Miracle of Science | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1996 | |||
Studio | Alex the Great, Nashville, Tennessee | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 43:18 | |||
Label | Razor & Tie | |||
Producer | Marshall Crenshaw | |||
Marshall Crenshaw chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Robert Christgau | [2] |
Rolling Stone | [3] |
Miracle of Science is the seventh studio album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw, and his first studio effort for the indie imprint Razor & Tie. [4] Having left the major labels to increase his creative control, [5] Crenshaw produced the album and played most of the instruments.
Due to its status as Crenshaw's first indie album and first largely-self performed album, Miracle of Science has been singled by Crenshaw as a "case of circling back" to his pre-major label roots. He was largely spurred to record the album due to his faith in the song "What Do You Dream Of?": he explained, "I had 'What Do You Dream Of' as of 1992, a few years before the album. To some extent it was about needing to do an album in order to get that song out. You couldn't just do a single back then, at least I didn't think so." [6]
Crenshaw also revived "Starless Summer Sky" for the album, having co-written the song as "Starlit Summer Sky" in 1979. He recalled, "That was the first song that I ever co-wrote, or wrote, that I thought was great. It got passed over when I did my first album." [6] For its recording on Miracle of Science, he tweaked the song's title by changing "starlit" to "starless" to "give it a little bit of a dark atmosphere." [6] The album also features a cover of Grant Hart's "Twenty-Five Forty-One". Crenshaw noted, "I reached out to Grant around that time, when my record of the song was coming out. We were friendly after that, and I'd see him every once in a while, mostly when I had a gig in the Twin Cities." [6]
All songs written by Marshall Crenshaw, except where noted.
In 2020, the album was re-released on Crenshaw's own label with a new running order, some remixing, and 2 newly recorded songs. [7]
[*] - newly added for the reissue.
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 1990s, 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.
Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock band King Crimson. It was released on 6 October 1974 through Island Records in the United Kingdom and Atlantic Records in North America and Japan. The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London in July and August 1974, and produced by the band themselves. The track "Providence" was a free improvisation recorded at their 30 June 1974 concert at the Palace Theater in the city of the same name. Parts of some of the pieces were conceived during previous improvisations performed by the band live. "Starless" was originally considered for their previous album, Starless and Bible Black (1974), but was deemed incomplete at the time. The lengthy version included on this album was refined and performed during concerts throughout 1974.
"Wondrous Place" is a song written by Jeff Lewis and Bill Giant and first released by American singer Jimmy Jones on his debut album Good Timin' in May 1960. English singer Billy Fury released a version as a single in September 1960.
Do It Yourself is a 1979 album by Ian Dury & the Blockheads. It was the first album to be credited to Ian Dury & the Blockheads rather than Ian Dury alone, although Dury had used the full band name for the "What a Waste" 7" single of 1978. The album was released in the wake of the chart-topping hit single "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick", and reached number two in the charts, behind ABBA's Voulez-Vous. Do It Yourself sold around 200,000 copies, and was Dury's second Platinum album.
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.
Good Evening is a 1989 album by Marshall Crenshaw. Although critically well-received, it failed to chart.
Hank Williams Jr. & Friends is the twenty-sixth studio album by Hank Williams Jr.
"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.
Southern Nights is a 1975 R&B concept album by Allen Toussaint. Seminal to the development of New Orleans R&B, Toussaint incorporated into the album elements of funk and soul music, while, according to AllMusic, suggesting neo-psychedelia. Two singles were released in support of the album, "Country John" backed with "When the Party's Over" and "Southern Nights"—Toussaint's signature song—backed with "Out of the City". Although neither single charted for Toussaint, "Southern Nights" as later covered by Glen Campbell in 1977 reached number one in Billboard's country, pop and adult contemporary charts. Released in May 1975 by Reprise Records, the album has been subsequently reissued multiple times on both LP and CD.
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.
Fathers and Sons is the seventh studio album by the American blues musician Muddy Waters, released as a double LP by Chess Records in August 1969.
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.
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.
Life's Too Short is the sixth album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw.
Live …My Truck Is My Home is a live album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw, which includes performances from 1982 to 1994.
#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've Suffered For My Art…Now It's Your Turn is a live album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw. It was recorded at the noted venue The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J. on February 16, 2001. It includes many of Crenshaw's best known songs, four tunes from his most recent studio album, #447, and a pair of vintage covers; Jody Reynolds' "Endless Sleep" and The Left Banke's "Walk Away Renée". The acoustic show was performed by Crenshaw solo but for a few songs accompanied by bass and accordion.
What's In The Bag? is the ninth studio album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw.
"Someday, Someway" is a 1982 song by American rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. The song was released on his 1982 debut album, Marshall Crenshaw.
"Whenever You're on My Mind" is a 1983 song by American rock musician Marshall Crenshaw. The song was released on his 1983 album Field Day. The song, notable for its booming production, originally was written during the making of Crenshaw's debut album but was saved for his second album release. Crenshaw felt the song was his best to date, and the song was released as Field Day's first single.