Anybody else here a fan of the Cars' "Panorama"?

I know some of the Cars thought this was the best album they made, and were disappointed it received mostly a negative reaction. I think it's excellent. They took some real chances with strange time signatures, dissonant melodies (more so than usual).

Maybe the lack of a good-looking chick on the cover turned some people off.

 

My favoite album of all times since it came out


D.

 

I've always loved Cars, Candy-O and Panarama. All three kicked butt...then they started to change, and their quality went way down hill.

 

Cars, Candy-O, and Panorama is a logical creative progression. What followed was a logical creative regression, a stasis, indeed for a while a highly successful commercialization.

For several years I considered Panorama the best in much the same manner that Relayer by Yes was the best, the pinnacle of creative exploration. In subsequent years, though, I have simply enjoyed the first three Cars' albums equally... a fine band writing some superlative material.

I saw the Cars on the Panorama tour in September 1980 in Indianapolis. Martha Davis and the Motels opened.

Dr. Weber

 

When Panorama came out in the summer of 1980, I was somewhat disappointed, since I had loved the S/T and Candy-O to the point of playing them to death.

That being said, I must have listened to Panorama for 2 months straight when it first came out, and it didn't take long to grow on me.

Today, I consider it to be my second favorite Cars album behind Candy-O.

BTW, after the cover of Candy-O, the cover of Panorama was a let down.

 

Some of my favorite Cars tunes are on Panorama, in particular "Running To You." Great guitar riff that opens the song (very outside & angular), and then the juxtaposition of the harpischord-like keyboard solo. Killer.

 

Great LP!

 

I love this record and the one two punch of the title track and Touch and Go is terrific. Many a times, i'd lift the needle up after touch and go and let those two rip a second time.

I've played it a few times this month as well, first time all year.

 

I'm pretty happy with my s/t, Candy-O and Heartbeat City cd's, but need to get Panorama and Shake It Up. Any advice on the best ones?

I've seen a Japan for US and 20P2 "Forever Young" version of Panorama while searching the archives. Are these both significantly better than the current HDCD discs that are in print?

 

Personally "Panorama" was my favorite Cars album. Still is. There's something about the album's herky-jerky arrangements and minimalism that appeals to me.

agentalbert asked:>I'm pretty happy with my s/t, Candy-O and Heartbeat City cd's, but need to get Panorama and Shake It Up. Any advice on the best ones?

I've seen a Japan for US and 20P2 "Forever Young" version of Panorama while searching the archives. Are these both significantly better than the current HDCD discs that are in print?<

The HDCD remasters are pretty good.

 

Panorama is a great album. I remember going with a friend of mine to a nearby record store to pick it up around the day of release.

 

HUGE Cars fan since day one. this one took a while to grow on me but I did learn to appreaciate it.

 

Has always been my favorite Cars album.

Last summer a friend of mine stayed at my house for a month or so, and got hooked on their first album while living with me. He's in his mid 30's and had little exposure to the Cars. He's since bought the entire discography...Loves them all, except Panorama and Door to Door.

 

Personally, I prefer the original non remastered CD's of 'Panorama' over the HDCD.

I have the Forever Young 20P2, Japan for U.S., and U.S. for U.S., versions of 'Panorama' on CD.

All three use the same mastering, and sound the same to my ears.

If you don't have it already, you might consider picking up a vinyl copy, as the 'Panorama' vinyl sounds very good.

 

Panorama was a strange album for even the Cars,'coz it didn't have the immediate accessibility of The Cars or Candy-O.The Cars had a new wave bite that became even more evident during this album.I remember that the original pressing sounded good so track that down if you can.

 

Except that Shake It Up, Heartbeat City, and Door to Door have yet to be remastered and/or appear with HDCD coding, IIRC.

 

I absolutely love side A of my Cars 'Panorama' LP.Elliott Easton was just too
clever.Make that the whole band and Side B too! I have a lot of favorites from
back in Jr. Hi but this one is timeless.More hooks than a tackle box as Kevin
Gilbert used to say.........................."It's all the same, except for my shoes"

 

Door to Door has been my fav Cars album. Played it a dozen times in the past year.

