Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Just what I needed! I would have guessed this was 80s. Ocasek has a fairly unique voice (even though there are a couple others like it); Orr has a pretty generic voice (but I can't think of any quite like it). Mostly, I enjoyed listening. Would be a 3.5 on a scale with .5s. Silly quote re: 'My Best Friend's Girl': "Ocasek later said the lyrics were not inspired by any personal incident, saying "Nothing in that song happened to me personally. I just figured having a girlfriend stolen was probably something that happened to a lot of people."" Oh??? Was it??? Riff ranking: 'Just What I Needed' (highlight) > 'Yummy Yummy Yummy' > 'Stacy's Mom' Minor syntactic intrigue: "Always it's some other guy", "she never leaves on the light" Unrelated meta comment: I'm so glad there's now a button to read random reviews! Dreams do come true!
A bit if early new wave, just what I needed!
1978, and Punk Rock was just past its peak, New Wave was in control, electronic pop was beginning to find its feet, and NWOBHM was starting to become a monster. And The Cars released this album of corporate pop sludge. I've now listened to it twice, and while it's not offensive it still seems so darn mid.
I enjoy this I feel like parts of this album would come from the 90s
200226 18:02 3.5
Not my cup if tea
3 Stars (8/15)
Enjoyable, lots of of tracks I know, I will likely listen to it again, but it is not particularly memorable album and is unlikely to go in my regular rotation.
Average , a couple of good uns
Only listened to the first half
Another album I don't hate but I don't love either.
Keep trying to get into the full thing but my brain really only latches onto Moving in Stereo which is awesome. The first three tracks are unfortunately subject to death by 10000 plays but the actual construction of them is really impressive. A great synthesis of 70s power pop, think Big Star, and early new-wave stylings. Had I never heard any song from this album before, I'd bump it with some regularity. As for the world I live in, I'm pretty sure there is always at least one commercial in regular rotation that's playing Just What I Needed or Good Times Roll. Favorite Tracks: Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Bye Bye Love, Moving in Stereo
I thought I would enjoy this more than I actually did (though it's still a solid album). It's a little more B52s than I would have liked, without actually sounding too much like the B52s. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Some of the songs are great. Some are just kinda there. It's not a bad album not a one hit wonder band either. Not sure it holds up as well now compared to when it was released, but a decent listen.
I like the cars… but they are not I regular rotation. Good background music.
Some decent new wave bangers here imo. 3/5
3.5⭐️/5 02.11.2026
At first, I was like ENOUGH OF THIS CORNY 70s STUFF!!! But then I was begrudgingly toe tapping and then ultimately, come the second half of the album, it kind of rocked. Favorite song: Bye Bye Love
This is a solid album. It sounds good and I don’t really have any complaints. A lot of the songs sound like they would be featured in a 90s rom com and I can hear how this sound would influence later songs. Personally, this isn’t something that I would seek out or listen to regularly, so it’s like fine for me.
Bland but good vibes!
Fun throw back album, a little over long at times but appreciated.
Bara nokkuð ágæt. Spurning hvort að stjörnugjöfin færi upp í 4 ef ég myndi hlusta í annað skiptið...
a couple of great songs, plus i love love love the cover art. most of the songs kind of sounded the same to me, but the album had an overall good feel
Its so basic in my opinion. Nothing special, liked only second and last song tho
fav tracks: just what I needed Ich mags aber es ist nicht soo außergewöhnlich
It's okay. I feel like with a couple more relistens, I'll love it. I give it a 6/10 for now. Gives off late 80s-early 90s rock.
Was alright
neat
Much like any time I take a car and forget everything about the drive, I am aware of my time with The Cars but cannot really tell you anything about what happened during my time with The Cars.
Good, but not super exciting
Kars sama
ori simgera moviwone
Ok, ja dit is wel een album hoor. Beetje new wave invloeden denk ik? Het klinkt gewoon heel erg 70s. Ik vind het best wel prima, maar moet ook eerlijk toegeven dat ik niet denk dat er iets echt gaat blijven hangen. Daarvoor is het allemaal iets te matig, maar dit is absoluut niet de slechtste manier om 35 minuten te besteden. Vermakelijk en een klein beetje fout, dat is toch wel het beste van de jaren 70 new wave bandjes. Wel grappig dat deze band een aantal nummers heeft met 100m> plays, en ik van eigenlijk alles nog nooit heb gehoord. Lekker dat die oudere albums gewoon kort zijn, makkelijk om in 1 keer te luisteren en kort genoeg dat je ze een 2e keer kan luisteren als je zou willen! Dat wil ik niet, maar het had wel gekund, en die keuzevrijheid.. Die waardeer ik! FAVO: Bye, bye love,
I know all these songs, though I didn’t know they were all on the same album. Still, these are borderline generic classic rock songs. Safe pop rock for young teens of the era.
