Johnny On the Spot

I've made it clear that I'm a huge fan of Johnny Marr. He's the most inventive guitarist of his generation -- and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better technical player in any generation. I even nod my head in agreement when I read quotes from Marr saying The Smiths "invented indie as we know it." Why, yes... yes you did. Who am I to argue?


So imagine my excitement upon hearing that Marr's debut solo album "The Messenger" is due out next month. Excitement and trepidation. After all, Marr was the brains behind The Smiths -- the wizard behind the velvet curtain. He was a hired gun for both The Cribs and Modest Mouse, though his arranging and songwriting skills were clearly in evidence on tracks like "We Share the Same Skies" and "Dashboard". But I don't know what to expect when Marr is both the brains AND the face -- After all, I never really got into the Healers -- the last project where he was the top dog. So what are we in for with "The Messenger"?

Last month, we heard the upbeat album cut "The Right Thing Right" -- which kicks off with some very trademark Marr guitar-work -- those slides against that strum -- before pumping up the energy. And you can distinctly hear parts of the song that directly relate back to Marr in The Smiths: At :56 I'm reminded of "Oscillate Wildly" and the chords are reminiscent of a song in the Marr catalog that I just can't place. But
I love that about Marr's work -- no matter how it changes, it's grounded in something so elemental.

Now, thanks to NME, we have the first single -- "The Upstarts" -- and it's a perfectly good song, but not a great one. Like any Marr song, you know it's him -- the guitars give that away -- especially during the bridges. Johnny's vocals are warmer and more melodic than I would have expected. But for whatever reason the song doesn't draw me in with a unique riff or hook. I'm happy enough to hear it, but not happy enough to love it.

So the bottom line? I'm undecided. Undecided at whether I'll like what I hear after giving it a few more plays. I'm not undecided about buying the record. The release date is late February, and I'll be there.

By the way, how did I miss Johnny Marr appearing onstage last month in New York with Dinosaur Jr. covering "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side"?? Watch:

UPDATE: After listening to the new Johnny Marr songs all weekend, I'm officially on board. "Upstarts" is a great tune, catchy and melodic. I'm very much looking forward to the new record.

Song In My Head

"We Share the Same Skies" - The Cribs
Nice guitar work in the intro and under the verses by -- who else? -- Johnny Marr.

What's Next for Johnny Marr?

I've made no secret that Johnny Marr is a Guitar God in my eyes. So when I read the news this week that he had left The Cribs I was disappointed, but intrigued by what may come next. Marr says he's working on new solo songs and expects to release two records over the next year or so. He adds he's really proud of his work with The Cribs and leaves with three good friends in Ryan, Gary and Ross Jarman. That's the polite side of the story. The Jarman brothers released a statement admitting recording sessions for the next Cribs album weren't working out with Marr. Ultimately, I figure the Jarman brothers might have grown tired of sharing the band they founded with a legend like Marr -- and weary of hearing The Cribs described as Johnny Marr's latest band.

That said, I think Marr's work on Ignore the Ignorant was some of his best in recent memory. Here's my favorite track off the album, "We Share the Same Skies". The opening guitar riff is vintage Marr, and his white Fender Jaguar looks pretty cool in the video.

By the way, if you're interested in learning more about Johnny Marr, check out the following sites. The first is a collection of Marr's guitars (including the white Jaguar he played during his time with the Cribs). I liked reading about his other guitars, like the Rickenbacker he got from Pete Townsend, the Gibson 335 he gave to Suede's Bernard Butler, and the Fender Jaguar he got from Isaac Brock upon joining Modest Mouse. Fun stuff. Here's the link: http://johnny-marr.com/guitarchestrajohnnymarr/guitarchestrajohnnymarr.html

Then there's this song-by-song showcase of Marr's guitar work with The Smiths, including interviews, sheet music, and YouTube clips of other random people playing Marr's stuff. Fun. The following link takes you to the page about "Hand in Glove", one of my all-time favorite Smiths tunes.
http://www.smithsonguitar.com/2008/09/hand-in-glove.html

New Cribs This Year?

Johnny Marr and the brothers Jarman have announced that they'll be heading back to the studio this year to work on their fifth studio album. Here's what they're telling fans on their website: "Despite currently being on a break, unfortunately The Cribs are not superhuman and still have to eat, therefore they will be playing a handful of Summer Festival shows this year before heading into the studio to work on their 5th album." They'll be headlining Saturday night -- June 11th -- at Scotland's RockNess Festival. They are a great live band, and I'd highly recommend checking them out.

I loved their last album, 2009's Ignore the Ignorant, and thought it was the best Johnny Marr record since The Queen is Dead. Marr's guitar work was solid throughout, and his presence seemed to tighten the rest of the Cribs lineup. I'm very eager to hear what Marr has up his sleeve for the new record. In the meantime, here they are at Glastonbury last year performing "We Share the Same Skies."