Marshall Crenshaw

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by dcooper, Mar 8, 2004.

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  1. dcooper

    dcooper New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    As I type I'm listening to "Someday, Someway" ... dancing to it at my desk actually! ... and was wondering if there are any Crenshaw fans out there that can recommend other CDs by this guy. I picked up the 2000 remaster of his debut album at a used CD store for $5.99, and want to dig further. Thanks!
     
  2. 4_everyman

    4_everyman The Sexual Intellectual

    Location:
    Gillette, Wyoming
    Yeah, Dan, i can heartily recommend I've Suffered For My Art - Now It's Your Turn, a live album Marshall released a few years ago. Shouldn't be hard to find. Great performances, great songs, including a very cool cover of Walk Away Renee. :thumbsup:
     
  3. JPartyka

    JPartyka I Got a Home on High

    Location:
    USA
    I've always been partial to his Miracle of Science album (made in the mid-'90s, I think). There's some great straight-ahead pop stuff on there; I particularly enjoy "What Do You Dream Of."

    Another of his live albums, Live -- My Truck is My Home (from '94 or so), is also worth checking out. His '89 studio album Good Evening has some red-hot tracks as well, including a great cover of Richard Thompson's "Valerie."

    My favorite is still that debut album that you already have, though. There's not a single bad track.
     
  4. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    When this thread gets long enough, there will probably be recommendations for each of his albums, as they are all pretty darn consistent and strong. However, assuming you are not just going to go out and buy the whole catalog, pick up the Rhino "This is Easy" comp, or his second and third albums "Field Day" and "Downtown". The rest of his career after his first trifecta of albums really consists of MC refining his art and trying out different producers and productions. The only album that is a failure artistically to these ears is "Mary Jane" (although I admittedly did not pick up or listen to his one from 2003, which did not receive good reviews.) Again, you can't really go wrong with any Crenshaw, but I wouldn't start picking up live albums or his more minor work 'til you have the first three...

    By the way, "Good Evening" is vastly underated - MC was going through a writer's block and really had a hard time coming up with material of his own, so there are a bunch of covers. However, he has great taste, so the covers fit him like a glove - Thompson's "Valerie" is truly great.
     
  5. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    Your loss. "What's in the Bag" is a great album! Even the two instrumental tracks stay with you after hearing them only once or twice. "The Spell is Broken" is a near perfect pop song about morning after regrets. The Prince and Bootsy Collins covers are worth it if only for the guitar playing.

    Regards,
     
  6. VeeDub

    VeeDub Senior Member

    Location:
    Denver, CO
    If you want to go the DVD route, "Live From The Stone Pony," a DVD packaged in a jewel case, is a video version of "I've Suffered For My Art." It also comes with a CD of about half the songs, making "Suffered" effectively skippable for a newbie.

    I read a number of good reviews on "What's In The Bag" and agree that it's an excellent work.

    My studio album recommendations, in order:
    Marshall Crenshaw
    Field Day
    Downtown
    Miracle Of Science
    What's In The Bag?
    #447
    Life's Too Short
     
  7. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    Ken, thank you, I love when people point out I am missing something. I disregarded the album after some cursory sampling and a few reviews by some trusted reviewers (both here and in print.)

    Ron Stone, when you see this thread, will you chime in on "What's in the Bag"; we will see if there is a Marshall Crenshaw smackdown brewing here... :)
     
  8. d.r.cook

    d.r.cook Senior Member

    I would defer to CM, "the Detroiter" hailing from M.C.'s home ground--the first two are worth owning for anyone mildly interested, then the hits pkg. I think I've got everything mentioned here--except the new one. And it looks like I'll go for that one, too, although I'd seen enough semi-reliable lukewarm reviews to hold me at bay till now.

    I think he's one of those artists, not unlike Richard Thompson, who's work had been so strong and so favorably reviewed w/o commercial breakthrough, that there's almost a critical backlash: "If he hasn't gotten more fans by now, then he MUST be going downhill."

    And I think they also just get tired of bearing a cross w/o payback.

    Nonetheless, no excuse for passing up good stuff from such a consistent source!

    doug
     
  9. d.r.cook

    d.r.cook Senior Member

    I would add #447 to the mix of "second tier" Crenshaw releases that deserve cosideration. Probably the best set of original tunes beyond his first two LPs, and brimming with signature pop hooks and tasty guitar work. I'd rank it a bit higher than Life's Too Short, prob neck to neck w/Downtown.

    doug
     
  10. romanotrax

    romanotrax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Aurora IL
    I love the first three
    Marshall Crenshaw
    Field Day
    Downtown

    The greatest hits comp is also very nice.
     
  11. CM Wolff

    CM Wolff Senior Member

    Location:
    Motown
    Thanks for the props, although Ken is also an equal on the Detroit background. My love for MC goes way back, though - his mom was my English teacher in high school, she had giant posters of him in the classroom, brought in demos to play for us, always kept us up to date on him....
     
  12. dcooper

    dcooper New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Wow. Sounds like I have some work to do. Thanks guys!
     
  13. Mike Dow

    Mike Dow I kind of like the music

    Location:
    Bangor, Maine
    Agreed. Any fan of well crafted and well produced songs will enjoy "What's In The Bag?"
    I've listened to it at least once a week for the last six months. Marshall was here in August and played three or four of the new songs. He was very pleased with the response. Everyone really seemed to love the new songs.
     
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