Customer Reviews

What's in the Bag

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought the self-titled debut when it came out in 1982, and every other one since. I've seen Marshall over 50 times (a benefit of living in NYC). I've seen him touring every single release, and I've seen him both solo and with a band. (Once I ran into him before a show and I told him I'd seen him 50 times. He looked at me like I was nuts.)

I didn't find this one to be the jarring course change that apparently some others did. Certainly the instrumentation is more sublime and subtle (and colorful) than the usual rock combo, but the songs are still coming from that same great wellspring. The gorgeous ""Where Home Used to Be" is kissing cousins with "2541" or "Tell Me All About It." The Prince cover is remarkable for the way it sounds so seamlessly like the song was always meant to have a rockabilly flavor.

Crenshaw is, I think, 48. He has been toiling in criminal virtual obscurity for over 20 years, writing beautifully-crafted, charming songs that ooze heart and deserve to be hits, and supplimenting them by selecting perfect songs to cover (you can always count on some surprise or other at his shows; "Substitute," "White Lightning," and "Feliz Navidad" were personal favorites). This record is the logical next step, the extension forward in time from one of America's true hidden treasures. In the notes to the Nine Volt Years, I believe he calls his first two albums his young man albums, noting that everything since sounds different because you can't sound young and starting out after you are no longer young and starting out. This is a guy who has aged as gracefully as is humanly possible in the realm of rock'n'roll. I'm going to see him tonight. I can't wait.

Note: If you don't own any of his stuff, this may not be the logical place to start. The anthology that came out a few years back (This Is Easy, I think) is a fine overview. But every single album has three or so absolute gems. I think Field Day (his second) is probably the favorite aong his long-time fans, but he generally plays the most from the first self-titled one in concert. Personally I am also fond of Miracle of Science and Mary Jean and Nine Others. And Downtown. And-- oh hell, all of them.

With "What's in the Bag?" Marshall Crenshaw has reinvented himself into the kind of pop star who can sustain a career when the "born to rock and roll" passion fades. Crenshaw was always a far more complex songwriter than most rockers, but with this album, he's finally given himself the freedom to explore genres and rhythms other than mid-60s pop and rock. By doing so, he sounds more committed to his new music than he has on anything since "Life's Too Short." But whereas that album was a piledriver of big stadium beats, this record is shockingly intimate, quiet, at times delicate. I first played it in my car, and it sounded like he was in the back seat singing into my ear. This is especially the case for the two cuts that open the album, both of them painful ruminations, the slow waltz "Will We Ever," and the knotty, brilliant "Where Home Used to Be."

In truth, Crenshaw does revert to prior form on several cuts, but more typically, he creates fascinating hybrids of old and new, like "The Spell is Broken" that combines a typical Crenshaw melody and guitar line with a distinctly jazzy drum part and vibraphone.

The pastiche of styles seems very organic--as if he's demonstrating that when you turn down the volume, rock can make room for the quieter effects of jazz, folk and country.

Lots of great rock-era performers are trying to figure out what to do with their careers as they reach their 50s and even 60s. Mick Jagger, Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney act like jukeboxes for their well-earned hit parades. Led Zeppelin worms into its archives to fill out the historic record. Rod Stewart and Boz Scaggs, among many others, apply their distinctive styles to the great music of their parents' generation. It's all good.

But, to me, the most interesting performers are those who risk doing something new, something that feels right for who they are today: Nick Lowe, with his brilliant trio of recent albums, Steely Dan in their two comeback CDs, and now Marshall Crenshaw, who re-energizes his career with "What's in the Bag?"

The collection of songs on this new Marshall Crenshaw album are maybe his best - catchy and melodic but mostly midtempo. This new album may be too subtle and sophisticated for the average listner who was attracted to the uptempo power pop of this fine artist's earlier albums. Give this album a listen. These new songs could have easily been played uptempo with power chords emphasized in the chorus and that crowd would have been happy with another repeat. These songs are even more melodic than Crenshaw's great tunes of the past. They are just played midtempo. Instead of his usual power chords Crenshaw substitutes richer instrumentation in the album's production. I wish when artists grow in a positive new way fans could grow too.

