Johnny Marr: ‘A lot of people don’t even want to see The Smiths reform’

Johnny Marr: ‘A lot of people don’t even want to see The Smiths reform’ - The Irish Times
The former Smiths guitarist on his third album, ‘Call the Comet’ – his most personal yet – and why he's happy to stay solo

Excerpt:

“The The reforming was a proposition that I had to think about. I played on the comeback single and playing with The The is a really great part of my story. So I guess if I was gonna join another band – and I didn’t join The The – I probably won’t join anybody. But I will be open to collaborations again in a couple of years, I think.”

I’m not going to ask that question, I tell him – the one that begins with “will” and ends in “reform” – but he smiles as he admits that he has been asked it less frequently in recent years. “Yeah, much less,” he says. “I think a lot of people don’t even wanna see it happen right now.”

...

“Everything that I was doing in The Smiths I can do now; but there’s things that I do now that I wouldn’t have had the skill or the mindset to do in The Smiths. I would never have been able to stand in front of a 70-piece orchestra and play to thousands of people, for example.

“So it’s all good. I’m happy with how things have turned out.”

Also:

Honour and good hair: Johnny Marr on what it takes to be in a band - Financial Times (subscription required)

 

[marred]

I'd rather eat my own testicles than pay to see Morrissey now, and that's saying something for a vegetarian.

How does that differ from your regular routine?

 

[g23]

No, my point is not that the word 'racist' has no meaning anymore

It's that the word 'racist' has never had any meaning -

It's a bullshit control word!

You're a dumb ass. Dumb ass has always had a meaning.

 

[g23]

They could hardly play, they had to fix their parts in the studio.
Mike rocked the house while doing a pub dates with "Vinny Peculiar"LOL
Whoever he may be.

Okay.

 

[reelfountain]

Einstein was a 'racist' therefore all his work and theories must be deleted from the annals of humankind immediately!

 

[reelfountain]

You're a dumb ass. Dumb ass has always had a meaning.

If you cared about people in general you would despise the term 'racist' and all similar terms.
These labels have been invented to destabilize society.
To divide and rule.
To keep small people in their place and to never think above their station.
To encourage different groups of people to hate each other - in perpetuity.

The only 'dumb asses' out there are those who slavishly believe in such terms.

You being proudly one of them.

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

I'd rather eat my own testicles than pay to see Morrissey now, and that's saying something for a vegetarian.

If by some miracle, they re-united. You'd be there.

 

[vegan.cro spirit# 111]

Mike and Andy should quit dreaming and obtain gainful employment. Moz would never put another quid in
their miserable pockets. They can do "DJ"sets for 20 quid a night plus free food and beer(2 six pack limit on Mike LOL)

Moz band now is much better they can play at different tempos.

All the trolls here would have been banned anyways.

 

[g23]

If you cared about people in general you would despise the term 'racist' and all similar terms.
These labels have been invented to destabilize society.
To divide and rule.
To keep small people in their place and to never think above their station.
To encourage different groups of people to hate each other - in perpetuity.

The only 'dumb asses' out there are those who slavishly believe in such terms.

You being proudly one of them.

The fact is, like it or not, it's a useful word to describe people who don't play well with others due to perceived differences, and the thought that they are superior because of the random squirt of sperm and egg that mixed and made them. Racism exists. I remember not too many years ago, racial slurs were commonplace and not frowned upon. With each generation, there are less people willing to spout prejudice without thinking about the "why." I'm thankful for this. But to claim that racism isn't a thing, or that we live in a post-racial society is chosen ignorance despite very obvious facts and proof to the contrary. I'm going to apologize for calling you a dumb ass though, because obviously you are capable of critical thinking. Please do more of it, and put yourself in the shoes of others. Choose empathy. Choose to help change it, not ignoring it and claiming it doesn't exist.
Be an advocate. Be a warrior. Because if you aren't fighting for social justice, what are you fighting for?

 

[vegan.cro spirit# 111]

The fact is, like it or not, it's a useful word to describe people who don't play well with others due to perceived differences, and the thought that they are superior because of the random squirt of sperm and egg that mixed and made them. Racism exists. I remember not too many years ago, racial slurs were commonplace and not frowned upon. With each generation, there are less people willing to spout prejudice without thinking about the "why." I'm thankful for this. But to claim that racism isn't a thing, or that we live in a post-racial society is chosen ignorance despite very obvious facts and proof to the contrary. I'm going to apologize for calling you a dumb ass though, because obviously you are capable of critical thinking. Please do more of it, and put yourself in the shoes of others. Choose empathy. Choose to help change it, not ignoring it and claiming it doesn't exist.
Be an advocate. Be a warrior. Because if you aren't fighting for social justice, what are you fighting for?

