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(5 Customer Reviews)
Coming off the 1981 hit album and single SHAKE IT UP, the Cars took the next few years off to pursue other areas of interest (Ric Ocasek released his '82 solo debut, BEATITUDE) and record it's follow-up. Buoyed by the high-gloss production sheen of Robert John "Mutt" Lange, HEARTBEAT CITY yielded such hit singles/videos as the the moody, transcendent "Drive," the poppy, almost ELO-like "Magic," and "You Might Think," which hews closest to the band's previous work. Though the band peaked artistically in 1980 with PANORAMA, this was the Cars' commercial pinnacle. Both "You Might Think" and "Magic" were anthems for the summer of 1984, while "Hello Again" showed that the band could still be quirky and achieve chart success.
Live Recording
Recorded at Battery Studios, London, England.
The Cars: Ric Ocasek (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Ben Orr (vocals, bass); Elliot Easton (guitar, background vocals); Greg Hawkes (keyboards, background vocals); David Robinson (drums, percussion).
CMJ (1/5/04, p.14) - Ranked #2 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1984" Heartbeat City Music | List Price | $7.98 (You save $1.99) | | Category | Rock/Pop Albums, Rock CDs, Pop, New Wave | | Label | Elektra | | Orig Year | 1984 | | All Time Sales Rank | 5488  | | CD Universe Part number | 7732185 | | Catalog number | 60296 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Oct 25, 1990 | | Studio/Live | Studio | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Producer | Robert John Lange; The Cars | | Engineer | Nigel Green | | Recording Time | 38 minutes | | Personnel | Elliot Easton - guitar, background vocals David Robinson - drums, percussion Ric Ocasek - vocals, guitar, keyboards Greg Hawkes - keyboards, background vocals Ben Orr - vocals, bass
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Cars Heartbeat City Songs Heartbeat City Music Review Average Rating: (4.2 out of 5 stars)   Pop at its finest I've been a long time fan of The Cars since dating back to their very first LP contribution on vinyl -Panorama- and compared to everything before it Heartbeat City has got to be the most over produced, bubblegum/kiddie pop recording ever. Of course if you like that sort of thing Heartbeat City is for you but if you are looking for the early sound of The Cars at the top of their game then check out Candy-O or basically anything prior to Heartbeat City. Enjoy. Submitted by a reviewer (San Diego, CA) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.
The reason why pop-rock made history!!! The Cars have always been known for their signature sound, thanks to the halfway-distorted guitars, awesome keyboard effects, and the vocalwork displayed between Ric Osaeck and Benjamin Orr! In the 70's, they were made famous by hits such as "Just What I Needed" and "You're All I've Got Tonight"! But, it wasn't taking them anywhere quick! Then, in the 80's the pop trend was shredding the disco era to shreds! "Shake It Up" in 1981 proved they could resemble those of the new pop sound, but, after it's success with the title song itself, they had to become one with the pop era to make it to the big time! And, with the help of producer Robert "John" Mutt Lange, they were able to do that! In, 1984, they released their best album ever to date... "Heartbeat City"!!! Half of the album was made up of 5 hit singles: the start-off track "Hello Again", the pop-rock frenzy "Magic", the humorous "You Might Think", the haunting ballad "Why Can't I Have You", and the mystical synth-ballad featuring the return of bassist Ben Orr's vocals...... "Drive"! The other 5 songs (including the title song itself) also kept the spirit of the alaum going! It's sad to say Ben Orr died from cancer in 2000 at the age of 53! And, lead singer Ric Osaeck is doing his own thing now, like he has been since the band's departure in 1989 after the low success of 1987's "Door To Door"! All that's left to say is that even though The Cars aren't together anymore (the 3 remaining members hired singer Todd Rundgren in 2005 and are now touring 2006 with 60-year-old Blondie), they will never be represented in any way like on Heartbeat City! In their aged 30's at the time, they knew they had to do something with their abilities before it was too late! "Heartbeat City" is The Cars!!! If you want an awesome album with pop, rock, and a touch of talent from 5 great musicians who put so much time into what would become their best work ever, get this album!!! It's shows you how much they were a team in every second... every song!!! A MILLION MORE STARS!!! Submitted by bubblicious (San Francisco, CA, USA) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 2 found this helpful.
