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DISCID=0010dd12
DTITLE=New Cars / It's Alive
DYEAR=2006
DGENRE=Rock
TTITLE0=Just What I Needed
TTITLE1=Let's Go
TTITLE2=Candy-O
TTITLE3=You Might Think
TTITLE4=My Best Friend's Girl
TTITLE5=I Saw The Light
TTITLE6=You're All I've Got Tonight
TTITLE7=Not Tonight
TTITLE8=Drive
TTITLE9=Moving In Stereo
TTITLE10=Shake It Up
TTITLE11=Dangerous Type
TTITLE12=Bye Bye Love
TTITLE13=Open My Eyes
TTITLE14=Good Times Roll
TTITLE15=Not Tonight (Studio Version)
TTITLE16=Warm (Studio)
TTITLE17=More (Studio)
EXTD=2006 Eleven Seven Music/10th Street Entertainment\n\nOriginally R
EXTD=eleased June 6, 2006 \n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: It's easy to be skept
EXTD=ical of reunions of classic rock bands, especially when they're l
EXTD=acking such crucial members as the group's two lead singers and s
EXTD=ongwriters. There have been plenty of embarrassing reunions of th
EXTD=is nature -- ranging from Creedence Clearwater Revisited to the D
EXTD=avid Byrne-less Heads -- so the initial prospect of the Cars gett
EXTD=ing back together without their frontman and songwriter Ric Ocase
EXTD=k and the deceased Ben Orr doesn't seem enticing, or even logical
EXTD=. But Cars guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes do
EXTD= something unexpected for the New Cars, their cleverly named reun
EXTD=ion of 2006: they hired a strong personality to fill the shoes of
EXTD= Ocasek. They've brought in Todd Rundgren, a pop maverick and cha
EXTD=meleon who never quite ran in the same circles as the Cars -- his
EXTD= late-'70s arena rock band Utopia occasionally played shows with 
EXTD=the Cars, but he never had the same quirky, nervy new wave sensib
EXTD=ility of Ocasek -- to front the band, and he in turn brought in U
EXTD=topia's bassist Kasim Sulton and Tubes drummer Prairie Prince to 
EXTD=fill out the lineup. Rundgren smartly treats this gig as work-for
EXTD=-hire and fits into the requirements of the job instead of trying
EXTD= to bend the Cars to fit his style. He's always been a musical ma
EXTD=gpie, piecing together elements from other artists as either homa
EXTD=ge or parody, and he easily blends into the Cars' sound, as the 2
EXTD=006 album It's Alive proves. Essentially a live album with three 
EXTD=bonus tracks, this record doesn't stray from the original recordi
EXTD=ngs, nor does it improve on them, but the band is surprisingly na
EXTD=tural and enjoyable. Without Ocasek as frontman, it's possible to
EXTD= really appreciate what Easton and Hawkes brought to their band; 
EXTD=the blend of guitar and synth make this unmistakably the sound of
EXTD= the Cars. Prince and Sulton give the band a slightly heavier bac
EXTD=kbeat than the original Cars and Rundgren manages to capture Ocas
EXTD=ek's cadences without mimicking him -- he serves the song, and he
EXTD= certainly helps this set be thoroughly enjoyable. A couple of To
EXTD=dd songs are thrown in for good measure -- a nice reading of "I S
EXTD=aw the Light" that's trumped by an excellent "Open My Eyes" -- an
EXTD=d the new song "Not Tonight" shows up in both live and studio inc
EXTD=arnations, and it's quite good in both, a good replication of the
EXTD= classic Cars sound and Rundgren's impish humor. Two other new st
EXTD=udio recordings are here -- a slow-rolling ballad called "Warm" a
EXTD=nd an insistent anthem called "More," both of which sound like fu
EXTD=sions of Cars and Utopia from 1982, which is hardly a bad thing -
EXTD=- and they're good enough to suggest that far from being just an 
EXTD=oldies act, this New Cars could come up with a nifty little album
EXTD= if they choose to follow up their 2006 tour with a real record. 
