The Cars

It's a classic 80's album that got a ton of airplay in my childhood. It was so light-hearted and surface that it made a weird soundtrack to the young Gen X'ers growing up. I'm in Touch With Your World is the worst of it quickly followed by Doncha Stop which is also bad. Bye Bye Love has stood the test of time better than others, but then the guitar riffs and keyboard in the beginning of Moving in Stereo are still also pretty epic. This is a solid and outstanding 80's album. All Mixed Up should have been left off the album.

Love all of the usual suspects on this album. If the Cars are playing on the radio, that's where my scanning stops. I didn't like the non-radio-played stuff. This isn't the kind of album I'd put on and listen to start to finish. The Cars are kind of like chocolate mousse or egg nog -- a little goes a long way. That's why it's a 3-star album and not 4.

Ric Ocasek and The Cars clearly helped create the 1980s. The lingering legacy of the 70s flows into the 80s directly through this album. There are a few superb pop song classics here, so superb that they almost sound like foundational pieces of early rock and roll covered in a slightly new style. Unfortunately, the songs from "The Cars" that were not hits fall pretty flat.

Really a 3.5, I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. This might be my favorite 80s album that isn't really an 80s album, probably because the rock is more prominent and the synth didn't totally take over.

I’m impressed at how many of these songs I’ve heard of but didn’t know they are by The Cars. I think this is a sound ahead of it’s time because I would have bet heavily they were all 80s songs. There are some commendable sonic pieces: the higher pitched guitar note at the end of the measures/phrases in Good Times Roll, the hand muted riff for My Best Friend’s Girl…so crisp, same for Just What I Needed, and the keyboard part on Moving In Stereo. Ric Ocasek knew how to write a tight pop song. Upon multiple listens I get tired of the repetitive nature for some of them though. And there is not not so great filler in the middle of the album.

Good selection of well-crafted pop songs, although I wish it had more songs like Moving in Stereo.

Pretty ok classic rock album

Not their best but not bad

It took me a few listens to appreciate the album more than I originally did. This is a decent album. Great vocals and a good band. Surprisingly crisp arrangements for an album that seemed to pre herald the arrival of the 80s. The best songs are the first three (with My Best Friends Girl being the stand out for me). Moving In Stereo is a almost witty experimental exercise in word painting and an unexpected highlight for me was I'm In Touch With Your World. The album closes strongly with All Mixed Up. Special mention too for You've All I've Got Tonight. This all being said, the album didn't click for me as much as others from the same time period have. 3.5/5

U.S. Power pop including 2 massive singles from my youth. I don't hold it in such high esteem as others but it is a solid affair. Good production. Tails off a little on the second side. 3.5

This is the definition of average. Not bad, not good. I didn't have a good time listening to it, and I didn't have a bad time.

Probably an album I wouldn’t come back to, especially given how a few of the songs I’ve heard on classic rock stations numerous times. Regardless, was surprised to find that the rest of album is solid as well. Cool to find out they originated in Boston. Definitely an interesting mix of classic rock mixed with new wave synth sounds.

I have come to love short albums 3

Rockig bis smooth

Post-Punk or New Wave? UK or US taxonomy? Ah, who cares. Interesting artefact from a long gone era.

не успела за день осознать

Lots of classics on this album, feel like I’d heard it all at least once before

Una disco que me sorprendió porque no los conocía y me gustó. Quizás no sea muy original el estilo, sino más bien que toman cosas del rock de la época pero las incorporan de muy buena manera y buen gusto, se escuchan por ahí unos tintes a Bowie y a Queen que me encantaron.

Eh it's alright

was into the instrumentals but the vocals were kind of annoying on a lot of tracks favorite tracks: just what i needed you're all i've got tonight bye bye love all mixed up least favorite: dont cha stop i'm in touch with your world second half was much better than the first

Unflashy, just the middle ground

pretty good. will prob come back to it

The production is cool and the instrumentals are tight but it s just too poppy for me a

- one of my favourite album covers ever, don't exactly know how it makes me feel, but it has a weird magnetism and I'm indescribably attracted and drawn to it. - the music was fairly basic rock music especially for the time; it was overall enjoyable but I really didn't get all that much from it at all.

The hits are great. The rest is pretty terrible.

bueno para la ruta

Apparently, even the band though this album should be called \"The Cars' Greatest Hits\". Front-loaded with three all-time great singles, many of the remaining tracks are staples of American AOR radio (although less so here). And they are really catchy singles, that still sound fresh, and helped create the formula for American New Wave. Are the watered down Cars- wannabees to blame for the relatively anodyne nature of American New Wave, especially when compared to English post-punk? Can we entirely blame the Cars for their pale imitators? This was so heavily imitated over the following decade. Clearly, this was super-influential on 80s pop, especially in America, for better or worse. Really, this is fairly typical pop-rock, dressed up in clean, fresh sounding production (courtesy of Roy Thomas Baker). The keyboards are the real stand-out feature on this record, and the thing that lifts it above its U.S. peers. The Cars are a 'radio band' for me; I enjoy their songs when they come on the radio, but I don't think I would ever choose to put one of their records on the turntable. I might buy a copy if I found one for <$10, but I would only ever play side 1 (and probably lift the needle after \"Just What I Needed\").

