The Cars: “Live At The Agora, 1978” (2017) Vinyl Review

Like basically all upcoming events, Record Store Day has been postponed. It was scheduled for April 18th, and has been pushed back to June 20th. Will things be back to normal by then? Who knows? In the meantime, I thought I’d enjoy one of the Record Store Day releases from a few years ago, which somehow until now I’d left unopened: The Cars’ Live At The Agora , 1978. This three-sided album contains the show The Cars performed at The Agora Ballroom in Cleveland on July 18, 1978, just after the release of their first studio album. This record captures The Cars at their most energetic and exciting time, and features some of their best songs, including “Bye Bye Love” and “Moving In Stereo.” In fact, they played every song from that first LP at this show.

Side A

After a brief introduction (“Ladies and gentlemen, and the rest of you…”) and a goofy sound effect of a car skidding to a crash, The Cars kick off their set with “Good Times Roll,” a fitting opening. How many songs have titles that are variations of “Let The Good Times Roll”? I’m not sure, but I can think of half a dozen off the top of my head. After that song, they thank the crowd, then launch into “Bye Bye Love,” and here the energy gets really crackling. This was always one of my favorites, and here they deliver a great rendition, with some excellent work on guitar. I was fortunate enough to see Cars’ lead guitarist Elliot Easton play with the Wild Honey Orchestra just a few weeks ago, a treat for me as for one reason or another I never did see The Cars in concert. Then we hear “Hey, it’s good to be back home,” which must be from Benjamin Orr. Though The Cars were a Boston band, I think only drummer David Robinson was actually born in Massachusetts (he also played with Jonathan Richman). Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000, was from Ohio. And the band goes into “Night Spots,” which also has an electric energy. This is a song that would end up on their second record, Candy-O. After that, someone in the audience shouts out a request for “Just What I Needed,” to which the band responds, “You’re just what we needed.” But they don’t play that song right then. Instead, they go into “I’m In Touch With Your World,” a kind of quirky number that I dig. And that’s how the first side ends.

Side B

“So you’ve heard of us, eh?” they say to the crowd at the beginning of the second side. And they play “My Best Friend’s Girl.” The moment they start it, the audience responds. This song had been released as a single, as well as being included on that first album. It would later be included on that Greatest Hits album in 1985. It’s such a fun song. The band slides right into “Moving In Stereo,” which is my personal favorite Cars song. We all remember that scene from Fast Times At Ridgemont High, with Phoebe Cates getting out of the pool. A cool scene, and a cool song. From there, the band goes straight into “All Mixed Up,” a segue which works really well. “All Mixed Up” follows “Moving In Stereo” on the band’s first album as well. That’s followed by “Take What You Want,” a song not on the original debut album, but included as a bonus track on a later re-issue. I love the jamming on this one.

Side C

The third side gets off to a thumping and delicious start with “Don’t Cha Stop.” This is one you want to dance around to, or at least it’s one that I dance around to. They follow it with another fun rock song, “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight.” After that, the band thanks the audience: “Thank you up here and back there. Can’t see you all there. Are you back there?” Well, the moment they start the next song, “Just What I Needed,” I’m sure they’re aware of everyone in the place, up front and in the back, for the crowd is clearly excited to hear the band’s hit single. And the band delivers a fun rendition, certainly a highlight of this release. And apparently it was the set closer. But soon the band is back for a two-song encore. “Hotel Queenie” is up first, and is another song that was not included on that first album, but was included as a bonus track in an expanded re-issue. This is a wild, fast-paced rock song, with a punk energy, another highlight of this record. There is a slight pause before the band delivers the final song, a cover of the classic Eddie Cochran rock ‘n’ roll tune “Somethin’ Else,” a song that includes the lines “That car’s fine lookin’ man/It’s something else.” By the way, the fourth side is designed to look like a Cars tire tread across the vinyl.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Intro/Good Times Roll
2. Bye Bye Love
3. Night Spots
4. I’m In Touch With Your World

Side B

1. My Best Friend’s Girl
2. Moving In Stereo
3. All Mixed Up
4. Take What You Want

Side C

1. Don’t Cha Stop
2. You’re All I’ve Got Tonight
3. Just What I Needed
4. Hotel Queenie
5. Somethin’ Else 

Live At The Agora, 1978 was released on vinyl on April 22, 2017. According to the Record Store Day website, it was a limited run of 4,000 copies, but a sticker on the album’s plastic wrap says “Strictly limited to 5,000 copies.” So, who knows? By the way, the packaging is not a gatefold. The two records are in individual inner sleeves tucked into the same outer sleeve.