The Cars released this album in June of 1979 with a stunning cover by renowned pin-up artist Alberto Vargas and backed by a summer-ready single ‘Let’s Go’, reaction to their new album from the press was lukewarm at best, but yet there’s a lot of appeal to ‘Candy-O’.
Written by: Eric
ARTIST: The Cars
ALBUM: Candy-O
LABEL: Elektra
SERIAL: 5E-507
YEAR: 1979
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Ric Ocasek- lead vocals, guitar * Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals * Greg Hawkes – keyboards, percussion, sax, backing vocals * Benjamin Orr – bass, lead vocals * David Robinson – drums, percussion
TRACK LISTING: 01 Let’s Go * 02 Since I Held You * 03 It’s All I Can Do * 04 Double Life * 05 Shoo Be Doo * 06 Candy-O * 07 Night Spots * 08 You Can’t Hold On For Too Long * 09 Lust For Kicks * 10 Got A Lot On My Head * 11 Dangerous Type
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
1978 was the year ‘New Wave’ took hold of the music business, helped in large part to The Cars debut album. The era of skinny ties and stripped-down rock had arrived and the future was now. Two major singles ‘Just What I Needed’ and ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’ were dominating radio and escape was futile.
Endless concert appearances with all the biggies of the day including: Foreigner, Kansas, Styx, Cheap Trick and Journey as well as some seriously wacky pairings with good ‘ol boys Dickey Betts & Great Southern and ’60s surf duo Jan and Dean.
The Cars were white hot and their appeal seemed limitless. In the early months of 1979 with a third 45 ‘Good Times Roll’ racing up the charts, the band began working on a follow-up and expectations were high.
The Songs
Released in June of 1979 with a stunning cover by renowned pin-up artist Alberto Vargas and backed by a summer-ready single ‘Let’s Go’, reaction to The Cars new album from the press was lukewarm at best. But yet there’s a lot of appeal to ‘Candy-O’.
Radio responded in kind with ‘Let’s Go’ a top twenty single by summer’s end and the lovely hook-laden ‘It’s All I Can Do’ following close behind. The Cars were now trailblazers of commercial post-punk and there’s no denying ‘Double Life’, the T Rex groove of ‘Dangerous Type’ and the dark new wave of the title track fit the mood of the times perfectly.
Yes, songs like the banal ‘Lust for Kicks’ and the krautrock electronics of ‘Shoo Be Do’ are painful filler and should have been left on the mixing desk but with all its shortcomings ‘Candy-O’ remains a classic of the new wave genre and one of The Cars best albums.
In Summary
A year later a proliferation of bands borrowing from The Cars songbook forced a change in sound. 1980’s experimental ‘Panorama’ was a step forward with a dark harder-rocking set and a personal favourite of this reviewer.
The album went platinum although with the new approach The Cars began losing some of its fan base. Back to square one with the synthy pop-rock of ‘Shake It Up’, the boys from Boston were back on the charts and with the 1984 mega-selling made for MTV follow-up ‘Heartbeat City’ the band reached the pinnacle of success.
The Cars on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
