Cruiser (song)
| "Cruiser" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Cars | |
| from the album Shake It Up | |
| A-side | "Shake It Up" |
| Released | November 9, 1981 (1981年11月9日) |
| 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 .
Background
[edit ]"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.
Reception
[edit ]"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 performance
[edit ]| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock [7] [8] | 37 |
| US Billboard Dance Club Songs [9] | 14 |
References
[edit ]- ^ a b Prato, Greg. "The Cars: Shake It Up". AllMusic . Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "First Impressions: The Cars - Shake It Up". Bangor Daily News . Bangor, Maine. December 4, 1981. p. ME-15.
- ^ Sendra, Tim. "Shake It Up". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020年04月27日.
- ^ Bohen, Jim (December 13, 1981). "Shortcuts". Daily Record. p. D6. Retrieved 2020年04月27日 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Wawzenek, Bryan (November 6, 2016). "How the Cars Balanced Rock and New Wave on 'Shake It Up'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2024年10月05日.
- ^ Prato, Greg. "The Cars: Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology". AllMusic . Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ a b "The Cars: Billboard Singles". AllMusic . Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ a b "The Cars Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2020年04月27日.
- ^ a b "The Cars Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2020年04月27日.
- ^ Morse, Steve (November 29, 1981). "Geils accelerates, while the Cars stall". The Boston Globe. pp. 57, 66. Retrieved 2020年04月27日 – via newspapers.com.