Marshall Crenshaw: “#447” (1999/2022) Vinyl Review

Last year, Marshall Crenshaw began re-issuing a portion of his catalogue with Miracle Of Science, which was originally released in 1996. The re-issue was released on both vinyl and CD, and contained bonus tracks. Now he is continuing his re-issue project with 1999’s #447, in a remastered and expanded edition. The album contains all original material, written or co-written by Marshall Crenshaw, who also plays many of the instruments on this release, including drums, percussion, guitar, electric bass, Mellotron, and celeste. As with Miracle Of Science, it is being released on both CD and vinyl, the vinyl version containing the bonus tracks on a 7-inch. The bonus tracks are brand new recordings. This special re-issue was mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound.

Side A

The album opens with a short track titled, appropriately, “Opening (It’s All About Rock).” At first it sounds like a delicious standard old rock and roll tune, in which he says he’s bringing rock right to our door, but it soon takes an odd, psychedelic turn, like it is being interrupted by something stranger. The song then gets going again, but soon comes to a seemingly premature end. I suppose the song’s title tells us all we need to know. What a weird way to open the record, but then again Marshall Crenshaw is not your average pop performer. That’s followed by “Dime A Dozen Guy,” which immediately establishes a cool vibe, and features an excellent vocal performance. This song, written by Marshall Crenshaw and Dave Cantor, includes some playful lyrics, such as these: “He’s not good-looking/At least I don’t think so/I just can’t figure/Any earthly reason why/A girl like her would choose/That dime a dozen guy.” I suppose we each have our own view of other people’s worth, and maybe it’s a bit of self-preservation to view the guy who replaces us as not worth much. But of course the song is about regretting wasting one’s chance, not appreciating what one has. It features some nice work on guitar by Pat Buchanan, and is one of my favorite tracks of the album.

“Television Light” has a good pop sound, and I love the presence of strings, adding something of a folk element. Rachel Handman is on violin, Valentina Evans is on viola, and Chris Carmichael plays both violin and viola. The strings are not only pretty, but provide the song’s catchiest element. Bill Lloyd plays mandolin on this track. “Glad Goodbye” is another of the record’s highlights. It is about leaving, and looking toward the future, and it has a rather cheerful, hopeful tone, which is incredibly appealing. “We’re going with the changing of the season/The ground is frozen and the sky is gray/It always got me in the wintertime/That desolate feeling that wouldn’t stay away/We’re gonna say a glad goodbye, say a glad goodbye.” The percussion plays a prominent part in setting the tone. Plus, this track features Greg Leisz on dobro and lap steel. And I appreciate the hopefulness of the lines “Without much sadness, without much fear/What waits over the horizon/Is not like anything we’d ever find here.” That’s followed by “West Of Bald Knob,” an instrumental track that has an easygoing vibe. Bald Knob certainly sounds like a euphemism, but is actually a town in Arkansas, as well as the name of a summit in West Virginia. Footch Fischetti plays fiddle on this track. The first side concludes with “T.M.D.,” which stands for Truly, Madly, Deeply. This is a totally enjoyable, pleasant love song, feeling a bit like a mid-1960s pop gem. “And when your eyes find mine I see that look on your face/Every once in a while I know something to be nothing else but true/And right here and now I really love you/Truly, madly, deeply, I do.” (By the way, if you haven’t seen the movie Truly, Madly, Deeply, you should check it out, for it is director Anthony Minghella’s best film.)

Side B

The second side opens with “Tell Me All About It,” which has a sort of hesitant beginning, like the band is getting ready, but soon this song is going strong with a good rock energy. “Did you grab somebody new/Tell me all about it/Does he love you better than I do/It’s all a little clouded/This just came right out of the blue/On second thought, maybe I don’t want you/To tell me about it.” Andy York plays guitar on this track. This song was written by Marshall Crenshaw and Richard Julian. That’s followed by “Ready Right Now,” which has more of a bluesy edge, and a different sort of vocal performance, and yet is a love song. An early line that stands out for me is “Not all the time, but sometimes the world looks fine.” How is that for a line that rings true? “This is not a rehearsal, this is the one/And I swear it won’t be something casually done/With all and all of my energy/Every bit of life that’s left in me/I’m going to give you all that I have/All that time will allow.” Bill Lloyd, who co-wrote the song with Marshall Crenshaw, plays electric guitar on this one.

“Eydie’s Tune” is a cool instrumental track, with a relaxed, bluesy vibe. David Sancious plays electric piano on this tune, delivering a nice lead. There is a weird moment in that section where suddenly there is some static (I checked, and it is present on the CD version as well). It feels like a mistake, but perhaps it’s deliberate. That’s followed by “Right There In Front Of Me,” a sweet, cheerful and rather catchy pop song. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Oh, something strong caught me by surprise/It took my senses straight to paradise/The first time we kissed, I never, never felt like this.” We can always use an unabashed love song like this one. The album concludes with another instrumental track, “You Said What??” The two instrumental tracks on this side of the record were featured in the documentary, Yogi Berra: Déjà vu All Over Again.

Bonus Material

The record also contains a 7-inch, featuring two newly recorded songs. The first, “Will Of The Wind,” was written and recorded during the early months of the pandemic last year. Gregg Turner, of the Angry Samoans, wrote some of the lyrics. This song has more a punk edge, a song for our unhinged and precarious time, opening with the line “The merry-go-round is broken down.” While that line might make us think of the 1930s tune, this song has quite a different vibe, and that line fits so well with how things felt at the beginning of the pandemic. “Don’t be thinking those thoughts/You might get caught/They may be hiding outside or under the bed/I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said/Don’t be afraid, be very afraid.” Marshall Crenshaw plays all the instruments on this track. The single’s flip side is a cover of Gregg Turner’s “Santa Fe,” from his Plays The Hits album. On this track, Marshall Crenshaw is joined by Mike Neer on steel guitar.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Opening (It’s All About Rock)
2. Dime A Dozen Guy
3. Television Light
4. Glad Goodbye
5. West Of Bald Knob
6. T.M.D.

Side B

1. Tell Me All About It
2. Ready Right Not
3. Eydie’s Tune
4. Right There In Front Of Me
5. You Said What??

Single Track List

Side A

1. Will Of The Wind

Side B

1. Santa Fe

This special re-issue of #447 is scheduled to be released on February 4, 2022 on Shiny-Tone Records.