Johnny Marr plays "Stop Me..." on "The Tonight Show"

http://pitchfork.com/news/57423-joh...-think-youve-heard-this-one-before-on-fallon/

 

[Anaesthesine]

J.Marr and his band play "Stop Me" gorgeously, and his vocals aren't bad at all. He cannot, however, summon up Morrissey's inimitable, peculiarly intense emotional edge. No one can.

And yes, Morrissey's 2009 live version of "This Charming Man" was an unlistenable instrumental grind fronted by sublime vocals. Such a shame.

 

[kskiska]

Johnny's band puts Moz's to shame. Morrissey's live version of "This Charming Man" above is simply unlistenable due to the music.

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

Please keep the "Morrissey-solo pathology" coming. I like it.

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

I don’t get the complaints about his vocals at all. I think they sound pretty good. Are they Morrissey? No, but who is?

I thought the show was excellent that I caught in Philly, and the band was great and just as energetic on the original material as they were on the Smiths tunes.

But I get people not into him playing the Smiths stuff (I live with someone who thinks it’s horrible that he sings those songs) but I enjoyed it.

 

[Multi]

I don’t get the complaints about his vocals at all.

Sorry Fred, Johnny sings as if he's in a bad high school/college cover band.

Although I'm not crazy about Johnny's singing, one thing is certain....His band is light-years better than Morrissey's.

There's no comparison.

Disagree. The band on this tour (post-Alain, pre-Soloman leaving) have never sounded better. Yes, the This Charming Man live rendition was terrible, but there's a new fire in their belly and it's likely due to the fact that they actually made a unique and interesting record with WPINOYB.

Case in point, listen to any version of Hand in Glove from the beginning of the present European tour--miles better than Johnny's "Stop Me" cover.

 

[Guernie]

Multi you are spot on by saying Moz's band has done their best work with the new World Peace record . Gustavo is such a great addition and I really hope they get to make another album . However to dish Marr as 2nd rate ....... please reconsider . It is not a contest to see who is better . Both ex-Smiths are doing a wonderful job of keeping the music alive . I did listen to both songs you mentioned ............ where is the huge drop off ???? Marr's band can not be faulted for its version.

 

[celibate]

you can hear it's unmistakenly Marr, the guitar sound

and I'm definately in with the ones who say Johnny is a down to earth bloke

Thumbs up

'and they say he's mentall'...but Marr should hire a good singer, it's not bad, but he's class A guitar player

 

[Juliusmonk]

I watched it with interest - agree with Multi above. This is a very bland version of Stop me... quite frankly, no spark, no magic. The band is nothing special, it could've been any new band covering the song if you didn't see Johnny's face. Being a musical genius, he could have at least changed the arrangement - it's almost 30 years old now. And the lyrics are not believable sung by him.

 

[Anonymous]

All this "Johnny Marr is 50% responsible for the songs of the Smiths" is bollocks. Those sings are Morrrissey's. Marr created rudimentary instrumentals - that's not songwriting - which Morrissey then breathed into life by creating the lyrics and vocal melodies - up to that point, the tracks weren't songs; after that point, they were songs, and I daresay it was after that point, generally speaking, that Marr was then able to overdub the layer upon layer of guitar harmonies, working around the vocal melody (and in the most famous instances e.g. 'How Soon Is Now?', 'This Charming Man', 'William, It Was Really Nothing', with the extensive assistance of John Porter) - again this is musical embellishment, not songwriting. But even if the harmonies went on first, it's still just musical composition and arranging, it's not songwriting. Marr can't write songs, as his solo work makes clear, and he sure as hell can't sing them either. Only a matter of time till the media backlash kicks in against his weedy, reedy vocals and dull stage demeanour, once the novelty of hearing him 'sing' Smiths songs has worn off.

 

[Anonymous]

as much as i might feel guilty say this i do agree with what youre saying mostly.

 

[VivaGil]

All this "Johnny Marr is 50% responsible for the songs of the Smiths" is bollocks. Those sings are Morrrissey's. Marr created rudimentary instrumentals - that's not songwriting - which Morrissey then breathed into life by creating the lyrics and vocal melodies - up to that point, the tracks weren't songs; after that point, they were songs, and I daresay it was after that point, generally speaking, that Marr was then able to overdub the layer upon layer of guitar harmonies, working around the vocal melody (and in the most famous instances e.g. 'How Soon Is Now?', 'This Charming Man', 'William, It Was Really Nothing', with the extensive assistance of John Porter) - again this is musical embellishment, not songwriting. But even if the harmonies went on first, it's still just musical composition and arranging, it's not songwriting. Marr can't write songs, as his solo work makes clear, and he sure as hell can't sing them either. Only a matter of time till the media backlash kicks in against his weedy, reedy vocals and dull stage demeanour, once the novelty of hearing him 'sing' Smiths songs has worn off.

