THE CARS DEBUT ALBUM

     The Cars are hands down one of my all-time favorite bands.  To me, they personify the essence of summer, of parties on Saturday nights and cruising down the strip.  I grew up in the late 70's and 80's, and music like this was the soundtrack to my life.  I instantly loved The Cars the first time I heard them as a kid- they were the epitome of coolness.  And still are.  They have their own unique sound and it's timeless.

     The Cars released their classic debut album "The Cars" in 1978, which would spawn the excellent singles "Just What I Needed", "My Best Friend's Girl", "You're All I've Got Tonight", "Moving In Stereo", and "Good Times Roll". The Cars became hugely popular as one of the front runners of the new sound in rock.  Music was changing from the easy vibes of the early 70's to a more cutting edge, futuristic sound. Led Zeppelin and KISS were cooling, and bands such as Blondie, The Pretenders, and The Cars looming on the horizon.  Merging hard driving 70's rock with futuristic 80's synth, they created a sound and genre all their own.
     Generally hailed as a rock masterpiece, "The Cars" debut album has deservedly earned being named one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. "Moving In Stereo" is hands down one of the hottest rock songs of all time, partly because of the 80's teen classic "Fast Times At Ridgemont High", which used The Cars sizzling "Moving In Stereo" in such a memorable scene that it's impossible to hear the song and not think of Phoebe Cates slowly un-doing her bikini top in slow motion.  And that scene perfectly sums up the music of The Cars.  There isn't a bad song on the album, and it doesn't seem dated one bit today.