Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Great album. Such a classic and truly one of the best debuts ever, I think. Highlights are Moving in Stereo and Just What I Needed.
Really good album! I didn't realize how many songs from this album I have heard before even though I have never actually listened to the album itself. Lots of hits with the unique vocal style and music you would expect. The three songs from the album that I had not head before were good too kind of in the same style but maybe more experimental. I will be listening to this one again as a whole album.
80s cheese done well. Just What I Needed is incredible.
Last time I listened to this project according to my Last.Fm was back in 2022, and today I was asked by the 1001 albums to hear before I die gods to revisit this album and see if my liking of this project has grown or shriveled up in the past 3 years. This unapologetically New Wave album feels like something that would exist in a Post-Talking Heads world, but was actually released side by side with the group's earlier works just as they were starting to get very weird and experimental. As another comparison of bands, I felt a lot of Oingo Boingo influences coming from this project not only in compositions but also the vocal characteristics of the lead frontman Ric Ocasek. This project is really confident in presentation while also being just enough Rock to feel like a transition from one era of music to a new.....wave. please laugh. Anyways, I really enjoyed this project and would totally recommend it to anyone curious in diving into some more niche albums from the 70s with a bit of swagger to them.
Fantastic. Talk about a band knowing their signature sound right from the first project. My only qualm is that it isn't longer!
It’s times like this I really wish I could award half stars. When this album is great, it is great (“My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Just What I Needed, “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight, “Moving in Stereo”). When it takes its foot off the gas, it’s very bland and forgettable.
I had a couple of listens through of this record because the first time it lost me a bit in the middle. I really liked the synths in Let The Good Times Roll and the backing vocals were pretty Queen adjacent at points (which continued throughout the album), which is never a bad thing. A little bit too long though. My Best Friends Girl is sort of cheesy but it didn't matter at all and I still really enjoyed it. I'm In Touch With Your World was sort of weird but I also still really enjoyed that. This took the bits of Talking Heads that I like and removed David Byrne. Which I'm guessing for a lot of people might be a downgrade, but for me improved matters. It still lost me a bit in the middle the second time around but I loved the last track. I think this might be a 3.5 album, but in the absence of half stars and because I gave two Talking Heads albums 3/5, this is getting a: 4/5
bom demais
That was a lot of fun - bubbly and energetic rock with some interesting and surprising twists.
yknow i always thought she was wearing a big hat but it's her arm.
Just overall good, not great.
Sopivan upbeat ja muutenkin mukavaa. Tykkäsin!
Some good stuff. Not great. Would definitely listen to again.
Fantastic. Last 4 songs phenomenal. All Mixed Up is my fave of the album. 8.5
DON'T CHA STOP Este álbum es tan buenooo. Me fascina la vibra de todo el album
Cool album. Good album length. I knew one song. The rest were cool.
This album goes hard. Lots of great tracks.
This album was just wat we needed, so let the good times roll and don't cha stop............ Moving in stereo. The album was good btw
Kind of wild that every Cars song I liked at random ended up being off one album.
Unknown to me, but probably quite underrated
Only knew first three songs, enjoyed that
I can hear The Strokes!
This cover is an actual photo of me listening to the cars while speeding through a red light
A no doubt 4. Not quite perfect, but it’s approaching. Pure rock and roll. Love it. I don’t know what to do for someone who doesn’t like this. The problem with free will…
Solid album
Great power pop - My Best Friends Girl/ Just What I Needed absolute bangers.
A Great album! Never realized I knew this many Cars songs. Would not have picked this as being made in 1978 either - definite trend setter of an album, copied by many during the '80s.
This album is definitely a lot of 70s/80s fun. There's a lot I like about it, and some major hits, but I didn’t find anything especially special about this album.
Similar to Devo, imo. Good pop tunes.
if this didn't have "all mixed up," i'd give it a five. i even could have looked past the other meh moment, "don't cha stop," which doesn't add much, but at least delivers on the promised good times. because when they roll, this album rules.
ive heard 7/9 tracks from this album atleast 4,000 times. blows my mind how stacked the track list is. DON'T CHA STOP and ALL MIXED UP are the only tracks I can't hum in the shower. these fuckers are from boston? no way lol it's concise. no wasted space. undeniably a kickass album. I don't think the cars will ever be my "thing", but its damn good. I know a good thing when i sees it fuckin sax solo on the closer. outta nowhere. epic. feels like forshadowing to the 80's. goofy synths and sax solos or bust, for better or worse... 4/5 music. 2/5 album cover. she makes me hella uncomfortable.
Still fresh today… An album of such consistency it’s hard to remember which were hits and which weren’t. And what band is better named? Let the good times “roll”…
Ahora entiendo el amor por éste disco. Lo disfruté aunque no vaya a sacar likes de acá. Nota: 3.7
My parents’ music but it happens to be super awesome. Sounds amazingly modern despite being from 1978.
Love this. I listened to this constantly when it first came out.
great new wave pop album. def a classic in that genre. loved it
Fantastic album! Definitely adding repertoire
Classic pop rock. Polish production, great hooks, the only thing that stops this being a favourite is that it has such straightforward approach that it doesn’t thrill me.
There was some cool stuff in here, I'm pretty tired of listening to the radio singles though
song 1: boring. 2/5 2: a little better but still bored. 2.5 3: wayyy better. 4 or 5 even. 4: a little annoying but second best so far, 3-4 5: similar opinion to the previous. ~3 6: It's decent. 3 7: im bored again. 2.5 8: it's better 3-3.5 9: alright way to end the album 3 i'd say a 3/5. if i could rate 3.5 it would be that. 4/5 feels too high
I like it! Something I could actually listen to. 4/5
Familiar music of my youth. Album full of singles with catchy rhythms, guitar, keyboards and Ric Ocasek's distinctive vocals.
I've been hearing echos of this album my whole life, in an army of wedding band guitarists and a generation of indie bands. Forget it's influence though, this is a great record. Absolutely blinding guitar playing, killer arrangements and rock solid song writing. Hype = justified.
7/10 or maybe 8/10, they rock. I love Just What I Needed
The Cars are a great early pop rock band that, like The Clash, served as a precursor to a lot of the early 80s pre-Glam Rock rock music. This album is a great summation of their influence and includes many of their most famous songs.
I really enjoy The Cars… hits. The Cars *album* is kind of hit and miss. The highs are really highs, but the lows… are still good.
I love learning where songs I've always loved actually came from. Also, never before has a piece of album art so perfectly matched the tone of the actual album. Fun, punk-y, and inventive.
I heard someone jokingly refer to this album as The Cars Greatest Hits album, and they aren't wrong. Almost every great The Cars song is on this album. Definitely some real bangers.
I feel like this would be my guilty pleasure band back in the day. It’s like early days pop punk, and I’m absolutely here for it.
The most 80s sounding music that is not from the 80s
Hard for pretty much anything to match the peaks. And while I wouldn’t quite use the term “filler”, there are definitely some extremely good songs and some less good songs, rather than just a different flavor of good (as the best albums have) throughout. Still, really very good.
First time listening to this, although I recognised several of the tracks. Phenomenal debut. (Almost) wall to wall bangers with only one or two filler tracks. Nice to hear a new wave/pop punk album that still has plenty of 70s rock elements, guitar solos, harmonies etc.
Standouts Good Times Roll My Best Friend's Girl Just What I Needed You're All I've Got Tonight Moving in Stereo
just what i needed is a top 20 song of the 70s
Good
En sådan där skiva som jag köpte billigt och fick ligga olyssnad. Jag försökte till och med sälja den vidare. Så plötsligt en dag så börjar jag lyssna och vilka låtar. Får betraktas som ett fynd i powerpop fåran
Some great hits and a good album. Shamefully, I knew one of the singles from the 2004 Circuit City tv commercials.
33/1089 solid start, if repetitive Just What I Needed is pretty great (and familiar) this record was a great listen, loved that it’s not super long either, it felt very swift and easy to listen to, every song felt essential to the album 4 stars 75/100 faves: Just What I Needed, Moving In Stereo, All Mixed Up least faves: Good Times Roll (though it’s grown on me a little
Cool and creative.
My notes while listening: Feels like a fusion of Adam and the ants, bubblegum pop, and the Beatles Great guitar riffs, solid drum beat, I like the harmonies I really like ‘my best friend’s girl’ (even though it’s kind of just Jessie’s girl) Really enjoying it musically, definitely the kind of album where you tune out the lyrics though Very much seems like a crucial predecessor to 80s pop rock Overall really enjoyed this one, would have given it 5-stars for how much fun I had, but only giving it 4 because I don’t think it was really pushing any musical boundaries
Fantastic album with great bangers on it
Can’t believe I’ve not really listened to The Cars until now. Great album full of catchy interesting songs.
An absolute joy to listen to front to back.
Solid but a little samey .35 min was the right length
What a great first album. It’s great overall. I really enjoyed this. Going to listen to regularly.
Just straight up fun
Yesterday my friends were talking about artists that had a bunch of big hits all on one album, and this was the first one I thought of maybe because it's starts out so strong with 3 bangers. To be fair there are a few that weren't hits, a couple of those being wacky semi-filler tracks (the two after Just What I Needed), but the rest of the album remains really strong with a few more familiar radio tunes in there. Really good debut pop rock album, and impressive writing by Ric Ocasek to make so many catchy tunes right off the bat.
Dad music, but it's actually good
A fun new wave rock album with incredibly catchy riffs. Nothing particularly deep but that isn’t always necessary.
Epic opening three-song run of classic hits that is pretty unreal for a debut album, a few others that I'd not spent much time listening to before that are still great in their own right. I'm not sure too much else sounded like this in 1978 with the sort of punk roots, but pop sensibility and quirky synth leads. Ric Ocasek is a legend
Great album.
I like it! A very impressive debut album for sure, think they're at their best when I can imagine being a car to the song, funnily.
Banger after banger after banger. Only critique is that every song sounds kind of the same after awhile.
New wave synth-rock. I've never sought out the Cars before but I know some of the hits off this (of course). Looks like this is the Cars' only album on the list but I wouldn't mind hearing more; this was a good time. "Describe a girl" is a songwriting mode I seem to enjoy; tell me about the suede blue eyes, the talking in her sleep, the nuclear boots. There's an obscure They Might Be Giants song I really like where they're doing an idiosyncratic girl description in a style parody of the Cars - "Vancouver," a.k.a. Richard's on Richards (off Venue Songs).
Dit album huppelt op de achtergrond vrolijk voorbij. Al wordt af en toe je aandacht gevraagd door bijvoorbeeld een digitaal klinkend melodielijntje. De Cars overdrijven niet met die geluidjes en vinden een mooie balans. Een vergeetbare 3 plus.
The Cars heb ik wel eens van gehoord en ik denk dat ik wel een nummer zou moeten herkennen, maar aan de hand van de songtitels gaat er nog geen belletje rinkelen. De eerste twee nummers ademen 80s new wave, ook al is het pas 1978. Ah, nummer 3 is het bekendst, Just what I needed. Dat is toch meer 70s yachtrock. Vervolgens gaan ze de Talking Heads kant op met gekke geluidjes en met name zanger Ocasek heeft een David Byrne stem. Al houden ze er over het algemeen wel enige lijn in. The Cars zitten tussen de 70s en 80s in met hun muziek. Ik ben meer fan van de nummers die wat tempo hebben en iets meer rocken, dus meer die 70s rock kant opgaan. Ze experimenteren wel met 80s chiptune geluidjes en synths, maar doen dat op een manier die wat toevoegt aan de 70s sound. Af en toe komt er zelfs nog een gitaarsolo voorbij. Ik vind het een mooie mix van stijlen en generaties en het album blijft me boeien tot het eind, want daar zitten ook nog een paar geinige nummers. Ik weet hier enigszins verrassend voor mezelf 4 sterren uit te halen, dat had ik na de eerste 2 nummers niet verwacht eerlijk gezegd.
another day another ahead-of-the-curve 70s dad music classic where the first three songs are inescapable big hits...conceptual continuity! my biggest revelation sitting down to listen to this record in serious earnest is that its somehow like five passes of Deliberate Annoyingness away from just being sparks...its incredibly yelpy, staccato, shout-a-long pop tunes where every beat and offbeat is its own Event. very bouncy, VERY catchy, so energetic and jubilant that honestly its not exactly that im fully receptive towards rn.,...summer depression is dulling my sense of fun immeasurably. but its a clearly great and almost impossibly tight record on its own terms...a very very memorable slice of jittery sunshine. gotta love the synth tones on here.
