Reviews (page 6 of 15)
stop trying to be queen bro
Great
One of the best debut albums there is, back to back hits, the band had a perfect sound.
Really great album from the Cars here. Shows their sound very well and a great 70s staple rock album. Fav Song:Best Friends Girl
Meh
I mean it was just banger after banger after banger
Good but ultimately forgettable.
Unbekannt, noch so spannend.
im already hyped this album cover is sooooo cool and the guitar isolation get HYPED AJHHHH JUST WHAT I NEEDED I LOVE THIS FUCKING ALBUM this song might be one of the best of all time it just hits also 'youre all I've got tonight' I love the drums at the start and the chorus also just that song in general if I had to give critique id say some of the songs sound vaguely similar good album closer-- all mixed up is a great song 4/5 just because it feels right.
6/10 Favourite: Just What I Needed Least Favourite: I'm in Touch With Your World
Lots of fun tracks on here!
At the time I viewed the Cars as a singles band, and overall this did not change my mind. Good highs.
Overall a pretty good album. Lots of his, a couple misses.
Nice! Just one stand out song but not bad
This is in my top 5 80s records. It’s just so fun with great riffs and melodies that just keep you on board throughout.
Some fillers but mostly enjoyable
Had some good stuff and minimal bad stuff but mostly in the middle for me
This is one of those albums that plays like a greatest hits. “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Just What I Needed,” and “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” are all on the same album?! Wow. The Cars have a great style. It’s new wave inspired by classic rock n roll. Some of the most enjoyable, crowd-pleasing rock music I can think of. The album cuts are good here too. The album flows nicely between the lesser known tracks and the mega hits. Maybe a slight dip at the end, but the opening sequence is fantastic! Great classic album cover too. 4.5
I love this band but admittedly I haven't listen to them enough and I'm so happy to see them on this list. When they slam the big "Let the good times roll" at 0:46 of the first track, you kind of get an idea for what this band is capable of. Technical and precise and catchy and super refined. "Just What I Needed" is such an amazing song. I've always liked it but I really fell in love with it after hearing Punch Brothers cover it on the "AV Club" youtube channel. If you haven't heard that I really can't recommend it enough. To me this record is a strong 4, but not quite a 5. "My Best Friends Girl" and "Just What I Needed" are both super impressive songs that most fans of music know or have atleast heard of, but after these first tracks the album does fall off a little bit. I love this album cover. I've written a bunch before about how album covers sometimes get this "moment in time" feeling for me that's hard to explain.. like a familiarity for something that never occurred? A nostalgia for an experience that you were never a part of? This is what this album cover feels like for me.
My first truly famous album from this service! Listening from front to back, I was surprised by how many songs I personally knew and of course, how many I didn't! I can't say I ever heard I'm in touch with your world" on the radio. It was the lowest point of the album for me but I can tell they were just having a laugh based on the sound bites thrown in. The Cars have been a background sound all my life and it was fun to sit down to appreciate them. As a whole, the album feels pretty coherent. A product of its time, it was easy to tell what songs were near the center of their LP, as these songs would have lower fidelity due to their placement on a vinyl record. A fun observation I had while listening. This will be my first 5/5 score, though I wonder if I've never heard them before if this would change. Music is so subjective!
another ok from me
Cars at their best.
Glossy shiny pop, full of hooks.
Fun rock pop album.
It’s so great - a real classic - I can listen to this whenever
Know the album and the artist. I know several of their other albums, and I do feel that their other albums were better as a whole, such a Candy-O or Heartbeat City. Probably a hot take.
Another late 70s albums that can be listened to from start to finish
Pretty much perfect. Just what I needed slaps so hard
Fun little album here. Enjoyed it
Great 70's rock, gotta love it
Heavy hitting pop album that holds up super well (the big hits do, at least)
I mean it's honestly hard to find anything bad to say. Tons of well known hits, including Moving in Stereo and its connection to that iconic Fast Times scene. Loved it.
Had to make sure I didn't accidentally click on The Cars greatest hits. Apparently they pushed so many singles out of this album. Normally not a fan of this 80s sound but can't help but enjoy this.
Really good debut album. The hits are classics even if the ending songs of the two sides are lacking. It doesn't bring the album down enough to negate how good the other tracks are.
I can confidently say that this is one of my favourite albums from the 70’s. It’s just so good
01) Good Times Roll - 8,0 02) My Best Friend's Girl - 8,0 03) Just What I Needed - 7,5 04) I'm in Touch with Your World - 6,5 05) Don't Cha Stop - 6,5 06) You're All I've Got Tonight - 7,0 07) Bye Bye Love - 7,0 08) Moving in Stereo - 7,0 09) All Mixed Up - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,17 (72/100) Current ranking: 395/743
I was quite excited for this album and it sounds pretty similar to what I thought and I loved it. Some songs were at times annoying and underwhelming but then u had beautiful moments throughout. This was an enjoyable record without many flaws and I kept liking it more and more. Favourite songs were Bye Bye Love by far. Overall I enjoyed this and I’m giving it a solid 7.9/10
What would the 80s have looked like if the Cars didn't set the stage in 1978? Iconic perfection.
I don't know what should be special about this. It's not bad but I see no reason to return.
4 stars for best friends girl!
Fantastic! Power Pop at its best. Most bands dream of having this many classic songs over the course of a career let alone a single album.
2/3 of this album are new wave pop bangers that came straight from a bolt of lightning to morph rock radio forever. These dudes are just GOOD, and they happen to bring a snark that can only come from music dweebs in the basement led by the king of the dorks himself, Ric Ocasek. If you turn on classic rock radio you will hear most of this album at some point and every time you’ll be pretty happy you did.
A perfect 80s rock/punk/pop combo with tunes you never want to go away.
While the U.K. had punk and new wave America had this. And Boston and Journey. The awful last knockings of classic rock was shrill vocals, lack of harmony, keyboard flourishes and if all ideas run out fill the space with unwanted guitar frills The spandex clad glam metallers that followed must have heard cash tills amongst this ill executed cacophony. America produced some of the greatest music of all time in the eighties but it was made a long long way from the cars.
Gorszym dawałem 3, więc temu daje 4
There’s only 1 good tune. They may be iconic - but it’s not from this.
This album was just what I needed.
Flawless
7/10 This was a nice little surprise. I’ve heard bits and pieces of The Cars before, and may have even spun this record once or twice in the past, but it was nice to get a refresher and listen to it as a while with fresh ears. As an overall feel, there is a lot to like about this. There’s a power pop feel to quite a few tracks, they’re hooky, infectious and have a decent amount of drive to them. The first three tracks in particular just jump out of the speakers and grab your attention, I haven’t got Just What I Needed out of my head all day. On first listen, I did feel that things started dropping off in the second half, but on relistening, I think there’s more quality there than I first heard and it’s only really the last couple of tracks where things start to lose their way. For an album that is quite poppy in tone, there are actually some really interesting choices in terms of structure and composition. Just What I Needed really builds nicely, and the instrumental structure ebbs and flows through the track so that it’s not just a static pop song construction. In fact, they often get quite a lot done in each of their tracks, despite the fact that most of them are only 3-4 minutes long. The production is by and large great, with everything having its place, and great restraint shown with the synth parts to not allow them to dominate the mix, which may have been tempting for an album in 1978. They’re also better instrumentalists than might initially be apparent from the pop sheen of the production. Listen out for some nice fluid guitar solos and some lovely rhythmic blends between the instruments, and you get drawn a little deeper into the music. That said, the last couple of songs do start to get a little dragged down, both pace and production wise. Things get a little muddy and plodding, which unfortunately slows the momentum of the album down as it winds to a close. Regardless of that, I had a great time with this album and will probably take the time to check out some more of their stuff. Good Times Roll - It’s an interesting start with a lack of commitment to where the beat is, which always makes for a cool intro. It’s got a nice pulse and some solid synth lines that augment rather than dominate the sound. The variety of rhythms across the parts is decent too. The ‘Good Time Roll’ vocal harmonisation reminds me a lot of Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles. Nice opener. My Best Friend's Girl - It’s a cool stripped back opening that’s begging for audience participation at a live show. The way the music kicks in is really satisfying with the diving synth and drum fill. There’s a nice strut to the groove, and some really nice riffs and licks. It’s also super hooky, particularly with the vocal harmonies. Another quality track. Just What I Needed - This is a classic. It starts off with quality intro and then the tension build up in the verse as it progresses is great. Then it lulls you in with a break to a synth line instead of a chorus, before building back up again. The chorus is SO good. Hooky pop rock perfection. The ebb and flow of the intensity and instrumentation in the verses is great for maintaining interest, and the lead synth part is superb, despite its simplicity. This one has been hanging around in my head all day and I’m here for it. I'm In Touch With Your World - This is slightly mad in a really fun way. It has echoes of Oingo Boingo about it with the edge of creepiness, and it’s a great way to follow on from such a great pop song. There are some lovely little bits of sound design in there and it keeps threatening to get more coherent and then pulls the rug. Don't Cha Stop - There’s a solid, driving groove to this, but they’re not afraid to break out of it and go a bit off piste with bits like the drum roll driven section. It’s another hooky song but also has some interesting songwriting choices and some cool guitar work too. It feels like they are gathering a lot of influences and creating a really satisfying blend of sounds and again, the depth and subtlety of the electronic instrumentation is great. You're All I've Got Tonight - And now for something more heavy that almost goes stadium rock in places. The synth work is cheesy but excellent, and there’s a good, driving energy to this that I really like. They switch things up rhythmically now and again too, which keeps things fresh. The musicianship is also great. Bye Bye Love - We’re continuing the stadium rock theme now. This perhaps has a bit less of varied interest in terms of the depth of instrumentation and compositional chops, but it’s still a decent effort, and some of the synth work is cheesy gold, especially the filtered synth arp leads. Moving In Stereo - Pace wise, a much more pedestrian song. There are elements of it that are great and it has a very 80s sound despite being a record from 1978, but it doesn’t offer as much quality and impetus as the rest of the album, and as it’s the longest song on the album it does drag a bit too. All Mixed Up - Again, the pace of this stays low and it becomes a bit cluttered and overwhelming in terms of the sound. There are some really decent elements in there, but it all gets a bit lost in a cacophony of sound that doesn’t help the song along to my ear. It’s a shame the tone of the album dropped towards the end of the album, but I suppose a band like this gets nowhere without trying things in the first place.
