My Story of the Cars in Concert 1979

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Cast Iron Shore, Jul 15, 2017.

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  1. Ephi82

    Ephi82 Still have two ears working

    Location:
    S FL
    Growing up in Boston, my friends and I saw them in relatively small clubs before they broke big. Not very impressive. However, that first album jumped out of the speakers. It was hard to believe it was the same band.
     
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  2. zen archer

    zen archer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston Ma.usa
    I was there. It was far from workmanlike. There was a looseness to the entire show. What made it really different was that there were no keyboards, no embellishment of the songs.
    Songs came across more raw and at times very playful, because of the enthusiastic crowd response to every song he played. "You might think" was especially cool stripped down.

    And after the show fans lined up next to the backstage door to meet Ric and he signed autographs.I don't know if he gave out any kisses? ; )
    Is was a very Fun and at times Exciting show.
    Definitely one show I am glad I did not miss!
     
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  3. dustybooks

    dustybooks rabbit advocate

    Location:
    Wilmington, NC
    I totally agree with this, Candy-O is hit and miss for me and the first album will always be the best. I actually listen to Heartbeat City more often than Candy... though maybe because it's the only one I've come across on vinyl so far. I'm too young to remember the Cars' heyday so I grew up on the Elektra Greatest Hits, and I remember being really surprised by how sophisticated and off-kilter Panorama sounded when I got to it.
     
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  4. cgw

    cgw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate NY
    I saw Wolf Alice last year. Even though the guitarist and Ellie started the band and Ellie is obviously the front person (and she does talk to the audience), when I saw them, it was the bassist that did most of the talking.
     
  5. Cast Iron Shore

    Cast Iron Shore Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    Candy-O could have been a better album if they had replaced one of the weaker songs with That's It instead of relegating it to a B-Side. Great song.

    I never could get into Heartbeat City, even though it has some good songs on it, probably because of the production. It seems like the producer (Robert "Mutt" Lange?) was trying to make them more radio friendly, slicked it up and instead made them sound bland. For me it sounds dated. If he had just let them go in the studio, record the basic tracks live, overdub guitar and vocals, much like on the first album, it might have resulted in something I would listen to.
     
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  6. Vinyl Socks

    Vinyl Socks The Buzz Driver

    Location:
    DuBois, PA
    I've never attended a concert where this failed to happen.
     
  7. Cast Iron Shore

    Cast Iron Shore Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    Still? It didn't happen in the '80s when I saw REO Speedwagon (with Cheap Trick opening for them). I would think REO would attract a reality-enhanced type of audience.
     
  8. Cast Iron Shore

    Cast Iron Shore Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    I would love to hear Ric's cassette demos for that album, the ones that he played for the reporter who liked it better than the album and Ric concurred, saying the band wasn't able to get it right (source in one of my earlier posts in the other Cars thread). That is what should be on the deluxe edition.
     
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  9. cgw

    cgw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Upstate NY
    You started seeing (smelling) it a lot less when they started banning smoking indoors (mid 80's). I still get a whiff now and again at concerts though.
     
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  10. Norbert Becker

    Norbert Becker Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia PA
    He is wearing a black headband which may look like bangs in the dim lighting.

    Anyone else think this song was sung by Ocasek? I did.
     
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  11. zen archer

    zen archer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston Ma.usa
    They could have put Slip Away on there. But, I love Candy-O and I am surprised that over time has made some people reconsider it.
    When it was released Candy-O was quite popular and maybe not as great as the first album which would have been hard to repeat. I still think it stands up and is just a notch below.

    I love Panorama. To me Panorama proved that Ric was not afraid to step up with his more esoteric influences. Ric was never shy to add on a track like "I'm in Touch with Your World" or "A Dream Away".
    Even all of side 2 of Shake It Up has a moodier atmosphere than what came before on any of the first 3 albums. It would of been easy for Ric just to include more ear friendly songs like "Slip Away".

    Side 2 of Shake It Up is a precursor to Beatitude. I always wished Beatitude became a Cars album, because to me it would of made sense in the evolution of the band. Now that album seems lost to time,
    actually Ric has put out a lot of quality solo work that is often overlooked. Because people like brands. If it doesn't say The Cars on the cover than radio airplay is nonexistent. (back when there was such a thing as airplay!)
     
  12. Pizza

    Pizza With extra pepperoni

    Location:
    USA
    Fresca? Cars are a Coke band.
     
