Cruiser (song)

"Cruiser" is a song by American new wave band the Cars, from their 1981 album Shake It Up.

"Cruiser"
Single by The Cars
from the album Shake It Up
A-side	"Shake It Up"
Released	November 9, 1981 (1981-11-09)
Recorded	1981
Studio	Syncro Sound (Boston)
Genre	New wave rock
Length	4:54[1]
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Ric Ocasek
Producer(s)	Roy Thomas Baker
The Cars singles chronology
"Gimme Some Slack" (1981) "Shake It Up" / "Cruiser" (1981) "Since You're Gone" (1982)
Shake It Up track listing
9 tracks Side one "Since You're Gone" "Shake It Up" "I'm Not the One" "Victim of Love" "Cruiser" Side two "A Dream Away" "This Could Be Love" "Think It Over" "Maybe Baby"

Background

"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

"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

Chart (1981)	Peak position
US Billboard Mainstream Rock[7][8]	37
US Billboard Dance Club Songs[9]	14

References

1. Prato, Greg. "The Cars: Shake It Up". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
2. "First Impressions: The Cars - Shake It Up". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. December 4, 1981. p. ME-15.
3. Sendra, Tim. "Shake It Up". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
4. Bohen, Jim (December 13, 1981). "Shortcuts". Daily Record. p. D6. Retrieved 2020-04-27 – via newspapers.com.
5. Wawzenek, Bryan (November 6, 2016). "How the Cars Balanced Rock and New Wave on 'Shake It Up'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
6. Prato, Greg. "The Cars: Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
7. "The Cars: Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
8. "The Cars Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
9. "The Cars Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
10. Morse, Steve (November 29, 1981). "Geils accelerates, while the Cars stall". The Boston Globe. pp. 57, 66. Retrieved 2020-04-27 – via newspapers.com.