There were some fun bops in this one. I recognized a few of the songs, and the ones I didn't know felt compatible with the others. It's a fairly cohesive and upbeat album that was enjoyable enough. 6/10
I enjoyed this more in feeling like a 7/10
Spodziewałam się czegoś lepszego. Bardzo lubię tę ich słynną balladę a zamiast tego dostałam taki nudny, lekki rock. Nie razi, ale też nie kręci. 6/10
First three tracks are classic, on the radio all of the time. The rest is forgettable. Not sure why this is a special album, other than the amount of radio play the first three tracks get. Does that make this album worth the inclusion on the list??
Nothing especially terrible, nothing especially impressive. Nice that the album was only 35 minutes
i like it
Maybe the most classic rock radio album out there. I didn't think that I knew anything by The Cars, but turns out I have already heard a lot of this on the radio over the years. Pretty catchy and certainly not bad, with a nice strong finish to the album to boot.
First album, and I know it pretty well. I will listen later tonight, but I like The Cars, and I know my favorite songs of theirs are on this album.
I had no idea what to expect on this one. I suppose the best way of describing it is a fun inoffensive mixture of styles. Actually I quite enjoyed it, but can’t say I’d ever listen to it again. I just felt that The Cars took us on a ride here and while it wasn’t a fast ride, it was scenic with windy roads and I had a interesting time. Synth pop done well with some crunchy guitar riffs tossed in. The guitar work is what surprised me, thought it was especially good on You’re all I’ve Got Tonight. Moving in Stereo was an impressive track that caught me off guard as well. Did I need to listen to this before I die? Probably not, but I’m glad I did.
I recognised more songs on that album than I expected, and I have no idea why.
Não sei se gostei tanto por falta de atenção ou pelo album realmente não ter falado comigo. De todas as músicas, acho que Moving in Stereo foi a que mais curti. Com certeza preciso ouvir novamente esse álbum em um dia e ambiente mais tranquilo.
Feels like old Weezer Nothing bad, just sounds like something Uma Thurman and John Travolta would be dancing to in Pulp Fiction Going from Just What I needed to I'm in Touch With Your World was rough Very much a pop-product of the times Feels like a drive-in theater
Menevää poprockia! Ainoa syy, miksen nelosta anna, on se, että lisäkuunteluille ei jää kauheesti löydettävää. Just What I Need on kyllä kova ralli.
haven’t listened to in a long time
better than i expected. they kinda don't get a lot of credit for their sound.
This was enjoyable! This new wave/rock album has such good lyrics and fun pop sensibilities, that it was a treat. Sure, some tracks felt like they needed to be freed from the album, but perfection always is hard to attain, right? Stand out track: Just what I needed.
I only naively knew The Cars by the excellent single Drive, and then after hearing this album feel a little foolish on how the Cars were massively prolific prior to that hit and quite a "big deal". No disputing their success when you hear such familiar songs, and boy are they catchy, real poppy rock! But probably an album I'll never re-visit but hey, its an album I HAD to listen to before I've died!
It's wild that the first three tracks were huge hits. My favourites were the last two songs.
Roliga ornament genom albumet och stämsång på vissa låtar. Det var ett varierat sound, några lugna och andra mer fart i sig. Just what I needed var lowkey banger, med bra solo och backup-vocals o rolig syntmelodi i bakgrunden. Roligt när de switchar upp trummorna på ett sätt som inte är predictable. 6/10
Pretty mixed for me. The first half of the album was a really fun listen, but got a bit more mixed as it went on.
I didn't realise I knew the first few tracks from the radio. I think they're supposed to be New Wave but overall the album was very listenable but also a bit boring. Some good tracks but nothing dynamic for me. Vocals reminded me of David Byrne and generally they sound like a bland Talking Heads. But not bad.
Fun, familiar songs. I can see why the ones that aren't familiar didn't make it to the radio. But I kind of like the weirdness.
Quite nice, energetic, but not super special
Un petit côté Queen
будь я римусом люпином в 70х мне бы оч понравилось, но а так не мое ((( звучание крутое бзв «my best friend’s girl» это про милевен + уилл или ))))
ok, 3
I was unaware of this album and band, so this made a fun introduction to the 1001 album project. I had a good time, but the music pales in comparison to the extremely gorgeous cover.
Not bad, but not my vibe
Sounds like someone is heartbroken Fave song: Just What I Needed
Some fun riffs, but can't say a lot of songs really jumped out to me. Decent listen, some songs I'll probably play back individually but didn't really connect with the album in any real way.
One of their better albums.