I was quite excited for this one. I love "Just What I Needed"! and "Cars"... wait, idiot... that's the Gary Numan song. What other Cars songs do I know? Let's see... uh... hm. Nope. Okay, well that's fine. I do like "Just What I Needed", so I'm sure the rest of the album is probably just as good. Fun rock stuff with great energy, right? Oh. It's... fine? Underwhelming? Ah. okay. I mean it's not bad at least... Overall, worthy of a 3.
Cant go wrong with this album. Absolutely one of the best debuts of all time. When they say it should just be their greatest hits album, its for a reason. Endless replay value. 4/5
Memories of searching every, single record store in my city when I heard, "Just What I Needed".... Asking all my friends, "Have you heard THAT song?"
Classic rock and roll, beautiful blend of instruments and voice
Jag gillar detta! Det är lättlyssnat och göttigt.
Okänt för mig. Lite gött så där men inte min vanliga musiksmak. En objektiv 3a från mig.
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.
I very much enjoyed this debut album from The Cars! The first three songs on this album are absolute fire and have a unique sound and vibe that is very quintessential for this band. The rest of the album is fun too but the first three songs are bops! I would listen to this album again in the future!
Some of those songs I knew but didn’t know this was who sang them. Couple songs I weren’t to my liking but overall a good album
Holy moly, an album that I've heard every song on the radio beforehand. Honestly, a solid listen with upbeat easy listenings.
The Cars’ self-titled debut is one of those albums that always seems to appear on “essential” lists, and while I can understand why, I can’t quite share the same level of excitement. The band blend pop, new wave and rock with a sleek, radio-ready polish, and the results are undeniably catchy — 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘔𝘺 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥’𝘴 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭, and 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘭𝘭 are deserved classics. But beyond those hooks, the album doesn’t fully captivate me; it’s well-constructed, clever and cool, yet emotionally distant and a little too glossy to truly hit hard. I like it — I just don’t love it. A solid, enjoyable listen that feels more like a perfectly engineered product than a record I’ll return to often.
Good times indeed
Tight tight TIGHT. This absolutely rules. Talk about a record you could put on anytime.
Kind of boring
Fine pop rock
This is a great album and one of the first albums I ever listened to with friends that wasn't my parents when I was a young teen. I remember just being blown away when a buddy put this on the record player. So different than what I've been listening to up to that point. The album is still a classic to this day. Every song still works. I remember smoking pot and listening to Moving In Stereo with the headphones on and having my mind blown.
I remember a lot more of this album than I realized. Oh nostalgia.
Excellent first three songs. The rest are meh.
Bra poprock i den där fina blandningen av det gamla (sextiotal, glamrock) och det nya (syntar, new age). Men det är ju inte en klassiker. Stark trea
I adore this album from beginning to end. I love the Cars. They were so ahead of their time. And this is their DEBUT album.
The Cars come out with confidence and swagger and make a debut album for the ages. It’s New Wave, but it still rocks, I want to slip a cassette of this into a shitbox car sing all the song with my buddies while we talk about the girls we’ve got crushes on. Let the good times roll.
So many great songs! Brought me lots of joy
Not bad, I recognized a few songs. They all kinda sounded the same. World in Stereo is cool. Decent rock with some proto synth-pop elements.
Great album
Ric, you wasted all MY time. Jk, this album is OK. 3/5
Etched into my consciousness. So uncool that it's perfectly cool.
Asymptotically close to perfect.
A 5 isn't good enough for this album. The Cars were my favorite rock band when I was a teen. Still one of my faves and this is in my top 10 best albums of all time. Just What I Needed is a song I never tire of hearing. I will forever regret missing them at the Cumberland County Civic Center in 1987.
No matter how many times I hear them, those first chords of Just What I Needed put me on a beach on the Cape with my dance group in the summer of 1978 (the best year for music ever). That said, this is not a nostalgia rating. The genius of The Cars is that they all grew up in different times and places with different musical interests--one was in the Modern Lovers and worshipped VU, one grew up listening to classic country--and created something that sounded totally new. That may not be evident to the youngsters who file them under New Wave, but they invented that sound. And while everyone goes on about Elliot's solo in Just What I Needed, it's his country jam in Best Friend's Girl that really gets me.
certified kitchen music
Classic front to back. One of the best debut albums and helped define the new wave sound Rating: 4.9
This cover is terrifying, but the album is good. Has a couple of stand outs, and on average it’s pretty fun. It has a nice playful, uplifting vibe to it. Nothing overly exciting, but I liked it. 7/10
Solid Classic Rock album.
This had at least four stars locked in but damn this album is even better than I realized.
Probably the best album we’ve had on this godforsaken endeavor.
Bättre än väntat men inte alls min grej
I like this one. Quite a few classics on here. I'll give it a low 4 star rating.
This album is a cornerstone of Boston Classic Rock. This album is really good. It would be excellent if it wasn’t for “I’m In Touch With Your World” and “Don’t Cha Stop”. Those songs were awful. All of the other songs are masterpieces.
Not bad, pretty fun with a couple of standout tracks. Nice synthy bits
Rock classico e leggero, ci piace. Calmo ma abbastanza pompo quando deve.
Loved the sound but didn’t grab me
Strong start to the album, then fades.
They aren’t subtle are they? The Cars drive each song confidently giving off a bold, brash, basic brilliance in their power chords, straightforward bass guitar, bubbly synths, all with a dramatic flare in the vocals and occasional but powerful backing harmonies. There are no subtle digs in what I’m saying here - they have found excellence in pairing down songs to exactly the number of ingredients required to give the listener a big punch of flavour. Nothing is under or overwritten, it's all just exactly right. It is joyful music which is designed to be played loud. I’d seen a lot of chatter about how The Strokes have ripped off The Cars. I don’t understand that at all really, but can confidently say that releasing this album in 1978 puts The Cars solidly ahead of their time and singles them out as influential.
