Door to Door (album)
Door to Door is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Cars. It was released in 1987 on Elektra Records.
Door to Door | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 25, 1987 | |||
Recorded | April–May 1987 | |||
Genre | Rock[1] | |||
Length | 46:43 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Producer | Ric Ocasek, Greg Hawkes | |||
The Cars chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Door to Door | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic |
Background
Door to Door was the group's last studio album before they disbanded in 1988. It was also the last Cars record to feature Benjamin Orr before his death in 2000. The band would not release another studio album until 2011's Move Like This.
Although by 1987 the Cars had reached the heights of superstardom, their last few albums had relied heavily on studio tricks and machines but this album was an attempt to move back to the group's original roots. For example, where the previous album, Heartbeat City, extensively used sampled and sequenced drums (a move that had somewhat alienated drummer David Robinson), this album returned to having Robinson performing the drums in the studio, often simultaneously with other band members
During a writing jam session, the band began to play "Ta Ta Wayo Wayo", a song from their earliest days together. It had never been recorded in the studio, except as a demo in 1977. They enjoyed the tune so much that the 1987 version of the song made it onto the album. The opening track, "Leave or Stay", also was originally a 1977 demo that was not properly recorded until Door to Door, although they had often played the song live in the band's early days.[3] Both tracks had their respective 1977 demo versions eventually issued on the 1995 compilation Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology.
While the original album bears the credit "Produced by Ric Ocasek", individual tracks from this record that appear on various Cars compilations bear the credit "Produced by Ric Ocasek and Greg Hawkes".
The lead single of the album, "You Are the Girl", reached number #17 on the Billboard 100 as well as reaching number #2 on the rock charts. The follow-up single, "Strap Me In", only scraped into the top 100, peaking at #85, although it was much more successful on the rock charts, where it reached #4. The final single released, "Coming Up You", peaked at 74 on the charts and was also a moderate hit on the adult contemporary charts.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ric Ocasek except where noted.
No. | Title | Vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Leave or Stay" | Ocasek | 2:55 |
2. | "You Are the Girl" | Ocasek/Orr | 3:52 |
3. | "Double Trouble" | Orr | 4:14 |
4. | "Fine Line" | Ocasek | 5:22 |
5. | "Everything You Say" | Orr | 4:52 |
6. | "Ta Ta Wayo Wayo" | Ocasek | 2:52 |
No. | Title | Vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
7. | "Strap Me In" | Ocasek | 4:22 |
8. | "Coming Up You" | Orr | 4:18 |
9. | "Wound Up on You" | Ocasek | 5:02 |
10. | "Go Away" (Greg Hawkes, Ocasek) | Orr | 4:38 |
11. | "Door to Door" | Ocasek | 3:17 |
Personnel
The Cars
- Ric Ocasek – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
- Elliot Easton – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Greg Hawkes – keyboards, backing vocals
- Benjamin Orr – bass guitar, lead vocals
- David Robinson – drums, backing vocals
Production
- Arranged by the Cars
- Produced by Ric Ocasek; Co-produced by Greg Hawkes.
- Recorded, Engineered and Mixed by Joe Barbaria
- Second Engineer – Jamie Chaleff
- Additional Recording and Mixing by David Heglmeier, Brian Sklarz and Tracy Wiener.
- Technical Assistance by Andy Topeka
- Mastered by Stephen Innocenzi (CD) and George Marino (LP)
- Design and Photography – Marco Glaviano
- Painting – Emanuele DiLiberto
- Management – Elliot Roberts and Jeff Kramer
Charts
Album
Chart (1987–1988) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200[4] | 26 |
Singles
Year | Title | Chart | Peak position |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | "Strap Me In" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[5] | 4 |
1987 | "Strap Me In" | Billboard Hot 100[6] | 85 |
1987 | "You Are the Girl" | Adult Contemporary[7] | 12 |
1987 | "You Are the Girl" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[5] | 2 |
1987 | "You Are the Girl" | Billboard Hot 100[6] | 17 |
1987 | "Double Trouble" | Mainstream Rock Tracks[5] | 42 |
1988 | "Coming Up You" | Billboard Hot 100[6] | 74 |
1988 | "Coming Up You" | Adult Contemporary[7] | 37 |
Notes
- "Door to Door - the Cars | Songs, Reviews, Credits".
- Door to Door at AllMusic
- "Why the Cars Ran off the Road with 'Door to Door'".
- "The Cars Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- "The Cars Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- "The Cars Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- "The Cars Chart History: Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.