This series is one of the CLEAREST cases of Fair Use ever. Not only should none of them get blocked or taken down, but they shouldn't get demonetized either! They take NOTHING from the artists, and shouldn't be taking Rick's revenue either.
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...
Just watched Rick’s video explaining that he got into copyright trouble for this video. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? You basically spend 14 minutes explaining that this song is perfection and the genius of these musicians! Clearly they didn’t bother to watch this video. The record company (or the estates of the departed stars) should be grateful to you for all this positive commentary, and for exposing a whole new generation to it. Thank you for making these videos, Rick.
@@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!
Dude.... I’m 68 and play bass with a cars tribute band.... The Stolen Cars, out of northern CA. You hit all of the little nuances of the song that makes it so enjoyable to play. You nailed it.
Shout out to Greg Hawkes for creating synth sounds that helped create a genre. Cranking the oscillator rate on the outro keeps it fresh and interesting through the last moment of the recording. These guys were pioneering homegrown patches while so many were still dialing it in on a stock wurlitzer/hammond/rhodes, and they showed a generation of synth developers how to load preset banks for the 80's and beyond.
One of the things I love about the Cars is how they often seem to turn the meaning of the lyrics around at some point in the song. In this song, he sings that he needs someone to bleed, but then right at the end, he says “so bleed me...” It changes the listener’s perspective on the whole song. They do the same thing in “Best Friend’s Girl.” You start off thinking, “this dude is lusting after his best friend’s girlfriend. You can’t do that to your best friend...”. Then he says “she used to be mine,” and all of a sudden the best friend is the slime. I always thought of those as lyrical hooks that make the songs even better because they catch you at every level: rhythm, melody, and lyrics.
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? 😅
Benjamin Orr is literally the perfect musician. He had it all: looks, amazing vocals, great composition, and an avant-garde bass sound. Even Ocasek once said that all he ever wanted to be was Ben Orr. RIP Ocasek and Orr.
Cars drum recorded sound is the best I've heard. Easton pure genius. Vocals incredible. Recording quality off the chart, each instrument clearly heard. Cars had it all. Early on I only knew I loved it. Rick's breakdown is fascinating and gives a whole new appreciation.
That moment @11:30 when the drum count changes is one of my favorite moments in rock and roll. It’s like they’re telling us “hey, you thought we were a rock and roll band like the others, but we’re more than than that. We’re doing something different (and a little uncomfortable).” It communicates so much. They give you the whole spirit of New Wave in seven seconds.
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.
Every time that I have heard this song the timing change (drum count change) comes in, I knew something was unorthodox but couldn't figure out what was going on. Nice touch.
The Cars were probably the best singles band of the new wave era. Everything they did was so brilliantly written and executed. Even before watching this video this song has long been my definition of a perfect pop song.
I have listened to that song A Thousand Times and I never heard the guitar part in back of the chorus. That's one of the best things about Rick's videos. The little things you've never heard before. I can't wait for number 100
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.
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.
We grew up with Beatles/Stones/Zep etc, and being in high school in the late '70's we latched onto the Cars/Elvis Costello/Police/Tom Petty/Van Halen/Joe Jackson, etc. What a great era. The first couple albums from those bands were money in the bank! It all paired perfectly with our various paraphernalia, if you know what I mean. Thanks Rick!
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.
The Cars debut was one of those albums that just lived on my turntable for weeks when I bought it. Elliot Easton was the first guitarist from whom I learned about composing a solo to have a clear beginning, middle, climax and out, instead of just aimless major/minor pentatonic runs. Also about concise soloing. This solo is only eight bars - think of that, 32 beats to make a perfect musical statement that totally fits the song. It's hard to overstate how good he is. I read somewhere his roommate from Berklee College saying that you could just tell he was going somewhere from the outset. Just confidence and a clear sense of direction in how to get where he wanted to be. Sometimes you wonder how so many talented people can come together in one band. Well, it's largely because talented, ambitious people seek each other out and don't screw around with anyone who isn't serious enough about it. And I've listened to this song hundreds and hundreds of times, and never noticed consciously the way the snare turns around to the 1 and 3 in the last verse. As always, your analyses are an education.
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.
Was in LA late 1980s inna antique store when Rick O. & wife came in..i cudnt believe 1 of my fav singers in fav band was rite there. I said hello, love your music mr. Ocsek..he replied thanx. Was very nice to me...will never forget this wonderful encounter. Sooo sad he & ben are gone💔
43 years later it's just part of music history, but when it came out, this album sounded so new and modern and different than what pop music was before.
This is one of those songs that it's easy to take for granted. I've always liked it and it's good to bop around to. But when you break it down like this you begin to understand *why*. And that's cool.
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.
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.
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)
Still remember the very first time I heard The Cars. Cold night in late fall, sitting in front of a 7-11 in Calgary, Canada in my old Chevy Blazer, listening to the radio, when Good Times Roll came on. It was electrifying. One of those unforgettable moments.
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
Ric Ocasec was genius at writing really simple pop songs - which were then embellished by all the talent he surrounded himself with in that band. And how many bands have two brilliant lead singers?
I'm in my mid 50's and I've probably heard this song over a thousand times. ... And after watching this video, I'll never 'hear' it the same way again. It's like hearing it for the first time again. 😊😊 Thanks Rick. 👍
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!
