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Said Allmusic about our guest: “He writes songs that are melodic, hooky and emotionally true, and he sings and plays them with an honesty and force that still finds room for humor without venom.” (See any commonality with The Beatles?) In this episode, Robert and Richard sat down and talked Beatles (and music generally) with Marshall Crenshaw, before discussing the meanings of “power pop” and “Beatlesque,” citing some favorite artists along the way.
Songs include “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” and “Soldier of Love.”
Find Richard’s books here.
Find Robert’s books here.
Haven’t had a chance to listen to this yet. But, *great* graphic. 🙂
Good show guys, loved the interview with Marshall Crenshaw, and the following discussion. I would have been interested to hear a bit on Fountains of Wayne, and your take on where they fit in to Beatle’s-influenced “power pop”.
Hi! I like your show. Just one question: What version of “Twist and shout” is that? Greetings from Madrid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgVWot_xrxE
This link dead, no longer available. A lot (or all???) Fab vids disappearing from YT. As a result of complaint/action by Apple?
Ah, Melbourne! I thought it was from the Ed Sullivan Show. Thank you!
I just wanted to use something less familiar!
A two-fer! Discussion with Marshall Crenshaw AND a discussion of 70s-era Beatles-Influenced pop. Looking forward to your Badfinger show.
Good episode. Interesting to hear that a Beatlemania guy wouldn’t want to do the hokey British accent. Always been my problem with those shows too. For the right amount of cash I guess, or if the banter is actually funny. Sometimes it’s just kind of … look at yer watch time.
But wait, wait… the real revelation from today’s show “Meg Griffin”?
She was a DJ before the dorky daughter on Family Guy??! Boy, the things you learn here.
😉
As for bands that sound Beatley, check out the Winnerys, stumbled on them a few years ago, from Spain of all places:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YdwHxJ1foc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeyoYsXdFlM (Great chorus)
Crenshaw is great and glad he is still recording and touring. “Someday Someway” is an 80’s classic tune. Always thought that was a very Macca sounding bouncy tune!
Overall I think your show is great but when you move away from historical to editorial and subjective opinion you expose your biases or lack of knowledge. Marshall Crenshaw seems like a decent guy but on any level not a major figure but Robert dismisses Oasis as arrogant. Marshall or any of the other US bands you referenced were not in the same league as Oasis. The Gallagher brothers were for a period of time major figures in British music and unquestionably the most important British rock band holding a similar position to that of the Jam a decade earlier. I don’t think they were arrogant. They were brought up in a tough area of Manchester and they were tough and single minded. On reflection not unlike the four men you talk about every week. Yes Noel was not in the league of the Beatles as a songwriter but his songs for many became the sound track of those times. His brother Liam is by any standards a great rock singer and comparisons with both Lennon and McCartney are not inappropriate. They were very much a product of their Northen background, just like the Beatles, something that many Americans can’t understand. None of them would need an explanation of “argy bargy”.
As for Richard comparing Pilot’s “just a smile” with early 70’s McCartney is laughable. It is apparent that you are almost entirely dismissiveness of solo Paul but this comparison shows your blind subjectivity. Next you will be saying Keith Moon played like a jazz drummer! Guys your show is great but keep to the facts.
Wonderful episode. Crenshaw says that none of Arthur Alexander’s other great songs were hits. Although his “Anna” only got as high as #68 on Billboard, I remember its getting enough play on Houston’s KILT in 1962 that I immediately recognized and enjoyed The Beatles’ cover of it on PLEASE PLEASE ME.
Maybe you have already covered this elsewhere (I’m working my way through the podcast in reverse chronological order), but another heavily influenced, post-Beatles act was Elliott Smith. In particular, the tracks on XO cover everything from Rubber Soul (Waltz #2) to the White Album (A Question Mark), Sgt. Pepper’s (Baby Britain), Let It Be (that Leslie guitar on Bled White), and “Abbey Road” (I Didn’t Understand). More uniquely, George’s influence is particularly evident on tracks like Sweet Adeline, and Tomorrow Tomorrow.
Another great episode!
Predictably, people are going to write in with artists that you didn’t discuss and I guess I’ll add myself to the list.
I’d add XTC who clearly take Sgt. Pepper as a point of departure, but with more consistently great songs (I like Pepper, but it has some weak tracks on it).
Split Enz/Crowded House/Neil Finn, clearly influenced by 65-66 Beatles.