EXTD=Until then, It's Alive functions as a good appetizer for the tour
EXTD=: it's not earth-shaking, but it's far better than nearly any oth
EXTD=er reunion of this kind, and at the very least it suggests that i
EXTD=f you lay your money down for a night out with the New Cars, you'
EXTD=re guaranteed a good time. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.c
EXTD=om Editorial Review\nWhat stands out more when listening to this 
EXTD=revival of the Cars and their cherished, iconic repertoire? The a
EXTD=bsence of the band's founding mastermind, chief vocalist/songwrit
EXTD=er Ric Ocasek? Or the presence of Todd Rundgren, a semi-deified p
EXTD=op legend, as his replacement? It's Todd, by a landslide. Staunch
EXTD= Ocasek loyalists may argue that It's Alive--consisting of 15 liv
EXTD=e tracks (12 of them vintage Cars tunes) and three new studio cut
EXTD=s--is a disservice to the Boston band's legacy, but that looms as
EXTD= a minority viewpoint. Culled from three performances on a Southe
EXTD=rn California soundstage, the album unites two original band memb
EXTD=ers (Elliot Easton on guitar and Greg Hawkes on keys--who, unlike
EXTD= Ocasek and original drummer David Robinson, still yearn to perfo
EXTD=rm the group's music live) with Rundgren, bassist Kasim Sulton (w
EXTD=ho worked harmonic magic with Rundgren in Utopia) and drummer Pra
EXTD=irie Prince (the Tubes). The result is an energetic paean to the 
EXTD=Cars' power-pop heritage, capturing the band's classic feel-good 
EXTD=vibe with all cynical subtexts intact. Rundgren, no stranger to c
EXTD=reating mirror-like tributes to other artists' works (see 1976's 
EXTD=Faithful), oversees almost note-for-note replications of Cars sta
EXTD=ndards while slipping a little manic bite into selected lyrics ("
EXTD=You're All I've Got Tonight," "Bye Bye Love"). Two older Todd com
EXTD=positions--"Open My Eyes" (from his Nazz days) and "I Saw the Lig
EXTD=ht"--make the cut, and amusingly it's the latter song, not a Cars
EXTD= track, on which he makes a brief lyrical flub. Rundgren is an in
EXTD=spired choice to fill Ocasek's role of wry lyrical observer, part
EXTD=icularly with Sulton aboard as his heaven-sent harmonic foil. (Th
EXTD=e latter admirably handles lead vocals on "Drive," late bassist B
EXTD=enjamin Orr's signature song.) This disc's crucial new material--
EXTD=two thoughtful, midtempo, harmony-rich pieces and "Not Tonight," 
EXTD=a witty, upbeat spin on 28-hour workdays--suggests the New Cars c
EXTD=ould be a worthy vehicle for Rundgren's polished pop instincts sh
EXTD=ould the group stick together beyond summer touring. That may lea
EXTD=d fans to start echoing the sentiment of this disc's closing trac
EXTD=k: "I want more." --Terry Wood\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSor
EXTD=ry I'm a purist, September 25, 2006\nReviewer: The Real McCoy (Sl
EXTD=atington, PA)\nI am a huge fan of the CARS from day one. I tried 
EXTD=to like this but can't I was ready to hit the concert too. I just
EXTD= can't. (Easton busted his collar bone so tour cancelled)Yeah Eas
EXTD=ton is an excellent guitar player. Hawkes too great keyboards. Bu
EXTD=t missing the other 3 guys it just isn't the CARS. The vocals no 
EXTD=less. They can be a cover band but no more. Ben Orr had a voice t
EXTD=hat can not be copied. God rest his soul. Ric is an excellent son
EXTD=gwriter. The band was formed by Ocasek and ORR. When Ben died it 
EXTD=really was the end. The thought that these guys would even try is
EXTD= very sad. It is like seeing the Beach Boys today. They are not w
EXTD=hat they once were. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThe Best Live
EXTD= Cars Release You'll Ever Hear, September 15, 2006\nReviewer: Sir
EXTD= "Potomus" (Sandy Beach, Colorado)\nRic Ocasek doesn't like to to
EXTD=ur. Todd Rundgren had some bills to pay and he always liked the C
EXTD=ar's music. I really don't care what his reasons were for joining
