Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song composers?

Who (in 2013/14) would you say has the best musical songwriting skills??


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Maurice E Maher

Well-Known Member
Please only answer this if you've heard Johnny Marr's most recent album, The Messenger.
I'd like people to compare the music of the Marr album with the music of the new Morrissey album.
Forget the singing and the words for once - who's written the best tunes?
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

well i just said this in another thread but morrissey by far, by far. i saw marr tour the messenger in d.c and in baltimore and i was kinda bored by it both times and i am a guitar player of moderate skill. thing is a vocalist adds a lot to a tune with the vocal melody and marrs seriously lacked that to a detrimental degree as he in that department kinda drug everything else down. i do think marr a more inventive and interesting player/composer at times and can show real emotional depth but morrisseys tunes are always pretty ace even if they are more in design to showcase the vocal melody which to me never fails to surpass the watermark on some level bringing the whole "tune" up a few notches. like i said in the other thread marr has never really excited me since his departure from the smiths. electronic came the closest but i cant think of one thing project that moved me at all really. morrissey on the other hand has put out many albums some with smiths like leanings some very opposite of that sound but with me loving almost all of them to some degree. i mean i cant even tell hes there on that modest mouse record or anything he did with the the. in contrast someone like bernard butler has only gone on to do amazing stuff as both writer and producer. not the strongest voice but his vocal melodies were still great on those records. i loved what he did with ben watts latest solo album, the mcalmont and butler songs are like magic to me, as well as the songs he did with that guy from orange juice whos name i can never seem to recall despite being a giant fan and even duffys first album, most of which bernard wrote, are stupid good. marr coasted on his reputation and never really put himself out there to either confirm or dis-spell it. i mean does anyone own or remember anything about that healers album cause i dont. casual fans dont agree but johnnys a cold one and kinda an ego maniac, at least in print, for never having produced anything after the smiths considered worthwhile. maybe the first electronic album but i think a lot of thats down to sumner imo. i mean people always say morrissey always acted like a star blah blah but it was johnny that turned up on his doorstep telling him theyd be huge popstars.

on a weird side note bernard butlers yes was originally written for morrisey who turned it down, and i can sorta see why as it doesnt fit him, but he still turned down a number one record written by the guy who later owned johnnys guitar and is considered his musical cultural heir. funny to me anyway
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

Option three: Alain Whyte compositions we have yet to hear. (He has alluded to beginning work on new solo music, so not entirely a tongue-in-cheek riposte.)

I think there is room for both to be better in different ways. I saw JM live last year and very much would like to see him again. His band, as a unit, I felt was better than Morrissey's. His playing on The Messenger was vintage - and the two non-album B-sides may have been even better. Just as I listen to Morrissey for the vocal melodies and lyrics, I listen to JM for hooks and guitar textures. I like them pretty equally for the different listening experiences they bring. It's a win-win.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

Still haven’t heard The Messenger. I will say that I was pleasantly surprised at how good his version of “How Soon Is Now” sounded when he played it on one of those late night talk shows last year though. How is the album?
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

I can really only answer this on an emotional level. I saw Johnny on his tour last year, and it was a great, fun show. He's got a whole lot of charisma on stage. Andy came out and played a couple of songs, which was a real rush—I had a feeling it would happen, but standing 5 feet away from half of the Smiths was a pretty thrilling experience.

That said, I cannot imagine putting on a JM record just to listen to. I bought the Messenger and it's perfectly fine, but it doesn't have that thing that I need music to have in order for it to become a part of my life. I liked Electronic a lot, but I think that's due more to Bernard than Johnny…and even then, I can't think of the last time I put Electronic on.

But Morrissey…it's never enough. I always want more. His songs have the thing that I need in my life, they always have. I don't know how that breaks down on a technical level in terms of songwriting expertise, but for this gal's ears/heart, it's always going to be Moz.

(And yes, I realize I answered this without taking the musicians into account. That's an honest answer from me, though—it's always going to come down to Morrissey, no matter who's writing the music.)
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

thats an good way to put it. the messenger was fine but i cant imagine ever playing that record just for fun to just to listen to on a long drive etc. i do play the first electronic record still sometimes but really only make it to track six most times before im satisfied and turn it off. i was never a new order fan either so that probably didnt help. the songs he, johnny, played live with neil finn were pretty good but i think johnny needs a vocalist.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

Option three: Alain Whyte compositions we have yet to hear. (He has alluded to beginning work on new solo music, so not entirely a tongue-in-cheek riposte.)

I think there is room for both to be better in different ways. I saw JM live last year and very much would like to see him again. His band, as a unit, I felt was better than Morrissey's. His playing on The Messenger was vintage - and the two non-album B-sides may have been even better. Just as I listen to Morrissey for the vocal melodies and lyrics, I listen to JM for hooks and guitar textures. I like them pretty equally for the different listening experiences they bring. It's a win-win.

Yeah. Alain's throwing down.

http://youtu.be/YJdW6PIJshk
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

The Morrissey band had to do something different and I am surprised and pleased with the results - the music definitely engages and adds to the aesthetic and overall enjoyment of the album

Gustavo's influence is much greater than I anticipated - love his playing at the end of staircase etc

But until Jesse writes a song as good as 'New Town Velocity' or 'European Me' (he can't) from The Messenger than it has to be Marr every time. He has a new solo LP out as of next week, maybe we'll have a new perspective on it then
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

sweet. thanks i didnt know that
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

The Morrissey band had to do something different and I am surprised and pleased with the results - the music definitely engages and adds to the aesthetic and overall enjoyment of the album

Gustavo's influence is much greater than I anticipated - love his playing at the end of staircase etc

But until Jesse writes a song as good as 'New Town Velocity' or 'European Me' (he can't) from The Messenger than it has to be Marr every time. He has a new solo LP out as of next week, maybe we'll have a new perspective on it then

Its out in October.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

Morrissey could still write great songs with Marr. But the new Moz album is light years ahead of The Messenger in terms of songwriting. Johnny can write the riffs, but can't sing or write interesting lyrics. At this moment in time Marr needs Morrissey more than vice versa.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

Take the vocal out the equation and the messenger is a smiths album (especially new town velocity), world peace would be some unrelatable Spanish shit with no spine. 62% of you's would rather listen to tobias/boorer over johnny marr, ha.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

It's a pretty pointless question, as the songs are not designed to be instrumental, they are written with vocals in mind. 'Mountjoy' without vocals would just be Boz Boorer strumming two chords earnestly for 4 minutes without much happening, but that doesn't make it a bad song, as it's only part of the puzzle.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

It's a pretty pointless question, as the songs are not designed to be instrumental, they are written with vocals in mind. 'Mountjoy' without vocals would just be Boz Boorer strumming two chords earnestly for 4 minutes without much happening, but that doesn't make it a bad song, as it's only part of the puzzle.

EXACTLY. Thank you.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

There really isn't anything on it I could see Morrissey of 2014 singing on Johnny Marr's solo stuff over except maybe Say Demesne and New Town Velocity.
 
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Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

Great question. The marriage of Morrissey & Marr was perfect.
But now, it seems, we are talking apples & oranges.
 
Re: Who, in 2014, has the best musical songwriting skills? Johnny Marr or the Morrissey song compose

Marr's a f***ing genius, it's insulting to even compare
 
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