Surprised these boys are from Boston - they sound totally British new wave and I definitely hear British inflection in the vocals. Simple songs but effective - good pop. I love the synths in this album good mix of digital and analog including the legendary Roland jupiter-8. Good. 3.5

Enjoyable, just not memorable

Similar to the Talking Heads, this is synth pop-rock that is just not quite there yet. Relatively monotonous, it's a little bit of everything but not enough in either direction. Very neutral

Classic Sound and Album from 1978. Quite a few hits on this album. Was never a hugh Cars fan but this album is solid.

listen

Not a fan

This album is the epitome of “3 stars”: fun at times, but it’s still inoffensive 80s rock. I get that the synths and the singing is cool, I don’t see this as some new-wave masterpiece.

Bit too much Queen in there, but definite power pop roots of Weezer.

Enjoy the guitars on this, a bit different to what I normally like.

A step away from the prevalent disco of that era. The promise that was all the best of 80s music.....

A nice listen

Apparently the bass player (deceased) was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but they sure had a great sound together. I wish they had just kept cranking out the albums. This is the sound of the early eighties and the beginning of MTv. Iconic. I only really enjoy the first three songs on the first side. Ah, the days of albums when you could bury the crap on the second side. The bigger your hits off the first side, the smaller the chance that anyone would ever bother to play the second side. The Cars used to rehearse and record in a storefront in Boston.

A lot of hits here. I get why people like The Cars but it's just too poppy for me. Iconic though.

This sounds like the year it was released. Perhaps a Holden Gemini

p415. 1978. 3 stars I knew the singles, but never listened to the album. This is good stuff - quality power pop, echoes of Blondie. The singles are the standout tracks, the rest is well done but not memorable. Short and sweet, still holds up today.

I mean...yeah, I get the appeal. You can definitely see why this album has a lot of nostalgia for the Boomer and Gen X crowds (at least, based on what some folks have told me). It's a fun album. Solid addition to this list. Can't say it's an automatic five-star for me but it's absolutely worth a listen. Fave track: Just What I Needed. How could it not be? It was just what I needed.

Lightweight, poppy, not stood the test of time. Was very enamoured of this record as an 18 year old mind.

Niet zo speciaal

Overall groovy vibe, probably would have enjoyed this more if I was jamming out to it at the time of release

This was close to being good. Some good tracks just not a fan of the vocal style. Also think I'm going to have nightmares about the crop of the album art that Spotify decided on...

Kachow! This was fine.

Catchy tunes, but a bit dated

Throwing a toaster into a bubble bath full of toddlers isn't normally how I get to spend my weekends, but on those special occasions when the stars align and there's a certain magic in the air, I will find myself doing exactly that. I've never questioned why I have such a desire to do it, it must just be hard wired into me from when I was growing up. My parents always seemed fairly relaxed and my household was full of life and joy interjected with the occasional blazing row. This was only because we love eachother and I'd imagine it was pretty typical of most nuclear families in the 70s. Every few weeks I would beg my mother to allow me to have a sleepover with my school friends, to which she would reluctantly agree. I remember playing all day, eating junk food and just having such a laugh. We would play in the fields behind the house until dusk, but this would often lead to us being covered in a musky cocktail of sweat and mud by the time we were done. Mum would send us all up to the bath and we would all jump in together, like we were celebrating an FA Cup triumph. I would usually insist that I was clean first and would leave the bath having barely got my armpits damp. I would head into the kitchen, unplug the toaster and run back upstairs. The other kids were still lathering eachother up, having a great time and I just casually tossed the toaster in, killing them all instantly. I remember the feeling of overwhelming happiness coursing through me. Such a thrill. We buried the bodies in the same fields we had played in just hours before and didn't mention it again. The police found no evidence and we were free to do the same thing again and again without anyone becoming suspicious of the children going missing at our house or the sheer volumes of toasters my family was purchasing. More innocent times.

You might say - The Cars remind me of the guy who begins a fuck with lots of promise but then pulls back at exactly the wrong moment, forcing you to resort to your fingers to finish the job. -but I wouldn't.

Good this. I bet Partridge is a fan. Good driving music. I might buy driving gloves. Vegan ones obviously. Well done everyone. Cook Pass Babtridge.

Maybe I need to give it another listen but this album seemed to blur into one long bland classical rock track. Good in general but nothing stood out to me.

Favorites: Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, You're All I've Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, All Mixed Up

Started strong, I was really enjoying the album, but it started to lose me, maybe it's my attention span this morning. Where's my ritalin?

