Lost/Forgotten Album #275

[Jon]

The fourth album in the series I thought up all by myself is 1987's "Door To Door" from The Cars.

Released three years after the 4X Multi-Platinum "Heartbeat City", this was the lowest charting studio album (and still is) and it only reached Gold certification. Even "Panorama", when The Cars decided to get arty or something sold more copies. 

When I bought "Heartbeat City" when it was released, I did not like it. Where was the rock? The whole album seemed to be filled with mid-tempo and slow songs. Yes, a lot of the songs were played quite a bit on the radio and MTV (when they meant something), but that had nothing to do with my dislike of that album. Even listening to it for the first time after 25 years ago or so, I still felt the same way.

Even though "Panorama" was out there, there's something a bit enjoyable about the album even though it's quite cold. The followup, "Shake It Up", was a callback to the first two album and it rocked quite a bit. "Door To Door" reminds me of SIU in that it rocks more than the previous album and that's why I like it so much more than HC. Too bad most people did not feel that way and this was it for The Cars until they got together with Todd Rundgren for a mostly live album as The New Cars (without Ric Ocasek) and then they were back with 2011's "Move Like This" (with Ric Ocasek, but without Todd Rundgren).

As expected, allmusic.com really doesn't like this album:

Even Ric Ocasek's own production couldn't save Door to Door from being a rather lackluster album, failing to capture the type of magic that the Cars instilled on past releases. Their last Top 40 single, "You Are the Girl," peaked at number 17 in September of 1987, while efforts like "Strap Me In" and the album's most melodious tune, "Coming Up You," failed to crack the number 50 mark. Missing from the album is the usual Cars chemistry, made up of Ocasek's crisp vocals and Elliot Easton's animated, hook-infused guitar work. Instead, tracks like "Go Away" and "Double Trouble" yield to murky instrumentation and subpar rock formulas. Even with some companionable keyboard playing from Greg Hawkes, which rises above any of the album's guitar contributions, the music on Door to Door neglects the savvy pop jump that normally comes from the Cars' music. With humdrum rhythms and cloudy melodies replacing any hint of pop depth, the album itself peaked at number 26 in the U.S. and a dismal number 72 in the U.K. The reason for Ocasek's lack of vigor and loss of desire became apparent in February of the next year when the breakup of the Cars was publicly announced.

Door To Door

1. Leave Or Stay
2. You Are The Girl
3. Double Trouble
4. Fine Line
5. Everything You Say
6. Ta Ta Wayo Wayo
7. Strap Me In
8. Coming Up You
9. Wound up On You
10. Go Away
11. Door To Door

Availability: Used for around $16, new around $22.

 

[RJhog (Admin)]

Let's see:

Leave Or Stay is a very nice track.  It has that classic Cars sound.  It's even kind of heavy.

You Are The Girl continues the goodness.  Benjamin Orr had such a great voice.  Nice guitar solo too.

Double Trouble is the best track yet.  There's more heaviness and it has a wicked guitar solo.

Fine Line is a cool ballad.

Everything You Say is more Orr greatness.  This one had a very different sounding drum beat.  

Ta Ta Wayo Wayo isn't particularly good.  Really the first track that I would skip.

Everything else just follows along the same line.  This is a very good album.  I totally dig Easton's playing and Orr's singing.  Extremely nice post.  Two weeks in a row I believe.  

[Scott]

• I like bands that buck the norm
• I like bands that aren't predictable
• I like bands that don't try to record "Mega Hit" PartII
• I like Panorama
• I like The Cars and I like Door to Door...

AllMusic got this one wrong, check the rating and review of those who own this on Amazon and iTunes.  Its all most 99% favorable with most of the critical reviews upset about this not being Heartbeat City part II.  Losers! 

The album has dark undertones so I know why Jon likes it, but I like that too.  Sure its not as great of a departure like Panorama was but so what!  The album opens up with two upbeat radio friendly tunes but breaks into the foreboding Double Trouble.  Fine Line cools the listener down nicely.  Easton is great guitar player, he textures a song so well as he does here, but he can rock it up as well!

Everything You Say is a nice rock-a-billy respite, its pleasant but not great.  Ta Ta Wayo Wayo, now we're hearing bits of Candy-O and Panorama mixed into this one.  I like its quirkiness and Easton's work really makes it more solid than it could have been.

Strap Me In is killer!  Riffage!  And I like the distortion they get on this one.  Again the guitar work is really strong which makes the transition into two consecutive ballads just fine with me!

Go Away has a You Are The Girl vibe to it, this may the one track that approaches filler here, but its bit better than filler as I would never skip it.

Now Door To Door closes this out.  And if you expected this from the Cars then you were lying.  OK, Candy-O rocked it up like this but not with the double bass drum kicks and pace of this ...  I like it!  And that's why I own it!

Jon is knocking this series out of the park.  I suspect this is getting a bit more attention than the lack of comments suggest.  If not its a crime!