Elliot Easton in Los Angeles Letting the Good Times Roll with The Cars' Guitarist | Life in Six Strings

Elliot Easton in Los Angeles

Letting the Good Times Roll with The Cars' Guitarist | Life in Six Strings

Join Kylie Olsson in Los Angeles as she visits the Calabasas home of The Cars' legendary lead guitarist, Elliot Easton. Dive into his pristine left-handed guitar collection, the band's contrasting musical roots, and the truth behind his "underrated" label. Watch the full episode on Life in Six Strings.

Episode Overview

In this incredibly insightful episode of Life in Six Strings, host Kylie Olsson travels to sunny Southern California to sit down with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Elliot Easton.

Known for driving rock music into the future with The Cars' blend of sleek hooks and new wave synth textures, Elliot opens the doors to his beautifully designed mid-century home. From discussing his MTV Moonman to showing off his jaw-dropping vintage guitar vault, Elliot reflects on a lifetime dedicated entirely to the service of the song.

Explore Elliot's World

This episode highlights the unique chemistry and incredible gear that fueled one of the 80s' most iconic bands:

• ■ The Cars' Unique Chemistry: Elliot explains that the magic of The Cars came from their wildly different influences. While Rick Ocasek loved Lou Reed and beat poetry, and David Robinson came from proto-punk (The Modern Lovers), Elliot brought Chicago blues, soul, and a deep love of The Beatles to the mix.
• ■ Left-Handed Rarities: As a left-handed player, Elliot has amassed a museum-worthy collection. He shows Kylie a near-mint 1962 left-handed Barney Kessel Gibson, a modified Firebird with custom coil-splitting switches, and a custom Gretch Duo Jet.
• ■ Brooklyn Roots in LA: Taking a break from guitars, Elliot takes Kylie to a local deli to share his favorite childhood food: a traditional potato knish with brown gravy, reminiscing about the old candy stores of his Brooklyn youth.

Episode Highlights

• The "Underrated" Label Explained Elliot addresses constantly being called an "underrated" guitarist, revealing a dark truth: it was a conscious decision by the band's management. They intentionally prevented him from being branded as a standalone "guitar hero" (even turning down session work for Peter Frampton) to ensure the spotlight remained strictly on the band.
• Studio Legends: Mutt Lange vs. Roy Thomas Baker Elliot shares hilarious contrasts between legendary producers. While Mutt Lange was intensely serious and took nearly a year to craft Heartbeat City, Roy Thomas Baker (who produced their first four albums) would serve cucumber sandwiches on Union Jack napkins at George Martin's Air Studios.
• The Les Paul That Got Away Every guitar collector's nightmare: Elliot recounts turning down a left-handed 1960 Les Paul in 1980 because the dealer wanted an "indignant" $8,000 for it. The guitar was quickly snatched up by Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and later sold to Paul McCartney. Today, it's worth half a million dollars.
• "My Best Friend's Girl" Lesson Elliot grabs his guitar to break down his iconic, rockabilly-tinged solo from "My Best Friend's Girl." He walks Kylie through the pedal steel bends and slick fingerpicking that made the track a timeless classic.