Album Reviews

Only in retrospect does the “high concept” of Marshall Crenshaw’s remarkable 1982 debut assert itself: marry infectious ‘50s and ‘60’s-like rock’n’roll tunes with the then modern chorus guitar effects popularized by The Police’s Andy Summers. Maybe that wasn’t the plan, but that’s sure what it sounds like! That, or what a vintage Seeburg or Wurlitzer juke box would sound like heard from outside of the malt shop teen hang out.

Back then, in the wake of the sensitive ‘70s and in the midst of a post-punk, new-wave musical malaise, Crenshaw’s unerring tunefulness and clean-cut boy-girl lyrics provided a refreshing blast of what made rock attractive in the first place. Crenshaw managed to pay homage to Buddy Holly, rock-a-billy and various other rock conventions of a bygone era and make them sound fresh and vital.

For older fans it was reaffirmation while younger ones exulted in the conservative Reagan-ness of it. Even the post-hippies dug it. Crenshaw captures them all and the rock critics too. An amazing move for a guy whose previous achievement was playing John Lennon in Beatlemania.

The colorized cover art, showing an impossibly clean-cut college-y Crenshaw seated at a ‘50s formica kitchen table struck all the right retro-notes too, while being ultra-hip at the same time. Even the dark John Lennon-ish glasses hit the right note. Over a button down shirt, Crenshaw wore what looked like an impossibly wide-lapelled Zoot suit!

But forget the image, as Berry Gordy famously said “It’s what’s in the grooves that counts,” and there’s not a bad tune among the twelve short, hook-filled ones that make up Marshall Crenshawalmost all of which were Crenshaw penned.

From the wistful, haunting opener “There She Goes Again,” to the e qually wistful haunting “Someday, Some Way,” to the optimistic “Rockin’ Around in N.Y.C.” to the sunny rock-a-billy closer “The Usual Thing,” side one moves along at a crisp clip, melding new wave with old school, Crenshaw on guitars and vocals, his brother Robert on appropriately basic drums and vocals and Chris Donato on bass and back up vocals. If you don’t end up refreshed and buoyed when the stylus hits the lead out grooves, you probably need Abilify.

Side two is equally tuneful and crisply rendered, especially the jingle-jangled “Cynical Girl,” though the early Beatle-esque/Shirelles inflected “Soldier of Love” (once covered by The Beatles and later by Pearl Jam) is equally impressive. Even when Crenshaw’s quoting and being derivative he pulls it off. In retrospect, what makes this record succeed is the sprinkle of sunset sadness and regret Crenshaw adds to the mix. It’s a nostalgic cover for an album that could be accused of trading in nostalgia but doesn’t. Marshall Crenshaw is as tuneful and pleasing today as it was when first released.

As for the sound, well that’s a bit more complicated. This is a purposeful production, helmed by Richard Gottehrer who wrote some of the most enduring ‘60s classics like “My Boyfriend’s Back” and “I Want Candy.” He knew what he was doing on this Record Plant production and what he was doing was producing a record that sounds as if you’re hearing it in your mind from a past memory.

Therefore, it’s bathed in echo, is bass-shy and nothing from the instruments to the vocals asserts itself too prominently or clearly. That was the game plan, so don’t complain to Mobile

Fidelity if it doesn’t sound sufficiently “audiophile” for you. That said, while the original mastering by Greg Calbi was very good, this reissue brings you much closer to what’s on the tape, without destroying the desired effect.

The re-issue keeps its distance while greatly improving overall transparency and transient clarity. The bottom end remains intentionally weak but somewhat better defined. In other words, you’ll still think you’re hearing this from outside the malt shop or inside your mind from a previous listen in another place and time and that’s as it should be.

This is everything a great reissue should be: it clarifies the original without trying to re-invent it.

There is one revision: MoFi added a gatefold sleeve filled with a collage of great reviews that are as filled with nostalgia as the music. A classy job by Mo-Fi.