Hard to rate today’s, I feel high 3 but it warrants another listen for sure, it’s pretty interesting especially for its time
Another inoffensive album that is fine but doesn't stand out 3
Banger after banger. Made my day when this came up as the day's album.
was nice
So 80s. Although it was from the 70s.
Didn’t realize how good this album was. Singles are straight bangers. Rest of the album was really good as well. Great lyrics, great vocals, great music.
This is not a perfect album but it isn't NOT the best album ever
*1978. *35 minutes. *Super fun pop, rock, new wave mix with some big hits. RATING - 7.5/10
Man, what a 1-2-3 punch to start. Very catchy hooks, wry lyricism, and production that sounds ahead of its time. There's new wave, then there's a more energetic and hipper version of new wave heard here. Hell of a debut album indeed.
Yeah OK
I didn't realize this was their first album. OR how many great songs came from this one album.
What an album. I forgot how many hits were on this. Really good stuff.
The Good Time definitely rolled!
Absolutely chock-o-block filled with hits and hooks that never end. I’ve been a fan of this album since it came out.
Great band with a great album
New wave classic dad rock. You can hear the 80s sound trying to break free in this late 70s album. There’s four hit songs on here that most will instantly recognize; whether or not you like them is up to you. I thought this album was fine, but a little lacking for me. Another 3/5
My only Cars story comes from my freshman year of college, well after this album was released and had any relevancy. A guy from my dorm in an effort to be friendly made a remark about the drummer of the Cars being from my small-ish hometown. Anyways I replied 'ya man I don't really care for the Cars that much.' Moral of the story is I was a bit of a prick and the Cars may be a little old hat. But this album is SOLID. Maybe, it is a little dated. Personally I find the opener to be a little corny. But My Best Friends Girl, Just What I Needed, and Your'e All I've Got Tonight are certified bangers. -1 star for Drive not being on this album.
3,5. Godt
An easy way to go back to the 80s and have a nice time. Some timeless hits. A few make it into my library. would listen again.
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.
Even though this album has a number of hits and hooks, it falls surprisingly flat for me. "Just What I Needed" deserves its classic status, and I appreciate the other songs that have become staples...but I also don't have much of a desire to listen to any of them. Shrug emoji?
It's good. I'm just not a fan, I guess. 2/5 ——————————— Liked: — Just What I Needed
So close to being the second 5 by an artist I'd never heard before. There's perhaps one or two songs not up with t rest but this was great. I realise I probably really like new wave but have only heard a few bands before (Roxy, Talking Heads, and I like them both!). Just What I Needed and All Mixed Up were brilliant.
This is pretty fun, new wave art rock or something. Some funny queen style hits of harmony, some funny lyrics, lots of fun parts. Some really good synth and guitar parts in here too, felt very ahead of its time for 1978. Just what I needed is an absolute banger. I feel like I wanted to like it more than I actually did, but I enjoyed it a lot all the same.
crazy to learn all these songs come from the same album and even crazier that they're all songs I've always disliked
There's a few bangers on here and the rest of the album is pretty cool. I wanted to give it 5 but it's not quite there. 4+!
Great music from a great band
Ok! Typisch für die bald 80er!
There's something strangely nostalgic about this album. I keep finding myself reminded of Echo & The Bunnymen for a few months before it pivots. I'm liking this more and more the more I listen.
Album correct. De la musique qui se tient, des tounes bien ficelées, de bonnes mélodies et lignes de basses... mais ça ne me rejoint pas.
Good Times Roll - Solid enough to warrant a headbop. 7/10 My Best Friend's Girl - This is a vibe! I love the guitar work, and the vocals suit extremely well. 8/10 Just What I Needed - Good! I love the synths in the instrumental break, almost reminds me of Weezer's "I Just Threw Out The Love of My Dreams". 8/10 I'm In Touch With Your World - I don't mind this. Vibey yet eccentric. 6/10 Don't Cha Stop - How is this the second least listened to track? It fuckin' HITS!! - 9/10 You've All I've Got Tonight - Yes!! Genuinely amazing, at a loss for words rn lmao 9/10 Bye Bye Love - VERY solid. Not as good as the 9s on the record, but still incredibly INCREDIBLY well done. 8/10 Moving In Stereo - I fuck with this so much. It's very very good. 9/10 All Mixed Up - Takes a little long to build up but I do enjoy it! 7/10 ALL IN ALL: A very very timeless record. Ahead of its time in many regards.
Has some bangers
Enjoyed it! Fun to listen to
Nice synth, but that’s all
****a good upbeat album, easy listening
This album has left an indomitable mark on American pop culture. Real good listen
Can’t believe this isn’t a greatest hits album. Only deduction comes from some songs sounding repetitive. But all those songs are bangers.
It's hard to hear this with fresh ears, this and Jimmy Buffet were the soundtrack to the backseat of my Mom and Dad's car. Such a great album, this album is just hit after hit after hit.
