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On the Shelf 201: Johnny Marr
Nov. 13th, 2018 07:43 amJohnny Marr's post-Smiths career has been a subject of much discussion. Everyone would have expected him to cash in on Britpop, but instead he joined a diverse group of bands as hired gun- The The, Modest Mouse, The Cribs and Electronic, as well as jumping in the studio with Bryan Ferry, the Pretenders, Talking Heads, Billy Bragg, Blondie, and Kirsty MacColl among others.
His solo career has been a slow ascent with the Healers in 2003, and a "proper" solo album in 2011. Each step in Marr's solo career has felt like a step up, and Call The Comet is his easily best record yet.
Though his career has long shadows, it feels like he has embraced the Smiths again. The album has strong Smiths influences as well as logically, New Order and Joy Division. For the most part, though it sounds fresh, and if anyone has rights to that material, it's Johnny.
There's several great songs on the record, but none so much than "Hi Hello", the lead single. Undoubtedly, it feels like The Queen is Dead, specifically "There is a Light"; with a strong melody that bugged me over the first few listens (It's "Dancing Barefoot"). In any case, it's fantastic.
"Hi Hello" may be perfect, but the quality of this album offers a paradox. I guess there's just no getting over it. Marr is a very good frontman and a decent enough lyricist. Imagine if he had a distinct vocal singing this song with A+-quality lyrics. Oh, crap, I didn't mean to do that.
His solo career has been a slow ascent with the Healers in 2003, and a "proper" solo album in 2011. Each step in Marr's solo career has felt like a step up, and Call The Comet is his easily best record yet.
Though his career has long shadows, it feels like he has embraced the Smiths again. The album has strong Smiths influences as well as logically, New Order and Joy Division. For the most part, though it sounds fresh, and if anyone has rights to that material, it's Johnny.
There's several great songs on the record, but none so much than "Hi Hello", the lead single. Undoubtedly, it feels like The Queen is Dead, specifically "There is a Light"; with a strong melody that bugged me over the first few listens (It's "Dancing Barefoot"). In any case, it's fantastic.
"Hi Hello" may be perfect, but the quality of this album offers a paradox. I guess there's just no getting over it. Marr is a very good frontman and a decent enough lyricist. Imagine if he had a distinct vocal singing this song with A+-quality lyrics. Oh, crap, I didn't mean to do that.
