The Guardian: Johnny Marr - "You ask the questions" (February 6, 2022)

J'en ai marre?

Johnny Marr: ‘When I play Smiths songs I experience this huge wave of elation’

Particularly liked Bernard Butler's question...



Excerpt:
Did the Smiths ever fall out over football or politics?
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester

We never discussed football so that’s that. And we never fell out over politics, but we probably would now.

Morrissey’s recent political views have cast a shadow over the Smiths for me – reaching back into the past and tainting something that was very important to me. I’m so disappointed in him. Has it impacted how you feel about the Smiths or are you able to separate the past from the present, the band from the man? I find it very difficult to do so.
Johnny Spence, Northern Ireland

It hasn’t impacted how I feel about the Smiths. That’s all I can say about that. I’m certainly able to separate the past from the present. I don’t know whether you can separate the band from the man, but I can separate myself from the man and what I did, so when I do see how disappointed people are, it really does make me sad. But it’s completely out of my control. And I can only really do what is in my control. So I play Smiths songs for reasons that I think are real. And over the years I’ve tried to take care of the catalogue and the releases as much as I was able to. As I would have done anyway. So, you know, I see it the way everybody else sees it. I don’t have any answers. And I don’t want to have any answers.

...

We have both had many casual musical flings but one very strong personal bond in our lives. How has your relationship with the wonderful Angie influenced your creativity, and does she have a favourite guitar?
Bernard Butler, musician

I’ll answer the easy bit first: Angie’s always loved Les Pauls. That’s to do with when we first met – she was 14 and I was 15. We were into Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, so she became bit of a Gibson fan. I’ve had a Gold Top guitar for 20-odd years and I think if I’ve ever got rid of that one, she’d leave me. The important thing I can say about my relationship with Angie is that she made me brave at 15, 16. Not only did Angie know me before everybody else knew me, but she knew me before I knew myself. She was there before the Smiths started: it was me and Angie. And then when that whole thing got together, it was me and Angie and Joe Moss [the late manager of the Smiths]. Not only was I with my soulmate, but I was with somebody who was very smart and very talented.
...

Johnny, out of 10 what would you give me for my turn as Mozzer on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes? [Hill sang This Charming Man.] PS: if you and the fellas ever decide to regroup and his nibs won’t play ball, I still have the wig – and more importantly, the hearing aid.
Harry Hill, comedian

I sort of remember that. I’m going to have to give Harry a solid two out of 10 for that, and he can make of that what he will. As for the offer, I don’t even know what to make of that…!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ya just figure that he would on the law of averages.
He still could.
Ya never know.

Law of averages got used up in his first band:), and he still created some cracking stuff after that.
I dunno it just feels like he's writing for himself with the latest stuff, probably spending too much time with Zimmer or something.
 
In the winter of 1984 I was a college student and the college radio station had a 10 pm to midnight cutting edge radio program that played the debut records by the Smiths, the Cure, Depeche, etc. My wife and I saw the Smiths play live as well as Morrissey. They were an incredible band. I can only think of the Beatles as any other band that matched them. Of course, the Beatles are beyond reproach. McCartney's last album he did by himself at nearly 80 years old blows many younger bands out of the water to put it mildly. But that aside, I think Morrissey has done himself a huge disservice by not focusing more on his Musicianship and less on his political views. Lennon fell into the same trap when he was hanging out with Bobby Seals instead of all the incredible jazz musicians in New York. He got to the point was unable to compose anymore. As far as Marr is concerned, it is hard to have a 50 year career as a guitar player in an Indie band and still be relevant, but he is not a good singer and his singing radically distracts from his guitar playing (imo). It is really sad about this band. I guess Morrissey is right that they just both don't speak of one another ever again, be glad their paths crossed, and it was all just a very bad ending to a once cracking band from the North of England.
 
Interviewer: Morrissey is a horrible individual isn’t he. A miserable, depressive, moaning, racist old has been who was a nightmare to work with?
Marr: No that is very unfair and unkind. Morrissey wrote fantastic lyrics in the Smiths and it was a real pleasure to put those lyrics to music. They expressed the hopes and feelings of many young people at the time. It’s true that we were young and things went wrong in the end however I’d love to work with Morrissey again and do not wish to join in with others in attacking him in public.
 
Interviewer: Morrissey is a horrible individual isn’t he. A miserable, depressive, moaning, racist old has been who was a nightmare to work with?
Marr: No that is very unfair and unkind. Morrissey wrote fantastic lyrics in the Smiths and it was a real pleasure to put those lyrics to music. They expressed the hopes and feelings of many young people at the time. It’s true that we were young and things went wrong in the end however I’d love to work with Morrissey again and do not wish to join in with others in attacking him in public.
And pS Bowie was a paedo
 
Law of averages got used up in his first band:), and he still created some cracking stuff after that.
I dunno it just feels like he's writing for himself with the latest stuff, probably spending too much time with Zimmer or something.

Ya may be right.
Johnny mighta got Zimmered.
 
What I find tedious is that you've hammered the same point - Marr taking 'undue credit' for the Smiths - into the ground, making a big fuss out of nothing.

The last paragraph showed that you're not really concerned with The Smiths or 'ownership' of the songs or whatever, you just can't stand Johnny and wanted to get a few digs in yourself. I am interested in discussion with people who have all kinds of complex, conflicted views about Morrissey & Marr (and I've criticised Johnny plenty myself) - but when you show your own bias so clearly, when you just a hate a guy & that's it, it's hard to have a real debate.

Again, you're just making presumptions to reinforce your own prejudices. As it happens, I can stand Johnny plenty - he wrote the music of The Smiths after all, and he's a fine guitarist. I just acknowledge that he's a flawed human being, as are we all.
 
