The Cars were a pioneer of the “new wave” movement of the late 1970’s, with edgy, synthesize-based melodic rock, and has always been a huge, huge favorite of mine. They were one of the many great bands originating from Boston (makes sense, being such a great college town). But there’s a relatively unheralded track from their famous debut album which I think never really got its due.
“All Mixed Up” is what I consider the definitive Benjamin Orr emotive track, which foreshadowed some of this late singer’s great vocals from later, more popular Cars tracks, such as “Drive”, and “It’s All I Can Do”. It’s truly a magical moment in their catalog. But it got obscured by “Moving In Stereo”, which fades straight into it, and became ultra popular due to “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (great movie, by the way; they don’t make teen movies like that anymore).
