''Downtown'' is the third album by singer/songwriter
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl," and " Whenever You're on My Mind." He ...
. 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
After the relative disappointment of ''Field Day'', Crenshaw had unsuccessfully attempted to leave
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
. 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."
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
Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
; Crenshaw explained, "That
hange in stylewas genuine because I was really obsessed with that kind of music.
roducerT 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."
Release and reception
''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
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...
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."
''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
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
rated Crenshaw's previous work higher.
Track listing
All songs written by
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl," and " Whenever You're on My Mind." He ...
, except where noted.
#"Little Wild One (No. 5)" – 3:55
#"Yvonne" – 3:53
#"
Blues Is King" – 3:49
#"Terrifying Love" – 4:05
#"Like a Vague Memory" – 4:07
#"The Distance Between" – 3:42
#"(We're Gonna) Shake Up Their Minds" – 3:34
#"I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)" (
Ben Vaughn) – 3:21
#"Right Now" (Sylvester Bradford, Al Lewis) – 2:38
#"Lesson Number One" – 4:08
"Blues is King" was produced by
Mitch Easter
Mitchell Blake Easter (born November 15, 1954) is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. Frequently associated with the jangle pop style of guitar music, he is known as producer of R.E.M.'s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as fron ...
and Marshall Crenshaw.
Personnel
*
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway," a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl," and " Whenever You're on My Mind." He ...
- guitars, vocals, bass, percussion
*
Mickey Curry
Michael Timothy Curry (born June 10, 1956) is an American musician. He has collaborated with singer-songwriter Bryan Adams since the early 1980s, but has also worked with Hall & Oates, Cher, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Elvis Costell ...
– drums
*
Mitchell Froom
Mitchell Froom (born June 29, 1953) is an American musician and record producer. He was a member of the bands Gamma and Latin Playboys, and is currently the keyboardist for Crowded House. He has produced albums for several artists, including R ...
– keyboards
*
David Miner – bass, cannon plug
*
Tony Levin
Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...
– bass
*
Jerry Marotta
Jerome David Marotta (born February 6, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American drummer who resides in Woodstock, New York. He is the younger brother of Rick Marotta, who is also a drummer and composer.
Career
Marotta was a member of the bands ...
– drums, percussion, bongos
*
T-Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...
– electric sitar, Linn program, vocals
*
Robert Crenshaw – drums
*
G. E. Smith – guitar
*
Mitch Easter
Mitchell Blake Easter (born November 15, 1954) is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. Frequently associated with the jangle pop style of guitar music, he is known as producer of R.E.M.'s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as fron ...
– piano
*
Tom Ardolino
Thomas Robert Ardolino (January 12, 1955 – January 6, 2012) was an American rock drummer best known as a member of NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet).
Biography
Tom Ardolino was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. A fan of the b ...
– drums
*
Joey Spampinato
Joseph Nicholas Spampinato (born August 16, 1948) is a multi-instrumentalist and was a founding member and bass player of NRBQ. He was also one of the band's lead singers and chief songwriters. Before NRBQ he played in several bands, includin ...
– bass
*
Tony Garnier – bass
*Faye Hunter – bass
*Steve Fischel – steel guitar
*
Warren Klein
Warren Klein (born July 27, 1944) is an American musician and songwriter, best known for being a founding member & lead guitarist of The Factory with Lowell George (produced by Frank Zappa), as a member of Fraternity of Man (Don't Bogart Me), a ...
– tamboura
*
Genny Schorr
Genny is an Italian ready-to-wear manufacturer. It was founded in Ancona in 1961 by Arnaldo Girombelli.
History
Born in Ancona, Arnaldo Girombelli was the owner of a boutique with an adjacent small tailor workshop for skirts and blouses in ...
Wardrobe Stylist
References
{{Authority control
1985 albums
Marshall Crenshaw albums
Albums produced by T Bone Burnett
Warner Records albums