EXTD= Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes, as long as it sounded good. I thi
EXTD=nk it bothered me more when Easton played with CCR revisited, but
EXTD= it was the only way that CCR fans could hear their songs live at
EXTD= the time and somehow they sounded good without lead guitarist/si
EXTD=nger John Fogerty. \n\nI only have two complaints to make about t
EXTD=his CD. First, Kasim Sultan is a good singer, but his voice sound
EXTD=s too pretty on "Drive" and it makes it sound like an Air Supply 
EXTD=ditty. Second, they could have covered other Rundgren songs bette
EXTD=r adapted to the Car's sound like "Forget all About It" or "Could
EXTD=n't I Just Tell You". The new song, "Not Tonight," is a perfect m
EXTD=esh of the original Cars style and Rungren's music, mainly becaus
EXTD=e it sounds like it could have been released on one of his solo a
EXTD=lbums too. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThis COULD have sucked
EXTD= and I WAS skeptical, but this WORKS!!!, 9/7/2006\nReviewer: Larr
EXTD=y Davis "powerpoplarry" (NYC/Long Island, NY)\nAll I say is wow w
EXTD=ow WOW!!! This is one record that breaks so many rules and is so 
EXTD=many exceptions that it could have sunk with the weight of so muc
EXTD=h negativity. I mean, on paper, the NEW Cars looks like a crash t
EXTD=est dummy in a car ready to hit a wall. Look at it: 2 original me
EXTD=mbers out of 5 and none were the lead singers or main songwriters
EXTD=, and in Ric Ocasek's, the late Ben Orr's and David Robinson's pl
EXTD=ace are vets Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton and Prairie Prince??? In
EXTD= 999 out of 1000 times, this would suck. \n\nLooks like a hybrid 
EXTD=cash-in for money, along the lines of Queen with Paul Rodgers (wh
EXTD=ich mostly sucked as I hate Paul Rodgers although Free was OK). A
EXTD=nd the new Doors (now Riders On The Storm) with the Cult's Ian As
EXTD=tbury on vocals taking over for the departed Jim Morrison is up f
EXTD=or debate. \n\nI was as skeptical to the point of saying it sucke
EXTD=d without even giving the NEW Cars a chance. Well, not only does 
EXTD=it work, but it's actually frikking AWESOME and choosing Todd Run
EXTD=dgren as Ric's replacement??? Pretty inspired and a brilliant fit
EXTD=. I mean, nobody else would be able to pull off a stunt like this
EXTD=. The closest I can think of is Audioslave, where Rage Against Th
EXTD=e Machine replaced the departed Zach De La Rocha with Soundgarden
EXTD='s Chris Cornell and make it work, so much so that they just rele
EXTD=ased their 3rd album this week, "Revelations". Yeah, they still s
EXTD=ound like a Rage/Soundgarden hybrid, but are now sounding like a 
EXTD=new beast altogether, like a hard rock/soul hybrid, a hard rock b
EXTD=and that Beyonce fans would dig. \n\nBack to the New Cars. Yes, t
EXTD=his venture works partly because Todd sounds like a hybrid of Ric
EXTD= AND Ben, but also their artful powerpop songwriting styles compl
EXTD=iment each other. When you think about it, Todd's classic materia
EXTD=l like "I Saw The Light", "Hello It's Me" and "One Small Victory"
EXTD=, songwritingwise, are not much different from the classic Cars t
EXTD=unes, and Todd takes to them naturally. Add Elliot's and Greg's s
EXTD=ignature styles on guitar and keyboards and unique background har
EXTD=monies and, my gosh, these sound close enough to the classic Cars
EXTD= sound to pass muster and go beyond mere Karaoke versions. Those 
EXTD=airy harmonies are what do the trick. \n\nThis record, "It's Aliv
EXTD=e" is a logical first step for the New Cars. Basically, it's a li
EXTD=ve album, and generally, I'm not big on live albums...I'd rather 
EXTD=see the show on video, but this is necessary, as it shows Todd ca
EXTD=n fit the role, and that his voice and rhythm guitar playing soun
EXTD=d good on classic Cars hits like "Just What I Needed" and fan fav
EXTD=ourites like mine, "Dangerous Type". I love the sound of the new 
