The Cars - Blue Tip

It started with a tease, I think.

If I recall, some random photo popped on the intertubes, an older set of Cars in close proximity of each other. Some hint of a reunion, people claimed.

But all I could think about was Ben.

Can you really have a Cars reunion without Ben?

I supposed it’s better than The New Cars, or any of the member’s solo albums.

Hell, even The Lace blew-just to show you that I’m not all nostalgic for Benjamin Orzechowski tunes ‘n shit. Before he died, he toured the fairs with “Orr,” a ridiculous outfit named from his Anglicized surname-like he was some kind of Van Halen, Bon Jovi, or Giuffria.

I’m kidding. I’m only trying to say that Benjamin Orr’s voice was a critical component to The Cars sound, and I’d venture to say that most of my favorite Cars songs were the ones sung by him.

I get that Ocasek is the frontman, in nearly every sense of the word-but he sure as hell didn’t have Orr’s golden throat.

So strike one and two against the new album the remaining Cars members are getting ready to unleash a new record-their first in over two decades-but don’t think that I’m about to suggest that a new record without Benjamin Orr will tarnish their legacy.

Because their legacy is already tarnished a bit. If it weren’t, then this type of announcement would have been delivered with the fanfare of, say, Motley Crue appearing on Larry Fucking King to promote the fact that the original band had gotten back together.

And even that announcement was actually their second reunion announcement within 5 years of the first one!

The Cars is a classic, and I’m working on a review that suggests Candy O didn’t fall to off-course from the first record. Panorama is where things got conflicted, but I sure as shit enjoyed the results. I’d call Shake It Up or Door To Door their worst, with Heartbeat City getting a pass because 1.) It was huge and 2.) It contains possibly the only supporting argument in their quest for commercial appeal, the lovely “Drive.”

It may be the weepy nostalgia talking here, but “Blue Tip” is sounding better than anything off of Shake It Up or Door To Door-which isn’t that hard to do since both of those albums blew, clouding up the clear understanding that these chowderheads knocked out a pair of masterpieces right out of the gate.

You know why you can’t actually see them in the video? Because The Cars are now so hideously old that by showing them in the flesh would ruin their credibility as music video icons.

Of course, Ocasek has always been a weird looking fellow anyway, as was Greg Hawkes. And that sure as shit looks like a lefty playing guitar, so save up your nickels this time, Elliot.

And be still my beating heart, could that really be David Robinson on drums? From what I heard, David was the toughest one to convince to come back. Let me just say that this tune would have been TONS more compelling if they just rigged up his old kid and yelled at him to “Play like a robot!” because that snare/hi-hat beat that Robinson is known for is one of the primary reasons why those first three records of The Cars outrank anything else they provided.

The Cars - Blue Tip - Official Video 2011 from Roberto Serrini on Vimeo.