Customer Reviews

It's Alive

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This album feels surprisingly energetic and has a bit of a hard edge to the performances. If you remember The Cars the way they were back in the late '70s, before they started selling out as a more main stream pop band with overproduced albums with catchy hooks like Shake It Up and Heartbeat City, then you'll like this album. Look at the song list: it's most of The Cars first album. They even get lesser known (but liked by true fans) songs like Dangerous Type from Candy-O in here. I'm not saying I didn't like the later Cars years...I was overjoyed in the 80s when they hit it really big....I just like earlier Cars better. I feel they were more legitimate as 'Rock' artists with their earlier stuff. I also feel some may have fonder memories of the original Cars than they should. They always seemed to be a bit detached from the audience during live performances and performed songs exactly as they soudned on their albums. There's more energy here than the original Cars seemed to have with live performing and I like that.

Not Tonight is a single in the tradition of Tonight She Comes, Shake It up and You Might Think (all later Cars hits but some of their biggest). I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it was a great pop tune but is it a 'Rock' tune? Not really. I know what they're shooting for: something to rival their 'Magic' (pun intended) from Hearbeat City records sales with a similar sounding tune. Believe me, Not Tonight rivals anything the original Cars did with Ric on lead as a pure pop tune with an infectious hook "I wanna ride you til the early morn...but not tonight." I know my review seems a bit torn between the two sides of The Cars (pop vs. rock) but if you even remotely liked the Cars you'll like this new release.

Ric Ocasek doesn't like to tour. Todd Rundgren had some bills to pay and he always liked the Car's music. I really don't care what his reasons were for joining Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes, as long as it sounded good. I think it bothered me more when Easton played with CCR revisited, but it was the only way that CCR fans could hear their songs live at the time and somehow they sounded good without lead guitarist/singer John Fogerty.

I only have two complaints to make about this CD. First, Kasim Sultan is a good singer, but his voice sounds too pretty on "Drive" and it makes it sound like an Air Supply ditty. Second, they could have covered other Rundgren songs better adapted to the Car's sound like "Forget all About It" or "Couldn't I Just Tell You". The new song, "Not Tonight," is a perfect mesh of the original Cars style and Rungren's music, mainly because it sounds like it could have been released on one of his solo albums too.

I must say that when I heard that Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes had reformed The Cars under the guise of The New Cars and replaced original Cars members Ric Ocasek, David Robinson and Ben Orr with the likes of Todd Rundgren, Prairie Prince and Kasim Sulton, respectively, I was skeptical at best. Robinson maybe, but how could anyone replace Ocasek's or Orr's presence in the band? Will it work?

Well, the new serving from The New Cars "It's Alive" has answered that question and more. Albeit, this is primarily a live recording, and comparison of The Cars extraordinary studio prowess to this live recording is extremely difficult, but it is what it is. Fortunately, in "It's Alive" band has not tried to re-create live versions of The Cars studio tracks, but have taken the classic compositions, such as "Shake It Up", "My Best Friends Girl" and "Dangerous Type", and turned them into their own, wrapping new, harder riffs around the catchy melodies we all grew to love. The only disappointment would have to be the live version of "Drive" which sounds rather emotionless and quite empty. Although Kasim Sulton has a wonderful voice, matching the pure emotion and beauty that Ben Orr gave the song can't and will never be touched. A bonus is the inclusion of Rundgen classics "I Saw The Light" and "Open My Eyes".

As for the new studio songs, I have to agree with the previous reviewer that these songs show a great deal of potential for the future of the band, if they wish to carry on. "Not Tonight" is molded in a traditional Cars upbeat catchy melody with one of those trademark Elliot Easton compact solos. "Warm is wonderfully crafted and highlights the amazing keyboard skills of Gregg Hawkes and Kasim Sulton's exceptional voice. Finally, "More" is another song crafted in the early The Cars mold but with more modern edgy sound primarily due to Rundgren's grinding voice.

If you're expecting a live version of The Cars original tunes, this is probably not the CD for you. However, if you're looking for a more contemporary live interpretation of The Cars music this is definitely worth the investment. The New Cars: It Definitely Works!!

