Classic Album Review: The Cars' debut album still sounds fresh

Walking a fine line between new wave and hard rock, The Cars' eponymous debut album sounds as good today as it did in 1978.

The Boston based Cars were something of a mystery when their first album, The Cars, was released in 1978. The album cover had no pictures of the band on the front but instead a photo of a smiling model with her hands on a steering wheel. In fact, the Cars were always something of a mystery. Ric Ocasek was the "leader" but he was no "front man" in the gregarious 'David Lee Roth' sort of way - and he didn't even sing all of the songs. And now that I think of it, the band members' pictures or personalities, for that matter, never were a major part of the program. One thing was no mystery, however; The Cars could craft some great, catchy, cool songs - and The Cars was full of them!

The Cars was "Just What I Needed"

Coming at a time when the pop music scene was feeling the tugs of punk, disco and corporate rock, the Cars provided a well needed burst of energy and their debut album presented a perfect mix of new wave and hard rock. "Just What I Needed" was the first single; written by Ocasek and sung by bassist Ben Orr (who would actually sing many of the group's most popular songs), the song encapsulated the Cars sound. Producer Roy Thomas Baker helped meld new wave lead vocals and keyboards with tasty pop/rock guitar playing to yield something that was pretty exciting in 1978. The fact that Baker had worked with bands like Queen didn't hurt either. He was a master at recording stacked vocals and great vocals are another signature of the album.

The Cars is a staple on Classic Rock Radio

Other singles from The Cars include "My Best Friends Girl" and "Good Times Roll"; great songs to be sure, but only part of the story. Really, every single song is great and you are just as likely to hear "You're All I've Got Tonight" or "Moving in Stereo" on your local classic rock station as you are to hear "Just What I Needed". One point to consider: Before the days of CD's, song order seemed to be alot more important, and the fact that albums had two sides meant bands thought in terms of sides and not just the overall album. Case in point: Side two of The Cars. The entire side could be viewed as a medley of sorts as each song fades into the next. It makes for a great continuous play.

Summary

To this day, the Cars continue to be one of the more popular bands of the classic rock era. Their quirky but hip style is emblematic of the late 70's and early 80's yet still sounds fresh today. And for a group that really didn't feature alot of "personalities", they sure were a great band with a handful of great albums. The Cars is probably their strongest album and, in fact, the band jokingly refers to their debut album as their first greatest hits album. They may have been joking, but they have a point - The Cars really is that good.

Originally published at Suite101.com.