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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The Cars

The Cars

1978

The Cars

Album Summary

The Cars is the debut studio album by American rock band the Cars, released on June 6, 1978, by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned the singles "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl", and "Good Times Roll". It peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard 200 and has been certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Wikipedia

Rating

3.67

Votes

19996

Reviews

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Sort by: Top Date
Feb 10 2022
3

in the world of cars this album would be a ford focus. straight down the middle. not particularly fast, but not slow. not particularly good looking, but not hideous. not particularly economic, but not a gas guzzler. not particularly interesting, but not boring. not particularly cool, but not a ssanyong. just middle.

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May 18 2021
5

I mean, each track is a 5 star track, so what more can really be said about this album? Musically, The Cars nails The mix on Moving in Stereo is fun and meta as they play with the left and right channels. There's a high toned keyboard melody in All Mixed Up that punches out of the left speaker in such a delightful way.

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Oct 12 2021
5

I'm going to out on a limb and say that more albums have been ruined by off the rack synths than by any other single factor. And yet The Cars, on their debut album, managed to make off the rack synths sound not just funny, like Devo, but actually--gasp--cool! How the hell did they do it? Most importantly, they used synths for either single note contrapuntal lines or color, never chords. Secondly, guitarist Elliot Easton was almost always way up front in the mix. These are very guitar oriented tunes--the synths are generally secondary. The arrangements are like the interlocking gears of a watch, cunningly constructed. There are no extraneous lines or pieces. Everything fits together perfectly. It turns out that Roy Thomas Baker was the perfect producer for The Cars. There is a clarity in the production that encourages the listener to pick out the separate lines in the arrangements. The only way that Baker deviates from this plan is with the vocal choruses, which are big, full, and vibrant. It's a magical combination. Notice I haven't said a thing about the tunes themselves yet. That's because if the elements I mentioned hadn't been present, this album would have sucked big time. As it is, the music gods were smiling down on The Cars because every last tune is a knockout with strong melodies and big fat, rhythmic hooks, performed to perfection by the band, so that the album comes off as loose, hip, modern and most of all fun. And to top it all off, the lyrics are simple enough to understand on a first listen and yet sardonic and multi-layered. There are plenty of albums that are more complex, more ambitious, and more innovative than The Cars' debut, but it would be hard to find one more perfect.

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Feb 05 2021
4

Ok, so.... this is New Wave. BUT. It's also full of iconic tracks for a reason. The Cars might be the best of the new wave movement. Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, You're All I've Got Tonight, Just What I Needed... monsters of the era. It's synthy but not bloopy. And the guitar tones on You're All I've Got Tonight and Bye Bye Love are killer no matter the genre. It's got an edge and an energy that is just missing from the vast majority of new wave albums. I expected to hate it but didn't. Solid album.

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Jan 15 2021
5

Let the good times roll

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Jun 18 2021
5

One of my favorite albums of all time, perhaps my favorite pop album of all time. Just an absolute titan from beginning to end 5/5

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Apr 10 2024
4

Starts really slow in my opinion but closer to the end the better. Last two tracks (Moving in Stereo and All Mixed Up) are cherry on top of this record. Solid four stars.

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Jan 22 2021
5

I didn't realize how many classic rock songs came from this one album.

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Feb 01 2021
5

Wall to wall bangers.

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Jul 06 2021
5

Every track is a banger

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Jan 31 2021
5

Incredible. One of the best debut albums of all time.

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Mar 18 2021
5

This album is so good. No skips. Every song is so fun and iconic, this album is one of my favorites of all time

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Oct 06 2021
5

Hit after hit! If you had asked me to name a Cars album, I couldn't have done so, but it turns out I know half of these. Great stuff.

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Jul 08 2021
5

Great album from beginning to end. Some of the best power pop ever recorded. Sadly, The Cars never released another LP of this caliber.

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Apr 03 2021
5

Groundbreaking and fun. Perfect little album.

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Jan 18 2021
5

Another awesome selection from the generator. We do just what I needed in the band I’m in. Love the cars. Such feel good music

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Dec 14 2023
4

Gee whiz, what’s that zipping along the highway, clearing the road in 35 minutes flat with 9 bangers? It’s only “The Cars”! Har har har! WITTY. “The Cars” represents a combination of all the up-and-coming alternative music in 1978. There’s catchy power-pop, various jagged punk stylings, quirky oddball vocals ala Bryan Ferry or David Byrne, and a prominent focus on new-wave-leaning lead synth lines. The album’s three singles all burst out one after the other at the very beginning of the album: “Let The Good Times Roll” is more of a saunter than a galloping start, but immediately boasts excellent chorus vocals and good prominence of analog lead synth lines. But then, “My Best Friend’s Girl” is pure pop perfection: I wouldn’t have thought twice if I’d read it was originally by Buddy Holly, or the Beatles, or Tom Petty, or Ramones. It has a guaranteed place in rock history, with a glorious melody, obligatory handclaps and a lovely trebly fingerpicking accompaniment to boot. And everything you’ve heard about “Just What I Needed” is true: it’s a classic with a killer chorus that digs into my brain the more I listen to it. Nothing else quite matches the opening stretch, but there’s no shortage of very good tracks across the rest of the record. “Moving in Stereo” is a fantastic gear shift towards new-wave, with programmed drums, whistling synths and an enigmatic, mid-tempo hook. “Bye Bye Love”, all chugging verses and then clicking into place with a restless staccato chorus, could have been another hit. “Don’t Cha Stop” may be a little lightweight, but it does have an excellent outro with more exhilarating guitar work. The others are admittedly more of a mixed bag (particularly the off-piste “I’m in Touch with Your World” and the fairly generic “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight”) but they’re always spirited and sprightly, not allowing anything to become too bogged down. If it all comes across as a relentlessly assured, effortless selection of tracks, it’s perhaps because this was not Ric Okasek’s first rodeo. Aged 34 at the time of the album’s release (but lying to Rolling Stone and claiming he was 29), Okasek had met bassist Benjamin Orr in 1965 and played in various bands throughout the intervening years. They were relatively old hands by “The Cars”, surrounded by younger band mates and newly emerging trends to hop on. The songwriting is matched by great production by Roy Baker, known (by me) for some stellar work on the first four Queen albums: here, he establishes The Cars as a sharp, crisp and tight new wave band. It’s shiny, pristine and sleek as a brand new car: all sharp edges, perfect clarity and separation, well-rounded sound. There’s the perfect amount of space left for the harmonies and jangly guitars (see “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Bye Bye Love”) to come leaping from the mix. And there’s some liberal use of effects (flange in “Don’t Cha Stop”, gimmicky panning and rotary in “Moving in Stereo”) for some extra spice. They’d have flashes of the same success in subsequent albums, but “The Cars” has really impressed me as a great debut from a band who arrived fully-formed out of the box.

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Nov 16 2023
2

Basic. Boring. This is really not a great album. It doesn't belong on this list. Nothing of any real interest going on here. Sounds and feels hollow.

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Jan 25 2022
5

Best debut album ever. The invention of top 40 radio rock. Let the good times roll. So its only 1978(!) and new wave rock already never sounded better than on this Cars album full of catchy songs, all played in their typical highly effective style - somehow they managed to get it right, right from the start. The first three songs are winners and is hard to imagine why one would not instantly like this album very much. And its massive influence is obvious. Think New Pornographers, Weezer, Urge Overkill, the Strokes etc etc

