Customer Reviews

Field Day

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After his first, eponymous album, Marshall Crenshaw was on the verge of becoming a seriously major pop star. But "Field Day" ended all that. It is one of the most infuriating and unfair stories in all of rock history. Crenshaw has gone on to record 7 or 8 additional albums of original songs, but with sales and therefore budgets dwindling further each time.

A couple of the reviews below express complaints about the "sound" of "Field Day," and suggest the "overproduction" was what killed this album and thus Crenshaw's title shot. I completely disagree. The sound was, and is, thrilling--an update to the Phil Spector-Brian Wilson approach to recording, sort of a hybrid of the 60s 'wall of sound' with the 70s heavy metal sound of, say, Led Zeppelin or Crenshaw's early heroes, the MC5. This production approach perfectly captures what Crenshaw often aimed for in his early career--the intelligence and craft of a Brian Wilson, but with a stronger punch. It is also reminiscent of the thick drum and bass sound the Beatles applied to many recordings, particularly on the White Album and "Abbey Road."

None of that would matter if the songs weren't utterly great. Utterly great. This is one of the true masterpieces of the pop-rock form. "Our Town," "Whenever You're On My Mind," "For Her Love," "One Day With You," and "Monday Morning Rock" are among the finest rock songs and performances ever, songs that build from simple, clever tunes into epic roars of passion. "Field Day" reaches in the same direction as Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run,"--an artist's mad pursuit of the three-minute song that says...everything.

There were members of the rock press who had it in for Crenshaw when this came out. The Rolling Stone review of "Field Day" was vicious. It appears that the review might have been payback, not against Crenshaw himself, but against a media rep who offended somebody at the lordly magazine. This was when (don't laugh) Rolling Stone actually mattered, influencing sales as well as perceived hipness. Crenshaw never really got another chance. People read that review and figured Crenshaw was a flash in the pan. I remember reading it and thinking, "How bad could it really be?" I've never stopped listening to it since.

The other albums in the reissue series range in quality. "Downtown" is quite good, but as if in reaction to the "Field Day" alleged mistake, it is very stripped down. "Mary Jean and 9 Others" is a little better--richer in sound. "Good Evening" is probably his worst album, but it's not all bad. It was obviously the product of burn-out and a desire to end a record contract. His work since then, though not given the star treatment, has been consistently wonderful, but is ignored by all but fans like me. Nothing would make me happier than this reissue series leading to a major rediscovery and reappraisal of Crenshaw's value. I'm not holding my breath, but the music warrants it.

Of all Crenshaw's albums, this one comes closest to perfection in his quest for pop tunes capturing the highs and lows of love. From the exuberant "Whenever You're On My Mind" to the gut-wrenching "All I Know Right Now," Marshall writes songs that touch a deep chord in our hearts. Smart lyrics, great tunes -- you can't ask for more. Try playing it right after "Marshall Crenshaw," his initial release. There's a continuity between the two albums that makes me think they could have been a double album. They're both great, but I think "Field Day" is the better album. It's Crenshaw's "Pet Sounds." Buy it. You'll never take it from your "heavy rotation" CD pile. I haven't. Not a week has gone by when I haven't played it since it came out 15 years ago.

After touting Crenshaw as "the next big thing" following his self-titled debut, Rolling Stone and most other rock rags abandoned him with his 2nd release, "Field Day". This was a curious move, since this sophomore album is not only his best, but is one of the all-time great pop-rock records. Somehow, Crenshaw must have been perceived as no longer cool by critics. The album is one of those not truly appreciated on first listen, but given proper attention, reveals itself as not only a COLLECTION of great songs, but wonderful as a whole: powerpop with DEPTH. I've read that one of the reasons the album was dismissed by critics upon its release was the marked change in production over the first album. The debut had stripped-down guitar/bass/drums/ vocals up front, but "Field Day" has the Steve Lillywhite trademark huge snare, odd percussive sounds in the background, and a general drenching in reverb. And it works. If you enjoy guitar-based songwriting, good melodies, and inventive arrangements, buy this album and listen to it at least 3 times before forming an opinion; you'll be rewarded.

I would agree with the other reviewers that say this album has worn very well. It may well be my very favorite, and at the very least I like it at least as well as his eponymous debut. "Whenever You're on My Mind" was the song that made me a Marshall Crenshaw fan--I still remember the video with all the daydreams in it from way back in the early 1980s. "Hold It" is a great conclusion as well. This is the era of Marshall Crenshaw's music I like best, when his catchy melodies and harmonies were peppy and absolutely infectious, as opposed to his more recent and more jazz-influenced work. Now, I'm reacting to the old LP, which I still have--I'm not really in a position to talk about how the CD sounds, but I can't believe it isn't wonderful.