Despite the fact that The Cars were my second-ever concert (mostly at my friend’s urging), I’ve never lived them. Their sound is a little bit annoying, with overtones of toxic masculinity — and this seems to be intentional. But this album is full of classics and is super-well executed. Hard to imagine my mid 50’s self choosing to play the whole album through, but it’s not in any way a middling achievement. This album earns a 4.
This is one that, for me, suffers from being overplayed on every classic rock radio station. But there's a reason these tracks get so much airplay. Try and listen to this one with fresh ears, and tell me it doesn't just rip all the way through.
This was really good! Lovely vibes and sounds like it could be released today
The Cars: The Cars: This is a pretty good pop rock album. Very cool synth usage, and fun catchy songs. It's not exceptional but its pretty fun. 8.25/10
Has some good hits. Haven’t listened completely.
• 4/5 • Pretty much a Cars greatest hits album
Des souvenirs tout ça...
Very groovy and surprising
My God, this is packed with hits for a first album. Five!
74/100.
The hits are great, B-sides not bad
Pretty good rock/new wave album. All the tracks are great, but none of them quite punched through enough for me to give the album a 5. I did really enjoy listening to this though so maybe I'll come back to it later. Just What I Needed was my favourite, but maybe because it's the only one I recognized.
It's just so hard to imagine that had it not been for the sheer determination of one man this album probably would not have had the staying power it possesses.
lots of classics, didn’t realize they had so many tbh. good morning listen but i’m not the biggest fan of that 80s sound. reminds me of my first job
Classic album, lotta good songs from my dad's mixes he would always play in the car. Just overall good vibes.
Good Lord this is solid pop-rock.
A little repetitive, but overall very good
Genius soundtrack to my early adolescence. Strong throughout.
New Wave kinda sucks. The whole aesthetic was always lame, and the heavy reliance on synthesizers and fake drums became an obnoxious fad in 80's music. And though they helped start the genre, I always felt like the Cars transcended it. Their debut record is almost a total masterpiece. So many of the songs on here are classics. This record is full of big pop hooks that are catchy without being cloying, the guitar work is top notch, and the synths are actually fun without being the audio equivalent of an eyesore, which is where the New Wave genre eventually headed. 4.0/5 There are a couple of duds on the record that keep it from being 5 stars for me, but it's a great album and totally worth being listed as one of the 1001 both for its ingenuity and for its listenability.
Super fun New Wave/Power Pop from Boston's The Cars on their stylish one foot in the past, one foot in the future debut album chockful of so many hits it might as well be a greatest hits package. Sounds absolutely fresh in 2025 not dated in any way, shape or form. Perfect pop forever.
Stands the test of time... Forgot how many Classic songs on this album
Fun rock
Solid album. Standout songs: Im in touch with your world All mixed up
Listened Before? Y This is a classic already in my collection. I really love most of the songs on the album although there is a good drop off between the big hits and the album cuts here. It's a solid late-70s new wave record. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Moving in Stereo
Catchy pop-rock with a new age sound to it. Apparently heard this album before, but couldn't remember a single song from it. Fun and popy album, pretty cool sounding for the time it was released.
Fun and catchy. Balanced instruments and good sound.
Proper album. Yeah it's 'New Wave' but the tracks are smashes. Synths are not too 'synthy' and just a brilliant album by a great band... lyrics, vocals, guitars - super tight and iconic - one of my favs by far...
typical old school rock (not like GnR or Metallica though)
What a debut! I knew almost every song. Guitar driven new wave with synth isn’t necessarily a recipe for success, but this was executed perfectly.
Fast No skip Album, aber leider ist "I'm in Touch with your world" nicht so geil
Da scaricare per il viaggio
Solid album. I like the late 70s rock and can see how this would be (and remains) popular.
Thanks for making power pop a real genre whoop
Very pleasent and easy to hear how this could/would set the tone for a lot of the stuff soon to come in the 80's just a few years later. Standouts My Best Friend's Girl Just What I Needed 4/5
15/1001 :: The Cars - The Cars Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 8 Fav Tracks: Don’t Cha Stop, Just What I Needed, Moving In Stereo Knew a bunch of these classic rock radio staples of course but had never listened to this album in full. I know people love Rick Ocasek and The Cars and I can see why. This album is pretty awesome. The vibes are good, the songs are catchy and even though these are pop songs there’s an underlying edge to them… It’s funny, I always think the yeah I was born (1978) was one of the worst years ever for music. I’ll stand by that, but this is a Top 5 1978 album for sure. Not sure when I’ll revisit this but it’s worthy, that’s for sure.
Pretty solid. Some familiar songs.
Favorite: I'm in Touch With Your World
Didn’t think I’d enjoy this, but was pleasantly surprised. Sounds quintessentially 80s, even though it was made in the 70s.
The Cars are decent - not great but good. This album is probably their best.
Best wel tof dit eigenlijk!
Ik kende dit niet, maar tof album. Ga ik zeker nog eens opzetten
Amazing hit.
I had never listened to this album before. What a nice discovery! The tracks are just good.
Topalbum! Heerlijk 70s album dat me helemaal terugbrengt naar That 70's Show 4.4
It started a bit like relatively boring rock from the 60s/70s, with hints of what became new wave later. But it is getting better and soon enough I was dragged within its sound and rather enjoyed it. Not revolutionary, but good.
