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Johnny Marr....say no more

First saw (and fell in love) through Pete Townsend. Then I saw the video for "This Charming Man" in which the messiah that is Johnny Marr sports his Jetglo 330 whilst trying not to slip on all those flowers on the floor. After that, there was simply nothing else that would do...
(apologies for the rubbish picture)

Paul McCartney and Beatles of course...
then any other one who's played ricks...Squire, Entwistle...Byrds
when I listen to some music I know it's played using ricks or when I see some videos with people using ricks most of the time I like the music they play..strange, huh?

Jeffrey I'm serious, I was aware of them before because of Chris Squire and McCartney but was a confirmed P bass player, when I saw that centerfold I think it worked on me subconciously and I bought one about 2 months later. I remember thinking "what a pretty bass" I never connected the two until recently. I was tired of the P basses tonal limitations at that time anyway (actually were more my tonal limitations than the basses, haha!) and had planned to buy a new bass with my tax returns. I went down to Wurlitzers in Boston and tried a few out and fell in love with them.

Big time, McCartney first! Then Squire and Lee.

Here's an honest, question. Who is Johnny Marr?
Sorry if this is stupid.

*faints*

Kevin?!?!?!

Who is Johnny Marr??

Never heard of the Smiths (82-87)? Marr was the lead guitarist. I recommend you listen to at least "William it was really nothing" for a bit of unmistakeable 12-string and of course "This Charming Man" Jangly jangly

So... Bob Young, you are saying that young beautiful Star Stowe was the one that inspired you to buy your first Rick??? I can't say I'd argue with your thinking on that one...

Hey, Red_rob, I already owned a Rick bass long before I heard of the Smiths, but to this day I don't own any of their CDs and was thinking of changing that really soon. Can you recommend some of their best albums to get me started? I'd be looking for jingle-jangly songcraft, to kinda jump-start my own songwriting, which has been in the ditch lately... I need some inspiration, and I'm gonna check out some of the newer Collective Soul too but I need a Smith's album to go with it!
I really don't want to get a "Best of" collection, because I really like to hear albums that are put together as a unit, and I'll bet the Smiths stuff is like that...

You're absolutely right about the album as a unit thing Gene. The obvious suggestion would be "The Queen is Dead", The Smiths 1986 masterpeice. But another excellent purchase would be "Hatful of Hollow". It's a compliation (wait for it though) of singles, B-sides and live radio sessions from between 83 and 84. The live stuff is excellent and really gives the tunes a special energy and well...honesty. The singles/b-sides are all from the earlier, more jangly period too so this would fit your needs well.

Apologies for hijacking this thread guys - it's kind of gone all Smithsie!

Aside from Marr's work with the Smiffs, he's also played with The PRETENDERS, The The (brilliant stuff there), Electronic, BILLY BRAGG (again, stunning work), etc.

He's the singlemost influencial guitarist of the last 25 years in my opinion (no offence to the Stevie Ray Vaugnabees).
A pebble whose ripples became tidal waves.

Cheers, Noel

I'm sorry to the Vaughanabees, too...

SRV was a tremendous blues player and a very damaged soul. I do not think he "grew" the blues, with regard to taking it to a new level, but he singlehandedly was responsible for getting an entire generation of white boys interested in electric Delta blues on a white-hot level.

I think of him as a very talented interpreter, not tremendously original. I suppose that makes him "influential": he made the semi-arcane "hip" for peer-conscious teeners.

I saw SRV once...it was the worst show ever. I live in Austin,Texas, I hated his music, and laugh at the fact that there's a statue of him downtown. Just never got it. Now his brother Jimmie on the other hand is a very nice guy who I've met several times.

Here's one of them, in a fairly recent photo. He looked much different in 1965. But I'll bet Bob Young can guess who this is.

This guy influenced me too. some of you may recognize him.