THE CARS
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
I’m 11 years old, I’m in Sound Warehouse with my older brother, I see The Cars “Candy-O” album,
(yes, vinyl!), and I wonder who Vargas could be. Well,
sexy cover aside, this album did it for me musically. I wore it out because I was learning about music and bands like The Knack, Cheap Trick and Journey were just starting to become popular to me.
The Cars have always had a least three hits off every album. Candy-O was no exception, “Let’s Go”, the title track and “Dangerous Type” (which borrows a riff from “Bang a Gong”) shows that following up the self-titled debut was just as important as introducing new wave music.
The reason this album stands out for me is because of the guitar of Elliot Easton. He has solos on each
song which are well-written and to the point. In fact, Mike Einziger of Incubus reminds me of a young Elliot Easton because of
his exploratory guitar method. Easton doesn’t just tune up and play chords for a few
minutes, he really pulls each song along. Whether it’s a riff or a solo, Easton really shines on this CD.
If you haven’t listened to this CD in awhile you should dust it off and enjoy the music of The
Cars.
The Cars: Ric Ocasek – vocals, rhythm guitar; David Robinson – drums, percussion; Benjamin Orr – vocals, bass; Greg Hawkes – keyboards, percussion, sax, backing vocals; Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals.
For more information, check out http://www.thecarszone.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 15 Apr 2024 15:20:25 -0400.