This is basically a greatest hits album. I was surprised that like 75% of the album I'd already heard on the radio. Great album. Might not revisit too much though. Overall: 8.75/10
Pretty good! Some great melodies and moments on this album.
El sonido trasladándose de lado a lado a sido flipante papu
FINAL REVIEW I'm giving this a 4/5. I went back and forth between if this was a 4/5 or a 5/5, but I ended up at 4/5. I absolutely loved it, but 5/5 to me is an album that truly moved me. That said, this is a collection of absolutely perfectly crafted pop songs made even more exciting with a hard rock and electronic edge. I already checked out some more of The Cars after hearing this one, and I am definitely a fan now!! NOTES 2:48 am - even before listening, i realize i already know the first three songs, so i kind of know what to expect, unlike last time. these songs are all kind of in that "not my favorites, but not bad either" zone for me, so i'm interested to find out if the rest of the album will be the same, or if something will pop out. 3:08 am - okay it turns out i know four songs. theres a lot of hits on here, wow. so far, i'm really enjoying it. ive only heard the songs i know in passing, never purposefully, and now that i am focusing on them more, i'm realizing how fucking catchy they are. i love the combination of seventies synths with hard rock guitar, honestly i think i have been underrating the cars this whole time. 3:25 am - honestly this was great. i'm currently thinking 4/5 (if we could do half stars, i would probably go 4.5/5 tbh), but i will definitely be revisiting this throughout the day and seeing how i feel. one thing i was thinking about when listening to it was a beach boys album ive been listening to a lot lately that was released the year previous to this album, which featured brian wilson experimenting with similar synths to what the cars used on their debut. the late seventies was a really wild and experimental time for electronic music, and its cool to hear something thats such a classic sound now, but was deeply cutting edge at the time. 8:40 pm - just did my second listen through, and its just as great. i'm now just moving onto the next cars album, bc i really love this sound, but don't want to overplay this album. honestly such a fun and unique sound, the hooks are so fucking catchy, and the vocals are super cool and quirky, with lyrics to match. im thinking 4/5, but who knows, i might like it even more as i listen to it again and again going forward. this is definitely going into my regular album rotation. 9:15 pm - candy-o is also a great album. the cars are so fucking good at pop music, can't believe i've been missing out on this my whole life, like wtf.
Denne var god
Kvalitets-poprock.
I'm not the biggest New Wave fun but this is one of the strongest debut albums of all time. Listenable from start to finish. Deliberating between 4/5 and the thing that kept it from a perfect score for me was I felt that I was losing of the production quality (synths-pops) from listening to it in digital vs. vinyl-stereo. Also, hearing this in the 2020s, the fact that some of these songs have been so co-opted by mass media (e.g. Circuit City's "Just What I Needed ad campaign) that it has added a kitschy feel to it. Neither of those previous nits are the fault of The Cars and, to be fair, most music released around the 80s hasn't aged particularly well. Select tracks on here still feel very fresh and innovative. I'm just missing that indescribable 'wow' factor for a perfect score as many of the singles on here have been played to death on the radio. Still, I'm very impressed with this album in its totality.
8/10
I've never been a big Cars fan, but I have to admit this album has stood the test of time as one of the great debuts, right up there with Boston The Doors, and The Killers. Iconic songs that you can't get out of your head if you try (and believe me, I've often tried!).
Good song writing, catchy choruses, and distinctive sound. Somewhat compelling but also not a lot of stand out songs
This is a very good album. I can’t quite call it the classic that it’s frequently made out to be, and parts of it left me wanting, but there’s simply nothing ‘bad’ about. It’s just lacking that final cutting edge to really push it into legendary 5/5 status. I’ll probably listen to it again in a few weeks and change my mind utterly. Good Times Roll (7/10) My Best Friend’s Girl (8/10) Just What I Needed (9/10) I’m in Touch with Your World (6/10) Don’t Cha Stop (7/10) You’re All I’ve Got Tonight (8/10) Bye Bye Love (7/10) Moving In Stereo (10/10) All Mixed Up (8/10) 7.8/10
This one sure let the Good Times Roll. It was Just What I Needed!
This cassette was a regular in my Sony Walkman with the orange foam headphones!
They def have a sound. I already had 1 song from this album saved. I enjoyed it.
Surprisingly good. I always thought of cars like a quirky little new wave band, but they’ve got some proper 70s rock songs going on here. I really enjoyed it.
This album was kind if a banger, first three tracks really was a good start to a morning. It also had afee tracks smooth tracks in there i quite liked. I can see why this made the list
Really fun album. Although this is an album from the 70s (late 70s really) it has way more of that 80s sound. Lots of variety to the music without seeming like they don't know what type of music they want to play. Unfortunately the song "Just What I Needed" brings back nightmares of working at Circuit City so I have to skip that one personally. Otherwise, really nice album that still holds up almost 50 years later!
It was good but it felt the same throughout kinda
Some really good songs on this one. I'm definitely gonna listen again.
Would’ve been a three, but Moving In Stereo bumped it up. The number of hits on this album is impressive
This is on my rotation fairly regularly. I love this album.
This is a good mix of Rock with slight New Wave Elements. Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. 4/5
First three songs are classics. Fourth song is a little whack at times. Track 5 sounds like a more 80’s version of a Beatles song. I think I’ve heard most of these songs before and I like almost all of them. Moving in Stereo is a bop 4/5
Great album by a great band! Love the music here. So many classics. 8.4/10
Never heard of it, nice! Reminds me of Blondie in some ways
Cool utilisations de la stéréophonie/espace avec des layers de guits pannés à divers endroits. Hâte d'entre Just what i needed, BANGER. Slicks solos de guit inspirés du country avec des licks chromatiques rapides, des montées de sixtes (dans JWIN mais aussi My Best Friend's Girl. La derniere piece All Mixed Up est incroyable. Selon wiki ce sont des nerds de gear qui s'amusaient a essayer toutes les technologies (synth etc) qui sortaient à l'époque meme si le gear devenait obsolete rapidement
Still holds up, even once you get passed the hits
I had obviously heard the first three songs - "Good Times Roll", "My Best Friend's Girl", and "Just What I Needed" - but had not made the connection that they were all from the same band. I definitely had no idea that they were all from the same album. I wasn't familiar with The Cars, otherwise. I do tend to like New Wave quite a bit and this album was no exception.
Phenomenal debut album, pack to the brim with classic bangers, might be a little biased because of my dad but I love this album
A very good album, my only problem is I'm kinda burnt out on The Cars. One of those "Its good, but if I never hear it again, I wouldn't be sad" albums/artists. Along with bands like Boston and Foreigner, I just really don't need to listen to them anymore, even if they are good. Still getting a 4 because it is a good album, but yeah.
New Wave/Rock Melodic
Crazy amount of hits on this one i went to school with a ben orr, if he's reading this i hope he's doing well.
these people made every song ever
87% Best: My Best Friend's Girl; Just What I Needed; You're All I've Got Tonight; Moving in Stereo; All Mixed Up Must-Hear? Sure
First half was very good
a mi me pones algo asi y me gusta inevitablemente, qué querés que te diga
The Hits are awesome but overplayed tbh. Really good though
an enjoyable synthrock/power pop album that spawned "Just What I Needed" and other famous classic hits, The Cars debut album infuses what was modern equipment at the time into their sound that today sounds like it was made a good 10-15 years later at a minimum while also creating ear candy hooks and high energy riffs, lead lines, and other melodic creations.
Really dig their new wave vibe. High energy, solid rock, weird concept.
This album brings back a lot of memories from my younger years. I believe I have heard all but two songs on this album Did not care for I'm in touch with your world. It was a little weird for me.
I liked this one. The hits starting out right away got me excited. Did not know any songs after the first three, but it was pretty good overall.
I dont know what got me into The Cars as a kid, but I've always been a fan. Catchy melodies but oddly unique compared to everything else on KSHE 95. I hear so much Weezer in this. Pretty sure The Cars were a big inspiration to Rivers Cuomo so that makes sense to me. Just looked it up, and Ric Ocasek (singer) was a notable record producer for famous bands like Weezer, No Doubt, and many more so it's cool that he's got his fingerprints on so many notable pieces of music history. Big fan.
C'mon. Classic after classic, easy to listen to, would go hard on a boat for sure. This is the type of classic rock you don't mind when it comes up. 8/10
I’ve always had trouble pegging down what exactly The Cars were. Are they a pop band, a new wave band, or a rock band? It’s probably why I’ve been familiar with their hits, but never knew it was their work. Maybe it’s my stupid brain, but it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that You Might Think, Drive, and Just What I Needed were made by the same band. (By the way, Drive might one of my favorite songs of all time, it’s not here but I don’t know if that album is here, so I’m saying it now). Regardless, the one thing I do know is that The Cars make some good music, especially here. The synth elements add a nice flair to the album without making it cheesy or dated. To be honest, most of it feels like it belongs in the next decade. Hard to believe this came out in the seventies, albeit late in the decade. Overall, who cares what genre The Cars fall into? Good music is good music and this is good music. Favorite track: Just What I Needed Other hits: Moving in Stereo, My Best Friends Girl, Don’t Cha Stop, You’re All I’ve Got Tonight, I’m In Touch With Your World
A favorite album
Lots of hits
Nettes Rock-Album, eingängige Melodien. 3-4/5
Ukjende for meg før no. Ganske bra.
Top 5 new wave album for me. No skips. Crisp production. All around great record
This is so much cooler than I was expecting! New wave without having that dreadful plastic sound which so came to represent the genre. 4*
This album was great at the time and reflective of where rock went in the 80s. Although I love the album cover to cover. I don’t feel the music passes the test of time.
Eu adoro esse álbum, ele tem músicas esquisitas, eletrificantes e pegajosas. Os caras tocam muito também, muitas vezes essas bandas do final dos anos 70 não são tão fortes no instrumental, mas não é o caso em The Cars. Não muito pra dizer além disso, puro suco do que seria os anos 80, adoro Just What I needed e Dontcha Stop
Thoroughly enjoyed this, short fun and well made with catchy hooks and memorable instrumentals 4/5
So many hits!
Love this album, it's the most '70s sounding new-wave album there is. While it does have a lot in common with contemporaries like Talking Heads, I do think this 'The Cars' self-titled holds its own in just being a great collection of pop-rock love songs, with some great, and ahead-of-its-time production. There are slower, and more slick parts here that remind me of guys like Lou Reed (especially 'Don't Cha Stop'), while the more flashy aspects remind me of groups like Queen (like with the closer 'All Mixed Up'). 'My Best Friend's Girl' is irresistibly cute, I love the way the guitar and bass lock in that refrain - might also be the most post-punky thing here. 'Just What I Needed' is as perfect as pop songs in this vein get, and the epic synth outro of 'Moving in Stereo' could've gone on for hours, and I wouldn't care. But easily my favorite track off this album has always been 'All Mixed Up', primarily because of those lush harmonies in the chorus - the layering is incredible. Short, slick, catchy, and hilariously horny at times - probably one of the easiest album out there to listen to. Superb stuff.
Hits, hooks and jangles.
Possibly a top 5 all time 3 song start to an album. Just one banger after another. It plateaued a bit after that with a little bit of filler but really, it would be impossible to expect that level of epic to be maintained throughout the whole record.
As a kid growing up in small-town Midwest with few radio stations and even fewer record stores, The Cars are probably the soundtrack of my high school driving days – although these tracks weren’t meant for me in the 90’s. Blasting the ubiquitous “classic rock” station (that still endures with the same songs) I came way too late to the game. So I groaned a bit when I saw The Cars on my review queue for today. They were very over-saturated for me and everyone else by classic rock radio. However it is hard to deny this hit-making machine. Maybe there isn’t a ton of substance, but it is fun and I do hear a lot more experimentation than they get credit for. It wasn’t a torture as I thought’d be!