As a huge Weezer fan, the first time I heard this song was really eye opening for me. Weezer's entire career is contained in The Cars' debut album. On top of that, Ric Ocasek produced some of the best Weezer albums(!), so we know there was a direct influence there. The Cars influenced so many people and are usually left out of the conversation when people talk about the best New Wave bands, but they are definitely up there.
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?
Got goosebumps all throughout watching this. This song and a lot of the Cars' discography is linked closely to memories of middle school for me- so those times, people, and emotions always come to mind. That being said, I got that same rush listening to the intricacies of each part broken down here. Thanks, Mr. Beato.
Goosebumps here as well, that was weird (I was in in high school that year). I've always been interested in the technical aspects of what the various Cars songs are doing, and Rick's analysis of this one was absolutely riveting.
Oops- I'm a little coy to admit now that middle school for me was in 2014, when I listened to The Cars for the first time. I can only imagine how fresh it was to have listened to their stuff come out new on the radio, though. It's cool that we're able to share such strong emotional responses to their work too. And Landon- I agree. I never really noticed the lead guitar part during the chorus, or the beat switch up till now!
For me the part that stands out in this song is Greg Hawkes synth line. The simplicity of it, the pure Prophet tone, the way he uses glide and vibrato. One of the best New Wave keyboard players.
Elliot Easton is the master of the understated melodic guitar solo. He never plays anything unnecessary or that doesn't absolutely make the song better. A legend.
You did it again Rick: Always loved this song but I never "heard" it like this before. Now I love it more. Just like every other song you have gone over - It really brings the songs to life.
One day I was driving in my truck with my rescued dog from Texas this song was on radio when Ben was singing your just what I needed me and my dog were looking at each other... and it all made sense.
I love the way Rick goes total geek in some of his videos. He's experiencing pure joy and doesn't care who sees it. We should all be a little more like that.
One thing I always appreciate, as a drummer, is Rick's love for good drumming in the pocket. When "great time keeping!" sounds like such a compliment, you know you've found a real boss.
I lived around Boston and knew of The Cars before their first album came out. We were so stoked that they did so well. It was cool to watch them rise to fame.
Saw them at the Bell Buoy in Scituate, MA in '77 or '78 for a $1.50 cover. The song was originally aired on WBCN Boston, and was this excellent basement tape version. It just completely took over the Boston airwaves. Soon, all the Boston rock stations were playing that tape, for what seemed like 6 months before the album came out it was their only song on the radio. I always loved that version, it was more raw and crude, with a much better groove. I thought it was much better. Album version seemed too cleaned up to me.
This song is symphonic. The score for each instrument is amazing. Benjamin Orr's voice is not only beautiful, the way he intonates the lyrics really help make the song that much better. And what a way to play lead guitar in a song; it flows so beautifully and adds so much color to an amazing beat. Artists that just go for the shred factor should take note of what a good solo can do for a song.
Bye, Bye Love is tied with Drive as my favorite Cars songs. They're musically divergent, but the synergy between the lyrics and melodies (not to mention Orr's perfect vocal deliveries) is sublime.
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.
When I was playing Clubs in the early 80's we could play any song from this Album. If I recall, both Elliott Easton and Greg Hawkes studied music at Berklee in Boston. They both had a lot to do with the safisticated arrangements. Wish you had done Touch and Go. Most people don't notice that Greg Hawkes is in 4/4 , while the Bass/Drums are in 5/4 in the intro and Outro from T and G. Elliott is number 2 on the list of underrated guitarists behind Terry Kath. Greg Hawkes importance in the sound of the Cars also never gets enough mention (see Drive...)
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
@@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.
One thing that's difficult to appreciate about this (and all of the other songs on The Car's debut album) is that there was really nothing like this being played on radio at the time. The sound was just so different from standard radio fare back then.
@@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… 🥰
The Cars, Ric and Ben still dont get quite the recognition they deserve. Absolute brilliance on so many levels that will continue to influence for decades even after their untimely passings.
The keyboard wizardry laid down by Greg Hawkes of the Cars and Steve Nieve of Elvis Costello's band during the late 70's and early 80's was just AWESOME!!!
If I could combine The Cars and Candy-O into one album, it would definitely be a "desert island" pick. I simply can't choose which album I love more! They're both perfect.
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)
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..
OK, I gotta say, this was one of the most eye-opening of your WMTSG videos. Of course, everyone likes the song, it's slick, it''s catchy, it's sexy, plus you can dance to it. It sounds deceptively simple, but you made me see how it's really not. Coming in on the tail end of an era of shrieking, tortured vocals and weedly-wee guitar, this song sounds so clean and understated. All the parts are not hugely complicated, but they're beautifully crafted and balanced, pieced together like a jigsaw. It's restrained but intense. It's kinda perfect. It's extremely cool, in the sense of le jazz cool and le jazz hot. This is le rock cool. Good one!
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 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!!!
Being now 71 years old, I became a real fan of the Cars at 26 years old. I found all of thier music the best thing since the 60's explosion, so seven solid years of doldrums in my humble opinion. It was fun to watch Rick talk about a song like he did. I would have gushed over a beatles of stones song in the same fashion, but he had this to experience in his sophomore year (I think he said that). Anyway, I was so enthrawled with this band that I managed to get a group of friends and friends of friends to go to a concert in mass. We were 29 total. This is a great tribute to a band with a really fantastic body of high quality writing and playing. Of course I am biased as I was born in Boston.
