Downtown (Marshall Crenshaw album)

1985 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

Downtown

Studio album by

Marshall Crenshaw

Released| 1985
Genre| Roots rock[1]
Length| 37:12
Label| Warner Bros.
Producer| T-Bone Burnett, Marshall Crenshaw, Larry Hirsch
Marshall Crenshaw chronology
| Field Day
(1983)  | Downtown
(1985)  | Mary Jean & 9 Others
(1987)

|
|

Downtown is the third album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw. Recorded after the relative failure of his album Field Day, Downtown was a departure from his previous albums due to its more rootsy sound.

The album received moderately positive reviews, though less positive than his previous work, and was commercially unsuccessful, peaking at number 113.

## Background

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After the relative disappointment of Field Day, Crenshaw had unsuccessfully attempted to leave Warner Bros. Records. Because of the conditions under which the album was recorded, Crenshaw felt that the songs on the album had a "downcast vibe" to them. He recalled, "That was in a period where I was really having trouble finishing things, and even committing to finishing things. My brain was really pretty scrambled at that point in time. That was after Field Day, and the whole fallout with that, where there was a real sense of doom about my career. It was really weird. If somebody had been able to whisper in my ear back then and tell me that everything was going to be reasonably okay… I wish somebody would've been able to do that. I was really worried."[2]

Crenshaw decided to embark on a stylistic change from his previous albums, aiming for a more rootsy sound. This is seen in his choice of producer, T-Bone Burnett; Crenshaw explained, "That [change in style] was genuine because I was really obsessed with that kind of music. [Producer] T Bone Burnett is a brilliant guy. He was very focused, very serious. He was one of those people I crossed paths with back then who was super driven, super ambitious, someone who wasn't going to be denied or thwarted."[3]

## Release and reception

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Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [4]
Robert Christgau| A−[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [6]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [7]

Downtown was released in 1985 and featured three singles, "Little Wild One (No. 5)", "Blues Is King", and "The Distance Between". "Blues Is King" was inspired by the B.B. King album Blues Is King; Crenshaw was mixed on the song, saying, "I was never 100 percent happy with the lyrics, but I always thought the music was really beautiful, and that the track was nice, too. I don't play that one much. I haven't played it probably since the record was out."[2]

Downtown was commercially less successful than its predecessors, hitting number 113 while its singles failed to chart. The album has received positive reception, with Robert Christgau calling it "well-crafted" and "fully imagined," though both Christgau and AllMusic rated Crenshaw's previous work higher.

## Track listing

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All songs written by Marshall Crenshaw, except where noted.

1. "Little Wild One (No. 5)" – 3:55
2. "Yvonne" – 3:53
3. "Blues Is King" – 3:49
4. "Terrifying Love" – 4:05
5. "Like a Vague Memory" – 4:07
6. "The Distance Between" – 3:42
7. "(We're Gonna) Shake Up Their Minds" – 3:34
8. "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" (Ben Vaughn) – 3:21
9. "Right Now" (Sylvester Bradford, Al Lewis) – 2:38
10. "Lesson Number One" – 4:08

"Blues is King" was produced by Mitch Easter and Marshall Crenshaw.

## Personnel

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* Marshall Crenshaw \- guitars, vocals, bass, percussion
* Mickey Curry – drums
* Mitchell Froom – keyboards
* David Miner – bass, cannon plug
* Tony Levin – bass
* Jerry Marotta – drums, percussion, bongos
* T-Bone Burnett – electric sitar, Linn program, vocals
* Robert Crenshaw – drums
* G. E. Smith – guitar
* Mitch Easter – piano
* Tom Ardolino – drums
* Joey Spampinato – bass
* Tony Garnier – bass
* Faye Hunter – bass
* Steve Fischel – steel guitar
* Warren Klein – tamboura
* Genny Schorr Wardrobe Stylist

## References

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1. ^ Murray, Noel (11 October 2012). "A beginners' guide to the heyday of power-pop, 1972-1986". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
2. ^ a b Murray, Noel (2013-01-21). "Marshall Crenshaw on songwriting, covers, and the album cover he absolutely hates". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
3. ^ Harrison, Don (2 March 2016). "Q&A: Marshall Crenshaw". Richmond Magazine. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
4. ^ Downtown at AllMusic
5. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Marshall Crenshaw". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
6. ^ Larkin, Colin (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia Of Popular Music, Concise 3rd Edition, p. 323. Virgin Books, London. ISBN 1-85227-832-3
7. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 167.

* v
* t
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Marshall Crenshaw

* Robert Crenshaw
* Chris Donato

Studio albums|

* Marshall Crenshaw
* Field Day
* Downtown
* Mary Jean & 9 Others
* Good Evening
* Life's Too Short
* Miracle of Science
* #447
* What's in the Bag?
* Jaggedland

Live albums|

* Live …My Truck Is My Home
* I've Suffered for My Art...Now It's Your Turn

Compilations|

* The 9 Volt Years
* This Is Easy: The Best of Marshall Crenshaw
* 392: The EP Collection

Songs|

* "You're My Favorite Waste of Time"
* "Someday, Someway"
* "There She Goes Again"
* "Cynical Girl"
* "Mary Anne"
* "Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)"
* "Whenever You're on My Mind"
* "Our Town"
* "Blues Is King"
* "Crying, Waiting, Hoping"
* "Some Hearts"

Collaborations|

* "All I Ever Wanted"
* "Til I Hear It from You"
* "Walk Hard"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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