Very solid album - the three tracks I didn't know... there's a reason I didn't know them but they weren't bad - 6/9 absolute bangers... Really deserves 4.5
Fav: Just What I Needed Notes: Some bangers, some down tracks for me.
Wow, what a debut. So maybe amazing moments here. Best Friend's Girl gets me every time when that riff, and an entire generation goes to a special place when the opening to Moving in Stereo comes on.
New wave that isn’t completely terrible. There are times and songs that definitely don’t do it for me, not a 5-star, but there are some undeniable hits. They knew how to ride the new wave synths in a pop-sensible way to not totally date and destroy the album. Side review from my wife: I hate this album.
Great album
A nice one. I could be wrong but I think it’d be more tasteful if the vocalists could do more emotive delivery. Most songs are indeed very good but many times I just wish he could do it differently, like one or even two keys higher, to align with energy. But in general, a very very good album. Catchy songs and it really feels timeless.
I always felt like the Cars were underrated and wanted to listen to them more. I think this album was great, easy 4 given the early start of 3 hits, but not quite a 5 because while I found 2 new songs I liked, it’s definitely a front loaded album. Love their sound. Feels uniquely them and they’ve got some iconic songs that showcase it really well. Moving in Stereo was a fun surprise. Really strong album to showcase the band and something I think definitely deserves a place on this list.
This album is just so freaking fun. A couple of bangers, and then i think it stalls out a bit. All Mixed Up I feel like just starts to evolve towards the end of the song, but overall I think it gets a tad bit repetitive. I dig the sound though, so a four stars from me
Had no idea how many of these songs I actually knew. Enjoyed it the whole way through even if it's not entirely for me.
Solid hits throughout this one.
Really hooky and lots of fun riffs. It's an easy 3.5, but I'm rounding up just for so many great songs.
I didn’t think I liked the Cars, but this album is really good. Not really a boring song to be found.
Classics rock album. just what I needed >>>
Great songs. Rare to find that many on one album
Some great songs, not consistently convincing, though. I was wondering about the Queen-like backing vocals, until I noticed the records had been produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who had worked with Queen before. :-)
4.0 2x whole album is a banger
Decent songs on this album.
Great songs, great productions. Loses its way a shade at the end
Funnily enough this album was just what I needed. Perfect Friday album. Short and sweet and upbeat. Specific rating -4.3 Fav song - my best friends girlfriend Least fav - bye bye love
I feel like it's safe to say that I do indeed enjoy classic rock, and 16 year old me was really onto something (although I maintain that it feels equally as cringe as wearing a jumper around one's waist)
So many fun and iconic songs. Just a great time album really. Favourite song: Just What I Needed Least: I'm In Touch With Your World
Musik, die meinem Vater gut gefällt
Yes this is the music of that era. Even though I wasn’t there I felt it.
Stop familiar, disjointed snippets of the songs heard on the radio and I drove in and out of reception.
I didn’t know it until today, but this is one of my favorite album covers of all time. The record itself is extremely tight & cohesive, and seems to have really presaged a lot of 80s rock. It’s kind of unbelievable just how pervasive a lot of these tracks are today. This is going to be in the rotation a lot more. Standout tracks are: “Let the Good Times Roll”, “Bye Bye Love” and “Moving in Stereo”. The synth in “Moving in Stereo” is one of the most euphoric things ever.
A good album. Makes me think of walking to college in Springtime. Moving in Stereo was fun to listen to with headphones. Obviously I have heard a lot of the songs on this album before due to the radio.
Great album. Such a classic and truly one of the best debuts ever, I think. Highlights are Moving in Stereo and Just What I Needed.
just what i needed. 4/5
so many lowk nostalgic songs i didn’t even know was them
Classics
Wow, where do I even begin with Cars (2006)? This movie exceeded my expectations in every way possible and left me feeling so incredibly entertained and satisfied. Pixar has once again proven that they are masters of storytelling and animation. When I first heard about Cars, I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical. How could a movie featuring only vehicles, with no human characters, keep me engaged for a full two hours? But Pixar managed to do just that, and more. Director John Lasseter's attention to detail is truly remarkable. Every car and truck in the movie becomes a unique character with its own personality. The way they bend and gesture in ways that are true to their construction is just incredible. It's these small details that make the world of Cars so immersive and believable. And speaking of the world, the story itself is filled with charm and heart. Yes, it may contain a well-traveled theme, but it's delivered in such a way that it feels fresh and meaningful. I found myself genuinely caring about Lightning McQueen's journey and rooting for him every step of the way. Now, I'm not a racing fan by any means, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this movie. You don't need to be a racing enthusiast to appreciate the story and the characters. The film goes beyond the world of racing and delves into themes of self-discovery, friendship, and the importance of slowing down and enjoying life. It's a message that resonated with me, and I'm sure it will resonate with many others as well. Visually, Cars is a feast for the eyes. The animation is stunning, and the attention to detail is mind-blowing. The scenery is so beautifully rendered that it's hard to believe it's not real. From the reflections on the cars to the weeds growing out of cracks in the sidewalk, every little detail has been meticulously crafted. It's a visual spectacle that left me in awe. But impressive visuals alone are not enough to make a great movie. Thankfully, Cars delivers on all fronts. The characters are well-developed, and the story is engaging. Pixar took the time to give us a movie that is not just visually stunning, but also emotionally resonant. They didn't succumb to the pressure of making a shorter film to cater to shorter attention spans. Instead, they stayed true to their vision and created a movie that is both entertaining and meaningful. Cars started off with a disadvantage in my eyes, but it quickly won me over. It made me care about its characters and their journey. It made me reflect on my own life and the importance of slowing down and enjoying the journey. It made me want to take a road trip and explore the unknown. It made me appreciate the scenic route. In the end, Cars is a testament to Pixar's ability to create movies that go beyond entertainment. It's a movie that makes you care about something other than yourself, even if just for a little while. It's a movie that reminds us of the power of storytelling and the magic of animation. Pixar has once again made it look simple, but we all know that creating a movie as wonderful as Cars takes a tremendous amount of talent and hard work. I can confidently give Cars a rating of 8 out of 10, and I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted story and breathtaking animation.
