This is something that has been bothering me for a while....
Back in '79 when "CARS" was new, it seemed to me, that "most" people familiar with the song ( at least that I interacted with at the time), "at that time" understood/knew that it was a homage or even "parody" (a-la "Wierd Al") of the sound of/to the "The Cars" (Rick Ocasek's cars!).
At that time there was virtually No other group being played on the radio the even remotely had the sound of The Cars.
.. Along comes Gary N's "Cars", (good song), with a sound that seemed to be exactly as if you put "Moving in Stereo & other Cars tracks thru a meat grinder, & he's singing "Cars", & it could have been a track on a Cars Album of the time!
Now, it seems no one "remembers" this anymore.
Like Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" - When that album 1st came out lots of people thougt it was a 4 seasons re-make, & Billy even went on many talk shows saying how he wanted to make a "Frankie Valli & the 4 seasons" song when comming up with it .... ( I would really love to see Frankie Valli actually do "uptown Girl" on a PBS special.. .."She Makes up her mi- i= ind>.."!!)
.. Today, just as with "CARS", many people just recognize it as a "Billy Joel" song, & don't "see" (hear) or remember the similarity anymore....
Does AnyOne remember back in '79 "CARS" the way I described???