The Cars vs. Talking Heads

Nightfall

How are you guys making polls? I don't see it anywhere.

Which band do you prefer and why?

afterburnt

T Heads, bout the only new wave that I ever bought other than Pretenders oh and Springstein.

ken brydson

Cars all day...

afterburnt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhzqny6rU28

recoveryone

Talking Heads, "Same as it ever was"

afterburnt

I lied I never bought any Springstein. Didn't The Cars hit their mark at least a few years before the Talking Heads? Sort of remember them being a little earlier. Oh and I did buy a few Pewlice albums.

Nightfall

Talking Heads "77" - 1977
The Cars "The Cars" - 1978

afterburnt

Wow I have forgotten more things than most people remember. oh well

WagnerRC

I could not ditch either. Why choose?

MrBuhl

I think the Cars hit it big (commercially) earlier than the Talking Heads is why they feel like they would have been out first. The Cars debut album went multi platinum in '78 with at least six hit songs on it. The Heads first two only had a couple hits each - they just didn't hit the mainstream like Ric and the boys.

That being said, I prefer David and his quirky friends.

mhardy6647

Two difficult bands to compare. The Cars, I'd opine, were a sophisticated pop band, with extremely obscure (abstruse, if not obtuse) lyrics and great pop music chops. The Talking Heads were -- well -- what were they? I can't help but think of them as a huge piece of performance art illustrating what it's like to be "on the spectrum". I don't mean that as an insult in any way -- I think Byrne & his cronies tapped into a very weird side of a human's view of a world he (or she) is in but not really part of. And - musically - the Talking Heads were all over the place -- in the best possible sense of the term. Big points to them for that.

The Cars are easier (for me!) to take in large doses; the Talking Heads were self-consciously experimental; their best songs are (again, to me) great, but some of the in-between just doesn't work for me. There's no doubt that the Heads were critics' darlings, and it shows in some of their abstruseness, I'd opine.

My bottom line: I think that the pop/rock spectrum :- ) would have had a big gap in it without either band. How's that for an old-school politically diplomatic answer? ;- )

PS I know it's a minority view, but (FWIW) my favorite Cars album was, and still is, "Candy-O". And, no, not even because of the Vargas cover! :-/ It was the soundtrack to my weird relationship - at the time - with the woman that I would, ultimately, marry & spend (well, so far!) the rest of my life with. She was a little -- uncertain about that trajectory in those long-ago days, though ;- )

PPS Free Cars tip: Don't ignore "Shake it Up"; some good stuff on that record (even if the overall quality is no where near that of their first two albums).

P^3S: oops, another essay... sorry! :-P

mhardy6647

recoveryone wrote: »

Talking Heads, "Same as it ever was"

I thought that was Rolling Rock beer...

;- )

MrBuhl

Old 33

motorhead43026

The Heads at the time were the Modern Art of music.

mhardy6647

motorhead43026 wrote: »

The Heads at the time were the Modern Art of music.

oh noes!

;- )

gce

Nightfall wrote: »

How are you guys making polls? I don't see it anywhere.

Which band do you prefer and why?

There's a pull down menu next to "New Discussion" it has the poll option there.

Always liked the Cars, like the Heads too. I think the Car's had more hits.

chumlie

Like them both but like The Cars albums a bit better.

dromunds

Talking Heads were awesome live. I was living in Davis, California in 1978 and they played a very small bar. My buddy and I went as we'd heard Talking Heads '77, but they were not famous yet. The bar wasn't even half full when they started. Soon people were literally going to the pay phone and calling friends to tell them to get down there NOW to see this band. Before it was over the place was packed and they were hanging from the rafters. Lots of energy and excellent musicians. Never saw the Cars. Enjoy them both. If someone asked me even ten years ago which I preferred I would've said the Talking Heads but I've sort of burned out on them and I haven't heard the Cars much since the early MTV days so I may side with them now. Always liked Ric Ocasek for some reason. Both bands really capitalized on early MTV videos.

mhardy6647

I saw the Cars at Largo MD (old Capital Centre) in... umm... rhe early 1980s timeframe. They were OK, but no better than OK, live, as I recall.

afterburnt

mhardy6647 wrote: »

Two difficult bands to compare. The Cars, I'd opine, were a sophisticated pop band, with extremely obscure (abstruse, if not obtuse) lyrics and great pop music chops. The Talking Heads were -- well -- what were they? I can't help but think of them as a huge piece of performance art illustrating what it's like to be "on the spectrum". I don't mean that as an insult in any way -- I think Byrne & his cronies tapped into a very weird side of a human's view of a world he (or she) is in but not really part of. And - musically - the Talking Heads were all over the place -- in the best possible sense of the term. Big points to them for that.

The Cars are easier (for me!) to take in large doses; the Talking Heads were self-consciously experimental; their best songs are (again, to me) great, but some of the in-between just doesn't work for me. There's no doubt that the Heads were critics' darlings, and it shows in some of their abstruseness, I'd opine.

My bottom line: I think that the pop/rock spectrum :- ) would have had a big gap in it without either band. How's that for an old-school politically diplomatic answer? ;- )

PS I know it's a minority view, but (FWIW) my favorite Cars album was, and still is, "Candy-O". And, no, not even because of the Vargas cover! :-/ It was the soundtrack to my weird relationship - at the time - with the woman that I would, ultimately, marry & spend (well, so far!) the rest of my life with. She was a little -- uncertain about that trajectory in those long-ago days, though ;- )

PPS Free Cars tip: Don't ignore "Shake it Up"; some good stuff on that record (even if the overall quality is no where near that of their first two albums).

P^3S: oops, another essay... sorry! :-P

Talk about sound tracks to weird relationships. I took my fiance to see the Talking Heads when they were making the film"Stop making sense"?we were having a great time lots of music, dancing and partying. Too bad she turned out to be a ****. How does one not know this about ones self? All of my friends at the time thought that I was stupid to break it off with her, they thought it would be great to have a **** for a wife. In retrospect they may have been right, I have done much worse since. Anyway good for her she wound up getting some really hot girlfriends.

afterburnt

Why the hell can't you say ****?

Nightfall

Strip per?

afterburnt

Muncher

mhardy6647

"Wearer of sensible shoes"

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Toolfan66

Why Pick? they are both great bands.. I own both so I won't pick one over the other..

Nightfall

I'm not saying pick one to listen to forever with the other being locked in a vault, just which do you like better.

afterburnt

Btw I got that blue ray, loads of fun getting into the way back machine

lightman1

Cars...mall rats new wave...
Heads.....poli-sci new wave...
Cars...Moving In Stereo
Heads... Stop Making Sense
Cars.....It's all Mixed Up
Heads....Psyco Killer
??? What's not to like about both?????

afterburnt

Swamp

boston1450

^^^^ dang fine tunes there. Love "its all mixed up" & "Psyco Killer" good ole days

afterburnt

Never had a Cars album, which one should I try. I do like the Candy P cover