What Makes This Song Great? "Just What I Needed" THE CARS 

Was about to make that joke, lol.

I think we all were about to make that joke. It's like walking to a park and seeing a ball placed on a tee just asking for it.

Just what I needed

@@TrebleForTheBass You Might Think we should Shake It Up in Heartbeat City with My Best Friend's Girl...she's the Dangerous Type. Let's Go!

After 2020 & the madness of the past few days, I second this...

I love that!!! YES!

I feel the same way about Red Hot Chili Peppers

Gotta agree...

The first three songs would be career highlights for lesser bands.

Absolutely. One of the best albums ever. It's just so solid.

All killer, no filler!

Class of 1978 was ridiculous with rookie talent: Van Halen, Devo, Dire Straits and The Cars...the 4 best albums of the year right there!

This is what i tell people, Rick's enthusiasm is infectious and you will end these videos with a smile (not to mention all the killer insights from looking behind the curtain)

I do enjoy it; it's a pure, wonderful pleasure, like hanging out with a friend and kicking around music. Funny; it IS just what I need these days.

Yeah! Even my wife who is not a musician (or anything like that in anyway) enjoys when I watch his videos. Rick is just great!

Exactly true.

Can’t stop smiling, and finishing his sentences.

Love them all,each contributed ,they are all the Cars❤

And they figured out how to keep it interesting instead of doing every verse and chorus the same way. They change up along the way to keep pulling you in. Not many bands can keep the pull going all the way to the end. We didn’t deserve The Cars. But thank God we have them.

...David Robinson's drumming.

And Orr's hair too. Damn that guy was good looking.

@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 He was.

And his cool demeanor on stage.

100%

Truth

Well put!

@@shecanfilmit Saw them on the Candy O tour....front of the stage. Yes....Ben Orr was amazing.

2 great musicians whom will be forever missed.

Ben was a sweet guy with no ego too! My band got to do a show with him and he was great!!!

He was AWESOME!

Better lead singer than Ric IMHO.

@@joxyjoxyjoxy1Ric was quoted as saying that he sang all the good songs and Ben sang all the great songs.😊

Yes, yes, yes and yesssss!!!! Miss Ben so much.

Sim ele Ben era lindíssimo. Sua formosura era incomparável ❤💜💚🌺

I was on an airplane when I read in Rolling Stone when he passed away. The woman next to me asked what was in the news. I told her about Orr. She was devastated. Turns out she was a huge fan and had just seen him perform.

The album was so excellent that I sincerely believe they were never able to make a better one! They were always a class act, but how on earth are you supposed to create an even better album than their debut?? Every single song is perfectly in place. Not a weak one amongst them.

@@steelyman08…Candy-o was pretty amazing too.

We need to change this! You Tube could have a special "teaching" category. And let's all pummel the "COMPLAINERS" with complaints.

No musician was involved in this strike. It was Welles' Morlocks from _The Time Machine_ that did it...

Record labels man. They're all about money. They don't care about music or fans opinions. They're grimy sh*tpieces.

@@thisguyy They can claim they money, Rick has no problem with that. It's blocking that's his major bugbear. This was his first copyright strike. Bizarre, doubt it was the band

It’s a great point that Rick’s videos introduce these genius records and songs to whole new generations of music fans, certainly that results in the record companies and publishers making more money off their catalogs!

Yep...not much of a guitar fan but always thought his parts were spot on!

He has been one of my favorites since the 80s, when I deemed the Cars my favorite band along with the Beatles.

never a note wasted.

Unlike a lot of rock musicians then Elliott was actually educated in music.

He’s the reason I play an SG. Well, him and Angus.

It’s the Magic that made the cars the cars

We can go with The Eagles for one. Lol

Heart.

