Complete Greatest Hits (CD - 2002)

Producers: Roy Thomas Baker, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Mike Shipley, Ric Ocasek, The Cars.

Compilation producer: The Cars, David McLees.

Recorded between 1977 & 1987. Includes liner notes by Brett Milano.

Digitally remastered by Dan Hersch (Digiprep).

Personnel: Benjamin Orr (vocals, bass guitar); Ric Ocasek (vocals); Elliot Easton (guitar, background vocals); Greg Hawkes (saxophone, keyboards, percussion, background vocals); David Robinson (drums, percussion, background vocals).

Audio Remasterer: Dan Hersch.

Liner Note Author: Brett Milano.

Photographers: Ebet Roberts; B.C. Kagan; David Robinson ; Brian McLaughlin.

When the Cars released their first greatest-hits album in 1985, it was capping a golden run that culminated in 1984's Heartbeat City, their biggest hit yet. They lasted one more album, 1987's abysmal Door to Door. So, technically, there isn't that much new territory covered by Complete Greatest Hits, especially since there's only one song -- the only good one, "You Are the Girl" -- from Door to Door, but it's nevertheless a substantial improvement over that initial hits collection, while being easier to digest for most listeners than the exhaustive 1995 anthology Just What I Needed. Essentially, the title explains it all, since it has all of the hits, which also means many are AOR staples. This approach means that nearly all of their debut and half of Heartbeat City is on this disc, but it also means that there's essentially nothing missing (apart from perhaps "Candy-O") that casual fans would want. Also, this approach confirms that the Cars were a sexy, stylish new wave singles band on the order of Blondie -- sure, they had one classic album in their canon (the debut), along with some very good follow-ups, but they made the most sense song by song on the radio, even years after their prime. To hear why, this is the disc to get. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Although it has different artwork, this 20-track set of the Cars' biggest hits is exactly the same, right down to the same running order, as Rhino's Complete Greatest Hits package from 2002, which means it has everything the casual fan might want, including the perfect radio singles "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girl," "You're All I've Got Tonight," and "Shake It Up." More serious fans might want to go deeper, but the Cars were essentially a singles band, and the group's peak material is here. ~ Steve Leggett

This collection by one of the definitive bands of the new wave era is squarely centered on the hits. Fortunately for both us and them, the Cars had plenty of those. The amazing thing about this Boston-based quintet was the fact that they managed to achieve huge mainstream success without ever losing their "hip" credibility. The hits included on this collection show exactly what made the band so appealing; a mix of irresistible hooks, zippy synths, '60s-influenced guitar riffs, and the quirky vocals of Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr.

Were it not for the bright, electronic sheen covering "My Best Friend's Girl," the song could have been a lost Buddy Holly Gem. The melodic beauty of the ballad "Drive" would have sounded at home in any era of pop music. All the historical nods aside, it was the angularity and futurism of the band's image and sound that made them seem so fresh after years of endless Led Zep marathons, and "Moving in Stereo," "It's All I Can Do" and "Dangerous Type" all make good use of the semi-robotic distance in Orr's vocals, Ocasek's elliptical lyrics, and Greg Hawkes's Kraftwerk-influenced electronic coloring. All these facets put together are what make the Cars' music so memorable, and this collection so useful. minimize