Johnny Marr shares previously unreleased track ‘The Answer’
As part of his new compilation album, Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr, Johnny Marr has shared the previously unreleased track ‘The Answer.’
In addition to featuring his greatest hits, demos and rarities, Marr also included two new songs, ‘The Answer’ and the previous single ‘Somewhere’, on the album. Speaking about ‘The Answer,’ the former Smiths guitarist shared: “It’s taken me a long time to write songs that are led by the singing rather than the guitar, and that’s definitely one of them.”
“I’ve played a lot of arenas over the years, and in terms of songwriting, there’s nowhere to hide,” he continued, “For a song to work, it has to be a banger. I know it’s almost uncool to think in those terms, but I grew up in a house where my parents listened to Motown, where you couldn’t get a song released if it wasn’t full of hooks.”
The release of the compilation follows the publication of Marr’s Guitars. According to Marr, “It’s very different to other guitar books and is more of an art book, with stories of songs and sounds. It’s been a long time coming and a labour of love.”
Marr will embark upon a series of live dates later this year and in the spring of 2024. The tour will follow two special shows at Manchester’s Factory International Aviva Studios in December, accompanied by an orchestra.
Meanwhile, Marr recently reflected on the split of The Smiths, noting: “It was mostly a personal thing. We were working at such a breakneck pace – 50-odd tracks in four years – that I thought I was going to end up repeating myself.”
He continued: “Also, I was frustrated with what people expected me to come up with. By creating your own rules, the influences and methods of songwriting that you allow yourself to use, you end up boxing yourself into a corner of musical politics.”
Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr is out now.
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