"Just What I Needed" by The Cars

It's not the perfume that you wear... it's not the ribbons in your hair.... I guess it's just the perfect blend of synths and electric guitars  that you bring to every song.

Yes, it's time for Strong Songs to tackle The Cars, and their 1978 pop-rock classic "Just What I Needed." But while that song encapsulates everything that made the brilliant Boston five-piece great, Kirk decided to use his Walkman to occasionally fast-forward to compare and contrast with a second Cars classic from 1984.

Written by: Ric Ocasek

Albums: The Cars, 1978 and Heartbeat City, 1984

Listen/Buy to both albums on all platforms via Songwhip

ALSO FEATURED/DISCUSSED:

• "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen from A Night at the Opera, 1975
• "Drive," "Good Times Roll," and "My Best Friend's Girl" by Ric Ocasek/The Cars from The Cars, 1978 and Heartbeat City, 1984

OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ Cord

This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fantastic trumpet player based in Portland. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

STRONG MERCH

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JOIN THE STRONG SONGS DISCORD

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STRONG PLAYLISTS

Kirk has condensed his Strong Songs picks into a single new list, which you can find on Spotify and Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

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