Jefferson Airplane/Starship

Fleetwood Mac- 3 Can we even count the Beatles at 4? 😂 EDIT: another one gone...RIP Christine. 😞🎶🕊️

I just wrote to Rick why he went so light over that new sound the keyboards were bringing past the Punks, slinging towards the new decade of the 80's where everything will start to go into computerized rich help, and enhanced sounds even beyond Techno not to touch what the Trance will do to ravers crowds in the 90's. The Cars smelled the coffee and they had an Ace player in their band few hadn't figured it out yet, not even the Doors' keyboard wizard Manz. The Cars were open to all new and absorbed all old, they were like a crystalizing vortex of their Age moment. They came to had so many hits for a decade til way in the 80's and so distinctive and creative music, like their peer Tom Petty introducing such creative sounds on his classic rock power sound

Yes indeed. They were the complete package

Great comment! There's nothing like a solid song with clever lyrics. On the first pass, you might only pick up a few words and phrases, but after vibing with it for a while, you start to piece the lyrics together and discover a new layer of meaning. That interplay is so cool. Songwriting is such an amazing art form. Music speaks in pure _emotion_ and *feeling* (the former is _subconscious_ and the latter is *conscious* ) whereas lyrics are more abstract, and capable of conveying more information. Music comes first for me, though poetry and lyrics are beautiful in their own right. The way songwriting speaks on two levels can make for interesting stuff, like happy music with sad lyrics; it's such a personal and subjective art form: you have a piece of music that makes you feel a particular way, and a set of lyrics to interpret with it. It basically invites you to read yourself into what you're hearing, or imagine some scenario that suits it. Songs are tinged by your own life. It's like a 50/50 art form -- we all hear the same sounds, but we each receive it differently. One guy might love a song because it came out when he fell in love, while another guy might avoid it because it was on the radio when his Dad died.

@@xziggy_stardustx6786 Gordon Downie's lyrics with The Tragically Hip worked like that. He was a deep dude. Check out their song Nautical Disaster for example. I love lyrics that I have to unpack over many listens!

@@mattthegreeter9074 Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check them out! EDIT: ---------- Really love their sound! Why haven't I heard of them before? 😅

Foo Fighters do this in Dear Rosemary

The same could be said about 25 albums around 1977-1980. My favorite time in music history.

Hi Scott. I too am also from Maine. Grew up with WBLM 🤘🏻

It was DIFFERENT! Please, people...be different!

@@koho No wonder I had such a hard time getting through college. LOL 📚📒📚📒📚

@@kathy2trips Yep, me too. Lots of bands to hear and see. Priorities ... :)

I still have my original vinyl. I have to pare down my collection, but this I will never let go of.

@@peztopher7297 Me too, but mine is worn out. It's the first album I bought with my own money, from mowing lawns. I had to take a bus to Kmart to get it, lol.

Benjamin Orr was responsible for hooking me into loving music; my first music crush ❤

Yes totally agree!

Greg been playing with Todd Rundgren

@Rob D agreed. That line was played on record and live using a MiniKORG 700 synthesizer.

He is what made the Cars new wave sound

​@@jdc6681very true

To be fair, I was thinking the same thing when I saw the live clip.. hah. So rick saying it right after really made me laugh

I reckon the hair stylist had been practicing on The Sweet and got it just right for The Cars!

That dude was handsome as hell! 😂

certainly the one that made me laugh out louder! hahaha

Love his singing on Drive. Such a simple yet powerful song!

Good to see Rick's getting to the important stuff

That was a great line! lol

To be honest though, it is pretty damn good :)

He’s a real cutie. I had no idea.

I thought he was going to say how well he was performing for how under the influence he looks

Yep agree. Had a great time playing it with our “Neighborhood Picnic Band”

Bruh that makes me laff

Watch that video. Most of the comments are about how hot Benjamin Orr is or how underrated elliot easton is

its okay buddy i scored lots of hotties for you

Bahahahahahaha!!!! Touche brother...touche.

He is STILL greatly missed, what he could have done.....

Right? The huge sound of Roy Thomas Baker's production on the debut as opposed to the almost cyberpunk techno production of Candy-O... Imma Candy-O guy muhself.. it's just so damn clean and tight! (the perfect intro to "It's All I Can Do" comes to mind)

Candy-O. By a hair.

@@ChefClary60 a Candy-O ¢*** hair? 😏😍 I'll show myself out...🤭🤐🤣

You know I heard so much Cars on rock radio...got burnt out on it. Then I stopped listening to the radio... I bought a turntable again after thirty years and one of the first used albums I bought was The Cars...it brought back so many memories....like being in the arcade back in the day..