Das Cover WARUM?!?! Sehr tight, ganz lustige pop-rock nummern, ironisch überspitzt öfters mal. Im vergleich zum gestrigen Album sehr easy listening, gut für eine AUTOFAHRT geeignet xD Rocky Horror hört man manchmal, und klingen irgendwie wie die Vorfahren der Viagra Boys auf 80er. hat mir überraschend irgendwie getaugt - hab mich allerdings einen Tag später an kein Lied erinnern können, darum nur mittelmaß

expect 3. not offensive not terrible.

persoanlly it hasn't aged that well, but still good for what it is

liked this album more than i thought, not my favorite though

Some fun new wave. This list does have a lot of new wave, this is somewhere in the middle of the previous ones

alright

Not a favorite of mine, the genre. The hits are decent. Highlight Tracks: 1,2,3,6

I know i've listened to this once or twice in 2020 or 2021. Decent power pop album.

A reoccuring theme in rock'n'roll music is the want to fuck your boys girl.

Proto-post-punk, some een beetje te classic rock.

6/10

Just What I Needed might be my favorite song off of the album. So far the album feels upbeat and full of joy. The odd background synths overlaid over strong guitar riffs and consistent high hat rhythms are very neat. In touch with your world - has a really lovely groovy guitar lick as the song opens. Whimsical noises really add to the instrumentation of the song. A whistle is included as is a metronome sound? Shimmering synths chime in and out in a gorgeous fashion. -You're all I've got tonight - driven by drumset. Power chords by lead guitar. Vocally fairly simple. -Moving in Stereo has a fun and bright background synth melody

undeniably a classic with tons of great hooks and radio hits that have been huge forever, but I'm just not a big new wave guy

3.5/5 i'll have to relisten

urgh it's gonna be new wave, I just know it. Ok yea it is, but it's got a bit more rock in it than later new wave. I'd still prefer this genre didn't exist but I'll give this 3/5 cause it's so short and didn't drive me up the wall in that time.

Don’t like but good

Noting it is a strong 3… a fun ride… hehe

It was fine. One or two jams.

Okay. Quite good, but not what I expected

Nothing really jumped out at me. Maybe I was too afk doing work, but it really just sort of... melded into the background. Nothing like a Dave Brubeck that really captures your attention.

Nice and jammy, some songs had queen vibes for me. Casual, definitely from the late 70's, liked it, but not crazy abuot it.

Agradable, letras sin complicaciones

Classic hits. Good background/driving music

Doesn't really have the song-to-song magic of Heartbeat City for me but still a strong album, especially for a debut. Just What I Needed was..... a high school classic for a boy like me Already Saved: Just What I Needed Saved After Listening: My Best Friend's Girl, Moving in Stereo*

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Just What I Needed, Don't Cha Stop, Bye Bye Love Cutting Edge: My Best Friend's Girl Overall Notes: I knew a little about the Cars (ie just Shake It Up) but I'd heard that they were one of the most underrated New Wave bands by the mainstream, despite the fact that I wasn't a huge fan. Sure enough, this was not very good on first listen, mostly because of what I feel to be fairly laidback vocals. However, repeat listens uncovered sublime little bits of guitar, base, and drums that elevated the album from a 2 to a 3. Don't think I'm in Touch with Your World got away though, that track is HORRID.

easy rock listening, nothing outstanding.

There were many excellent songs on here but this one falls into the trap of being too popular and becoming generic.

Catchy moments but overall makes me feel unsatisfied. All the songs were enjoyable but none of them left me with the sense of awe, or the feeling of having to go back to it.The vocal production has too much reverb for my liking. The standout song for me was "Just What I Needed It," for the punchy guitars, the sharp synths, and the straight-to-the-point lyrics.

8. The Cars - The Cars. 9 tracks. What a pleasant surprise this was. Not all tracks are great but the one's that are make the album well worth a listen. Just what I needed is just what I needed. 3/5.

Didn't really like it. But theres some interesting songs i like

Maomeno

Vrolijk album met leuke deuntjes. Heel goed te luisteren, maar ook bij dit album mis ik weer de x-factor om het echt bijzonder te vinden. ***

Mwah

Saai

Very good music, but the 80s super-clean production makes it sound very sterile.

Great stuff, enjoyable new wave pop, particularly on classics like My Best Friends Girl & Just What I Needed.

A bit of a shaky start in that a couple of the earlier tracks reall are not to my taste, but on the whole it’s a really enjoyable album with a couple of great tracks. Definitely worth a revisit

Fun guitar and odd singing, but it works. A band I'd never listened to, so it was nice to hear their debut as an introduction.

Está bueno. Escuchar cuando no sé qué escuchar

3.5 stars. Better than I was remembering.

3.5/5 It's pretty good, typical late 70s early 80s pop rock

a lot of radio songs which makes it a little tired for me, but solid album front to back.

