The Cars – Door to Door – 1987
Remember that muddy, cloudy, dense production that was smeared all over Panorama? It’s back. “Leave or Stay” might have actually been good had anyone thought to put some air between the instruments. Fortunately, the sparsity of arrangement on “You Are the Girl” can overcome the shoddy production.
Door to Door is one of the most maligned albums in any band’s catalog. It’s not that this is the record that ended the band. It’s that The Cars were done by this time. 9 years from that first, perfect release and, well, they just had nothing else to say. They were always basically a one trick pony. That trick worked for a handful of singles. But, it was always going to run out of steam at some point. That point was just before Door to Door.
This album is turgid and worse, anonymous. It could be any synth band of the era. Devoid of ideas, heart, emotion, or fun.
Avoid it.
Grade: D
ASide: You Are the Girl
BlindSide:
DownSide: Fine Line, Double Trouble, Ta Ta Wayo Wayo