@@kwinsc9273 When The Cars went super POP, many were out. "You Might think.." Greatest example of.

totally agree. i have always loved this song but as a teen i was never interested enough to learn it because i thought it was an easy bebop tune. how wrong i was. i was in my 30s when i realized that EE was an amazing guitarist.

@@bobxoneill I'm learning the solo is much trickier than I thought lol

i never take this song for granted, i will stay in my car until it's over, one of the greatest rock songs ever.

A really good song has a lot of neat things that aren't in your face obvious. The individual parts all work together to make a complete sound. Toto's Rosanna is a great example of this.

Genius!

They were PERFECTION live. There are quite a few full concerts up on RU-vid.

They just had that huge 80's sound! My teenage nephews love this song, My Best Friend's Girl, and my favorite.. Magic!

@@ccbrabs genius!

Panorama blew chunks.

Great name for a tribute band, BTW.

Well there you go! The Used Cars would be a good name also.

I just watched one of your performances of Candy-O and you guys nailed it. The dancing kid was an unexpected funny moment.

Exactly - Rick is advertising their music to the masses and effectively paying them for doing so!

It is also nothing if not educational in its use!

Well, especially since Rick asks the artists for their masters in order to solo and group tracks on playback.... but I guess getting the artist's OK and getting the record or publishing co. to agree are 2 diff things...

@@stevegirard-voiceaudiopodcasts Thank you. I was just going to post the question how Rick acquires the tracks. Glad I looked first. 😊

It shows who's in it for art's sake and who just cares about $

Neither will you!!

If I’m 102 and taking in my last hour of life, THIS song will still make me feel 13 again like when I first heard it released! ALL of these Cars songs NEVER get old to me, even at 57 ( many songs of my youth I’m pretty bored with now!).

He wanted to say everything about him was awesome

Elliot would usually practice guitar 16 hours a day when he wasn’t doing band work.

Yes, very cool hair for the time.

It's TRUE! And his eyes! I've read several comments from men who say "I'm totally heterosexual, but Benjamin Orr? Might make an exception." And it looks far better than when it was a sort of black brown in a style reminiscent of John Entwhistle (calling the Ents in, you know).

Your wife is right. But you are right about Bye Bye Love. It sounds like just a rock song, but Ben makes it pensive and mournful.

Still sounds fresh today.

Agree, it's timeless.

@@robertmiller6444 This. I used to listen to The Cars back in the day. Then I just sort of forgot about them. About a year or two ago I remembered and went through their catalog. It all holds up so well and was fantastic to listen to.

This is me, I was only becoming interested in music when this song was on the radio. So I grew up in the "new wave". I didn't appreciate this band very much because they weren't new or fresh, they always "were".

I never listened to the cars until this song, and if Rick hadn't dated it I would have guessed it as 1993-97 based on tone and production.

If you absorbed all that was going on at the time you would not say they where ahead of their time. There was nothing revolutionary going on. Great musicians playing pop. They represented exactly their time.

@@joseph_432 Stop it! Behave yourself.

I know what you mean, I was in a bar a few years back, and Moving in Stereo came on. I thought it was some new track I was getting in on at the ground floor.

@@joseph_432 idk. I get what you're saying but,I would have to disagree. I was 15 when this came out. We had music in our house all the way back to the 50's, and there was nothing like The Cars at the time. Disco was dying, New Wave & Hair Metal hadn't begun. No one had ever heard of a power ballad. It was the age of the live album and guitar solos. It was so infectious without being bubble gum. There were enough guitars for everyone, and the lyrics related to your base urges, your inner philosopher and your party anthems. It was new and fresh and geez, we dug it. It is still one of the best first albums ever. IMHO.

@@deanb024 I couldn't agree more. I, too, was 15 when this album was released and it rocked my world. I wore the vinyl out and to this day, this album is one of my favorites. I saw The Cars in Cleveland in '79 - their sound was true - like they were in studio. And Ben's voice... I have no words.

