"Blues Is King" is a 1985 song by American rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. The song was released on his 1985 album ''

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

''. Originally written as an instrumental titled "Bruce Is King," the song features lyrics inspired by the B.B. King album ''

Blues Is King ''Blues Is King'' is a live album by blues musician, B.B. King. It was recorded in Chicago in 1966 and released by the BluesWay label in 1967. Critical reception A staff review by AllMusic commented: The album title influenced the Marshal ...

''. Though not released commercially, the song appeared on a 1985 promotional single. The song has since seen positive critical reception, though Crenshaw has expressed disappointment with the song's lyrics.

Background

"Blues Is King" originated as an instrumental titled "Bruce Is King" (named in reference to musician

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

). Crenshaw made this original demo playing Mosrite guitars. "Bruce Is King" was later released on the rarities album ''

The 9 Volt Years ''The 9 Volt Years (Battery Powered Home Demos & Curios (1979-198?))'' is a compilation of early recordings by Marshall Crenshaw. It includes first versions of Crenshaw's best known songs, including "Someday, Someway" and "You're My Favorite Wa ...

''. Crenshaw recalled struggling to come up with lyrics for the song; he explained, "I was really struggling to come up with an idea. I thought of this old B.B. King album title, ''

''. I made that the title of the song." Crenshaw attempted to keep the lyrics "deliberately ambiguous, where I said it doesn't matter, let's just make these sounds and it'll come out all right." The song was produced by Mitch Easter and Crenshaw, making it the only song on ''Downtown'' not produced by T Bone Burnett.

Release

"Blues Is King" was released as the third track on Crenshaw's third album, ''

'', in 1985. Though it was not released commercially as a single, a promotional single with the song on both sides was released that same year to DJs. The song has also appeared on the compilation '' This Is Easy: The Best of Marshall Crenshaw''.

Reception

Joe Sasfy of '' The Washington Post'' described the song as "vintage Crenshaw." Scott Bernarde of ''

Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...

'' wrote, "Crenshaw, the '80s king of '50s and '60s reverb and twang, puts those effects to good use" on the song. Crenshaw has mixed feelings about the song, praising its music but expressing dislike for its lyrics. He explained, "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." Crenshaw does not perform the song live often; he said in 1991, "I can't sing that song now because it's a joke to me. That`s the point. I like clear, plain language."

References

{{authority control Marshall Crenshaw songs Songs written by Marshall Crenshaw 1985 songs 1985 singles