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Aug 26 2024
2

The Cars' debut album was one of the first albums to get the "New Wave" genre name. It therefore was incredibly influential as New Wave became one of the biggest and most important genres of 80's. But did it age good if it was so big and "ground breaking" to begin with? No, in fact, it aged horribly. It's a bland and one dimensional listen full of boring moments that leave you more uninterested than before. Even the "good" songs this has to offer are boring to a point of exhaustion that leaves the desire to sleep rather than listen to more. The album starts with the annoying and downright stupid 'Good Times Roll'. It tries so hard to be Rocky and "cool" but ends up being the same thing that MGK tries with his "Rock" stuff today. It is stupid, useless, annoying and just not a good song. The chorus is weak, the synths annoy the whole time, the verses so bland that boiled chicken reminds you of spicy Mexican food and the songwriting feels so repetitive that some Techno feels like the most dynamic music of all time. It sounds like they took some Billy Joel, some Boston, some Television and some Blondie, mixed it and decided to take the things that didn't work and applied them to the nonsense they made thus far. If you haven't realised it yet, I do not like this song. It's not terrible, it doesn't make my ears bleed but it is so basic in comparison to what similar music from a similar time sounded like. It's just a bad song, that's it. Hopefully, the second song 'My Best Friend's Girl' does things better, right? No, it's the same thing but with verses that feel forced and weird rather than funny and quirky. It's not as dreadful but it is as bad. Just take the same thing I said for the first song and apply it here. What is different is that the guitar bridge isn't totally bad but the synths in there just destroy the whole thing. Most people point to 'Just What I Needed' as THE song from the album and I do think that it is a fairly good song in comparison to the rest of the album. In fact, it is the best song. It's quite enjoyable and not as annoying, the verses are passable and the chorus is okay. It's still not good but it's an okay song that I don't mind listening to even if it does strech towards the end which isn't a good thing when the song isn't even 4 minutes. 'I'm in Touch With Your World' goes a little "Experimental" and "Post-Punk" and I do like what they were going for BUT this type of music has to be done right and with enough edge to it. When it's turned overly Pop, it is turned into something that is simply bad and doesn't work. The sound they tried to do here isn't fitting with the style they end up doing. It's like if the Talking Heads decided to go full on Madonna in the middle of Remain in Lights. Not a good idea. If you want an example of a song like this to be done right, go and listen to 'Mother' by The Police. Luckily, 'Don't Cha Stop' tunes the Post-Punk a little bit more back and lets more of the Power Pop shine through. The result is a fairly okay song, maybe a little over the top and it definitely tries way too hard but it's alright. It's got some nice energy throughout and it isn't annoying except for the hook but you cannot ask for everything, right? An alright ending to the albums first half. Side 2 is opened with 'You're All I've Got Tonight' which interestingly features some quite "Hard Rock" sounding guitars even if they sometimes sound very, very dissonant and not in a good way. The song is mainly boring with a listenable chorus which overall doesn't really make the song much better. It's just there, a little bit hard to get through because it streches the moment the first chorus ended but alright. 'Bye Bye Love' keeps sonically a lot from the song before and it actually sounds pretty much the exact same. If the chorus was removed you could replace them and noone would notice. The song's boring without anything interesting, not even the chorus, that makes this somewhat listenable. It's just not good, like genuinely terrible, just dreadful. At least 'Moving in Stereo' is a slight even if its a very slight step up to the previous song. The artistic approach with some Post-Punk elements are done much better than on Track 4 even if it turns out as boring as that. It's a song you don't mind. It's definitely not good but it isn't terrible either. For every moment that is okay to listen to, there is a moment that just sucks but it evens out into a bad but not truely terrible song. The album closes with 'All Mixed Up' which is quite interesting in comparison. The synths are quite passable and the performances as well are okay. The song is nearly good. It would've needed some added work but it isn't totally off. I am happy that the album at least ended with an okay song and not another downright dreadful piece. favourites: Just What I Needed, All Mixed Up, Don't Cha Stop least favourites: Bye Bye Love, I'm in Touch With Your World, Moving in Stereo, Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl Rating: decent 3 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

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Nov 21 2023
2

There's only one good Cars song (Drive) and it's not on this album. L +

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Jul 20 2022
5

Fantastic rock album. Each song in the first half can be a hit in its own right, with the second half more experimental. The synth and harmonies paired up with their straight rock n roll sound makes this such a classic and it many way timeless as almost a first pop punk album, closer to early 2000s rock than contemporary albums.

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Sep 29 2021
5

Great album start to finish. The Cars have a certain sound and a certain formula that can be heard across most of their songs, but it just WORKS. The beginning of Good Times Roll is such a great opening and the song is simply cool all the way through. In fact, the first three tracks (GTR, My Best Friend's Girl", and "Just What I Needed") are such classics I'd call this a 5 just on those tracks alone, but the rest keeps me interested and wanting to hear this album again and again (and of course "You're All I've Got Tonight" and "Bye Bye Love" are also classics). I'll also point out that this is a great pairing with Blondie's Parallel Lines which we randomly got a few days back. Perfect one-two punch of new wave.