Due to perceived differences, and the thought that they are superior because of the random squirt of a sperm and egg that MIXED and made them?? As opposed to appearing out of nowhere? WTF are you talking about? What does that even mean?
Its not like we are a squirt gun with different colors in it, and instead of shooting one, shoots the other.
These Snowflakes are insane

 

[reelfountain]

The fact is, like it or not, it's a useful word to describe people who don't play well with others due to perceived differences, and the thought that they are superior because of the random squirt of sperm and egg that mixed and made them. Racism exists. I remember not too many years ago, racial slurs were commonplace and not frowned upon. With each generation, there are less people willing to spout prejudice without thinking about the "why." I'm thankful for this. But to claim that racism isn't a thing, or that we live in a post-racial society is chosen ignorance despite very obvious facts and proof to the contrary. I'm going to apologize for calling you a dumb ass though, because obviously you are capable of critical thinking. Please do more of it, and put yourself in the shoes of others. Choose empathy. Choose to help change it, not ignoring it and claiming it doesn't exist.
Be an advocate. Be a warrior. Because if you aren't fighting for social justice, what are you fighting for?

Anybody who possesses an IQ higher than Robert De Niro knows that the spreading and perpetuating of such labels has gone well beyond any well intentions to the point of ridiculousness. (ie now calling Einstein a racist).These terms will only destroy us now by setting everybody against everybody. People use them like loaded weapons to gain petty power over others (such as on social media). The elite love it because it causes disunity in society: it divides us into little squabbling groups which they can easily rule over.

 

[g23]

Due to perceived differences, and the thought that they are superior because of the random squirt of a sperm and egg that MIXED and made them?? As opposed to appearing out of nowhere? WTF are you talking about? What does that even mean?
Its not like we are a squirt gun with different colors in it, and instead of shooting one, shoots the other.
These Snowflakes are insane

Hey dum dum. All of us are on this rock by coincidence. "You" could be anybody.

 

[g23]

Anybody who possesses an IQ higher than Robert De Niro knows that the spreading and perpetuating of such labels has gone well beyond any well intentions to the point of ridiculousness. (ie now calling Einstein a racist).These terms will only destroy us now by setting everybody against everybody. People use them like loaded weapons to gain petty power over others (such as on social media). The elite love it because it causes disunity in society: it divides us into little squabbling groups which they can easily rule over.

I'm not going to refuse to admit that something exists purely because some would use it as a weapon.
But I guess I shouldn't label anybody. I might hurt their feelings.

 

[vegan.cro spirit# 111]

Hey dum dum. All of us are on this rock by coincidence. "You" could be anybody.

Like magic?

 

[Surface]

Okay.

Don’t forget Vegan is a troll, in previous guises, he slagged Morrissey off constantly. He is doing what trolls do and trying to provoke a reaction. Ignore him and you cut off the supply that feeds his addiction.

In Internet slang, a troll (/troʊl, trɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Johnny. If The Smiths reformed they would probably break up wih even more drama, as you would expect from Morrissey. The Smiths left us with over 70 brilliant songs. I'm good with that.

Also, Johnny's covers got much better. Seems as if he worked on his vocals. Instrumentaly they're perfect, some sound better than they ever did.

 

[Peppermint]

I agree with Johnny. If The Smiths reformed they would probably break up wih even more drama, as you would expect from Morrissey. The Smiths left us with over 70 brilliant songs. I'm good with that.

Also, Johnny's covers got much better. Seems as if he worked on his vocals. Instrumentaly they're perfect, some sound better than they ever did.

Totally agree. I think the reality would be far different from the scenario we would wish for. Morrissey would destroy it within weeks with hostile press/weird drama entirely of his own making - he just wouldn't be able to help himself. It's become his way of life and he seems totally locked in to that pattern.

Great to hear You Just Haven't Earned it Yet Baby - one of my absolute favourites, that guitar riff is just sublime.

 

[caramel sea salt]

From the Financial Times interview, the part in which he talks about Morrissey:

The week before our interview, Morrissey had exhorted his fans to consider supporting the far-right party For Britain. Does Marr worry that the legacy of one of Britain's greatest bands is being tarnished by his former band mate:

"Nah" he says dismissing the question as a whole, rather than its premise. "What else can I say? There are people who've probably said more enlightening things about it than me. It's not that I don't care. Just that I don't care very much." And then he turns his attention to his hair. He does care about that. After all, he's a rock musician, and rock musicians have to honour the hair.

 

[BrummieBoy]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/live/2018/jun/11/johnny-marr-webchat-post-your-questions-now

 

[vegan.cro spirit# 444]

For sure, the hair is the thing., thats what everybody wants to know.
1 What type of material is it made of?
2 Does it move?
3 where does it sleep at night?

Also, how did he become Drama J? When his sperm and egg could have been mixed with someone else? DNA and his parents are but a conspiracy theory, so how did he eventually become the dramatic
we know of today.



Please ignore "Surface"(another name used by Skinny) Here is what he is all about:

In Internet slang, a troll (/troʊl, trɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internetby starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,

 

[Surface]

https://www.theguardian.com/music/live/2018/jun/11/johnny-marr-webchat-post-your-questions-now

That was great.