This has all the hits and is a solid new wave rock/pop album, but when it comes to the Cars, I'm more of a sitting in the wayback than a driver seat kind of fan
only one good song on here
First 3 are favorites, moving in stereo, all mixed up
ok
Light 3,5
The music is new to me, and the title track is exciting. By by Love is exciting, as is Movin in Stereo, where you can still hear the old daring steps. A solid 3 out of 5.
Will be going back to this one. The band have a big bag of tricks which they wisely use sparingly.
I had no idea what to expect from this album, but I can honestly say I enjoyed it for the most part. There were many fun synth leads over tangy guitar riffs which I really enjoyed. But besides the production I didn’t love the lead vocalist’s voice and I thought many lines in the project were unnecessary and corny. My 3 highlight tracks were, Just what I needed, Bye Bye Love, and Moving in Stereo.
This is what I’m here for — classic albums that I’ve never heard before (for whatever reason). And as someone who believes that good art is well edited art (movies should, with rare exception, be no longer than 100 minutes) I am thrilled by the 35-minute run time. That’s a tightly composed album. Even Illmatic is 39 minutes! I wonder how much of that is due to the constraints of the physical product — vinyl (the main media at the time) encouraged recording shorter albums that could be pressed to one record. Whereas Orton had the luxury of CDs and their significantly longer run time. Anyhow, on to the music. Turns out I know the first two songs really well. Like they were huge. The rest of the album is an interesting conglomeration of punkish riffs, electro bleeping and upbeat pop lyrics. While it’s an enjoyable ride, if I’m being honest, I’m probably not revisiting this one any time soon. Also, totally expected “I want you to want me” to be on this album. Fact check: that song was recorded by Cheap Trick. Oh well.
YES!!!!!!!!!
Great album, several great songs some of them I knew some of them I didn't. It made me want to listen more music of this band. 4/5.
Catchy, fun, pretty much perfectly written pop songs. Even the more experimental, less catchy songs like I’m in Touch With Your World, and Moving in Stereo are great. I love when a band can mix some ingenuity with infectiously catchy songwriting. It’s hard to think of anything I don’t like about this album. I love a lot of bands in the realm of New Wave but somehow I hadn’t really given The Cars a fair chance. I love most of their hits, but I hadn’t listened to one of their albums in its entirety yet. I see myself coming back to this record a lot.
Super solid album. It may not be my favorite album in the world, but it's a lot of fun. I know so many of these songs. I like the way the songs are structured. Yes, they tend to get a little samey, but that happens with most bands. The Cars have a sound, that is for sure. Feels like a best of because there are no real stinkers here. 5 stars!
For an album that has so many songs continually playing on classic rock radio, I never really connected with this one. It is a good album but something about it just makes me want to pass. I like a few of the songs a lot and when they come on even think to myself 'oh I forgot about this song!' but I still don't think I would buy this and listen to it all the time. Maybe it's just too generic sounding for me? I don't know. I can't really pinpoint any complaints but I just have never been blown away by this one. 3/5
3 estrelas
Some great 80s jams. Pretty cool sound techniques too. Don’t Cha Stop is an earworm that I’m surprised wasn’t a hit back in the day.
This is fun. Just simple classic rock. Nothing crazy impressive or anything here, but definitely great! The first three songs are sooo great! Liked Songs: "Good Times Roll" , "My Best Friend's Girl" , "Just What I Needed" , "Don't Cha Stop" , "Bye Bye Love" , "All Mixed Up"
Good 3.25
Pretty nice, but nothing the local rock band couldn't come up with.
I've listened to this album quite a lot as a kid, one of the many CDs my dad just sort of let available for me to burn onto my computer. Before I listened to so much music that my big shuffle folder went beyond insane for even a big music listener, I had maybe 15-20ish albums that I would always hear a few songs every other day or so: The Cars was one of them. And man oh man,. does this album have hooks for days. So many hooks, it's impossible to not hear this album and not have something linger in your head for at least a week. The Cars came at the right musical year of 1978: when the initial wave of punk rock is starting to distillate into a post-punk world, The Cars approached the crossroads of old school rock and roll and the emerging new wave/synthesizer driven music that was to become a big force beyond the disco era. They managed to combine both avenues like how Roxy Music approached glam pop with progressive rock, and make it work. The Cars were one of the big bands of the late 70s (and to very specifically note, again, not the 80s just yet) to make pop rock work with synthesizers to such a degree that it still has that futuristic sound that they went for. Almost ageless, if you don't notice the partially sarcastic lyrics from songs that became used in so many commercials that the sarcasm has been scratched away. In short, The Cars is a solid pop-rock album that helped define New Wave in its infancy. Still sounds great, has its legacy, yadda yadda yadda.
Credo sia il primo 5 che do a un album che non avevo mai ascoltato prima. Alcuni pezzi molto belli, è proprio l’essenza della new wave
Fun listen but nothing too memorable.
Brilliant stuff. Never heard them before.
Very very fun record. I forgot how many hits this group had until listening to this album in full. Every song has such a positive and energetic vibe to it and makes it a real delight to listen to. Technically not an 80s album, but setting the mood for what's to come. Before beginning this project, 80s was my least favorite decade, but I'm slowly coming around to it.
Big hits and when its not a big hit its a big vibe. Love the fun energy, not afraid of some groove and some silliness. Can't fault it
Fun, I liked it. Great sound, quality mix. Bunch of songs that I've heard already but didn't know the band.
