Marr's attacks

Guitar hero Johnny Marr is back - and this time he's a frontman, railing against the blandness of modern pop. He tells Dave Simpson how he combines a love of heavy rock with his interest in psychics

..."I'd never, ever write about Morrissey. That would be silly showbiz tack." In fact, mention of the Smiths makes Marr defensive. He can understand the enduring fascination, but is wary of the "negativity" surrounding inquiries into the band. When pressed, Marr will admit that he understood Morrissey "more than anyone else in the whole world".

...Few characters from his past musical lives remain with him. He last saw Morrissey two years ago: "We have hung out since the Smiths, but after an hour what do you do? We used to write songs... that wouldn't be right now."