"Dangerous Type" is a 1979 song by

the Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboard ...

from their second studio album, ''

Candy-O ''Candy-O'' is the second studio album by American rock band the Cars, released on June 13, 1979 by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned two singles, " Let's Go" (number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100) and " It's ...

.'' It was written by

Ric Ocasek Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was the primary co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the rock ...

Background

The core guitar riff that "Dangerous Type" is centered on resembles the T. Rex song, "

Bang a Gong Bang or bangs may refer to: Products * M1922 Bang rifle, a US semi-automatic rifle designed by Søren Hansen Bang * Bang, a model car brand * Bang (beverage), an energy drink Geography * Bang, Lorestan, a village in Iran * Bangs, Ohio, Uni ...

". The song features

on lead vocals.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

critic Tom Maginnis compared the song to " All Mixed Up", a track on The Cars' self-titled debut album, as they both were the final track on their respective albums, with both tracks "vamping on an upsweep of grand chord changes as the group's entire sonic palette eventually fills the tape to capacity for the big finish." Although "Dangerous Type" never was released as a single, the song has since become a fan favorite. It has appeared on numerous compilation albums, among them '' Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology'' and '' Complete Greatest Hits''.

Reception

"Dangerous Type" has received positive reception from music critics.

critic Greg Prato said it was one of the "plenty of other standouts Let's_Go"_on_''Candy-O''_that.html" ;"title="Let's_Go_(The_Cars_song).html" ;"title="esides "Let's Go (The Cars song)">Let's Go" on ''Candy-O'' that">Let's_Go_(The_Cars_song).html" ;"title="esides "Let's Go (The Cars song)">Let's Go" on ''Candy-O'' thatcan be found" and cited the track as a highlight from ''Candy-O''. Tom Maginnis said, "'Dangerous Type' is the Cars' idea of a musical epic", and went on to say, "After the impossibly infectious leadoff single 'Let's Go,' 'Dangerous Type' would become the album's second-biggest hit." In the ''Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology'' liner notes, Brett Milano said, "'Let's Go' and 'Dangerous Type' [stood] out as the best of [Ric] Ocasek's enigmatic-woman songs."

Covers

*In 1996, Letters to Cleo recorded a cover of "Dangerous Type" for the movie, '' The Craft''. *The song was covered by Johnny Monaco for the tribute album '' Substitution Mass Confusion: A Tribute to The Cars''.

Personnel

: rhythm guitar, lead vocals * Benjamin Orr:

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

, backing vocals *

Elliot Easton Elliot Easton (born Elliot Steinberg, December 18, 1953) is an American guitarist. He played lead guitar and sang backing vocals for The Cars, and his guitar solos are an integral part of the band's music. Easton has also recorded music as a so ...

: lead

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

, backing vocals *

Greg Hawkes Gregory A. Hawkes (born October 22, 1952) is an American musician best known as the keyboardist for the rock band The Cars. Hawkes, a native of Fulton, Maryland, United States, attended Atholton High School where he played in a band called Teet ...

: keyboards, backing vocals *

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

: drums

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dangerous Type The Cars songs Songs written by Ric Ocasek Song recordings produced by Roy Thomas Baker 1979 songs