My Mythological Narrative: A Rock Odyssey

Robert Crenshaw drummed on the fantastic albums ‘Marshall Crenshaw’ and ‘Field Day’ (among others). He tells a wonderful story of growing up and finding success in music and then finding his own way. Highly Recommended!

What They Said: I'm totally in agreement with the endorsements from Graham Maby and the Detroit area deejays, as well as the oh-so-positive reviews from the other satisfied readers. Alot of what I wanted to praise about this book has already been covered. However, I do have some commentary from a more personal perspective that I hope will be relevant, so.... I have Robert Crenshaw as a Facebook friend. I wanted Marshall Crenshaw, but he wasn't available. I bought Robert Crenshaw's autobbiographical book about his Rock Odyssey. There is no such similar book written by Marshall Crenshaw. I don't feel as though I've had to settle for anything less in either an online companion or in an autobiographical account of a life centered on making pop music. From my perspective, it was never just Marshall Crenshaw. I never regarded bassist Chris Donato.or Robert on the drums as Marshall's sidemen, faceless and replaceable. To the contrary, Chris and Robert were essential to the appeal and the magic of the music and the image; anyone who had seen them perform live could attest to that. It may or may not be a coincidence that when Marshall moved on to playing with just "sidemen," his. music lost alot of it's appeal to me. What sets My Mythological Narrative apart from other music autobiographies is that the author isn't the star and maybe not even a "star" at all. Robert never seems to forget where he came from as the good times unfold. Youngest brother John comes aboard as roadie and occasional bandmate. The guys have memorable encounters with any number of pop stars of the era, but still remain close to friends from their adolescence. There's a definite "Entourage" vibe going on throughout the heady times of Marshall's early, major-label success. Robert tells the stories in vivid detail. The focus of the book isn't on celebrities and glamour, debauchery and hard living as one might expect. It's not a tell-all or a confessional.It could instead be considered something of a coming-of-age story. Robert is thirty when his gig as Marshall's drummer is up and he feels lost as a person, not realizing at the time that the setback is temporary and that he's been given the opportunity to reinvent himself and undergo a personal renaissance. He got married. Despite having to struggle with dyslexia, he went back to school and earned two degrees. And he began to realize his creative potential as a musician, going on to put out four albums of original tunes on which he sang and played multiple instruments, as well as doing production and engineering duties. The parts of the book that I enjoyed the most were Robert's recollections of playing in bar bands in the Greater Detroit area while still in high school, and his experiences trying to survive in NYC while attending a school for studio engineering and working off jobs to pay the rent.Robert name checks so many people that he encountered during these times and has so many anecdotes about them to share. Most authors save their acknowledgements for a specific place outside the text of the book; Robert weaves his "acknowledgements" straight into his narrative. One gets the impression that people matter to him. If "My Mythological Narrative" is the full-length , it would seem that Robert has been sharing the demos in his Facebook posts in recent years. There are a number of pictures and anecdotes in the book that I recall having seen previously on his Facebook page. I never want to scroll past anything that he shares. His Rock Odyssey is the Mother of all Robert Crenshaw posts. I'm glad I clicked on it, but don't take my word for it. Come into the world of Robert Crenshaw. Read his Mythological Narrative. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The guy's a mensch, believe me.

Drummer Robert Crenshaw pulls back the curtain on the pop music business from the mid '70s through today. As a local musician and rabid Marshall Crenshaw fan from the Winston-Salem, NC area, I found his descriptions hauntingly familiar, assuring, and, at times, eye-opening. If you have ever played in, watched, or bought music from a local or regional band you will love this book. The perfect gift for that musician currently beating his head against the wall, the live music fan, or someone who was involved in any regional act turned national. I especially loved the tales of the boys working their artistic magic in the I-40 NC corridor all those years ago. Enjoy the rollercoaster ride- and be sure to check your local listings for the latest Marshall Crenshaw performance in your area.

I read chapter after chapter, unable to put this binge worthy book down. Robert writes in such a personal and engaging manner that one can’t help but feel fully immersed in his story. I felt as though I was sitting in his living room having a few drinks while listening to him share tales of his adventures. As refreshing as it was to read about Robert’s growing up in Michigan with the close-knit Crenshaw clan during such a time of relative innocence in the world, it was genuine, plain fun to read about his subsequent soaring into semi-celebrity during those exciting 80’s. Having met Robert in 1980? 1981? and remained friends with him well into our “adulthood,” I can’t help but wish for a time machine to zoom back in time to those exhilarating, fearless, wild, happy-go-lucky times!Robert has the kind of sense of humor that can bowl you over with stomach pains, and that very humor, coupled with his smarts, warmth, sincerity and depth really shine through in this memoir -- just as it does in his music. If you haven’t already given his music a listen, I suggest you do. His brilliance and gusto as songwriter, drummer, singer, piano player and god-knows-what-else will draw you in just as this book will!

Robert Crenshaw has written a great account of his extraordinary life and times as among other things, a member of his brother Marshall's touring and recording outfit in the 80s and 90s. You come away with a sense that Robert Crenshaw is an ordinary guy with great talent who got swept into some amazing adventures and met some legendary characters. The final chapter about his father's death was very moving. Overall, a strong addition to the ranks of rock and roll biographies.Note: The audiobook version is a cool experience, with music and sound effects and actual interviews with the people involved. Very entertaining. The ebook and large format paperback both have excellent photos included.

Robert has a fantastic ability to paint images with his narrative-you feel like you are sitting in the Biker Bar in Detroit, living over a doughnut shop in NYC, and what I can relate to even more so-being in a band with your brothers and that special bond shared. The stories are fascinating, some laugh out loud funny, Robert has always been a beast behind the drum kit, a great singer songwriter himself- check out his tune "25 Years Ago" or his cover of "Five O'Clock World". Now, he sits down at the keyboard and brings the late 70's-80's music scene in NYC and beyond come to life in his book. A great read-I cant put it down. I look forward to much more from Robert the storyteller in the future.

Robert Crenshaw offers us an honest reflection of the realities of his life as a musician, engineer, son, brother, friend, and husband. Behind the backdrop of live performances, television & movie appearances, and records is a rewarding yet cut-throat business one can simultaneously envy and detest.