Johnny Marr in Guitarist Magazine

Nice interview and some pictures. Pretty standard fodder, in which he rolls his eyes like a big baby each time anyone mentions the Smiths.

His tattoos are really coming on, too. He's starting to look like a fat Amy Winehouse.

did couple of good tunes but he was no Terry Bickers of House Of Love brilliance was he

Whatever.

The Cribs were on Jools Holland last night. You can see it on iPlayer.

Thanks for the heads up... I'll be buying a copy.

I finally heard Never Cry Another Tear and can't help note the irony: Barney makes three whole albums with Johnny Fucking Marr himself that are synth-heavy at best, then waits until Bad Lieutenant to do the full-on jingle-jangle Smiths-by-numbers guitar pop.

I've got Ignore the Ignorant in my car - listened to it a few times (although without really concentrating, it has to be said). I've not spotted any stand-out tracks to be honest, although you can hear Johnny in there, being Johnny. The Cribs don't really seem to be my thing, a bit shouty. I listened to it loud this morning and was

Did spot this earlier, in which none other than Matt Johnston voices a similar argument to Gnu's: that Marr should stick to the guitar and leave the synths alone.

Gnu Odor wrote: Thanks for the heads up... I'll be buying a copy.

I finally heard Never Cry Another Tear and can't help note the irony: Barney makes three whole albums with Johnny Fucking Marr himself that are synth-heavy at best, then waits until Bad Lieutenant to do the full-on jingle-jangle Smiths-by-numbers guitar pop.

Erm....no...Twisted Tenderness has mostly guitar tracks.

I was making an effort to get a complete collection of Johnny's collaborations, buying a couple of them at a time. It's a magnificent list. His period with The The was a highpoint for me, particularly the gigs. His work with Kirsty MacColl was wonderful, Bert Jansch, Modest Mouse.

I love the way he joins a band as a full member, hangs out with them, does all the interviews and makes his past seem like a silly dream. Imagining him playing with anyone else is impossible. You see his face staring out of old pictures of other bands, but it doesn't look real; like seeing Noel Gallagher's face Photoshopped onto a shot of the Bangles. Then, just when you think he's there to stay, he's off again.

I wonder whether he stays in touch? I wonder what it's like to be in a post-Johnny band? Is the excitement of him rolling up with his vanload of priceless gear and his full-time guitar tech is worth the empty feeling once he's gone and you have to begin the strange process of learning to be ordinary again.

He's a bit of an idol of mine (as I may have hinted previously). He just plays what I want to hear and nothing more. He's a committed non-soloist and that sits well with me. You could say I like him for what he doesn't play as much as for what he does. His hair could do with a good brush though.

I gave that Cribs album a good listen on a long solo drive last night. I managed two complete plays before something melted within the crappy stereo and I am a lot more impressed. Last Year's Snow could be a Smiths track (Panic, specifically), Cheat on Me and We Share the Sam Skies are solid offerings, the latter with more than a nod in New Order's direction.

The whole thing sounds like it would come over well live. Must make an effort to make it to one of their gigs.

That will be the last word from me on this record, I left it in a hire car which I handed back on Friday night. I'm not buying another one.

If anyone wants the case, let me know

In fairness, its not like Marr has contributed anything especially significant to either The Cribs or Modest Mouse. You could put all the tracks from We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank and Good News For People Who Love Bad News in front of people (whon didnt know, obviously) and you wouldnt be able to say "oh, that goes on that album."

Ditto with The Cribs. Ignore the Ignorant is just a standard Cribs album. No massive change in direction, no change in quality. If you love it, you love it, if you then you dont. He'll leave the band, and The Cribs will carry on doing what they do.

I will point out that Boomslang was an offensively bad album.

He's just a fucking guitarist, and he's not Hendrix or Hillage or Fripp, he goes....jangle jangle jangle, like all the other (non-fucktard septic metal brain) guitarists, what difference could you reasonably expect from his input.

He's a rhythm guitarist though, isn't he? Strapping melody onto a solid, dependable rhythm. His phrasing is fucking excellent and, like it or not, he defined that 'jingle jangle' sound; which is actually fabulously difficult to define or recreate.

All these people that are held up as better than him are famous for their (undoubtedly brilliant) solos. Johnny doesn't do solos.

Eric Clapton plays lovely rhythm guitar. Keith Richards riffs well, but is nothing like as flexible. Nobody else I've heard comes close to Johnny in terms of skill and balance.

Biginoil wrote: He's a rhythm guitarist though, isn't he? Strapping melody onto a solid, dependable rhythm. His phrasing is fucking excellent and, like it or not, he defined that 'jingle jangle' sound; which is actually fabulously difficult to define or recreate.

All these people that are held up as better than him are famous for their (undoubtedly brilliant) solos. Johnny doesn't do solos.

Eric Clapton plays lovely rhythm guitar. Keith Richards riffs well, but is nothing like as flexible. Nobody else I've heard comes close to Johnny in terms of skill and balance.

Seconded