The Cars

Shiny aural fun.

Oct 25, 2006 Stephanie R. Myers

In their heyday, The Cars' supernova was bright.

So. Everyone still here? Good.

So far, this column has explored older acts who never got their due (http://musicianprofiles.suite101.com/article.cfm/mud__a_blast_from_glam_s_past ) and newer acts who are just emerging (http://musicianprofiles.suite101.com/article.cfm/brothers_and_sisters ). But somewhere in between are those acts who broke through -- and somehow got their singles in the Top 40's consciousness without sacrificing their artistic integrity.

The Cars were one such band. Their brand of highly danceable pop confections more often than not came with caustic, clever lyrics that frequently went unnoticed. The glossy synth of "Just What I Needed" paired with the line "I needed someone to bleed"? Pure genius.

If Ric Ocasek was the engine behind the machine, then Ben Orr was the fuel. They both did vocals, and Orr sang lead on the classic "Drive," amongst others.

Ben Orr died in 2000 at the age of 53, and recently some reforming has gone on. Original members Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes have reformed with Todd Rundgren on vocals and (with Ocasek's blessing but not his involvement) are touring as The New Cars. Their single, "Not Tonight," has garnered mixed reviews (apparently that whole "You've All I've Got Tonight" sentiment fell by the wayside, fellas?).

At any rate, maybe the band's current reincarnation is all part of their master plan. After all, it's not like "Door to Door" (The Cars' final album) ever matched up with the praise accorded to their self-titled debut (even if I will make a case for "Panorama" any day of the week).

The copyright of the article The Cars in Rock Music is owned by Stephanie R. Myers. Permission to republish The Cars in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.