SA

 

Ahhh, Ric just wants to be in your panorama ...

This is the creative apex of The Cars' discography. I bought Panorama on 8-track (yeah, you head me), and the thing blew my mind. I'd loved the singles I'd heard on the radio from the first two albums, but this was my first full-length exposure to The Cars. I was fascinated with counting the circular patterns in the verses of "Touch and Go" or trying to keep up with the breakneck pace of "Gimme Some Slack." There were still hooks a-plenty, but they came at you from a different angle than those of the debut or Candy-O. The menace in "Up and Down" or the dark beauty in "You Wear Those Eyes" or the droll, affected 'tude of "Don't Tell Me No" ... love it all. This was the '80s!

After this, I felt the band retreated to simpler sounds and more palatable textures on Shake It Up and (especially) Heartbeat City. There was fun to be had, to be sure, but The Cars were never again as challenging. With Panorama, the band seemed to be playing almost above its skill level -- something I now know isn't true, but hopefully you get my meaning. In a way, these are still simple little pop songs that follow a formula, but in terms of arrangements, tempos, minor-key chord changes and such, they're a bit more daring than that. How many here heard "I'm your 'merican misfit kid ..." and went, "Yeah, that's me!"?

This album is not for the casual Cars fan, but it's for every forward-thinking music fan.

Oh, and one other thing: This album's "Down Boys" is far cooler than Warrant's!

 

That 8 track I'll have to tell you is very good quality - still own and play it on my Hifi 8 track deck. I have the US LP and got recently the WEA Europe non re-mastered CD new for peanuts.
I've liked this album a logical progression from the first two stylistically.
Favourites of mine from it include title track, You Were Those Eyes and Misfit Kid.
Shake It Up was a disappointment.

 

We should rename this "The Cars Appreciation Thread"

It's been awhile since I put in my DCC copy of "The Cars" (self-titled album) and I forgot how much it rocks. what a great debut album--both in song content, track segues and sonics. It blows away the Police's debut album. Too bad The Cars burned out at the end.

Coffee talk: Should The Cars have stopped on a high note with "Heartbeat City" and the "Greatest Hits" albums and not even release "Door to Door"?

 

Thanks for the suggestions, Scott. The halfprice books I was in yesterday had a few vinyl copies of Panorama, but both were pretty beat up, so I passed, even though they were only $2.

 

They are probably worthy of an album by album thread.

I have listened to the whole of PANORAMA in years. I don't think I even have the CD anymore. But I love all the cuts on the 2 CD best of. "Touch & Go" & "Gimme Some Slack" are 2 of my favorite Cars tracks. John Lennon liked "T & G". (Sorry to drop a Beatles reference.) But he mentioned it in one of his last interviews saying it sounded very influenced by the 50's with the "oh oh oh" hook. I think the Cars are pretty underrated. Most of their records still hold up extremely well. Ric Ocasek is a great songwriter and has own unique vocal style. Ben Orr was a fantastic singer. Elliot Easton is an incredible lead guitar player. He really elevated those songs with his technique. Greg Hawkes coloring gave it a contemporary sound, and David Robinson was always solid and got a great drum sound. I'd put the first album up with almost any debut release.

 

I'm a HUGE Cars fan i live in Boston and saw them on Newbury St. everyday back in 1980 when they had Syncro Sound across from Newbury Comics.( i was going to school in Boston at the time )
Panorama is my Fave , i remember when it was released how strange it
sounded especially coming after Candy-O. My then current girlfriend and i
warmed up to Panorama pretty quickly "Getting Through" ,Misfit Kid" and
"Gimme Some Slack"

I also remember hearing on BCN the first time they Played Touch and Go
on the radio.......that guitar solo still blows my mind .

 

Touch and Go has my all time favorite guitar solo.