:)

chances :handpointright::guardsman::handpointleft: will play with Moz again= 0.0000000000000:lbf::lbf:
get with the game plan, LePepePew:lbf:

🇭🇷>:hammer:
 
marr is blabbing more than a mafia informant these days,talking to the guardian says it all,the so-called newspaper where the digital edition has over 450 negative stories about M,did anybody really think this interview was ever going to go any other way.
questions i would have asked.
1,johnboy what does it feel like to have sold out by hanging about with kylie minogue.
2,where did the inspiration come from for the lyric got get got get got.
3,will one hair on your head ever go grey.
 
Last edited:
Morrissey needs to categorically and on-record distance himself from right-wing politics once and for all.
He needs to make a very clear statement with words to the effect of 'in my life I've expressed admiration for a number of people from the full range of political spectrums both left and right, but I have these days become exclusively associated with the far-right. I would like to make it abundantly clear that I do not have far-right politics etc.' and ideally include a formal retraction of his support for Anne Waters and For Britain.
Until he does this he will forever be considered, however wrongly, as an intolerant far right w***er with horrible political views. The ball is in his court.
He has already done that. There is even a video he almost cries in.
 
Morrissey needs to categorically and on-record distance himself from right-wing politics once and for all.
He needs to make a very clear statement with words to the effect of 'in my life I've expressed admiration for a number of people from the full range of political spectrums both left and right, but I have these days become exclusively associated with the far-right. I would like to make it abundantly clear that I do not have far-right politics etc.' and ideally include a formal retraction of his support for Anne Waters and For Britain.
Until he does this he will forever be considered, however wrongly, as an intolerant far right w***er with horrible political views. The ball is in his court.
Ah, so he needs to do what every other spineless f*** in media must do to preserve their seat at the table. Gotcha.
 
Morrissey rarely if ever does/says what’s expected, especially if he’s told to, or knows already what the ‘correct thing’ to do is.
You should know this by now. Maladjusted, Years of refusal, these are more than just album titles and words to be dismissed. What others would perceive as his ‘downfall’, Morrissey wears as a badge of honor.




Funny how the media never pushes the fact that he also championed persons on the left. Though, that would be adding too much balance and would point out Morrissey’s contrary comments that wouldn’t help the media in pushing one angle a dumbed down image (for their readers) of ‘Morrissey as monster’ that they prefer to paint. To paint the full complex and not always perfect reality of Morrissey’s views would take too much work and most importantly would not be clickbait worthy.




I don’t think he considers FB ‘far-right’. Though, others do, so ...


He has publicly stated that ...


View attachment 79134
View attachment 79135
View attachment 79136


He refuses to be pinned down.
And again, like with his sexuality, he refuses to be labeled by others, and so he labels himself, going so far as to having to create new terms that he sees fit to fit him.



yes.



but he refuses to play their games.


View attachment 79137
100% spot on
 
Morrissey says what he means, and means what he says. He had made his own bed regarding various dodgy political statements and now he has to lie in it. Johnny doesn't owe him any 'loyalty', especially 30-odd years down the line, and is perfectly entitled to disagree with him.
 
never back down,even if it meant no record deal he can still tour and play the new songs,this site is a miniscule number when it comes to his fans,if you watch any M video on youtube the comments are all favourable.he is certainly good at fore-shadowing with his 15 miles of shit line in quarry.
 
"Far forward", "humasexual".. he's fooling absolutely no-one. The fact is, he aligned himself with Far-right scumbags (whether he really agrees with them or not) and then when he was questioned, dug himself deeper into the shit. You can't blame that on anyone else, sorry.
You can blame it on a culture that demands everyone agrees with their "woke" worldview. You can blame it on a culture that believes in guilt by association. All you need to do is disagree with certain aspects of modern progressive rhetoric in order to be labeled "far-right". Wake up.
 
Morrissey needs to categorically and on-record distance himself from right-wing politics once and for all.
He needs to make a very clear statement with words to the effect of 'in my life I've expressed admiration for a number of people from the full range of political spectrums both left and right, but I have these days become exclusively associated with the far-right. I would like to make it abundantly clear that I do not have far-right politics etc.' and ideally include a formal retraction of his support for Anne Waters and For Britain.
Until he does this he will forever be considered, however wrongly, as an intolerant far right w***er with horrible political views. The ball is in his court.
He chose to put himself where is presently. Why does Johnny catch flack due to the actions of others for? Does he duck nor dodge questions as regards The Smiths in interviews? No. All the anti-Marr contingent would pour scorn upon him, were he ever to do so. He, Mike, Andy & Craig aren’t to be found tarnishing their legacy.
The songs may say “Morrissey/Marr” on the credits, but they were still - and remain - a collective effort. Nothing anyone says changes that.
 
Last edited:
If Morrissey alienated so many fans and Johnny is so righteous and noble, it would reflect in ticket sales, but it's the opposite.
Johnny is now reduced to an opening act.
I did ask around about his inability to sell tickets and what I thought was confirmed, he can't, so no one will book him into a larger venue.
 
If Morrissey alienated so many fans and Johnny is so righteous and noble, it would reflect in ticket sales, but it's the opposite.
Johnny is now reduced to an opening act.
I did ask around about his inability to sell tickets and what I thought was confirmed, he can't, so no one will book him into a larger venue.

poor johnny, only an opening act


 
poor johnny, only an opening act



:lbf: Don't waste my time, he did not play this alone and Blossoms was one of the acts :rolleyes: I really hope he can play a venue like that with a bunch of other bands in his home town, the f***ing point here is that this was not a solo show, you don't even have a point. Get a life.
 
Tags
johnny marr

Trending Threads

Back
Top Bottom