EXTD=lineup live. It's louder, more rocking and more in your face than
EXTD= the original recordings, which were slicker and possibly more st
EXTD=erile and detached. Don't get me wrong, I love the Cars records, 
EXTD=as this detachedness is a cool counterpoint to the sharp writing 
EXTD=and singing by Ric, singing and bass playing by Ben and guitar pl
EXTD=aying of Elliot, BUT it didn't bode well to a live setting, as pa
EXTD=st tours have proven to be dull and boring. THIS live New Cars re
EXTD=cord is how the CLASSIC Cars should have sounded live when they p
EXTD=layed in their heyday, with a nice dose of fun, exuberance and en
EXTD=ergy. HOWEVER, seeing Ric live in 1997 on his "Troublizing" mini-
EXTD=tour, with Greg on keys, Bad Religion's Brian Baker on lead guita
EXTD=r, Nada Surf's Ira Elliot on drums and Hole's/Smashing Pumpkins' 
EXTD=Melissa Auf Der Maur on bass (and she did sing lead vocals on "Dr
EXTD=ive" wonderfully, but no Billy Corgan), their sound was as loud a
EXTD=s this New Cars live album, but still with a cool detachment, not
EXTD= as much energy. The 2 Todd classics are a nice touch, showing th
EXTD=is is not just about Elliot's and Greg's legacy, but Todd's too, 
EXTD=as he is a bandmember with a brilliant catalogue and past. Just l
EXTD=ike how, when Audioslave plays live, they do Audioslave tunes but
EXTD= also Rage songs and Soundgarden/Chris solo songs. \n\nWhat seals
EXTD= the deal here though, and the proof that this is no mere nostalg
EXTD=ia act, are the 3 new songs, "Not Tonight", "Warm" and "More"...a
EXTD=ll fresh songwriting collabs between Todd, Elliot and Greg. "Not 
EXTD=Tonight" is an instant classic, catchy, direct, punchy and irresi
EXTD=stible, a contender for single of the year, 2006, and it's like c
EXTD=lassic Cars with a twist of Todd. Those harmonies on the bridge s
EXTD=eal the deal and make you think, wow The Cars are back...OOPS the
EXTD= New Cars are here I mean, haha, and I am torn which is better, t
EXTD=he studio or live version, as both rock. "Warm" is a hypnotic, ke
EXTD=yboard-heavy, moody ballad with a gorgeous chorus, and "More" is 
EXTD=a Toddish rocker. All nice nice very nice, and makes you anticipa
EXTD=te a full-lengther of all new material from the New Cars. \n\nOne
EXTD= last note, the live version of "Drive", beautifully sung by Kasi
EXTD=m Sulton (who knew he had a great voice??) does Ben justice, but 
EXTD=now Kasim departed the New Cars to go back with Meat Loaf for his
EXTD= Bat Out Of Hell III album and tour. Kasim, wow, he was in all To
EXTD=dd-led bands and projects like Utopia and Meat Loaf's band, but h
EXTD=e was also in Joan Jett & The Blackhearts with his drummer partne
EXTD=r Thommy Price, and they did a project together in the 80s, Price
EXTD= & Sultan, and many other reunions...the dude's been around. Oh a
EXTD=nd Prairie Prince is a killer drummer...so is Kenny Aronoff, who'
EXTD=s played with everybody since being in John Mellencamp's band...K
EXTD=enny plays drums on the studio version of "Not Tonight" and "More
EXTD=", in case you were wondering. \n\nYes there are purists, and I a
EXTD=gree, I can be one of them, but sometimes you have to put those f
EXTD=eelings aside and have an open mind to see if something works...y
EXTD=ou just might enjoy the New Cars, purism be damned...RIP Ben Orr,
EXTD= now pick up the reissue of "The Lace" out on Wounded Bird, wooho
EXTD=o!!! And Elliot's "Change No Change" also on Wounded Bird with th
EXTD=ose same 5 bonus tracks.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nThis one 
EXTD=is a Hybrid., July 26, 2006\nReviewer: Sonicbaker (California)\nI
EXTD= liked the Cars because of: \n1. Ric Ocasek's songwriting \n2. El
EXTD=liot Easton's guitar riffery \n3. Greg Hawkes poppy, but spacy an
EXTD=d tasteful synths \n4. Ben Orr's lead vocals & Ric Ocaseks' lead 
EXTD=vocals. \n5. The backup vocals \n\nWhat you get with the New Cars
EXTD= is 1,2,3 and almost 5 (Ben's contribution is missed) on my list.
