A Book Review: The Cars – Let the Stories Be Told

A Book Review: The Cars – Let the Stories Be Told – by Rob Skane.

I remember the first time I heard “Just What I Needed” on the radio. I had no idea who the band was at the time, but my mind was blown. I remember thinking, how can he say “time, time” – isn’t there a rule against that? The first rule is, no rules, kids. Never forget that. And the guitar solo … I’m not saying it’s perfect for the song, but it is. And I strongly believe that everything Elliot Easton has ever played has been amazing. He’s one of my guitar heroes and has been for decades. His guitar solos are quite often songs within the song. His massive musical vocabulary is prevalent throughout the Cars’ catalog.

Bill Janovitz has written an absolutely fantastic book that details the seemingly meteoric rise of the Cars. Their first LP comes out in June of 1978. Goes gold in October and platinum in December. I’m pretty sure it would have even gone plutonium if that was a thing. They were mega very fast and there’s a lot that comes with that, the good, the bad, the lawsuits … But, they were young dudes enjoying the ride of a lifetime, and who can blame them for that. They had paid their dues, believe me – and if you don’t, it’s in the book.

Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, and David Robinson are the only surviving members of the Cars, and they share the band’s history with direct eloquence throughout the book. I couldn’t put this book down. Selfishly, I am beyond stoked that this book was written, and clearly, there was no one more suited for the task than Bill Janovitz. The research is meticulous, as it appears he interviewed almost everyone ever associated with the band. The recording session details for the first LP alone blew me away. Reading how WBCN’s Maxanne Sartori championed the band and helped break them was a joy. She’s a radio legend and has helped countless bands.

The friendship that Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr had for many years prior to the Cars is chronicled in the book, as is every Cars LP. Ric wrote hits, and Ben sang a bunch of them. Not only was Ben Orr a great bass player, he had a fantastic voice, and he looked like a rock star. I mean, he was – but still. Ric Ocasek, who wrote cool and weird rocknroll songs, and was in touch with our (i.e., my own) often disenchanted world, said “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight?” The music he created led us into the new wave and kept us there for a few years. And the production work of Roy Thomas Baker helped a whole lot, too.

David Robinson was a great drummer. He also helped the Cars cultivate their look and designed album covers for the band as well. And he still has the shaker featured on the front cover of the “Shake It Up” LP, in case you were wondering. He played with the Modern Lovers and DMZ before he settled into the Cars. Greg Hawkes had been around a bit, too, most notably playing with Martin Mull’s Fabulous Furniture. He was the last member to join the band, and his contributions to the tunes were always extremely complementary to the arrangement of the song. He’s even credited as a co-writer on some songs.

As we all know, things change. The road ends and the fun stops; it’s just part of being a band. The Cars gave us incredible songs, and Bill Janovitz has given us an incredible book. If you like music, you should read this book, but if you LOVE music, this book is a must-have.

More from Rob Skane…