How was Marr a good guitarist?

[MDbum]

I hear Marr play and i know it's good, but i don't know why it's good. His melodies are incredible, that's a given. However, I've never learned to play the guitar so could someone explain how Marr is a good guitarist... some slate him as being one of the world's best. Comments like that just leave me wondering.

Are his melodies difficult to play?
Was he innovative among other guitarists during that era?
How does he stack up to other guitarists in the same genre or other genres?

Also, you musicans out there, what would you say are Marr's best works?

[Cracked Pleasures]

I am not the best music specialist technically, but fact is that Johnny created the simply perfect chords to enhance Morrissey's words to a higher level. There was a very strong connection between those two: whenever Marr came up with a chord Morrissey would find the suitable words, and whenever Moz had a lyric Johnny would create the perfect sound for it. They kinda 'felt' each other in a very unique way.

His best works: I like the fading intro of "Some girls...", the haunting riffs of "How soon is now", the riffs throughout "Hand in glove", the riff of "The queen is dead", ... Must say I am usually focussed mainly on lyrics, and that is with every band I listen to. But out of the head, these are Marr's highlights for me. Excellent guitarist, no doubt about that, he lifted the band to a higher level in the same way as Morrissey did with his lyrics.

[elko]

[Bref]

[HandsomeDevil]

[Bref]

[Still Ill]

[Grim O'Grady]

I just watched These Things Take Time documentary & in it Johnny says that his guitar influences are American & English folk!
How Soon Is Now? Always blows me away.

love

Grim

P.s. SI I like your latest avvy, we could be twins

[MDbum]

Thanks for the feedback guys

[Pashernate_Lover]

[egosheep]

listen to girl afraid, the intro is just mind-boggling, and then it goes on to an awesome prechorus and then to another jawdropping chorus... the riffing just never lets up, never slows down...

listen to the effortless arpeggios on 'some girls'

The way he used alternate tunings: headmaster ritual and stretch out and wait are in open E, cemetary gates and meat is murder were in open D. He also used a nashville tuning, which is a 6 string guitar strung with the only the 6 high strings of a 12 string guitar. He was incredibly creative and inventive, he wrote incredible chord progressions, and he always found riffs to go over them. He was supremely tasteful, he always played the right notes at the right time. And he never limited himself, he played loud, soft, acoustic, rocked out, multitracked, backwards guitars, piano, autoharp... he continues to be an inspiration.

Did i mention that when the smiths broke up he was only 23???

[rubygirl]

I totally second the above, very good post!

[Qvist]