EXTD= So far so good. And, this would be 3 1/2 stars for those reasons
EXTD=. \n\nAnd while Todd Rundgren does a very admirable job handling 
EXTD=all the vocals except Drive, also admirably handled by replacemen
EXTD=t bass player, Kasim Sulton....its just a fact of rock and roll l
EXTD=ife that the lead vocals usually give a band its main identity wi
EXTD=th rare exception. Anything else is, at best, a tribute to them..
EXTD=.at worst, a butchery...I'd classify this as a tribute. \n\nSo, i
EXTD=ts really up to you to decide how meaningful that is. I saw the C
EXTD=ars on the Heartbeat City tour and their sound was kinda sterile,
EXTD= even dull at times...a little too slick, too perfect. This New C
EXTD=ars band sounds like I would imagine the Cars sounded earlier in 
EXTD=the career...a little rawer, rough around the edges...a bit more 
EXTD=energy. I also came away from this recording realizing how much E
EXTD=lliot Easton's personality resonates in his guitar playing...just
EXTD= like a lead vocalist, a great guitar player's riffs might be abl
EXTD=e to be technically copied by another player, but there is no rep
EXTD=lacement for the personality behind them...you need the original 
EXTD=guy for that. \n\nAbout halfway through the album, though, I got 
EXTD=antsy with it....and it created a deep desire in me to go and fin
EXTD=d a good live recording of the "real" Cars. Not sure if that was 
EXTD=the intended effect...but my search is on.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER
EXTD= REVIEW\nFrozen Fire, July 8, 2006\nReviewer: Pasko1 "pasko1" (Be
EXTD=rgen County, the jewel of NJ)\nI REALLY WANTED TO HATE THIS ALBUM
EXTD=, BUT...as a Cars fan for 25+ years, I can honestly say that this
EXTD= is the great Cars Live album that never was. I have listened to 
EXTD=their songs *MANY* times and I'll be damned if Todd doesn't sound
EXTD= close enough to Ric and Ben (RIP) to be equivalent to the real t
EXTD=hing. \n\nOthers have commented that the sound on this album is a
EXTD= bit too hard and distorted. To me, it's as if a layer of Roy Tho
EXTD=mas Baker-brand syrup has been removed from some of the songs and
EXTD= we're hearing them as the band and the Almighty originally inten
EXTD=ded them. As much as I love the original versions, I don't miss t
EXTD=he Simmons drums on various numbers or the cheesy handclaps in "L
EXTD=et's Go." \n\nAs another reviewer wrote, this album is proof that
EXTD= Greg and Elliot's sound are even more integral to the Cars' soun
EXTD=d than we always thought. Combined with a solid rhythm section su
EXTD=ch as Kasim and Prairie and this is no cover band. Honestly, how 
EXTD=many bands retain their original lineup for 28 years? Who's to sa
EXTD=y that eventually solo projects, etc. would have forced personnel
EXTD= changes anyhow? \n\nAgain, I've been a fan since back in the day
EXTD=. I remember going to my local independent RECORD store and askin
EXTD=g if they had that new album, Panorama -- so spare me the indigna
EXTD=nt hairshirt responses.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nYou might 
EXTD=think I'm crazy..., July 6, 2006\nReviewer: todd "3-LOCKBOX" (WA 
EXTD=USA)\nNo, this isn't The Cars; it can't be. Ben Orr died 5 years 
EXTD=ago, and Ocasek stopped wanting anything to do with The Cars afte
EXTD=r Heartbeat City (as the dreadful Door To Door showed). So consid
EXTD=ering the absence of these two main players you'd think this vent
EXTD=ure would suck, and despite what many of the reviews here would s
EXTD=uggest, it doesn't. Two of the original members, Elliot Easton an
EXTD=d Greg Hawkes (essentially, the 'sound' of The Cars) are on hand 
