I once watched an interview with Rick, when the guy complained that, "All the Cars' songs sound alike." Rick explained, "I worked for years on that sound--you are right."
I was in Germany during their ascendancy, and i had a kick-ass Pioneer Amp, tuner, dual tape, with delayed recording, Technics turntable, Bose 301's, 501's and 901's (the last pair, very seldom). Along with Costello, The Tubes (saw them in Sachsenhausen), The Clash, and a few others, I just about wore out their music. I'm originally from Dallas, didn't get here in the Houston area until '90, just missed this by six years. And won't get another chance.
I don't fully agree. Ben has an amazing voice. But Ric's voice fit plenty of their songs pretty well. I can't imagine "My Best Friend's Girl" or "You Might Think" working without Ric's charmingly neurotic vocals.
Maybe McCartney should have sung all the Beatles songs too. He had the best voice. Garfunkel too. Carl Wilson with the Beach Boys. Peaches, but not Herb. Tina not Ike. Don Everly. Jack Bruce only. No Clapton. Etc.
Yep❤Lexington lab band does The Cars justice on Drive! They also cover Boston Heart Def Leppard Reeling in the years Steely Dan❤ Aerosmiths sweet emotion
You don't realize just how extremely talented and phenomenal these guys were, until you try to duplicate their licks, rhythms, beats and sound. The thing that made them so versatile and cohesive is the fact they were all friends and they made one another laugh all the time. So, practicing, playing together and performing, for them was fun. This is one of the best bands to ever to grace a stage. Their music was "Cutting Edge", "New Waveish", Pop Gold and it left one fully satisfied but, always wanting more. It took far too long for them to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rest in Holy Peace Benjamin Orr, we miss you brother. This music holds a high place in my heart and soul.
💯 agreed!! I became a big fan of theirs since the first album and I actually started playing guitar because of Elliot Easton. I also started left handed like him as I was thinking that's the way to play guitar after seeing them on TV. Later I switched to right handed playing and was much easier
Have always loved the fact that Benjamin can sound so fantastic live as well as on records !! So many concerts I've gone to and they can't deliver their sound live. Truly one of the greatest voices the music industry had !! And being extremely talented and Hot makes him my all favorite musician
I love how he drops down the word 'tell' when delivering the line "I can tell..." He was always changing it up without changing the sound too much. It always seemed enhanced whenever he sang. So good!
@@Ram44- I think Greg is adorable! Definitely hot, hot, hot as a musician. He wore a wedding ring from early on, and remained married as far as I know.
I sure do miss the days when I could just turn on the television and see bands like The Cars or Cheap Trick performing. Damn it. I WANT MY MTV!!!!!!!!!!
I'm impressed with the vocal by Benjamin Orr! I feel like his voice wasn't enhanced like other singers.. just pretty straight through the microphone to the amplifiers. The Cars are excellent..the best band in America!
Ben Orr, a spooky baritone the likes of the voice of Jim Morrison. The Cars did in fact have a song that sounded like The Doors, the keyboards. But Ben can hit a high smokey tenor as well. It's a wide-ranging voice like that of Eric Burdon. When Ben hits the low tremolo notes, it sends shivers down my spine.
Great description of his vocal talent. He had a unique, haunting and emotional quality to his voice. Kind of the opposite of Ric’s which sounded cold and detached (intentionally I think). I can’t quite put my finger on why Ben’s voice is so damn appealing, but it keeps me coming back to hear this song and others he sang from the first few albums even decades after I first heard them as a teen.
Best New Wave Band's of Rock N Roll 💪 🎸🌹♥️♥️♥️✌️ History 🇺🇸☝️🌹👁️ The Cars Definitely Made their Mark on the 🌎💫 God Bless The CARS 🌹⭐🙏💫🌎👁️☝️🇺🇸🚗🚗🚗🍭🎤🌍❤️👊😎🕶️✌️🎸🎸🇺🇸 I will see you in Heaven ⭐🙏👁️🌹🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🌠
There have been bands that have come along and changed the course of music. The Cars were surely one of those bands. Ric's writing, Ben's and Ric's voices and just the incredible vibe of this band wrote a new path for many of the bands going into the eighties, nineties and beyond. Great band. I remember all these songs in the seventies when I was a teenager. Loved them then and still do.
Elliot Easton never got the credit he deserved for being such a super rocking guitarist. I loved loved loved this group. Where is the music made by adults these days? Isn't it about time for music to come back to great guitar hooks and just straight rockin' like these guys?
What a super tight band! Every single note perfectly played. Every individual was unique and special. Every member was suberb at what they did. The Cars are definitely one my favorite bands ever. RIP Ben and Ric, you will never be forgotten.
This is awesome! Anyone who only remembers the videos from MTV needs to see this live act. How many notes per second can a bass player play? Ben? We miss you man.
*+1. When one hears just even BENJAMIN ORR'S singing voice -- one can totally understand and/or can picture what a Wonderful Person BENJAMIN was ...its just so so very very sad to me (and I'm sure to a great very many people and his fans when they heard of his passing...) that such a lovely Human Being like BENJAMIN had to be 'taken away' so soon like that. I like to suppose that some of us 'put' here on earth are just meant to become Angels in Heaven just a little sooner than others -- that's the only way I can make sense of it all to tell ya the truth...I just feel I must believe that...if not -- I'd be so utterly forever heartbroken & unable to function at all for the times I've had to 'lose' someone I had loved so purely with all my heart...* *~May God Rest Your Soul In Peace Forever More Dear Benjamin Orr~*
Eliot easton rocks. so underrated. When we were teenagers we would play in bands playing hard rock like Zep and Van Halen, a nd then we would hear this guy;s solo and our jaws would drop at his awesomeness.
@jorrettadrive - I’m doing this backward, I know. I promise, I promise, if you use the link, it will take you to video of Benjamin Orr in all his rockstar fabulousness.
David Robinson was a very good, underappreciated drummer for this band. THEY appreciated him, I'm sure. Listen to the studio version of this song, around the second verse, when it almost comes apart, and he brings it back.
someone please correct me if I am wrong but that part you refer was a planned event. David didn't accidentally go off the rails for a few seconds. If he screwed up, they'd have used a better 'take'. These guys were tight and somewhat perfectionistic in what they put out. No, I'm reasonably certain that timing change-up was part of the musical composition. And yes, Robinson's drumming, especially on those first three albums and the last one DTD was sick! That is until he was forced into the ubiquitous fake drum machine everyone glommed onto in the eighties. He hated that.
I just watched the "Rock Goes To College" again. In that version, the time change is really noticeable after "...I kinda lose my mind..." and right as "it's not the perfume..." starts. I hear it elsewhere, but it seems the most obvious at that point. Start at time mark around 1:08 to hear the transition best. ^_^
I was down in the big "D" two weeks ago and stopped at a club I sat down the lights came up and the band BELTED out his tune and blew me away! Even the up-and-coming know good music when they hear it. Peace.
That about sums it up, I think that was the plan though. Put a super pretty Rockstar up front to sing half the songs to take eyes away from the 4 other nerds in the band. They all clicked well together though.
Now at 66 & retired in Philippines, makes me more grateful for the memory & to have been around during those wild years that now seem rather tame considering the craziness in the world now......
@@chrisirving8712 Yep, some people would say they were not so good in live concerts. The Cars proved them very WRONG every time. Just look for and listen to the Live Aid concert to see how good they were.
Me encanta esta banda, yo apenas estaba naciendo en el 79 y vivo loca de amor por Ben Orr. Quisiera poder ver un artista así como el en éste 2022.Pero es una pena que la música de hoy es basura. The cars FOREVER.
