Totally agree. While I have found Marr's solo stuff quite anodyne and boring, he seems like a content middle-aged man. Perhaps that's why he doesn't really feel the need to stretch and suffer for his art. I for one can't really begrudge him that. Calling him a broken man is just pathetic and insulting, especially coming from somebody who comes across as a disagreeable fanatic.
NME: Johnny Marr - 'The Big Interview' (no Morrissey mentions)
- Thread starter Famous when dead
- Start date
Totally agree. While I have found Marr's solo stuff quite anodyne and boring, he seems like a content middle-aged man. Perhaps that's why he doesn't really feel the need to stretch and suffer for his art. I for one can't really begrudge him that. Calling him a broken man is just pathetic and insulting, especially coming from somebody who comes across as a disagreeable fanatic.
A
Anonymous
Guest
I agree he does a good job of living inside it and if anything I thought that the sound of that album was super smooth unlike any album before he joined a quality I thought could be attributed to him. I do think he for sure made that album better but I do get a little tense when people try to use it as some example of his work and greatness. That album sounds the way it does mostly do to Brock who also plays guitar as I’m sure you of course know. Like I said it’s hard to see his work when he’s in a situation like that and a good bit of his career has been situations similar so sometimes it just gets difficult to judge his collected work. I’m not trying to knock him as he’s one of my fav guitarists ever it’s just a muddied situation. I still rock electronic though and the messenger and his live album was great. As for boomslang I don’t think artists missteps should be so defining. Bernard butler is also one of my favorite guitarist and he made some great post suede albums like the tears, a stretch I know, mcalmont and butler and his work on tim booths album as well as Ben watts. He of course also put out two solo albums which contain one of my all time fav songs of his and a bunch of others that let's just say are sorta questionable. He’s still great. That video was also super good and brock looked very sober (a sight I never saw when I saw them live). Oddly marr seemed to go through this sorta laddish periods. First when electronic formed and again in the post oasis period of British music (the live performance of the boomslang song above made me think of the latter)
g23
Always crashing in the same car
I used to live in Southeast Portland, and a piss-drunk Isaac Brock was kind of a normal sight to see.
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'I agree that Johnny's post-Smiths work has not been as glittering or as towering as we might have expected, which is a bit frustrating, as well as disappointing.'
'But I am sure he never wanted to be Morrissey anyway.'
yes, agree, I never said he wanted to or should desire to be Morrissey, and he seems to have made a conscious effort to move away from that 'jangle pop' Smiths sound... and thank god !
My favorite work of his is with The The. My first experience of a rock show in a large theater was seeing The The on the MIND BOMB tour, and it was something I'll never forget and an amazing record on top of that, to say the least.
Johhny's deepest work seems to come when he collaborates with vocalists that have a vision and words with a mission.
They're 5 miles high as the crow flies
Leavin' vapor trails against a blood red sky
Movin' in from the East toward the West
With Balaclava helmets over their heads, yes!
But if you think that Jesus Christ is coming
Honey you've got another thing coming
If he ever finds out who's hi-jacked his name
He'll cut out his heart and turn in his grave
Islam is rising
The Christians mobilizing
The world is on its elbows and knees
It's forgotten the message and worships the creeds
It's war, she cried, It's war, she cried, this is war
Drop your possessions, all you simple folk
You will fight them on the beaches in your underclothes
You will thank the good lord for raising the union jack
You'll watch the ships out of harbor
And the bodies come floating back
If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today
He'd be gunned down cold by the C.I.A.
Oh, the lights that now burn brightest behind stained glass
Will cast the darkest shadows upon the human heart
But God didn't build himself that throne
God doesn't live in Israel or Rome
God belong to the yankee dollar
God doesn't plant the bombs for Hezbollah
God doesn't even go to church
And God won't send us down to Allah to burn
No, God will remind us what we already know
That the human race is about to reap what it's sown
The world is on its elbows and knees
It's forgotten the message and worships the creeds
Armageddon days are here again
What is evil?
What is love?
What is the force that possesses us?
Where is the beauty?
Where is the truth?
Where is the force that watches over you?
What is it that makes us ashamed to be white
When we close our ears to the sound of machine gun fire?
And while the niggers of this world are starving with their mouths wide open
What is it that turns the coins we throw at them
Into worthless little tokens?
