I mean you gotta give it up for Ric Ocasek, RIP.

[stevejamsecono]

I've recently been doing a deep dive on the discography after acquiring the remasters boxset they did a few years back. Candy-O definitely caught me off guard for how many good songs it had on it. I'm less crazy about the later ones even though I looooove Drive and You Might Think. Elliot Easton is a masterclass that most guitar players should take and appreciate, imo.

[Larry Mal]

Yeah, he certainly is a very good guitar player.

[Maggieo]

Their first three albums- "The Cars," "Candy-O," and "Panorama," are some of the best records of their time, IMO. Great songwriting, Elliot Easton is a monster, Ocasek plays clicky eights better than anyone, Greg Hawkes is Moog-a-licious, and Benjamin Orr sang like an angel. What's not to love?

What? No mention of David Robinson on drums? Modern Lovers resume and all?

[dc]

Honestly, it was only in my later years that I grew to appreciate them. When I was a kid, they were blaring at me from MTV constantly, and I kind of resented it at the time.

the Cars' mid-late career MTV presence definitely had a warping effect on many people's perceptions, and probably their recollections today. their quirky looks were tailor made for the videos of the period, and they and/or Elektra certainly recognized that and leveraged it into massive exposure. i can see how that would be off-putting for anyone just coming to the band.

whereas one of the benefits of growing up in the 1970s was that the "album" was our sole frame of reference when the Cars came along. they looked like a bunch of vaguely sinister, frankly weird motherfuckers on the album sleeves, but the music spoke for itself and it was THE BEST. in 1978-79, in junior high, my friends and i wore out our cassette tapes and ground the grooves off the first two albums we played them so much. the video period was just something that happened later, easily forgotten.

[Mad-Mike]

They kind of stand out to me as the first band I got into truly 100% on my own. Prior to that all my bands of choice came from my older sister or my friends.

When I got into them, I was about 12 and it was the 90s. 80s stuff was hated/uncool, vinyl was cheap and plentiful, I was only six months into learning guitar and progressing fast. Ric Ocasek I consider my second earliest guitar influence as I just wanted to play rhythm, no solos, at the time. Never thought I'd be able to at the time anyway. He's why I picked up a Jazzmaster.......albeit much later.

I still come back as both a fan and a musician and whether I'm looking or not there's always something to learn from their music. I know it's practically rock blasphemy but The Cars were my Beatles basically.

[howdo3313]

Here...

I think some of you might appreciate this:)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgtvYoBA0Fs

[jakeisjake]

I just read this. It was very sweet...kinda made me cry.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/pau ... 14473.html

[jakeisjake]

and I listened to some of his solo stuff tonight...it was pretty good.

[dc]

I just read this. It was very sweet...kinda made me cry.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/pau ... 14473.html

that was super cool, thanks for sharing!