We have a homeless problem because we live in a free society where we can’t simply shovel off people’s rights because they have no money. For all the ways the homeless problem is a major pain on the neck. there is one way it isn’t: it keeps us honest by forcing us to see what happens at the lowest rungs of society. Who has moved these people? Who has the right to?
It is incredible that anybody has written so much gorgeous, smart, decent, moral, exciting, rock and roll over this length of time. Nobody else comes close. Not Dylan, Bruce… maybe James Brown. MAYBE Van Morrison. But that’s it.
Marshall Crenshaw’s album by segments is now in its second year and sixth installment with no lessening in quality: six new songs, six covers, six live songs, six re recordings, and all about exactly what you would’ve have hoped. Much like the Easybeats cover here, “Made My Bed, Gonna Lie It”, it is youthful, quirky, superbly arranged with some great harmonies
No, of course Kacey is not a cowgirl but it is still the best song on the album, as for Marshall, man can this man write a bridge, Foals best song followed by Algiers followed by Bully’s first song and at # 8 the saddest song of the week. The best is very very good.
Simply put, he still sings very well. His guitar playing is sharp, concise, never unnecessarily flashy. Every note serves the song. And the writing? If he’s ever penned a bad tune, you couldn’t prove it by this performance. There were no low spots.
Unfortunately for me, I have plans tos ee Ed Sheeran when Crenshaw returns to City Winery on Friday, May 28th, 2015, otherwise I am definitely ready for another visitation… I swear, if I had another kife to live I would be the man’s publicist. No messing around, Crenshaw is one of our greatest songwriters, go see him.
Mr. Crenshaw is a music connoisseur with a taste for jazz and oldies, so he picked an early album of Sun Ra, as well as a 50’s album of the gospel soul band the Staple Singers, the new album by jazz guitarist Nels Cline, some Indian Style heavy funk, ‘SitarBeat’ and the best of Buddy Collette,… but also Mitch Ryder’s autobiography, ‘Devil and Blue Dresses’, since the Detroit-native musician feels connected to the musical legacy of the city
Last summer, singer songwriter Marshall Crenshaw visited California with The Bottle Rockets and he had the chance to haunt my favorite place in Los Angeles, Amoeba Music, for an episode
The concert was on November 20 2014 and featured Marshall with Neill MacColl on guitar, Henrik Irgens on bass, and Michael Blair, who came over from Stockholm and played drums. Michael introduced Neil, Kirsty’s half-brother and Ewan’s son, to Crenshaw, and the two totally hit it off
“Move Now” is the 5th of 6, and not a teaser for an album. Actually, the EPs ARE the album: once the 6th one has run it’s course there’ll be an album containing the best stuff from the EP series, possibly a new song, definitely a couple remixes, etc. That’s the actual plan right now.”
It is a really cool thing to hear Marshall so far away from what he does and yet so completely into it, he holds the melody, a pretty one as well, though a little ethereal, and strengthens it with a natural confidence that follows the melody line, one easy to lose track off, to the end.
Based on the simplest of romantic declarations, him to her about her, “Never change”, him to her about him, “I can change” and a falsetto which caresses the music just out of reach, the song has a simple romatic yearn and a deep seated loss.it is like James is stretching his hand to her, and also, like it is too late. The longing can’t save it, the pleas feel as though they are falling on deaf ears.
Katy Perry – Barclay Center – July 25th, 2014 – Modern pop musics big sister plays hit after hit with a sort of las vegas meets ancient Egypt motif, just to prove lost love ain’t lost life and roaring is easy if you try hard enough.
Take a look at this back up band. Graham Maby, Joe Jackson band member since the Look Sharp era, on bass; Rich Pagnano, the Fab Faux’s Ringo, on drums, and Andy York of the tremendous rockabilly Jason And The Scorchers and more recently John Mellencamp’s band
Well done, Yankees, Tanaka has a partial UCL tear and is out six weeks if not the year. Why? One thing is for sure, they rode his arm too hard. Whither the Yankees? They spent $500 Million, $209 Million this year alone, and aren’t getting into the post season. Enough. Fire Cashman
The strength of the evening… actually, it was just a great set. Crenshaw was in fine voice, the band sounded terrific, the song selections very strong, and the wooliness of the set up allowed Crenshaw to go off on tangents. Mishearing a song request, he decided to play Five Man Electrical Band’s 1971 “Signs”.
