Johnny Marr interview at askmeaskmeaskme (3 parts); to join Bryan Ferry in concert and on new album

Are you being a bit disingenuous by linking the Marr playing with Bryan Ferry story to the 18 month old story of Morrissey not playing Roxy Music records anymore? You could easily have linked this to several other stories through the years (Morrissey picks Roxy song in one of his numerous top 10's or playing a cover of Street Life) but you chose this one.

Interesting choice for a fan site.

Originally Posted by johnnymunro

Are you being a bit disingenuous by linking the Marr playing with Bryan Ferry story to the 18 month old story of Morrissey not playing Roxy Music records anymore? You could easily have linked this to several other stories through the years (Morrissey picks Roxy song in one of his numerous top 10's or playing a cover of Street Life) but you chose this one.

Interesting choice for a fan site.

Surely this is the most recent, and arguably the most relevant considering it's content, baring in mind, this is as you say, a Morrissey fan site.

Originally Posted by billybu69

Surely this is the most recent, and arguably the most relevant considering it's content, baring in mind, this is as you say, a Morrissey fan site.

More recent news involving the two could be that they both played the Hop Farm festival last year? Being the most recent news is not necessarily the most relevant - In this case I'm sure it's not.

Maybe I'm seeing too much into this - However it could easily be construed as michievous linking the two stories.

Originally Posted by Worm

Then you'll doubtless raise an eyebrow when I post this gem: "For the longest time “Get The Message” by Electronic was my absolute favorite thing I ever did. I used to say that a lot. That wasn’t me trying to be perverse ‘cause I know people really loved The Smiths, but I really, really loved that record. It doesn’t sound like anybody else. To this day… It doesn’t sound like New Order, it doesn’t sound like The Smiths, and it’s got a really amazing atmosphere about it. Whenever I hear it I’m super proud of it. There’s a few like that but that was particularly special."



"Get The Message" is one of his all-time best tracks. Incidentally, so is the single's B-side instrumental, "Free Will", which is sort of Electronic's "The Draize Train".

It's only one song...!

Originally Posted by Amy

It's only one song...!

Well, it's the one he mentioned. It's the one that sprang to mind. There are others. And he did say "there's a few like that", which could mean any of his songs but might mean a few other Electronic songs.

How come you're so intent on diminishing Electronic, or arguing that Johnny has somehow turned his back on that period in his career? I agree, it's obvious there were aspects of his career then which he now looks back on with some measure of disapproval and disappointment, but, my gosh, "Electronic" is a great LP and they released a handful of excellent tracks in the few years after it. Johnny's absolutely right when he says The Smiths and New Order have overshadowed Electronic; I would put "Electronic" right up there with any of the best albums of the 1990s. Seriously.

And don't blame my fixation with New Order, either. I won't tell you what I think of Revenge, but let's just say I'm more objective than I appear.

Originally Posted by johnnymunro

Are you being a bit disingenuous by linking the Marr playing with Bryan Ferry story to the 18 month old story of Morrissey not playing Roxy Music records anymore? You could easily have linked this to several other stories through the years (Morrissey picks Roxy song in one of his numerous top 10's or playing a cover of Street Life) but you chose this one.

Interesting choice for a fan site.

Roxy Music was actually removed from his top 10 albums following the Bryan Ferret comment. The link is tenuous but it kind of shows what both think about a certain topic. I recall that Ferry did happen to play at the same Hop Farm festival, on a different day I believe so I don't think that's worth mentioning.

Originally Posted by johnnymunro

More recent news involving the two could be that they both played the Hop Farm festival last year? Being the most recent news is not necessarily the most relevant - In this case I'm sure it's not.

Only, it wasn't reported on here that Ferry was playing Hop Farm. The most relevant story related to Ferry that was posted as news on Solo WAS the one that was linked. Nothing sinister.

Originally Posted by Worm

How come you're so intent on diminishing Electronic, or arguing that Johnny has somehow turned his back on that period in his career? I agree, it's obvious there were aspects of his career then which he now looks back on with some measure of disapproval and disappointment, but, my gosh, "Electronic" is a great LP and they released a handful of excellent tracks in the few years after it.