3.5
Inoffensive classic rocky type stuff.
a few bangers but not suuper captivating
now this is an album i would probably come back to independently! added a few songs to the keeper playlist in earnest!
'80s but not, fun, iconic but not straight bangers. I've discovered there's value beyond the single.
I listened to this twice for some reason and still can't form an opinion - T.
A real banger! Short and sweet!
Rien à signaler, écoute sympathique mais je n'y reviendrai pas forcément
In a way, this is the most New Wave–sounding New Wave album I have come across. Don’t get me wrong, I like it, but I also feel like there is just one weaker track too many for it to truly stand out.
Beige af
I enjoyed it and the music brings back fun memories, but this isn’t an album I would need to listen to on the regular.
A classic rock's classic rock album. Couple of timeless tunes in here. Feels like a high 3.
Voice reminded me of the Talking Heads
So y'all are trying to put me onto my parents music??? Mmmk lol I didn't hate the music though
3/5
3A
Overall a decent album offering lots of new-wave nostalgia. A few good hits, but otherwise the songs sounded a lot a like (especially towards the middle). Standout track: Moving in Stereo
First half is amazing. Second half. Snooze city.
Jolies mélodies, quelques titres sympas.,. Not bad !
Typically not a rock fan but really enjoyed some of these tracks, especially the opening ones. Personally, didn’t enjoy the last two songs that much and some of the tracks felt quite indistinguishable but it was a nice way to start this listening journey :)
If you took a New Wave / Post Punk band like, say Talking Heads or Psychedelic Furs, then sanded off all the edges and applied a high gloss polish, you'd end up with something like The Cars. They're the Post Punk Monkees. Perfectly crafted for FM radio and they're still being played today. If you want depth then head to "More Songs About Buildings and Food". If you want a party soundtrack then this is the one.
Lots of classic songs. More than I thought. Easy listening. Nothing super interesting. Wouldn’t listen again for a while. Nothing I’m dying to come back to.
Very short and sweet. A bit unfortunate because I was just getting into it during the last 2 songs. The whole album seemed cool but a bit mediocre until Bye Bye Love, which I think is the best song on the album. It shows great promise after but it just fails to impress.
Not my favorite genre, but it's cool to learn new styles and train my ear so 6.5 out of 10
This was fun. 3.5
pop
Fajny album, chłopaki ciekawie grają, mają przyjemne brzmienie. W zasadzie każdy kawałek jest spoko i buja. Mnie chyba "Moving in Stereo" najbardziej zapadł w pamięć. Za każdym razem, kiedy leciał, to zwracałem na niego większą uwagę. Czy będę wracał? Pewnie nie, bo za dużo jest albumów z tego okresu i z relatywnie podobnym brzmieniem. Ale zasługuje na sympatię, to kawał fajnego rocka. 7/10
Fun pop - very ‘of its time’.
особо не зашло, но без негатива.
This album was really good especially making me feel more with the 1970s - 80s rock. This is a great album for a road trip with wind blowing and a sun setting.
Pretty average. Best song is obviously Just what I needed. It's got that really early days of rock sound to it. A bit too pop-y for my liking
Pillar type man type boomer type rock type shit
Couple of good songs, vocals reminded me of XTC occasionally for some reason which I really enjoyed, but it's not exactly for me
A bit ordinary
Fun first album, loved listening to moving in stereo.
top 3: - my best friends girl - just what i needed - bye bye love
Wow holy shit
Not at all what I expected. It’s good but not my style
I’ve always enjoyed their music when it comes on the radio. Probably the first time listening to an album through. It was cool.
Good classic rock, nothing stands out
нууу сойдет. как-то не очень интересно тбх
Solid
Interesting and intricate Wave/indy/synth rock.
Ooo pretty cool but for sure not my thing. Probs about a 6/10 for me but I do actually quite like it
Kult, liker hvordan de bruker synth. Et parr av låtebe var ganske gode og et par ganske kjedelige.
Not bad. The vibe was what I imagine what high schoolers played in the 80s while they were parking lmao.
the one song I know was decent, but the rest is just mid now Would I listen again? No Deserves to be on this list? No 2.8
6/10 sorry 😞
Solid but only the last 3 worth listening to again
Album includes popular songs I’ve heard before like Good Times Roll, My Best Friend’s Girl & Just What I Needed. Fav *new* Song : All Mixed Up Album is fun but most likely would never listen to it if it was in my collection.
6.5/10
6 - AVERAGE
3 stars This is a perfect example of a good album that I’ve listened to a bunch and will continue to listen to but that is not necessarily an album one must listen to before they die. It’s good but it’s not spectacular. The Cars are a “fine” band and is their finest album.
Thumbs up for Just What I Needed, Good Times Roll, and My Best Friend's Girl
3.5 stars
Favorite track(s): Just What I Needed, Don't Cha Stop
2e moitié de l’abum commence à être plus intéressant, avec des structures plus éclatées.
Meh
Good but ultimately forgettable.
6/10 Favourite: Just What I Needed Least Favourite: I'm in Touch With Your World
Nice! Just one stand out song but not bad
Some fillers but mostly enjoyable
Had some good stuff and minimal bad stuff but mostly in the middle for me
another ok from me
Glossy shiny pop, full of hooks.
Know the album and the artist. I know several of their other albums, and I do feel that their other albums were better as a whole, such a Candy-O or Heartbeat City. Probably a hot take.
Great 70's rock, gotta love it
01) Good Times Roll - 8,0 02) My Best Friend's Girl - 8,0 03) Just What I Needed - 7,5 04) I'm in Touch with Your World - 6,5 05) Don't Cha Stop - 6,5 06) You're All I've Got Tonight - 7,0 07) Bye Bye Love - 7,0 08) Moving in Stereo - 7,0 09) All Mixed Up - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,17 (72/100) Current ranking: 395/743
I was quite excited for this album and it sounds pretty similar to what I thought and I loved it. Some songs were at times annoying and underwhelming but then u had beautiful moments throughout. This was an enjoyable record without many flaws and I kept liking it more and more. Favourite songs were Bye Bye Love by far. Overall I enjoyed this and I’m giving it a solid 7.9/10
I was quite excited for this one. I love "Just What I Needed"! and "Cars"... wait, idiot... that's the Gary Numan song. What other Cars songs do I know? Let's see... uh... hm. Nope. Okay, well that's fine. I do like "Just What I Needed", so I'm sure the rest of the album is probably just as good. Fun rock stuff with great energy, right? Oh. It's... fine? Underwhelming? Ah. okay. I mean it's not bad at least... Overall, worthy of a 3.
Okänt för mig. Lite gött så där men inte min vanliga musiksmak. En objektiv 3a från mig.
Holy moly, an album that I've heard every song on the radio beforehand. Honestly, a solid listen with upbeat easy listenings.
The Cars’ self-titled debut is one of those albums that always seems to appear on “essential” lists, and while I can understand why, I can’t quite share the same level of excitement. The band blend pop, new wave and rock with a sleek, radio-ready polish, and the results are undeniably catchy — 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘔𝘺 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥’𝘴 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭, and 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘭 are deserved classics. But beyond those hooks, the album doesn’t fully captivate me; it’s well-constructed, clever and cool, yet emotionally distant and a little too glossy to truly hit hard. I like it — I just don’t love it. A solid, enjoyable listen that feels more like a perfectly engineered product than a record I’ll return to often.
Kind of boring
Fine pop rock
Excellent first three songs. The rest are meh.
Bra poprock i den där fina blandningen av det gamla (sextiotal, glamrock) och det nya (syntar, new age). Men det är ju inte en klassiker. Stark trea
Not bad, I recognized a few songs. They all kinda sounded the same. World in Stereo is cool. Decent rock with some proto synth-pop elements.
Ric, you wasted all MY time. Jk, this album is OK. 3/5
This cover is terrifying, but the album is good. Has a couple of stand outs, and on average it’s pretty fun. It has a nice playful, uplifting vibe to it. Nothing overly exciting, but I liked it. 7/10
Not bad, pretty fun with a couple of standout tracks. Nice synthy bits
Rock classico e leggero, ci piace. Calmo ma abbastanza pompo quando deve.
Loved the sound but didn’t grab me
Strong start to the album, then fades.
Hard to rate today’s, I feel high 3 but it warrants another listen for sure, it’s pretty interesting especially for its time
Another inoffensive album that is fine but doesn't stand out 3
was nice
So 80s. Although it was from the 70s.
Yeah OK
New wave classic dad rock. You can hear the 80s sound trying to break free in this late 70s album. There’s four hit songs on here that most will instantly recognize; whether or not you like them is up to you. I thought this album was fine, but a little lacking for me. Another 3/5
3,5. Godt
An easy way to go back to the 80s and have a nice time. Some timeless hits. A few make it into my library. would listen again.
Even though this album has a number of hits and hooks, it falls surprisingly flat for me. "Just What I Needed" deserves its classic status, and I appreciate the other songs that have become staples...but I also don't have much of a desire to listen to any of them. Shrug emoji?
Album correct. De la musique qui se tient, des tounes bien ficelées, de bonnes mélodies et lignes de basses... mais ça ne me rejoint pas.