Dave Alvin of the Blasters original covered by Marshall on the sublime Live… My Truck Is My Home, the original is a rough and tumble rockabilly rave up you can just imagine the Blasters charging through. But Crenshaw… man, that guy finds the heart in everything .
Just Snap Your Fingers – Marshall Crenshaw – The best song off Jaggedland is also a view of Crenshaw the lyricist the you don’t always hear: “You can count on my love till the ultimate end” is pop poetry of the first order – A
Play “God Only Knows” At My Funeral – Fireworks – It doesn’t live up to its title, but, honestly what song could. Isn’t the name alone good enough. It is a beautiful smart pop punk masterpieces and one of the songs of the year – A
A new Crenshaw release is always a reason to celebrate and “Going Going Gone” is a wild song, the Secret Sisters cover an unfinished Dylan track at the top and the Merengue track is a good one but you knew that because Elvis Crespo is on it. The only good song ion the Ziggy and the best song on the Aimee round it out.
“Red Wine” is where the superstar falls to earth. It isn’t by any stretch of the language a stinker, and one song, a cover, is among his best moments on the album in segments exercise, still it isn’t the best of the EPS either.
No Diggity – Chet Faker – Let’s make one thing very very clear. I saw Blackstreet opening for new Edition back in the day (I sat behind Whitney Houston) and I am here to tell you this is a stupendous cover. true to the jumped up spirit of the original but totally of itself – A
What would I have him play this time? Since I will probably only get one, I guess I’ll stick with “Radio Girl” but if I get more? His awesome cover of Dave Alvin’s “Jack And Diane” , anything off Life’s Too Short, maybe I’m Sorry *But So Is Brenda Lee)”, Hendrix “Fire”…
Fantastic Planet Of Love – Marshall Crenshaw – This is the most Crenshaw-y song he has ever written, the sink of “just this morning I felt like troubles plaything” is lost and the joy just overwhelms you -he steps back to the problems of life and then takes us out of. One of the greatest songs ever – A+
An Upper Middle Class lawyer who used “terrorist” tactics to further his Anti-Apartheid cause, got nabbed, got jailed again when the racist couldn’t make it stick. Married three times. You know, a normal guy with a 27 year interruption for jail. On the plus side of the ledger, he saved South Africa from the disastrous fate of the countries surrounding him; whether that is enough to forgive him for being buddies with Bono is for others to decide.
I far prefer the Extra Songs to the Next Day ones -especially this Bruce rip, and I made that for the third Crenshaw EP, it is the first time it is the covers I am loving more than the new song. The Bobby Fuller track is blowing my mind. But the week belongs to Conor Oberst and Maria Taylor’s perfect holiday album, dating from 2002.
I Woke Up Dreaming – Lydia Lunch – A great image though the song itself is the subterranean sound of things crashing around your ears same as it was; No New York lives, on this live album from a year ago – B
Heaven On Earth – Boston – Sure, they miss Brad Delp but they still got the melodies and those big ol’ guitars and it makes a melodic roar of a sound; maybe Tom can do this forever (or every eleven years) – A-
Four songs and not bad at all the guitar solo on the title track is a thing of deep beauty and the song keeps shifting gear from deep pop to sideslip jazz and back But the highlight is Marshall’s cover of Bobby Fuller’s “Never To Be Forgotten” two tracks later. On Spotify, so I guess even the great can’t fight technology – A-
As Fast As My Feet – Linda Thompson – A pop song but an old fashioned one that walks on its title melodic hook all the way there, with a sound not folk but folk-rock and of course, Linda’s gorgeous voice.
Haunting Me – Mary Lee’s Corvette – There is still blood on the tracks on this masterpiece, a beauty of rare emotional depth starts ling singer songwriter confessional becomes country and morphs into a Jimmy Webb song on the chorus – A
