Customer Reviews

Marshall Crenshaw

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes we can all whine about how under-rated Marshall has always been. But what good would that do us or him? Let's move on. Simply put, Crenshaw is THE most amazing song-crafter I have ever heard.

In 1981 Glam-rock and Arena-rock were selling out concerts all over the world. We were living in a musical world that wanted to buy the sizzle and not the steak. You remember the concerts where the quality of the band was how many guitars and Marshall amps were built across the back of the stage like cliffs of the California coast. The sales of a group's music was based on how much spandex and hair spray they wore. Video was changing the way we bought music. We now bought it for the way it looked rather than how it sounded.

But humbly, with no marketing support, no big name producer, dressed like the guy you used to beat up after chemistry tests for not letting you cheat, Crenshaw makes his first statement in this album.

And with this one album, the word "Pop" is clarified. All of a sudden, tunes now mean something. Simple lyrics, albeit not Pulitzer prize-winning, stay in your head and cause you to think "I know exactly what he 's talking about." Suddenly we want to ask out our high school sweetheart again. Suddenly we want to just hang out on the hood of the car.

By the time we heard this -as well as his second album "Field Trip", we had tired of being told what we should listen too on the radios and video channels. We yearned to go back home.

This, fellow Boomers, is a trip back home.

Marshall Crenshaw achieved his greatest commercial and critical success with the release of his debut album. It is an impressive debut and 18 years after its release, Rhino Records has rereleased the album with a slew of bonus tracks. The original album is a pure power-pop treasure that is an overlooked gem. "There She Goes Again", "She Can't Dance", "Rockin' Around NYC" and "Mary Anne" are great examples of Mr. Crenshaw's ability to record short, snappy and hummable songs that will stick in your head. "Someday, Someway" was his only top forty hit, just barely scrapping in at #38, and is an immediately catchy number. I think the best song on the album and a song that should have been a hit is "Cynical Girl". It has a ringing guitar and some of the sharpest lyrics around. As usual with a Rhino release there are numerous bonus tracks and the nine included here are mostly demos and live songs. There is no filler amongst them and they only help to add to original tracks. Mr. Crenshaw has released numerous album since this one, has appeared as Buddy Holly in the movie LaBamba and co-wrote the Gin Blossoms hit "Till I Hear It From You", but he unfortunately has never come close to having another hit on his own since this record and it is shame. Rolling Stone included the album in it's top 100 of the 1980's and it is deserving of the honor.

What a pleseant surprise that the great folks at Rhino have not just remastered Marshall Crenshaw's debut album, but have jam packed enough bonus material that nearly doubles it's original running time. There's even a "mystery" bonus track at the end of track 21, an extremely catchy song called " Brand New Lover". Why hide it is a mystery to me. The album itself has always been a good one with classics like "Someday, Someway" and "There She Goes Again". The bonus tracks are mostly great gems including the B-sides "You're My Favorite Waste Of Time" and "Somebody Like You", last seen on the out of print compilation "Attack Of The Killer B's" (Hey WB, how about reissuing those albums, too?). There's the beautiful '79 demos of "Starlit Summer Sky" which he had packed away for '96's Miracle Of Science record (which I highly recommend) and "Rave On" firming up those Buddy Holly comparrisons which he's thankfully moved on from. A very enjoyable album, and worth upgrading to if you own the original.

Perhaps the media doesn't possess such all encompassing power afterall. Lord knows the hierarchy of rock critics did its darndest to make Marshall Crenshaw a star back in '82 when this brilliant debut hit the shelves. Yet, despite the well deserved publicity blitz, Mr.Crenshaw has toiled in relative obscurity for two decades. To its credit the media, not exactly known for restraint when it comes to glorifying talentless blow-hards, was right about Crenshaw and this self-titled salute to rock-n-roll's romantic past. By sheer coincidence, a guy whose face resembled Buddy Holly's and whose voice somewhat resembled John Lennon's, was a major talent himself. The chiming guitars, soaring melodies and undeniable hooks of "There She Goes", "Cynical Girl" and "Someday Someway" more than hint at the virtuoso skills of this gifted songwriter. Like all of rock's great tunesmiths -- Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, etc. -- Crenshaw is a disciple of the less is more school. A quick intro, short verse then wham -- he hits you with a giant hook which leaves you not only wanting more, but keeps you singing that darn song over and over in your head. One listen to the layered harmonies of "Mary Anne" and "Girls" will leave you hooked and wondering how these tasty pieces of pop perfection failed to gain notice. But hey, at least the folks at Rhino Records noticed and deemed it worthy of re-release complete with a slick remastering job. The audio improvement is noticeable in the overall clarity and separation of instruments. Best of all, Rhino tossed in a whopping 10 bonus tracks! (The 10th extra track is an unlisted alternate take of "Brand New Lover". You'll find it right after "I've Been Good to You".) For my money, the coolest tracks are Marshall's homemade, one-man-band demo's for "Starlit Summer Sky", "Whenever You're on My Mind" and "You're My Favorite Waste of Time". Longtime Crenshaw fans will be familiar with the big budget studio versions of these songs, but the professional versions lack the the off-the-cuff charm of the demos. Overall, a nice re-packaging of a classic album. "Marshall Crenshaw" is that rare record that actually lived up to the hype surrounding its release. The perfect blend of intelligent songcraft and irresistable hooks make this essential listening. Check it out!

