From 1978 through 1984, The Cars were huge. The skinny guy rocking the massive mullet – frontman Ric Ocasek – and producer Roy Thomas Baker put together a self-titled debut album that stands as one of the best in rock history. A Mutt Lange-led Heartbeat City, closed their run of ubiquitous radio play and MTV stardom.
And then the band splintered. Bassist and singer Benjamin Orr died. The group, minus Ocasek, reformed as The New Cars, with Todd Rundgren recruited to front the band. It fizzled.
Now, after nearly 25 years, the original lineup has regrouped to make an album that less-the-subtly recalls the vibe of the glory days (listen to three cuts below). On Move Like This, The Cars recapture their classic sound, dominated by New Wave keyboards, snarly guitars and the hiccuping vocals of Ocasek.
Ocasek told rollingstone.com that he never thought he’d make another Cars record, citing “the past, personalities and Ben’s passing away”
Move Like This, scheduled for a May 10 release, features Ocasek, drummer David Robinson, guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboard player Greg Hawkes. Gareth “Jacknife” Lee, (U2 and R.E.M.) produced five tracks; the band did the rest.
Rolling Stone says “new songs such as ‘Hits Me,’ ‘Free’ and ‘Blue Tip’ are a total recall of the precise swagger, art-rock minimalism and chrome-gleam pop on the Top Five LPs Candy-O (1979), Panorama (1980) and Heartbeat City (1984).”
VIDEO: “SAD SONG” from Move Like This
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/1og9ws8Q984?fs=1&]
VIDEO: “BLUE TIP” from Move Like This
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/20084482]
2 thoughts on “The Cars: Stop the universe! A new album coming May 10”
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Thanks for sharing the music. The Rolling Stone review wasn’t too far off the mark – based on these two samples they’ve recaptured much of their signature sound.
Drummer David Robinson was also absent from the New Cars lineup. Let’s try to keep it accurate as he is an original member.