Morrissey Central "OPEN LETTER TO JOHNNY MARR." (January 25, 2022)

This is not a rant or an hysterical bombast. It is a polite and calmly measured request: Would you please stop mentioning my name in your interviews?

Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music?

If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?

The fact is: you don’t know me. You know nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings. Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts. We haven’t known each other for 35 years - which is many lifetimes ago. When we met you and I were not successful. We both helped each other become whatever it is we are today. Can you not just leave it at that? Must you persistently, year after year, decade after decade, blame me for everything … from the 2007 Solomon Islands tsunami to the dribble on your grandma’s chin ?

You found me inspirational enough to make music with me for 6 years. If I was, as you claim, such an eyesore monster, where exactly did this leave you? Kidnapped? Mute? Chained? Abducted by cross-eyed extraterrestrials? It was YOU who played guitar on ‘Golden Lights’ - not me.

Yes, we all know that the British press will print anything you say about me as long as it’s cruel and savage. But you’ve done all that. Move on. It’s as if you can’t uncross your own legs without mentioning me. Our period together was many lifetimes ago, and a lot of blood has streamed under the bridge since then. There comes a time when you must take responsibility for your own actions and your own career, with which I wish you good health to enjoy. Just stop using my name as click-bait. I have not ever attacked your solo work or your solo life, and I have openly applauded your genius during the days of ‘Louder than bombs’ and ‘Strangeways, here we come’, yet you have positioned yourself ever-ready as rent-a-quote whenever the press require an ugly slant on something I half-said during the last glacial period as the Colorado River began to carve out the Grand Canyon. Please stop. It is 2022, not 1982.

Morrissey. January 2022.

OPEN LETTER TO JOHNNY MARR. - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - OPEN LETTER TO JOHNNY MARR.

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

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Marr, January 26th:


Some related posts moved to this thread: Johnny Marr responds to Morrissey's open letter via Twitter (January 26, 2022)

---

Related item:

• Express: "The Smiths split ‘bruised me emotionally, it turned to s*** with Morrissey’ – Johnny Marr" via Uncut Magazine - January 13, 2022

Media items:

• BBC: Morrissey calls on Johnny Marr to 'stop using my name as clickbait' - January 26, 2022
• Daily Mail: There is a fight that never goes out: Morrissey accuses Johnny Marr of 'using my name as click bait' and insists The Smiths bandmate 'knows nothing of my life' in scathing letter - January 26, 2022
• Far Out: Morrissey pens scathing open letter to Johnny Marr: "You don't know me" - January 25, 2022
• Fiona Dodwell: "From Morrissey to Marr: Why THAT Open Letter Was a Long Time Coming" (January 26, 2022)
• Guardian: ‘You don’t know me’: Morrissey accuses Johnny Marr of using him for clickbait - January 26, 2022
• Independent: ‘Move on’: Morrissey tells Johnny Marr to stop talking about him in interviews - January 26, 2022
• MEN: 'Move on. It's as if you can’t uncross your own legs without mentioning me': Morrissey tells Johnny Marr to stop talking about him - January 26, 2022
• NME: Morrissey asks Johnny Marr to stop mentioning him in interviews - January 25, 2022
• Rolling Stone: Still Ill: Morrissey Really Wants Johnny Marr to Stop Talking About Him - January 26, 2022
• Stereogum: Morrissey To Johnny Marr: Keep My Name Out Of Your Mouth - January 25, 2022
• The Telegraph: Why Morrissey and Johnny Marr hate each other (paywalll) - January 27, 2022 (transcript at Yahoo!)

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Just a guess - reunion's off
FWD.

 

[Anonymous]

Morrissey is a very emotional and sensitive person. I some times think that writing down these feelings and pains are almost like therapy for him. And when he does it, the result is almost invariably brilliant.
It is just that over the last decade or so, he led the life of a well pampered and rich person. Fine if he found some joy there, but it didn’t nurture his muse.
Now that he is feeling wounded and stabbed in the back again, more interesting lyrics may be forthcoming, with music from Alain’s hand.

Beautifully said. This is why the press is so in love with the saga of the Smiths.

I wonder if Alain is still around. Anyone heard from him lately?

 

[Phranc & Open]

I don't agree! I mean, lyrical finesse is something all Johnny's solo lyrics lack. He's sub-Noel Gallagher and the "late" lyrics of Morrissey, as you like to think of them, are totally beyond his capability. It may be under-appreciated now - like most of "late" Morrissey - but Dog On A Chain is genuinely a great record.

He is quarrelsome, funny and to the point. Almost like during his early solo years or even his time in The Smiths. It's not a song lyric and don't be angry with me bit it touches me more than some songs of the last 3-4 albums. Sad, dramatic and funny at the same time and with a real background (broken friendship). Essential like his urge in younger days to find his place in this world. But don't let that take away your enjoyment of IANADOAC.

 

[Orson Swells]

He is quarrelsome, funny and to the point. Almost like during his early solo years or even his time in The Smiths. It's not a song lyric and don't be angry with me bit it touches me more than some songs of the last 3-4 albums. Sad, dramatic and funny at the same time and with a real background (broken friendship). Essential like his urge in younger days to find his place in this world. But don't let that take away your enjoyment of IANADOAC.

I'm not angry with you at all! I'm guessing we will see a lyric along these very lines - co-written with Alain perhaps? - at some point in the future.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Jesus. I don't find that annoying or funny or genius or unwarranted. I find it sad. Not pathetic sad. Just sad that Moz has to write it or feels that he has to write it. In many ways I don't blame him. Enough people attack him without Johnny jumping in too. Obviously Morrissey is feeling very hurt. I almost feel like we shouldn't have seen that. It's too private. All the constant negative press is getting to Moz. He's human and needs to be loved, just like everybody else does.

Was just thinking, that Morrissey might have wanted to kept this private, but I don’t think Johnny owns a fax machine anymore.

 

[F*ck j. Marr]

How sad is your life when you "love love love " morrissey being bitchy to the person he made the best music with. Johnny didn't need to be a suck up or wear a dress on stage

I'd rather M work with johnny than that Dumb Mexican. The Mexicans are the worst thing to happen to him.

Surprised you can't see this for what it is.
A desperate attempt to troll Marr ,cause he is now the popular respected one ,with a record deal and people happy to interview him..
Morrissey looks like an old lady these days..he can't get any interest, so he goes to the smiths.
By attacking a smith.

Jhon f***ing shithead marr the popular respected one? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Its really laughable!
Hahahahahaha hahahaha ahahaha oooohhh

Popular sure, playing small venues and not even "sold out" shows. Needs to mention Morrissey to those happy people who interviewes him, every single time, because he needs him. And the list could go endlessly

P.s. Burn mf racist burn

 

[Johnny who?]

Does anyone belong to that unfortunate Facebook group named Johnny Marr- Ode to a Godlike Genius, run by the even more unfortunate pair of emo teens who never grew up, Aly and Ory? I will be kind and refrain from commenting on what they look like, they obviously want to have Johnny's babies, and given what he looks like, pity the imaginary children.

Anyway. when Johnny started this $100 per person meet and greet thing, a lot of members were complaining (Aly and Ory are over the top fiercely protective of Johnny and claim he hangs out in the group be never posts) They claimed that Johnny was doing this to keep ticket prices down (haha) and that he was charging $100 to meet him rather than charge a few more dollars for a ticket (hahaha) when the truth is he cannot get into bigger venues. His tickets are $25, you cannot get a ticket cheaper than that in the Boston area.

There is no way to spin this, that Marr is having a better career than Morrissey. When Marr moved to Portland, he bought a $250,000 house, my house cost more than that, Morrissey has 4 houses in 4 different countries.

Therer was never going to be a reunion, whether this happened or not, Morrissey simply does not need Marr nor the drama that comes with him, he'd probably want to bring that simpleton Nile too.

 

[Anonymous]

There is no way to spin this, that Marr is having a better career than Morrissey. When Marr moved to Portland, he bought a $250,000 house, my house cost more than that, Morrissey has 4 houses in 4 different countries.

I have no doubt that Morrissey has several million pounds more in the bank, and can still play to bigger venues around the world. But the fact remains that Johnny has a record contract, is playing guitar on James Bond and other Hollywood movie soundtracks, is on the cover of magazines and is generally respected by his peers and the general public. Morrissey has no record contract, his songs are no longer played on the radio and his brand has become so toxic he is about as popular as the lovechild of Gary Glitter and JK Rowling - the only times he appears in the press now are people complaining about his 'far right' views, and how no one decent should listen to him.

Personally I would love to see Morrissey get his shit together and start making some kind of comeback. I thought 'Dog on a Chain' was his best record in years - but the fact remains that the sales were pitiful. At this stage it's really only his US fanbase who are keeping him afloat, and things like The Simpsons show that maybe even they are starting to come round to the whole 'Morrissey as right-wing nutter' narrative . Bottom line is you'd have to be wearing spectcularly rose-tinted glasses not to accept the fact that he is currently at a career low, and bound to be smarting at that.

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit .444]

Does anyone belong to that unfortunate Facebook group named Johnny Marr- Ode to a Godlike Genius, run by the even more unfortunate pair of emo teens who never grew up, Aly and Ory? I will be kind and refrain from commenting on what they look like, they obviously want to have Johnny's babies, and given what he looks like, pity the imaginary children.

Anyway. when Johnny started this $100 per person meet and greet thing, a lot of members were complaining (Aly and Ory are over the top fiercely protective of Johnny and claim he hangs out in the group be never posts) They claimed that Johnny was doing this to keep ticket prices down (haha) and that he was charging $100 to meet him rather than charge a few more dollars for a ticket (hahaha) when the truth is he cannot get into bigger venues. His tickets are $25, you cannot get a ticket cheaper than that in the Boston area.

There is no way to spin this, that Marr is having a better career than Morrissey. When Marr moved to Portland, he bought a $250,000 house, my house cost more than that, Morrissey has 4 houses in 4 different countries.

Therer was never going to be a reunion, whether this happened or not, Morrissey simply does not need Marr nor the drama that comes with him, he'd probably want to bring that simpleton Nile too.

oi aly and ory, the Commadre McMuffin/Fredo of the wig set.

most who play on those dumb 'soundtracks' are unknown who collect
a few quid. who have small LePepe like incomes
that 1oo dollar meet was a great success-5 simpletons. needed to feed the 'band' outside piled in the camper like moths.

what a fiasco the LePepe ' career' aka sponging off Moz. the only reason this fiasco even exists is that no more suco groups exist that want him to join their band.

 

[Morrissey-so-old.com]

Classless boot-licking trash who loves, loves, loves stirring up shit between Morrissey and Marr, and even Morrissey and Alain, because he knows how much they both outshine him & it helps safeguard his job. Like Nile and the other rubber-neckers who enjoy this awful shit because it makes them feel special, he's long overdue an "epic smackdown" himself.

That’s what happens when your a talentless hack, he has hitched himself to Morrissey and won’t ever let go because that’s his bread and butter, if he had any talent he would be playing for other musicians, but he isn’t. He has to protect his source of income by how you said stirring shit up.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Speaking frankly, because of recent events, it’s become difficult for me to listen to The Smiths music.
Of course Morrissey’s melody, lyric, and voice will always remain untouchable, untarnishable, eternal. But Marr on the other hand? As great as his guitar playing and writing was at that time, if I’m gonna continue to listen to The Smiths, I will need to separate the artist from the art, in regards to Marr and his recent behavior. I hope he apologizes soon, so we could all get back to enjoying
the great guitarist he once was.

 

[James Maher]

This is not a rant or an hysterical bombast. It is a polite and calmly measured request: Would you please stop mentioning my name in your interviews?

Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music?

If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?

The fact is: you don’t know me. You know nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings. Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts. We haven’t known each other for 35 years - which is many lifetimes ago. When we met you and I were not successful. We both helped each other become whatever it is we are today. Can you not just leave it at that? Must you persistently, year after year, decade after decade, blame me for everything … from the 2007 Solomon Islands tsunami to the dribble on your grandma’s chin ?

You found me inspirational enough to make music with me for 6 years. If I was, as you claim, such an eyesore monster, where exactly did this leave you? Kidnapped? Mute? Chained? Abducted by cross-eyed extraterrestrials? It was YOU who played guitar on ‘Golden Lights’ - not me.

Yes, we all know that the British press will print anything you say about me as long as it’s cruel and savage. But you’ve done all that. Move on. It’s as if you can’t uncross your own legs without mentioning me. Our period together was many lifetimes ago, and a lot of blood has streamed under the bridge since then. There comes a time when you must take responsibility for your own actions and your own career, with which I wish you good health to enjoy. Just stop using my name as click-bait. I have not ever attacked your solo work or your solo life, and I have openly applauded your genius during the days of ‘Louder than bombs’ and ‘Strangeways, here we come’, yet you have positioned yourself ever-ready as rent-a-quote whenever the press require an ugly slant on something I half-said during the last glacial period as the Colorado River began to carve out the Grand Canyon. Please stop. It is 2022, not 1982.

Morrissey. January 2022.

View attachment 78903

OPEN LETTER TO JOHNNY MARR. - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - OPEN LETTER TO JOHNNY MARR.

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

---

Marr, January 26th:


Some related posts moved to this thread: Johnny Marr responds to Morrissey's open letter via Twitter (January 26, 2022)

---

Related item:

• Express: "The Smiths split ‘bruised me emotionally, it turned to s*** with Morrissey’ – Johnny Marr" via Uncut Magazine - January 13, 2022

Media items:

• BBC: Morrissey calls on Johnny Marr to 'stop using my name as clickbait' - January 26, 2022
• Daily Mail: There is a fight that never goes out: Morrissey accuses Johnny Marr of 'using my name as click bait' and insists The Smiths bandmate 'knows nothing of my life' in scathing letter - January 26, 2022
• Far Out: Morrissey pens scathing open letter to Johnny Marr: "You don't know me" - January 25, 2022
• Fiona Dodwell: "From Morrissey to Marr: Why THAT Open Letter Was a Long Time Coming" (January 26, 2022)
• Guardian: ‘You don’t know me’: Morrissey accuses Johnny Marr of using him for clickbait - January 26, 2022
• Independent: ‘Move on’: Morrissey tells Johnny Marr to stop talking about him in interviews - January 26, 2022
• MEN: 'Move on. It's as if you can’t uncross your own legs without mentioning me': Morrissey tells Johnny Marr to stop talking about him - January 26, 2022
• NME: Morrissey asks Johnny Marr to stop mentioning him in interviews - January 25, 2022
• Rolling Stone: Still Ill: Morrissey Really Wants Johnny Marr to Stop Talking About Him - January 26, 2022
• Stereogum: Morrissey To Johnny Marr: Keep My Name Out Of Your Mouth - January 25, 2022
• The Telegraph: Why Morrissey and Johnny Marr hate each other (paywalll) - January 27, 2022 (transcript at Yahoo!)

---

Just a guess - reunion's off
FWD.

Johnny Marr we have been worried about you for quite some time. For many of us, you were the guitar god of our generation. The world rightfully applauded the genius of Eddie Van Halen, but we had our Johnny Marr with his beautiful and intricate guitar lines that flowed as natural as rain from one note to the next. Then you left the Smiths. We tried to appreciate your initial work with The The, but it was really just So So and nothing about it impressed us very much, but we hung on. You then made a fairly decent New Order record without the bass player, but we never found anything innovative about it. Then 20 years went by and you practically vanished doing a bit here and a bit there. Surly, you don’t count the audition you had with Paul McCartney as anything notable especially since you did not pass the audition. Then came Modest Mouse and The Cribs. Actually, we think you did these bands more harm than good and certainly nothing innovative came of it. But, now you have thrown it all away and I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but you can’t sing and your lyrics are gibberish and at best the work of a toddler. But, this is really not the point of this letter. It is to ask you to please play guitar again. Relearn your instrument. You have lost the ability to play guitar. Maybe it is that short scale Jaguar, but your guitar playing is utterly forgettable and it makes us sad to see you on stage, with your eyes closed, singing old Morrissey songs from 40 years ago.

 

[Amy]

Speaking frankly, because of recent events, it’s become difficult for me to listen to The Smiths music.
Of course Morrissey’s melody, lyric, and voice will always remain untouchable, untarnishable, eternal. But Marr on the other hand? As great as his guitar playing and writing was at that time, if I’m gonna continue to listen to The Smiths, I will need to separate the artist from the art, in regards to Marr and his recent behavior. I hope he apologizes soon, so we could all get back to enjoying
the great guitarist he once was.

You can't listen to the Smiths anymore because Morrissey attacked JM publicly and somehow that's JM's fault?
Ket, you can't be serious.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

You can't listen to the Smiths anymore because Morrissey attacked JM publicly and somehow that's JM's fault?
Ket, you can't be serious.

No it’s the way Marr responded.


Anyway, Morrissey ‘attacked’ ? ‘heavy words are so lightly thrown’. Sounds like you’re trying to make Morrissey out to be the bad guy in this, the same way Marr has done over the years. Morrissey’s not perfect, but how could you! If not even a apology tweet from Marr, then let’s hope that he doesn’t mention Morrissey again in interviews.

