Johnny Marr "The Messnger" - review 3/5

[TheFakeJohnnyMarr]

I was somewhat disappointed to be honest with this album.

This WC review sums up my thoughts...

http://whatculture.com/music/johnny-marr-the-messenger-review.php

I mean there are 3 excellent songs and the rest are standard.

His lyrics are ATROCIOUS.

What are your thoughts?

Also do you agree with the comment "Morrissey & Marr became arguably the greatest songwriting duo since Jagger & Richards and Lennon & McCartney.."

What about Plant & Page?

 

[Amy]

I was somewhat disappointed to be honest with this album.

This WC review sums up my thoughts...

http://whatculture.com/music/johnny-marr-the-messenger-review.php

I mean there are 3 excellent songs and the rest are standard.

His lyrics are ATROCIOUS.

What are your thoughts?

Also do you agree with the comment "Morrissey & Marr became arguably the greatest songwriting duo since Jagger & Richards and Lennon & McCartney.."

What about Plant & Page?

“Morrissey and Marr are two divergent halves of the perfect rock star, segregated into separate shells”.

I think that’s the best description of their creative dynamic I’ve heard in years. And yes, his lyrics are atrocious. All the songs on the album sound virtually indistinguishable from each other. This review pretty much summed it up for me:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/johnny-marr-the-messenger,92965/

 

[TheFakeJohnnyMarr]

Hi Amy

yeah I also thought that the bit you quoted was very apt!

It's like god took the idealised perfect rock star (who would have maybe gone of the rails if he had all that talent) and divvied it up into 2 people!

I think SOMETIMES the lyrics are ok but then there are so many clangers.

And that WOOOOH in the Track 1 is just embarrassing.

 

[Girl-Afraid]

Morrissey & Johnny need to pair up again, there's no doubt that their talent together is one hundred times better than that when they are apart

 

[jdbabz]

Agreed, I received my copy today. My favourite tracks are 'the messenger', 'say demesne' and 'new town velocity', 'new town...' is in a class of it's own. 'Word starts attack' as it sounds a bit like a Franz Ferdinand song and Generate! Generate are ok. but I won't be buying a ticket to his live show. Marr produces a good track every so often 'Down on the Corner' 'New Town Velocity' but that is all we can expect from him, I regret purchasing the album to be honest but I regretted buying 'Years of Refusal' aswell.

 

[prisoner77]

I purchased the single and "New Town Velocity" Not that impressed, I was hoping for more..

 

[Bluebirds]

It's ok, got my copy yesterday listened to it twice. If there were less vocals I think I would like it more. Steven's spectre hovers over a lot of the tracks (for me.)

There are 3 or 4 standout tracks as mentioned above, New Town Velocity being my favourite.

 

[Girl-Afraid]

I think new town velocity is everybody's fave as it sounds like our beloved Smiths.

 

[Qvist]

There is also an excellent review at Pitchfork, which awards it 6.5 out of 10 and generally puts a nice spin on the record's essential mediocrity.