  13. zen archer

    zen archer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston Ma.usa
    I read an article, I believe it was in trouser press?. Where it said that Ric had a bunch of demo's stolen in a black duffel bag. I think it was around Panorama?
    I guess he had to redo them from memory. I always wondered what other songs may have been lost and if that tape was thrown out or if someone has in their possession
    demo's from the Cars and they don't know it!
     
  14. Cast Iron Shore

    Cast Iron Shore Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    Ben sang lead on Let's Go, Moving In Stereo, Just What I Needed, Drive and lots of other Cars songs that people think Ric sang. If I remember correctly, Ben sang lead on 6 of the 9 songs on the debut album.

    I think that Ben sang so many of the songs led him to believe that he had more power in the band than he did, which was central to the falling out he had with Ric after Door to Door when Ben reportedly wanted to record his own songs with lyrics by his girlfriend and he learned the real dynamics of the band when Ric overruled him.

    They didn't reconcile until Ben was very sick and emaciated from treatments for pancreatic cancer.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2017
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  15. gfong

    gfong Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Saw them in 1979 as well and once again in the mid 2000's.

    79 show, they stood still, not a lot of chatter but the music was fantastic.

    Mid 2000's same stage presence but total lack of enthusiasm towards their music. It was okay but could tell they were not into it. Shame really.
     
  16. Cast Iron Shore

    Cast Iron Shore Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    Yes, but my dad was a Fresca kind of guy. Nothing like seeing a hot band while high on warm Fresca.
     
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  17. Ephi82

    Ephi82 Still have two ears working

    Location:
    S FL
    Every concert I went to in the mid to late 70's and early 80's were huge pot fests. You didnt need to have a joint in your mouth to get somewhat high, but a lot of people decided that they wanted more. Also, realize that a ton of people also smoked cigarettes. Man it was smokey!
     
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  18. Cast Iron Shore

    Cast Iron Shore Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    I do remember coming home from an Eric Clapton concert with my clothes smelling of cigarettes and not wanting to wash them because smelling them made me feel naughty, like I had been smoking myself (gasp!).
     
  19. Norbert Becker

    Norbert Becker Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia PA
    I find it amusing your dad thought you could bring in your own soda to a concert. Had he not been to any public events in an indoor setting?
     
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  20. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Have you attended a concert since 1981? :laugh:
     
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  21. ronm

    ronm audiofreak

    Location:
    southern colo.
    A lot of the time I want to hear a live song at a concert just like the recording.Kudos to the Cars.
     
  22. Cast Iron Shore

    Cast Iron Shore Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    US
    Very few. I'm sure we had previously gone to an indoor venue for something like the circus, but the Cars concert was the first time he tried smuggling contraband. Why he decided it would be OK for him to do that at a rock concert and not Barnum and Bailey's, is beyond me. I was so embarrassed. So very embarrassed. He would not stop arguing with the people at the door and we were holding the line up for a long time.
     
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  23. Nightfly3000

    Nightfly3000 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Woodland Hills
    I love The Cars and saw them in '84, '87, '11. Plus I saw The New Cars 3 times. If you ever wondered what a "high energy" Cars show would look like, The New Cars were the answer. I was never disappointed in The Cars though because I knew they don't like to play to and hype the crowd. Therefore I loved those shows. I saw the '84 show in Indy and Wang Chung had technical issues (they played one song out of sync with their machines. It was a train wreck.) So since WC had torpedoed their set, The Cars easily blew them away that night. '87 was different because the band was ready to call it quits on that tour. If Greg Hawkes wasn't there, they might not have finished it. '11 was glorious because they were brave enough to come out with some new material and play without Ben. I really enjoyed hearing them pay tribute to Ben and hearing Ric sing all of the songs was cool. I doubt that will ever happen again.

    As for Panorama, that was my first Cars album purchase and I have always loved it. Next to the first album, I think they achieved all of their goals on Panorama.
     
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  24. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Surely you saw them in 2011??

    Unless you're talking about seeing "The New Cars" with Todd Rundgren...
     
  25. Steve G

    Steve G Senior Member

    Location:
    los angeles
    I think their studio magic isn't represented well by a rock group. Ric is a studio pop genius but they all are essential: Ben's voice, Greg's synth, Elliott's hooks and energy. However, reduced to a band all playing at the same time, yeah my concert experience was the same as everyone else's. I think it was the era somewhat. A band with hits that big didn't have the freedom to blow it up. A live setup more like Le Tigre would have made it work. But Kathleen's genius came along a lot later!!
     
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