My Top 2000 Songs #1025: A Dream Away

Obviously, there are far better songs by The Cars; certainly better known songs. But The Cars are one of those artists--like, say, Tom Petty or Led Zeppelin--who were such a radio mainstay in my formative years that I just don't have a ton of interest in their most popular tracks. Yet I can still find some joy in the lesser-known deep cuts that weren't worn into the ground by classic rock overplay. 

Like "A Dream Away," off 1981's Shake It Up. Yeah, the title track is the more obvious hit; and if forced to pick the best number on the LP, I'd have to go with opening track "Since You're Gone." But something about "A Dream Away" has always fascinated me. It's less pop, and more straight electronica, something out of the Giorgio Moroder playbook (or maybe predicting acts like The Orb), a swanky nightclub dance beat but slowed down to a more hypnotic groove. All backed up by a killer bassline with a spooky Ric Ocasek spoken-word narrative. The Cars, as much as I respect them, were far too radio-ready to be truly cool, but this track? Sheer cool.

Live 1984:

Early version: