[Music] Johnny Marr claims The Smiths trademark?!

[aolstudios]

He is right up himself, some very good guitar, but not spectacular and a good session musician can easily replicate.
He hates to acknowledge Morrissey was the driving force and face of the smiths.

Speaking as a good session musician, that's a hell of an oversimplification

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Speaking as a good session musician, that's a hell of an oversimplification

Not really, very simple music really it is not that complicated or high brow is it in fairness.

I will add I love the Smiths and lucky enough to see them back in 85, seen Morrissey multiple times since, and when he plays a smiths song, it his voice that resonates, Boz or Alain Whyte are equal if not better rounded guitar players than Marr.

 

[KZNSeagull]

I'm not sure Morrissey would want to tour as the Smiths anyway, he plays some Smiths songs at his gigs and always has done. If Marr did this in 2018, then surely the time to go on tour with another singer would have been then, especially as out of all of them I suspect that Andy Rourke needed the money most but of course he has now passed, sadly.

 

[Jovis]

He is right up himself, some very good guitar, but not spectacular and a good session musician can easily replicate.
He hates to acknowledge Morrissey was the driving force and face of the smiths.

Kind of get where you’re coming from. Morrissey solo playing The Smiths, sounds like The Smiths. Johnny Marr playing The Smiths, doesn’t. And I say that as someone who does rate Johnny Marr.

 

[aolstudios]

Not really, very simple music really it is not that complicated or high brow is it in fairness.

As a professed psychobilly it's a bit weird you're obsessed with 'complicated & high brow'
Isn't this more about your dislike of him as a person?
JM's parts may sound simple but he invented a style (Swathes of kids coming out of Bimm can play Hendrix these days but he created it) that is deceptively hard to play well & was lovingly crafted & original (much like the Beatles as individual musicians, laymen underrate while pros applaud)

 

[rippleman]

I missed all that and we were at the front at Brighton Poly. An adoring audience.

In fact at dozens of 80’s gigs we never saw any trouble or spitting. I just missed out on the peak punk thing as too young. A relative of Mrs.W worked at the Top Rank for decades, he could remember all the violent gigs.

I went to many of them at the Top Rank and can only recall two which were "violent". The worst was Sham 69 who brought the east end nazi skinheads with them and the other was the Buzzcocks where the "violence" was exclusively directed at the band. So far as I can recall, all the others passed off peaceably enough.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

As a professed psychobilly it's a bit weird you're obsessed with 'complicated & high brow'

Not at all, I am not advocating high brow music or that I like complicated bullshite in music, I like simple and why I love the Smiths and Marr.
I am just aware Marr or Morrissey are not the be and end all of the Smiths and Marr is just as arrogant as Morrissey.
It has been cool to hate Morrissey for along time now. When he passes everyone will be going on about how great he was and they always loved him.

 

[aolstudios]

Not at all, I am not advocating high brow music or that I like complicated bullshite in music, I like simple and why I love the Smiths and Marr.
I am just aware Marr or Morrissey are not the be and end all of the Smiths and Marr is just as arrogant as Morrissey.
It has been cool to hate Morrissey for along time now. When he passes everyone will be going on about how great he was and they always loved him.

I love the Smiths, as the Smiths.
Don't think anything they've done since is close (although I bought a fair amount of it)
Was answering/correcting a musical point

 

[Pinkie Brown]

I'm not sure Morrissey would want to tour as the Smiths anyway, he plays some Smiths songs at his gigs and always has done. If Marr did this in 2018, then surely the time to go on tour with another singer would have been then, especially as out of all of them I suspect that Andy Rourke needed the money most but of course he has now passed, sadly.

Pretty much what I was going to say. I've seen him twice and both times he threw three or four Smiths songs into his set. Despite Morrissey being an insufferable C U Next Tuesday, touring as The Smiths without him wouldn't be credible.

 

[pocketseagull]

When he passes everyone will be going on about how great he was and they always loved him.

Nah, he's completely ruined his legacy in this country at least, can't even play in Manchester without protests. Don't think death will change the prevailing opinion he's a vile racist/fascist. People will continue to say they love the music of The Smiths but any love for Morrissey himself? No.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I love the Smiths, as the Smiths.
Don't think anything they've done since is close (although I bought a fair amount of it)
Was answering/correcting a musical point

Ok, no disrespect but i am not sure what you are saying to be honest.

You maybe alluding to be me not being specific but I take issue with this comment
"JM's parts may sound simple but he invented a style (Swathes of kids coming out of Bimm can play Hendrix these days but he created it) that is deceptively hard to play well & was lovingly crafted & original"

No he did not, the early smiths are straight out of the rockabilly handbook which Morrissey loved.
You can tell me the below is anything but a rockabilly riff. and you know it is not the only one.

You clearly rate Marr, that is fine, but he is not a great.

 

[aolstudios]

Ok, no disrespect but i am not sure what you are saying to be honest.

You maybe alluding to be me not being specific but I take issue with this comment
"JM's parts may sound simple but he invented a style (Swathes of kids coming out of Bimm can play Hendrix these days but he created it) that is deceptively hard to play well & was lovingly crafted & original"

No he did not, the early smiths are straight out of the rockabilly handbook which Morrissey loved.
You can tell me the below is anything but a rockabilly riff. and you know it is not the only one.

You clearly rate Marr, that is fine, but he is not a great.

Wow. There's a (kind of) rockabilly feel.
&?..
That doesn't alter the fact that Marr is a very influential & highly regarded player by professionals.
Why is it so important to you that he isn't?

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Wow. There's a (kind of) rockabilly feel.
&?..
That doesn't alter the fact that Marr is a very influential & highly regarded player by professionals.
Why is it so important to you that he isn't?

It is not, I think we are at odds, I said he is not the greatest and he is not, he is influenced by many styles, but nearly everyone is influenced by someone. Very few are the first to do anything, he is not one of them. I feel you are defending him beyond all reproach, that is your opinion.

I am not arguing with you and respect your view, even if we don't agree, you can poo poo my points, don't worry I won't or you won't lose any sleep over it, lot's of people dismiss a rockabilly influence and it is clear as day, have a lovely afternoon.

 

[smillie's garden]

My tuppence in the who’s more important in The Smiths debate, is that Andy’s bass lines and bass tone are the secret sauce that make the songs irresistible

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

What did you think Big Country? We saw their Crossing gig at the Top Rank in 83. Great night.

Excellent. Would have been 83/84.

Such a shame about Stuart Adamson

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I suspect rather than roping in Olly Murs on lead vocals and touring as The Smiths, it's a preventative measure designed to stop Morrissey calling Craig Gannon, Vini Reilly (is he still alive?), Stephen Street, and Andrew Paresi and going out on the road using the name.

Vini is alive but frail.

 

[El Presidente]

It'll be like UB40. Or Bucks Fizz.

Bucks Fizz roulette when they were on Top of the Pops or Tiswas when your mum and dad were out was one of the many challenges of adolescence.

 

[El Presidente]

Vini is alive but frail.

Same as the last 40 years then?

 

[Si Gull]

Johnny Marr is a great musician and has made some great records but he is a narcissistic prick.

Saw him last year and he told the venue to shut the bar during his performance. If it had been a seated gig I could possibly understand it but it wasn't. Sadly the venue didn't tell him to f*** off so it was a pretty much dry gig.

To be honest, I'm with JM on this. Recent gigs spoiled by noisy, neon-lit bars, with people continually pushing past to get served...in the middle of a set FFS. Oxford O2 is a prime example and a venue I won't go to again. If you just want to drink and chat, better to go to a pub.

 

[Jackthelad]

Morrissey is The Smiths.