Marshall Crenshaw - Miracle Of Science (1996)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 2020 reissue on Crenshaw's own Shiny-Tone label with a new running order, some remixing, and 2 newly recorded songs.

According to Crenshaw's website, "Miracle of Science is the seventh studio album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw and his first studio effort for the indie imprint Razor & Tie. Crenshaw elected for the first time to solely produce the album and play most of the instruments." More on the album's origins in this article: Billboard, June 29, 1996, and more on the 2020 reissue here: The Second Disc.

Apparently when Crenshaw focuses on production and playing on most of the instruments, he is unable to write his usual brand of quality power pop. Not his best effort, the album can best be described as follows: a few quality tunes, a few decent enough covers, a few yawners, and one completely unlistenable track.

Press of the time:

• Robert Christgau (★★★): "picking 'em better than he writes 'em"
• Rolling Stone (★★★): "lacks a vital spark"
• Entertainment Weekly (A-): "truly a miracle"
• Musician: "his most assured and consistently enjoyable outing since 1985's Downtown"
• Stereo Review: Best of the Month

Peak on the US Billboard 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

• Quality tunes: What Do You Dream Of?, Theme From 'Flaregun' (instrumental), and the best song on the album, Starless Summer Sky.
• Covers: Who Stole That Train, A Wondrous Place, Twenty-Five Forty-One, The In-Crowd; the latter two being the better of the four.
• Yawners: Only An Hour Ago, Laughter, There And Back Again
• Completely unlistenable track: Rouh Na Selim Neves which is track 13, Seven Miles An Hour, played backwards for the entire 4:29 play time. The track usually gets skipped; it's a tough slog today. I don't understand the thought process that went into the inclusion of the track on the album.
• Bonus tracks: The aforementioned Seven Miles An Hour (which is one of the better tunes on the album when played forward), What The Hell I Got, and Misty Dreamer; the latter two cuts being more cover tunes.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Jaggedland (2009)	Life's Too Short (1991)
What's In The Bag (2003)	Field Day (1983)
The Best of Marshall Crenshaw (2000)	Marshall Crenshaw (1982)
The 9 Volt Years (1998)