I had exactly the same experience regarding Weezer - even the Cars' synth sound on this song sounds like something from 'Songs From the Black Hole'!

I think because they are just considered with the great rock bands period...they have new wave elements but never went all the way in that direction. That this album came out the same year as VH1...wow did people realize how great they had it?

@@metalnut92 Or Ozma!

@@TheDmonet Yes, we did. :-)

we need a Weezer WMTSG

That's it exactly! I was like, when he soloed the guitar parts, "why did I never hear that before?" It is an absolute genius arrangement.

Totally agree. the mix and arrangement is pretty spectacular, for my ear it all becomes this wonderful swell of sound, but there are some really sick guitar parts in there. I think this is what his buddy Tim Pierce calls "color". You don't really notice the part but without it, the section is just -meh okay. This is a WMTSG that was eye-opening for me.

Add me to list of people who, until this video, had NO IDEA that guitar part existed. Only took 40+ years to discover, thanks to Rick.

I have since been scouring Spotify to try and find a mix where that guitar line is as prominent as it sounds here but no luck so far.

Same

It's infectious!

Always makes me smile 😃

This kids...THIS is how you want your 'work' to feel like.

Love the reaction to the toms at 3:54!

@@adamv242 Exactly.... "Whoaaaa!" he says, wide-eyed!

smiling the whole time !. thought i wasn’t the only one geeking out on music and what happens right under the surface that no one else seems to notice. i’m in good company. Thabks Rick !

Just the epitome of aesthetic experience; the more knowledgeable you are of what’s really going on, the more enjoyment you derive from the piece of art !

@paul worldsmasterofspiritsspiritseekerscanada,tm* Not out to start an argument, but if You want anyone to read Your comment I think You should get Your keyboard fixed, or get the Caps-Lock fixed on Your current one. Best regards.

Agreed. It's what keeps me coming back.

I love Easton's leads, i think he unknowingly started the rockabilly revival. At minimum tuned our ears to be open to it. Thanks Mr. B !

@@hanksta34 it’s kinda true , but some other great songs came later as well

Being from Boston, it immediately blew minds there and they took off.

Especially Moving In Stereo... that was so unlike anything i'd heard...and still one of the best headphone songs ever!

@@HolySmokeOfficial I remember calling WBCN and asking Maxanne Sartori to play this tape again (and again). That was 1977, she had their demo tapes, and they weren’t even signed to a record label at that point! Ah, the memories… 🥰

😆😆😆

Ha ha, know what you mean. Despite being musically illiterate, I have some kind of inner, non-rational understanding of how it works. And when I listen to Rick take it all to pieces I'm baffled by how he can analyse it so precisely.

It sounds just as great in 2023 as it did in 1978

@@kittensanddaisies5615 you bet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I read an interview with Ric a long while ago where he said something to the effect of "If they wanted someone who could sing, they asked me. If they wanted someone who could really sing, they asked Ben".

Bye Bye Love

The Cars were a special thing for me. I was never a fan because the music wasn't inspiring any emotions in me. But I enjoyed it anyway, and found them the only music I could listen to while studying for exams. Anything else demanded attention. I still listen to them today for that reason.

@@gettingkilt what an interesting comment. What kind of emotions do you mean? Like sadness? Most cars stuff sounds pretty happy except for that one where his future wife was in video.

@@rustywidebottom4678 A perfect song, all the way around.

Exactly !

Watch all the other ‘what makes’ videos...the rebirth never ends.

Me, too! Summer 1978. I was 14. Just finished up 9th grade. And this song just rocked all our worlds. We'd get drunk and sing it at the top of our lungs....."I don't mind you coming here, and wasting all my time!" Ahhhh, teenage bliss!

Ditto!

Me, too! Although I've been loving this song for many years.

Agreed and just posted it!

drummer approved statement

Musicians ALL know. Well.....musicians over 40 anyway.

He's one of, if not *the* most musically _inventive_ guitarist I've ever heard.

Always so catchy. Some of my favorite solos.

Exactly, I lol never forget hearing this band for the first time on the radio. It was a Sunday night and somehow they were playing the whole record. Some special I guess. I was mesmerized at age 13

That's Rick's subtle way of saying, it didn't hurt that the guy was drop dead gorgeous.