# Album Name: The cars # Artist: The cars # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: Starts out very strong with Good times, best friend and just what i needed. Three great songs. The quality dips ever so slightly compared to these three but all the other tracks are very enjoyable. This album has a great new wave / synth feel to it. Vocals remind me of devo a tad. Great listen. Not quite a top end 5/5. Id say its on the lower end of that 5 for sure. I'll come back to this one. # Top Tunes: Good times / Best friends girl / just what i needed # Would I listen to it again? Yes
one good song
I love this album, filled with bangers!
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.
A few too many forgettable tracks, but the hits are strong enough for a solid rating. 4/5 Highlights: Good Times Roll Just What I Needed
Loved this album and every song on it, this is one of those albums I can just fly through with ease and will listen to again. They had a REO speed wagon meets tom petty feel. Great flow of songs and a fun beat throught the whole track list.
#2 in the list, great album with some bangers!
It’s ok
Great mix of new wave pop/rock for this debut album by The Cars. Punchy songs with some great guitar makes this a must listen.
A pretty good one to start up again with, idk I enjoyed most of the songs, but it doesn’t feel like a wow album as a whole either, fairly middle of the road
I have very fond memories of Just What I Needed because the most chill band I was in did a cover of it and I enjoyed the vibes. I didn’t realize how many of these songs I knew but basically the whole album.
Great album. Has some bangers from my youth. Listened to it a few times
Chock-full of bangers, this is an awesome listen. I was going to give this a solid 3 stars, but on reflection and a little deep diving into the album (1001 Album complaints podcast) I have elevated it to a 4.
After reading the reviews I thought I’d recognise some of these tracks - but completely new to me! Nothing really grabbed me though, it was fine but probably won’t get another spin.
Great album. These songs define the 80s for me. Rock with electronic enhancements.
meh 2-3
Queen wanna be-s
Better than reggae, more tolerable than Lourde but lacks musical depth for me.
Класичний приклад поп-року альбому. Подобається цей альбом, дуже хітовий. Маю навіть на касеті
Great album lots of classic tracks that I didn’t know I knew.
This is one hell of a debut album. A breezy 9 tracks and 2/3 of it still gets radio play regularly almost 50 years later. The Cars represent this interesting shift in music. It's got a genuine rock sound with plenty of riffs but the synth is largely present throughout creating an early new wave sound. If the Ramones turned the Beach Boys sound into punk, then The Cars turned it into new wave. Ric Ocasek has a lilt in his delivery that almost sounds like a nerd trying to act cool, but that's not a problem. It's rather fitting for the songs' themes about longing for love from girls that might be out of your league. And when the chorus comes, he's joined by his bandmates, creating an exciting harmony. It punches a stamp on the song that is largely responsible for making these songs classic earworms. The Cars found a great mix of classic rock (even for the late 70s) and new wave that would set the tone for the oncoming 1980s. It works so well and their place in the evolution of rock (and pop) is important and legendary. 4.5 Stars
This was just what I needed.
It’s a solid 3, maybe higher. Some good tracks though jumps around reaching back to the 50s but ahead of its time with an 80s sound.
Shocked that this album didn’t come out in 1985. Hugely influential, very poppy but largely for that reason. Loved All Mixed Up as well as the hit singles
Catchy songs, through and through. Dig the rock/synth sounds.
I love this album
and I feel god in this chili’s tonight
4/5 would listen in my car
Good
Nice
Classic, one of the best New Wave albums.
So many bangers. Fukin classic
My best friend’s girlfriend, THE SHADE BITCH!! Just what I needed, great guitar and bass. Sweet message. 5⭐️
What a debut album from The Cars!
Front to back stacked
Really enjoyable stuff! It was fun to hear them dip into being more Talking Heads-y too.
Another solid new wave offering from the list. This one I probably would've rated 3.5 (rounding down to 3) on songwriting alone, but the fucking about with synths that they did was cool enough to bump it to a 4 for me.
I really enjoyed this! Just some classic, good rock all the way around. And it was their debut?! I knew Just What I Needed, which is an all-timer, but I was surprised to learn I recognized a good number of songs on here also. And the ones I didn’t recognize, I still enjoyed.
Front to back banger. The Talking Heads vibes were so strong at certain points that they indirectly got Psycho Killer stuck in my head for an afternoon. Standouts: Don't Cha Stop • Bye Bye Love • All Mixed Up
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.
I remember my first introduction to the Cars by the father of a former girlfriend of mine and listening to this album in university. It's a hat trick of radio hits to kick it off, but the filler that follows weighs the album as a whole down a bit. Still, a good contribution to this list.
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!
Finally my kind of music!! Music/Lyrics - Chef's kiss. Vocals - Also Chef's Kiss. Guitar, synth, harmonies. Love Love. Listened before? Y - long ago Saved to library? Y Favorite track(s): You're All I've Got Tonight, My Best Friend's Girl, Good Times Roll, Just What I Needed.. Basically all of them. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Best
This is fantastic. The drums, the synth, the guitar, the Queen-like harmonies. The use of the left/right channels on Moving in Stereo. Immediately listening again. Listened before? N Saved to library? Y Favorite track(s): Good Times Roll, Just What I Needed, Don't Cha Stop ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Loved it! Saved most or all of the tracks.
It’s just middling. Nothing horrific but nothing exceptional about it
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
3 out of 5. Some good songs here, makes me more excited to see if any of their later albums make it on here.
bom demais
I GUESS YOU'RE JUST WHAT I NEEDED (JUST WHAT I NEEDED)
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.
