[Review] Marshall Crenshaw (1982)
From Beatlemania to Buddymania in twelve tracks.
Kronomyth 1.0: Who do you think you are, a superstar? Well, right you are!
At the time, it seemed Marshall Crenshaw was ready to join the ranks of Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello as the bespectacled Buddy Hollys of the new wave. (Okay, Joe Jackson didn’t wear glasses, but he might as well have.) Time, however, revealed that Crenshaw was too “twangy” for new wave and too smart for country, relegating himself to some kind of rockabilly purgatory. What draws me back to Marshall Crenshaw is the quality of the music. Yes, it does all sort of sound the same, but you rarely find filler on a Marshall Crenshaw record. You won’t find any of it here. Marshall Crenshaw is excellent from beginning to end. Someday, Someway, Cynical Girl and Mary Anne are absolute gems. The rest of the record snaps and crackles with a retro rock & roll professionalism honed during his time as John Lennon in the Beatlemania musical (in case you missed the Windsor glasses). At first, the connection between Crenshaw and Joe Jackson seemed clear; what was There She Goes Again if not a clever rewrite of “Is She Really Going Out with Him,” and Not for Me might have easily come from Jackson’s pen. But Jackson had largely abandoned pop music by 1982 and there was Crenshaw to take his place. Or not. As I said, time soon revealed the two were on divergent paths: Joe Jackson wanted to be Cole Porter while Crenshaw was content to be Buddy Holly. Both men outgrew those fantasies, however, and stand today as uniquely individual artists with their own legacies. Marshall Crenshaw is the first signpost of a major talent whose distinctive minor-key melodies found a loyal following over the years.
Original elpee version
A1. There She Goes Again (2:37)
A2. Someday, Someway (2:49)
A3. Girls… (3:01)
A4. I’ll Do Anything (3:00)
A5. Rockin’ Around in N.Y.C. (3:07)
A6. The Usual Thing (3:02)
B1. She Can’t Dance (Rick Cioffi/Fred Todd/Crenshaw) (2:45)
B2. Cynical Girl (2:35)
B3. Mary Anne (2:52)
B4. Soldier of Love (Buzz Cason/Tony Moon) (2:36)
B5. Not for Me (2:34)
B6. Brand New Lover (2:30)
All songs composed by Marshall Crenshaw unless noted.
CD reissue bonus tracks
13. Starlit Summer Sky
14. Whenever You’re on My Mind
15. You’re My Favorite Waste of Time
16. Somebody Like You
17. Rave On (live)
18. The Usual Thing (live)
19. Stop Her on Sight (S.O.S.) (live)
20. Look at What I Almost Missed (live)
21. I’ve Been Good to You (live)
The Players
Marshall Crenshaw (guitar, vocals), Robert Crenshaw (drums, vocals), Chris Donato (bass, vocals) with Tony Garnier (slappin’ bass on A6), Michael Osborn (percussion on A3). Produced by Richard Gottehrer & Marshall Crenshaw; engineered by Thom Panunzio.
The Pictures
Concept & photography by Gary Green. Oil painted by Christina de Lancie. Art direction & design by Spencer Drate.
The Plastic
Released on elpee and cassette on April 28, 1982 in the US (Warner Bros., BSK/M5 3673) and Germany (Warner Bros., WBK-57010). Reached #50 on the US charts.
- Re-issued on compact disc in the US (Warner Bros., 3673-2).
- Re-issued on remastered, expanded compact disc on August 15, 2000 in the US (Warner Archives, 79916) with 9 bonus tracks.
