This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Marshall Crenshaw's "Whenever You're on My Mind"
Saturday September 5, 2009
Though pigeonholed briefly as a new wave artist during the early '80s, guitar pop singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw has always transcended genre and the changing fashionable movements of eras. His literate, bright pop songs draw heavily from the Beatles' brilliance and their power pop followers, but Crenshaw also ranks among the most versatile artists of his generation - capable of top-notch traditionalist rock and roll, seemingly without effort, right alongside modern and intimate guitar-based songwriting.
1983's "Whenever You're on My Mind" is one of the loveliest tunes from Crenshaw's distinguished catalog, a tremendously sweet love song that nevertheless deftly manages to avoid the realm of fluffy confection. Music fans often argue that the best music retains a timeless appeal that can't be eroded by life's usual distractions, and that stance receives its most sturdy support from Crenshaw's gifted melodicism. To pontificate about this song - no matter how lucidly or passionately - fails to capture the sheer pleasure it generates upon every listen. So, as Marty DiBergi might say, "Enough of my yakkin' - let's boogie!"
Album Cover Image Courtesy of Rhino Warner
Comments
Great tune! Glad you gave it the attention it deserves.
He sure does not look like he sounds. I never heard this song, and frankly, as soon as it was over, I simply thought, no wonder it flopped. Nothing memorable about it. Unlike the song which made him a one hit wonder the previous summer scraping the top 40 with ’someday, someway’ which I do have and find catchy.