Johnny Marr picks out “the greatest guitar player ever”
In the early days of indie rock, Johnny Marr had become a force of nature behind the fretboard. Whereas most alternative guitar players were still focused on the usual droning chords of post-punk, Marr’s love of guitar melody led him to create magic with The Smiths, often playing a counterpart to Morrissey’s flowery vocals. While Marr has carved out a place for himself in rock history, he never claimed to be the most talented guitarist in the world.
Compared to the usual shredders that have come and gone, Marr always preferred to use a guitar as a tool in the grand scheme of things, using all the tricks he could to add to whatever the song needed. Though there was never too much flash in what he played, he did have a great deal of respect for some of the virtuosos.
When asked about his musical influences, Marr cited jazz guitarist John McLaughlin as one of the best to ever do it, telling Music Radar, “He’s the greatest guitar player that’s ever lived, John McLaughlin. He’s not everybody’s cup of tea because of his choice in music, 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”.
Long before Marr had started to make a dent in the music scene, McLaughlin was experimenting with various chord textures in jazz-rock, taking the guitar outside of its usual wheelhouse and turning it into an extension of his soul. Although Mahavishnu Orchestra may have little in common with a song like ‘There is a Light That Never Goes Out’, Marr picked up on the versatility of McLaughlin’s playing.
Since the jazz guitarist was known for his eclectic sounds whenever he strapped on a guitar, Marr was inclined to create musical magic differently. While he may not have played the most spellbinding riff on every take, his use of different audio effects and pedals made for amazing musical moments like the screeching sound at the beginning of ‘How Soon is Now’ and the chime of ‘This Charming Man’.
Marr would later say that he wants to be able to put the guitar into the present cultural conversation as much as possible, continuing, “I feel almost like I have a duty to keep the guitar as modern in context as I can. It’s very easy to switch off and find yourself being too reverential to the past. I want to keep that sense of modernity because it’s easy to fall back into old tropes with the guitar”.
That sense of modernity is what he has contributed to Marr’s expanding roster of musicians he’s worked with following The Smiths, including his work with Noel Gallagher and indie darlings Modest Mouse. Despite his lack of traditional virtuosity, Gallagher still contends that Marr belongs in the conversation of the best guitarists to ever pick up the instrument, telling NME, “He’s the G.O.A.T.! He elevates my songs. Sometimes it’s really subtle and sometimes it’s really great. I’m so privileged to have his phone number”.
