The best Cars songs brought together an almost Motown-level sense of efficiency, a modern tone that was terse and sleek, and an attitude of nonchalance. Those qualities fueled the group’s rapid and sustained success. And they’re almost entirely absent from 1987’s Door to Door, the group’s dreary farewell album. Some of the songs here had been part of the band’s repertoire for 10 years or more, like “Leave or Stay” and “Ta Ta Wayo Wayo”, staples of the group’s live shows that the band members pulled out of the wastebasket for Door to Door, rather than writing fresh material. Still, The Cars do try out a few new tricks here: “Everything You Say” is twangier than anything the band had recorded before, but takes too long to reach the chorus. “Coming Up You” dabbles in light psychedelia, while “Double Trouble”, “Strap Me In” and “Door to Door” toughen the band’s sound, thanks to guitarist Elliot Easton’s power chords. Those are small rewards, though. And with the exception of “Ta Ta Wayo Wayo”, the album lacks exuberance, hooks and purpose. Fans agreed—which is why Door to Door is the worst-selling album of the band’s career. Although Ocasek was by no means an autobiographical lyricist, it’s hard to hear some of the lines in “Leave or Stay” (“Well, I could leave or stay/Makes no difference either way”) and not wonder if it describes his feelings about the group he’d fronted for more than a decade. By 1987, four of The Cars’ five band members had recorded solo albums, and on Door to Door, you can sense that they’re half out the door, their eyes on a different horizon. The Cars had a great run, but by the late 1980s, the group was stuck in third gear.