Great album No skips
Honestly, hell yeah. Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, You're All I've Got Tonight, Moving in Stereo all either already on the Liked Songs or added to it. It's easy to forget how goddamned GOOD The Cars were.
I did not know I was familiar with the Cars. There were only two songs I didn't know all the lyrics to. Only 9 songs?? and seven of them were big enough bangers I knew them from the radio? This album came out years before I was born. Great album. I am adding it to my regular rotation. It plays like a Greatest Hit's album.
Sopivan upbeat ja muutenkin mukavaa. Tykkäsin!
Average enough, didn’t hate it - unless I’m missing something about their sound at the time. Seemed quite basic to me.
Fresh and sporty, these economical models really resist depreciation. Got to be one of the most assured debuts in rock history.
Apart from probably knowing a few songs on this ive not ever listened to this album in full. 3 songs in and i know each song well so far. The A side was clearly popular. Lots of radio play for this album perhaps. Did Australia Crawl steal this album’s schtick? Sounds like it to me and unfortunately, for me, like Aus Crawl, I find this a bit laborious and one dimensional (even if they do use elements of rock mixed with regae feel, operative choruses, etc). it feels a little on auto, one level, no shades. Ocasek’s singing doesnt help - its really back of the throat and i keep waiting for him to get a tickle he cant ignore and cough. Very distracting. Hes not a conventional singer and that can really work but i find it distracting here. It might bw the mix, they are pretty prevelant in the mix and everything else seems toned down. Could be listening on Apple and airpods. The guitar solo on you’re all ive got, for example, is at the same level as the rythm guitar. The whole album is a bit the same levelish. The whole album is not quite enough for me - not quite enough rock, not quite enough funky grrove, not enough prog rock, etc.
Just very boring
Mostly New Wave. Sounds dated but OK.
The first few songs felt like they were missing something but then the album hit it's stride.
This album is so good. Everything is a slapper. All amazing songs. Just what I needed is so solid but truly like 4 or 5 other mega hits on here just really cements it. Possibly the best album we’ve rolled so far. The riffs are so catchy!! The melodies are so fun!! This is a damn masterclass.
Total classic from a classic band. These Boston bands kinda have a theme don't they? They come out with a sound and then just kinda make a bunch of records that sound the same - look at Aerosmith (until that weird country that they do later), Boston, and The Cars. I'm not even complaining, this album is really good. They lose me a little right in the middle, but the last couple songs bring it back. I would love to get another Cars record. Just What I Needed is in my top 25 songs of all time and for that and the fact that 75% of this album rips, I must give it a 5/5. These guys have some of the best tone out there, which is good because they aren't breaking any new ground on chord progressions. There's a couple of times on this record where they approach Devo melodies, kinda seems like an early new wave thing to treat anything with a synthesizer as impersonal and robotic. I mean they named themselves the Cars so they must've been aware. Also I have it on good authority (from my mom) that they sounded exactly the same live as they did on the record.
Some good stuff. Not great. Would definitely listen to again.
It was okay, I didn't have a strong opinion.
Fantastic. Last 4 songs phenomenal. All Mixed Up is my fave of the album. 8.5
One of the best
DON'T CHA STOP Este álbum es tan buenooo. Me fascina la vibra de todo el album
just what i needed is one of my top songs for the year, wish i loved the whole album just as much, still a good album and i would listen again and give another go.
Algumas boas, mas achei mediano. Ponto alto foi a bye love.
Музыка: 6/10 Разнообразие: 4/10 Тематика и вайб: 7/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 4/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 6/10 Итог: 5.4
huh
Cool album. Good album length. I knew one song. The rest were cool.
Bruh
meh, really not a fan.
Really not my vibe
Album de rock Assez quelconque
Who knows
Good songs, but cars won’t be my fav 80s artist
? Schon wieder vergessen. "Talking Heads" war doch auch New Wave? manche Parts schon irgendwie classy aber, nichts hängengeblieben. c
One my personal top 100 albums
This album goes hard. Lots of great tracks.
Underratedly quirky, but keeps its pop rock sensibilities. Just What I Needed is an all-time 10/10 radio single. If it comes on the radio and you don’t turn up the volume, that is a complete musical atrocity.
Masterpiece! Super album!
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
All bangers. Crazy how much packed into one album. Moving in stereo is surprise great song.
Only knew first three songs, enjoyed that
I can hear The Strokes!
Very of a time and I’m not the biggest fan of that time hah. I sang along to just what I needed though!
The hits are classics. The rest is "meh".
Some hits, but not for me.
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
Good fun, but I don’t need it in my library
Caught me at the right time, felt like 2000s movies.
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.
"Hi Brad. You know how cute I always thought you were."
Perfect,crystal clear production with sardonic lyrics and with such balanced elements that nothing can't go wrong even keeping it's fun factor and it's their debut album!Great band,great album that i, of course own as a vinyl! Most favourite songs: Just what i needed(top favourite),Don't cha stop,You're all i've got tonight(because of the synth in the refrain),Bye bye love,Moving in stereo(for it's creativity) and of course All mixed up(second top favourite. i mean,what a song especially at the end with the synth arps and the sax). Least favourite: I'm in touch with your world.
The classics are classic, the rest of the album is solid and very cards. Good smooth jams. Rating: 3.4/5
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.
Vroooooooom
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.
