Marshall Crenshaw (album)

In the late 1970s, Marshall Crenshaw moved from his home state of Michigan to New York City to perform in the musical Beatlemania.[1] During this time, Crenshaw began to write songs that later appeared on his debut album, including "Someday, Someway"; he said "While I was on the verge of leaving the show, in Boston, I wrote 'Someday, Someway' and five or six of the other tunes on my first album. I wrote those in my hotel room. That was my next move in life, to be a recording artist." After releasing his debut single "Something's Gonna Happen," on Shake Records, Crenshaw received offers from RCA and Warner Brothers to record and release an album; Crenshaw ultimately chose Warner Brothers due to its more welcoming environment.[2]

Crenshaw also formed a backing band consisting of his brother Robert Crenshaw on drums and Chris Donato on bass. This band recorded with Crenshaw for his first two albums.

Marshall Crenshaw was recorded with producer Richard Gotterher at the Record Plant in New York.[3] Crenshaw wanted to produce his debut album alone, but Gotterher was brought in by Warner Bros. after sessions stalled; Crenshaw said "We started making our first album and I sort of [BS'd] my way into the producer's chair but it didn't work out. So Richard Gottehrer came in and he helped me make the record."[3][4] Gotterher, a veteran hit songwriter and record-producer, was managing and producing Robert Gordon when he and Crenshaw first crossed paths, about a year prior to the recording of Marshall Crenshaw.

Marshall Crenshaw features several of Crenshaw's most famous songs, such as "Someday, Someway", "There She Goes Again", "Cynical Girl", and "Mary Anne".[5] Crenshaw spoke favorably of the songwriting on the album, saying "The stuff was really well written. There was a discernible viewpoint that came across. It captured something, a statement was being made. We generated a lot of excitement in New York City from grassroots and built it up in less than a year. We had it really nailed down, but things got tricky after that."

"Someday, Someway" was among the early songs Crenshaw wrote for the album and was inspired by "Lotta Lovin'" by Gene Vincent.[3] "I'll Do Anything" was often played live during this time and features lyrics which Crenshaw described as "a one-to-one conversation with somebody [where there is] one person trying to comfort another person or reassure another person." Crenshaw also said that both "I'll Do Anything" and "Maryanne" were about "try[ing] not to let your anxieties overwhelm you."[6]

"Cynical Girl" was, according to Crenshaw, "really not about a girl—that's just off-the-shelf rock-and-roll language. To me, what the song says in a funny way is 'I hate brain-dead mass-culture [stuff] and I want to hang around with people who feel the same.' People have always really loved that song and identified with it and of course I love that"[7]

Crenshaw chose not to include his debut single, "Something's Gonna Happen," on the album. He recalled, "I'm glad we didn't re-record it ... I like 'Something's Gonna Happen,' sonically speaking, more than a lot of tracks on the debut album."[8]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Christgau's Record Guide	A[10]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[11]
Rolling Stone	[12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[13]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10[14]

Marshall Crenshaw was released in April 1982. The album spent over six months on the Billboard chart, peaking at No. 50,[15] and eventually sold close to 400,000 copies in the United States. Contemporary reviews were glowing, with Rolling Stone calling it "1982's most gorgeous singer-songwriter debut" and claiming that "every song here sounds like a classic."[16] Rolling Stone later included the album in its list of The 100 Best Albums of the Eighties, coming in at number 72.

The album's debut single "Someday, Someway" reached No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1982,[17] as well as No. 31 on the Cash Box singles chart. The single is Crenshaw's highest charting song. "Cynical Girl" and "There She Goes Again" were released as singles; the latter reached number 110 in the United States.[18][19]

All tracks are written by Marshall Crenshaw, except where noted.

A remastered, reissued version on Rhino/Warner Archives features bonus tracks, which include demos and live tracks.

13. "Starlit Summer Sky" (Demo, 1979) (Crenshaw, Cioffi, Todd) – 2:48
14. "Whenever You're on My Mind" (Demo, 1979) (Crenshaw, Bill Teeley) – 3:02
15. "You're My Favorite Waste of Time" (1979, Marshall Crenshaw & the Handsome, Ruthless and Stupid Band) – 2:38
16. "Somebody Like You" (1980) – 3:17
17. "Rave On!" (Live, 1982) (Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty) – 1:35
18. "The Usual Thing" (Live, 1982) – 3:14
19. "Stop Her on Sight (S.O.S.)" (Live, 1982) (Albert Hamilton, Richard Morris, Charles Hatcher) – 2:45
20. "Look at What I Almost Missed" (Live, 1982) (George Clinton, Tamala Lewis) – 3:58
21. "I've Been Good to You" (Live, 1981) (Smokey Robinson) – 2:55
22. "Brand New Lover (Alternate Version) (hidden track) – 3:01

• Marshall Crenshaw – guitar, vocals (bass on bonus-track demos)
• Chris Donato – bass, vocals
• Robert Crenshaw – drums, vocals

Guest musicians

• Tony Garnier – bass
• Richard Gottehrer – percussion
• Michael Osborne – percussion

Album Design - Spencer Drate, Judith Salavetz

Photography - Gary Greene