26-02-2013, 14:54
online listen
wondered what he's been up to
nice album here
Smith's is still there
no Morrissey delivery but almost as good
the clip was not my fav but I like it
1.7 from me and a converted 2.4 from allmusic
from the album - Upstarts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLOlo2zYqt8
released Feb 26th, 2013
![[Image: MI0003491092.jpg?partner=allrovi.com]](http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0003/491/MI0003491092.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Bio - from allmusic
The supple, ringing guitars of Johnny Marr helped establish the Smiths among the most acclaimed
and enduring bands of the 1980s. Born John Maher in Manchester, England, on October 31, 1963,
he played in such little-known groups as Sister Ray and Freaky Party before forming the Smiths
with singer Morrissey in 1982. In the years to follow they emerged among Britain's most
successful acts, but in 1987, following sessions for the LP Strangeways, Here We Come, Marr
dissolved the group, claiming their musical approach had gone stale.
In the wake of the Smiths' demise, he made cameo appearances on records by the likes of Talking
Heads and Kirsty MacColl before joining Matt Johnson's The The for 1989's Mind Bomb. Marr also
teamed with New Order's Bernard Sumner and Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant in the alternative
supergroup Electronic, scoring a hit with the single "Getting Away With It." Apart from a
handful of guest appearances, he kept a relatively low profile during the 1990s, most notably
lending his talents to The The's 1993 effort Dusk and Electronic's long-awaited sophomore
record, 1996's Raise the Pressure.
Marr returned to music three years later on Electronic's third album, Twisted Tenderness, which
wasn't released in the U.S. until fall 2000. He also spent time working with his new band, the
Healers, playing dates across England. The next few years saw a time of redefinition and
reflection for Marr. He finally assembled his Healers with ex-Kula Shaker bass man Alonza Bevan
and Ringo Starr's drumming son, Zak Starkey, in 2002; a deal with ARTISTdirect's iMusic
followed before the end of the year. Fans of this legendary guitarist were treated to Marr's
proper singing debut in early 2003 with the release of Boomslang. In 2007 Marr appeared on the
Washington band Modest Mouse's album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, and toured with
them as a member.
Album Review - from allmusic
Upon leaving the Smiths in 1987, Johnny Marr embarked on a musical walkabout, choosing to
collaborate rather than build a career. He began playing studio sessions, appearing on records
by Talking Heads, Pretenders, Kirsty MacColl, Pet Shop Boys, and Billy Bragg, embarked on an
extended collaboration with Matt Johnson of The The, and formed Electronic with Bernard Sumner,
effectively sitting out the great Brit-pop explosion of the '90s. By the turn of the
millennium, he finally tried his hand at fronting a band, turning in the underwhelming
Boomslang with the Healers in 2003, before once again sliding into a supporting role, joining
Modest Mouse in 2006 and then decamping for the Cribs a few years later. Marr's time in two
bands kick-started something within himself, as after he departed the Cribs in 2011, he
relocated to his hometown of Manchester and set about recording The Messenger, his first full-
fledged solo album. The Messenger is an unapologetic return to his roots, sounding for all the
world as if it could have been released in 1990, just a few years after Strangeways, Here We
Come, which isn't to say it's a collection of demos awaiting finished vocals by Morrissey. Marr
has long demonstrated an affection for electronics and dance rhythms, evolutions Moz considers
as anathema, so it's hard to picture the album's title track, pulsating along to a slick disco
beat, or the angular, echoing syncopation of "Word Starts Attack" coming out under the Smiths
rubric. Nevertheless, considerable portions of The Messenger are filled with riffs and guitar
textures Marr could conceivably have used during the band's brief life, and the effect isn't a
desperate attempt at recapturing the past but rather an embrace of his core strengths as both a
guitarist and songwriter. The latter is as crucial as the former, perhaps more so, as Marr's
painterly skills as a guitarist have never been in question while his steadfast avoidance of
releasing new songs under his name has obscured how he was the sonic architect of the Smiths.
One quick listen to The Messenger brings all his signatures rushing back -- the intricate,
intertwining arrangements, the insistent riffs finding a counterpoint in the elastic yet
precise melodies, a romance with the past that doesn't negate the present. Marr has avoided
these traits, so hearing each in full bloom on The Messenger is rather thrilling; he's no
longer wandering, he's found his way back home.
