Favorite song by THE CARS

[Bossy Monkey]

Poll question: Favorite song by THE CARS

You remember them-- from Boston, lotsa synthesizers, skinny frontman who dumped his wife for Paulina Porizkova. Great songs, though.

[ldoolin]

1. Re: The Cars

Toss-up between "Bye Bye Love" and "It's All I Can Do"

The Cars lost me after Panorama though...

[GOPisEvil]

2. Ever see them live?

:boring:

"Hi. We're The Cars." Then an hour and a half of playing songs that sounded the same as if they were recorded. No emotion. No playing to the crowd. Technically great, but, what a snoozer.

[mitchum]

9. Saw them live and the songs didn't sound the same as recorded...

much much worse. Without the brilliant production of Roy Thomas Baker, Hawke's keyboard's sounded like dimestore Casios. Ocasek's thin, yelping voice was naked without the dozens of multi-tracked harmonies. They were boring, though...

I voted for "Candy O" (I'm a sucker for a Suicide steal)

[VolcanoJen]

18. So true, GOPisEvil.

I actually saw them several times; the first few times during their "Heartbeat City" tour, and twice on the "Door to Door" tour.

They really weren't a very energetic live band, but the music was great, and I'm glad I had the chance to see them.

[5thGenDemocrat]

20. Saw them live at Castle Farms (MI), 1981

I thought they were pretty good. Tom Petty was on the bill, too, and he was awesome.
John
Voted for "Let's Go," by the way. Don't know if it's their best tune, but I always liked it.

[Wickerman]

22. 2nd worst live band I have seen

and I have seen a bunch. Very flat. The worst? Smashing Pumkins post the death of the drummer and firing of the keyboard player, or was it the other way? no matter, horrible.

They had a string of great pop songs. For some reason, I kinda like Drive.

[Cooley Hurd]

3. Candy-O...

I neeeed you, Sunday dress, ruby rings...
Candy-O I neeeed
Best Cars tune, hands down...

[Bossy Monkey]

5. Yeah, I like it too

but always thought of it as too short, so put on Dangerous Type. Now of course I'll look it up and find out it's even shorter. :)

[psychopomp]

4. Rick Okasek produced "Rock for Light"

One of the greatest hardcore punk albums of all time by one of the greatest bands, Bad Brains.

1. Big takeover
2. Meek
3. I
4. Coptic times
5. Sailin' on
6. Rock for light
7. Rally round jah throne
8. At the movies
9. Riot squad
10. How low can a punk get
11. We will not
12. Attitude
13. Jam
14. Right brigade
15. Joshua's song
16. I and I survive
17. Banned in DC
18. Supertouch
19. Destroy Babylon
20. FVK

[dbt]

6. "Good Times Roll" was SUCH a leading indicator.

It was a prescient bit of vinyl(!) that showed us what the 80s were going to sound like: recordings with more "space" among the notes and plenty of room for keyboards. It was irresistible on the radio, even from the inside. That song was Hook City!

:loveya:
dbt

[NashVegas]

12. Whole 1st Album

Side two, especially. It doesn't get much better than that. The only album side I can think of that was ever more perfect was side 1 or 2 (take your pick) off of London Calling.

[Ishoutandscream]

19. Absolutely!

Driving in my 75 Granada with a kick ass stereo (I know, weird isn't it). A bottle of Bacardi rum, and yes a little reefer, too. And simply jamming to Moving in Stereo and All Mixed Up (my fav).

I was never a new-waver, and I'm definitely not Gen X. But that release in 78 while I was a junior in high school had to be one of the best album debuts of all time.

[Red_Storm]

7. You're All I've Got Tonight !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hippiechick]

28. The drum intro is the most awesome tune opening, ever !!!

:yourock:


But "All Mixed Up" is just waaay cool, too :)


:hippie:

[Bunny]

8. What?

How could you not include My Best Friend's Girlfriend? How could you?????

[Bossy Monkey]

10. I probably should have just limited it to the first album

I was surely sorely tempted.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

11. Bye Bye Love

followed by Let's Go, Tonight She Comes, and You're All I've Got Tonight.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

13. Best Friend's Girl

.

[Kat45]

14. "Just What I Needed" was the first 'new' song I liked at the time

I was still listening to sixties (and early seventies) music because I hated most of the music of the time, particularly since disco was the big thing back then. Then I heard "Just What I Needed"--actually a tape they played on the radio in Boston before the album existed. When the album did come out, I thought the version on the tape sounded better. But anyhoo, that song, as well as Tom Petty's "Breakdown" were the first 'new' songs that I really liked, and they started me listening to current music again.

[Touchdown]

15. Dangerous Type! YES!

I was afraid that you'd leave that one off, and I would have to find out where you live and bring a van.

and....who the HELL voted for "Shake It Up"???? Morans!

[Character Assassin]

16. Don't cha stop, Double Life, It's all I can do...

[VolcanoJen]

17. "Chicken Counters Fill Your Bowls."

My favorite line from one of my fave Cars songs, "A Dream Away."

I still adore the Cars, and they were absolutely my favorite group of the '80s. Their songs still cheer me up, and I'll always feel that they were ahead of their time, and more influential than anyone ever gives them credit for.

Awesome poll, undisclosedlocation! :D

[mac56]

21. I'm with you, VJ.

Love the Cars, for the same reasons you list. God damn it, not every band can be Talking Heads.

[phillybri]

23. What was the tune in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"?

The one that plays while Phoebe Cates is coming out of the pool...

[mac56]

26. "Moving In Stereo"

Phoebe Cates. :9

[ProfessorGAC]

24. The Entire First Two Albums

I can't pick a favorite from those first two masterworks. Those guys were great until Greg Hawkes bought a sampler.
The Professor

[Skittles]

25. All Mixed Up

She tricks me into thinking
I can't believe my eyes
I wait for her forever
but she never does arrive

All mixed up, she's all mixed up

[Bossy Monkey]

27. There are times and they are many

when it's necessary to holler at the top of one's lungs "She said to leave it to me/Everything will be all right"

[Nevernose]

29. A True "The Cars" Story:

I had a torrid affair with my firend's girlfriend, while he was in jail for beating her up (yeah, I know, insert white trash comments here). When he got out, three months later, she and I went to pick him up, feeling guilty as hell. We walked back to the car, sat down, fired up it up, flipped on the radio.

Ric Ocasek and co., singing in chorus: "My best friend's giirrlll-friend, my best friend's giirrlll-friend, and sh-"

<click>

"You know what? I really don't wanna listen to the radio right now. Do you guys? Didn't think so. Let's just drive and not listen to the radio. Know what? Let's not talk, either. Let's not listen to the radio, and let's not talk. Me? Nervous? I'm not nervous -- what would I have to be nervous about? Hey, I thought we agreed that this would be a no-listening, no-talking drive home, okay?"

I still can't listen to the song without feeling creepy, and guilty, and missing the girl.