If you loved Marshall's early Warner Brother albums - you'll be disapointed, because nothing on this album approaches the Pop-Punk-Rockablily mix of the first album or the sonic bomb blast of "Field Day".

But if you have "grown up" with Marshall's music over the years (like I have done with Nick Lowe) this is his most consistant album since "Miracle Of Science". This is strictly AAA material in a laid-back songwriters groove, with fine and cool guitar work all over the place. And Marshall's Prince and Bootsy Collins covers are a lot of fun, though they dont beat the originals.

My only gripe is that "A Few Thousand Days Ago" (my fave track at first listen) and the instrumental "AKA (A Big Heavy Hot Dog)" (which I first heard as a Mp3 download on the Electro-Harmonix website a few years ago) are mixed down to mono. The stereo mixes on this CD sound great with wide separation and detail, why where these two tracks mixed this way?

Otherwise this is another essental album for Crenshaw fans. I hope he revs it back up and makes a butt-kickng Rock n Roll album in the future.

It seems there have been two sorts of reviews for this album - long time fans appreciating a departure from an acepted Marshall style, and those who get nostalgic for the old days of perky pop. In the end, the melody is the important thing. An arrangement can always be changed from uptempo to ballad. However, the melody must always be strong to work in some guise. Marshall is a master of the "stuck-in-my-head" melody. That is the consistent link between his Warner's debut and What's In The Bag. Let's not argue over fast songs versus slow songs. Let's acknowledge that the man still writes a great tune (and for my money, I'm quite happy with the new album's slower arrangements). In a time when fewer of the tunesmiths from days of old still have much that's relevant to say to the public, MC still shines. What's In The bag has many fine moments, but my favourite is the rich and evocative Will We Ever. The beauty and sublety of the pedal steel in that song speaks volumes for his arranging skills too.
If you've been tossing up whether to get this, stop being indecisive. Just get it. Your mind and heart will thank you.

The more I listen to this, the more I like it. It's the work of a grown-up who can still rock when he wants to, but who now picks and chooses those moments when he wants to pump it up. "Where Home Used to Be" is beautiful and haunting, "The Spell is Broken" is a vintage Marshall hook on a tricky frame with really interesting production. In fact, the production on the whole thing is MC's best work yet producing himself. One of the only things I'm listening to these days.

Marshall Crenshaw has managed to make it successfully through the "artist in transition" phase. Mistakenly labeled as "showing his age" by some, Marshall continues to stretch out and show that he's capable of going a little farther than his power pop label. Freed from the constraints or expectations of a major label, he continues to write, sing and play guitar better than most "top 40" contestants. Recommended if you dig Nick Lowe.

This is a great album, one of the very best of his career. No, it doesn't have the obvious energy of some of his early work, but the songwriting is as sharp as ever, and what's new (actually, it's been coming for a while now) is a sophistication and maturity in both the songs and the performances. To me, it's all just as catchy as ever -- and that's what Crenshaw's strength has always been -- but the mood has changed.

I can keep trying to describe how this album is part of an evolution in Marshall's music, but what it comes down to is how it feels, if it speaks to the listener. This one spoke to me right away, first play. And every song here works. I just hope that somehow this album and this artist get the recognition they deserve.

Well, I've been a Marshall fan since 82', and I still buy his music; can't say that about many artists, as there aren't that many about still making quality music! His voice is as good as ever, and his songs never fail to move me in some way. "Where home used to be" is a poignant reminiscing of all those places that helped to shape us, our dreams, and Marshall is so on the money lyrically. His Prince cover of "Take me with u " is a great re-working and a that risk pays off, as his cover of Abba's "Knowing me knowing you" did. The whole tone of the cd is Marshall at his best, powerful lyrics, fabulous guitar work and his never changing voice. I'm hoping to catch his upcoming Stonybrook Cafe show this month; he's still as great as ever. More power to ya', Marshall!

The more I listen to this, the more I like it. It's the work of a grown-up who can still rock when he wants to, but who now picks and chooses those moments when he wants to pump it up. "Where Home Used to Be" is beautiful and haunting, "The Spell is Broken" is a vintage Marshall hook on a tricky frame with really interesting production. In fact, the production on the whole thing is MC's best work yet producing himself. One of the only things I'm listening to these days.