocasek decidedly did not. Roxy Music is also much more a collection of crazed genius weirdo musicians than The Cars.

As usual for me when it comes to pop, I like quality and quantity and to love a record I need every song to stand on its own as one that I’d put on shuffle, and to me, this record is chock full of potential singles beyond the three that were released. But one that was deserves special mention.

A long time ago bluemoon had a “perfect song” thread, and I think I offered up Sugar’s “If I Can’t Change Your Mind”, but I am certain I thought through a few Cars songs, especially “It’s All I Can Do” with its clever, wistful lyrics (“One too many times / I twisted the gate / When I was crazy / I thought you were great”), pristine guitar solo and chorus harmony with the organ chords backing up the last stanza and sending the whole tune soaring. I love it.

The opener (“Let’s Go”) is fun, and the two closers are strong, especially “Dangerous Type”. About the only weak spot is “Lust For Kicks.” “Shoo Be Doo” is a little odd (and less than two minutes long), but morphs right into “Candy-O” and “Nightspots”, two completely different songs (one rocks, one bounces) but my favo(u)rite 1-2 punch on the record.

I don’t think The Cars were quite as popular in the UK as the US, but if you don’t know them or aren’t old enough to remember the emergence and confluence of pop and new wave, this record marks a great examination of that crossroads.

Happy listening!

Great write-up. It''s probably not good having pre-conceived ideas, but most of the time when a nomination comes up, I have a gut-feeling as to whether I might like it (I'm not always right by the way) but with this one, I genuinely don't know. I only know "Drive" and I've heard the name Rik Ocasek, but beyond that, The Cars are a blank canvas to me.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Great write-up. It''s probably not good having pre-conceived ideas, but most of the time when a nomination comes up, I have a gut-feeling as to whether I might like it (I'm not always right by the way) but with this one, I genuinely don't know. I only know "Drive" and I've heard the name Rik Ocasek, but beyond that, The Cars are a blank canvas to me.

I only know 'Drive' aswell by them - beautiful song, powerful at Live Aid

Don't think there's any of these type of ballads on this pick, just about to take first listen

 

[GornikDaze]

Without wishing to divert from this album review, if you’re a fan of Rick Beato this is a great review of my favourite Cars tune and well worth a watch if you’ve got 10 mins to spare…

 

[Bill Walker]

I’m in my late 50s so are you in your 70s, Bill? If so your music is of a golden age (the late 60s) but stylistically of an era as unusual as 50s Bill Haley and doo-wop.

A lot of the 70s American records I like best are already on the top 1,100 Larkin/Rolling Stone lists and I’m trying to avoid those.

Since I’ve done the 70s, 80s and 00s, I still have to hit the 60s in my selections as well as the 90s and 10s (that’s 2010s, not 1910s), so maybe the next one will be a 60s record and more your cup of tea.

But TBH it will probably be a 90s record and, given that I’ve been reasonably “poppy” with my last two picks, it will likely stretch boundaries some.

Not seventies yet.
I was 20 in 1973.
I grew up listening to every Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Neil Young albums as they were released.
I then got seriously into prog. Obsessed really.
Now I'm obsessed with Jazz.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Great write-up. It''s probably not good having pre-conceived ideas, but most of the time when a nomination comes up, I have a gut-feeling as to whether I might like it (I'm not always right by the way) but with this one, I genuinely don't know. I only know "Drive" and I've heard the name Rik Ocasek, but beyond that, The Cars are a blank canvas to me.

Drive (written and sung by Ben Orr) sounds a lot different than most Cars stuff — much more a traditional ballad (and a good one IMO) than what you’ll hear across effectively all of their other songs.

 

[bennyboy]

This will be an interesting one for me.
Bought their first couple of singles.
Best friends girl and Just what I needed.Brilliant singles.
Bought their first lp.The Cars.
Let the good times roll and the above 2 singles tracks 1,2,3.Great start but the rest of the lp was shite and never listened to them again.
Drive I hated so this Candy O will be a first listen to them since their first album.
Not holding my breath for high marks.
Good pick though.
My next pick is also coming from early 80's.

 

[journolud]

Had a first listen just after 6 this morning, probably not the best time as I play it quiet so as not to disturb others in the house. Second listen this afternoon had more impact. Seems the Cars have a very distinctive, to me anyway, chugging sound which can be a bit repetitive but no real complaints about the album so far but nothing standing out either.

Followed it just out of interest with "top tracks" on Spotify, the obvious Just What I Needed, Best Friends Girl, Drive and after a dip with Good Times Roll and Let's Go which struck me as a bit formulaic it was Moving in Stereo which was the b side to Best Friend's Girl and this clarified for me why I wasn't so taken by the greatest hits when I got it. Best Friends Girl is a great pop song but I really liked the b side and was hoping that they had more like that but it seems not.

It's inoffensive stuff and we're not doing bad being two listens in already with most of the week to go so it might well have the chance to become really familiar.

Back to that chugging sound, and absolutely by the by, reminds me of a pretty obscure artist called Moon Martin, recently deceased I believe, who also churned out pretty formulaic stuff but was a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. Anyone heard of him? (Better know for writing Rolene, covered by Mink DeVille and Bad Case of Loving You, covered by Robert Palmer)