EXTD=along with former Tubes drummer Prarie Prince and former Utopia b
EXTD=assist Kasim Sultan. And in an odd turn of events, the lead singe
EXTD=r role is filled by Todd Rungren, and a more than adequate job he
EXTD= does. He so very closely apes both Ocasek and Orr that you'd thi
EXTD=nk it was an old Cars boot if you didn't know better. The whole b
EXTD=and is as tight as any long touring band out there and why wouldn
EXTD='t they be? They're as talented as any touring band out there. \n
EXTD=\nSo to grip over whether these guys deserve to tour as The New C
EXTD=ars and play old Cars tunes is a waste of time, as well as stupid
EXTD=. This disc shows that this gig is as relevent as any other reviv
EXTD=al tour. And the three new bonus studio cuts show that if these g
EXTD=uys ever decide to make a studio album, they'll be more successfu
EXTD=l than a lot of the '80s bands have been. All three songs are ver
EXTD=y much in the Cars vein and all three songs are gems. When Rungre
EXTD=n is focused, he's still a superb writer of great pop. And when h
EXTD=e's singiing these old Cars songs, he treats them with repsect. \n
EXTD=\nIf and when these guys release a new album, I'll be all over it
EXTD=. And I'll go see'em live if they come my way. If you liked The C
EXTD=ars, go see these guys. It'll be a blast.\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER 
EXTD=REVIEW\nLess than the sum of its parts, June 17, 2006\nReviewer: 
EXTD=Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States
EXTD=)\nCarred Rundgren. Cartopia. Car-a-oke. Call it what you want, b
EXTD=ut it ain't the Cars. And it ain't much of a Rundgren album, eith
EXTD=er. With Todd Rundgren and Kasim Sulton standing in for Ric Ocase
EXTD=k and the late Ben Orr (and Prairie Prince of The Tubes on drums)
EXTD=, original Cars Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes do the minor name c
EXTD=hange game and set off to remake and remodel their meal ticket. W
EXTD=hile it might make for a good summer concert (saw them - in the p
EXTD=ouring rain! - with Blondie in NYC, and it was fun), on record, t
EXTD=he slips start showing. \n\nTodd does a passable Ocasek, but he's
EXTD= always been a good mimic. (Remember "Deface The Music" or "Faith
EXTD=ful" and their splendid recreations?) Without the excitement of b
EXTD=eing there, that's all you have on "It's Alive." Real good mimicr
EXTD=y. Todd dusts off a Nazz nugget, "Open My Eyes," and his own grea
EXTD=test hit, "I Saw The Light," while Sulton takes Orr's place on "D
EXTD=rive." But don't be fooled. There is nothing about "It's Alive" t
EXTD=hat sports any of Rundgren's iconic genius and it was Ocasek's dr
EXTD=y sense of art that gave the Cars a lot of their verve. (And Hawk
EXTD=es' keyboards are way down in the mix...what's up with that?) \n\n
EXTD=As for the new songs, only "Not Tonight" measures up. It sounds l
EXTD=ike an Ocasek written tune, which means it clicks like a Cars' so
EXTD=ng would have back in the day. "More" and "Warm" fit more into Ru
EXTD=ndgren's classicist Beatlesque rock than the Cars' Roxy/Bowie fis
EXTD=sions. In years to come, these Cars and "It's Alive" will not be 
EXTD=viewed as classics, but just as old clunkers with a buff job.\n\n
EXTD=AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nlove Todd, and love the original Cars
EXTD=, but The New Cars sound like a passionless cash-in attempt, June
EXTD= 13, 2006\nReviewer: Dave "missing person" (United States)\nWow, 
EXTD=where does one even start with this... \n\nGreg Hawkes and Elliot
EXTD= Easton DESPERATELY wanted a reunion of the surviving Cars member
