Johnny Marr Albums Ranked
Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher; 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter, and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous other bands and embarked on a solo career. Voted the fourth best guitarist of the last 30 years in a poll conducted by the BBC in 2010, Phil Alexander, editor-in-chief of Mojo, has described Marr as “arguably Britain’s last great guitar stylist”. In 2013, NME honored Marr with its “Godlike Genius” award, hailing him: “Not content with rewriting the history of music with one of the world’s greatest ever bands, the Smiths, he’s continued to push boundaries and evolves throughout his career, working with some of the best and most exciting artists on the planet.” Here are all of Johnny Marr albums ranked.
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4. Boomslang (2003)
“Marr produced the album and his production sparkles – it’s very clear and crisp without being overproduced and the music shines through. I find it very listenable, even and especially the 7-minute “You Are The Magic,” which is a rather sexy song. “Down On The Corner” was the first track I heard and I fell in love with the bright piano and general groove of the song.”
3. Playland (2014)
“Playland shows us again how Johnny Marr is one of the greatest guitar players out there. And now he is showing us what a great song writer he is. ‘Easy Money’, track 2, was an instant favorite. Then as I got deeper into Playland, ‘Dynamo’, ‘Candidate’, & ‘The Trap’ were instant favorites. The other songs are growing on me as well and this is a strong album from beginning to end.”
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2. Call The Comet (2018)
“This album is my favorite thing Johnny Marr has done. I first heard The Tracers late at night when it popped up prior to the album’s launch on some Indie website. I was immediately hooked and I thought – This is It. I don’t know exactly what “It” is, but this album has….it. Especially the last song, A Different Gun. It reminds me of the first time I heard Johnny’s guitars on Electronics “Get the Message.” It feels like it comes from that same space of expanding light and warmth and power.”
1. The Messenger (2013)
“The Messenger takes the jangly guitar that is Marr’s signature and incorporates it with a slightly heavier sound. Or maybe it’s just the modern production I am hearing. Either way, the result is a record that is unmistakably English. It’s not The Smiths (nothing ever is) but it’s worth a listen.”