Panorama (The Cars song)

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"Panorama"
Song by the Cars
from the album Panorama
ReleasedAugust 15, 1980
Genre New wave
Length5:42
Label Elektra
Songwriter(s) Ric Ocasek
Producer(s) Roy Thomas Baker
Panorama track listing
10 tracks
Side one
  1. "Panorama"
  2. "Touch and Go"
  3. "Gimme Some Slack"
  4. "Don't Tell Me No"
  5. "Getting Through"
Side two
  1. "Misfit Kid"
  2. "Down Boys"
  3. "You Wear Those Eyes"
  4. "Running To You"
  5. "Up and Down"

"Panorama" is a 1980 song by the Cars from their third studio album, Panorama . It was written by Ric Ocasek. Despite not being released as a single, the song has since become "a cult favorite". [1]

Contents

Lyrics and music

"Panorama" is described by AllMusic writer Donald Guarisco as "one of Ric Ocasek's most direct love songs", with Ocasek singing "I just want to be in your panorama". [1] Guarisco continued, saying that the music, however, "utilizes a quirky, up-tempo style, juxtaposing tense verses that veer high and low in a neurotic style with a more melodic chorus that dreamily descends from high to low in an alluring style." [1]

Music video

Although "Panorama" did not see release as a single, a music video was filmed for the song. [1] The video, described as "a fun spy film parody video" by Guarisco, was directed by Chuck Statler, notable for directing the band Devo's early music videos, along with Devo co-founder Gerald Casale. [1] The song "got some early MTV exposure". [1] The video featured all five members of the band, as well as producer Roy Thomas Baker.

PopMatters critic Dennis Shin rated the video as one of "20 ’80S music videos that have aged terribly." [2]

Reception

AllMusic critic Greg Prato, reviewing the album, said, "standouts included the swirling title track that opens the album". [3] Guarisco said that the track was "an entertainingly unconventional love song that fuses heartfelt sentiment with futuristic soundscapes." [1] Rolling Stone critic Ken Tucker felt that lead guitarist Elliot Easton's "prancing, post-Beatles pop runs" on this song are "among the album's few authentic pleasures." [4] Billboard rated it as one of the album's "best cuts". [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Guarisco, Donald. "Panorama (song)". allmusic.com.
  2. ↑ Shin, Dennis (November 19, 2020). "20 '80S Music Videos That Have Aged Terribly". PopMatters. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  3. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Panorama". allmusic.com.
  4. ↑ Tucker, Ken (October 16, 1980). "The Cars: Panorama". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on December 19, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Top Album Picks". Billboard . Vol. 92, no. 35. August 30, 1980. p. 84. ISSN   0006-2510 – via Google Books.
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