Johnny Marr on Creative Living; mentions The Smiths and Manchester

Johnny Marr interview at omkaralife.com

Excerpt:

LAST TIME WE SPOKE YOU MENTIONED A CONCEPT CALLED PSYCHOGEOGRAPHY WHICH EMPHASISES OBSERVING + BEING AFFECTED BY URBAN ENVIRONMENTS. WHICH PLACES HAVE INSPIRED YOUR CREATIVITY

I always was influenced by whatever environment i found myself in. When I was younger that would’ve been the inner city and around Manchester and then wherever I was in the world or tour or whatever.?All the bands I liked sounded like their environment. You could tell the early Stones and The Kinks were from London for example and The Smiths really did sound like Manchester. I always found Los Angeles to be inspiring for some reason, probably the light, and I’ve written songs there. I decided to live in Portland Oregon because I found the place to be very creative. That was more of a cultural consideration because the city is set up so well for an artist, with a lot of resources and an artistic community.
 
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Anonymous said:
Nice one. Johnny is a positive guy, and a good role model.
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All I can say is that I'd rather take Morrissey's negative energy pill. And what's all that bs about art of doing nothing? Just laughable. I guess Johnny is now happy hippie. Hm... I can smell the patchouli oil.
 
Anonymous said:
All I can say is that I'd rather take Morrissey's negative energy pill. And what's all that bs about art of doing nothing? Just laughable. I guess Johnny is now happy hippie. Hm... I can smell the patchouli oil.
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The art of doing nothing would serve Morrissey well if doing something means posting cod royalty conspiracy theories, petty record (and clothing) company machinations and frankly awful macaroni 'n glitterglue photoshops by "our kid" to TTY.
 
Anonymous said:
All I can say is that I'd rather take Morrissey's negative energy pill. And what's all that bs about art of doing nothing? Just laughable. I guess Johnny is now happy hippie. Hm... I can smell the patchouli oil.
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why do you take that comment as an insult to morrissey? damn, i know people here don't like Marr, but the anon didn't say anything bad about morrissey :confused:
 
Anonymous said:
All I can say is that I'd rather take Morrissey's negative energy pill. And what's all that bs about art of doing nothing? Just laughable. I guess Johnny is now happy hippie. Hm... I can smell the patchouli oil.
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More -inbetweeners- wills rant.
 
Marr must be one of the greatest guys in the business. Love him.
 
i dont think people dislike marr so much as they dislike those fans who overwrite his role in the smiths as almost being responsible for everything they did musically. kinda like when bernard butler left suede and they didnt just fall apart or when bowie released a very successful glam rock album without ronson etc. people think he was solely responsible for the direction the music took or its appeal which i dont agree with
 
Anonymous said:
i dont think people dislike marr so much as they dislike those fans who overwrite his role in the smiths as almost being responsible for everything they did musically. kinda like when bernard butler left suede and they didnt just fall apart or when bowie released a very successful glam rock album without ronson etc. people think he was solely responsible for the direction the music took or its appeal which i dont agree with
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lmao wtf? if anything, people diminish his importance and his role on the smiths. Most people on solo think moz was at least 90% of the smiths. Give me a break. I'm pretty sure people hate him on here because he left the smiths and moz. A lot people on here have even said that Alain Whyte and Boz are on the same level as jmarr in terms on talent. Now, don't get me wrong, i love both alain and boz, but Marr is in a whole different level.

it is possible to like both moz and marr just saying. I don't know why people here need to take sides :confused:
 
tyronepowebottom said:
lmao wtf? if anything, people diminish his importance and his role on the smiths. Most people on solo think moz was at least 90% of the smiths. Give me a break. I'm pretty sure people hate him on here because he left the smiths and moz. A lot people on here have even said that Alain Whyte and Boz are on the same level as jmarr in terms on talent. Now, don't get me wrong, i love both alain and boz, but Marr is in a whole different level.

it is possible to like both moz and marr just saying. I don't know why people here need to take sides :confused:
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I don't think boz or Alain on the same level but it doesn't mean that Great musicians make great popular music. There Are lots of session musicians who can play amazing things but they don't always make music that speaks to peoples lives when they write by themselves and the smiths are a pop music group and a big part of the music's appeal is about speaking to there fans lives. I still think people dismiss Andy's writing as being super Cathy and full of popular appeal and a big part of why the smiths music was so good which a lot o people give marr credit for. I think if marr hadn't had to give into Morrissey's ideas on how the music should sound they wouldn't have been considered as awe Inspiring and life affirming as they were. Just what I believe
 