It was pretty cool and knew more songs than I thought

Great pop album, can't really pick any huge standout tracks but enjoyed pretty much all of it

Its okay. hella white person music. you can tell a lot of 80's rock (like Boston) were inspired by them. 3.5

There's an amazing EP in here with, yep, the 5-6 singles/radio hits (however you want to count them) - "Just What I Needed," "You're All I've Got Tonight," "My Best Friend's Girl" - all amazing songs, great songwriting and really snappy performances. The rest of the tracks though... "Don't Cha Stop" and "All Mixed Up" are fine I guess? Honestly, compared to the singles, they're filler. And "I'm In Touch With Your World" is awful. It's all obnoxious studio effects and a tedious chord progression. How did this make the cut?

Album of only hits and misses. The misses are so bad that they almost outweigh the hits.

Found this to be quite good. Much better than I expected

Two great hits in My Best Friend's Girl and Just What I Needed. The rest of the album was good too. I like the singing style and found it to be a god solid bunch of tracks.

Un album sympa mais pas revolutionnaire, même si j'ai apprecié la prise de risque au moment où Flash Mc Queen utilise Bessy la goudronneuse pour tenter de réparer la route 66 avec l'aide de son acolyte Martin la dépanneuse.

The Cars define everything I like and don't like about the 80s. The songs are well crafted enough but I find them somewhat formulaic. They have a bit of new wave and electronic push riding over a rock base. While they define the 80s sound it doesn't quite settle with me. I think a lot of their popularity came with timing, they got a ton of play in the early days of MTV which had huge viewership. A lot of the songs go a little over the top with the added electronics. Songs are fine, I just never was drawn to their sound. Best song: My Best Friends Girl I'll give it a 3 but more a 2 1/2 for me.

Easy rock listening, knew a few of the songs

I'm not a huge cars fan, but I actually own this album. I think I picked it up at a thrift store... Anyway, It's synth heavy rock that doesn't offend me. I won't switch stations if it's on, but I don't have them on any of my playlists either.

un par de canciones buenas

3/5

Couple of nice tunes, enjoyable

Unexpected treat

6

Mezcla de pop-rock de finales de los 70. Disco que se puede escuchar fácilmente, pero sin muchas pretensiones. Parecería que es más clásico, pero es el estilo que crearon. Bien para rememorar.

#3 olorcillo de Bowie, rollings y Byrne

Je vois les influenceurs du groupe the killers, de la pop mais back par des instruments et pas des criss de musique fait à l’ordi.Au début je m’enlignait pour un 2 mais la fin de l’album est moins pop mais plus rock, Je lévite; moving in stéréo !!! Fort ça , un toune j’écouterais dans mon char .just what i needed!! Don’t cha stop Je l’évite my best friend girl, Ouff c’est pop bonbon quétaine noir

Cool unique infusion of electronic synthesizers and the early hard rock that was seemingly just getting popular during this time. “Moving in Stereo”

The hits are amazing. The rest is okay. Totally thought All Mixed Up was a Red House Painters song until I heard it here.

Un trois étoiles mais un bon 3 étoiles. Avec des tounes plus Upbeat come Don't Cha Stop ou catchy comme Bye Bye Love. Je suis surpris qu'ils n'aient pas vraiment de gros hit à leur actif.

I recognized quite a few popular songs on here, so they have to get credit for that. Overall not bad. I think in the right environment this would be fun music, but sitting at my desk during work isn't that environment.

I liked this more than I thought I would. Still don't like the songs where they bring in the backing vocalists, but the music is solid. Ric Ocasek's voice doesn't really help much.

Pretty classic late 70s

This was more enjoyable than I Initially expected. A decent rock album.

Meh.

I like

Solid classic rock album - added 3 tracks to 'the highway' playlist

FUN cars

Was ok

I thought this was just okay. Nice tone to it though

false

Fave Song: Good Times Roll

da riascoltare!

I've never heard of this album, but apparently its the soundtrack for every movie ever. Some real bangers in there though.

Some great songs but looooots of filler.

We put 80s in your 80s music. Nice rhythm guitar, nothing to complain about.

Classic rock

I guess you’re just what I needed!

Idk man. To its credit and disservice half of this album was just listening to the classic rock radio stations of my childhood. They have style, they're clean and energetic pop/rock songs. I could see how exciting this would have been fresh but it just seems less interesting to me in 2026

I dunno - it's just not for me

Not really

No los conozco de nada, ni el disco ni a la banda. Me han sonado a rock clásico muy correcto, con mezclas de sintetizadores electrónicos en alguna canción y para pasar un buen rato, incluso para conducir (que se note el chiste, por favor, no soy tan obvia). Tampoco me ha entusiasmado mucho.

I really didn't enjoy this. There is a part of me wanting to give 1 star but I can accept I'm tired and it probably deserves 2.

I loved My Best Friends girl as a kid, I was obsessed with this album cover, the woman on it had such an ethereal beauty that I couldn't describe, or look away from. Turns out the album itself is mediocre, it lacks strong composition and the vocals are incredibly grating. 2/5

Good album. I didn't realize that many of the songs on this album are ones I am very familiar with and didn't piece together that it was The Cars.