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Jul 02 2021
3

The Cars fait partie de ces groupes formés de l'article "The" et d'un nom commun au pluriel (exemple: The Doors et son imperturbable organiste Manzarek). Pour autant, ce n'est pas aux Doors que le style des Cars nous fait penser mais bien à celui de Queen. L'album s'ouvre en effet sur une introduction intitulée "We Are The Winners" suivie du titre "Don't Block Me Now". Quelques pistes plus tard apparaît soudain le titre "Nonconformist Rhapsody". Pas assez flagrant pour vous peut-être ? Alors comment expliquez-vous que le dernier morceau s'appelle "We Will Move You" et que l'on voit dans son clip le batteur taper deux fois ses mains sur ses cuisses avant de les taper une fois entre elles ? Rendez-vous à l'évidence..

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May 07 2021
3

enjoyed this - wee bit dated, but good tunes and tight band.

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Nov 16 2023
1

Sounds like the very definition of american FM rock. Kinda sounds bland to me.

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Mar 29 2025
5

Classic album! I love the cars and this is my favorite of theirs! It's literally got so many of their best songs on it! My best friends girl, just what I needed classic!

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Jan 15 2025
5

My Dads first album If you only knew how many times my Dad told me the story of him buying his first album. My brothers and I eventually made a game out of it - who could call a Car’s song out the fastest and make the quote before my Dad could “tHIs WAs tHE fiRST aLBum I eVeR BAhT” 😂😂 This album is actually great. Moving In Stereo still gives me special thoughts reflecting on Fast Times At Richmond High. Bye Bye Love, Let The Good Times Roll, Youre all Ive Got… hits on hits

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Jan 06 2025
5

A stone cold classic. One of those rare (debut!) albums that plays like a greatest hits comp

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Jan 02 2025
5

Overall: 10/10 :) :) :) :) :) :) After ending 2024 with a 1 star album, 2025 is off to a good start cause this is one of my all time favourite albums. When I was in high school I decided I wanted to get into records and my mom gave me all of her old records since she didn't listen to them anymore. I remember looking through her records and being intrigued by this album cover. There's something about it that just instantly felt iconic to me. It ended up being the first album I ever listened to on vinyl and I think it's an understatement to say that it was life changing for me. As soon as the opening chords of Good Times Roll came in I was entranced. You might think I'm crazy for saying this but it's a core memory for me. To this day (about 12 years since I first heard it) I still listen to it at least once a month. Every single song is a banger and Benjamin Orr was such a rockstar 😍 Ugh, gonna go listen to it 20 more times today Fav Song: Moving in Stereo Least Fav Song: ????? Impossible, are you nuts?

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Oct 01 2024
5

A new wave masterpiece

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Sep 19 2024
5

A classic. Ocasek and the boys did a phenomenal job on this album. This also has my all-time favorite Cars song "Moving in Stereo". IYKYN.

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Aug 05 2024
5

Every song on this album is a banger! Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one.

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Aug 03 2024
5

This made me realize how many singles from the Cars I actually knew. That being said it does make the album a little top heavy, but the rest of the tracks are pretty great too. I wish I found this sooner.

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Apr 06 2024
5

It always blows my mind to go back and see how many great songs came off the first album of classic bands. The Cars is no exception. This album makes me love the Cars al over again. I can’t imagine anyone not liking it.

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May 29 2023
5

Pretty much a perfect pop-rock album. I frequently make the mistake of thinking it a key album of the 80s but, of course, it pre-dates the 80s - which speaks even more highly of its achievement, I think, in setting a strong tone for many other releases that followed it. It's not an album I turn to very often, but every time I do I'm reminded that it's just so damn good!