Anonymous said:
I don't think boz or Alain on the same level but it doesn't mean that Great musicians make great popular music. There Are lots of session musicians who can play amazing things but they don't always make music that speaks to peoples lives when they write by themselves and the smiths are a pop music group and a big part of the music's appeal is about speaking to there fans lives. I still think people dismiss Andy's writing as being super Cathy and full of popular appeal and a big part of why the smiths music was so good which a lot o people give marr credit for. I think if marr hadn't had to give into Morrissey's ideas on how the music should sound they wouldn't have been considered as awe Inspiring and life affirming as they were. Just what I believe
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agree to disagree then ;) i'm not in the mood to fight today lol
 
tyronepowebottom said:
agree to disagree then ;) i'm not in the mood to fight today lol
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Sounds fine as I'm never in the mood to fight as I see no gain in it for myself or anyone else. I look at there output after they split and I can find all sorts of similar musical themes running through his mozs solo records that I don't see in marrs even his solo albums. Many possible reasons for this but it does suggest to me that moz did have influene on the music and it continuing appeal. I still like both of them and its really fans I have trouble with. I think about rusholme ruffians and how that bass line is super catchy while marr strums an acoustic
 
Anonymous said:
i dont think people dislike marr so much as they dislike those fans who overwrite his role in the smiths as almost being responsible for everything they did musically. kinda like when bernard butler left suede and they didnt just fall apart or when bowie released a very successful glam rock album without ronson etc. people think he was solely responsible for the direction the music took or its appeal which i dont agree with
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Even if you count the by-all-accounts dismal attempt to soldier on with Ivor Perry, the Smiths did indeed just fall apart when JM left. Of course we can only speculate, but who knows if Morrissey's solo career really would have taken off so quickly if Stephen Street - at that point the "fifth Smith," for all intents and purposes - had not been close at hand and eager to collaborate. And Bowie had musical ability that Morrissey has never had - remember, he played most of the guitars on Diamond Dogs, the first album post-Ronson, and played keys and sax. He wasn't as reliant on someone musically.
 
Jamie said:
Even if you count the by-all-accounts dismal attempt to soldier on with Ivor Perry, the Smiths did indeed just fall apart when JM left. Of course we can only speculate, but who knows if Morrissey's solo career really would have taken off so quickly if Stephen Street - at that point the "fifth Smith," for all intents and purposes - had not been close at hand and eager to collaborate. And Bowie had musical ability that Morrissey has never had - remember, he played most of the guitars on Diamond Dogs, the first album post-Ronson, and played keys and sax. He wasn't as reliant on someone musically.
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preach it!!! excelent comment :thumb:
 
Jamie said:
Even if you count the by-all-accounts dismal attempt to soldier on with Ivor Perry, the Smiths did indeed just fall apart when JM left. Of course we can only speculate, but who knows if Morrissey's solo career really would have taken off so quickly if Stephen Street - at that point the "fifth Smith," for all intents and purposes - had not been close at hand and eager to collaborate. And Bowie had musical ability that Morrissey has never had - remember, he played most of the guitars on Diamond Dogs, the first album post-Ronson, and played keys and sax. He wasn't as reliant on someone musically.
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he also wasnt very good at those instruments in his own words and by like listening to them on album but thats sorta what i mean. he wasnt great technically but still had great ideas he exercised simply like in rebel rebel. when he comnined that vision with a technically great player with lesser vision he was better. ronson who wrote many more complicated musical pieces couldnt keep any solo musical albums going because he didnt have vision to properly direct it to his audience and make it compelling. i dont think he, bowie, ever played on another album and quickly got carlos whos amazing. like ive said before about street, hes a fine producer but imo not much of a song writer and riley should get more credit but weve said all this before jamie. what other street compositions exist pout there because rileys proven himself over and over. i dont see that with street and his production is usually praised for its clarity and his ability to leave a band alone somewhat and not his involvement steve albini like who really over inserts himself on some of his early works such as the pixies debut. bowie and moz are both relient on other people, so many people, even if bowies is less so. is bowie not ultimately responsible for the music on say low even through fripp came up with the guitar parts under bowies instruction along side eno. this seems to be the same way moz influences his own music, meaning its created under his direction and says yes/no try again but try to do this etc. so why not give him ultimate credit the way people do bowie
 
Ketamine Sun said:
There are some gems on that first Ronno record (Slaughter on tenth Ave)of course the ones penned co-penned by Bowie are great. But 'After Dark' and 'Music is lethal' what a beautiful melody on that one,it's chorus reminds me something M would sing.

Funny that 'Diamond Dogs' would be called a 'glam' record..except for 'Rebel' and maybe 'Rock'n'Roll with me' I consider it as moving beyond glam, into what? I don't know. But take '1984' he already had his eye toward 'Y.Americans' which is one of the reasons he dropped the Spiders & Ziggy so he could get more funky. And on that note... Maybe part of the reason why Marr left was so he can get his funk on also. Though yes, there's Rourke on Barbarism. Also the amazing Fripp was on Heroes not Low. And god! imagine Viva Hate without Vini playing on it ! As far as giving M credit in direction and final creative outcome of the songs, writing,etc,yes of course. I think most people just don't see or understand that a singer like M doesn't 'just sing'. Let's call what he does... magic.;)
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Its still pretty glam with the song diamond dog the cover etc. And yeah your right was it slick on low or just Carlos but either way the point stands. He might have had a eye on soul and diamond dogs does have some soul vocal affections but its still a glam record
 
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