Why do some music only sound good in cars?

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Yeah, I'm sure you've noticed it. Some stuff just plain sucks when played on your expensive stereo or in your walkman or on the PA in a store...but the same peice of music becomes a sublime celebration of deathless awesomeness when played on a cruddy set of common-as-crabgrass car audio speakers. For me, This seems to be the only way to enjoy most 70s Classic Rawk. And its not just "Goin' Mobile." or "Ventura Highway" that reach its apotheosis on the road...70s music and, hell, 80s hair band metal is just not made for 'home' use.

― Lord Custos, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Why is that? Why can I tolerate Bon Jovi when I'm driving but not when I'm sitting still? Why? Why? WHY?!

― Lord Custos, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's that engine rev thing. You want to pump your fist and RAWK.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Some music has good associations for me of being in cars, certain songs played on the radio or CDs or tapes my friends listen to. Not music I would buy, but I like it from the memories of good times driving with friends.

― 1 1 2 3 5, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The car is great for singing along to stuff at the top of my voice. One of the reasons I love driving so much.

― electric sound of jim, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's the driving beat.

― A Nairn, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have absolutely never experienced this.

― sundar subramanian, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't know but I just find Bon Jovi intolerable whether in the car or completely motionless.

― Pump Wellington, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I got your back re the Bon Jovi -- I heard "Livin' On A Prayer" on the factory deck about 8 months ago and had an epiphany. I almost t- boned into a telephone pole, I was so into it.

― Mark, Sunday, 20 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cause its engeneered that way. Radio pop tunes are commonly compressed into a narrow frequency band for radio play. Its part of the reason old am radio songs dont have too much bass or treble. Cars tend to have the same shape and roughly the same speaker sizes so they can tell how a song on cd/tape is going to sound in a car. Chuck D once explain cars vs walkman sounds/songs (think it was MM's old Rap City). I dont doubt for one second some producer has all the settings prefigured out so they can send the next summer song through the filters and equializers and pop out a good driving sound with a click of the mouse.

― Mr Noodles, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ahhhhh. So wide dynamic range hurts this music because there actually IS no top or bottom. Just midrange. Might also explain why ...and Justice for All sounds much better when I'm scrubbing the tub. All the linoleum alters that tinny little record into something much much grander. (Still sounds like crap through headphones or when driving.)

― Lord Custos, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It might have something to do with the fact that 70s classic rock and Bon Jovi sound fine to me anyway.

np: Soundgarden - Superunknown

― sundar subramanian, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What about the car? I assume this Bon Jovi experience is taking place in a Trans Am or similar GM product with airbrushed flames on the hood, fake sheepskin seat covers and Playboy air freshener dangling from the mirror.

― Curt, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The bes tmusic to drive to is those bad Trance compilations they show on TV all the time. They make you go 150mph, whether you want to or not.

― Ally, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Actually, believe it or don't it's only a '94 Chevy Cavalier. Doesn't even have fins or spoilers much less than a glasspak muffler or a shiny chrome air intake system sticking out of the hood.
I was just toodling along and a Bon Jovi song came on the radio (doesn't matter which one, does it? I mean they're all the same song with a different cliche for a title, right?) and all the sudden I was gettin' into it!
I actually thought to myself: "Sure, I could probably get a used copy of Slippery When Wet for cheap..."
Then the song ended and I came to my senses.

― Lord Custos, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But I will admit...the car is "Arrest Me" Red.

― Lord Custos, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It had to be "Livin' On a Prayer."

"My Wave" RULES when you're driving. Did this thread get you in the mood for driving music, Sundar?

― Mark, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well I can't help you enliven your Freedom rock experience I can only try to say why some songs were made to be played from your black Trans Am or red Firebird while the back of your mullett waves free in the air.

― Mr Noodles, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Hey, Man...Is that Freedom Rock?!"

― Lord Custos, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Yeah, Man."

― Lord Custos, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Well tuuurrrrrrn it up, man!"

― Lord Custos, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hav to admit, so solid cruise good to lisen to in cars.

mind u thats only cos all the cars i nick ave i dont know in the sound sistem so u get branewashed an used to it and pushes up the price what you get back when you flog em in stokwell park helps to pay off my deler

― XStatic Peace, Tuesday, 22 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

five years pass...

I recently realized that nothing can top driving to Boards of Canada

― baaderonixx, Monday, 14 January 2008 11:06 (eighteen years ago)

Exaggerated dynamic range processing probably matters less in a car than in my headphones.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 January 2008 11:08 (eighteen years ago)

dynamic reange compression even.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 14 January 2008 11:08 (eighteen years ago)

I drove into work today listening to Spiritualized's Lazer Guided Melodies. What a tonic on a wet and windy Monday morning.

― Daniel Giraffe, Monday, 14 January 2008 11:09 (eighteen years ago)

Basically, in cars you are forced to sit and listen, unless it's absolutely dire and you *have* to change it.

Whereas at home, the temptation is to wander off/read a book/get eats.

Or find something on the TV instead.

― Mark G, Monday, 14 January 2008 11:17 (eighteen years ago)

Nothing beats techno on a freeway.

― Display Name, Monday, 14 January 2008 18:05 (eighteen years ago)

Cash, grass or ass - no one rides for free.

― BlackIronPrison, Monday, 14 January 2008 19:15 (eighteen years ago)

Nothing beats techno on a freeway.

despite not having freeways (motorways over uk-side), this is my current world.

― mark e, Monday, 14 January 2008 19:25 (eighteen years ago)

wtf is the difference

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude 茄蕃, Monday, 14 January 2008 19:31 (eighteen years ago)

Nothing beats techno on a freeway.

-- Display Name, Monday, January 14, 2008 10:05 AM (13 hours ago) Bookmark Link

QFT

― The Reverend, Tuesday, 15 January 2008 07:23 (eighteen years ago)

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