After all the reviews I've read about this album, I was expecting it to be a total downer. Suprisingly, it isn't, at least to me. There isn't one song on Door To Door that I dislike, and a few of them I really find to be among the band's best. Overall though, it's still the Cars' weakest album. Most of the magic that had surrounded Heartbeat City and their great 1985 single 'Tonight She Comes' (my favorite Cars song) had worn away by 1987. Most of the band members seemed more interested in their solo albums working on Door To Door. It's no wonder they split up after this album. At least it starts out great, with 'Leave or Stay', packed with more of that familiar Ric Ocasek humor and a nice, melodic chorus. After that comes the sole 'hit' on Door To Door, 'You Are The Girl'. A charming song with some of the band's best harmonies, and pretty, trademark keyboard-driven melody. There's still magic here at least. This was the first Door To Door song I'd ever heard, as it was also on The Cars Complete Greatest Hits collection. 'Double Trouble' is good, but not great, though it has a good chorus and driving guitars. 'Fine Line' is one of my favorite Cars songs. Moody, atmospheric, and filled with great lyrics, this has, like 'You Are The Girl', a classic Cars feel. One reviewer dubbed 'Fine Line' as a limp 'Drive' remake, though it's always reminded me more of 'A Dream Away' from the Shake It Up album or 'You Wear Those Eyes' from Panorama. Possible the best song on Door To Door. Then there's 'Everything You Say' which is one of a few of the songs on this album that has a different feel than your average Cars song. It's almost country or rockabilly-ish. I still like it though. Another great chorus. 'Ta Ta Wayo Wayo' is weird and different, but still quite good. Reminds me of Sandinista!-era Clash, sort of. Check out that boogie-woogie piano riff; very weird for a Cars song. 'Strap Me In' is a failed single, which is too bad, since it's a great, classic-feeling Cars rocker. Killer chorus; should've stormed the charts. Killer intro too, very stately and classical. The next song, 'Coming Up You', I really love. It's bordering on soft rock, but I don't care. Can't get enough of that melody and Ben Orr's honey voice. Miss 'im. This was yet another failed single, but I can't get enough listens to it. 'Wound Up On You' is a wonderful ballad, a la 'Why Can't I Have You'. Pretty chorus, filled with soft, subtle hooks. Shoulda been a single. 'Go Away' is more friendly than the title implies, with the narrator imploring his significant other, "why don't we go away?". This one also has a great hook in the chorus, and no matter what people say about this album, the Cars' gift for songcraft and melody still remains intact. The last song on the album, and the last Cars song ever, is the near-punk attack of the title track. This one is a bit of a mess, production-wise, but I guess we all got used to the slickness of Heartbeat City. It's not bad, but coulda been better, just like most of this album. Though I like Door To Door for the most part, I just wish they'd more and better albums after this one. Ah well. Any car can run out of gas.

"Door to Door" has been much-maligned over the years although it is far superior to its predecessor, "Heartbeat City". Actually, as Cars' albums go, this is one of the better ones in terms of overall quality, ranking behind only their debut album and the brilliant "Panorama". There is evidence here, suggested by songs like "Fine Line", "Wound Up on You" (with its gorgeous harmonies and suspended chords), and the almost country-ish "Everything You Say", that the Cars were on the verge of veering off into new creative territory. It's unfortunate that this was their last album since "Door to Door" is still better than the next two Ric Ocasek solo albums that followed. The old-style Cars formula on "You Are the Girl" sounds tired and it's the least interesting song here. If you haven't listened to this album in a while, reacquaint yourself. What it lacks in pop immediacy (i.e. the catchy singles that dominated "Heartbeat City") it more than compensates for in atmosphere and mood.

The Cars were spent by the time this came out. Their time had passed, and their music was stale. I was as much a Cars fan as anyone, but this one was painful to listen to. Some have pointed out how they'd branched off into new areas, etc, fact is they weren't a band by now. They were just gearing up for their bland solo careers. The Cars had 3 different kinds of fans by this point 1) the rockers who liked the first two albums 2) the hardcore fans who put up with Panorama/Shake It Up, and 3) the mainstream that ate up Heartbeat City. None of those had anything to do with this hodgepodge of an album. They were recycling really old stuff (Leave or Stay/Ta Ta Wayo Wayo), and trying Country-New Wave, not a pretty thing. There are 3 songs worth having: Leave Or Stay, You Are The Girl, and the best song, Strap Me In. Otherwise, and it pains me to say this, garbage. I about vomited when I heard "Coming Up You" in a [local store], I knew they were done then.

The Cars "Door to Door" is a classic example of a underrated rock album. Some of the critics obviously didn't get it however, fans and critics who know The Cars albums back to the beginning in '78 understand that "Door to Door" is an exellent very diverse album covering many music styles from the rocking "Strap Me In" and pop sounding "You Are the Girl" to the punk sounding title track "Door to Door" down to the softer sound of "Comming Up You" sung by Ben Orr. All of the songs are done with a true reflection of The Cars styles of previous albums while also showing a more mature sound. Producer Ric Ocasek does a great job in keeping the album sounding consistent, strong and not overly Produced. "Door to Door" is highly recommended and a superb foll-up to the very successful "Heartbeat City". A great ending to The Cars studio albums!

The other reviews say all that needs to be stated. All I can say is, believe what the majority of people here are alluding to; this is not just a great Cars album, but arguably the best overall thing they EVER recorded. Darker and moodier, with a higher level of maturity than found on any previous releases. Don't be a victim of the rumors that this album was in any way inferior, it has greater depth than anything else they ever released. A proud way to go out actually...