Was that a Warren Zevon reference? Wait, that was "and his hair was perfect!"

@@bigrig4385 He really is in that video. May have killed him.

So true

Benjamin Orr-and his hair-died way too young. One of the great-under-recognized-rock vocalists.

Aww, yeah! The Wolfman MADE that band(ok, J. and Magic Dick were pretty vital, too). Truly Maximum R&B in that era. They would Tear It Up every time they were in Cleve-Burg. I'm told the cuts from their live album still spin on the classic rock station there. Hope it's true. Texas Boy now, don't regret it. But that was an AMAZING era and place to be a kid Raised on Radio.

And Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers. "Roadrunner, roadrunner..."

Hotbed. Active volcano. I loved being 21 in 1978. And I'm STILL glad I was!

@@kennethlatham3133 I am a 1 year older, but grew up on the other coast. But, we had Santana, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, et al. Great fun to live in a real music town!

In 1976 one band from Boston puts out a debut album where every song on the album gets massive airplay and two years later a different band from Boston puts out a debut album where every song on the album gets massive airplay. Can't think of that ever happening at any other time where two different bands from the same city put out debut albums where every song gets heavy airplay in such a short period of time.

"Benjamin Orr truly was the not so secret "weapon" of The Cars." Couldn't agree more.

While I may not understand, I do appreciate his knowledge and his willingness to share. Also, the sheer joy he has for music will brighten anyone’s day.

@@midwestmidnight4006 Yeah, I can't follow all the technicals but I still listen and try :)

@@midwestmidnight4006 that's what it's all about. I don't mean to sound elitist in any way. In fact, I feel like the more people listen to people like Mr. Beato, the closer they become to being musicians themselves. He puts everything in such a way that it is accessible to anyone.

@@Hexenhammer Another awesome break-down by the Beato! I'm not a musician either, but..., I just love how Rick can show me things in songs I've listened to and loved, for as long as him (56)! Never realized the amazing complexity in the individual pieces of this song. Rick is priceless for helping to attune those of us who have been less fortunate than to have achieved any formal education in music, and I salute him!!!

Truth

It’s rockabilly, at least that’s how Elliot describes it. Weird that it works in what was one of the first New Wave bands, but there you go.

I once read years ago that he would walk into a studio with a Rat distortion (The old ones were big) a chorus (boss i think) and his twin reverb which is what i used to use! I had as Les Paul too..I think I got a real good sound close to his sound but of course no where near his talent...lol

Elliot Easton was my very first guitar idol when I started to play in the early 80's. I used to scratch EE into my picks lol.

I play bluegrass guitar, but those leads in the cars music are always saying something. One of my favorite electric players

I could not agree more. Elliott is easily the most underrated guitar innovators of all time. He is a freakin Rembrandt of creative ideas.

Rick never talks about Steve Harris

Him and Paul Kossoff were built in the same soul factory, I think.

I’d never thought of comparing them, but each was brilliant in his own way.

Stroke of luck Ben & Rick wound up in the East Coast capital of ambitious, musically educated players. New York had the drive, but Beantown had the brains.

Very smart and informed comment on EE ! If old Elliot had been a classic rock rather than new wave lead guitar player, with very little opportunity to stretch out, he would have the massive respect today that he deserves. Still, he did more with less space than anyone else I can think of.

I’m so happy to hear someone mention Joe Jackson, that man is fantastic. I find Thomas Dolby to be in the same style as him, especially The Flat Earth.

Paraphernalia, wasn't that an album by The Who? 😒🤔

Would love to see Rick analyze an Elvis Costello song.

My Guy! My age! I feelya, Gramps

just played Look Sharp album twice this morning... so good

This is one of those ‘little bit funny - little bit sad’ comments’

Were you listening to KZEW by chance ?

Yeah it is called love what we all need. Animals give lot of love I have two cats.

I love that memory. Isn't great when music does that? Only music and food can bring a memory to life.

I love everything about this comment. The power of music and the power of dogs.

It’s a terrific song to.