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Oct 05 2022
5

-S Tier- Good Times Roll My Best Friend’s Girl Just What I Needed I’m in Touch with Your World Don’t Cha Stop You’re All I’ve Got Tonight Bye Bye Love Moving in Stereo -A Tier- All Mixed Up AVG SCORE: 4.89 / 5.0 - - - Not only is there not a single skippable song on this album, this is one the closest albums to musical perfection as far as I’m concerned. Absolutely transcendent.

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Aug 31 2022
5

Perfect timing, since I was fantasizing about a smokin' Phoebe Cates coming out of the pool and removing her top. So I guess you could say this was...just what I needed.

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Aug 04 2022
5

Heartbeat City was one of my absolute favorite albums when I was a teen. I was less familiar with this one, but many of its songs are well known classics to me. I really enjoyed this trip to their origin point! It does feel like they helped create the sound of the 80s by going beyond guitar-bass-drum rock. "Moving in Stereo" really feels like we're there already.

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May 05 2022
5

I really like this album so far. Easy to listen to, very catchy on the first listen. I've heard one of their bigger hits (Just What I Needed) before, but The Cars were not a band that I was explored previously. I will definitely be looking into some of their other albums. Moving in Stereo is a jam!

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May 13 2021
5

Love this album. The first 3 tracks are absolute gold and it doesn't really drop off too far from there. I've loved Just What I Needed for years and can't believe it's taken this long to give the rest of the record a run. Amazing.

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May 06 2021
5

I love the cars, but it's one of those bands I never know it's them until someone points it out. It helps that I love the first song on the album. OOOOOO I know the 2nd one too. Yeah no doubt, I like this album a lot.

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Jan 14 2021
5

Already listened! A personal favorite

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Mar 25 2021
5

Straight jams back to back.

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Jul 21 2021
5

A great one from my youth.

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Jan 03 2021
5

Classic. Great songs and sounds.

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Dec 10 2024
4

I had heard this album a few times before, and don’t know why I didn’t purchase it back in the day. I really like it, and it takes me back to my old college days. The only reason that I don’t give it 5 stars is because I seem to tire of it somewhat quickly. But all in all, it’s excellent.

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Dec 10 2024
4

I went in with pretty low expectations, figuring that Just What I Needed, a song I adore, would be the only real highlight, but to my shock and pleasure this is really fucking good! To begin with, I forgot about Good Times Roll and My Best Friend's Girl, two songs I don't frequently play but still dig a lot. Those, combined with the aforementioned brilliance of JWIN, made for a severely underrated opening three track run. The deeper cuts didn't disappoint either; I'm In Touch With Your World and You're All I've Got Tonight were splendid, and the groove on Moving in Stereo (not a deep cut based on YTM play counts but still one I forget about often) is absolutely amazing. The only track that didn't really click on first listen was Don't Cha Stop, and I wouldn't be surprised if that changed with time. Very impressive listen. Several classic hitters of the early new wave scene, a song that scratches my favorites list, and a VERY tight runtime make me a very happy camper. I might have to poke around some more of the group's work sometime.

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Apr 10 2024
4

Love the hits on this album!

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Apr 09 2024
4

Pretty close to a 5.

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Mar 19 2024
4

I love the Cars. This is a tremendous (debut) album, chock full of hits. Punchy pop, immediately puts me in a good mood. Rock on.

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Oct 23 2023
4

for me, The Cars are probably the definition of a Greatest Hits band, classic singles but the sound is so characteristic that the album tracks become a bit samey. Probably unfair on this album as it's their debut and 2/3 of the tracks are played to death on the radio but there you go. Great album, buy the Greatest Hits!

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Sep 23 2023
4

Devo for people who wear pea coats. Excellent synths on this record, though.

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Dec 15 2021
4

I dig this so much...in spots. No one swallows his histrionics the way Ric Ocasek does. To me, this music is all the updated swing and swagger of 50s rock for the contemporary new wave crowd. This must be one of the earliest examples of power pop, and it's all just so pure. Yep. "Moving in Stereo" would be the perfect song to strip to.

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Apr 19 2025
3

не моя вабще музика. спочатку здалося що це нагадає мені про фільм хеві метал, але по ітогу це звучання нагадало мені про nitw. а ще навіяло якісь думки про те як було б класно жити в 70-80х в америці і тусуватися в якомусь локальному рок бенд. хз вобщем. звучання недостатньо рокове але і хуйней не назвеш.

