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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Underrated; A true dark wonder, October 14, 1999
By A Customer
Many bands of the eighties had obscure albums released, but I've heard none quite like this one. When I first saw the cover to the album, I figured it will be different from your average Cars album, for it didn't have a picture of a woman on it. The electronics dominate the atmosphere of the album, with great textural guitar parts in the background. The album has really three types of music in it. Hard Edged guitar rockers (Gimme Some Slack, Down Boys, Running to You, Up and Down)the electronic songs (Misfit Kid, You Wear Those Eyes, Getting Through) and album defining new wave type songs (Panorama, Touch and Go, Don't Tell Me No). In my opinion, the best Cars album, and probably their hardest rocking album. Definitly worth buying.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Panorama worth many listens, August 24, 2003
By A Customer
Panorama is indeed an under rated album. Some 20+ years after its release, it still sounds as forward and inventive as the day it was released. Having been in my early teens when this album was released, my first exposure to The Cars was with a series of Candy-O songs I'd heard on the radio. I was instantly hooked on the Candy-O title track. Then came Panorama and CITI FM played Gimme Some Slack, Touch and Go and Up and Down. All 3 of these songs really resonated with me then as they do today. Songs like You Wear Those Eyes, Panorama, Getting Through, etc. seem similar in that they all fall within the supposed "Dark" mood of the album, and yet they cover the spectrum of emotions, including quite humourous lyrics.It seems that some like to criticize Ric Ocasek for much of his mainstream work although he can hardly be blamed for wanting to actually make a living selling music; one would really need to listen to the man's full body of work, including his solo work and rethink the mainstream label. Still, few musical composers could claim to have a musical style so unique that it is almost instantly recognizable, within a few notes, as sounding like nobody else. The fact that most songs on their other releases are catchy and likeable should be no source of shame...it's not like it sounds great because it's a repackage of someone else's material as is a common practice in the current mainstream scene. Ric Ocasek has performed in many musical genres, including his first major label release with an early 70's folk bank called Milkwood. A complete listen to the Cars library should greatly impress new listeners with the large collection of great songs, and Panorama proves the Cars to be a band that was willing to break out of the mainstream at the risk of losing the mainstream ear. For one album they almost joined the likes of Wall of Voodoo's Dark Continent album which is as clever as it is "unaccessable". Let's not forget the music scene that bands like the Cars rescued us from in the late 70's. Thank you Cars for 23 years of great listening with Panorama.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of their greatest work, May 29, 2001
I remember when this album came out, a reviewer labeled it as "what happens when Ric Ocasek runs out of ideas for songs". What did he know? While I am partial to the Cars, having been a major fan since their first album, I find Panorama to be a very important piece of work in their short career. I consider Candy-O to be my favorite album, and their best release, yet Panorama is a fantastic ride. This album is why headphones were invented--to drown out all other noise so you can focus entirely on the music. What a rich collection of sound and word, indeed. Anyone who is curious about the Cars needs to get this album, if none other.
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album Panorama 
