We tried but there was nothing we could do (Eclectic Playlist Series 6.09)

I started this playlist more towards the beginning of this month, and had landed on opening with "Since You're Gone," only to bump within days into the sad news of Ric Ocasek's passing. This was always one of my favorite, less-heralded Cars songs; in it, Ocasek sounded, to my ears, a bit more emotionally tender than the icier and/or more ironic tone he employed more generally, and to great effect I might add. Tenderer doesn't necessarily makes the song better, but in this case the hint of poignancy strikes me as a sort of magic ingredient. And, randomly, I've always loved "I took the big vacation" as a wayward description of heartache and its aftermaths. From there this mix as usual wanders near and far, chronologically and stylistically. For more information visit http://fingertipsmusic.com/?p=20153; for the full playlist see the comments below.