Johnny Marr: The Smiths and the Art of Gunslinging

The shimmering, muscular guitar pop of The Smiths shone like a beacon through the 1980s as they took up the mantle of the best British band since The Beatles. Their unparalleled musicality inspired a generation of popular bands including Oasis, the Stone Roses, and Radiohead. Johnny Marr was behind that sound, and has proved to be a gun-slinger without equal, a guitarist who rode the longest highways to find the most perfect sounds, and who built the gilt-edged frames in which the lyrical portraits of co-writer Morrissey sat so perfectly. While he may well be remembered forever for the haunting intro to "How Soon Is Now?" Marr has not slowed down creatively, inspiring a generation of younger listeners through his work with The Cribs, and even working with Hans Zimmer on the stunning soundtrack to the critically-acclaimed blockbuster Inception. He remains as influential and important as ever. Filled with insight and musical lore, this book traces the incredible story of how the son of Irish immigrants rose to become the iconic architect of a new sound for British guitar music.