Yes they're back (well at least two original members) believe it or not, the band that gave us such pop/new wave hits as "Just What I Needed", "Shake It Up", "Let's Go", "You Might Think", "Drive" to name just a few. Now calling themselves "The New Cars", the band sounds pretty tight considering original Car's lead singer/guitarist Ric Ocasek, bassist Benjamin Orr and drummer Dave Robinson are no longer with the band. Veteran rocker singer/songwriter/guitarist Todd Rundgren now replaces Ocasek, Ex-Utopia bassist Kasim Sultan replaces the late Benjamin Orr and Ex-Tubes Prairie Prince is on drums replacing Robinson. Original Cars members Elliott Easton (lead guitar) and Greg Hawkes (keyboards) remain with the band. Granted Rundgren tries his best to mimick Ocasek's vocals and does a decent job but he tends to overdo do it a bit and even on several of his own compositions ("I Saw The Light" and "Open My Eyes") his voice doesn't change. This "live" disc is extremely well recorded and the band sounds very tight overall. The majority of the songs (except for the last three which are new studio tracks) are classic Cars such as "Just What I Needed", "Let's Go", "Candy-O", "You Might Think", "My Best Friend's Girl", "You're All I've Got Tonight", "Drive", "Moving In Stereo", "Shake It Up" plus more. They cover several of Todd's hits too in "I Saw The Light" (a hit from his "Something/Anything" album) and "Open My Eyes" (a hit for Rundgren's late sixties band The Nazz). The three new studio tracks "Not Tonight" (also part of the "live" set), "Warm" and "More" are nice pop songs with the former being the standout. For the most part it's really Elliott Easton and Greg Hawkes who steal the show. Easton's tasty guitar licks are played almost perfectly note for note and Hawke's keyboard skills really shine on this disc. Diehard Cars fans may scuff at the fact that Ocasek isn't singing, but hey apparently he just didn't care for touring and didn't want to re-join the band, but the perfect choice for his replacement is Todd Rundgren as you won't find a more talented guy to handle the vocals.

I can't tell you how many times I heard the groan "Ohhhh...that sounds awful" when co-workers found out that Todd Rundgren and some members of the Cars formed the group "The New Cars". What usually comes to mind is some sub-par group just going out to cash in as much as they can and the quality suffers. Not so with this project I have to say. When I directed my co-workers and friends to this website where they sampled the tune "Not Tonight" and watched the video on YouTube all agreed that it works! All were impressed by how good the band sounds together. Anyway Its a good CD.

Wow!... If you're a Cars fan, you have to get this.
I found this album by accident on Amazon. I almost didn't buy it until I saw the band members. During the late '70s and early '80s, The Cars, Utopia, and The Tubes were among my favorite music choices. I couldn't believe The New Cars had members from each band. Still, I was a little apprehensive. I was concerned that the original music would be altered too much, and the vocals wouldn't be a true representation of the original. However, this album is amazingly true to the original material. Todd Rundgren sings in a slightly lower octave than usual, and he does a great job reproducing Ric Ocasek (or maybe it was Ric trying to sound like Todd). Kasim Sulton is superb on lead vocals of the songs that were originally sung by the late Ben Orr ("Drive" is a perfect example).
Sound quality is excellent for a live recording. But it is live, which is never as clean as a studio recording. On the other hand, the raw sound and the extra emphasis on guitar and drums add a great element to the recording ("Candy-O" is a good example).
I bought this album with mediocre expectations, but this album is definitely NOT a half-baked attempt at reliving The Cars. The band members are all very accomplished, and they obviously put a lot of effort into this recording.
I hope a live DVD is in the works.

I REALLY WANTED TO HATE THIS ALBUM, BUT...as a Cars fan for 25+ years, I can honestly say that this is the great Cars Live album that never was. I have listened to their songs *MANY* times and I'll be damned if Todd doesn't sound close enough to Ric and Ben (RIP) to be equivalent to the real thing.

Others have commented that the sound on this album is a bit too hard and distorted. To me, it's as if a layer of Roy Thomas Baker-brand syrup has been removed from some of the songs and we're hearing them as the band and the Almighty originally intended them. As much as I love the original versions, I don't miss the Simmons drums on various numbers or the cheesy handclaps in "Let's Go."

As another reviewer wrote, this album is proof that Greg and Elliot's sound are even more integral to the Cars' sound than we always thought. Combined with a solid rhythm section such as Kasim and Prairie and this is no cover band. Honestly, how many bands retain their original lineup for 28 years? Who's to say that eventually solo projects, etc. would have forced personnel changes anyhow?

Again, I've been a fan since back in the day. I remember going to my local independent RECORD store and asking if they had that new album, Panorama -- so spare me the indignant hairshirt responses.

WARNING:
1) This is NOT an album by the original members of The Cars. Thus, the name of the group: "The New Cars"
2) This is a LIVE album. Thus, the name of the album: "It's Alive". Don't expect a bunch of new songs. There are three, however. And, as with any live album, don't expect a recording of studio quality.
3) Ben Orr is dead.
So, GET OVER IT!

First of all, I was/am a huge Cars fan. I still remember the article I read about their first album, which said something like, "Why are all the good bands coming out of Boston?" (If you recall, the band Boston was also very big during this time period.) I remember hearing the "Panorama" album in its entirety, intermingled with interview dialogue, on some late-Sunday night radio program before it was even available in stores. (I recorded the show on my cassette recorder, and listened to it over and over before the album was available.) I remember buying the LP "Heartbreak City" and listening to it so often and so loudly at work that my boss demanded that I turn it down. I remember buying the "Heartbreak City" CD, as it was the first album I owned on both vinyl and CD. And I still feel that Ben Orr was one of the best vocalists in rock (and not just because of the over-played "Drive," either). A lot of great memories, for sure.

But, fast-forward 20 years past The Cars' last album of new songs, 1987's "Door to Door."

