Johnny Marr & the Healers

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Alright, Boomslang comes out tomorrow -- and i know a bunch of you review/critic folk already landed a copy. So, how is it?

christoff (christoff), Monday, 3 February 2003 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

He's looking good :) About the music, er, zzz...

Mary (Mary), Monday, 3 February 2003 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

why is the title the afrikaans (and maybe dutch i dunno) translation of "treesnake"?

mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Monday, 3 February 2003 20:35 (twenty-two years ago)

v. pleasant, which may not be your bag, but I'm liking it.

teeny (teeny), Monday, 3 February 2003 21:23 (twenty-two years ago)

What does his guitar sound like? (Smart aleck answers allowed.)

Rockist Scientist, Monday, 3 February 2003 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw him play here in D-troit last week and was pretty disappointed. Thought that opener Mellowdrone was way more interesting. Anyway, my friend was even more mad than I was (his comment was something like, "he needs a Morrisey or Matt Johnson or Bernard Sumner to reign in all his stupid ideas"), but we agreed that he might have become the Eric Clapton of alternative rock. And some of those lyrics... oh boy.

What does his guitar sound like?

Still very good!

Aaron W (Aaron W), Monday, 3 February 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Fears substantiated; here, as well as in Pitchfork's 3.7-rated review. Damn you, Johnny.

christoff (christoff), Tuesday, 4 February 2003 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

mp3
mp3
still a nice guitar sound though he really shouldn't write the lyrics on his own. barney is almost a philosopher in comparison.

alex in mainhattan (alex63), Tuesday, 4 February 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

...although "Vivid" off of Twisted Tenderness has quite good lyrics, for the most part---except for that one line about "a fundraiser for a restless sea" which nearly ruins the whole thing...

janni (janni), Tuesday, 4 February 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm still thinkin' he'd do well to team up with Edwyn Collins. At best, there might be some good, lyrical stuff - At worst, at least there'd only be half as many Marr and/or Collins records being made.

dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 4 February 2003 20:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Edwyn's spotty, but least we know he's capable of putting together a decent album all on his lonesome.

christoff (christoff), Tuesday, 4 February 2003 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

three years pass...
Anyone heard his cover of Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright"?

Vampire Business (Bimble...), Saturday, 24 June 2006 04:32 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

Nope.

There was talk of another record which would be, gasp - jangly !! Does anyone know if it might still happen?

the pinefox, Monday, 6 April 2009 16:10 (sixteen years ago)

Oh god I don't know, but please don't talk about him. He is like, one of the HOTTTTTEST men in music ever.

Earl of Gothington Manor (Bimble), Monday, 6 April 2009 16:11 (sixteen years ago)

WS X 11

Earl of Gothington Manor (Bimble), Monday, 6 April 2009 16:13 (sixteen years ago)

Was there ever a bloke that everyone wants to have a good selling record, without them actually buying it themselves?

Mark G, Monday, 6 April 2009 16:13 (sixteen years ago)

Hahaha. Yeah, man. That's it. I was happy for him when he got a #1 in the U.S. with Modest Mouse, but I didn't like the album.

Earl of Gothington Manor (Bimble), Monday, 6 April 2009 16:17 (sixteen years ago)

If he made a proper jangling record then I would want to have it.

the pinefox, Monday, 6 April 2009 16:17 (sixteen years ago)

Alright then, well...you see, the best stuff Marr did post-Smiths was with Kirsty MacColl. A few damn fine Smiths-y tunes he did with her. Get her Kite album and her Electric Landlady album and see if you can find them. Not to discount some of the lovely guitar work he contributed to a few songs on the first two Electronic albums.

I would still smash him, though. Any day of the week. Don't care how much he ages, I'd still smash him.

