Mary Jean & 9 Others

Last updated
Mary Jean & 9 Others
MaryJeanAlbum.jpg
Studio album by
Marshall Crenshaw
Released1987
Studio Bearsville Studios, New York
Genre Rock
Length42:15
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Don Dixon
Marshall Crenshaw chronology
Downtown
(1985)		Mary Jean & 9 Others
(1987)		 Good Evening
(1989)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Robert Christgau B [2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Mary Jean & 9 Others is the fourth album by singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw. The album was produced by Don Dixon and features a return to the sounds of Crenshaw's earlier work after the country rock excursion of his previous album, Downtown .

Contents

Background

Crenshaw performing in 1987 Marshallcrenshaw.jpg
Crenshaw performing in 1987

Crenshaw noted that the album represented a more guitar-heavy sound when compared to its predecessor, 1985's Downtown . He explained, "I rediscovered the sound of turning my guitar amplifier all the way up. This was kind of a reactionary move after Downtown, which was a slick record with a clean, twangy guitar sound." [5] In another interview, Crenshaw similarly framed the album as a return to the style of his first two albums after the experiment of Downtown, stating, "I did want to try and pick up where I'd left off with Field Day. My third album [Downtown] was a bit of a weird departure for me in that it wasn’t the work of a self-contained band like the first two. I set out to get back to that approach." [6] As such, the album was largely recorded as a trio with Crenshaw, his brother Robert returning on drums, and the Joe Jackson Band's Graham Maby on bass.

Crenshaw and his band recorded Mary Jean & 9 Others after Crenshaw completed filming for his role as Buddy Holly in La Bamba . He recalled, "I took a train ride back from the West Coast and wrote a lot of the words on Amtrak stationery, looking out the train window at the passing landscape." [6] As with Downtown, the album was recorded amidst worsening relations between Crenshaw and Warner Bros. Records, leading Crenshaw to recall the sessions as having "a cloud" over them. For the album's sound, Crenshaw drew on the Bobby Fuller Four's style. [6]

Crenshaw recorded the album with producer Don Dixon at Bearsville Studios near Crenshaw's home. He explained, "On this one album, I tried hard to come in under budget; I wanted to be able to put something in the bank after we were done, and I think that did happen this one time. We did the whole record in four weeks, [then remixed it] at Ardent in Memphis. Dixon and I are still great friends; we stay in touch." [6]

Songs

The album's title is derived from the album's seventh song "Mary Jean". When asked who "Mary Jean" was, Crenshaw responded, "Nobody. And I was always disappointed I couldn't think of a more interesting title and concept for that song. Like I said, there was a cloud over me during [those] albums; I just had to grind it out sometimes, and that song was one of those times." [6]

Crenshaw said of "A Hundred Dollars," the second track on the album, "It's really just a nice rock 'n' roll song. There’s this old one called, 'I've Got Five Dollars and It's Saturday Night,' so I figured, 'Hmm, $5 in 1954, you'd need $100 in 1987 to do the same thing you could do with $5 in the earlier song.' So maybe it's kind of an update of 'I've Got Five Dollars And It's Saturday Night.' Really, it's just a straightforward rock 'n' roll song. It's got some nice chords in it." [7]

Opener "This Is Easy" would later appear as the title track on the compilation This Is Easy: The Best of Marshall Crenshaw , while "Calling Out for Love" was a collaboration with producer Don Dixon. "This Street" features a bassline that Crenshaw encouraged Maby to play like Sly and the Family Stone's Larry Graham did on "Everyday People". [6] "Steel Strings", the album's sole cover, was chosen because T Bone Burnett was producing Peter Case's album at the same time as Crenshaw's Downtown. [6]

Track listing

All songs written by Marshall Crenshaw, except where noted.

  1. "This is Easy" – 3:51
  2. "A Hundred Dollars" – 4:08
  3. "Calling Out for Love (at Crying Time)" (Crenshaw, Don Dixon) – 4:37
  4. "Wild Abandon" – 4:22
  5. "This Street" – 4:39
  6. "Somebody Crying" – 3:26
  7. "Mary Jean" – 4:10
  8. "Steel Strings" (Peter Case) – 5:08
  9. "Til That Moment" – 3:52
  10. "They Never Will Know" – 4:02

Personnel

Guest Musicians

Related Research Articles

<i>Factory Showroom</i> 1996 studio album by They Might Be Giants

Factory Showroom is the sixth studio album by the band They Might Be Giants. It was released in 1996 by Elektra Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Crenshaw</span> American musician (born 1953)

Marshall Howard Crenshaw 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 is also the co-author of one of the biggest radio hits of the ‘90s, the Gin Blossoms, "Til I Hear It from You." His music has roots in classic soul music and Buddy Holly, to whom Crenshaw was often compared in the early days of his career, and whom he portrayed in the 1987 film La Bamba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Maby</span> English musical artist

Graham Maby, is an English bass guitar player. He has recorded and toured with Joe Jackson since his first album, appearing on most of Jackson's albums and tours. He has continued to record and tour with Jackson even while working with other artists.