Why is it that anything on this Earth
We do not understand
We are pushed down on our knees
To worship or to damn?
Those are the rules of religion
Those are the laws of the land
That's how the forces of darkness
Have suppressed the spirit of man
That's why human beings
Still walk on all fours
Whilst in the presence
Of their so called superiors
Something's telling you
To wake up and salute
The dangers of obedience
The violence of truth
God is evil, God is love
God is the force that possesses us
God is beauty, God is truth
God is the force that is watching over you
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.
'Johnny's managed to become a happy and well-adjusted human.'
and his art seems to have suffered for it, not that he cares.
& the state of being or becoming a happy and well-adjusted human is extremely overrated.
T
Truth
Guest
I'd add that the intentional use of extra space making it more difficult to simply scroll past would be addressed on any site with proper moderation.
T
Truth
Guest
'I agree that Johnny's post-Smiths work has not been as glittering or as towering as we might have expected, which is a bit frustrating, as well as disappointing.'
'But I am sure he never wanted to be Morrissey anyway.'
yes, agree, I never said he wanted to or should desire to be Morrissey, and he seems to have made a conscious effort to move away from that 'jangle pop' Smiths sound... and thank god !
My favorite work of his is with The The. My first experience of a rock show in a large theater was seeing The The on the MIND BOMB tour, and it was something I'll never forget and an amazing record on top of that, to say the least.
Johhny's deepest work seems to come when he collaborates with vocalists that have a vision and words with a mission.
They're 5 miles high as the crow flies
Leavin' vapor trails against a blood red sky
Movin' in from the East toward the West
With Balaclava helmets over their heads, yes!
But if you think that Jesus Christ is coming
Honey you've got another thing coming
If he ever finds out who's hi-jacked his name
He'll cut out his heart and turn in his grave
Islam is rising
The Christians mobilizing
The world is on its elbows and knees
It's forgotten the message and worships the creeds
It's war, she cried, It's war, she cried, this is war
Drop your possessions, all you simple folk
You will fight them on the beaches in your underclothes
You will thank the good lord for raising the union jack
You'll watch the ships out of harbor
And the bodies come floating back
If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today
He'd be gunned down cold by the C.I.A.
Oh, the lights that now burn brightest behind stained glass
Will cast the darkest shadows upon the human heart
But God didn't build himself that throne
God doesn't live in Israel or Rome
God belong to the yankee dollar
God doesn't plant the bombs for Hezbollah
God doesn't even go to church
And God won't send us down to Allah to burn
No, God will remind us what we already know
That the human race is about to reap what it's sown
The world is on its elbows and knees
It's forgotten the message and worships the creeds
Armageddon days are here again
What is evil?
What is love?
What is the force that possesses us?
Where is the beauty?
Where is the truth?
Where is the force that watches over you?
What is it that makes us ashamed to be white
When we close our ears to the sound of machine gun fire?
And while the niggers of this world are starving with their mouths wide open
What is it that turns the coins we throw at them
Into worthless little tokens?
Why is it that anything on this Earth
We do not understand
We are pushed down on our knees
To worship or to damn?
Those are the rules of religion
Those are the laws of the land
That's how the forces of darkness
Have suppressed the spirit of man
That's why human beings
Still walk on all fours
Whilst in the presence
Of their so called superiors
Something's telling you
To wake up and salute
The dangers of obedience
The violence of truth
God is evil, God is love
God is the force that possesses us
God is beauty, God is truth
God is the force that is watching over you
Get a blog.
Amy
from the Ice Age to the dole age
Johnny Marr's entire post-Smiths output is a couple of gems hidden in endless piles of (usually other people's) dreck, Boomslang being the worst offender. You need a passionate interest in Johnny to even be willing to root around for those gems (I hate The The) and they range from the passable ("Slow Emotion Replay", "Walking Down Madison") to the unbearable (his tenure with The Cribs.)
He wanted to be a session player after 1987 and that's what he became, that's all. Whether or not his later ventures have been disappointing, it doesn't really matter - nobody will ever take The Smiths from him and he has obviously found other things in life to make him happy. But honestly? If he had wandered into the sunset in '87 to live in peaceful seclusion in France forever more, it would make no difference to his musical legacy.