Earl of Gothington Manor (Bimble), Monday, 6 April 2009 16:25 (sixteen years ago)

The Worst of Johnny Marr

the pinefox, Monday, 6 April 2009 16:44 (sixteen years ago)

three years pass...

the new johnny marr song is surprisingly good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2W8aVDxeBY

U.S. State Department, Office of Rare Psych (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 30 November 2012 17:07 (twelve years ago)

Yeah, heard that a few weeks back. Who is the backing band? Interpol? Or is it all Marr?

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 30 November 2012 17:11 (twelve years ago)

yeah i dunno, the drum sounds are a bit gimmicky like that super gated snare that sounds like a drum machine, but def a franz ferdindand/interpol vibe....

the singing is pretty good too, is that him? sounds almost better than i thought he could sing....

either way, for all the kinda 80s goth disco backing stuff i think it kinda works, lets his guitar breathe a lot better than ploddy oasis type stuff

U.S. State Department, Office of Rare Psych (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 30 November 2012 17:14 (twelve years ago)

it's weird there's this band from Mpls named Howler, and I guess the frontman is the son of the ex-VP of our old parent company and the Howler dude is dating Marr's daughter and basically lives with them now

U.S. State Department, Office of Rare Psych (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 30 November 2012 17:14 (twelve years ago)

Be weird to have Marr as your FiL. Everyone would be all "don't ever ask im-hey about the Iths-May."

Josh in Chicago, Friday, 30 November 2012 17:17 (twelve years ago)

One of my mom's friends showed me a photo of her daughter at what looked like a NYC rooftop cocktail party.
"GUESS WHO MY DAUGHTER IS DATING?"
The daughter was standing next a completely bald dude with with his back to the camera .
"THAT'S MOBY. THAT'S THE ONLY PICTURE I HAVE RIGHT NOW"
</derail>

bendy, Friday, 30 November 2012 20:27 (twelve years ago)

two months pass...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Johnny_Marr_-_The_Messenger.jpg

The Messenger is the debut solo album by the British musician Johnny Marr, formerly of The Smiths. It is due to be released on February 25, 2013 in the UK through Warner Music Artist & Label Services / Warner Bros. Records. and on February 26 in the US through Sire Records.

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "The Right Thing Right" 3:41
2. "I Want the Heartbeat" 2:47
3. "European Me" 3:56
4. "Upstarts" 3:38
5. "Lockdown" 3:58
6. "The Messenger" 4:29
7. "Generate! Generate!" 4:21
8. "Say Demesne" 5:37
9. "Sun & Moon" 3:23
10. "The Crack Up" 3:52
11. "New Town Velocity" 5:11
12. "Word Starts Attack" 3:29
Total length:
48:22

Bee OK, Saturday, 16 February 2013 03:56 (twelve years ago)

He's opening for New Order on their Spring US dates.

brotherlovesdub, Saturday, 16 February 2013 04:21 (twelve years ago)

he is delegating cover design to teenagers who stay late in the computer labs learning how to use image editing software

schlump, Saturday, 16 February 2013 04:35 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TntIX_wfXUk

This is one of my all time fav. Johnny Marr moments. Very clearly feeling the ecstasy he and Johnson were taking on this tour and playing a great wah-wah disco tinged section during the breakdown in the middle of Giant. Unfortunately I can't find a soundboard recording of this tour that includes Giant so I have to keep watching this video.

brotherlovesdub, Saturday, 16 February 2013 04:48 (twelve years ago)

Did anyone listen to that Johnny Marr solo album yet?

it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Wednesday, 27 February 2013 16:48 (twelve years ago)

Am curious about it but have just seen the press release so far. US tour is happening too

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 27 February 2013 17:13 (twelve years ago)

He's headlining some US club dates

curmudgeon, Wednesday, 27 February 2013 17:14 (twelve years ago)

Album is more than solid, some stuff on it better than solid. Oddly enough, I kept thinking his singing voice was similar to, of all people, Phil Manzanera's.

tbh, though, I kept thinking of what awesome guitars he must be using, or whether he was using his hybrid Jaguar for everything, but I doubt he is.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 27 February 2013 17:31 (twelve years ago)

I like the album a lot, actually. A few clunkers but overall solid like Josh said.

