"Touch and Go" by The Cars

Song#:  0324
Date:  09/06/1980
Debut:  80
Peak:  37
Weeks:  11
Genre:  New Wave, Rock



Pop Bits:  Boston's The Cars enjoyed immediate success with their first two albums. Their blend of new wave, pop and rock sounded great on the airwaves and their first five chart songs (with "Let's Go" the highest peaking at #14) lead to the albums going platinum. For their third album "Panorama," the group moved away from their instantly catchy songs to ones a bit more dark and experimental. Their built-in fan base put the album in the Top 10 and this single on the chart, but it was nowhere near as successful as their first two discs. They would return to form the following year and begin moving towards the peak of their popularity.

ReduxReview:  The Cars is one of those groups I should totally love - but I don't. Their 80s new wave pop/rock seems to fit in with everything else I like. However, they just run hot and cold for me. For every terrific song like "Just What I Needed" there is...well...something like this song. It just does not work and is not a good single. Eventually I did come to appreciate their major songs and I like to toss on their hits disc once in a while, but that's about as far as I can go with them.

ReduxRating:  4/10

Trivia:  Band members Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr formed the trio Milkwood in the early 70s with Jas Goodkind. The group got a deal with Paramount Records and released one album in 1973 called "How's the Weather?" The music was a far cry from the new wave of The Cars. They were more like disciples of Crosby, Stills and Nash with an acoustic folk-rock sound that featured lots of harmonies. The album tanked, but Ocasek and Orr moved on to rock 'n' roll and hit big with The Cars. (Tracks from the Milkwood album are on YouTube - check it out. It's hard to hear how "Shake It Up" came out of these beginnings...)

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