Has some bangers
Nice synth, but that’s all
This has all the hits and is a solid new wave rock/pop album, but when it comes to the Cars, I'm more of a sitting in the wayback than a driver seat kind of fan
only one good song on here
ok
Light 3,5
The music is new to me, and the title track is exciting. By by Love is exciting, as is Movin in Stereo, where you can still hear the old daring steps. A solid 3 out of 5.
I had no idea what to expect from this album, but I can honestly say I enjoyed it for the most part. There were many fun synth leads over tangy guitar riffs which I really enjoyed. But besides the production I didn’t love the lead vocalist’s voice and I thought many lines in the project were unnecessary and corny. My 3 highlight tracks were, Just what I needed, Bye Bye Love, and Moving in Stereo.
This is what I’m here for — classic albums that I’ve never heard before (for whatever reason). And as someone who believes that good art is well edited art (movies should, with rare exception, be no longer than 100 minutes) I am thrilled by the 35-minute run time. That’s a tightly composed album. Even Illmatic is 39 minutes! I wonder how much of that is due to the constraints of the physical product — vinyl (the main media at the time) encouraged recording shorter albums that could be pressed to one record. Whereas Orton had the luxury of CDs and their significantly longer run time. Anyhow, on to the music. Turns out I know the first two songs really well. Like they were huge. The rest of the album is an interesting conglomeration of punkish riffs, electro bleeping and upbeat pop lyrics. While it’s an enjoyable ride, if I’m being honest, I’m probably not revisiting this one any time soon. Also, totally expected “I want you to want me” to be on this album. Fact check: that song was recorded by Cheap Trick. Oh well.
For an album that has so many songs continually playing on classic rock radio, I never really connected with this one. It is a good album but something about it just makes me want to pass. I like a few of the songs a lot and when they come on even think to myself 'oh I forgot about this song!' but I still don't think I would buy this and listen to it all the time. Maybe it's just too generic sounding for me? I don't know. I can't really pinpoint any complaints but I just have never been blown away by this one. 3/5
3 estrelas
This is fun. Just simple classic rock. Nothing crazy impressive or anything here, but definitely great! The first three songs are sooo great! Liked Songs: "Good Times Roll" , "My Best Friend's Girl" , "Just What I Needed" , "Don't Cha Stop" , "Bye Bye Love" , "All Mixed Up"
Good 3.25
Fun listen but nothing too memorable.
Very very fun record. I forgot how many hits this group had until listening to this album in full. Every song has such a positive and energetic vibe to it and makes it a real delight to listen to. Technically not an 80s album, but setting the mood for what's to come. Before beginning this project, 80s was my least favorite decade, but I'm slowly coming around to it.
Fun, I liked it. Great sound, quality mix. Bunch of songs that I've heard already but didn't know the band.
one good song
#2 in the list, great album with some bangers!
It’s ok
A pretty good one to start up again with, idk I enjoyed most of the songs, but it doesn’t feel like a wow album as a whole either, fairly middle of the road
After reading the reviews I thought I’d recognise some of these tracks - but completely new to me! Nothing really grabbed me though, it was fine but probably won’t get another spin.
meh 2-3
It’s a solid 3, maybe higher. Some good tracks though jumps around reaching back to the 50s but ahead of its time with an 80s sound.
Nice
I remember my first introduction to the Cars by the father of a former girlfriend of mine and listening to this album in university. It's a hat trick of radio hits to kick it off, but the filler that follows weighs the album as a whole down a bit. Still, a good contribution to this list.
It’s just middling. Nothing horrific but nothing exceptional about it
3 out of 5. Some good songs here, makes me more excited to see if any of their later albums make it on here.
It was okay, I didn't have a strong opinion.
just what i needed is one of my top songs for the year, wish i loved the whole album just as much, still a good album and i would listen again and give another go.
Algumas boas, mas achei mediano. Ponto alto foi a bye love.
Музыка: 6/10 Разнообразие: 4/10 Тематика и вайб: 7/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 4/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 6/10 Итог: 5.4
huh
Album de rock Assez quelconque
Good songs, but cars won’t be my fav 80s artist
Underratedly quirky, but keeps its pop rock sensibilities. Just What I Needed is an all-time 10/10 radio single. If it comes on the radio and you don’t turn up the volume, that is a complete musical atrocity.
The hits are classics. The rest is "meh".
Good fun, but I don’t need it in my library
The classics are classic, the rest of the album is solid and very cards. Good smooth jams. Rating: 3.4/5
Vroooooooom
I enjoyed listening to this album, it was pretty good.