This album to me, is a great one. I originally got it on cassette back in 1983 when it came out. Then a few years later, I bought it used on vinyl because my tape wore out. Now, just recently, I purchased it on cd. If that isn't a testament to how good it is, I don't know what is.

I really prefer this recording to the debut cd put out by Crenshaw. The thing that strikes me about this cd is how well the songs flow together. Especially, the first four songs which are just unbelievable.

"Whenever You're on My Mind" was the one big single from this cd, but there really could have been a lot more. The first song seamlessly flows into the second song, "Our Town", which keeps your attention and rocks well. Then that flows into "One More Reason" very well. "One More Reason" has a cool background guitar sound to it. That song flows very well into "Try" which could have been released in the 60's if not for its exceptional sound quality. I like every one of the songs on this cd a lot.

This recording has been accused of being overproduced in the past. 80's studio master Steve Lillywhite produced it. But, being a Lillywhite fan, I always thought it had a great sound to it. Plus, it brings back a flood of memories about the Summer of 1983 and more. I always associated a kind of pure, naive, maybe slightly melancholy but melodic feel to this cd.

All and all this is a great cd that holds up well no matter how long it has been since it was released.

Steve Lilywhite has taken a lot of lumps over the years from Crenshaw fans for his production of Marshall's second album. They're wrong for the most part. Both Lilywhite and Crenshaw wanted to expand on the sound of the first album and capture a unique sythesis of these two talented artists. While the bulk of the material here is equal to his first album there are a few clunkers thrown in the mix.

Still, what works best about Field Day is the experimental edge and maturity Crenshaw attempts and achieves. Clearly he was trying to expand his musical vocabulary. Both Crenshaw and Lilywhite achieve their goal and more. The return to a more conventional sound on the follow up albums produced mixed results. I'd highly recommend this album (although the remastering on the best of anthology This Is Easy is better than on this disc). Write Rhino Records and let them know you'd like to see this great album reissued with bonus tracks tacked on from the limited edition Lp that came with the original album.

You can put me on the list of people that thought Steve Lillywhite took a five star record and then EQ'd it half to death. My temperament having mellowed over the years, I still find this to be classic songwriting at its very best (and possibly Crenshaw at his peak), but too much compression, echo and an overbearing drum sound following the crisp sound of his stellar debut put me off when the original "Field Day" came out.

Be that as it may, "Field Day" has aged surprisingly well, with perfect songs like "Whenever You're On My Mind" and "Monday Morning Rock" being brilliant examples of power pop at its shimmering finest. And the elongated ending to "Hold It" shows Crenshaw pushing his rocking roots for a dazzling climax to the album, it's one of the all time great endings to any album...ever.

Probably the best reason to cast the songwriter spotlight on Marshall Crenshaw is the deceptive "Our Town." As benign sounding as it seems on the surface, the song is every bit as paranoid as The Police's "Every Breath You Take." Trapped in a city with maddening crowds, sirens, etc., all he can think about is his girl and how all he has are "pictures running round in my mind." Is he jealous? Lonely? Scared of being in Los Angeles during an earthquake? Who knows? He just has to "board the next thing back to our town" before he loses the girl. Or an 8.5 buries him. Whichever, it's still great. And since this one actually hasn't been deleted from print yet, get it while you can.

I am among the many Marshall Crenshaw fans who love this album. Its Steve Lillywhite production was never much of an issue to me, because the songs are so strong. And this is a case where they saved the best for last. For some reason, the song "Hold It" evokes one of the most ebullient responses I've ever had to Crenshaw's music. It's one of those songs I could listen to 10 times in a row and still never get enough of it. The rest of the album has a lot to recommend as well. "Our Town" also captures the feeling of freedom and electricity I used to feel about driving through Manhattan when I was a teenager. "For Her Love" and "All I Know Right Now" are vintage wistful Crenshaw love songs, simultaneously tinged with longing and hope. This album is a surefire score for anybody who appreciates intelligent guitar pop.

This album reminds me of a red-hot prom band recording its' repertoire in the empty gym after all the kids have gone. It has the sort of atmosphere that conjures up visions of the 'TV' sixties eg no Vietnam, race riots etc, just happy times cruisin' in the GTO. And why 'Whenever You're On My Mind' wasn't no. 1 for several months I'll never know...still, we love it !

Not a bad song anywhere in sight. They say this killed MC's career. But people have been raving about it ever since it came out, so beware conventional wisdom. Is this his best? Probably. Definitely the best song craft. The sound? Well, that's up to individual ears. Personally, I always liked it from the day I bought it when it came out on vinyl. It's quite '80s, I guess, with the booming drums and echo, though I find that sound more '60s or even '50s. If you like pop craft, this one will stay in your car cd player for a long long time.