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Marshall Crenshaw: From "The Hellhole"

By Doug Collette
September 6, 2025
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In something of a reflection of its sardonic title,

Marshall Crenshaw

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Marshall Crenshaw's From "The Hellhole" is not an album of all-new, never-before-recorded original material. It consists instead of revamped versions of recordings the Detroit native 'completed' for release in various forms in recent years (not the least of which is the now out-of-print #392: The EP Collection (Red River, 2015).

Like the remix of Rare Earth's Motown hit "I Just Want to Celebrate," the details of the reworkings of original songs and covers may or may not be readily discernible to anyone but the artist himself and his most rabid followers. Yet the overall effort bespeaks the musicianly approach Crenshaw has taken to his recent reissues of previous LPs, such as Miracle of Science (Razor & Tie, 1996).

In the end, the latest collection might easily pass for vintage Crenshaw circa his sophomore longplayer Field Day (Warner Bros., 1983). But the enumeration of fourteen cuts also reminds of classic Beatles albums such as Beatles For Sale (Parlophone, 1964) (not coincidentally, Crenshaw played

John Lennon

guitar and vocals
1940 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">John Lennon in the musical Beatlemania).

To that end, one unreleased original, "Walkin' Around," is juxtaposed with some broadly eclectic choices of outside material. "No Time" was composed by prominent

Tom Petty

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Petty collaborator Jeff Lynne when he was a member of the British cult group The Move (prior to founding Electric Light Orchestra). And then there is "Never To Be Forgotten" by the Bobby Fuller Four whose 1966 hit "I Fought The Law" was written by Sonny Curtis of

Buddy Holly

composer / conductor
1936 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Buddy Holly's band The Crickets.

Other notable outside composer credits crop up next to Crenshaw's throughout this fifty-six some minutes. The Lovin' Spoonful's

John Sebastian

harmonica

" data-original-title="" title="">John Sebastian composed "Didn't Want To Have To Do It"—a well-sequenced moment of reflection—while

Todd Rundgren

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Todd Rundgren's "Couldn't I Just Tell You" features lush acoustic guitar illustrative of the sophisticated means by which the frontman, in a song of his own such as "Move Now," contours words to music.

In turn, the interweaving of vocals to instruments also reflects the balance Marshall Crenshaw maintains in his roles of songwriter, musician and recording artist. Accordingly, electric guitars and vocal harmonies dominate "I Don't See You Laughing Now," while the four-square drumming there (from MC himself)—adorns the track as stylishly as the eternally youthful tones of his voice as he sings. But then there is the resplendent chiming of the rhythm guitar, every bit as tuneful as his solos, as it envelops the other instruments and, in turn, a listener.

Marshall Crenshaw respects the virtues of other musicians too, no matter the genre(s) in which they abide. As a result, notable contributions on From "The Hellhole" come from bonafide contemporary jazz masters: on the travelogue "Driving And Dreaming," the organ

Jamie Saft

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Jamie Saft plays is as prominent as Marshall's fanciful falsetto and for

Burt Bacharach

composer / conductor
1928 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "(They Long To Be) Close To You," while trumpeter

Steve Bernstein

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Bernstein's horns dispel all traces of saccharinity for the sake of an earthy undercurrent far removed from the Carpenters' version.

Perhaps less well-known than those players,

Bryan Carrott

vibraphone
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Bryan Carrott nevertheless parlays his vibraphone for "Stranger And Stranger," an instrumental component as integral to the success of that track as those from the two aforementioned participants. Similarly sympathetic is the wavering of

Rob Morseberger

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Rob Morseberger's accordion to suit "Red Wine."

Much like

Neil Young

guitar
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Neil Young, whose pride in his work has become increasingly clear through his archiving in recent years, Marshall Crenshaw finds the worth in his work growing over the course of time. And why not?: the recordings of From "The Hellhole," like the material and the musicianship, bespeak well- honed, sophisticated craftsmanship.

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Track Listing

I Don't See You Laughing Now; (They Long to) Be Close to You; Driving And Dreaming; I Just Want to Celebrate; Move Now; Made My Bed, Gonna Lie In It; Walkin' Around; No Time; Grab The Next Train; Didn't Want to Have to Do It; Stranger And Stranger; Couldn't I Just Tell You; Red Wine; Never To Be Forgotten.

Personnel

Marshall Crenshaw

vocals

Steve Bernstein

trumpet

Bryan Carrott

vibraphone

Suzanne Ornstein

viola

Lisa Morseberger

flute

Andy York

guitar

PK Lavengood

guitar, slide

Rob Morseberger

piano

Byron House

bass

Graham Maby

bass

Additional Instrumentation

Marshall Crenshaw: guitars, vibraphone, drum machine; toy piano; electric piano; organ bass, bass, six-string bass; tambourine, drums, percussion; Plink Giglio: 'tron flutes; PK Lavengood: acoustic guitar; Rob Morseberger: piano; keyboards; Hammond organ, accordion. conductor; Daniel Littleton: vocals; Suzanne Ornstein; violins; Jamie Saft: Hammond B3; Glen Burtnick: vocals; Jared Michael Nickerson: bubble bass; Graham Maby: bass; Manuel Quintana: congas, bongos.

Album information

Title: From "The Hellhole" | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: Yep Rock

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