Elliot Easton: Underrated Rock guitarist

Elliot Easton (born Elliot Steinberg, December 18, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York), is probably one of the most underrated left-handed guitarist in Rock history. Although The Cars ended their career as a Pop-Rock band in 1988, Easton, the bands lead guitarist, proved to be the bands core rock and roll sound of their earlier years. He combined Hard rock energy with Garage rock (or traditional Rock & roll revival), and he often liked to show off his left-handed guitars in live performances and magazines.


Before The Cars, was Benjamin Orr and Ric Ocasek, who knew each other since they were about 18. They both been in a few club bands and atleast one band that attempted to chart was Milkwood, which was ignored by the charts. Then they formed Cap n' Swing, which was when Easton and Greg Hawkes (keyboardst) joined. Later David Robinson from The Modern Lovers joined and formed The Cars in 1977.


For The Cars 1978 debut album, Easton used his red Gibson Les Paul, which as of now in the 21st century is worth over $25,000. It was a 1976 model, and was modified by Gibson guitars. He also used a light yellow 1975 Fender Telecaster for the debut album.


For their 1979 album, Easton used his red built-for him Dean ML. He also used the same Telecaster that he used for the debut album.


Some point in beetween 1980 and 1988 he used his so-called Signature edition guitar called a 1985 Kramer Prototype. It was blue, and probably used for their last album. He also had a pink version of a simular looking guitar which he used for most of the Heartbeat City album and even a little bit on the Shake It Up album. 


He was also married, then got divorced. He has one daughter.


For their reunion album Move Like This, he doesn't get to show his talent as much, because Ocasek makes it sort of something like his solo album efforts. And of course every Cars fan has herd that Benjamin Orr passed away in 2000 sadly of pancreatic cancer. 

After all The Cars success and hits, they somehow have not been inducted into the so-called Rock and roll HOF. But ABBA (the pop group) and several other worthless cookie-cutter sensations have? I wouldnt be suprised to see them idiots down there induct Justin Bieber. I mean, why are they inducting rap and pop artists into a Rock and roll HOF anyway? They really need to re-do that place.
As for Elliot Easton currently at the age of 57, he still has it. He may not move as much on stage but his guitar playing is good. He has some really good influences too, The Beatles, Eric Clapton etc..


Although The Cars are known mostly for their Pop and Pop-rock singles, they had some really good demos from 1977 too, and most of them were Hard rock songs such as Cool Fool, Slipaway, Strawberry Moonlight and That's It (even though it was a B-side for Lets Go, it is practically the Cars rarest track which i consider a demo).

Who knows, maybe HOF will wake up and see how good The Cars truely are because of their reunion.