Another reason why pop-metal ruled the 80's!!!!!!!!!! The Cars "Heartbeat City" is just pure genius! No doubts! All 10 songs are masterpieces! Besides, most of the albums that turn out to be COMPLETE MASTERPIECES are the ones that have a maximum of 10 songs on them! For example, Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet"(1986), Def Leppard's "Pyromania"(1983), Def Leppard's "Adrenalize"(1992), Scorpion's "Love At First Sting" (1984;which actually had 9 songs)! Anyways, my favorite 3 songs on the album are "Magic","Hello Again" and "You Might Think"!!! All killer, no filler!!! Keep On Rockin'You!!!! Submitted by defleppardrox (Lillington, N.C., U.S.A.) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
EXCELLENT POWER POP! Though not as creative and daring as their earlier, edgier material, "Heartbeat City" satisfies with incredible hooks and melodies. There's something for everyone on this cd, from "You Might Think" to the title track. Very listenable. For the Cars' defining sound and best work, check out their first three albums. Submitted by a reviewer (Kennewick, WA, USA) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
The sound of 1984 Yes, the hits on this album are poppy and slick, due to the production of Mutt Lange. Just listen to Shania Twain's hits - he's still at it.
No, the Cars aren't as edgy and groundbreaking as their 1978 debut ("The Cars" not "Panorama"), but "Heartbeat City" was one of the albums that defined the sound of the mid-80's. I remember hearing "Magic", "Drive" and "You Might Think" everywhere on the radio. Album cuts like "Why Can't I Have You" are underappreciated twenty years later. Unfortunately, this was the Cars' swan song, and with the death of Ben Orr we will never hear them again. Submitted by Andy (San Antonio, TX) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 0 of 1 found this helpful.
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Purchase Heartbeat City CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Cars CD (1978)
Heartbeat City album
$6.05 All tracks have been digitally remastered using HDCD technology.
Ric Ocasek's songs were influenced by the Velvet Underground and the punk rock movement, but had a slick pop/rock sheen which proved very successful. After a demo version of "Just What I Needed" became a listener favorite on WBCN in Boston (the bands' homebase), they were pursued by record companies. THE CARS was recorded in 2 weeks in London, England.
This ranks as one of the best debut albums from a rock band. The Cars are filed under rock, but they are closer to power pop than any other genre. Ric Ocasek sounded like a cross between the Raspberries and Television, punk sound with a pop attitude. The giveaway was the irresistible harmony-ridden hooks in just about every one of his songs. Listen again to "You're All I've Got Tonight," "Just What I Needed" or "My Best Friend's Girl" and be thrilled. Lots of chunka chunka guitar and Mamas And Papas harmonies, and rarely a dull moment. They managed only six albums in 20 years, but they never bettered this.
In the late '70s and early '80s, the Cars were the commercially acceptable face of American new wave. The fact that they were hailed as both pop breakthrough and aesthetic success speaks volumes about their singular artistic vision. As evidenced by their 1978 ...
| | Cars Candy-O CD (1979)
Heartbeat City CD music
$5.99 On their second album, the Cars take a small step to the left. While remaining a solidly mainstream new wave band (as they would throughout their career), the group gets a bit artier on CANDY-O, with impressive results. Like many of their peers, the band began to accentuate the angular, electronic/futuristic aspect of their sound, exploiting its inorganic ...
| | Cars Panorama CD (1980)
Heartbeat City music CDs
$7.09 PANORAMA takes the forward-looking electronic soundscapes of CANDY-O and fashions them into driving, catchy pop tunes. Its both the most urgent and the most angular ...
| | Cars Shake It Up CD (1981)
Heartbeat City songs
$5.99 SHAKE IT UP, the Cars' fourth album, catches the group at a pivotal point in their career. They teetered on the precipice of overproduction and vapidity just long enough ...
| | Aguirre, The Wrath Of God DVD (1973)
Heartbeat City album
$12.85 Based on the journals of Brother Gaspar de Carvajal, AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD is director Werner Herzog's hallucinatory tale of Spanish colonialists searching for El Dorado, the legendary city of gold, in 16th-century Peru. When the travellers reach an impasse, a scouting party is assembled to search for any traces of the mythical empire. As they attempt to forge their way through ...
| | Yes 90125 CD (1983) Bonus Tracks; Remastered
Heartbeat City CD music
$6.39 When Jon Anderson rejoined Yes after DRAMA, he was inserting himself into an unusual situation. Keyboardist Geoff Downes and longtime guitarist Steve Howe had left to form Asia with prog rock vets John Wetton (King Crimson, Roxy Music etc.) and Carl Palmer (ELP). Chris Squire and Alan White brought original Yes keysman Tony Kaye back and recruited vibrant young Australian guitarist/vocalist/composer Trevor Rabin. The quartet had already begun writing and recording, but Anderson was able to insert himself into the proceedings with such ease that the new combination sounds completely natural on 90125.
Mostly, the band was concerned with trimming the musical fat to keep pace with the onslaught of the 1980s. Thus, tracks like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "City of Love" are full of samples, splices and almost funky beats and riffs. The unusual time changes and complex riffs of tunes like "Changes" and "Cinema" leave little doubt that this is still a Yes album, but the band succeeds in giving their sound a contemporary overhaul on 90125.
A stunning self-reinvention by a band that many ...
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