The Cars Unlocked - The Live Performances (with CD)
Produced by Ric Ocasek,Unlockedpresents the Cars at their herky-jerky, hard-edged best. For those who followed the Beantown quintet in the 1980s, it's sure to come as a nostalgic experience--singer/bassist Benjamin Orr succumbed to cancer in 2000, while Todd Rundgren took Ocasek's place in 2006's "New Cars" reunion. Edited by Ocasek's son Eron, the 72-minute feature operates like a virtual scrapbook, alternating video-shot concert and backstage footage with radio interviews and stills. Consequently, as a disclaimer states at the beginning, the audio-visual quality is adequate at best. (Then again, this is a side of the band never captured by MTV.) Further, some of the bits are just plain silly, especially the dressing room antics. Fortunately, the rock-your-socks-off factor is high and there are unexpected surprises, like keyboard player Greg Hawkes's impromptu cover of the Cramps' "Human Fly." Of the performances, standouts include "My Best Friend's Girl" from 1979 and "Just What I Needed" from 1980, both recorded in Washington DC (like too many music films, locations are not identified until the end credits). Altogether,Unlockedexhumes 20 live tracks plus five bonus numbers, including an alternate version of Orr's enduring ballad "Drive."--Kathleen C. Fennessy