I'm going to start this out with a useful metaphor: basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1892 but our national teams were utterly dominated by other countries until very recently. Catchy, radio-friendly rock from the tail end of the 70's -- the decade arguably most dominated by rock radio. You could pick any of the first three tracks ('Good Times Roll', 'My Best Friend's Girl' and 'Just What I Needed'; all singles) and get a sense of the album as a whole. 'Just What I Needed' is my standout for the album, as a whole. The record rolls along competently with polish, pout (thanks to bassist Benjamin Orr, and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, who both sing lead) and propulsive drums. The synths meander around in the background with a tone that sounds a bit sci-fi, but not in an unpleasant way. The whole affair sounds a bit cheesy to my 2025 ears but that's probably a function of time. As much as The Cars sound like the geometric centroid of all radio rock (not quite Styx, not quite Supertramp, nor BTO, nor Genesis; neither blues nor pop), to some extent that's because that common thread of rock & roll they identified was turned into a template after them. There's a whole genre of bands that refined and polished that median rock template over time (Cheap Trick begat The Cars begat The Replacements and on and on) and the result is that their imitators have made their music sound generic. There's something to be said for the skill and talent and hard work it takes to chart (or direct) the zeitgeist of rock so precisely. On the other hand, it's the most supremely radio-friendly rock you could find and you've listened to it before -- whether you've heard this album or not. It's the most broadly palatable cafeteria lunch you've ever seen -- your whole office is perfectly satisfied by it and yet you'd never bring a date to impress them. You could probably put The Cars on at a party and nobody would notice the music at all. I guess that makes this the perfect 3/5 record. It's all totally competent music and I'd never come back to this out of craving for something. You should give it a listen: between the harmonies, the early melodic use of synths, the falsetto leads and the concise guitar solos and the straight, clean toms rhythms, you'll catch things that other bands you actually love have borrowed from. And then you'll go back to listening to those other bands, anyway. The Cars might've invented something like basketball, but other bands are still beating them at it.
Nice easy listen
Boring as an album, has some highlights though
This seems incredibly safe, and somewhat formulaic.
Not bad, just what I needed was a good track
The Cars' debut album of the same name is a wild mix of classic rock guitars, new wave vocals, art rock keyboards and synthesizers, psychedelic drums, distinctive but minimal bass, wild experimental sounds, and 70s cheesiness. Remarkably, this balancing act is largely successful, which I believe is largely due to the simple but compelling compositions, the coherent production, and the truly strong vocal harmonies. Under the conditions described, less is often more, so the more straightforward songs like “Just What I Needed” and “Don't Cha Stop” work best. Of the more opulent songs, I can recommend “You're All I've Got Tonight” and “All Mixed Up.”
Sounds decent but nothing special to my ears. Pioneering a sound is of course impressive. Going back to the original after hearing the things that came after almost always makes it sound less impressive than it was at the time. The album is varied and there is some nice sounds and beats in it. The main feeling I get when I listen to the album is nostalgia, and it makes me feel like I'm outside with friends on a warm summer night. There is nothing I would say I dislike about the album, but none of the tracks are standouts to me. Will probably never play again, but wouldn't mind listening to it again if someone else puts it on.
I understand why people like this but it was not just what I needed.
It's the cars baby
Some familiar bangers, but otherwise…
It was okay, I wouldn't switch away but I won't be seeking it out again.
Fun but forgettable, not too many things that stand out or shock 3/5
Perfectly passable pop album without any standout performances for me. I could see people be really into this one, but without any nostalgia it's nothing I haven't heard before
esse disco tem tudo pra eu gostar mas só não rola. Não tenho como desmerecer mas sei lá por que ele não fica na minha cabeça
I've gotten a lot of albums already where I'm like ugh not another old people band, and this one is no different. I know one The Cars song and it's THAT ONE so what we have here is not like that song. But almost immediately I can hear how it's influenced a lot of 90s rock and post punk like Weezer, the Pixies and even indie sleaze - LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes for sure. I'm really digging this. I'm sure it shook things up a lot in 1978. But it does not include THAT SONG which came much later coz the vibe of this album - punky, precise, synthy, sunglasses at night - is so far away from THAT SONG.
ehhh... kinda good ig !?
Very easy to listen to - pleasant way to pass 3/4 of an hour
3+, dobry początek, charakterystyczne brzmienie ale po pierwszych kilku utworach staje się zbyt powtarzalny
coś co bym puścił pubie
Ouais c’était sympa, bien rythmé Plutôt rapide on se fait plaisir, après je trouve que ça casse pas 3 pattes à un canard
Plutôt sympa
I have to admit that I had never heard of The Cars before. And while this is probably not a record for the eternities, it was fun to listen to and more than (unknowingly) expected. I liked the simplicity of the rock songs, the often times clean and crisp guitar and bass lines, but also the synth pop elements and the Queen-like choir parts. Probably quite at the forefront for a late 70s album. Worst thing is the cover that surprisingly matches bad AI art from 1-2 years ago ;) Highlights: My favourite tracks were „Just what I needed“ and „Don‘t Cha Stop“.