Not something I would gravitate towards or will probably ever listen to again. It wasn't bad but there's nothing memorable about it and it doesn't leave me wanting more.

I found this to be like status quo bland name bland songs bland album! Its brilliant if you like diluted pop/rock music. Its not all bad as I did enjoy some of the guitar playing in parts, but apart from that I dont need to play it again.

not too bad but i don’t want these old ahh songs bro

Begynner å mistenke at jeg egentlig gir litt faen i power pop. Men på en annen side, desto mer de beveger seg inn i new wave traktene til DEVO og Talking Heads, jo mer bikker det over i irriterende. Kan derfor tenkes at problemet ligger i the Cars og ikke i sjanger. Likte Moving in Stereo.

Não é memorável, não acredito que vou voltar muito a ele

Perfectly fine but inconsequential music. Another one where MUST listen to is a bit of a joke.

I think I've heard most of these too many times. Generic 80s pop. Safe, nothing crazy.

A bit too zany 70/80's for me. (Copied from my other group.)

Very much the template for New Wave. Old dudes hacking at it since the Beatles were still playing live and finally hitting paydirt with new haircuts, skinny ties and a couple of hits in My Best Friend's Girl (a bit annoying) and Just What I Needed (genuinely great). The rest of it is mostly filler. Some of it really grates for me where you can hear them stretching for late 70s relevance by going all angular. I quite like All Mixed Up because it reminds of Astronomy by Blue Öyster Cult but just not as good.

Elsker album coveret😛 minder lidt om Pearl og Regina George. “My best friend’s girl” Crazy at sin bedste ven kommer sammen med sin egen ex💔 nok ikke et album jeg ville lytte til personligt. Meget grease agtig med bil temaet og fordi denne er fra halvfjerdserne og er sammen år som grease bliver udgivet (1978) kan godt lide tidspunkter i “bye bye love” Jeg føler lidt at sangeren er lidt inspireret af Robert smith. Ikke lige min type af albums

Totally immemorable. No idea how so many of these albums make the list.

idk not really my vibe

En låt som levra, resten fillers

Poop

Starts out banging the hits, then fizzles like a mid life loser's sex life. Disappointment

Just some classic rock. I won't remember this much I think. Favorite Songs: Just What I Needed

I didn't know that these songs were by The Cars. I like them, but I am not a fan of this album.

Nicht sonderlich interessant

Where chugging, palm-muted guitar pop meets melodic new wave synths and dry 70s production. Done with a sense of humour, but ultimately fairly dull.

So negative out of the way first: This album has a real problem with the way it treats women. There's definitely a fair amount of objectification here exemplified by songs like "Best friends girl" and "Just what I needed" (seriously the "I needed someone to feed/bleed" lines are ick) which made me cringe a fair bit as I went through. It really distracts from the good which is... Well most of the music itself. I suprisingly like the singing and the tunes themselves are pretty 70s but really work. It's just that the lyrics feel... Antiquated. It's one song about Women after another and it is all very 70s-edgy and antiquated. Which I'd be able to overlook for a few song, but it is... Every song.

not awful but sort of annoying. 2.5

I'm not a big fan of this style of classic rock and the British indie rock music that is subsequently inspired. However, I can appreciate this as being a well made album and would understand completely If someone rated this a 4 or a 5 out of 5. The guitar is probably my favourite component instrumentally.

This was blah. Nothing to write home about.

The first 3 songs are ones I’ve heard on the radio a million times and can’t stand to hear anymore. Some of the others weren’t so bad I guess.

Songs feel kinda samey, its giving soundtrack for opening shot of suburban america in a family movie

Whole album sounds like a bit Fred Armisen would have done on SNL/Documentary Now. There's some nice riffs but the songs are too silly to take seriously. Just What I Needed is definitely the highlight, which is worrying since I'm not exactly rushing to put it in any playlists.

Eh. Its okay? Kind of confused me i didnt feel like it had a cohesive sttle

AOR ? MOR ? more like BOR … ING Sounding more like the J Gilles band than I would have thought for a band I think of as synth rock Then best friends girl comes on - which I always wrongly thought was by J Gilles.

unfortunately struggle with this glammed up kind of power-pop - think many of the things that people love about this are the things that don't land at all for me. the ultra-dry production, the angularity, the over-the-top harmonies - all just not for me. even Just What I Needed, a song that in theory i love, that i can see as a perfect object, i can't bring myself to love. recognizably influential and incredibly crafted, just not my thing!

It’s a no from me

Подростковый рок. Наверное в 78 это звучало свежо

this album was really out of my style of music, first time hearing about this band

Meh. 2.5

I really liked Just What I Needed and I can see how they must be pretty ahead of their time as they sound so 80s for 1978. But it's just not for me.

