Search - Marshall Crenshaw :: Definitive Pop (Mcup)

Jon R. (Wile1Coyote) from FERNDALE, MI
Reviewed on 9/7/2011...

I have owned Every Marshall Cd since just after it was released since Field Day back in O 1982 or so and I can state unequivocally that this is the best enginerred remastered whatever version of these songs I have ever heard. Finally a CD GH package that is worth the coin! GET IT!

Great idea, but clearly not the best selection of his tunes

Darin | Denver, CO, USA | 11/24/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As a long-time and very devoted fan of this artist, I'm one of those who will buy just about anything with his name on it. Thus, I was thrilled to hear he was getting a long-overdue career retrospective "Greatest Hits" set. While I generally agree with the majority of songs selected by whomever was responsible here (and I get the feeling from reading the liner notes that Mr. Crenshaw was not involved in compiling this release), I have a couple of complaints, as follows.

1) It's simply way too short! For example, CD 1 clocks in at under 50 minutes, while CD 2 clocks in at under 60. In other words, why only give us 15 songs per disc when they could have filled them to at least 20 or so? (If you want a great and recent example of getting one's money's worth, please buy the new R.E.M. compilation "And I Feel Fine: Best of the IRS Years 1982-1987," which offers a full 21 songs per disc!).

2) In that same vain, why did they choose only one song from the artist's brilliant 1991 release "Life's Too Short," while including two from the mediocre "What's In the Bag?" from 2003? I would have definitely also included "Stop Doing That" or "Fantastic Planet of Love" as well, if it had been up to me.

3) I don't get why they included the original and very roughly-produced versions of his (apparent) first singles "Something's Gonna Happen" and "You're My Favorite Waste of Time," which are seemingly directly lifted from "The 9 Volt Years: Battery Powered Demos & Curios." In other words, why couldn't we at least have gotten the actual single version of YMFWOT, however rare?

4) I would have loved for them to have included the much cleaner sounding 1984 U.S. Remix of "Our Town" (from the UK 12" single) with the bells, instead of the original version from Field Day (even though both are outstanding).

5) A few fully-produced "B sides" or outtakes (e.g., "You Belong to Me" from the soundtrack to "Peggy Sue Got Married") would have cool too to flesh out the collection, especially for those of us who already own all of his LPs/CDs.

Anyway...if you don't already have any of his stuff, go ahead and buy this career retrospective or the single disc "This is Easy!" compilation from 2000, which, ironically, includes almost the exact same songs, albeit only up to 1989's "Good Evening." Or, I'd recommend any of the recently re-issued stuff on Wounded Bird records. In closing, for what it's worth my three favorite albums/CDs of his are (in chronological order): Field Day, Life's Too Short, and Miracle of Science, so take it from there and definitely enjoy...!"

Great Artist, good compilation

J. Kenney | 01/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is a fairly priced double-cd, although so much of this repeats what's on the one-disc Greatest Hits that those who have that might not need this -- that had more detailed liner notes and personal quotes from Crenshaw on each tune, so, honestly, if you're just dabbling, I would likely steer you in that direction.



That being said, this is the most comprehensive G.H., in that it has material from the two albums not represented on the previous, so if you want a complete-career retrospective this is it, at least until the next album comes out. Certainly nothing wrong with the quality of the new tunes; he's been a remarkably consistent performer, never putting out an album until it was safely on the side of "Damn Good."



Track selection? Crenshaw OK'd it, so for many, the artist's wishes reign supreme. Nevertheless, it always can be argued, although as this was the "Definitive Pop" collection I might've liked him to go a little more pop in the choices.



"TMD", for example, is a brilliant pop song from #447, but he instead chose an instrumental track. Good tune, but TMD is a shoulda-been-a-number-one-hit-single track. Also, he chose "Alone in a Room" from the most recent album when "Where Home Used to Be" was a tune that got a bit more public radio play. So for the non-obsessive they may have been better choices. This often happens when artists make their own track choices -- they are drawn to tracks where they stretch their wings or show of certain chops over sticking to the basics, which is fine, to an extent. So we get "Like a Vague Memory" a country tune from DOWNTOWN which is fine, but no "Some Hearts", which was the leadoff single from GOOD EVENING. Crenshaw disowns this tune (as non-cool Diane Warren wrote it), but it sounds pretty damn good to me (he eccentrified it into a very Crenshaw-ish tune).TCarrie Underwood from AMERICAN IDOL has recently had a huge hit with this Diane Warren tune for her first single. The curiosity factor, along with the fact it's an excellent version and WAS the only single from the record, makes me feel it should arguably be here. But we get a replay of the two tunes, both excellent, that were already represented on the first Greatest Hits.



So he doesn't stick to the "singles" (few, alas, were hits) and throws in a few curveballs that I wouldn't have. But the sound is fine, pretty much each track is indeed excellent, and certainly it works as an intro. Does it work better than the one-disc option? Not necessarily."