He wanted to be a session player after 1987 and that's what he became, that's all. Whether or not his later ventures have been disappointing, it doesn't really matter - nobody will ever take The Smiths from him and he has obviously found other things in life to make him happy. But honestly? If he had wandered into the sunset in '87 to live in peaceful seclusion in France forever more, it would make no difference to his musical legacy.
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^
well, when people stop giving their opinions about Morrissey, I'll stop giving mine.
Deal ?
T
Truth
Guest
"Without brow-beating people with politics, the great thing about the arts is that you can get your point across in a music more subtle and three-dimensional way. It’s my job to just make good music – now more than ever."
I think more artists, musicians, writers and other creative types should follow this philosophy. When I go on twitter there are a couple of people whose work I enjoy who talk about nothing but politics and then an occasional mention of some new project they are pushing. It's not that they should all shut up but I think using your talents to "show" rather than "tell" is probably much more effective. It's like they want to be politicians without actually being obligated to do anything other than post their random thoughts.
It would definitely be good advice for Morrissey.
And I can also see people being cynical about Johnny Marr taking on homelessness. The closest he probably gets to a homeless person is when he locks the doors to his Maserati and pretends not to see them when he gets caught at a red light. lol Also I'm not sure anyone is actually in favor of homelessness so it's not like he's choosing sides on Israel's treatment of the Palestinians or something. But I haven't heard the track and anyway at least he's doing something about an important issue.
The point is really that I agree. People should used their abilities to show the real effects of the current political climate and to shed some light on what real people are experiencing so that we see individuals and not anonymous abstractions. That seems a far better solution than the egoistic practices of many celebrities who blast us with their political opinions.
I think more artists, musicians, writers and other creative types should follow this philosophy. When I go on twitter there are a couple of people whose work I enjoy who talk about nothing but politics and then an occasional mention of some new project they are pushing. It's not that they should all shut up but I think using your talents to "show" rather than "tell" is probably much more effective. It's like they want to be politicians without actually being obligated to do anything other than post their random thoughts.
It would definitely be good advice for Morrissey.
And I can also see people being cynical about Johnny Marr taking on homelessness. The closest he probably gets to a homeless person is when he locks the doors to his Maserati and pretends not to see them when he gets caught at a red light. lol Also I'm not sure anyone is actually in favor of homelessness so it's not like he's choosing sides on Israel's treatment of the Palestinians or something. But I haven't heard the track and anyway at least he's doing something about an important issue.
The point is really that I agree. People should used their abilities to show the real effects of the current political climate and to shed some light on what real people are experiencing so that we see individuals and not anonymous abstractions. That seems a far better solution than the egoistic practices of many celebrities who blast us with their political opinions.
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g23
Always crashing in the same car
Salty is one of the slang terms that my kid brought home.how do you know this ?
And I would only assume that after running a relay race that one's balls would, in fact, be salty.
SuedeMoz
The sanest days are mad
.
'Johnny's managed to become a happy and well-adjusted human.'
and his art seems to have suffered for it, not that he cares.
& the state of being or becoming a happy and well-adjusted human is extremely overrated.
I think you've just explained how he's not a "broken man" ... I still don't get your motivation to be so categorically nasty toward Johnny at every opportunity just b/c you like Morrissey's post-Smiths work better. The role of Morrissey's Bestfriend on the Payroll is not forthcoming.
g23
Always crashing in the same car
It's strictly volunteer work. The boss is a real tightwad.
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Get a blog.
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are you done ?
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that's not fair to say. I think the moderators are doing a very good job here, they banned you, didn't they ?
A
Anonymous
Guest
"Noel [Gallagher] has become one of those people who are only known by one name. Like... er... Madonna."
Interesting choice of words.
Johnny with his face of 'determination', it must be difficult ( in my opinion) for him to accept that he has not yet really created(written) a body of work(album) that can stand side by side with his work done in the Smiths. YES, he has worked on great stuff like, The The(which I love), & some hits with Electronic.
Don't know, wouldn't it be fair to say that unlike Morrissey who has carried the Smiths torch (even with LIHS) that Johnny Marr has become a ....
BROKEN MAN ?
I mean I still hope he will create something as great as the Smiths or as great as what Morrissey has done and does, & of course people will say it's subjective, I still feel when he does produce a great album it will be obvious to anyone with ears that he has finally achieved something that is truly great.
'.. funny how the war goes on ....'
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