#56
March 13 1984
The Cars
Heartbeat City
5 out of 5
Highlights:
Hello Again
Magic
Drive
Stranger Eyes
You Might Think
Why Can’t I Have You
This album was massive. I never owned it, however. For some reason, even though I had Shake It Up on cassette (and possibly because of that) I just passed on buying this, even though it shouted to me at Tower Records in the Village every time I went in there.
The Cars and Candy-O are two parts of a great story that went sort of off the rails with Panorama and then was half a great album on Shake.
So, even though I’ve heard all the hits here (who hasn’t?) I’ve never heard the album as one whole. Time to change that.
Interesting that they changed from Roy Thomas Baker, who had a hand in each of their first 4 records and switched to the hitmaker-of-the-80s, Mutt Lange to take them into the stratosphere. However, I don’t think it’s Lange that takes this record to the heights it reaches. I think Ocasek finally figured out how to hit the pop notes that had eluded him on his journey of art rock exploration. Based on his successful production of Weezer a few years later, I think I’m correct here. That said, if you crank this one and wear headphones it will blow your brains out. Mutt really understood how to run a mix.
“Drive” is a master lesson is New Wave ominous balladeering while the Side One closer “Stranger Eyes” outdoes all the pretenders to the synth pop throne. Even the lesser tunes, like “It’s Not the Night” and “I Refuse” bring something hook-laden and worthwhile to the table. The album plays like a greatest hits because it virtually is. This is the sound of a New Wave band at the height of it’s powers.
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