One of the all time great singles. Sounded incredible on the radio, huge & totally unique with that brilliant Roy Thomas Baker production. The Cars arrangements were like a Swiss watch, complete precision, nothing out of place. Ric Ocasek’s genius songwriting, the entire band insanely creative. Truly one of the greatest American bands
I've always said, Elliott Easton, the most underrated guitarist of all time. Serving the song is always #1 with this guy. Only plays what's required, nothing else.
There's an excellent recent interview of Elliott by Q1043 New York here on TH-cam 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. 🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻
You can really hear rockabilly and country in Easton’s genius pop solos. He’s right up there with Harrison, his solo melodies are irreplaceable and always bring the song up to a new level.
@@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".
When this band hit the airwaves it just came out of nowhere. The sound was perfect. Elliot Easton's left handed guitar playing was fantastic. The Bass player was mesmerizing. Ocasek was mysterious. As a musician I was in heaven from 66' on. So happy that I was surrounded in music that was so new and difficult to play compared to today's standards. From Paul Butterield to Be Bo Deluxe for example, the pure newness of all the music was earth moving. The pure talent has never been matched. Good stuff Rick Beato.
No great revelation here, but the Beatles inspired so many great bands. A multiplying effect. My brother, who was in high school during the mid sixties, said most of his classmates were either in a rock band or trying to form one.
yes, yes, yes...i filled in for a top 40 band recently who covered stuff from the 60s on...when we got to, "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift in the set, you immediately recognized how the quality of the song writing and playing were not anywhere near as good...
Ben was an amazing singer, especially in "Bye Bye Love". My wife loves his "dreamy eyes and sensuous mouth". Elliot stated he did all his solos in the 1st album in 1 1/2 days. Talk about an organized guitarist. Berklee influence. Rick's comment on Ben's haircut is killer....I cannot help but laugh. His haircut??
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).
That first Cars album was such a breath of fresh air when it came out. What an outstanding song and album. The Cars were always an innovative group, one of my favorites from the late 1970s and early 1980s. I love your enthusiasm for the song!
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.
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.
So glad that you brought up the parts where David Robinson switches the drum beat to 1 and 3 for those measures because for me it's one of the many things that make the song so good!
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
I've never liked the cars, but this series has taught me to like so much music that I've shrugged of before. Hopefully this is another one of those instances
Yeh those guys too, wow so much reinforcing harmony and artistry in the mix I hadn't heard before. Some great elements I recognise in The Strokes' stuff too, let's have some What Makes This Song Great from Is This It or something next please!
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.
Finally, you record a WMTSG by one of my all-time favorite bands, The Cars! I would have picked some other tracks like Candy-O, Let's Go, Touch and Go, or even Since Your Gone (that intro timing kills!), but this one is also an amazing song. Thank you, Rick, as I've never really listened to how Ben's bass and Elliot's guitar are so odd, yet cool together. (The whole band is underrated as musicians because of their pop song sensibilities.) The beauty of the Cars is they sound so simple, but their phrasing and playing are actually intricate and extremely well-conceived. Take Greg Hawke's keyboards-mostly played in single notes (not chordal), but they add so much to the music creating an almost horn-like phrasing to the track. Amazing band and that you so much for doing this. Please do more with The Cars.
Yeah, I was always proud of my band how we played this song in the early 80’s until now! Didn’t come close to doing it the justice it deserves. It seemed deceptively simple but...
My band in 1979 knew 3 songs and this was one of them along with double vision and maybe a Santana song. Ben Asner, the famous Ed Asner's Brother owned a record/head shop here in Kansas City. He would let us play in his tiny parking lot. We played "Just what I Needed" over and over again as per request. The cops would get called and after they left Ben would say "Fuck 'em boys it's only a small fine crank it up!" Ah the 70's. RIP Ben...and the good ol' days!` Edit: His shop was called Caper's Corner at the corner of 47th and Mission Road, Kansas City, Kansas. It was tiny but very popular. Ok another edit, sorry, not sorry. Elliot Easton is one of the most under rated guitarists of his generation. I am a drummer and wannabe guitarist.
As a singer myself I love Ben Orr. His Pop Baritone with a lot of soul really made the band sound heavier. It was rich and textured. Died so young , so sad.
Love seeing Rick's infectious happiness at hearing a great piece of music . Rick is a gifted musician and you can see how he really appreciates great music and great artists and great talent.
That song is maybe my favorite Cars song, certainly my favorite on this album (an album packed with great songs obviously). Only song that might top it for me is Candy-O. Killer guitar, keys and vocals on both.
All Elliot's solos are great. Best Friend's Girl would be my fave, but w/e. The sign of a great solo - when they play it live, he has to replicate it note-for-note. It's an intrinsic part of the song. No Ritchie Blackmore fooling around here.
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.
@@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.
Naturally, this song is a marvel, and The Cars... GODS! But that Elliot guitar sound. I know he explains it in a video here on YT but still, we, as a band, couldn't get that sound to save our lives. Elliot is one of the single most underrated guitarists in (maybe) rock history.
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
Ocasek may have been the mastermind, but to me Orr had the perfect voice. Not to discount the many, many Cars songs where Ocasek sang lead, but it just hits different when Orr steps up for a tune. This is proof.
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".
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.
