The Cars Live - Musikladen 1979

Starring:Ric Ocasek, Ben Orr, Greg Hawkes, Elliot Easton, David Robinson
Studio: Rhino / Wea
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This complete, live, television concert, recorded for the long-running German pop music series Musikladen, captures the Cars in their late '70s ascendancy, offering ample evidence of the young Boston quintet's rock-solid performing skills and formidable instincts as writers and arrangers. Poised between arena-rock bombast and punk aggression, the Cars were canny, concise stylists who proudly unleashed hit singles in an album-dominated era, an achievement that could mislead serious-minded rock aesthetes to assume the band was a studio invention. In fact, their major-label deal arose only after the band had honed its playing in Beantown clubs and cracked local airwaves with self-produced prototypes of the songs that popped up on their self-titled debut album.

The 11 songs here tilt toward that collection, with a nod to its sequel, and all share the band's shrewd synthesis of tightly crafted songs that explore a tension between romantic yearning and neurotic anxiety. Principal songwriter Ric Ocasek swaps vocal leads with bassist Ben Orr, establishing their familiar yin and yang, with Ocasek mining neurosis while Orr plucks the heartstrings. David Robinson's muscular, uncluttered drumming transcends its frequent use of electronic drums, Greg Hawkes's keyboards deftly stretch the sci-fi possibilities of then- primitive synths, and not-so-secret weapon Elliot Easton, a southpaw guitarist, tightens the clockwork interplay between his versatile lead guitar and Ocasek's crisp rhythm work. If the band's choral work sounds thinner than on their recordings, it's less an indictment of the band than a measurement of how far producer Roy Thomas Baker carried the heavily layered vocal stamp he had refined with the Cars' labelmates, Queen.

Amazon.com

This complete, live, television concert, recorded for the long-running German pop music series Musikladen, captures the Cars in their late '70s ascendancy, offering ample evidence of the young Boston quintet's rock-solid performing skills and formidable instincts as writers and arrangers. Poised between arena-rock bombast and punk aggression, the Cars were canny, concise stylists who proudly unleashed hit singles in an album-dominated era, an achievement that could mislead serious-minded rock aesthetes to assume the band was a studio invention. In fact, their major-label deal arose only after the band had honed its playing in Beantown clubs and cracked local airwaves with self-produced prototypes of the songs that popped up on their self-titled debut album.

Customer Reviews:

a worthwhile keepsake.......2006-11-07

For any cars fan - this is a highly recommended video. The first part of the video is old footage from the concert in Germany. Sure it was not very professional looking or sounding - but it was the band in their early days and you could still see the potential and musical ability/talent in their performance and music. In my opinion, the Cars were one of the greatest and yet underappreciated pop bands from the past twenty years or more. Everyone in that bad were solid musicians. The other part of the video is the poignant interview which I understand took place in 2000. It is evident that all the band members had fond memories of being in the Cars. They talk about the early days, their image as a band, some of their concerts, how they came together, as well as touch on what being in the band meant to them personally. Benjamin Orr at the time of the interview was battling cancer and is visibly ill and half the person he once was physically. Orr passed away a few months after the interview and that is what makes this video so precious. It was the last time the 5 would be together, and I sensed they knew it. As a result of that, there is in some sense, a certain tone of sadness that underlies the interview. No doubt, had Orr lived on , I believe we would have seen a reunion of the Cars by now. I recommend this video, of one of, if not, THE greatest pop band of the eighties at least!

Give it a miss.......2006-11-02

I bought this DVD and was totally disapointed - as some have mentioned already the sound is absolute crap, yes I know it was recorded late 70s but hey even the original star wars had brilliant sound...Im giving my copy to the local library after forcing myself to listen to it twice. Guess I will have to be happy with my old albums.

Here is the song list I found.......2006-08-04

1. Good Times Roll
2. Bye Bye Love
3. Nightspots
4. I'm In Touch With Your World
5. My Best Friend's Girl
6. Candy-O
7. You're All I've Got Tonight
8. Take What You Want
9. Since I Held You
10. Don't Cha Stop
11. Just What I Needed

my complaint is with all the reviewers here.......2006-05-25

I'm NOT reviewing this item, I am reviewing the reviewers. I came here to get info, which you boneheads should realize MIGHT include the song list!!! Most people, when they check out reviews , first and foremost WANT TO KNOW WHICH SONGS WERE DONE IN THE CONCERT!!! 43 friggin reviews here, and not one of you figured that part out! AMAZING!! It's nice to hear, "oh..the sound was muddy," or " Gee...so and so had a cold, his singing wasn't up to snuff.." etc., but next time one of you reviews a concert DVD ...PLEEEEEZE include the song list!! 'Nuff said...

Worth every penny!.......2006-02-19

I grew up with The Cars but never had the privilege of seeing them in concert. If you're a true Cars fan, there is no way you can't enjoy this DVD. The concert footage was from 1979, so the expectations shouldn't be so high. Put all of today's audio/video technology aside and just enjoy it for what it is - concert footage from 27 years ago of a great band. But even more important to me was the 45 minute interview conducted just prior to Ben Orr's death. The interview was the sole reason I bought the DVD. I don't have to see them to hear their music. But I would never have been able to experience their camaraderie w/o seeing the interview, which was the last one all five ever did together (I believe). The interview was fantastic and I can't really add anything beyond what other reviewers have said about it except that the very end of the interview was very poignant for me. Though you don't hear the question from the interviewer, it is clear that he asked something like "Looking back, tell me what you're most proud of about The Cars." As each one, starting from Elliot on the left, expresses his feelings about the band after all these years, it is clear that each one remembers the good times they had together making music. It is also clear they recognize that there will never be an opportunity to revisit those days as a group, with the imminent death of Ben. Buy the DVD. You won't be disappointed.

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