Back in the go-go '80s, Time magazine named David Byrne "Rocks Renaissance Man." Well, I'm afraid the Psycho Killer has to pass his crown to Bill Janovitz. Bill, the front man of Boston's superb Buffalo Tom, has been an incredible rock musician for many years. Bill is also a wonderful writer who has authored two great books on the Stones as well as a bio on Leon Russell.

Well, I'm happy to report that Bill's latest book is amazing. It's the definitive story of The Cars. Because Bill's a musician, all the surviving key players were happy to talk to him. He's able to get them to open up in a way they might not to a non-musician. Bill's expertise is sprinkled throughout. He gives wonderful breakdowns of most of the Cars songs providing insight that only a fellow musician would come up with. There are many instances where he tells you to go to a specific moment in a Cars song and you can hear what song they're being influenced by. (In one song, Bill even points out that Benjamin Orr hits the "t" sound exactly like Frank Sinatra does. This is Ph. D-level rock insight, folks.)

But it's not all music expertise, Bill is also a terrific writer. His turns of phrase are wonderful-- (Bill describes Ric Ocasek as resembling "a praying mantis in black shades." Granted, not something you want to say at the eulogy, but he's not wrong. His research is incredible as well. Did you know that Susan Orlean wrote a review of "Candy-o" when she was just starting out?

If you're a fan of The Cars or the Boston music scene in the '70s and '80s, this is a book you have to check out. Thanks to Netgalley, which provided a free e-galley of the book in return for this honest review.