“The greatest guitar player that’s ever lived”, according to Johnny Marr
During his time with The Smiths, Johnny Marr cemented himself as one of the most skilled and influential guitarists of the indie rock genre. Just as people were thinking the six-string had given us all it had, he arrived with shimmering originality.
The Mancunian songwriter was at the forefront of the post-punk revolution, and his unique playing style continues to strike a chord with audiences today. Marr’s own influences, however, take a much broader form than those of his post-punk contemporaries. Perhaps that’s why he was able to arrive at such an utterly unique sound. Somehow, he was blending the Stooges with folk.
When The Smiths formed in 1982, punk’s heyday was long gone, but its DIY attitude towards songwriting and music production had made a lasting impact. It was the advent of punk that had set Marr and Morrissey onto the musical path that eventually led to The Smiths. In terms of sound, however, Marr’s band were much more influenced by 1960s girl groups than the Sex Pistols. The simplicity of punk’s ‘here’s four chords, go and start a band’, whilst inspiring, does not lead to tracks as complex or interesting as ‘What Difference Does It Make?’, for instance.
The complexity of Marr’s jangly riffs and the apparent ease with which he plays them have led him to be viewed as one of the greatest indie rock guitarists of all time. Countless artists have listed Marr as a major influence on their own music, from The Stone Roses to The Killers; The Smiths’ guitarist has an undeniable legacy. His own guitar heroes are much more diverse than you might expect.
So, who was his leading influence?
The guitarist had grown up surrounded by music, particularly early rock ‘n’ roll music. That rockabilly influence can certainly be heard in his playing style. According to Marr, however, it is jazz music that produced the greatest guitarists. Speaking to The Line-Up podcast, he revealed, “I was offered the opportunity to meet John McLaughlin, I don’t know whether he’s aware of this, only a few months ago and I elected not to”.
For a man who regularly rubs shoulders with the likes of Pete Townshend, Marr is not somebody you would expect to be starstruck easily. Such is the extent of his appreciation for McLaughlin, though, that he was too nervous to meet him. “He’s the greatest guitar player that’s ever lived, John McLaughlin,” he told Shaun Keaveny on the podcast.
The Doncaster-born guitarist is well-known for his pioneering jazz fusion playing style. He is perhaps most noted for his work playing with the legendary jazz musician Miles Davis, though he also boasts an impressive solo career spanning 18 studio albums. “He’s not everybody’s [cup of tea] because of his choice in music,” explains Marr, “Because he’s coming from jazz and fusion and all that, but the album My Goal’s Beyond is absolute genius music. And the early Mahavishnu Orchestra stuff.”
Although you would be forgiven for not connecting The Smiths with jazz fusion, it was McLaughlin’s innovative style that impacted Marr. Much like the jazz guitarist, Marr always made an effort to keep his playing style modern, unique, and fresh, “I feel almost like I have a duty to keep the guitar as modern in context as I can,” he explained. There can’t have been many post-punk or indie rock guitarists in the 1980s who drew on the inspiration of Miles Davis’ band, but perhaps that is why the unique sound of The Smiths has enjoyed such enduring popularity.
Yet, he’s also not alone in going out on the limb that McLaughlin might just be the magic number one. As Jeff Beck also opined, “John McLaughlin has given us so many facets of the guitar. And introduced thousands of us to world music, by blending Indian music with jazz and classical. I’d say he was the best guitarist alive.” In many ways, that’s the same gift that Marr gave the world a little further down the line.
Needless to say, McLaughlin has done Doncaster proud.