EXTD=s. I can imagine the steam that was coming out of Easton's ears i
EXTD=n frustration with all these Cars-wannabe bands like No Doubt and
EXTD= the Fountains of Wayne littering the musical landscape, with the
EXTD= REAL Cars meanwhile remaining inactive. But the reunion just was
EXTD=n't happening--Ric Ocasek hates touring, and drummer David Robins
EXTD=on owns a restaurant and seems happily retired from the music bus
EXTD=iness. \n\nElliot Easton HUNGERS to play live. And he's no strang
EXTD=er to playing with a quasi-reformed variation of a hugely popular
EXTD= band--this is a guy who spent much of the '90 playing live gigs 
EXTD=with Creedence Clearwater Revisited, a group that included the or
EXTD=iginal Creedence Clearwater Revival rhythm section, but of course
EXTD=, no John Fogerty. \n\nSo, with Ocasek's participation out of the
EXTD= question, and Ben Orr already deceased, that wasn't about to sto
EXTD=p Easton, and it probably hit him like a ton of lead who the idea
EXTD=l replacement man for them would be: Todd Rundgren. \n\nWhat do I
EXTD= mean when I say Todd was the ideal choice? Well, when you think 
EXTD=about it, it's a no-brainer, beyond the mere fact that Todd has a
EXTD= legion of fanatical followers that would help give The New Cars 
EXTD=visibility. Elliot had worked with Todd before, and Elliot is no 
EXTD=dumbbell--he obviously knew a thing or two about Todd's musical p
EXTD=ast. Don't get me wrong here, I'm a BIG fan of Todd Rundgren--the
EXTD= man is a musical prodigy with an infectious passion for music. H
EXTD=owever, it is seemingly this very passion of his that leads him t
EXTD=o engage in these various 'artist clone' projects every now and t
EXTD=hen--for concrete proof, check out Todd's exacting recreations of
EXTD= landmark '60s songs on 'side 1' of his 1976 album "Faithful", or
EXTD= the album's worth of deliberate Beatles' soundalikes on Utopia's
EXTD= 1980 album "Deface The Music". And now, Todd is at it again with
EXTD= The New Cars--I mean, how could Todd RESIST the chance to impers
EXTD=onate both Ocasek AND Orr, not to mention make a nice pile of gre
EXTD=en in the process. \n\nSo, what we have here is "It's Alive", rel
EXTD=eased a week ago today, the majority of which consists of live ta
EXTD=kes of most of The Cars' biggest radio hits. I'm a big fan of the
EXTD= original Cars as well, and I'll admit that I was really looking 
EXTD=forward to hearing this, but now I feel like I should have known 
EXTD=better. I actually did listen to every track of this album in its
EXTD= entirety, and it seems hard to believe that Todd sees this gig a
EXTD=s anything but a cash-in stunt--he's got his Ben Orr vocal impers
EXTD=onation down to the point where it sounds like a parody. After li
EXTD=stening to it all, I get to thinking that Easton is torn--one on 
EXTD=hand, he's acting like The New Cars really are a continuation of 
EXTD=the original Cars legacy, yet on the other, he's careful to point
EXTD= out that 3/5 of The Cars' members are missing and that the new b
EXTD=and should be judged on their own terms, and I end up pitying the
EXTD= guy--he proved himself to be a masterful lead guitarist in the o
EXTD=riginal Cars, and he seems like one of the nicest guys around, bu
EXTD=t he's gone off the rails here; it's like he's so excited to be o
EXTD=n tour with Hawkes and Rundgren that he just doesn't realize that
EXTD= The New Cars end up sounding like a faceless bar-band imitation 
EXTD=of the original Cars... New material aside, there are no even rem
EXTD=otely surprising songs choices in the entire track listing, and t
