Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Just What I Needed
2. My Best Friend's Girl
3. Good Times Roll
4. You're All I've Got Tonight
5. Don't Cha Stop
6. Moving in Stereo
7. Take Me Now - (previously unreleased)
8. Cool Fool - (previously unreleased)
9. Let's Go
10. Candy-O
11. Dangerous Type
12. Double Life
13. Got a Lot on My Head
14. It's All I Can Do
15. Nightspots - (previously unreleased, early version)
16. Slipaway - (previously unreleased)
17. That's It
18. Panorama
19. Gimme Some Slack
20. Don't Go to Pieces
DISC 2:
1. Touch and Go
2. Don't Tell Me No
3. Shake It Up
4. Since You're Gone
5. I'm Not the One
6. Cruiser
7. Little Black Egg, The - (previously unreleased)
8. Funtime - (previously unreleased)
9. You Might Think
10. Drive
11. Magic
12. Hello Again
13. Why Can't I Have You
14. Breakaway
15. Tonight She Comes
16. You Are the Girl
17. Strap Me In
18. Door to Door
19. Leave or Stay - (previously unreleased, 1977 demo version)
20. Ta Ta Wayo Wayo - (previously unreleased, 1977 demo version)
| Details | | Distributor: | WEA (Distributor) | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
The Cars: Ric Ocasek (vocals, guitar); Benjamin Orr (vocals, bass); Elliot Easton (guitar, background vocals); Greg Hawkes (keyboards, percussion, saxophone, background vocals); David Robinson (drums, percussion, background vocals).
Producers: Roy Thomas Baker, The Cars, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Mike Shipley, Ric Ocasek, Greg Hawkes.
Compilation producer: The Cars, David McLees.
Recorded between 1977 and 1987. Includes liner notes by Brett Milano.
With their irresistible synthesis of New Wave quirkiness and melodic pop, the Cars made music that was distinctive, edgy, accessible, and superbly crafted. Rhino's JUST WHAT I NEEDED, a two-disc retrospective, is a testament to the band's enduring impact. Its 40 tracks encompass the group's most essential recordings, including B-sides, unreleased demos, memorable album cuts, and radio singles (of which there were many). The first three cuts alone--the sly rocker "Just What I Needed," the blissed-out "My Best Friend's Girl," and the angular "Good Times Roll"--should secure the band's name.
Greg Hawkes's squiggly keyboard lines, Elliot Easton's blazing guitar leads, and Ric Ocasek's neurotic vocals and flawless songcraft continue through other hits, including the danceable "Shake It Up," the pop-perfect "You Might Think," and "Let's Go," with its infectious, clap-along chorus. But the real treat is in the set's numerous lesser-known gems, the swirling rock of "Panorama," for example, or the moody ballad "I'm Not the One." Devoted fans will want the entire discography, and those with a casual interest in the group will be satisfied with COMPLETE GREATEST HITS, but this box set covers the ground in between, and makes a case for the Cars as one of the best bands of their time.
Editorial Reviews
3 Stars - Good - ...The Cars' taut, punchy New Wave pop appealed to conservative punks and daring pop fans alike...superb pop sensibilities...
Q (02/01/1996)
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