Marshall Crenshaw - The 9 Volt Years (1998)

Subtitled "Battery Powered Home Demos & Curios (1979-198?)"

I'm not normally a fan of demos and b-sides but for Marshall Crenshaw I'll certainly make an exception. 16 tracks, only three break the 3 minute mark. A few cuts appear in different forms on other Crenshaw albums and a couple appear on Rhino's excellent 'best of" compilation. No matter - they're all remarkably enjoyable. Jason Ankeny of allmusic.com puts it best in a ★★★★½ retro-review: "Far from the collection of scraps and throw-aways its humble title would suggest, [this album] is instead a showcase for Marshall Crenshaw at his most engaging and refreshing."

Package includes brief notes on each track from Crenshaw himself which greatly enhance the listening experience.

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "these tracks range from 'hi -fi' to 'medium -fi' to 'lo -fi' to 'no -fi.' Whatever the level of "fi," the music always cuts through."
• Entertainment Weekly (B+): "recalls an era when a chiming guitar, a winsome voice, and a charming hook could soothe any romantic despair."
• Washington Post: "this new collection is a welcome reminder why his first two albums are still so fondly remembered."

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: All. Play it from top to bottom. There's two surprises here: 1) a cover of Bo Diddley's I'm Sorry, and 2) brother Robert Crenshaw takes over the writing and singing on track 5, the Bacharach-esque Everyone's In Love With You. Track 11 is unnecessary, but it's only 9 seconds long.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Jaggedland (2009)
What's In The Bag (2003)
The Best of Marshall Crenshaw (2000)
Life's Too Short (1991)
Field Day (1983)
Marshall Crenshaw (1982)