Good Evening

Marshall Crenshaw

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 2005)
• Original Release Date: June 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wounded Bird Records
• ASIN: B000AP306G
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,363 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Marshall Crenshaw is hard to describe, maybe a sort of rockabilly singer/guitarist who issued numerous albums in the 1980s. We now proudly bring back four of his out-of-print releases on CD. Good Evening was originally issued in 1989. 9 tracks. Wounded Bird. 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars His Most Underrated Album, May 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Evening (Audio CD)

While Marshall Crenshaw's first two releases were self-contained efforts, built around his voice, guitar, and songwriting, and the rhythm section/backing vocals of Chris Donato and brother Robert Crenshaw, his third, Downtown, brought an assortment of studio hands on board without really sacrificing what makes him special. Following a return to a scaled-down configuration for Mary Jean & 9 Others, Good Evening, like Downtown, employs the services of various sidemen and backup vocalists - including Kenny Aronoff, Graham Maby, Syd Straw, Robert Crenshaw, and the BoDeans - and seems to be geared towards a more contemporary, marketable sound. Producers David Kershenbaum and Paul McKenna bring a veneer to his pop/rock, adding the occasional keyboard, steel guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and accordion, while Crenshaw, for the first time, brings in a handful of ringers (Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, and James Burton) to share lead guitar chores for the majority of the record. Furthermore, for the first time, he looks elsewhere for the bulk of the record's material, with half of the songs coming from other sources (two seemingly written to order), and three of the remaining five being collaborations. Still, he slips naturally into the words and music of artists such as Richard Thompson, John Hiatt, the Isley Brothers, and Bobby Fuller, bringing as much of himself to these tunes as he does to his own. Whatever the reason for the delegation of work on Good Evening, the choices are good ones, and it works to varying degrees. Good Evening, which was his final recording for Warner Brothers, may not reach the heights of the first three, but there's a spark here that was missing last time out. - Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet....., November 4, 2005

By	Steve O. "S.O." - See all my reviews

Good Evening is not a great album...but it's certainly better than "What's In The Bag?" I must admit, I like Good evening and put it on semi-frequently...but it brings sadness because it was Marshall's last major release album with Warner Brothers. Marshall's heart was just not into Good Evening at all...it was more of a record company obligation album than anything else. Marshall has admitted he hates this one. But, all in all it's pretty damned good. Marshall released one semi-major release with MCA Records after this and then he went the underground release route. It's a shame because he had the talent and the chops to be a the next Buddy Holly...but I think somewhere along the way he lost his direction and vision. He's too old to be Buddy Holly now...but I think if he embraced what made him so popular in 82-87 he's be able to put out another Classic Crenshaw album. Good luck Marshall...keep believing.

Steve O.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bland Evening, March 11, 2007

By	Tim Brough "author and music buff" (Springfield, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Marshall Crenshaw is utterly incapable of recording a bad album. But he is fully capable of recording an average one. And "Good Evening" falls into the latter category. Whatever was left of the WB camp that still liked the guy forced some neutering factors into "Good Evening," and Crenshaw was chafing. It shows in the bland production of David Kershenbaum and the inclusion of outside songwriters - in particular Diane Warren. Even though "Some Hearts" is a great pop song (and finally got its due on American Idol winner Carrie Underwood's debut album some 15 years later), it just doesn't suit the singer. A better choice for first single might have been John Hiatt's "Somewhere That Love Can't Find Me" or even the more dramatic "You Should Have Been There."

But not to be. Crenshaw doesn't seem particularly engaged here - he sounded ready to turn "Good Evening" into a contract filler before he split WB. "She Hates To Go Home" is one of the most lifeless performances he's ever turned in (with "Whatever Way The Wind Blows" not far behind), and Kershenbaum's production is uncharacteristically flat throughout. There are still some terrific performances here - "You Should've Been There," and the covers of The Isley Brothers' "Live It Up" and Richard Thompson's "Valerie" are stellar. When you get used to albums being 100% spot on, less than that just won't do. Even the period oldie, Bobby Fuller's "Let Her Dance," can't make up for the mediocrity.

Crenshaw was done with Warners after this, and the follow-up on paradox/MCA "Life's Too Short" is superior in every way. Keep that in mind if you are looking at Crenshaw CD's other than "Good Evening," also bearing in mind that Crenshaw not totally on his game can whup most artists at their best.