Let the Good Times Roll with Mobile Fidelity's 180g LP of The Cars: Mastered from the Original Master Tapes, Audiophile-Quality Reissue Epitomizes the Meaning of "Moving in Stereo"
One of the most successful and enjoyable debuts in history, The Cars' self-titled album doubles as a greatest-hits collection. That's because not one song here is unrecognized or unknown. A huge reason why the Boston quintet became America's most popular new-wave band, The Cars launched eight tracks still regularly heard on radio stations everywhere. Consider the hit list: "You're All I've Got Tonight." "Good Times Roll." "Just What I Needed." "Moving in Stereo." "My Best Friend's Girl." "Don't Cha Stop." If you're a fan of pop music, this album is mandatory. Just call it the best new-wave rock album ever made.
And now, The Cars sounds better than it has in any previous incarnation. Mastered from the original analog tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition LP allows the music's oscillating rhythms, futuristic keyboard passages, panned stereo images, and rippling textures to be experienced like never before. The songs take on a surreal quality, the Cars manipulating the vibrant music at will to mesmerize the listeners' senses and hold them at bay. Mobile Fidelity's pressing epitomizes the sensation of "moving in stereo."
Led by Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr, the Cars managed to unite then-disparate styles: bubblegum pop melodies, angular art rock, progressive arrangements, and terse minimalism. Orr's low, understated singing and Ocasek's cool, detached vocals lend shades of doubt and double meaning to the lyrics, which are further counterbalanced by orchestral keyboard flourishes and electronic beats. The brilliant arrangements also benefit from a laidback cool and understated irony that remain uncommon in the over-the-top world of mainstream music. Obsessed with incorporating the latest technologies and sounds into its palette, the band spiced its tunes with delightfully quirky accents — country-tinged guitar fills, echoing Syndrums, reggae splashes, hard-rock tones, robotic pulses.
The results are the sounds of a creative landmark. At once accessible and eccentric, edgy and catchy, The Cars explodes with emotion, energy, and hooks. It's impossible not to get caught up humming and singing along to every song, an appeal that comes courtesy of Roy Thomas Baker's stellar production. The legendary producer, best known for his work with Queen, ensured that the record seamlessly packed a smooth midrange, spacious imaging, and call-and-answer choruses in one tight package. Baker's trademark touches with harmony vocals abound.
"The MoFi disc is much better than the original in every way. It's more dynamic, much more natural on top, and all three dimensions have a lot bigger space. This disc is great from start to finish, but "Moving in Stereo" will blow you away on a great system in a big room."
—Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio
© 2009 Elektra Entertainment Group. Produced Under License from Elektra Entertainment Group. Manufactured by Rhino Entertainment Co. This Edition and Packaging ℗ & © 2009 Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Inc.
Half-Speed Mastered by Shawn R. Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Sebastopol, CA on the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog System™
1/4" / 15 IPS analog master direct to lathe
Specially Plated and Pressed on 180 grams of High Definition Vinyl • Special Static Free - Dust Free Inner Sleeve • Heavy Duty Protective Packaging • Mastered from the Original Master Tapes
Number gold-stamped on back (No. ######)
Produced... Engineered for R.T.B. (Audio - Visual) Productions Ltd.
All songs written by Ric Ocasek copyright © 1978 Lido Music (BMI) except "Moving In Stereo" copyright © 1978 Lido Music (BMI) and Oversnare Music (ASCAP).
A & B runouts are etched.
Tracklist
A1 Good Times Roll
A2 My Best Friend's Girl
A3 Just What I Needed
A4 I'm In Touch With Your World
A5 Don't Cha Stop
B1 You're All I've Got Tonight
B2 Bye Bye Love
B3 Moving In Stereo
B4 All Mixed Up
Recording information:
Title: The Cars
Artist: The Cars
Genre: Pop-Rock
Media: 1x 180g LP Vinyl Stereo 33rpm, Limited, Numbered, Remastered, . Mastered from 1/4", 15ips Original Analog Master Tapes directly to lathe. Half Speed Mastered by Shawn R. Britton @ Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on The Gain 2 Ultra Analog System. Specially Plated & Pressed on 180g High-Definition Vinyl in USA.
Label: MoFi - Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Cat#: MFSL1-274
Released: 2009 in US
Original release: 1978 by Elektra TC-5135
EAN: 0821797127417
Discogs rel.#: 2308604
