This Is Easy: The Best of Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw never again scored the commercial success he saw with his acclaimed 1982self-titled debut, but he kept the knack for writing melodically rich, evocative, touching songs. Culled from releases over a 15-year period (from the explosive '81 single "Something's Gonna Happen" to the fineMiracle of Science),This Is Easyleans heavily toward the pensive side of Crenshaw's oeuvre. Whether nicking an old B.B. King album title ("Blues Is King") for a generalized lament or facing specific questions raised by the everyday ("You Should've Been There," "Better Back Off"), Crenshaw always offers a riff, a hooky chorus, and a thoughtful outlook to ensure each of these songs their long lives. With many of their source albums out of print,This Is Easyfills a real void.--Rickey Wright