Marr on Moz in new Mojo

Maurice E

Junior Member
Big interview with Marr in the new Mojo. Lots of Smithsy discussion (quelle surprise!). Marr says he’s not financially in the position to turn down the huge offers that Smiths were made last year to reform. Asked about getting back with Moz, he seems open to something at some point but claims that Moz keeps ‘slagging him off’. I was surprised at this. From what I’ve read, Moz has always been very positive about Marr (he only appears disgruntled about Marr for giving up without a fight in the court case). Even thanked Marr when he got his Ivor Novello a few years ago and has said recently that Marr has never been replaced. It always seemed the other way round to me with Marr frequently criticising (or refusing to comment on) Moz’s solo work, albeit in an oblique way. Recently said he would choose Ian Curtis over Morrissey.
 
Big interview with Marr in the new Mojo. Lots of Smithsy discussion (quelle surprise!). Marr says he’s not financially in the position to turn down the huge offers that Smiths were made last year to reform. Asked about getting back with Moz, he seems open to something at some point but claims that Moz keeps ‘slagging him off’. I was surprised at this. From what I’ve read, Moz has always been very positive about Marr (he only appears disgruntled about Marr for giving up without a fight in the court case). Even thanked Marr when he got his Ivor Novello a few years ago and has said recently that Marr has never been replaced. It always seemed the other way round to me with Marr frequently criticising (or refusing to comment on) Moz’s solo work, albeit in an oblique way. Recently said he would choose Ian Curtis over Morrissey.

I've never read an interview where Marr doesn't have a little dig at Morrissey and this sounds like no exception.

In contrast, I have never read one word of complaint from Morrissey about how Marr behaved during The Smiths, and he has plenty of ammunition. Two things immediately that spring to mind are Marr's confession that he was often plastered onstage and his keeping the secret of Andy Rourke's problems from his partner. The only complaint Morrissey has made is how Marr has constantly tried to make him out to be the bad one in order to justify his leaving.
 
I think Moz wouldn't do it because more than any of the other petty reasons stated, Moz is deeply fearful of failure. Let's face it most reunions stink, it's impossible to recapture the past and Moz is very aware of it. Also Morrissey seems to enjoy the 100% control he has now and doesn't seem like the kinda guy who would give it up.

I think Marr on the other hand would think it would be a fun time and do it for the hell of it, the fans and a few extra bucks to bring more security for his family.

If they did do it, they would have to be really smart about it. not make a giant to do about it. at first do a few "spur of the moment" small surprise shows. Let a buzz form, let rumors run wild. Let them get back in their grove before any kind of major tour or return to the studio. I also think a Moz and Marr reunion would be enough and reduce some of the pressures at their end, don't call it the smiths, just let it be two old friends reunited, and see what happens. I think doing it in this way could lead to a greater chance of them working together longer.

As for Marr taking shots a Moz's solo work, I think he has tried very hard to avoid such things... He is often backed into a corner on the subject.

Kumo
 
Click Here

Watch especially between 7:10 and 8:20. Although he's not exactly slagging Marr off ...

Lmao..

"And Morrissey was EVIL and he made us record the Cilla Black song and.."

:p evil Moz makes me laugh
 
Click Here

Watch especially between 7:10 and 8:20. Although he's not exactly slagging Marr off ...

Which proves my point really. The only gripe Morrissey has with Marr is how he's behaved since he left the band. I don't see how Marr feels he can give an interview about the Smiths virtually every month moaning about how put upon he was and how awful it all was and expect Morrissey to cheerfully accept it and not bite back occasionally.
 
Marr says at the end of the article that this will be the last time he talks about The Smiths in an interview (cue huge lack of future interview requests) as he is writing a book.

He says:

''There's so many nonsensical books around you've got to do it to put the record straight, and I've got a lot of funny stories so hopefully it'd entertain some people as well. That's the next time I'll talk about The Smiths in real depth''
 
As for Marr taking shots a Moz's solo work, I think he has tried very hard to avoid such things... He is often backed into a corner on the subject.

Kumo

In 1991 in an NME interview he slagged off Moz and his new single "Alf Wank"

I forget which Moz album he was referring to but he said that he didn't listen to it because he didn't need to listen to it because he has already heard it in his past records.. ie.. he keeps putting out the same record.

I'm sure there are other references but in general, I don't think Marr has held back as much as you're implying.
 
In a recent Guardian interview Marr said that he never listens to Morrissey's albums as he always knows exactly how they'll sound and when he hears them he is never wrong.

Certainly a slagging, if a slightly illogical one!
 
I also think a Moz and Marr reunion would be enough and reduce some of the pressures at their end, don't call it the smiths,

I had the same idea.
If all The Smiths reunited I'd like them to play only the old songs (not writing new ones).
 
For me Morrissey & Marr were The Smiths.

I don't feel Andy Rourke's & Mike Joyce's contributions to The Smiths were as significant as say John Paul Jones & John Bonham were to Led Zeppelin.

JPJ and John Bonham were hugely significant to Led Zep, but I agree that Morrissey and Marr were The Smiths. I think that is "officially" the case as well, and Morrissey and Marr have said as much. I saw somewhere that Marr said that the two of them were The Smiths but that if they got back together they'd probably call themselves Morrissey and Marr and wouldn't use "The Smiths" as a name.
 
Cheers! nice link.

Gave up with Youtube when I wasn't allowed to add any more videos to my playlists. This has encouraged me to delve into it again...sometime.

There's an add-on you can get with the Firefox browser that lets you download video clips from Youtube. It lets you store your own collection and watch them through a free program (vlf viewer, or something like that) without having to go back to Youtube every time.
 
Well, now that we're discussing the relationship between Marr and Morrissey. I'd like to quote something from a interview with Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse. This interview has been printed in the latest issue of the Danish (or Aarhusian) magazine called Gaffa, where this Isaac is talking about their(i.e. MM) newest release, Seattle, the sea ... and then, Johnny Marr. So I will now try to translate things back into English again - I suppose the original interview was in English. Well, here we go:

"And Johnny has become a part of it (i.e. the band), and as far as I understand it's the happiest band family, he'd been a part of. From what I understand, Morrissey isn't the most well-functioning person, but who is? But it sounds like that it was more about a fight than music." - Isaac Brock

Well, that's it! - Guess it's nothing new really, but anyway, now you know. It seems to be the same old thing about their relationship ...

Cudweed
 
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