Yesssss! Ben was a much better vocalist than ric.

I love the demo version of bye bye love. They toned the album version down. The vocals drums and lead guitar was way more powerful

sick

@@hanksta34 he is underrated, in the sense, overlooked by critics and admirers. maybe his humility says he was, but damn, he was always brilliant . one of many great players in my lifetime.

thats a hot take lol

Benjamin lindíssimo ❤❤

Enthusiastic celebration of a song sent out to his 2.1 million subscribers. The Cars' label is a bunch of morons. Probably some dumb ass attorney is at fault.

What if that was the intent!? *mind blown*

Explain that to those who oppose free sharing software.

@@Rodrigombia1990 he’s not giving you the ability to pirate something. He’s using snippets to explain a point. Not the same thing.

I wonder if they even watch the video, they may have just said, "hay this guys have some Car song in his video". If they watched it they may have decided this is good press. I have always liked this song, however I never understood how good it was until this video, now I am much more appreciate of it. I may have to go buy the song or maybe the whole record now.

Absolutely great. A momentous release. Elvis Costello and Squeeze (as Rick B mentions) and a load of other acts were taking over the FM airwaves ... what a refresh that was!

First time I heard it I honestly thought it was a greatest hits CD.

My first ❤as well … I’m still crushing on their music … still remember seeing /hearing Benjamin Orr singing and I was gone 😻

The George Harrison of his era

And killer back up vox!

There's an excellent recent interview of Elliott by Q1043 New York here on RU-vid and he says that he used to always read that he was the 'most underrated guitarist.' And then he says that these days, he feels 'rated.'

Elliott is tasteful to the extreme. He could be flashy when the occasion called for it, but never used speed to cover up for lack of a good musical idea. And even when he ripped, there was thought behind it. A perfect example is the “Tonight She Comes” solo, where he actually uses the whammy bar in a melodic fashion to target notes in the scale with his bar dips. That minor/major pentatonic/rockabilly hybrid stuff in the Shake It Up solo is GOLD. Plus, he shreds left handed. 🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻

@@marshallkurtz1896 Perfect analogy.

Agreed. It's a mystery to me how anyone out there could describe him as "underrated".

Yep. He's amazing.

Berkeley kid : )......which accounts for the Jazz.

Yes sir . Ben Orr got most of the love but Elliot was awesome .

He's a South paw!

Touch And Go - great great song

Totally agree 💯,..and the fact that Baker said it would look better on stage if all guitar necks we're no pointing left .. Elliot was asked if he could play left hand .and he pulled it off !!!! That's superhuman stuff again as Ric would say...that's like asking some to all of sudden to learn to walk agin

I have to agree, but I would also include the vocals of Rick Ocasek and Benjamin Orr in that statement. I remember my father (who was a musician) pointing out to me as a kid, "What I love about the Cars, is no one else sounds like them. You always know a Cars song when you hear it." I was telling my son the same thing tonight when one of their songs came on in the car - then I came home and found this gift on RU-vid. Love this series! Amazing breakdown as always, @RickBeato.

So many examples. Bye Bye Love is one of his best. And he nails it live.

Haha Charade did a great cover of it

Hahahahahaha!!! Too true! 🤣

...and air drums.😬😎

Thats what keeps happening to me.

Exactly Mark

Rick has a knack for making a good thing better IMO

RIP Ric Ocasek.

Ric as well.

It is so ironic that Ben didn't live to see them inducted. He grew up 20 miles west of Cleveland in Lakewood Ohio

To be more precise, Weezer hired him precisely for those hooks and arrangements. Not an accident.

@@leeaycock4456 That's not entirely true. If you listen to demos cut before the Blue album, a lot of the songs were already well-arranged. Ric definitely put his stamp on it though.

I can't help hearing the same melodic guitar part as in piece of mind by Boston. I wonder if it's inspired by, or just coincidence.

Very good ear

Why am I the only moron who didn't know he produced the Blue album? I was always bugged that the chorus melody from "The World Has Turned" was lifted from the solo in "Just What I Needed." Both awesome bands but the Cars are really underrated.

Me too. This band is like no other. There are no words