I was born in 1983 and my dad was born in 1955. I think I was 5 when this became my favourite cassette. We’ve lost him but I’ll never lose the love of music he game. So many emotions watching this Rick ❤️
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 TH-cam. Love this series! Amazing breakdown as always, @RickBeato.
Starts off rock, but has that synth new wave sound. Elliot Easton’s rockabilly licks. Rick mentioned jazz as well. It’s like a smorgasbord for the ears !
I feel like this song is clearly where Ocasek put together every single idea he would use later producing Weezer. It’s all there, from the synth to the chord tone solo to the single line parts to the vocal delivery.
@@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.
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.
Oh yeah! Total agreed, man. Dave Taylor, late of the Bryan Adams band, is another great player who always chose the perfect moments to step away from the root.
If you hear the isolated solo without the bass and rhythm behind it, it sounds like a cat falling out of a window. But it's awesome. There's even a country music bend and hammer-on bit in there.
just the bit discussing the solo and how it floats over the chord changes because it uses chord tones and harmony is incredibly valuable to musicians who are starting out or learning to compose their own solos or melody lines. This is why examples directly from the actual music is so valuable. Thank you for continuing to point out that these brilliant musicians will fade in memory if we cannot teach what makes them brilliant. Rock on, Rick
Thats a great point. This is a great tune for a new comer to learn from. Not only musically but also how to structure a tune as it has several monster hooks. Great point!!!
Your enthusiasm and delight while breaking down this great Cars song is infectious, Rick! The Cars were the first rock band that I fell in love with as a freshman in college. You're right, they were all *great* players, and always professional, no drama. Solid. Brilliant songwriting and arrangements. I'll be listening to their music for the rest of my life.
Elliot Easton deserves the love he's getting here. Great solos. Great Music. Great Group.
This entire album is one of the greatest debut albums in rock.
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!
Rick Beato's WMTSG is just what I needed.
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...
Their music never grows old. It's as refreshing as the day it first aired
I feel the same way about Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Not only is his vocal good, but his haircut is AMAZING" - the highest praise a new wave band could ever want. lol
I love that!!! YES!
Benjamin Orr's vocals are superb. The synth. Elliot's guitar. Ric's writing. All brilliant.
...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%
This series is one of the CLEAREST cases of Fair Use ever. Not only should none of them get blocked or taken down, but they shouldn't get demonetized either! They take NOTHING from the artists, and shouldn't be taking Rick's revenue either.
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 $
You got to give some heat to Benjamin Orr's vocals. That raw swagger that captured this song perfectly!
Just watched Rick’s video explaining that he got into copyright trouble for this video. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? You basically spend 14 minutes explaining that this song is perfection and the genius of these musicians! Clearly they didn’t bother to watch this video. The record company (or the estates of the departed stars) should be grateful to you for all this positive commentary, and for exposing a whole new generation to it. Thank you for making these videos, Rick.
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!
"Not only is his vocal good, but his haircut is amazing!" That might be your best WMTSG quote yet!
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!
Dude.... I’m 68 and play bass with a cars tribute band.... The Stolen Cars, out of northern CA. You hit all of the little nuances of the song that makes it so enjoyable to play. You nailed it.
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.
Excellent name
Shout out to Greg Hawkes for creating synth sounds that helped create a genre. Cranking the oscillator rate on the outro keeps it fresh and interesting through the last moment of the recording. These guys were pioneering homegrown patches while so many were still dialing it in on a stock wurlitzer/hammond/rhodes, and they showed a generation of synth developers how to load preset banks for the 80's and beyond.
Love them all,each contributed ,they are all the Cars❤
One of the things I love about the Cars is how they often seem to turn the meaning of the lyrics around at some point in the song. In this song, he sings that he needs someone to bleed, but then right at the end, he says “so bleed me...” It changes the listener’s perspective on the whole song.
They do the same thing in “Best Friend’s Girl.” You start off thinking, “this dude is lusting after his best friend’s girlfriend. You can’t do that to your best friend...”. Then he says “she used to be mine,” and all of a sudden the best friend is the slime.
I always thought of those as lyrical hooks that make the songs even better because they catch you at every level: rhythm, melody, and lyrics.
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
Benjamin Orr is literally the perfect musician. He had it all: looks, amazing vocals, great composition, and an avant-garde bass sound. Even Ocasek once said that all he ever wanted to be was Ben Orr. RIP Ocasek and Orr.
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!!!
Cars drum recorded sound is the best I've heard. Easton pure genius. Vocals incredible. Recording quality off the chart, each instrument clearly heard. Cars had it all. Early on I only knew I loved it. Rick's breakdown is fascinating and gives a whole new appreciation.
That moment @11:30 when the drum count changes is one of my favorite moments in rock and roll. It’s like they’re telling us “hey, you thought we were a rock and roll band like the others, but we’re more than than that. We’re doing something different (and a little uncomfortable).” It communicates so much. They give you the whole spirit of New Wave in seven seconds.
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.
Every time that I have heard this song the timing change (drum count change) comes in, I knew something was unorthodox but couldn't figure out what was going on. Nice touch.
Ben was all swag on that stage. His presence, his voice,...he was the stud.🤘😎
The Cars were probably the best singles band of the new wave era. Everything they did was so brilliantly written and executed. Even before watching this video this song has long been my definition of a perfect pop song.
Genius!
They were PERFECTION live. There are quite a few full concerts up on TH-cam.