Some good songs but not my thing

Bara lyssnat som hastigast. Schizofren blandning mellan amerikansk FM-rock och new wave på ett ganska bra sätt. Var lite orolig i öppningsspåret som hade Quenn tendenser, men det styr upp sig. Landar i en stark tvåa

Det bjuds på ren och rak powerpop åt new wave-hållet, mitt emellan Blondie och Costello, i My best friend’s girl. Då är det ganska medryckande. Men i övrigt lyfter det inte direkt och blir emellanåt lite arty utan konstnärlig finess.

Påminner en del om Roxy Music. Särskilt i öppningsspåret. Men klart tramsigar framtoning. Inget speciellt.

Normalito. Nose si esto es predecesor de bandas que escuché anteriormente pero no encontré nada nuevo que me satisfaga.

Un album escuchable, y rápido. Entiendo porque las 3 primeras canciones son las mas escuchadas. Estan buenas

God I could not find a way to care about this album lmao. It's neat to see what The Cars sound like when they're not just blasting a random chorus in a TV commercial but it turns out the deep cuts aren't much better! I will say I appreciated the effort to do something experimental with I'm in Touch with Your World, but they used the same auxiliary percussion instruments you typically hear in slapstick comedy so it just sounded goofy and I couldn't take it seriously. All Mixed Up wasn't bad though, glad we ended on a high note.

Not really my style

I listened to it at work today. Only a few people knew the band. I think it's nice, but not very special.

Mid, no conocía la banda pero tampoco me parece la gran cosa, tiene cositas de Queen, me parecen buenas canciones Just what I need, You’re all I’ve got tonight y All mixed up. 5/10

Not as bad as I was expecting, but a bit of a Talking Heads copy.

It had some moments but largely pretty uninteresting

car

I was quite curious about this album, since I thought a mix of New Wave and Art Rock would be interesting. Unfortunately, it just sounds like a bland, unimaginative version of Queen. Harmless, radio-friendly pop-rock with no guts or heart. It's not awful, but most of it bored me. "Moving In Stereo" is the only track that kept my attention, thanks to its hypnotic synth line. Taken separately, there's nothing wrong with any of the instruments, or even the vocals ; they just never coalesce into something truly exciting, proving that if an album can be greater than the sum of its parts, it can also be worse. Their only claim to relevance is that they were pioneers in their own way. "Just What I Needed" is surprisingly modern-souding ; the band clearly paved the way for the feel-good, standardized pop that would flood the market in the 80s. But since I loathe 80s pop, I blame them more than I admire them for this. And what a stupid band name. 3/10

The soundtrack of an 80s American blockbuster, light rock with basically no depth. Still, like with ZZ Top or Steve Miller, I’ve got a soft spot for that kind of thing. A few riffs work, Just What I Needed has this little rhythmic twist I like, and the whole record carries a pretty good vibe which is nice during a cloudy day. So I won’t completely sacrifice this one on the altar of generic music, even though I am pretty sure I will never listen again de whole thing.

I do quite like new wave but this didn't grip me as much as I was expecting?

Some pretty standard early 80s (‘78) stuff. Found myself wanting more earnestness or stronger expressions. Some discordant and out of place sounds, especially with the electronic elements on here. Just not an album that I thought offered significant value. Faves: Best Friend’s Girl, You’re All I’ve Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love

Énorme déception. Honnêtement, l'album n'est pas horrible mais presque aucun son n'as retenu mon attention alors que je les ai tous écouté deux fois. Je crois que c'est le premier album duquel je ne retiens presque rien tellement il m'a paru insipide. J'avais quand même quelques attentes, étant donné que l'album reste plutôt populaire, mais là, tout c'est écroulé.

Honestamente, achei um album bem esquecível. Escutei duas vezes e nenhuma musica me marcou. A parte final do album me empolgou um pouco mais, mas nada demais 2.5/5

Está bien, está ok, pero no me sorprendió mucho. Sí el año. Buen sonido para 1978. 4/10

some catchy songs but a littttlee boring 😪 just what i needed was my fav

N-o fost așa rau

Needs an MOT

Такой классически-старый рок - совсем не мое

not my vibe

Jumped around and listened to 20 seconds of each song. Not my vibe. I did recognize Just what I needed.

Not too shabby, but I can’t take this seriously.

Another strange inclusion, nothing notable. Fave track: Just What I Needed

Just What I Needed is catchy but cheesy. The rest is just cheesy.

Britpop but it's American. Wauw, groundbreaking

Might have been revolutionary in its time, I don't know. But.... yawn.

Je kan prima doodgaan zonder dit album ooit te luisteren. Er zijn albums die je moet luisteren zodat je weet dat het niet voor jou is, zelfs dat is deze ook niet. Het is erg saai en op momenten bijzonder dom en bij vlagen irritant. Je oren gaan niet persee bloeden maar geluid uit is aangenamer. Je hoeft het album niet een tweede keer te luisteren voor een second opinion. Puntje voor de cover, en de colab met de jostiband op het nummer i'm in toch with your world is dan ook wel weer sympatiek.