Iconic
Can’t think of a better opening three songs on a debut. An incredible piece of work and full of ideas. Excellent.
Love this album - full of great hits all the way through
Super fun and catchy album
Get in and enjoy the ride.
This is some good stuff. Its pop. Its fun. And I mean, these are catchy tunes.
The sound of The Cars is the sound of familiarity. It's the sound of 680 CFTR on the radio as my mom drives to the grocery store in her Nissan Pulsar that had an excuse for a backseat. My friends called that car "KITT" because it did look like it was from a TV show. My mom loved that damn car - I think it made her feel cool. I know it made me feel cool too.
lot of hits on here that i didn’t realize were all on the same album
Started off with the hits and then slumped in the middle but regained its momentum by the end. Glad I listened all the way through.
Overplayed AOR from the 80's. That being said a ton of great tunes on this record.
Kende 'm al, een favoriet, "Just What I Needed" in het bijzonder.
I enjoyed this album a lot. Very catchy and very fun. Some songs were a bit weak compared to others, but none that I disliked too much.
The strokes before the strokes were the strokes. Good Chunes!
Classic 80s
The chorus! 😍😍😍
7/10
What a great album. All the hits hit hard, and the deep cuts could've been hits. That one, two, three punch of opening tracks is bold. I am here for it.
Crazy wie I dem Albom us luuter klassisch 80er songs kes wörk schlächt esch
I'm very close to giving this a 5. I can easily listen to this record from front to back and everything works, kinda sounds like a more commercial Devo now and then. There's nothing wrong with this but just cause I think it could be more, issa 4.
Starts out with three well known bangers, I really like the overall sound of The Cars. Pretty sharp guitars and love the vocals. There's even some synth I didn't expect. Pretty good!
Nice synthrock. Smooth.
Great find!
Would listen to again. 4/5
👍
a very legible lyrical album, with feel good catchy beats.
Heckuva debut, and heckuva kick-off song on a heckuva debut. First three songs all bangers. Second half forgettable. But what an album to launch a band on.
Unassailable killer:filler ratio here
I knew the singles but never heard this all the way thru. Wow. Not a filler song in the bunch, really. Proof that if you avoid LPs full of hit singles for 3 or 4 decades, it can sound fresh then.
What's not to love about this one? It was also fun to get reacquainted with "I'm in Touch With Your World". What a wonderfully weird song.
I do like me some New Wave!
Gives you a lot of the early 80s classic rock vibes. Great album to turn on for a long hike or on a long car ride
Hit after hit 4.5
It’s 1978 and a new, local rock band hits the Boston music scene. Let The Good Times Roll, and they did! The Cars is like a greatest hits debut, seven (out of nine) of the songs became hits and got plenty of radio play. Strong start, strong finish with a new sound at the time. Always liked Moving In Stereo and evidently still do. L = (4.5*s) J = (4.2*s)
What a debut album...almost every song is a greatest hits. A slight dip in the kick ass with "I'm in Touch With Your World" and "Don't Cha Stop" but still not bad. The Cars figured out how to make a great rock song. Just when you think it's perfect they throw something else in that elevates it even further. "Moving in Stereo" could be my fave Cars song...it's so good. Perfect driving back from an awesome trip in Sedona...4.25.
What an incredible debut by The Cars. It's basically hit after hit for 35 minutes. They bring a great sound with mixed vocals, some good guitar and keyboard lines and a couple of off-the-beaten path tracks that work. I guess you could improve it by removing the final song, but even that song isn't bad. Just rename this The Cars Greatest Hits and call it a day. Been looking forward to this album and it delivered. Full marks. 4.38 stars
Loved this, top shelf dad rock. Certain shades of Queen, even Sparks and Talking Heads. Of course Just What I Needed is a stone cold classic but I also loved You’re All I’ve Got Tonight and Moving in Stereo. Just a solid solid 35 minutes of rock goodness. (4.5 stars)
I enjoyed this and knew most of these songs of course. Some of the songs I hadn't heard were pretty catchy too. I originally didn't like The Cars much but I've grown to appreciate them a bit more now. 4 stars
The first 3 tracks are all classics. An incredibly strong opening for a band's debut. There's another run of 3 classics later in the album. 6 of the 9 tracks are certified Best Of material which is quite impressive given the career they ended up having. 4 stars.
The Cars had a number of hits on pop radio back in the late 70s and 80s, and I've heard them all, mostly on the radio at the time. I enjoyed the songs, but I have mostly just thought of The Cars as an 80s pop band. And I suppose they sort of are, but Prince was also on 80s pop radio. Sitting down and actually listening to this album consciously, as opposed to stumbling across one song at a time, often in the background, I see that this is a lot better than typical 80s pop. This is really good. If I had a 10 point rating, I might only give this 7, but a very strong seven. And I would even consider 7 1/2, so I'll be rounding up when converting to a 5 star scale. Having heard all of these, I am pleasantly surprised to be giving The Cars 4 stars.
A classic! The one miss is "I'm in Touch With Your World" which sounds like an elementary school band trying to write a Talking Heads song. The rest of it is just a delight. Nearly every track is a classic rock radio hit, and the few new-to-me songs were great as well.
cars are everywhere
Just what I needed is a banger the rest are pretty good sax at the end was good variation
Fine album.
Has a number of very good hits on it. Impressive for a debut album. Good classic album to listen to
Lots of solid tracks. A couple filler songs, but overall a solid record.
I love this album. It's really tight and has a bunch of fantastic songs, and their sound is amazing. I think there's just enough dead weight to not give this 5 stars, but it's really close.
Almost textbook rock songwriting with nothing unusual on the surface but a few weird moments on closer inspection. Enjoyable throughout. Only real complaint is it was too short - but maybe that's just right. 4.0/5.0: Great
Classic 4/5
A short and sweet buffet of bangers.