They just had that huge 80's sound! My teenage nephews love this song, My Best Friend's Girl, and my favorite.. Magic!
@@S.Kowalchuk genius!
Panorama blew chunks.
I have listened to that song A Thousand Times and I never heard the guitar part in back of the chorus. That's one of the best things about Rick's videos. The little things you've never heard before. I can't wait for number 100
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
The whole album was simply stellar. Such a great band.Benjamin was an amazing vocalist & just plain gorgeous.
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.
Rick gets so EXCITED when doing these videos.... He's like a kid all over again! Luv it!!
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!
We grew up with Beatles/Stones/Zep etc, and being in high school in the late '70's we latched onto the Cars/Elvis Costello/Police/Tom Petty/Van Halen/Joe Jackson, etc. What a great era. The first couple albums from those bands were money in the bank! It all paired perfectly with our various paraphernalia, if you know what I mean. Thanks Rick!
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
The Cars debut was one of those albums that just lived on my turntable for weeks when I bought it. Elliot Easton was the first guitarist from whom I learned about composing a solo to have a clear beginning, middle, climax and out, instead of just aimless major/minor pentatonic runs. Also about concise soloing. This solo is only eight bars - think of that, 32 beats to make a perfect musical statement that totally fits the song. It's hard to overstate how good he is. I read somewhere his roommate from Berklee College saying that you could just tell he was going somewhere from the outset. Just confidence and a clear sense of direction in how to get where he wanted to be. Sometimes you wonder how so many talented people can come together in one band. Well, it's largely because talented, ambitious people seek each other out and don't screw around with anyone who isn't serious enough about it.
And I've listened to this song hundreds and hundreds of times, and never noticed consciously the way the snare turns around to the 1 and 3 in the last verse. As always, your analyses are an education.
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.
Was in LA late 1980s inna antique store when Rick O. & wife came in..i cudnt believe 1 of my fav singers in fav band was rite there. I said hello, love your music mr. Ocsek..he replied thanx. Was very nice to me...will never forget this wonderful encounter. Sooo sad he & ben are gone💔
43 years later it's just part of music history, but when it came out, this album sounded so new and modern and different than what pop music was before.
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 ... :)
This is one of those songs that it's easy to take for granted. I've always liked it and it's good to bop around to. But when you break it down like this you begin to understand *why*. And that's cool.
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.
If Rick's enthusiasm and joy for music doesn't make you smile, you're dead inside.
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.
Ben is the greatest - all of his songs he sang were amazing. Rest In Peace Ben…. you will never be forgotten.
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.😊
Still remember the very first time I heard The Cars. Cold night in late fall, sitting in front of a 7-11 in Calgary, Canada in my old Chevy Blazer, listening to the radio, when Good Times Roll came on. It was electrifying. One of those unforgettable moments.
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
Elliot Easton is one of the most underrated guitar players ever.
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.
Benjamin Orr was straight-up cool. Very sad when he passed, much too soon.
Ric Ocasec was genius at writing really simple pop songs - which were then embellished by all the talent he surrounded himself with in that band. And how many bands have two brilliant lead singers?
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'm in my mid 50's and I've probably heard this song over a thousand times. ... And after watching this video, I'll never 'hear' it the same way again. It's like hearing it for the first time again. 😊😊
Thanks Rick. 👍
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.
As a huge Weezer fan, the first time I heard this song was really eye opening for me. Weezer's entire career is contained in The Cars' debut album. On top of that, Ric Ocasek produced some of the best Weezer albums(!), so we know there was a direct influence there. The Cars influenced so many people and are usually left out of the conversation when people talk about the best New Wave bands, but they are definitely up there.
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
Got goosebumps all throughout watching this. This song and a lot of the Cars' discography is linked closely to memories of middle school for me- so those times, people, and emotions always come to mind. That being said, I got that same rush listening to the intricacies of each part broken down here. Thanks, Mr. Beato.
Wow, totally the same here. 8th grade when it was released.
Goosebumps here as well, that was weird (I was in in high school that year).
I've always been interested in the technical aspects of what the various Cars songs are doing, and Rick's analysis of this one was absolutely riveting.
Oops- I'm a little coy to admit now that middle school for me was in 2014, when I listened to The Cars for the first time. I can only imagine how fresh it was to have listened to their stuff come out new on the radio, though. It's cool that we're able to share such strong emotional responses to their work too.
And Landon- I agree. I never really noticed the lead guitar part during the chorus, or the beat switch up till now!
For me the part that stands out in this song is Greg Hawkes synth line. The simplicity of it, the pure Prophet tone, the way he uses glide and vibrato. One of the best New Wave keyboard players.
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
Elliot Easton is the master of the understated melodic guitar solo. He never plays anything unnecessary or that doesn't absolutely make the song better. A legend.
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.
all killer, no filler. 🎸🤘
You did it again Rick: Always loved this song but I never "heard" it like this before. Now I love it more. Just like every other song you have gone over - It really brings the songs to life.
Thats what keeps happening to me.
Exactly Mark
Rick has a knack for making a good thing better IMO
One day I was driving in my truck with my rescued dog from Texas this song was on radio when Ben was singing your just what I needed me and my dog were looking at each other... and it all made sense.
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.
Great episode. The Cars deserve a lot more coverage, especially Elliot's guitar, Ric's writing and Ben's vocals. Heck, it's all great.