I see Electronic as a phase Johnny went through in immediate reaction to the end of The Smiths and the rise of Madchester culture. It is/was completely a product of its time. He's already said that he didn't want to repeat himself or form Smiths pt.2, so he went "down a side road" and hooked up with Sumner, who would allow him to experiment with "forbidden" forms of music. So far so good. I think Sumner gave Johnny a personal refuge from "the Morrissey aesthetic", and he was a governed by a completely different work ethic which removed the pressure and let Johnny work to his own schedule. My issue is that, Electronic's debut album aside, Johnny used that freedom to tinker in the studio all day and spend his evenings partying and ingesting as much E as his body could tolerate - he became lazy and distracted as a musician, and the result was that Raise the Pressure was an absolute mess and Twisted Tenderness, though quite an improvement, got mostly ignored. I think Johnny came out of that phase, for good, in 2000 or so when he decided to clean up his act, quit smoking, re-focus on guitar music etc. Of course the first Healers incarnation failed - too heavy and trance-y, he says - but it was an honest failure. For once he wasn't playing the sideman. He might look back fondly on a few Electronic songs but right now, I don't think he could be further from the Electronic mindset if he tried.

When I say that I think Johnny overlooks the Electronic period of his career, I mean he doesn't give it the attention I would expect from a project that consumed 10 years of his life and was the closest thing he'd had to a genuine collaboration since 1987. I get the impression it's because he feels it wasn't as musically productive as it could have been , and consequently it never took off as a project - and the fact that it's dated quite badly. Marr had great ambitions for that band at one point, and when it failed to yield what it promised I think his pride took a hit in a big way. The lack of success after the debut album burned him a little (especially when you consider Morrissey's fortunes in the same period), and perhaps (mere speculation!) the notion that Electronic as a band sounded more like New Order than it ever did a "Johnny Marr project". Johnny Marr takes more notice of the critics than he admits to; I remember reading 90s interviews where he talks about being pissed off that the public tend to look as Electronic as "one of Johnny's hobbies" instead of taking it seriously, and perhaps he's internalised that view after all this time. In contrast, look at how he views his time in "The The", which was glorified session work in comparison. He mentions his period with "The The" a lot more often, and he seems tremendously proud of it despite never actually writing for the band. Now, there were drugs and partying around during The The as well, so why is his attitude different? I think, when he looks back on "The The", he sees time well spent which produced some great little pop songs, and when he looks at Electronic, he sees a lot of fun but also a lot of time wasted. It was a phase of psychological and professional recuperation that he really needed at the time, but he moved on from it - in the same way that today he'll talk about how great the friendship between he & Bernard still is, but he'll never work with Bernard again. He's moved on.

Originally Posted by Amy

I see Electronic as a phase Johnny went through in immediate reaction to the end of The Smiths and the rise of Madchester culture. It is/was completely a product of its time. He's already said that he didn't want to repeat himself or form Smiths pt.2, so he went "down a side road" and hooked up with Sumner, who would allow him to experiment with "forbidden" forms of music. So far so good. I think Sumner gave Johnny a personal refuge from "the Morrissey aesthetic", and he was a governed by a completely different work ethic which removed the pressure and let Johnny work to his own schedule. My issue is that, Electronic's debut album aside, Johnny used that freedom to tinker in the studio all day and spend his evenings partying and ingesting as much E as his body could tolerate - he became lazy and distracted as a musician, and the result was that Raise the Pressure was an absolute mess and Twisted Tenderness, though quite an improvement, got mostly ignored. I think Johnny came out of that phase, for good, in 2000 or so when he decided to clean up his act, quit smoking, re-focus on guitar music etc. Of course the first Healers incarnation failed - too heavy and trance-y, he says - but it was an honest failure. For once he wasn't playing the sideman. He might look back fondly on a few Electronic songs but right now, I don't think he could be further from the Electronic mindset if he tried.

When I say that I think Johnny overlooks the Electronic period of his career, I mean he doesn't give it the attention I would expect from a project that consumed 10 years of his life and was the closest thing he'd had to a genuine collaboration since 1987. I get the impression it's because he feels it wasn't as musically productive as it could have been , and consequently it never took off as a project - and the fact that it's dated quite badly. Marr had great ambitions for that band at one point, and when it failed to yield what it promised I think his pride took a hit in a big way. The lack of success after the debut album burned him a little (especially when you consider Morrissey's fortunes in the same period), and perhaps (mere speculation!) the notion that Electronic as a band sounded more like New Order than it ever did a "Johnny Marr project". Johnny Marr takes more notice of the critics than he admits to; I remember reading 90s interviews where he talks about being pissed off that the public tend to look as Electronic as "one of Johnny's hobbies" instead of taking it seriously, and perhaps he's internalised that view after all this time. In contrast, look at how he views his time in "The The", which was glorified session work in comparison. He mentions his period with "The The" a lot more often, and he seems tremendously proud of it despite never actually writing for the band. Now, there were drugs and partying around during The The as well, so why is his attitude different? I think, when he looks back on "The The", he sees time well spent which produced some great little pop songs, and when he looks at Electronic, he sees a lot of fun but also a lot of time wasted. It was a phase of psychological and professional recuperation that he really needed at the time, but he moved on from it - in the same way that today he'll talk about how great the friendship between he & Bernard still is, but he'll never work with Bernard again. He's moved on.