RESPECT

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

 

[Anonymous]

Johnny Marr we have been worried about you for quite some time. For many of us, you were the guitar god of our generation. The world rightfully applauded the genius of Eddie Van Halen, but we had our Johnny Marr with his beautiful and intricate guitar lines that flowed as natural as rain from one note to the next. Then you left the Smiths. We tried to appreciate your initial work with The The, but it was really just So So and nothing about it impressed us very much, but we hung on. You then made a fairly decent New Order record without the bass player, but we never found anything innovative about it. Then 20 years went by and you practically vanished doing a bit here and a bit there. Surly, you don’t count the audition you had with Paul McCartney as anything notable especially since you did not pass the audition. Then came Modest Mouse and The Cribs. Actually, we think you did these bands more harm than good and certainly nothing innovative came of it. But, now you have thrown it all away and I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but you can’t sing and your lyrics are gibberish and at best the work of a toddler. But, this is really not the point of this letter. It is to ask you to please play guitar again. Relearn your instrument. You have lost the ability to play guitar. Maybe it is that short scale Jaguar, but your guitar playing is utterly forgettable and it makes us sad to see you on stage, with your eyes closed, singing old Morrissey songs from 40 years ago.

You clearly know nothing about Johnny’s solo career. His songs and guitar playing are still sublime. His new album released next month is already a masterpiece, judging from the 9 songs already released. We are about to hear a lot more from him and poor Moz has to sit on the sidelines and snipe with his sad, Trump-like, delusional lies.

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit .444]

Johnny Marr we have been worried about you for quite some time. For many of us, you were the guitar god of our generation. The world rightfully applauded the genius of Eddie Van Halen, but we had our Johnny Marr with his beautiful and intricate guitar lines that flowed as natural as rain from one note to the next. Then you left the Smiths. We tried to appreciate your initial work with The The, but it was really just So So and nothing about it impressed us very much, but we hung on. You then made a fairly decent New Order record without the bass player, but we never found anything innovative about it. Then 20 years went by and you practically vanished doing a bit here and a bit there. Surly, you don’t count the audition you had with Paul McCartney as anything notable especially since you did not pass the audition. Then came Modest Mouse and The Cribs. Actually, we think you did these bands more harm than good and certainly nothing innovative came of it. But, now you have thrown it all away and I am sorry to be the one to tell you, but you can’t sing and your lyrics are gibberish and at best the work of a toddler. But, this is really not the point of this letter. It is to ask you to please play guitar again. Relearn your instrument. You have lost the ability to play guitar. Maybe it is that short scale Jaguar, but your guitar playing is utterly forgettable and it makes us sad to see you on stage, with your eyes closed, singing old Morrissey songs from 40 years ago.

i noticed that too. when the group he is in starts playing a 'song'
he starts the chords way late.

he becomes unsynchronized with wrong chords everywhere wrong notes in the wrong place.

 

[James Maher]

You clearly know nothing about Johnny’s solo career. His songs and guitar playing are still sublime. His new album released next month is already a masterpiece, judging from the 9 songs already released. We are about to hear a lot more from him and poor Moz has to sit on the sidelines and snipe with his sad, Trump-like, delusional lies.

I know enough to have seen The Smiths 3 times and bought their debut record weeks after it was released. My ears tell me Jessie Tobias and his work on the past 2 Morrisey records has been astonishing, grossly undervalued, and light years ahead of anything Marr has done since Strangways. As far as the new Johnny Marr record if you like a rehash of a half decent Oasis record without Lennon on lead vocals then the new Marr record is right up your alley. But, I do suggest you get over American politics and Donald Trump has disgraced himself and will be a black footnote on the history of our great County. Cheers.

 

[Deleted member 30524]

i noticed that too. when the group he is in starts playing a 'song'
he starts the chords way late.

he becomes unsynchronized with wrong chords everywhere wrong notes in the wrong place.

At least he isn’t repetitive.

 

[Lawrence James]

At least he isn’t repetitive.

Last Morrisey record I heard had piano's, violins, bassoons, trumpets, guitars, oboe's, synth's, and a huge variety of genres and styles and Marr with his really poor guitar sound, sloppy playing, and dreadful singing not to even mention lyrics that go absolutely nowhere fast. And we won't even get into his complete and total inability to perform. I am not on the Morrissey v Marr wagon thing. I am just saying as a professional musician I see Jessie's work as being highly inventive and Marr basically has lost his ability to play and compose. Also, he looks really stupid with his eyes closed trying to sing old Morrisey songs than only a baritone can sing. It's quite sad to see because I once idolized his playing and was blown away when I saw him play live with the Smiths during the early 80's.

 

[Mayfly]

Morrissey has a long and beautiful history with ‘open letters’.
As long as they make us laugh or cry, they are just fine.
It just makes me wonder whether JM thought it was funny at the time.
Solid composition too.