Start Your Engines: What Is the Cars’ Finest Album?

They began their career as the stoic princes of hook-heavy New Wave. As their career progressed, they made the jump to pop radio in a big way. And then they were gone, sort of suddenly, before emerging again decades down the road with one last hurrah. Of course, we’re describing the career of The Cars, who released seven albums during their time together. We’ve chosen four as the top candidates for their finest album ever. And, after reviewing the possibilities, we’re going to give you our choice for their best LP.

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‘The Cars’ (1978)

Rarely does a rock band come out with a sound so fully formed, especially when that sound stood out so much from the norm at the time. Every instrument and note is in its preordained place on ‘The Cars’, right down to Elliot Easton’s precision guitar solos. But none of that would have mattered if they didn’t come with the songs. The debut album almost reads like a classic rock greatest hits playlist: “Let The Good Times Roll”, “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Just What I Needed”, etc. Ric Ocasek’s songs are so catchy you almost overlook their complex inner workings.

‘Candy-O’ (1979)

The sophomore record often trips folks up because they no longer have a backlog of material on which to draw. For The Cars, that might have worked in their favor on Candy-O. Brimming with creativity, the quintet experimented a little. Take, for example, the thrilling segue from the strange “Shoo Be Doo” to the churning title track. In addition, they toned down the gloss from the first record, making songs like “Dangerous Type” and “Double Life” sound lean, mean, and powerful.

‘Panorama’ (1980)

The dark horse in this competition, with the emphasis on the word “dark.” Panorama lacked any major hit singles, and it took some heat from critics upon its release. If you’re willing to meet it on its downcast terms, you’re going to find a hidden gem of a record. Songs like “Don’t Tell Me No” and “Up And Down” show how adept these guys could be when they wanted to rock hard. “You Wear Those Eyes” is one of their loveliest ballads. And “Touch And Go” gallops to mid-tempo glory.

‘Heartbeat City’ (1984)

Like many artists circa 1984, The Cars wanted their shot at the brass ring when it came to locking down pop music audiences. Securing the services of producer Mutt Lange proved to be a good strategy to get that done. On songs like “You Might Think” and “Magic”, Lange softens the band ever so slightly for radio acceptance. If you dig deeper into the album, the moody bits are still there. And any album that contains “Drive”, one of the best ballads in rock history, deserves copious praise.

The Verdict

Panorama sustains its mood quite well, but it’s such a bummer of a mood that it’s not the best for repeat play. The sheen that Lange put on Heartbeat City robs the band of some of its iconoclastic edginess.

That means the decision comes down to the first two albums. We’re going with the underdog in Candy-O, which holds up a shade better in terms of being a cohesive, consistent listen than the hit-laden self-titled debut.

Photo by RB/Redferns