THE CARS : 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

Label : Elektra

Length : 46:43

Release Date : 1987

Review (AllMusic) : 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.

Review (Sputnik Music) : While I’ve never been the biggest fan of 80s pop music, I’ve come to appreciate and respect the bands and artists that do it “right”. Within an era so obsessed with plucking simplistic three-note melodies on now-outdated synth pads, The Cars didn’t do much to differentiate themselves from the scene. Their final 80s release, Door to Door doesn’t seem to mind that it falls into this oversaturated description, making it a somewhat bland and disappointing listen overall. However, every once in a while there’s some glimpses of maturity and slight experimentation like in the slow burner ‘Fine Line’, a Sting-esque ballad of romantic reservations. It’s a song that embodies this sultry love-stricken tone much to its advantage, yet all momentum is lost once the hillbilly-bouncing waltz ‘Everything You Say’ plays immediately afterwards. Another rare flash of brilliance is found within the opener, which almost sounds like a strange glam-rock Beatles track. While it is somewhat fulfilling, it seems a bit too borrowed and familiar to be considered an entirely original breakthrough. Honestly, this album sometimes gets so oversaturated in new wave cheesiness that it feels like I’m listening to the soundtrack of an outdated 80s rom-com. Highlights aside, this album is simply an exercise in arena-rock power chords and vapid lyrics about love. I think a younger version of me would’ve appreciated the Bon Jovi sounding guitars blaring through the sparkling clean drum tracks, but such aesthetics are lost on me as of late. The album’s consistency doesn’t help this fact, and by the time the title track roars through to end the suffering, it’s too little and much too late to save this record from droning mediocrity. If there’s anything salvageable about this album, I guess it’s a cute little screenshot of the era it was released within; nothing more than a substanceless, outdated polaroid photo left on the attic floor.