The Cars: Unlocked

Reviewed by: Erik Swift December 2006

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Many bands seem to be skimming their vaults for the best of their questionable attempts at filmmaking, and then throwing a DVD to the public. This fits the punk and new wave bands best – The Ramones’ jagged “Raw” became an essential snapshot of the NY punks while Stewart Copeland’s “Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out” is a surprising and welcome addition to the trio’s sparse visual catalog. The Cars were always interesting to listen to; watching “The Cars Unlocked: The Live Performances” shows that the witty quintet had as much fun onstage as well as off.

This DVD/CD release from Docurama arrives during a year of renewed interest in the band, one that has seen Ric Ocasek release an excellent solo disc (“Nexterday”) while ignoring the union of guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes with the Todd Rundgren-fronted The New Cars. Many cringed at this news until they turned out to not be that bad. Ocasek and drummer David Robinson opted to avoid them anyway, the singer preferring instead to produce “The Cars Unlocked.” Good move, as the band needed to do this – their videos were top-notch but their live rep suffered. The DVD and the bonus live CD (the band’s first) are snugly housed in a shiny slick book, and if Hawkes’ work doesn’t reel you in with the first cut “My Best Friend’s Girl,” Easton’s jolly solo will.

“The Cars Unlocked” offers the revolutionary notion that this band is a democracy, and what’s striking is witnessing Benjamin Orr’s importance to it. The late bassist shines brightly on “Let’s Go” and particularly “Candy-O,” his instrument emitting laser beams everyone else tries to hold on to. Ocasek’s muscular riffing dominates a great “Up And Down” from 1980 while Easton steps out and straddles Orr’s and Robinson’s backbeats and Hawkes’ bubbling synth peeks above everyone…but the song cuts out early and filters through in the background for its duration. It’s a similar situation for some of the best songs here: Hawkes attacks his keyboards during “Getting Through” only to disappear. Ditto for “Nightspots;” the band sound and look like they’re having fun, but it’s tough to pass judgment on spare Cars parts. Many songs are thankfully complete, and The Cars’ musical high point occurs when everyone locks into a luscious groove during a 1978 take on “Moving In Stereo.” Be sure to check Easton ripping it up on “Don’t ‘Cha Stop” and their underrated vocal blend – The Cars tend to come across as a new wave version of The Band or Crosby, Stills and Nash on “Magic” and other cuts.

Bonus tracks surprisingly include “Cruiser,” but the best stuff here is the trio of performances from their final tour behind “Door To Door,” especially its second single “Strap Me In.” While in no chronological order, “The Cars Unlocked” can be a rough ride - so much of this is sourced from early video, it’s jarring when a filmed performance appears. However, this intimate look at their sound checks and backstage antics has an old-school charm. Strangely, no mention of “The Cars Unlocked” is made on the band’s official website. For a band that had a knack for creating catchy material (their self-titled debut and the smash “Heartbreak City” remain their best and most accessible offerings) their filmed performances are just as catchy when given the chance. This one’s worth the lease.

Reviewer’s Opinion: RENT IT!!