I never heard a cut of this album, when I first purchased it in 1982. Only bought it from reviews. It is one of the finest pop rock albums ever made. A power pop trio with beautiful songs: Mary-Ann, There She Goes Again, Cynical Girl, Someday Someway, Girls. Crenshaw's urgency, intelligence and charming songs make this a poignant album of rock at its best. The spirit of Buddy Holly and Early Beatles lives on. I'm not easily influenced, but this CD is a model of what great pop tunes should be! Buy It! You'll carry this one to your grave!

This guy has been great for almost 20 years. This was his first album, and probably the only one that got a measure of the recognition that his entire career should be getting. Deceptively simple songwriter, great respect for the craft of 1960s pop songs, heartfelt and clever lyrics, hooks hooks hooks, and lots of fun and swing.

This reissue not only boosts the sound quality for this classic album, but the extra tracks really add significantly to the package. You get a demo for "Whenever You're On My Mind," you get some great live covers, especially "Look What I Almost Missed," and you get the alltime wonderful B side "You're My Favorite Waste of Time" and couple of others. You even get a hidden track -- an alternate version of "Brand New Lover." But also you get a chance to revisit the greatness of tunes like "Cynical Girl" "There She Goes Again" "She Can't Dance" "Rockin Around NYC"--not a throwaway in the bunch.

It's not too late to make this guy a mega star, get him some stadium shows. He can still do it, and no pop star of the past 20 years deserves late-blooming success more.

If there is better debut CD from a singer/songwriter out there, buy it. With the possible exception of Elvis Costello's first record, I cannot think of a stronger debut recording with more killer songs per square inch than Marshall Crenshaw. Bonus tracks just make this new version of the "Marshall Crenshaw" CD even more attractive. The later part of Crenshaw's recorded catalog is more of a 'hit and miss' affair, but this debut CD has one great song after another.

For fans of great songwriting, for those of us who admire Lennon/McCartney, Brian Wilson, Holland/Dozier/Holland, Smokey Robinson and other rock and pop songwriting greats, this is a must purchase. Don't forget the new "This Is Easy: The Best Of Marshall Crenshaw," which is also a treat. Buy them both.

Marshall Crenshaw's Debut Album is what rock & roll is all about. The band is simple, ( with just guitar, bass and drums).The vocals and the harmonies are fantastic. Every song is filled with the kind of hooks that keep you singing the songs to yourself all day long. All the tracks are superb, so try any one, from the "hit single" "Someday, Someway" to the power pop song "Girls.." to the beautifully harmonious "Mary Anne", you cannot find a bad track on this album. Crenshaw is a musical genius, and if I were trapped on a desert island, and could bring only one CD with me, this would be the one!

Holy smokes, I can not believe it has taken me this long to find out about the ecstatic, ebullient music that is manifested by Marshall Crenshaw, his brother Robert Crenshaw and Chris Donato. When it comes to experimenting with new music, I'd say I'm pretty susceptible to go out on a limb and make a daring purchase. 80s music, however, is a realm I tend to steer clear of. But despite my propensity to avoid this era, Marshall Crenshaw, fresh out of 1982, found me. I first heard the songs There She Goes Again and Someday, Someway on a tape of old(er) music that my father made me. I fell head over heels for these two tracks, and I immediately tracked down and purchased this magnificent album. To my pleasant surprise, the entire recording is comprised of boffo songs, some even better than the aforementioned numbers. The music here, it's so alive! Everything from the blithe swagger of Girls to the Buddy Hollyesque jangle of Cynical Girl and the pure, pulsing brilliance of Mary Anne, is simply irresistible. Any fan of finely crafted pop music, even someone like me, who distrusts the platitudes of the 80s, should hear the joyous zest and spirit presented in the music of Marshall Crenshaw.

Marshall Crenshaw writes and sings melodic, memorable, and extremely well-crafted pop songs. He's been doing it for over 20 years now and if there were justice in the world he would have enjoyed success on a Backstreet Boys level (Note to BB: here are great songs. Please record some and give Marshall the props he deserves). This is his eponymous debut record from 1982, reissued by the loving folks at Rhino with nine--count 'em--NINE bonus tracks, including demos of two of his best (and best-known) songs, and four live tracks. ("Starlit Summer Sky" appears in demo form from more than 15 years before it was actually released by MC). One of the live cuts is Buddy Holly's "Rave On." (Marshall played Buddy in the film "La Bamba.") This disc is definitive power pop from the man who played Lennon in Beatlemania. Marshall is yet one more example of how the Beatles made the world a better place. Thanks Rhino, and thanks, Marshall. Here's hoping this reissue trend continues with all your other fine albums. More b-sides! More demos! More live cuts! Marshall rocks, and so will you.