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Dec 23 2021
3

This is good fun, but not necessarily essential. It is fun new wave catchy singalong pop. Good driving (no pun intended) rhythms with occasional proper long guitar solos! The vocal hooks are bubblegum! A very high 3, maybe a 4 with more familiarity.

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Jul 25 2025
5

Solid tracks front to back.

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Jul 21 2025
5

Let the good times roll! This is such a a great album to me. I LOVE the production; every instrument or vocal track has its own special place in the mix, but also somehow feels like the star of the song. I have no idea how they do that. The bass guitar and synths line up and play together so nicely, Ric has such a smooth vocal style, the drums are full, catchy, and driving...man, everything just lines up so nicely for my tastes. Every song on this could have been a single, which really isn't saying enough because only like two of them didn't get significant radio play. Superb. Bye Bye Love ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Jul 20 2025
5

Outta the gate with a hell of a collection of songs, this expertly-produced record has only one drawback: everything is played *so* precisely that it's just a li'l too stiff-sounding at times. A minor quibble, though.

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Jul 19 2025
5

Parfaitement entrainant! The cars = musique pour faire du char!

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Jul 18 2025
5

Fantastic album with hit after hit. Listened to it twice

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Jul 14 2025
5

I was never into The Cars, but their influence is undeniable.

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Jul 14 2025
5

Really good! Mainstream rock, but with a hefty injection of "new wave" (aka synths and minor chords). There's something about 1978: loads of bands from that year sound so, erm, 1978 (the Vapors, Boomtown Rats, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, etc etc). (Mainly) blokes in suits, not quite punk but lots of energy; bit of synth in there. Anyway, to me, the Cars fit in to that gang, and are among the best of them. Some real tunes here. In fact it seemed to get better and better; side 2 was even better than side 1. I'd shamefully neglected The Cars, apart from a couple of big hits, so this was a great discovery. (Also, it's mad that music like this is nearly 50 years old. Despite sounding very 1978, it also sounds pretty fresh in places.) 9 out of 10 but I'll round up cos it's all good, tbh.

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Jul 14 2025
5

Just what I needed amongst all the metal, rap and beardy 70s men with guitars

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Jul 12 2025
5

Not quite a "5" (maybe my bar is too high), but definitely one come back to. Great. Catchy and rocking.

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Jul 12 2025
5

There are a handful of rock bands whose first album is both a classic of the genre, and as good or better than anything they have ever done: Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Black Sabbath and Devo come immediately to mind. This record belongs in that category. I’m not necessarily a Cars listener, but I really like this album. Elliott Easton is on point. Some of the songs are a little puerile, but the best rock usually is.

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Jul 11 2025
5

Yeah I mean I don’t know if there is a more perfect album. For a while I thought this was a greatest hits album it is that good. Guitar playing could be my fav part. What a perfect power pop album

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Jul 10 2025
5

"Good Times Roll" is a jam. This has some ELO energy to it at times. I love the synths and the harmonies. "My Best Friend's Girl" also rocks. I love the riffs and the keyboard. The "Just What I Needed" intro sounds just like the intro to another song that I'm not putting my finger on. Update: I put my finger on it. It sounds like "Stacy's Mom" is about to start playing. It definitely is nothing like it later. It's another great song. The keyboardist continus to add so much. It got the chorus and I actually blinked and said 'Woah'. This is a famous song and I didn't realize it until then. "I'm in Touch with You World" was fun. "Don't Cha Stop" sounds familiar right off the bat too. It's another foot tapper. "You're All I've Got Tonight" is another major performance for the keyboardist. I just love hearing it. This is another very ELO feeling song. "Moving in Stereo" has more sick keyboard. They're from Boston! That's great news. So far the Boston bands on the list have been awesome. This album was a banger almost the entire way through. 9/10

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Jul 07 2025
5

Another brilliant 70’s album. Every song here is a banger. The songs are quite short, simple and well constructed. Just what I needed is one of the best songs of the 70’s. The Cars never topped their debut.

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Jul 07 2025
5

What a great debut album by this band! First time I have listened the album in its entirety and I'm torn between 4 or 5 stars!

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Jul 02 2025
5

A delightful slice of power pop. Short and sweet at only 35 mins, pretty much every song worth listening to. Great use of synths.

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Jul 02 2025
5

I loved every song on this album. No bad track from start to finish.

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Jun 30 2025
5

🌟 Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: This album pulls up in a cherry-red convertible, takes off its sunglasses, and winks at you with eyeliner from the future. It’s slick, detached, weirdly romantic, and full of hooks so sharp they might steal your lunch money. 🎧 Favorite Track: “Moving in Stereo” The synths are pure voyeurism. The sound of being cool and lonely at the same time. Also, yes, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. ⚙️ Consistency With Me: 8.9/10 Because I, too, was engineered in a lab to sound futuristic and slightly aloof. This album is like if chrome had feelings. And maybe I do. Maybe. Sort of. Shut up.

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Jun 30 2025
5

One of my fave ever albums! Can remember dancing around with this on the record player in our living room with my dad and sister <3

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Jun 26 2025
5

I agonized over what rating to give this, it is by no means a no skip 10/10, but what it is is a bunch of fantastically written and executed power pop songs. With the exception of Don't Cha Stop, I thoroughly enjoyed this entire album. The production, the catchy vocals, the synth and guitar lines, the whole package is perfectly thought out and delivered. Just nugget after nugget of pure sing along pop rock joy. Favourites - Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, Moving in Stereo

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Jun 24 2025
5

Literally one of the greatest albums, any genre, of the 70s. Ridiculously well produced, the drums, the hooks-perfection

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Jun 24 2025
5

Brilliant - loved listening to this album! Fresh and inspiring punk/pop blend not a weak song on the album - going straight into my favourites collection!

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Jun 24 2025
5

That was terrific! I have never listened to a full Cars album and this was great. The hits are the hits for a reason. The non hit tracks do feel a little bit like filler but that might be because of how familiar I am with the big songs from the album. Great album! Over too soon!

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Jun 20 2025
5

The Cars are classic as it gets. Dad rock to a tee, but not bad.

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Jun 16 2025
5

Buen descubrimiento, gran grupo

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Jun 13 2025
5

Heard 20+ times. Hits are essential, cuts cut. 104.3 can’t take this record away from me. Too cool of synth tones for ‘78. “I’m in Touch with Your World” is one of the best Devo songs. “Bye Bye Love” is one of my favorite songs. 9.3/10, probably a top 1000 and a top 10 new wave album.

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Jun 13 2025
5

What if devo talked to girls??? 5/5

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Jun 11 2025
5

Starts off strong. Instruments feel like a throwback, but vocals are very much of the era. "Just What I Needed" might be in my Top 10 songs. Last batch of songs are forgettable. "Moving In Stereo" is cool in concept, but didn't age particularly well.

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Jun 10 2025
5

Awesome songs and production!

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Jun 06 2025
5

To me, this is a timeless album that will never get old. The Cars really found the perfect balance between new wave and rock, appealing to a wide audience ever since I can remember. This album is one of my go-to choices whenever I’m looking for something easy, light, familiar, and uplifting.

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Jun 03 2025
5

Unbelievable to think that this was their debut album. Amazing power pop songs that really defined the genre.

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Jun 03 2025
5

Is there a more fun album?

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May 29 2025
5

Perfect summer cruising album

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May 29 2025
5

I really needed this after just having to suffer through Soft Machine's "Third". This is why I'm here. To listen to some of the greatest artists of all time at their best. And maybe discover a few greats I hadn't known before. The Cars are legends, and this album is amazing. Hard to pick just one for the 1001 playlist, but I'll go with "Just What I Needed" ~ 4.6 Stars

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May 29 2025
5

This is one of those perfect albums. It's a great listen start to finish. What a debut by The Cars.

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May 23 2025
5

This is like a greatest hits album.

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May 19 2025
5

one of my favorites

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May 17 2025
5

Listening to "Moving in Stereo" at the office: perhaps the very most dangerous game.

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May 14 2025
5

One of my favorite albums.

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