Beetje te poppie, happy de peppie. Klinkt een beetje als talking heads maar dan niet vet. Tis allemaal erg veilig en binnen de lijntjes, waardoor het niks opvalt en het geheel vrij vlak is.

Niet helemaal mijn ding.

Inte min favorit. Fina körer stundtals men mestadels tråkigt.

Solid listen. Not my cup of tea, but such a nostalgia trip. Became quite repetitive at times.

Very on-the-downbeat, Caucasian, milquetoast music. They executed the idea well and I'm sure it had its place in the history of pop, but it doesn't do much for me Well-written songs, not to my taste. I bet they sound great in a car

Bland and shallow

too rock for me, with some questionable lyrics

Think of how good this could have been if every song was less than 2 minutes. Just quick, catchy jams. Oh well.

Listen, I don't enjoy the sound of late 70s new wave / glam rock. It just is what it is. I am going to dislike Van Halen, Japan, Guns & Roses (which is glam **metal**), and I am going to dislike The Cars. That being said, I am going to bring my sunniest disposition to this jam sesh. Right off the bat, Good Times Roll - for the love of god pick a 6th word to say during this 225 second song. The album has some reclaiming moments - Just What I Needed has some cool sounds here, even if it is annoyingly repetitive. Bye Bye Love has a nice transition from You're All I've Got Tonight and is danceable. Moving in Stereo has a nice bridge where they let the album just bop for a bit without vocals, and All Mixed Up has a really nice sound, even if the lyrics are again uninspiring. It's these small touches that bumps this to a 2.

Retroactively saying that Abbey Road was 4 stars so this makes sense.

nothingburger of an album to me. everything sounded the same and nothing was particularly interesting. i kinda find the dude's voice to be kind of grating, sorry! just not my thing

fineh 2

Only knew the single from this album - My Best Friend's Girl - and would say that it sets a standard that's pretty consistent across the whole album. Having said that, it's not a great standard. Pretty average post punk US pop, pleasant enough. Occasional reminders of bad rock guitar sounds (a bit like Rush). Not really my thing and difficult to believe anyone would get too excited about it. Good enough of it's type I suppose.

This didn’t do much for me. Middling, uninspired, radio-friendly rock with poor synth inflexions. There are some relatively catchy tunes, but it also feels like the prototype for the worst of ’80s MTV synth-rock, so it definitely loses a point for that.

im in touch with your world is like,,, one of the worst songs ive ever heard.

Ihan ok, bowieta ja talking headsia häivähdyksiä

eh it was alright

Disjointed.

Thought it was fine. There's definitely some merit in these songs; I can tell that they were influential, but nothing really stuck out to me.

Just What I Needed is the only thing preventing a ⭐ here. Maybe the years have not been kind to this record but it feels like it's bordering on parody at times.

A few catchy songs, and I see why it's important, but it sounds very dated in 202

While I acknowledge this album has a lot of classic hits on it, I just find it exceptionally boring to listen to. Those hits were clearly meant to be listened to in isolation from one another.

Very middle of the road American rock.

this is total ass. going back to dave's picks 12

Didn’t get through the whole album but it’s solid

Un album pensé pour enchaîner les hits un peu à la thriller ; l’album repose sur des guitares ultra efficaces et des synthés discrets mais structurants. On est sur des thèmes très légers, sans prises de têtes type amourettes ; l’album ne se veut ni profond ni dénonciateur, il veut juste des hits. Néanmoins j’avoue que j’ai pas pris les hits dans la tête, et que j’ai trouvé les voix assez faibles. J’ai honnêtement pas été transcendé. Malgré tout gros big up à la cover qui est magnifique Un petit 3, plutôt 2.5 pour être honnête Chat : The Cars mélange rock, new wave et pop, avec des guitares nettes, des synthés discrets et une esthétique froide et moderne. Pourquoi l’album est important : Sorti en 1978, il a rendu la new wave accessible au grand public sans perdre son identité, tout en alignant un nombre exceptionnel de tubes pour un premier album. Il a servi de pont entre le rock des années 70 et la pop des années 80, influençant durablement le pop-rock et l’alternative.

honestly didn’t really like it…kinda boring

I don't get the appeal, 1,5/5 for me.

Repetitivo

Fun classics

They are a greatest hits type band and I can't even listen to all the hits.

not really my thing

kinda unique. always have a stable rhythms

Behagelig, men fester seg ikke sånn veldig. Snilt sound, tidvis artig. 2-3

Not bad. Kind of boring, doesn’t stand out. Most likely won’t listen again.

Dad “rock”

stop trying to be queen bro

At the time I viewed the Cars as a singles band, and overall this did not change my mind. Good highs.

I don't know what should be special about this. It's not bad but I see no reason to return.

There’s only 1 good tune. They may be iconic - but it’s not from this.

