Heartbeat City
Buddy Holly-meets-Roxy Musicwas the hook-filled formulaRic Ocasekand crew fell into on their classic 1978debut--and it's one they continued to milk throughout the first half of the '80s. As in any formula, it seemed to dilute a bit with each subsequent release.Heartbeat City, however, saw the Cars shaking things up a bit and scoring three hit singles in the process. "You Might Think" does have that same old Cars pop sound, but "Magic" and especially "Drive" sound unlike anything the Boston band had previously recorded. The album proved to be a rebirth of sorts...as well as a final hurrah. Following theirGreatest Hitspackage, the Cars would fade away following 1987'sDoor to Door.--Bill Holdship