Well stated. I concede. You win.

I realized in reading your post that I haven't played either "Raise The Pressure" or "Twisted Tenderness" all the way through in all the years I've owned them, so I don't really have a leg to stand on. "Electronic" is a masterpiece, though.

Originally Posted by Worm

Well stated. I concede. You win.

I realized in reading your post that I haven't played either "Raise The Pressure" or "Twisted Tenderness" all the way through in all the years I've owned them, so I don't really have a leg to stand on. "Electronic" is a masterpiece, though.

Twisted Tenderness is pretty good, though for some reason the final single was withdrawn in the UK.

Why did we two not run away together years ago Bryan? God bless love. Love always.x

Originally Posted by Amy

He mentions his period with "The The" a lot more often, and he seems tremendously proud of it despite never actually writing for the band.

Apparently he did write quite a few songs with Matt Johnson during those sessions but only one track made it onto the album.

I never grow tired of reading Marr interviews. He communicates so well. This one is exceptional !!! Thanks for posting lindsey 1151 .

Originally Posted by johnnymunro

Are you being a bit disingenuous by linking the Marr playing with Bryan Ferry story to the 18 month old story of Morrissey not playing Roxy Music records anymore? You could easily have linked this to several other stories through the years (Morrissey picks Roxy song in one of his numerous top 10's or playing a cover of Street Life) but you chose this one.

Interesting choice for a fan site.

This is a perfectly relevant article to link. It's a safe bet Mozzer is going to frown on this action, especially when Marr is a reknowned vegan, like Morrissey

so it not only goes to contradict Marr's beliefs, but one can also imply that Morrissey is not going to want to step foot in a room and make music any time soon with someone who closely affiliates himself with a reknowned hunter/poacher.

I don't think it's a case these days of Morrissey-solo wanting to start trouble so much as it is a certain sector of Morrissey's fanbase believing the hype about this place and coming around looking tp blow things out of proportion

Originally Posted by Thesmithsmorrissey

This is a perfectly relevant article to link. It's a safe bet Mozzer is going to frown on this action, especially when Marr is a reknowned vegan, like Morrissey

so it not only goes to contradict Marr's beliefs, but one can also imply that Morrissey is not going to want to step foot in a room and make music any time soon with someone who closely affiliates himself with a reknowned hunter/poacher.

I don't think it's a case these days of Morrissey-solo wanting to start trouble so much as it is a certain sector of Morrissey's fanbase believing the hype about this place and coming around looking tp blow things out of proportion

Moz probably frowned on Johnny for accepting that NME Award this year too - but so what? Johnny stopped letting Morrissey's opinions interfere with his life decades ago, and in this case I don't think Moz has a leg to stand on - being that Johnny is actually vegan, and Moz is not and never was.

Read that Johnny did a jam with Nile Rogers and Chic ... funky as funk can be.

Glad to read Johnny is busy and isn't limited to just one sorta musicsound

Morrissey will get a twitter that this is a newsitem on Morrissey-solo

how could you David

Originally Posted by Amy

Moz probably frowned on Johnny for accepting that NME Award this year too - but so what? Johnny stopped letting Morrissey's opinions interfere with his life decades ago, and in this case I don't think Moz has a leg to stand on - being that Johnny is actually vegan, and Moz is not and never was.

Didn't Moz make some remark recently about having ditched eggs from his diet ? I guess maybe that's a clue about veganism ...?

Originally Posted by 123xyz

Didn't Moz make some remark recently about having ditched eggs from his diet ? I guess maybe that's a clue about veganism ...?

Yeah, but somehow I can't imagine him going the whole way and giving up his love of real cheese, Kerrygold butter and ice-cream. Who knows though? Johnny Marr went vegan pretty much on a whim - Moz may well be able to do the same eventually.

Just finished reading the third part of the interview. It really is just fantastic. I liked Marr's straightforwardness (sorry Moz!) and the easy , detailed, answers to the questions ( which were themselves happily non-Smiths obsessive).

Especially where he talks about hearing fans tales of what such-and-such a song means to them and the pleasure he takes in having those moments. Oh , and the revelation of his time acting as tour seamstress ( ...should that be seamster ?).

I'm actually now in the mood to dig out some of my post-Smiths Johnny albums and have another listen.

I'm not convinced there is a need to link and I'm not going to agree with you Davidt (But that's cool) - This is a story about Johnny Marr. There's no need to connect it with the previous story about Morrissey changing his mind about what music he likes and as I've said it comes across as bitchy.