The Cars

Despite being one of the top drawing new wave concert attractions during the early to mid-'80s, the Cars never got around to issuing an official live album during their career. Nearly 20 years after the original Cars lineup played their last show together, a live DVD/CD was issued, 2006's Unlocked. Compiled by Ric Ocasek, the DVD is quite a treat for longtime fans, as it mixes performances from throughout the years as well as interviews and behind-the-scenes goofiness. While the DVD does feature the expected hits ("Shake It Up," "Drive," "Good Times Roll"), there are also quite a few oddities included as well ("Gimme Some Slack," "Up and Down," "Don't You Stop"). And which Cars fan wouldn't be interested in seeing the band attempting to adapt to a backstage dressing room in a foreign land (Japan) or Greg Hawkes wearing a gigantic pillow over his head? The CD portion contains many of the same tracks, but also includes such non-DVD selections as "Touch and Go," "Hello Again," and "Nightspots." The visuals aren't as picture perfect as a digitally recorded concert from the modern day (it appears as though the source for much of the DVD is from video tape), but Unlocked is still a most welcome addition to the Cars' discography. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide