Crenshaw, a performer in the musical Beatlemania, had begun to write songs for the album while staying in New York.
Reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and many of Crenshaw's most famous songs, such as "Cynical Girl," "Mary Anne," and "There She Goes Again," are featured on the album.
In the late 1970s, Marshall Crenshaw moved from his home state of Michigan to New York City to perform in the musical Beatlemania.
After releasing his debut single "Something's Gonna Happen," on Shake Records, Crenshaw received offers from RCA and Warner Brothers to record and release an album; Crenshaw ultimately chose Warner Brothers due to its more welcoming environment.
In addition to Gotterher, Thom Panunzio served as engineer for the album; Crenshaw recalled, "All I can remember is my co-producer, Richard Gottehrer, eating a lot of pasta and me pumping Thom Panunzio, our engineer, for stories about his days working with John Lennon.
"[7] Gotterher had originally proposed using drummer Anton Fig and bassist Will Lee for the sessions, but Crenshaw insisted on using his band instead, citing the "group identity" the trio had formed.
We were just playing clubs in the city, but we would still get together twice a week and go over stuff, and I would really drill those guys: 'Here's how the bass drum goes, and put the cymbal crash here.'
Despite several comparisons to Buddy Holly, Crenshaw cited Squeeze and Rockpile as the primary influences for the album.
[7] "Someday, Someway" was among the early songs Crenshaw wrote for the album and was inspired by "Lotta Lovin'" by Gene Vincent.
Contemporary reviews were glowing, with Rolling Stone calling it "1982's most gorgeous singer-songwriter debut" and claiming that "every song here sounds like a classic.
"[19] Musician Jeffrey Foskett include the album on his list of top ten recordings, writing, "Not since Rubber Soul or Pet Sounds was there an LP where every single cut was as good as the previous.
Guest musicians Album design - Spencer Drate, Judith Salavetz Photography - Gary Greene