| "Cruiser" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Cars | ||||
| from the album Shake It Up | ||||
| A-side | "Shake It Up" | |||
| Released | November 9, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Studio | Syncro Sound (Boston) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:54 [1] | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ric Ocasek | |||
| Producer(s) | Roy Thomas Baker | |||
| The Cars singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Shake It Up track listing | ||||
9 tracks | ||||
"Cruiser" is a song by American new wave band The Cars, from their 1981 album Shake It Up .
"Cruiser" was written by Cars songwriter and vocalist Ric Ocasek and sung by bassist-vocalist Benjamin Orr.
Upon the release of Shake It Up, "Cruiser" was singled out for some praise. The Bangor Daily News , in an otherwise unenthusiastic review of Shake It Up, cited "Cruiser" as a source of "real excitement". [2] AllMusic reviewer Greg Prato describes the song as "rocking" and a highlight of the album. [1] On the other hand, AllMusic critic Tim Sendra describes the song as "a pale version of a rocker from either of the first two albums." [3] Daily Record critic Jim Bohen describes how drummer David Robinson "pounds his drums over the beat of the rhythm machine" to generate "dance floor dynamics." [4]
At the end of the song, guitarist Elliot Easton played in multiple styles in an attempt to emulate the Beatles' guitarists playing off each other during their song "The End". [5]
In addition to appearing on the album, "Cruiser" was released as the B-side of the single "Shake It Up". "Cruiser" was also included in the 1995 Cars compilation Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology . Prato describes the song as a highlight of the anthology. [6]
Live versions of the song appeared in the VHS release The Cars Live 1984–1985 and the CD/DVD release The Cars Unlocked.
"Cruiser" became a minor rock radio hit on its own. It reached number 37 on Billboard 's Top Tracks chart in 1982. [7] [8] Along with "Shake It Up" it reached #14 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. [9] Boston Globe critic Steve Morse praised "Cruiser" as a highlight of Shake It Up and an exception from the "absence of spirit" of the album. [10]
Ultimate Classic Rock critic Bryan Wawzenek described it as a "modern rock radio favorite." [5]
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock [7] [8] | 37 |
| US Billboard Dance Club Songs [9] | 14 |
The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes (keyboards), and David Robinson (drums). Ocasek and Orr shared lead vocals, and Ocasek was the band's principal songwriter and leader.
Shake It Up is the fourth studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on November 6, 1981, by Elektra Records. It was the last Cars record to be produced by Roy Thomas Baker. A much more pop-oriented album than its predecessor, its title track became the band's first Billboard top-10 single. Spin magazine included it on their "50 Best Albums of 1981" list.
"Shake It Up" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their fourth studio album of the same name (1981). It was released on November 9, 1981, as the album's lead single. Although appearing for the first time in 1981, it was actually written years earlier by the band's songwriter and lead singer Ric Ocasek. The song became one of the Cars' most popular songs, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Top Tracks chart in early 1982. With the track "Cruiser" as its B-side, it reached number 14 on the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart.
"Let's Go" is a song by American rock band the Cars, written by Ric Ocasek for the band's second studio album, Candy-O (1979). A new wave rock song, the song's hook was inspired by the Routers. The song's vocals are performed by bassist Benjamin Orr.
"Good Times Roll" is a song by American rock band the Cars released as the first track from their 1978 debut album The Cars. Written by Ric Ocasek as a sarcastic comment on rock's idea of good times, the song features layered harmonies courtesy of producer Roy Thomas Baker.
"Hello Again" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their album Heartbeat City (1984). It was released on October 15, 1984 as the album's fourth single. The song was the fourth top-20 entry from the album, reaching number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it also reached number eight on the Hot Dance/Disco chart and number 22 on the Top Rock Tracks chart. Ric Ocasek sings lead vocals on the track.
"Dangerous Type" is a 1979 song by the Cars from their second studio album, Candy-O. It was written by Ric Ocasek.
"It's All I Can Do" is a song by the American rock band the Cars. It is the third track from their 1979 album Candy-O. It was written by the band's leader and songwriter Ric Ocasek, and features bassist Benjamin Orr on vocals.
"Tonight She Comes" is a 1985 song by American rock band the Cars from their Greatest Hits album. It was released as a single in October 1985, reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1986. The song reached number one on the Top Rock Tracks chart, where it stayed for three weeks.
"Double Life" is a single by the American rock band the Cars from their second album Candy-O. Written by Ric Ocasek, the song was almost left off the album. The song was released as the third single from the album in 1979, but did not chart.
"I'm Not the One" is a song by the American rock band the Cars, from their fourth album, Shake It Up. It features Ric Ocasek on lead vocals, Benjamin Orr singing the 'you know why' phrase, and the whole group repeating "going round and round" as backing vocals throughout the song.
"Funtime" is a song written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie, first released by Iggy Pop on his 1977 album entitled The Idiot. It reflects Iggy and Bowie's growing fascination with the German music scene, and bears marked similarities to "Lila Engel" by krautrock band Neu!. It has since been covered by multiple artists including Blondie, Boy George, Bebe Buell, Peter Murphy, R.E.M. and The Cars.
"The Little Black Egg" is a song first performed by Daytona Beach, Florida garage band the Nightcrawlers in 1965. It was a minor hit in both the US and Canada, reaching number 85 on the US Billboard charts in 1967, while doing slightly better in Canada, where it hit number 74. The song has been since covered by multiple artists including Inner City Unit, the Lemonheads, Neighb'rhood Childr'n, Tarnation, the Primitives and the Cars. It was the Nightcrawlers' only hit.
"Gimme Some Slack" is a song by the American rock band the Cars from the album Panorama. The song was written by bandleader Ric Ocasek.
"Since You're Gone" is a song by the American rock band the Cars. It was released as the second single from their fourth album, Shake It Up.
"Touch and Go" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their 1980 album Panorama. The song was written and sung by bandleader Ric Ocasek.
"Don't Tell Me No" is a song by the American New wave band, the Cars. The song, written by Ric Ocasek, appeared on the band's third studio album, Panorama.
"Victim of Love" is a song by the American new wave band the Cars, appearing on their fourth studio album, Shake It Up. It was written by Ric Ocasek.
"Think It Over" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their fourth studio album, Shake It Up (1981). It was written by Ric Ocasek.
"Your Number or Your Name" is a song written by Doug Fieger and Berton Averre that was first released by the Knack as the second track on their No. 1 debut album Get the Knack in 1979. It also appeared on a number of live and compilation albums.
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| Related articles | |
| The New Cars | |
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