Classic new wave album, can’t really find a fault with this. Not super deep but solid pop with perfect synth use. Doesn’t overstay its welcome.
It's fine
Phenomenal album.
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”…
I enjoyed listening to this album, it was pretty good.
Ahora entiendo el amor por éste disco. Lo disfruté aunque no vaya a sacar likes de acá. Nota: 3.7
Kuunneltava ja unohdettava renkuttelu
I'm going to start this out with a useful metaphor: basketball was invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1892 but our national teams were utterly dominated by other countries until very recently. Catchy, radio-friendly rock from the tail end of the 70's -- the decade arguably most dominated by rock radio. You could pick any of the first three tracks ('Good Times Roll', 'My Best Friend's Girl' and 'Just What I Needed'; all singles) and get a sense of the album as a whole. 'Just What I Needed' is my standout for the album, as a whole. The record rolls along competently with polish, pout (thanks to bassist Benjamin Orr, and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, who both sing lead) and propulsive drums. The synths meander around in the background with a tone that sounds a bit sci-fi, but not in an unpleasant way. The whole affair sounds a bit cheesy to my 2025 ears but that's probably a function of time. As much as The Cars sound like the geometric centroid of all radio rock (not quite Styx, not quite Supertramp, nor BTO, nor Genesis; neither blues nor pop), to some extent that's because that common thread of rock & roll they identified was turned into a template after them. There's a whole genre of bands that refined and polished that median rock template over time (Cheap Trick begat The Cars begat The Replacements and on and on) and the result is that their imitators have made their music sound generic. There's something to be said for the skill and talent and hard work it takes to chart (or direct) the zeitgeist of rock so precisely. On the other hand, it's the most supremely radio-friendly rock you could find and you've listened to it before -- whether you've heard this album or not. It's the most broadly palatable cafeteria lunch you've ever seen -- your whole office is perfectly satisfied by it and yet you'd never bring a date to impress them. You could probably put The Cars on at a party and nobody would notice the music at all. I guess that makes this the perfect 3/5 record. It's all totally competent music and I'd never come back to this out of craving for something. You should give it a listen: between the harmonies, the early melodic use of synths, the falsetto leads and the concise guitar solos and the straight, clean toms rhythms, you'll catch things that other bands you actually love have borrowed from. And then you'll go back to listening to those other bands, anyway. The Cars might've invented something like basketball, but other bands are still beating them at it.
Complete Banger. I know more than half these songs already.
Nice easy listen
My parents’ music but it happens to be super awesome. Sounds amazingly modern despite being from 1978.
Excellent album with many bangers!
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
Boring as an album, has some highlights though
Fantastic album! Definitely adding repertoire
This seems incredibly safe, and somewhat formulaic.
Just a really great, fun album. A power pop & new wave masterpiece. Had never listened to all the way through previously, only the hits and a handful of other tracks. There’s a couple of songs that I could live without, but otherwise, a must hear.
8/10 good album, very funky
Amazing classic album. Only one bad song on the whole thing.
Not bad, just what I needed was a good track
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.
I love The Cars because their albums could easily be found in the collections or punks, rockabillies, mods, rockers, pops and more. They appeal to everyone while being true to themselves.
The Cars' debut album of the same name is a wild mix of classic rock guitars, new wave vocals, art rock keyboards and synthesizers, psychedelic drums, distinctive but minimal bass, wild experimental sounds, and 70s cheesiness. Remarkably, this balancing act is largely successful, which I believe is largely due to the simple but compelling compositions, the coherent production, and the truly strong vocal harmonies. Under the conditions described, less is often more, so the more straightforward songs like “Just What I Needed” and “Don't Cha Stop” work best. Of the more opulent songs, I can recommend “You're All I've Got Tonight” and “All Mixed Up.”
Sounds decent but nothing special to my ears. Pioneering a sound is of course impressive. Going back to the original after hearing the things that came after almost always makes it sound less impressive than it was at the time. The album is varied and there is some nice sounds and beats in it. The main feeling I get when I listen to the album is nostalgia, and it makes me feel like I'm outside with friends on a warm summer night. There is nothing I would say I dislike about the album, but none of the tracks are standouts to me. Will probably never play again, but wouldn't mind listening to it again if someone else puts it on.
I understand why people like this but it was not just what I needed.
There was some cool stuff in here, I'm pretty tired of listening to the radio singles though
It's the cars baby
This sounds like a barbecue with shitty food
My first impression of The Cars is a slightly less weird version of Talking Heads, like if Ric Ocasek was a simple streaker compared to David Byrne’s compulsive public masturbator. A sticky analogy, but the late 70s were a weird time. Unlike the new wave and power pop albums that came out in the early 80s, this album thankfully largely avoided that canned sound that instantly dates so many otherwise stellar Reagan-era albums. ¨My Best Friend’s Girl¨ sounds like what ¨My Sharona¨ would have sounded like with a better mind behind it. The guitars, jangly and subtle, make me want to pull out a Smiths album. Unfortunately, the further into the album you go the more 80s it sounds, with synths and other tricks from that period. I guess that makes it ahead of its time, but that’s the aural equivalent of investing in Beanie Babies after 1998. Do I hate 80s music? A bit. Regardless of poor production choices, I do love big hooks and simple-seeming but clever lyrics, and The Cars do deliver. Are they weird? Yes. Does it sound dated? Sort of. Worth listening? Yes.
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