I love the way Rick goes total geek in some of his videos. He's experiencing pure joy and doesn't care who sees it. We should all be a little more like that.
One thing I always appreciate, as a drummer, is Rick's love for good drumming in the pocket. When "great time keeping!" sounds like such a compliment, you know you've found a real boss.
I lived around Boston and knew of The Cars before their first album came out. We were so stoked that they did so well. It was cool to watch them rise to fame.
Yeah, I got to meet them on the Cape then when they played the Compass Lounge in Yarmouth.
@@teleguy5699 So cool!
did you ever see them at the Ratt?
Saw them at the Bell Buoy in Scituate, MA in '77 or '78 for a $1.50 cover. The song was originally aired on WBCN Boston, and was this excellent basement tape version. It just completely took over the Boston airwaves. Soon, all the Boston rock stations were playing that tape, for what seemed like 6 months before the album came out it was their only song on the radio. I always loved that version, it was more raw and crude, with a much better groove. I thought it was much better. Album version seemed too cleaned up to me.
@@northernlitez1 Unfortunately no. Did you? How cool!
This song is symphonic. The score for each instrument is amazing. Benjamin Orr's voice is not only beautiful, the way he intonates the lyrics really help make the song that much better. And what a way to play lead guitar in a song; it flows so beautifully and adds so much color to an amazing beat. Artists that just go for the shred factor should take note of what a good solo can do for a song.
I've believed, for years, that "Bye, Bye Love" is a perfect song. Everything about it is perfection, as with most of the Cars' tunes. Long time fan.
Yes, yes, yes!!
DuhDuhDuh DuhDuhDuhhhh
DuhDuhDuh DuhDuhDuhhhh
DuhDuhDuh DuhDuhDuhDUH!
Oh yeah.
Yes!! The best Cars song!
Bye, Bye Love is tied with Drive as my favorite Cars songs. They're musically divergent, but the synergy between the lyrics and melodies (not to mention Orr's perfect vocal deliveries) is sublime.
They have so many perfect songs!
Rick. Your explanations of what is going on in a song are simply amazing.
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 !
When I was playing Clubs in the early 80's we could play any song from this Album. If I recall, both Elliott Easton and Greg Hawkes studied music at Berklee in Boston. They both had a lot to do with the safisticated arrangements. Wish you had done Touch and Go. Most people don't notice that Greg Hawkes is in 4/4 , while the Bass/Drums are in 5/4 in the intro and Outro from T and G. Elliott is number 2 on the list of underrated guitarists behind Terry Kath. Greg Hawkes importance in the sound of the Cars also never gets enough mention (see Drive...)
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
That Cars album was huge. The guitars are insane. I will always love the guitar tracks on that album. Benjamin’s vocals kill.
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 ❤
One thing that's difficult to appreciate about this (and all of the other songs on The Car's debut album) is that there was really nothing like this being played on radio at the time. The sound was just so different from standard radio fare back then.
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… 🥰
The Cars, Ric and Ben still dont get quite the recognition they deserve. Absolute brilliance on so many levels that will continue to influence for decades even after their untimely passings.
Agreed my unknown friend.
The keyboard wizardry laid down by Greg Hawkes of the Cars and Steve Nieve of Elvis Costello's band during the late 70's and early 80's was just AWESOME!!!
Yep agree. Had a great time playing it with our “Neighborhood Picnic Band”
If I could combine The Cars and Candy-O into one album, it would definitely be a "desert island" pick. I simply can't choose which album I love more! They're both perfect.
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..
@cecilmashburn7343 Myself included....but I've come around some now days.
OK, I gotta say, this was one of the most eye-opening of your WMTSG videos. Of course, everyone likes the song, it's slick, it''s catchy, it's sexy, plus you can dance to it. It sounds deceptively simple, but you made me see how it's really not. Coming in on the tail end of an era of shrieking, tortured vocals and weedly-wee guitar, this song sounds so clean and understated. All the parts are not hugely complicated, but they're beautifully crafted and balanced, pieced together like a jigsaw. It's restrained but intense. It's kinda perfect. It's extremely cool, in the sense of le jazz cool and le jazz hot. This is le rock cool. Good one!
I feel like people that aren't musicians don't understand how huge your brain is, man. So well done.
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
Rick's enthusiasm on the beat-flip is just what I needed.
1st thing that came to my mind when clicking on link was how will he react to that skip
Flip*
But when you're standing oh so near, I kinda lose my mind...(off balance)...love it!
My favorite part of the song!
I remember hearing that saying Oh that's wrong. Oh that's cool.
Being now 71 years old, I became a real fan of the Cars at 26 years old. I found all of thier music the best thing since the 60's explosion, so seven solid years of doldrums in my humble opinion. It was fun to watch Rick talk about a song like he did. I would have gushed over a beatles of stones song in the same fashion, but he had this to experience in his sophomore year (I think he said that). Anyway, I was so enthrawled with this band that I managed to get a group of friends and friends of friends to go to a concert in mass. We were 29 total. This is a great tribute to a band with a really fantastic body of high quality writing and playing. Of course I am biased as I was born in Boston.
I wonder if the copywrite strike was removed??
