OB1
Well-Known Member
I agree, it's a great ballad and I don't say that often. Love the album too; especially the track that precedes "Drive": "Magic" - power pop perfection.
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The Album Review Club - End of Round #9 Break (page 1904)
- Thread starter RobMCFC
- Start date
I agree, it's a great ballad and I don't say that often. Love the album too; especially the track that precedes "Drive": "Magic" - power pop perfection.
OB1
Well-Known Member
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)
Their whole sound is based on Lou Reed/ VU's Sweet Jane ;-)
mancity2012_eamo
Well-Known Member
I knew Let’s Go but have never played this album.
I had Heartbeat City and it really is a 1984 collection or encapsulation.
I really enjoyed the first listen of this 1979 offering. It is an album rather than a collection of songs and really does show the transition out of punk into new wave pop. Not sure there really was punk in America, but you know what I mean. The electronica is there but I really love the guitar on it. It’s slightly harder or punchier in delivery than the later album.
Nothing other than Let’s Go, had stood out yet for me, but loved the whole retro trip so far.
I had Heartbeat City and it really is a 1984 collection or encapsulation.
I really enjoyed the first listen of this 1979 offering. It is an album rather than a collection of songs and really does show the transition out of punk into new wave pop. Not sure there really was punk in America, but you know what I mean. The electronica is there but I really love the guitar on it. It’s slightly harder or punchier in delivery than the later album.
Nothing other than Let’s Go, had stood out yet for me, but loved the whole retro trip so far.
BimboBob
Well-Known Member
I've had 2 listens so far, and I'm sort of liking it but I have a feeling it's a weaker album than their first offering. That had 3 bangers to start with, this not so, and the last 3 or 4 songs are very dull...still, I'll keep on listening...it might creep up on me.
GoatersLeftShin
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When I saw "The Cars", I fully expected the album with Drive on... so I was surprised and intrigued when I saw it wasn't on there. I know their other songs like Just What I Needed Good Times Roll, Best Friends Girl too.
I listened to the album this afternoon and my first reaction was that it sounded so different to Drive! It's pretty much a "New Wave" album and shows how much they changed their sound in a few short years. It's hard to believe it's the same band really!
What I love about these albums though is that you get the feeling they'd got their hands on a synthesizer (a monotone one) and were trying ideas out on it. They were trying to figure out what they could do with it and were clearly interested in the sound. I'd rather listen to an album like this where you have that experimentation than an album where they are doing the same as the last one!
I quite liked the album, there was some interesting tracks on but I couldn't help thinking that it lacked a "killer" track for me. I think if it would've been another Cars album it would score quite a bit higher. I do think I'll come back to this album and I'll absolutely go and revisit some of their other albums over the next week. It just lacked that "X Factor" for want of a better word for me, but I found it a fascinating listen purely for the "how did they end up making Drive" if you get me! :)
I'm going for another 6/10.
I listened to the album this afternoon and my first reaction was that it sounded so different to Drive! It's pretty much a "New Wave" album and shows how much they changed their sound in a few short years. It's hard to believe it's the same band really!
What I love about these albums though is that you get the feeling they'd got their hands on a synthesizer (a monotone one) and were trying ideas out on it. They were trying to figure out what they could do with it and were clearly interested in the sound. I'd rather listen to an album like this where you have that experimentation than an album where they are doing the same as the last one!
I quite liked the album, there was some interesting tracks on but I couldn't help thinking that it lacked a "killer" track for me. I think if it would've been another Cars album it would score quite a bit higher. I do think I'll come back to this album and I'll absolutely go and revisit some of their other albums over the next week. It just lacked that "X Factor" for want of a better word for me, but I found it a fascinating listen purely for the "how did they end up making Drive" if you get me! :)
I'm going for another 6/10.
Bill Walker
Well-Known Member
@FogBlueInSanFran as you can see, not really a great idea :)
FogBlueInSanFran
Well-Known Member
Pfffft the guy threatened to pick a Radiohead record next just to spite me. I say let’s jazz his ass up! :) :) :)@FogBlueInSanFran as you can see, not really a great idea :)
journolud
Well-Known Member
I thought you threatened to pick Radiohead to spite yourself, or everybody elsePfffft the guy threatened to pick a Radiohead record next just to spite me. I say let’s jazz his ass up! :) :) :)
FogBlueInSanFran
Well-Known Member
Did I? I don’t remember that. It’s feasible I was plastered!I thought you threatened to pick Radiohead to spite yourself, or everybody else
I have too many records I love to do that. In fact I’m glad I have a while before my next one cuz trying to pick a single 90s record is impossible — so many great ones to choose from.
It's my considered view that the Pistols' revolution created far more great British bands/music than American in the early/mid 80s, but that the Nirvana revolution created far more great American bands/music than British in the early/mid 90s.
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mancity2012_eamo
Well-Known Member
And the U2 revolution in the ….. no wait scratch that!Did I? I don’t remember that. It’s feasible I was plastered!
I have too many records I love to do that. In fact I’m glad I have a while before my next one cuz trying to pick a single 90s record is impossible — so many great ones to choose from.
It's my considered view that the Pistols' revolution created far more great British bands/music than American in the early/mid 80s, but that the Nirvana revolution created far more great American bands/music than British in the early/mid 90s.
Have to say, I am really enjoying this pick. And for once I am in almost total agreement with Foggy’s review summation of Candy-O.
I love Heartbeat City and the debut album too, but never having heard any of Candy-O bar the opener, “Let’s Go”, I am loving this punchier birth of new wave, less commercial, feel to them. It’s unmistakably The Cars sound but the most impressive thing on it for me, is the fact that it isn’t fitting into any one niche of pop or rock. When you think it is conforming to one norm or the other it throws in a subtle curveball or swerve in the chord changes. And the guitar is perfect. Absolutely love where it lies between pop and rock and dare I even venture into some sort of pre grunge, before grunge was ever a thing. All mixed with an upbeat electronica.
It is uniquely The Cars and yet I can hear many diverse snippets from Jane’s Addiction, to Kraftwerk and even Zig Zig Sputnik, or where Sputnik wish they could have gone, had they not been manufactured shite. Yep, that’s what I hear in Shoo Be Doo.
Foggy wrote;
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.
Apart from Lust For Kicks being weak( I don’t agree) I totally get this. It’s the part that makes me sit up and take notice with each listen, and has me checking what the song titles are. Right from the end of Double Life where it goes into the driving industrial mechanics of Shoo Be Do and the transformation into Candy-O and beyond, it really is like the birth of something new.
This is very much an album, as I said earlier, rather than a collection of pop singles. As much as I love Heartbeat City, I really do see the attraction Foggy has for this and am feeling very similar myself.
There is no intellectual lyrics and pretentiousness about The Cars in general. They are what they are, but they are very good at it. The production on this album is spot on. It is clear and crisp, I can hear every instrument clearly without the overall affect being overly polished. Ocasek’s voice is still punk and raw enough to give even the poppier elements an edge.
What’s not to like about The Cars.
I was thinking another 7, that’s two weeks in a row, but I’ll hold off yet as I think I may be pushed to an 8 by Wednesday as this is really growing on me.