Panorama (The Cars album)

Panorama is the third studio album by American new wave band The Cars, released in 1980. Like its predecessors, it was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and released on Elektra Records.

Panorama
Studio album by
The Cars
ReleasedAugust 15, 1980 (1980-08-15)
RecordedApril – May 1980
StudioThe Power Station (New York, NY); Cherokee Studios (Los Angeles, CA).
GenreNew wave, art rock, pop rock
Length40:09
LabelElektra
ProducerRoy Thomas Baker
The Cars chronology
Candy-O
(1979)		 Panorama
(1980)		 Shake It Up
(1981)
Singles from Panorama
  1. "Touch and Go"
    Released: August 25, 1980
  2. "Don't Tell Me No"
    Released: November 10, 1980
  3. "Gimme Some Slack"
    Released: January 5, 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Pitchfork8.0/10[3]
Robert ChristgauB−[4]
Rolling Stone(not rated)[5]

Background

The record marked a change from the upbeat pop rock and hard rock of the group's previous albums, representing a more aggressive and experimental sound.[6] Billboard Magazine said that while Panorama retained The Cars' minimalist approach from their debut album, it sounded sufficiently different to avoid having the group sound like a caricature of itself.[7] It was not as commercially successful as The Cars' previous or subsequent albums (until 1987's Door to Door). Though it lacked any enduring hit singles, it did hit No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.[8]

As a single off the album, the song "Touch and Go" peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ric Ocasek.

Side one
No.TitleVocalsLength
1."Panorama"Ocasek5:42
2."Touch and Go"Ocasek4:55
3."Gimme Some Slack"Ocasek3:32
4."Don't Tell Me No"Benjamin Orr4:00
5."Getting Through"Ocasek2:35
Side two
No.TitleVocalsLength
6."Misfit Kid"Ocasek4:30
7."Down Boys"Orr3:08
8."You Wear Those Eyes"Orr/Ocasek4:55
9."Running to You"Orr3:22
10."Up and Down"Ocasek3:30
2017 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)VocalsLength
11."Shooting For You" (previously unreleased) Orr4:04
12."Be My Baby" (early version of "Maybe Baby") Ocasek5:00
13."The Edge" (previously unreleased) Orr3:26
14."Don't Go to Pieces" (B-side of "Don't Tell Me No" and "Gimme Some Slack")Ocasek, Greg HawkesOrr4:04

Personnel

The Cars

Production
  • Roy Thomas Baker – producer
  • Thom Moore – production assistant
  • Ian Taylor – engineer
  • John Weaver – assistant engineer
  • Jason Corsaro – assistant engineer
  • Paul McAlpine – photography
  • David Robinson – cover design
  • Elliot Roberts – management
  • Steve Berkowitz – management

Charts

Album
Chart (1980) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[9] 5

Single
Year Title Chart Position
1980 "Touch and Go" Billboard Pop Singles[10] 37

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[11] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes
  1. AllMusic Review
  2. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Cars". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  3. "The Cars: Panorama". Pitchfork Media.
  4. "Robert Christgau: CG: the cars". Robert Christgau.
  5. "link". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2007.
  6. "How The Cars Pushed Back With Their Third Album, 'Panorama'". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  7. "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. August 30, 1980. p. 84. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  8. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r3401
  9. "The Cars Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  10. "The Cars Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  11. "American album certifications – Cars – Panorama". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
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