Live...My Truck Is My Home

by

Marshall Crenshaw

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Marshall Crenshaw in my opinion is the most underrated artist of all time. Radio stations won't touch him with a 10 foot pole even though he has written some of the greatest pure pop tunes of the 80's and 90's. However, that has not stopped him from recording and touring and continuing to write incredible songs. This album is slightly uneven, but a very vital recording, since it truly documents the power Marshall has over his audience and his incredible ability to simply rock. His also underrated prowess on the guitar (mainly on Twine Time) is also in full force here. If you would like to be introduced to Marshall Crenshaw, this is a great starter. It includes some of his classics, including some obscure cover tunes like the Byrds "Have You Seen Her Face" and Abba's "Knowing Me Knowing You" - if you have ever seen Marshall live, you will have real appreciation for the inclusion of these songs.

That said, I should add that I am a fan, so this disc has a permanent home in my collection. But for the casual listener, you should probably start with the first album or the "This Is Easy" collection. The main reason is the sound recording quality which ranges from pretty good ("Fantastic Planet of Love") to horrific ("Twine Time" and any of the cassette lifts). But for the die hards, this disc saves for posterity what a dynamic live performer Crenshaw, at his peak, can be. It doesn't hurt that the lineups included the original trio (Marshall, brother Robert on drums and bassist Chris Donato) and members of Joe Jackson's band (Graham Maby on bass). Makes me wish for a King Biscuit Hour or Warner's Radio Special to be hidden in the vaults somewhere waiting to get discovered.