Marshall Crenshaw Makes a Self-Titled Debut That Is Not "The Usual Thing"

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes and Out of Print: Numbered Limited-Edition Hybrid SACD from Mobile Fidelity Presents Marshall Crenshaw in Audiophile Sound 

A five-star record that announced the arrival of a serious new talent and deviated from the slick artifice of the time, Marshall Crenshaw is the timeless sound of great pop, impeccable songwriting, and youthful enthusiasm. From the art-deco cover to a yearning rendition of "Soldier of Love" – first covered by the Beatles at a 1963 BBC Session and later turned into a surprise hit by Pearl Jam – Marshall Crenshaw's 1982 debut is a gleeful throwback to rock n' roll's soul, British Invasion, and rockabilly roots. Fans of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Weezer will want this.

Crenshaw's passion for rock's golden era is palpable on every track here, particularly the radio smash "Someday, Someway," breezy "The Usual Thing," and persuasive "There She Goes Again." Resemblances to Buddy Holly, Beach Boys, and the Beatles are by design. Before making the album, Crenshaw had played the role of John Lennon in a road-show revue of Beatlemania and grown weary of the mechanical feel of modern music. Delightfully out of time, Marshall Crenshaw is a tribute to the everlasting charm of carefree melodies, quirky hooks, simple bass lines, and jangling chords. This is an album that will get stuck in your head and stay there for days. It's also a record that takes full advantage of clean reverb and concise arrangements.

Mastered from the original master tapes on Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition hybrid SACD, Crenshaw's defining moment now features sound that's as brilliant as the tunes. Songs benefit from the newly realized spaciousness and warmth. Crenshaw's subtly echoing vocals and lively guitar strumming naturally resonate, and instrumental touches such as the glockenspiel on "Cynical Girl" emerge as if the original sessions happened yesterday. Call it new-wave or power-pop, this is how music is supposed to sound.