As you might guess, as a huge Cars fan, I was hesitant about hearing Todd Rundgren singing The Cars songs. It thought it'd be weird. And I wasn't sure whether it was going to be the "Bang on My Drum All Day" Todd Rundgren, or the Todd Rundgren who actually could sing. Surely, he would tear up these songs vocally, worse than Mick Jagger tears up 40-year-old songs by The Stones. Instead of purchasing "It's Alive," I streamed it during my trial period of a music subscription service. I was/am surprised!

Ben Orr's vocals are missed. The backup vocals are not very good. But I am impressed that Todd Rundgren and others, along with original guitarist Elliot Easton and original keyboardist Greg Hawkes, can replicate The Cars' songs with such accuracy. Some of these songs were released almost 30 years ago, and I am amazed that Greg and Elliot can even move their fingers fast enough to play them.

Sure, I wish Ben were still alive. Sure, I wish that Ric Ocasek and he were still sharing lead vocal duty. Sure, I wish it was 1978 again. NO, I guess I really don't wish it was 1978! It's 2007 now -- as of this writing -- and this is THE NEW CARS.

I'm not going to dis' any of those who rated this album low. They have their opinions. But keep in mind: This is a new lineup, this is a live album, and it was recorded in smaller clubs. If anyone really thinks these guys are in this for the money, I think he/she is sorely mistaken. From what I've read, Ric just didn't want to be involved in this band because he didn't want to tour any longer; I don't think he thought it was a ripoff idea. Even if he did, though, who cares? The Cars' songs are still GREAT! And The New Cars' renditions of these songs are admirable, in my book. Even the new songs are catchy, especially "Not Tonight" -- with both a live and studio version.

If you're not sure whether to buy this album, take a listen to the 30-second clips of each song here on Amazon. If you don't like what you hear on those, don't purchase the album. If you like the song clips, however, purchase the album. I think you'll be glad you did after you hear the other 3 minutes or so of each.

(For those reading for the actual review, it comes in on the 10th paragraph.)

Once upon a time, I watched music videos all day long on a UHF station called U68. They played a lot of music that mainstream radio didn't, and so I became a snobby elitist for my 11th birthday, with the opinion that ? (Modern Industry) by Fishbone was the greatest song ever.

I would go into Sam Goody all the time, asking for albums by Nik Kershaw, and What Is This? and another singer called Todd Rundgren who had released an album of songs that were made up of only voice and percussion called, fittingly, A Cappella. I fell in love with the song Something To Fall Back On, and I had to have it.

"Who's Todd Rundgren?" asked the man who Sam Goody was paying to help people find music.

Being a snobby elitist, however, I would not tell him, I merely scoffed and went to the Rs in search of the cassette myself. Little did I realize, but the entire tri-state area heard Todd Rundgren every Friday around 5 o'clock, when Bang The Drum All Day would be played as part of Z-100's weekend kick-off. I was an idiot, really. I eventually did catch up on all of Rundgren's hits, though, because I like his music.

Fast-forward 21 years, and Todd Rundgren is the lead singer of The New Cars, which is, in my opinion, a brilliant move. In the case of Paul Rodgers trying to be Freddie Mercury, I nearly threw myself off my swing in an attempt to block the sound coming into my ears, but this New Cars thing, it might even be better than the old Cars.

I like The Cars. Drive is such a part of my existence that it would be creepy to go into it here, so I will leave it at I like The Cars.

Mainstream radio's been playing The New Cars song, Not Tonight, and the first time I heard it, I nearly went mad with glee, because it worked.

So I waited until the album came out, and it was a live album. That messed me up for a second, because I generally despise live albums. But It's Alive is a pretty good exception. There was really no other way Todd Rundgren was going to be allowed to remake all of the Ric Ocasek songs without a big CGI bee coming after him, so if a live album was all we were going to get in addition to the three new studio tracks, then I'd take it.

Todd Rundgren is a better Ric Ocasek than Ric Ocasek. The only track on the album that didn't top the original was, oddly enough, the Todd Rundgren song I Saw The Light. Kasim Sulton enunciates "shake" well enough on Drive, too, but that will always be Ben Orr's song to me.

If you like The Cars, go get the album, and enjoy three great new tracks as well as almost-exact (and quite possibly better) replicas of the originals by the man who raised Liv Tyler.

Those expecting to hear the Old Cars sound will probably be disappointed. The New Cars are a different band, and seeing them live is probably the best way to understand the difference. The chemistry between the original and the new members is terrific; they truly appear to enjoy each other's company on stage, and their awesome playing reflects it. I hope there will be a DVD from the tour (which has been abruptly cancelled due to Elliott's accident) so that those who couldn't (or chose not to) experience the new band live can at least get a taste of it. This CD represents only an approximation of their fabulous live show, which also involves a spectacular set designed by Prairie Prince. In terms of stage presence, Rundgren is no Ocasek -- and that is most probably a good thing.

The curious can always check out the band's website (thenewcars.com) and read fan messages posted on its Forum to see what other Cars' and/or Rundgren's fans have to say.