<i>This Perfect World</i> 1994 studio album by Freedy Johnston

This Perfect World is the third album by singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston. It was released in 1994 on Elektra Records.

<i>Never Home</i> 1997 studio album by Freedy Johnston

Never Home is the fourth album by singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston. It was released in 1997 on Elektra Records. Johnston credited producer Danny Kortchmar with imparting a more spontaneous, live-sounding feel to this album than its predecessor, This Perfect World.

<i>Can You Fly</i> 1992 studio album by Freedy Johnston

Can You Fly is the second album by singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston. It was released in 1992 on Bar/None Records. Can You Fly appeared on Fast Folk's year-end list of the ten best albums of 1992, and The Village Voice's Robert Christgau later dubbed it "a perfect album".

<i>Marshall Crenshaw</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

Marshall Crenshaw is the debut studio album by American musician Marshall Crenshaw. It was released on April 28, 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. Crenshaw, a performer in the musical Beatlemania, had begun to write songs for the album while staying in New York. The album was recorded with his backing band and producer Richard Gottehrer, engineer Thom Panunzio, and second engineer Jim Ball.

<i>Good Evening</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

Good Evening is a 1989 album by Marshall Crenshaw. Although critically well-received, it failed to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crying, Waiting, Hoping</span> 1959 single by Buddy Holly

"Crying, Waiting, Hoping" is a song written by Buddy Holly. It was released in 1959 as the B-side to "Peggy Sue Got Married". Three versions of Holly's recording were released: the 1959 commercial release, the 1964 reissue with different orchestration, and Holly's original, private home recording.

Marti Jones is an American singer and visual artist known for her albums and her paintings. She sings, records, and performs as "Marti Jones" and exhibits visual art as "Marti Jones Dixon."

<i>Born to Laugh at Tornadoes</i> 1983 studio album by Was (Not Was)

Born To Laugh at Tornadoes is a 1983 album by the art-funk band Was. Rolling Stone declared it "conceptually, the best album of the year" shortly after its release. Despite the glowing reviews, Tornadoes made little commercial impact in a year dominated by Michael Jackson's Thriller and Prince's 1999.

<i>Field Day</i> (Marshall Crenshaw album) 1983 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

Field Day is the second album by American rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. Recorded quickly after the moderate success of his self-titled debut album, Field Day featured a change in style and production after Crenshaw switched producers from Richard Gottehrer to Steve Lillywhite. The recording of the album was remembered positively by Crenshaw as was the album's sound.

<i>Downtown</i> (Marshall Crenshaw album) 1985 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

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.

<i>Lifes Too Short</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

Life's Too Short is the sixth album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw.

<i>Live …My Truck Is My Home</i> 1994 live album by Marshall Crenshaw

Live …My Truck Is My Home is a live album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw, which includes performances from 1982 to 1994.

<i>Miracle of Science</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

Miracle of Science is the seventh studio album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw, and his first studio effort for the indie imprint Razor & Tie. Having left the major labels to increase his creative control, Crenshaw produced the album and played most of the instruments.

<i>447</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

#447 is the eighth studio album by rock artist Marshall Crenshaw. It was released in 1999 on Razor & Tie. It was re-released in 2021 on Shinytone, in both vinyl and CD formats. There are two bonus tracks on the re-released CD.

<i>Whats in the Bag?</i> 2003 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

What's In The Bag? is the ninth studio album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw.

<i>Jaggedland</i> 2009 studio album by Marshall Crenshaw

Jaggedland is the tenth studio album by the rock artist Marshall Crenshaw. It was released in 2009 on 429 Records.

Robert Crenshaw is an American drummer, recording artist, author, and robotics instructor/trainer. He is known primarily for his solo recordings and his years in his brother Marshall Crenshaw's band.

References

  1. ↑ Mary Jean & 9 Others at AllMusic
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Marshall Crenshaw". Robert Christgau . Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Larkin, Colin (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia Of Popular Music, Concise 3rd Edition , p. 323. Virgin Books, London. ISBN   1-85227-832-3
  4. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 167.
  5. ↑ Kot, Greg. "ONE TOUGH CRITIC: CRENSHAW REVIEWS CRENSHAW". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Edelstein, Marc (20 October 2022). "Marshall Crenshaw's Romantic Pop Marvel Mary Jean & 9 Others at 35". PopMatters. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  7. ↑ Murray, Noel. "Marshall Crenshaw on songwriting, covers, and the album cover he absolutely hates". The AV Club. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.