EXTD=he live versions have basically no alterations to the original st
EXTD=udio arrangements whatsoever, just tossing off one tune after ano
EXTD=ther with the amps at 11, giving the whole album a pathetically d
EXTD=esperate "we want to please the crowd" vibe. Todd's vocals tend t
EXTD=o get buried, as if he wasn't close enough to the microphone, and
EXTD= in any case, he sounds like he's phoning it in. And don't even g
EXTD=et me started on Greg Hawkes--his keyboards are almost always dro
EXTD=wned out by the guitars, and quite frankly, it sounds like he isn
EXTD='t even PLAYING at all much of the time. \n\nUnsurprisingly, a co
EXTD=uple of Todd tunes are thrown into the mix, including a version o
EXTD=f "I Saw The Light" where Todd sounds like he could hardly be any
EXTD= sicker of the song. \n\nThe album hits a serious low point with 
EXTD=a dismal, careless-sounding version of "Drive". This is the only 
EXTD=song on the CD where Todd doesn't take the lead vocal. Instead, b
EXTD=ass guitarist Kasim Sulton (a longtime associate of Rundgren) ste
EXTD=ps to the mike and serves up a painfully overwrought vocal. \n\nA
EXTD=dding insult to injury is that the new material is a bust. There 
EXTD=are 3 new songs--each of them written by the battery of Rundgren,
EXTD= Easton, and Hawkes--with "Not Tonight" present in both live and 
EXTD=studio versions, and the remaining pair being studio recordings. 
EXTD=The lame, insubtantial, and un-catchy pop-rockers "Not Tonight" a
EXTD=nd "More" just as well be by the Fountains of Wayne. "More" has a
EXTD= really annoying, overly slick harmonized chorus. As for "Warm", 
EXTD=it's a boring, underwritten, generic adult contemporary ballad--t
EXTD=otally forgettable. These guys seriously intend to follow-up "It'
EXTD=s Alive" with an album of all new material?? Good grief. I highly
EXTD= doubt Rundgren will stick with The New Cars long enough for that
EXTD= to happen--he doesn't sound like he has a long-term investment i
EXTD=n the group at all, and this new material, to put it gently, is b
EXTD=eneath a man of his caliber (whether he stays with the group or n
EXTD=ot). \n\nI can't even believe how much listening to "It's Alive" 
EXTD=album made me YEARN for the REAL Cars. About halfway through "It'
EXTD=s Alive", I turned it off and popped in the Cars' first album, an
EXTD=d regardless of how many times I've heard the original version of
EXTD= "Moving In Stereo", it was like a burdon being lifted off my sho
EXTD=ulders to hear the real deal. \n\nI tip my hat to Ric Ocasek and 
EXTD=David Robinson for not taking part in this 'reunion'. If you have
EXTD=n't already done so, pick up Ric's 2005 solo album "Nexterday", a
EXTD= must for any true Cars fan, and a real artistic slap in the face
EXTD= of "It's Alive". \n\nSo, let's see... They're using a variation 
EXTD=on their original Cars name; coming up with new material that min
EXTD=dlessly milks classic Cars; and then wallowing in by-numbers rend
EXTD=itions of "just the hits" for the remainder of their repertoire--
EXTD=sure smells like a flat-out cash-in, and hardly the way to go abo
EXTD=ut giving yourself a new identity which Easton seems to think he 
EXTD=has a chance at acheiving. \n\nI can't believe I was originally e
EXTD=xcited about The New Cars. If you're hoping to find "fresh" versi
EXTD=ons of your old Cars favorites, forget it--stick with the origina
EXTD=ls because these new takes are worthlessly redundant, decent back
EXTD=ground music at best. There's some marginal camp value in here, b
EXTD=ut for all intents and purposes, "It's Alive" cannot be recommend
EXTD=ed.
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