The Best of Marshall Crenshaw: This Is Easy

1	Something's Gonna Happen 2:17
2	Someday, Someway 2:49
3	There She Goes Again 2:38
4	Cynical Girl 2:34
5	Mary Anne 2:53
6	You're My Favorite Waste of Time 2:39
7	Monday Morning rock 3:09
8	Whenever You're on My Mind 3:18
9	Our Town 4:01
10	For Her Love 3:02
11	I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee) 3:20
12	Little Wild One (No. 5) 3:52
13	Blues Is King 3:49
14	Like a Vague Memory 4:09
15	Calling Out for Love (At Crying Time) 4:33
16	This Is Easy 3:51
17	Somebody Crying 3:06
18	You Should've Been There 3:36
19	Someplace Where Love Can't Find Me 4:02
20	Better Back Off 4:26
21	What Do You Dream Of? 3:28
22	Starless Summer Sky 3:24

Barnes & Noble

Marshall Crenshaw makes it look so easy. Over the past two decades, he's cranked out album after album of thoroughly modern pop songs informed by his impeccable affinity for classic rock 'n' roll, R&B, and soul styles. This Is Easy, the first compilation of his work, showcases Crenshaw's consistently impressive songwriting with 22 well-chosen highlights from his remarkable catalog. The simple, swinging "Someday, Someway" and the cheeky "Cynical Girl" from his classic 1982 debut sound as fresh and vibrant as such recent favorites as the heartfelt "What Do You Dream Of?" and the infectious "Better Back Off." This Is Easy also features a couple of hard-to-find cult favorites, including the rare indie single "Something's Gonna Happen." With detailed liner notes from the late Cub Koda as well as irreverent blurbs on each song from Crenshaw himself, hardcore fans will be as pleased as initiates to delve into this set. This Is Easy is a definitive compilation of Marshall Crenshaw's most beloved songs; with any luck, it may finally win him the recognition he deserves. Ganda Suthivarakom

All Music Guide

Co-compiler Gary Stewart and project assistant David Gorman waste no time at all before addressing the question that has plagued rock critics and fans since 1981: "how can we rationalize the continued underappreciation of Marshall Crenshaw?" It's not just that Crenshaw is a cult favorite and critics' pet; he's also steeped in rock & roll traditions that date back to Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent, and his records are such ear candy that you'd figure they would attract a big audience. Instead, only three of Crenshaw's previous ten albums have even reached the charts, along with just one single; Stewart and Gorman hope this compilation will "set things right." If only it could. Running from 1981 to 1996, the 22-track collection gathers four tracks each from Crenshaw's first three albums, as well as his first indie single "Something's Gonna Happen," the exceptional B-side "You're My Favorite Waste of Time," and assorted tracks from four subsequent albums. Crenshaw doesn't so much write songs as he makes records, at least as interested in guitar textures and what echo is placed on his vocal as what he's singing about. For all the surface pleasure his work provides, the only depth it reveals is one of craft; one is more impressed than really involved. And yet, it would be hard for a rock & roll fan not to enjoy this record, which cherry-picks Crenshaw's albums, diminishing, for example, the inappropriately bombastic production Steve Lillywhite brought to Field Day. The tracks are all pop gems, and they do, as Stewart and Gorman claim, induce the fantasy of a world in which classic, 1965-vintage pop/rock was still on top 20 years later. It's a nice dream for rock & roll fans; with this album they can close their eyes and, for 75 minutes, pretend it's true. William Ruhlmann