Fast Cars
Coming - Ready or Not! / Who Loves Jimmy Anderton (live at Deeply Vale 1979)
Detour Records 2001/Ozit Records 2005
By Christopher Duda (SugarBuzz Toronto)
Buzzcocks “Fast Cars”
They’re nice and precise, each one begins and ends, They may win you admirers, but they’ll never earn you friends, Fast cars, fast cars, Fast cars, I hate fast cars
They're so depressing going ’round and ’round, Ooh, they make me dizzy, oh fast cars they run me down, Fast cars, fast cars, Fast cars, I hate fast cars
Sooner or later, you’re gonna listen to Ralph Nader, I don’t wanna cause a fuss, but fast cars are so dangerous Fast cars, fast cars, Fast cars, I hate fast cars, fast cars, Fat cars, fast cars, I hate fast cars
Well, to start I must proclaim that I don’t hate Fast Cars! However, I am not talking about an automobile but the great powerpop band from Manchester by the same name.
Why “The Kids Just Wanna Dance” was not a huge hit in 1979 is a travesty. The Fast Cars should be uttered in the same breath as other Manchester bands like The Buzzcocks, The Fall, Slaughter and the Dogs and Joy Division.
Often referred to, as “The Kings of Powerpop” or “The Best British Powerpop Band” is not a title that any band should take lightly. Majestic like wordiness is not bestowed upon individuals that cannot live up to the title. These gents live up to the title and more!
Fast Cars play tunes so catchy that they stick in your head for days, rolling around that grey matter until at unscheduled times you will find yourself belting out lyrical content from their roster of classic powerpop tunesmith. Perhaps, I will never live down that fact that during an important meeting at my work I suddenly burst into “The Kids Just Wanna Dance!”
Detour records in 2001 compiled an excellent compilation of unheard gems and demos. Often compared to the Buzzcocks or the Undertones is not that far from the bulls eye. However, that might be a simple way of describing their sound. Looking at the Fast Cars under a microscope it can undoubtedly be declared that they truly were a unique band.
To further add evidence to the already growing testimony one just has to listen to the “Live at Deeply Vale-1979” CD to utter statements like “By god I think they’ve got it!” It really is a shame that it took so long for the public to catch up to the Fast Cars but the underside of this cars story is that they are still together today and bigger than ever in Japan!
I am sure if some promoter out there with balls the size of Godzilla would have the jizz to bring these guys to North America they would be lauded and bestowed with admiration from music fans everywhere! (Hint, Hint!)
Essential listening.
http://www.myspace.com/thefastcars
Fast Cars in 2001------------------------>