Not great not bad felt the lyrics were particularly monothematic and didn't particularly show much variety. Orchestration of the songs and instruments were alright albeit not particularly to inspired
This is a nice little album, some brilliant tracks here and then some very middle of the road songs. But I think on the whole I enjoyed it enough to listen again in the future. My previous experience of Cars was from Band/Live Aid using drive over a montage of starving people in Ethiopia back in 1985 so it good to hear what else they did. All mixed up is a banger!
Im sad that this website only lets you rate albums in full stars as this album would probably have landed a 3.5. I really enjoyed it in the beginning, would love to listen to the first two songs in a car on a warm summer day on my way to a beach. But it loses me somewhat after that, definitely has a lot of moments and I could see it growing on me, might pick up again.
Kind of easy to listen to, I like the use of synths, it sometimes reminded me of ELO, but for me there wasn't a melody that stood out or lyrics that sprung out. With their sleek, mechanical sound inspired by proto-punk, garage rock, and bubblegum pop, Boston-based quintet the Cars racked up a string of platinum albums and Top 40 singles, becoming the most successful American new wave band of the late '70s and early '80s. They had enough rock & roll attitude to cross over to album rock radio, while still being heavily influenced by the art rock of artists like , , and . Their first two albums (1978's The Cars and 1979's Candy-O) were new wave classics; their fifth album, 1984's Heartbeat City, was a modern pop masterpiece fueled by a run of videos that became MTV staples. The Cars broke up in 1988, but their music's popularity and influence never faded. This continued interest led to the band reuniting twice, in the mid-2000s without and (who passed away in 2000) and again in 2011 with all the living members involved.
I dunno, i feel like I should like the Cars more than I do, but its always just milquetoast to me.
Eh, feels like a parody that I have heard in ads my entire life.
Satisfactory US new wave.
Very classic rock, enjoyable, though became repetitive towards the end. 3.
You're telling me that a group of cars, with tires for hands, made this music? Fuck outta here
quaintly agreeable and from its time
No es el tipo de album que escucharía, tendría que darle mas de una escuchada. Pero el ingenio en las figuras ritmicas y los riffs, me parecio algo muy resaltante, muy probablemente lo tendría que escuchar de nuevo para sacar encontrar mas cosas.
Not bad with some familiar hits
There's something classic in here and something mundane. It's like I'm at the pub again.
We hebben wel eens vaker van die jarentachtigmeuk gehad, met gekke piepjes en zo'n aanstellerig stemmetje. Het werkt deze keer niet op de zenuwen en het het werkt niet op het gemoed. Met andere woorden, 35 minuten van m'n leven die ik nooit meer terugkrijg.
Classic dad rock album.
Pleasant rock. Not too exciting
Catchy
Solid new wave album with some awesome tunes. Crazy that this was 1978 and not early 80s.
Some great tracks on here, but it sags in the middle. Also, I wasn't a big fan of the lyrics. I found them very "fine".
New wave
So much new wave in this list. These guys are pretty good though
Alright
If the whole album was only, Just What I Needed, it would be a 6/5 Unfortunately it’s not Moving in Stereo is gas tho
ts is NOT timeless. synthy riffs are awesome esp on just what i needed and you’re all i got tonight bye bye love has a great guitar riff every other phrase. good vocals and instrumentation
A solid album if not my favorite. First three songs are classics.
Never heard of this bad, or familiar with any of their songs on this album. It’s got that very new wave mechanical robotic sound, which to be honest a lot of the music of this era sounds like this so it is hard to differentiate for me to what makes it’s so special. I’m sure people who understand the technical aspects of sound making would really appreciate that side of it more. It’s a fun album, my stand out track was My Best Friends Girl, that got added to my playlist as I will definitely be dancing around to that again. A very good listenable album with no skips
Absolutely fine. Not what I expected. I expected synths, and I don't know why. Maybe the cover art. It was fun for a bit, but ultimately I won't be returning to this. Looks like I struggle with some albums from this era. Something to do with the thin production.
Better than expected, having only heard ‘drive’ before. Good pop songs, some boring generic rock shite too
eh
The Cars
great!
One of those albums where I don't really understand the five stars, but I'm happy for those who love it. Just felt very basic to me.
I was not really in this mode when listening. Maybe another day would have meant more stars but today it is a 3. I can hear later punk bands and also a bit of Queen in the vocals which is a good mix. However the lyrics are a bit too monotonous for me.
Bit of a mixed bag and don't know this as an album. I know some of the tracks though, so I might have a greatest hits lurking somewhere. Not a favourite, but definitely would listen again.
Kinda fun early synth rock albumpje, niet verkeerd, maar af en toe beetje gedateerd en niet alle nummers even memorabel.
Het irritantste vond ik de delen waar de band samen als een koor de lyrics zongen, maar bij bijv youre all I got tonight begon ik eraan te wennen. Wel geinig om naar te luisteren, maar ook weer niet echt nummers waarbij ik denk: omg wauw dit is geweldig.
Wel geinige Proto 80s rock
Many songs of my youth and enjoyed hearing them! Unknown songs I didn't like as much sure to the vocals.
I remember this being fine, and it was a little more than fine. I don't love Ric Ocasek's voice and there's a lot of synth timbres that sound off the shelf - sometimes charming, sometimes amateur.
It's got some good songs but also some weird little ones
Gostei
Good album! I have not heard it complete before and it was a pleasant surprise.
Acho que nunca tinha ouvido. Um pouco new wave, nao diria que é muito, diria que é pop!! Legal! Ouviria mais e vou ouvir os outros albuns, quiçá neh...nao vou prometer...
4/1001 The Cars 'The Cars' 1978 The hits are instantly recognisable, but the rest of the album is forgettable. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Average 5/10
I liked it
It was cute. I only knew “just what I needed” but I enjoyed the rest enough. It’s middle of the road though
Whoa, it sounds like Sparks if they weren't funny
Even tho i'm not a big fan of rock, cars and gas this was good
Late 70s new wave. Pleasant enough.
Perfectly pleasant American rock, but nothing special.
A lot of classic songs but a bit flat for me
bien un poco de aire fresco en el pop
3*
As an ideal listener, aka someone who owns multiple automotives, I felt like I was listening to a devo album, which prompted me to realize this came out the same year as the first devo album, so I really don't know who did it first but well done either way. My parents were probably hooking up to these tunes so I'm not going to be listening much after this day. Props to the Cars for making an energy efficient album with no speed bumps.
Decent with a few great guitar solos 3.3
I felt meh about it.. not for me
Feels like dad rock that tries to be cool. It's pretty good though, despite that
i liked the first part more than the second
A corny, boring waste of time. Half the instruments sound like they're recorded in another room. Can't quite give it a 2.
Katchow
very much collection of singles rather than a whole album. good music, not for me tbh
A good new wave album. Lot's of familiar songs. Does feel like a distilled version of what David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Talking Heads were already doing, but more accessible and pop. Enjoyable, but it doesn't blow my mind.
Ok, meget anonym. Lille 3’er
Rigtig gode numre!
I can imagine how these songs were bangers on the radio in 78. There's still a few good ones though, the rest is pretty generic. Small 3!
Eh, it was alright.
Album starts with some heaters and I was vibing but quickly got stale for me after that. Drum parts weren’t very interesting and felt stiff. Can respect the fact they inspired many to come
Some lf the album tracks such as “I’m In Touch With Your World” are more interesting than I expected from knowing the hits.
A strong 3. Ric Ocasek is an underrated and influential figure in the history of rock.
many iconic tracks, easy to listen, nothing ground breaking, but nothing offensive
College Favorite... decent trip down memory lane... in a car ;-)
3.5* 82%
Recognised the song “My Best Friend’s Girl” but didn’t know anything else prior to listening. I really liked the guitars and the synth elements throughout the album. A lot of it sounded familiar in a way I couldn’t place my finger on. I assume that means they’re featured on soundtracks I’ve heard or else have heavily influenced other artists i have listened to (David Byrne and Scissor Sisters comes to mind)
.Just What I Needed! As duas primeiras são bem fraquinhas na minha opinião.. os refrões desse album ficam irritantes as vezes. Mas pra compensar, as guitarras são um tesão do comeco ao fim. Mas fora isso, album bem mediano. Pop agradavel e gostosinho de botar pra ouvir sem pensar muito. 3.5/5
Not quite a 4
Wow that was relly gud.
I’ve known of The Cars and have heard pretty much this whole album as one off songs, but I didn’t know any of the songs as The Cars before today. There’s nothing special about this band or album. The first 3 tracks are deeply rooted in Americana rock history, but are honestly mediocre songs are any era. They have a good harmonizing cadence that they find a hook and chant it for a few minutes over decent guitar riffs. Overall the vibe is cheesy 70s pop rock, not bad as a throw in song on a mix, but whole album, even at 35 minutes, is too much. 5/10 #52/1001
Some great songs at the beginning and then a bunch of filler
I ignored this when it came out as we already had Blondie , Talking Heads , The Clash , The Jam , The Dammed etc etc etc. I thought this was just mid 70s AOR..... How wrong I was. This was my first time hearing this and it's pretty good.