One of the all time great singles. Sounded incredible on the radio, huge & totally unique with that brilliant Roy Thomas Baker production. The Cars arrangements were like a Swiss watch, complete precision, nothing out of place. Ric Ocasek’s genius songwriting, the entire band insanely creative. Truly one of the greatest American bands
I've always said, Elliott Easton, the most underrated guitarist of all time. Serving the song is always #1 with this guy. Only plays what's required, nothing else.
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 TH-cam 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.
IT'S ABOUT TIME! Love The Cars!
Haha Charade did a great cover of it
You can really hear rockabilly and country in Easton’s genius pop solos. He’s right up there with Harrison, his solo melodies are irreplaceable and always bring the song up to a new level.
LOVE this song. Benjamin Orr was such an underrated singer.
People nowadays don't understand how fresh that sound of The Cars was.
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.
When this band hit the airwaves it just came out of nowhere. The sound was perfect. Elliot Easton's left handed guitar playing was fantastic. The Bass player was mesmerizing. Ocasek was mysterious. As a musician I was in heaven from 66' on. So happy that I was surrounded in music that was so new and difficult to play compared to today's standards. From Paul Butterield to Be Bo Deluxe for example, the pure newness of all the music was earth moving. The pure talent has never been matched. Good stuff Rick Beato.
No great revelation here, but the Beatles inspired so many great bands. A multiplying effect. My brother, who was in high school during the mid sixties, said most of his classmates were either in a rock band or trying to form one.
yes, yes, yes...i filled in for a top 40 band recently who covered stuff from the 60s on...when we got to, "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift in the set, you immediately recognized how the quality of the song writing and playing were not anywhere near as good...
Ben was an amazing singer, especially in "Bye Bye Love". My wife loves his "dreamy eyes and sensuous mouth". Elliot stated he did all his solos in the 1st album in 1 1/2 days. Talk about an organized guitarist. Berklee influence. Rick's comment on Ben's haircut is killer....I cannot help but laugh. His haircut??
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.
"Not only are his vocals perfect, but his haircut is amazing!"
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
That first Cars album was such a breath of fresh air when it came out. What an outstanding song and album. The Cars were always an innovative group, one of my favorites from the late 1970s and early 1980s. I love your enthusiasm for the song!
TOTALLY!
This song sounds like something from the 2000's. The Cars were wayyyy ahead of their time. Unreal record.
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.
6:15 "Not only is he a great Singer, but his haircut is AMAZING"
I literally LOL'd !!!!!!
It's great hanging out with Rick, even just thru TH-cam
So glad that you brought up the parts where David Robinson switches the drum beat to 1 and 3 for those measures because for me it's one of the many things that make the song so good!
Just when that late verse in the song might have become a wee bit boring...
Never mind about Ben Orr's haircut, back in the 70's he was legitimately prettier than most (if not all) of the women I've dated.
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.....
Easton’s solo is outstanding...a true favorite. Always appreciated.
Everybody killed it here but Greg Hawkes synth is what makes this song for me.
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
I respectfully disagree. It's the only part about the song that I don't like...and could be substituted with any other instrument.
just smiled for 14 min and 16 sec--probably the best part of 2021 so far.
Until you learn that The Cars copyright struck this video
@@the_algorithm I came here BECAUSE of the copyright strike, and I smiled the whole time too.
Smiling thru my tears. I miss those days...
I love how Rick is holding a guitar, and can actually play the solo and he still can't help himself but to air guitar during the solo.
Hahahahahaha!!! Too true! 🤣
...and air drums.😬😎
I've never liked the cars, but this series has taught me to like so much music that I've shrugged of before. Hopefully this is another one of those instances
I hope you give Moving in Stereo another listen if you haven’t heard it before. It’s pure magic!
Dat debut album tho!
Listen to New Order and Motorhead too you won't regret
Yeh those guys too, wow so much reinforcing harmony and artistry in the mix I hadn't heard before. Some great elements I recognise in The Strokes' stuff too, let's have some What Makes This Song Great from Is This It or something next please!
Let's Go is a great song!
I rarely know what Rick is talking about but I still love to watch him get so excited about these classics
😆😆😆
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.
Finally, you record a WMTSG by one of my all-time favorite bands, The Cars! I would have picked some other tracks like Candy-O, Let's Go, Touch and Go, or even Since Your Gone (that intro timing kills!), but this one is also an amazing song. Thank you, Rick, as I've never really listened to how Ben's bass and Elliot's guitar are so odd, yet cool together. (The whole band is underrated as musicians because of their pop song sensibilities.) The beauty of the Cars is they sound so simple, but their phrasing and playing are actually intricate and extremely well-conceived. Take Greg Hawke's keyboards-mostly played in single notes (not chordal), but they add so much to the music creating an almost horn-like phrasing to the track. Amazing band and that you so much for doing this. Please do more with The Cars.
Touch and Go is an absolute masterpiece. Probably their best song musically speaking
@@maverick1181 yeah, the switch from 5/4 time to 4/4, along with that amazing, yet odd country-surf guitar solo makes it my favorite, too.
Yeah, I was always proud of my band how we played this song in the early 80’s until now! Didn’t come close to doing it the justice it deserves. It seemed deceptively simple but...
My band in 1979 knew 3 songs and this was one of them along with double vision and maybe a Santana song. Ben Asner, the famous Ed Asner's Brother owned a record/head shop here in Kansas City. He would let us play in his tiny parking lot. We played "Just what I Needed" over and over again as per request. The cops would get called and after they left Ben would say "Fuck 'em boys it's only a small fine crank it up!" Ah the 70's. RIP Ben...and the good ol' days!`
Edit: His shop was called Caper's Corner at the corner of 47th and Mission Road, Kansas City, Kansas. It was tiny but very popular.