And he's one of the great music guys, super cool and nice.

Actually, I did build it you fucktard (dandydonweiner), Wednesday, 27 February 2013 17:51 (twelve years ago)

thanks for the info, a little better than solid, you say. that's what i expected though of course that would be disappointing for the first solo album of someone like johnny marr who was the most exciting guitar player for a couple of years and then almost totally disappeared into session musicianship. the last great album he was on was the first electronic album or did i miss something?

it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Wednesday, 27 February 2013 20:27 (twelve years ago)

Guitar playing's lovely. Melodies are strong. Let down by his singing and lyric writing. You spend the whole album wishing Morrissey or Matt Johnson were fronting it.

The loveliest man though. A real delight to interview.

Trans-Europe Stopping Train (ithappens), Wednesday, 27 February 2013 20:35 (twelve years ago)

Would love to have heard the literally lost album he recorded with Ian McCulloch.

OutdoorFish, Wednesday, 27 February 2013 23:40 (twelve years ago)

^^^^ x 10^99!

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 28 February 2013 04:08 (twelve years ago)

the underground is overground
the overground will pull you down
it's how it goes
in these times

^^^^^sounds like top shelf new order. suck it haters

reggie (qualmsley), Saturday, 2 March 2013 00:08 (twelve years ago)

the last great album he was on was the first electronic album or did i miss something?

Dusk was 1993

( ͡° ͜ʖ͡°) (sic), Saturday, 2 March 2013 00:27 (twelve years ago)

dusk was quite good but not what i'd call a great album, i haven't listened to it for at least 15 years, so it didn't leave the same long-term imprint on me as the first electronic album.

it's the distortion, stupid! (alex in mainhattan), Saturday, 2 March 2013 09:11 (twelve years ago)

Last great thing? STRANGEWAYS

OutdoorFish, Tuesday, 5 March 2013 18:29 (twelve years ago)

seven months pass...

still digging this. "sun & moon" is a great song. sounds a lot like a top shelf lee renaldo sonic youth jam

reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 24 October 2013 22:07 (eleven years ago)

four years pass...

has anyone seen him recently live? he is coming to berlin on monday and i was thinking of going. does he and his band still do smiths songs live? the one song from the new album (out June, 15th) i heard ("hi hello") was ok, his guitar sound is still ace.

Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Wednesday, 16 May 2018 13:31 (seven years ago)

The live album that was put out a year or so ago is a good listen. From that and videos I have seen, it looks like Johnny Marr puts on a good show.

earlnash, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 14:01 (seven years ago)

Yeah we're seeing him in a couple of weeks over here. Going in with no expectations and we'll see how it goes.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 14:02 (seven years ago)

I saw him a couple of years ago and he was pretty good! Does a great approximation of Moz vocals.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 14:33 (seven years ago)

I'd go

Mark G, Wednesday, 16 May 2018 17:18 (seven years ago)

I thought Johnny Marr's take on "Getting Away with It" was really good on the live record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0irxlqTm-SI

earlnash, Thursday, 17 May 2018 01:02 (seven years ago)

His solo work is much better than I'd ever have guessed it would have been. He was good on the last tour when I saw him.

Joe Gargan (dandydonweiner), Thursday, 17 May 2018 01:34 (seven years ago)

Great concerts. Lots of young people
The succession of How soon is now?, New town velocity (he said he wrote this on the day he left school, i had never heard it, a fabulous song) and There is a light that never goes out at the end was godlike. His guitars still sound magoc. They got switched after about every second song. I came late and missed Bigmouth, I think. I am pretty sure that his kind of modest renditions of the Smiths songs are probably better than over the top Morrissey interpretations. Anyways he is the closest you can come to the Smiths live these days.

Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 21 May 2018 21:46 (seven years ago)

My sp is so bad, sorry.

Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 21 May 2018 21:47 (seven years ago)


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