Ni las canciones son buenas, ni los instrumentos tocados con virtuosismo, ni las voces son nada llamativo. Ni entiendo la fama de esta gente. Es música de anuncio de televisión ochentero.

Bättre än väntat men inte alls min grej

This was fine. To me The Cars are just so defined by their hits, which I'm so tired of. I think I just missed the boat on this band.

It's good. I'm just not a fan, I guess. 2/5 ——————————— Liked: — Just What I Needed

so many hits right at the top of the album. Maybe it's being a kid of the 90s and 00s, but I've heard so many of these songs a million times and they just remind me of mattress and car commercials. They don't feel as special as I bet they felt when they came out in the 70s. Ok wow, so EVERY song on this album is a commercial success. Sadly, all very overplayed but a classic. Moving in Stereo is def my fav.

Queen wanna be-s

Better than reggae, more tolerable than Lourde but lacks musical depth for me.

Average enough, didn’t hate it - unless I’m missing something about their sound at the time. Seemed quite basic to me.

Just very boring

Mostly New Wave. Sounds dated but OK.

meh, really not a fan.

Really not my vibe

Who knows

Very of a time and I’m not the biggest fan of that time hah. I sang along to just what I needed though!

Some hits, but not for me.

It's fine

Kuunneltava ja unohdettava renkuttelu

This sounds like a barbecue with shitty food

4/10

4/10. the music is not my style.

Classic late 70's early 80's vibe.

Dunno what it is but the whole drum machine synth style always throws me off. That and the “goofier” talking heads vocals don’t do it for me. I can see it’s influence and how some could enjoy more.

Very 80s. Thought it was okay, some good guitars, vocals were decent. Just what I needed was pretty good. Very mid

Idk like 2.5 I guess. I found the songs pretty unremarkable, but that might be mostly because they just make me think of Toyotathon ads at this point. Somewhat elevated by some pretty great synth leads on a lot of the tracks.

Really like Moving in Stereo and there are a couple of catchy tunes. Too many cheesy songs with painful lyrics interspersed though. 2.5

seriously nothing special… hoping these albums aren’t just all classic 70s with a heavy dose of nostalgia

Si hubiera nacido en aquella época me hubiera gustado.

Twas okay, nothing bad, nothing particularly good. 2.5 if I could rate it that.

Bland new wave

Un álbum muy genérico, sin nada especial que ofrecer más que una plantilla identitaria de la música comercial de los 80s. No encuentro mucho para señalar, es un álbum con aspectos interesantes. "Just What I Needed" es una de las canciones en las que por lo menos intentan algo mejor con los coros, el sintetizador, el solo de guitarra y la inversión del beat que hace en la segunda mitad del tema. El último tema "All Mixed Up" tiene una búsqueda sonora más oscura que me gusta. Con diversos momentos y un buen solo para cerrar el álbum. No es tampoco un mal álbum, pero no considero que deba estar en la lista, me parece poco remarcable.

Not my favorite: already heard the best songs on radio lots of times.

A decent Cars album, probably not the best. High 2s.

nothing was bad, but nothing stood out except for the classics. def not my favorite genere either 💔

Basic dad rock. Nothing special. Just the same songs

Inspired Kars from Jojo and All Mixed Up is a jam but it got boring and repetitive pretty quick

The first time I heard this album I remember really enjoying it, however upon repeat listening I've found that outside of the first two songs, the album is kind of bit forgettable and quite boring.

Boring. 2/5

2/5 The singles are absolute classics, the last song is good, the rest could be any new-wave band of the late 70s.

I can see how this would be ahead of its time in 1978, but besides one or two songs its pretty bland. Just What I Needed is a pretty clear winner with that awesome synth.

4/10

The Cars are probably best known for their MOR hit ‘Drive’ which was featured as part of the Live Aid concert in 1985, however this album dates back to 1978 and is categorised as New Wave which seems slightly odd. My first impression was that this was closer a 1970s art rock sound, along the lines of Roxy Music and that ilk. It was a pleasant enough listen, but nothing revolutionary - I remembered the track ‘Best Friends Girl’ which was a modest hit in the UK at the time, but the rest of it washed over me.

NOT THE CARS 😭 genuinely who is selecting these things 😭

Dated.

ok MOR tunes

Surprising number of known singles off the one album. Popular-style late 70’s rock. Would hear all of these songs on The Sound. Shades of The Clash. B-side much weaker unfortunately.

Once again, I like the song I like and could skip the rest

As a rock album, it's fine. It doesn't seem very functional as an automobile, though. Favorite track: "Good Times Roll"

vapid ditzy pop songs with semi-clever lyrics, dated synths and anemic guitars. It all comes together in a genuinely interesting way on Moving in Stereo, but that seems like more of a happy accident, as the other 8 songs on the record are a bore, even though I recognize some of the choruses, meaning they must have been hits since I've never owned or sought out this record before.

Reminds me of too many commercials

Maso