Johnny MARR HAS long been known as “the man who would not solo.” But that’s kinda inaccurate, as Marr has soloed, sometimes in decidedly sing-song fashion, like on the Smiths’ “Shoplifters of the World,” for example. So maybe, Marr should be known as “the man who used crystal-clear arpeggios and interesting chord inversions rather than pulling off dive bobs via big-ass amps” instead. Then again, legends via folklore aren’t born through literalism.
Anyway, as per the perpetual positive vibes slung Marr’s way, we can agree that he’s the proverbial king of the antiheroes — regardless of whether he solos. None of that has mattered to Marr, though, as he continues to craft landscape-defining indie music. But beyond that music, Marr’s life has been defined by utter devotion to all things six-string.
Marr is so intertwined with his now-massive collection of curios that he’s decided to celebrate them via [], a 288-page book that reads more like a life story than an art project. To that end, Marr agrees. “I’m glad it reads that way, because it’s basically my life story through. I recognized his unique way of photographing guitars, which I found very beautiful. Pat takes these close-up, abstract shots that show a bit of rust on the bridge or a scuff on the neck, and I was fascinated by that. I originally wanted to be full of abstract photos, but as more guitars were photographed, it evolved.”