I don't know if I'd agree with this. Vocals do not a band make. Johnny Marr is as important as Morrissey. They created the prefect compliment. They could've probably made it on their own but would not have been the success they were without each other. Discounting the music I think is a mistake. Johnny is without doubt a weak singer. Although having seen him live this video isn't really representative. Go to one of his shows and listen to him play smiths songs. It's easy to see the magic there.

 

[Anonymous]

Morrissey did This Charming Man on Kimmel and Jonathan Ross back in 2009..it happens


and Johnny played How Soon is now last time he was on Fallon.

i forgot just how bad the guitar was on their version of it...
thanks for the bitter reminder!

 

[Anonymous]

the difference is that morrissey did all the vocals and vocal melodies but johnny did not do all of the music himself as morrissey did and was, surprise, very insistent about arrangements and the sound effects like the rain falling which is why those things are all over his albums without johnny and johnnys albums dont have them. johnnys very traditional in his arrangements which i kinda think leave his songs as very very good but not as special as we feel they could be. i thought the messenger was a good start to confronting this issue and playland was even better and i think if he continues with his solo stuff hes gonna stun me with something really moving but in my mind hes learning all over again how to do it on his own which he hasnt done successfully before so i can cut him some slack especially as hes getting better. as for the smiths songs hes playing i would love to hear them as no one has that deft touch or emphasizes the nuances of the songs instrumentals the way he does. still one of my favorite guitarists of all time. i love all the folk influences as well

 

[modrevolve]

This whole argument about Marr playing Smiths songs live reminds of the early 2000s when John Squire released his first solo and started touring playing Stone Roses songs live (what a grating voice he had). Though Ian Brown had never till that point played Stone Roses songs live, he then he started playing them live as well.

In the end we all know how that one turned out

 

[Mrs. Phyllis Torgo]

There's nothing sadder than that haircut worn by a man older than 50.

 

[Anonymous]

Johnny Marr DID NOT write all the music. Rourke came up with bass lines, Johnny took the credit. Joyce came up with drum parts, Johnny took the credit. Goddard documented this in a few examples in "Songs That Saved Your Life." If you actually believe that Johnny spoon-fed all musical arrangements to Rourke and Joyce than what you are saying is that they were lawnmower parts and that is insulting.
Working title for Marr's autobiography "Getting Away With It"

 

[Jamie]

Johnny Marr DID NOT write all the music. Rourke came up with bass lines, Johnny took the credit. Joyce came up with drum parts, Johnny took the credit. Goddard documented this in a few examples in "Songs That Saved Your Life." If you actually believe that Johnny spoon-fed all musical arrangements to Rourke and Joyce than what you are saying is that they were lawnmower parts and that is insulting.
Working title for Marr's autobiography "Getting Away With It"

Very anonymously, passionately, short-sightedly put. If Joyce and Rourke felt cheated out of writing credits, why was this not alleged in the court case? Are you saying that Porter and Street should have writing credits, too, by extension since they helped shape arrangements?

I suppose the fact that Marr sought out Morrissey at all is purely because of Morrissey's charisma, Johnny's initiative be damned? Actually, don't answer: you don't seem the type to let facts get in your way.

 

[Anonymous]

im not that anon though i guess members can see this through some hash tag thing (i dont know) but i do think that arrangements are part of songwriting and should be credited. if my fav song was arranged differently it wouldnt be the same at all. not to me

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

Thank you for your perspective. It is fascinating to consider.

Johnny Marr DID NOT write all the music. Rourke came up with bass lines, Johnny took the credit. Joyce came up with drum parts, Johnny took the credit. Goddard documented this in a few examples in "Songs That Saved Your Life." If you actually believe that Johnny spoon-fed all musical arrangements to Rourke and Joyce than what you are saying is that they were lawnmower parts and that is insulting.
Working title for Marr's autobiography "Getting Away With It"

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I'd agree with this. Vocals do not a band make. Johnny Marr is as important as Morrissey. They created the prefect compliment. They could've probably made it on their own but would not have been the success they were without each other. Discounting the music I think is a mistake. Johnny is without doubt a weak singer. Although having seen him live this video isn't really representative. Go to one of his shows and listen to him play smiths songs. It's easy to see the magic there.

I agree that they complemented each other perfectedly; Marr's guitar playing was ethereal, which matched Morrissey's angelic vocals; however, I'd disagree that the vocals don't make the band. Traditionally, it's the front man who gets the band noticed. In this case, you have a front man who writes intelligent and emotionally riveting lyrics, a man who can back those words up with an amazing voice, a man who has an enigmatic persona, and a man who is incredibly handsome; these attributes are the perfect combination for the creation of a pop star. While I greatly admire Johnny Marr's talent, Morrissey was the reason that the public fell in love with the Smiths. His success as a solo artist all these years verifies that. Far more people recognize Morrissey's solo work than Marr's, so it's probable that Morrissey would have made it on his own eventually. Fortunately, they met and we all got to experience the magic. As for Marr's singing, I find it cringe-worthy. I really wanted to be pleasantly surprised, but I was not.

lynnda