JOHNNY MARR - Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr 2LP (colour vinyl)

Limited edition gold or cobalt blue colour vinyl.

Includes 2 new studio tracks.

There’s no question that Johnny ‘fucking’ Marr was by a mile the best guitarist of his generation, but after The Smiths disintegrated he seemed something of a lost soul wandering from band to band.

It’s true the bands he joined – The The, The Pretenders, Modest Mouse – were all high quality acts who benefitted from his playing, but it all seemed such a terrible waste of a generational talent. Sure, he had his own band The Healers, but they hardly set the world alight, so when he announced his debut solo album in 2013 his legion of fans were intrigued.

Marr might have a limited range as a vocalist, but he makes the most of it like the clever songwriter he is, and you can hear his growing confidence as a singer as you plough through the 19 tracks from his four solo releases on Spirit Power, which are interestingly not presented in chronological order.