User blog:TheIkranRider/The Cars Retrospective

Well guys, I just found out today that the leading singer of The Cars, Ric Ocasek, had passed away almost a month ago at the age of 75 from a hypertensive heart and coronary artery disease. First the band was hit by the bassist's, Ben Orr's, death 19 years ago, and now this!? I hope they aren't cursed or anything...

Anyway, that was a heavy hitter to me since The Cars has been my all-time favorite classic rock band; and for the record, this alone is what got me into the New Wave genre. I remember when I was 3-5 years old, I used to listen to their songs a lot inside my family's one and only Firebird; I believe it was their Greatest Hits I've often listened to.

Sadly...I forgot what it was supposed to look like, but it did have some neon purple, blue lights on the exterior...

Anyway, this was the first time I ever heard The Cars, and after that I was really into their music. My dad would listen to it on occasion, although it'd end by the time I was growing up. I'd also be lucky if I were to catch them on the radio since chances are they're really scarce. Regardless, The Cars had always remained close to me over the years.

As I was a late teen, around junior year I think, I was going thru the garage one day, just to find something different and interesting to watch since my family was getting irritated of me watching the same stuff and being stagnant. This was when I actually found an old audiotape of their album, Heartbeat City, and I'd kept that copy ever since! I was hooked on listening to it, and just one song was snubbed from being the perfect album, the dull song, Looking for Love.

Speaking of that, I was really into its intro song, Hello, Again, and since then, I'd always fantasized on Yugi and Joey dueling against some punk at Port Town while Tinsel watched Capt. Falcon on his training simulation; thus, that was how I got the idea for the first chapter in Falcon's Followers. Another hit was It's Not the Night which, oddly enough, got me to thinking of the English Dub episode, Blow Out; the one where Goroh got into a bitter rivalry w/ Antonio Guster, and after that, Tinsel just left as her mind was full of doubt and fear for Rick's life if he should get involved. He should learn that he cannot get into it and expect to win all battles.

Not to mention there was the awesome song, Stranger Eyes, which kinda reminded me of Haruka as Miss Killer, and how she was a cold-blooded assassin, even to Rick. I wish I can make an AMV of that someday... Also, Heartbeat City was added to my first AudioBiography, Keanu Reeves: Into the Grey during the Bram Stroker's Dracula segment.

By the time I got my new PC on Christmas 2015, I was finally able to listen to a lot more Cars songs via search engine. Although...the majority of the songs that weren't their top hits didn't quite make the cut for me. So far, it was only the aforementioned album, Heartbeat City, as well as their Greatest Hits. Much like the former, only one song was snubbed which was My Best Friend's Girl; I was never to crazy about it anyways. Believe it or not, I can actually remember the order of tracks on both albums! No joke!!

Just last year, I had found The Cars' debut album at the flea market, the one my old man goes to, and I was able to hear more songs. My faves include Just What I Needed, You Are the Girl, Good Times Roll, and You're All I've Got Tonight; sure, it was weaker than the other two albums, but it certainly was better than the rest of them, especially their latest album. Move Like This really sucked so much, it wasn't like their earlier works at all..!

Despite the weak entries, I still feel a lot of nostalgia from the band itself. Hell, a lot of times there was a close personal connection to me between The Cars and even the F-Zero series. I'm not sure how they fit so well, it's as if my own mind has made that sudden cohesiveness since 2003/04. Perhaps maybe The Cars kinda remind me of...well, stylistic cars, racing, or maybe it and GX both share a similar New Wave-esque style. Even I'm not so sure, but I really like that idea! And I had been growing up with it ever since, even now.

Here are the list of songs I'd used for various ways:

Good Times Roll (Some kind of defense mechanism against Barney's Indian special guest during the episode, We've Got Rhythm; of me and a male bandmate performing the song. You got rhythm, I got a great way to utilize it!) You Are the Girl (Mostly the close relationships between Rick x Tinsel; sometimes w/ Haruka 150 years ago. Still, I feel sorry and also grateful for the guy.) Just What I Needed (The chorus is like a personal meme to me.) Heartbeat City (During Keanu's AudioBiography at Bram Stroker's Dracula; strange, I know, but it does have a haunted vibe to it.) Hello, Again (Intro to Heartbeat City, as well as the idea as an intro song to my F-Zero story, Falcon's Followers.) It's Not the Night (Just an idea I had after I saw the anime episode, Blow Out; of Tinsel worrying of the deadly rivalry between Goroh and Guster and when/how Rick should pick his own battles rather than get involved.) Let's Go (At first it was random, but maybe it'd be a good song for Lucy.) Drive (Again, in Into the Grey, when Keanu makes a comeback with the movie, Hardball.) Stranger Eyes (Like I said, just some random ideas involving Miss Killer; wish I could make an AMV for that.) I'm Not the One (Again, just a random idea as a certain defense mechanism if there should be the same tempo as that; I know it's sort of a morbid choice...)

Anyway, The Cars has always impacted me a lot since I was just a little kid. Even now I still consider them to be my all-time favorite classic rock band, even more than common favorites such as Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, AC/DC or any of those other petty artists that Supernatural use all the damned time; God I wish they'd include some Cars songs, that way their episodes may not be so mundane... I almost forgot, I made a dream entry on the matter as well. I swear their style is like a wave of the future, they're the first of their kind, and their music can't possibly be replicated! Also, if I were to make one wish, it'd be to see an awesome biopic about their phenomenal career, much like Rocketman for Elton John!

Rest in peace, Ric Ocasek. You and your band would truly be missed forever. 3/23/1944 - 9/15/2019