Ok another edit, sorry, not sorry. Elliot Easton is one of the most under rated guitarists of his generation. I am a drummer and wannabe guitarist.
sick
As a singer myself I love Ben Orr. His Pop Baritone with a lot of soul really made the band sound heavier. It was rich and textured.
Died so young , so sad.
Ben, is so sexy. Wish I could go back in time to 1978.
"Not only is his vocal good but his haircut is amazing"
Love seeing Rick's infectious happiness at hearing a great piece of music . Rick is a gifted musician and you can see how he really appreciates great music and great artists and great talent.
Always loved Elliot Easton. I’ve listened to the solo in “Bye Bye love” as many times as Rick has subs.
That song is maybe my favorite Cars song, certainly my favorite on this album (an album packed with great songs obviously). Only song that might top it for me is Candy-O. Killer guitar, keys and vocals on both.
All Elliot's solos are great. Best Friend's Girl would be my fave, but w/e. The sign of a great solo - when they play it live, he has to replicate it note-for-note. It's an intrinsic part of the song. No Ritchie Blackmore fooling around here.
@@aquamarine99911 Yup, I'm with you there. Best Friend's Girl is a stunning solo.
agreed! Elliot was super underrated. stellar guitarist!
I love the solo in Shake It Up.
Boston area bands of this era: The Cars, Aerosmith, Boston and J Geills Band...WOW!
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.
The Cars had a ton of perfectly executed songs.
@@hanksta34 it’s kinda true , but some other great songs came later as well
The Cars were a breath of fresh air on the Rock scene with every body a master of their instruments especially Elliot Easton!!
Naturally, this song is a marvel, and The Cars... GODS! But that Elliot guitar sound. I know he explains it in a video here on YT but still, we, as a band, couldn't get that sound to save our lives. Elliot is one of the single most underrated guitarists in (maybe) rock history.
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 is so great at simplifying concepts while at the same time illustrating a song’s complexities.
Ocasek may have been the mastermind, but to me Orr had the perfect voice. Not to discount the many, many Cars songs where Ocasek sang lead, but it just hits different when Orr steps up for a tune. This is proof.
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.
I was born in 1983 and my dad was born in 1955. I think I was 5 when this became my favourite cassette. We’ve lost him but I’ll never lose the love of music he game. So many emotions watching this Rick ❤️
Greg Hawkes keyboards are The Cars "sonic signature." The sounds are bold, innovative, & instantly recognizable.
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 TH-cam. Love this series! Amazing breakdown as always, @RickBeato.
So many examples. Bye Bye Love is one of his best. And he nails it live.
Starts off rock, but has that synth new wave sound. Elliot Easton’s rockabilly licks. Rick mentioned jazz as well. It’s like a smorgasbord for the ears !
I feel like this song is clearly where Ocasek put together every single idea he would use later producing Weezer. It’s all there, from the synth to the chord tone solo to the single line parts to the vocal delivery.
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.
This is a man who loves music. Its great just seeing him enjoy it so much. Love these videos, thank you for sharing your gifts!
I feel so smart now for having liked this song so much over the years. The Cars were so great!!!
6:50 as a bass player I L O V E that first inversion
YES
I can't believe I never heard that before! Love this series
agreed
Oh yeah! Total agreed, man. Dave Taylor, late of the Bryan Adams band, is another great player who always chose the perfect moments to step away from the root.
Love Rick's enthusiasm. One of my first albums! Loved it then, love it now!
Rick Beato’s channel is one of my greatest discoveries on youtube! Thank you so much for being here...🙏🙏🙏
I love how I can hear a song a hundred times and the I watch Rick's video and it gives me a whole new appreciation for it!
For those of us who didn't like punk or disco at the time, this music and Boston were just what the rest of us needed.
DAMN STRAIGHT.
Amen, brother!
I liked the punk, hated almost all of the disco, and immediately latched on to The Cars. Pop music done well is a force to be reckoned with.
Just another band out of Boston. They are BOSTON. Don't look back
This song is like simple and mindblowing at the same time, and the solo is just perfect.
If you hear the isolated solo without the bass and rhythm behind it, it sounds like a cat falling out of a window. But it's awesome. There's even a country music bend and hammer-on bit in there.
just the bit discussing the solo and how it floats over the chord changes because it uses chord tones and harmony is incredibly valuable to musicians who are starting out or learning to compose their own solos or melody lines. This is why examples directly from the actual music is so valuable. Thank you for continuing to point out that these brilliant musicians will fade in memory if we cannot teach what makes them brilliant. Rock on, Rick
Thats a great point. This is a great tune for a new comer to learn from. Not only musically but also how to structure a tune as it has several monster hooks. Great point!!!
Your enthusiasm and delight while breaking down this great Cars song is infectious, Rick! The Cars were the first rock band that I fell in love with as a freshman in college. You're right, they were all *great* players, and always professional, no drama. Solid. Brilliant songwriting and arrangements. I'll be listening to their music for the rest of my life.
My first ❤as well … I’m still crushing on their music … still remember seeing /hearing Benjamin Orr singing and I was gone 😻