Track Listing
1. The Right Thing Right
2. I Want the Heartbeat
3. European Me
4. Upstarts
5. Lockdown
6. The Messenger
7. Generate! Generate!
8. Say Demesne
9. Sun & Moon
10. The Crack Up
11. New Town Velocity
12. Word Starts Attack
wondered what he's been up to
nice album here
Smith's is still there
no Morrissey delivery but almost as good
the clip was not my fav but I like it
1.7 from me and a converted 2.4 from allmusic
from the album - Upstarts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLOlo2zYqt8
released Feb 26th, 2013
Bio - from allmusic
The supple, ringing guitars of Johnny Marr helped establish the Smiths among the most acclaimed
and enduring bands of the 1980s. Born John Maher in Manchester, England, on October 31, 1963,
he played in such little-known groups as Sister Ray and Freaky Party before forming the Smiths
with singer Morrissey in 1982. In the years to follow they emerged among Britain's most
successful acts, but in 1987, following sessions for the LP Strangeways, Here We Come, Marr
dissolved the group, claiming their musical approach had gone stale.
In the wake of the Smiths' demise, he made cameo appearances on records by the likes of Talking
Heads and Kirsty MacColl before joining Matt Johnson's The The for 1989's Mind Bomb. Marr also
teamed with New Order's Bernard Sumner and Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant in the alternative
supergroup Electronic, scoring a hit with the single "Getting Away With It." Apart from a
handful of guest appearances, he kept a relatively low profile during the 1990s, most notably
lending his talents to The The's 1993 effort Dusk and Electronic's long-awaited sophomore
record, 1996's Raise the Pressure.
Marr returned to music three years later on Electronic's third album, Twisted Tenderness, which
wasn't released in the U.S. until fall 2000. He also spent time working with his new band, the
Healers, playing dates across England. The next few years saw a time of redefinition and
reflection for Marr. He finally assembled his Healers with ex-Kula Shaker bass man Alonza Bevan
and Ringo Starr's drumming son, Zak Starkey, in 2002; a deal with ARTISTdirect's iMusic
followed before the end of the year. Fans of this legendary guitarist were treated to Marr's
proper singing debut in early 2003 with the release of Boomslang. In 2007 Marr appeared on the
Washington band Modest Mouse's album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, and toured with
them as a member.
Album Review - from allmusic
Upon leaving the Smiths in 1987, Johnny Marr embarked on a musical walkabout, choosing to
collaborate rather than build a career. He began playing studio sessions, appearing on records
by Talking Heads, Pretenders, Kirsty MacColl, Pet Shop Boys, and Billy Bragg, embarked on an
extended collaboration with Matt Johnson of The The, and formed Electronic with Bernard Sumner,
effectively sitting out the great Brit-pop explosion of the '90s. By the turn of the
millennium, he finally tried his hand at fronting a band, turning in the underwhelming
Boomslang with the Healers in 2003, before once again sliding into a supporting role, joining
Modest Mouse in 2006 and then decamping for the Cribs a few years later. Marr's time in two
bands kick-started something within himself, as after he departed the Cribs in 2011, he
relocated to his hometown of Manchester and set about recording The Messenger, his first full-
fledged solo album. The Messenger is an unapologetic return to his roots, sounding for all the
world as if it could have been released in 1990, just a few years after Strangeways, Here We
Come, which isn't to say it's a collection of demos awaiting finished vocals by Morrissey. Marr
has long demonstrated an affection for electronics and dance rhythms, evolutions Moz considers
as anathema, so it's hard to picture the album's title track, pulsating along to a slick disco
beat, or the angular, echoing syncopation of "Word Starts Attack" coming out under the Smiths
rubric. Nevertheless, considerable portions of The Messenger are filled with riffs and guitar
textures Marr could conceivably have used during the band's brief life, and the effect isn't a
desperate attempt at recapturing the past but rather an embrace of his core strengths as both a
guitarist and songwriter. The latter is as crucial as the former, perhaps more so, as Marr's
painterly skills as a guitarist have never been in question while his steadfast avoidance of
releasing new songs under his name has obscured how he was the sonic architect of the Smiths.
One quick listen to The Messenger brings all his signatures rushing back -- the intricate,
intertwining arrangements, the insistent riffs finding a counterpoint in the elastic yet
precise melodies, a romance with the past that doesn't negate the present. Marr has avoided
these traits, so hearing each in full bloom on The Messenger is rather thrilling; he's no
longer wandering, he's found his way back home.
Track Listing
1. The Right Thing Right
2. I Want the Heartbeat
3. European Me
4. Upstarts
5. Lockdown
6. The Messenger
7. Generate! Generate!
8. Say Demesne
9. Sun & Moon
10. The Crack Up
11. New Town Velocity
12. Word Starts Attack