Fine album. Not something I’d turn on real often but I like it.
I really recognised the cover but hadn’t heard this album before. What a bop! Really enjoyed this perfect half hour slice of synth heavy pop rock. Great stuff!
Really great!
Hit after hit! Great use of synths and I feel every song on this album was in some sort of 80s movie.
Lovely catchy tunes - thanks!
weezer начинали свою карьеру под предводительством Рика Окасека - фронтмена the cars. теперь я понимаю почему они принципиально хотели поработать именно с ним
A lot of hits on this one. I would give it a 5 but a couple songs came up short.
Hard to believe this is a debut album, just so many great songs that I heard many, many times over the years. Really enjoyed listening to this all over again.
Why do I feel funny when in my pants when I hear "Moving in Stereo" from this album? IYKYK DOGGLER! Seriously though, next time you listen to that track- pan between the left and right channels. Trust me, it's cool. The rest of the album is a damn-near masterpiece. If they had an extra guitar playing the keys parts instead it would be perfect, but that's just my own personal preference.
i'm half tempted to give this a 5 but there was one or two songs that were a little lesser
I suppose when you open your album with 3 of your best ever songs the rest may seem a bit lacklustre by comparison but still a bloody good record I enjoyed revisiting.
very enjoyable pop rock
Not a horrible album 7/10
I love almost every song on this album. I mean, they kind of also all sound the same, but when they’re all bangers, that’s all right by me. “All Mixed Up” is kinda skippable though. 3.75 stars.
A debut album with an incredible list of hits I don’t listen to outside of radio play.
I like the Cars, and several hits on this album that certainly make it noteworthy enough for a 4/5. However, the Cars do get old kinda quick. Couldn't real stand to listen to another playthrough. The album could've benefited from another song that's closer to "Drive" to change it up a bit.
Collection of radio friendly BANGERS. I don't have a car so -1. 5-1 / 5
now thats more like it!! the harmonised sections in "good times roll" are literally identical to Queen damn this was very enjoyable i liked it, it's fun and energetic and still feels very modern despite being almost 50 years old
what a vibe!!
i fw this heavy
Got me chair dancing while working from home. 'Just What I Needed' was just what I needed on a Monday.
Ric Okasek is a great songwriter. Benjamin Orr is a great singer. Great album that set the sound for the 80s.
Quite a solid album, though I have never been a fan of the band. 8/10
How can you not love it
w00t first one!!!!
Another collective noun for all 17 of Len’s wives. 4.1
Based
Genre defining sound
4,5/5. det er skide godt god rock og det lyder fedt. Blander rock og new wave og pop.
Pretty solid album, a classic from the 70’s and a great first generated album
I have been a casual Cars listener for my entire life, but I never realized how much of my knowledge came off this album. What kid on the ‘80s didn’t want to let The Good Times Roll with My Beat Friend’s Girl who was Moving in Stereo and who was Just What I Needed. I was totally All Mixed Up because I wanted to Be …In Touch With Your World. But, since I was only in elementary school, this album was All I Got Tonight, so Bye Bye love!
Cool rockig, synth-popig
What an absurdly successful debut album, felt like I was listening to the greatest hits.
Upbeat, melodic, singable, really nice album
1978 was a great year for synthesizers, with Kraftwerk in full swing, Human League's first single and Gary Numan's first solo album right around the corner. The Cars is much more accessible for the rock and roll heads. Interestingly the band members met in Cleveland in the 60s. The album released the same year as Devo's first one and the parallels are easy to hear. Something in the water I guess... When this opened with anxious guitar and keening vocals in Let the Good Times Roll I had to double check that this wasn't a Gary Numan project. I had to check again when the synths come in. I had to check a third time when the bass arpeggio starts. My Best Friend's Girl is a little more trad rock with some decent fake banjo solos over lyrics about stealing girlfriends. Its not amazing and its let down by a corny refrain at the end. In 2025 this doesn't sound like it should have been a single. Just What I Needed is a classic, the complicated phrasing changes in the beat is something I hadn't noticed before and adds to the subtle motoric influences without going full Kraftwerk. I'm in Touch with Your World goes nods towards Cleveland with angular guitars and synth flourishes. Don't Cha Stop continues the Devo love and actually sounds a lot more like some of Devo's later work. Bye Bye Love weave the synth and guitar lines perfectly in wailing solos, interspersed with crooning from Ocasek. Moving in Stereo goes back to the goth/hard rock from earlier in the album and creates a great sense of desolation while still rocking out. All Mixed Up almost makes the same mistakes as Best Friend's Girl but has some redeeming harmonies from the chorus. It makes the fatal mistake of closing out with a tenor sax. Occasional proggy moments never get out of hand. Some critics are noting that the lyrics are sarcastic and ironic but I think in the context of the year they are a lot more sincere than Hutter or Mothersbaugh or Oakey. I'm not sure if that's what's making me shy away from giving this a 5 - the lyrics are not as sly as other post punk acts from the era and the classic love song motifs don't gel with the futuristic sounds. Also tenor sax right at the end leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Have this album and like it
Loved it when it came out and I still love it today. Well written songs, with a nice blend of guitar and synth rock. Just great pop songs. Personally I like Orr's vocals over Ocasek's, but maybe its that juxtaposition that keeps it interesting.
Really decent listen, being from a later time, I knew of a couple of tracks, but some great guitar in a couple of tracks also
Solid album. Good Times, Best Friend’s Girl, Just What I Needed. Bangers.
Boston's own! I was surprised how well I knew all but two of these songs. Growing up MA I think we had an unusual amount of The Cars played on our only good radio station (ZLX). Very unique sound - super clean production. Only comp I could think of was Joe Jackson, maybe Devo for some of the vocals, Boston for some of the bigger solo's. Despite having a very unique sound theres a lot of variance in the songs. Never really sought out the Cars, despite hearing all these songs 1000 times, and probobaly won't seek them out going forward, but when I hear a Cars song I'll turn it up.