.co.uk Having lived with advanced sideman syndrome ever since his glory days in the Smiths, Johnny Marr finally steps into the spotlight with Boomslang, his full-length frontman debut. So how do Marr & the Healers stack up against alma maters the Smiths, The The and Electronic? Boomslang is a rock-solid collection of dreamy, droning, sublimely melodic pop. Marr makes little attempt to match the languid solipsism of Morrissey, the existential dread of Matt Johnson or the enigmatic electro-pop of Bernard Sumner. Instead, from the hypnotic rock of "The Last Ride" to the reflectively pastoral "Something to Shout About", Marr's songs are as unaffected, his singing as mellifluous as the tastefully expressive guitar work that's earned him a place among rock's most acclaimed instrumentalists. Already together for three years, Marr, Zak Starkey and Alonza Bevan form a tight rock trio that knows when to loosen up--not least on the seven-minute "You Are the Magic". While cohort Sumner's career trajectory from Joy Division guitarist to New Order frontman was decidedly faster, the cofounder of Manchester's other best known band has made a two-decade journey from codependency to creative control that, in its own unassuming way, is no less satisfying. --Bill Forman
C**P
Johnny Marr & The Healers-Boomslang
Very Average
G**N
... solo stuff I approached Boomslang fearing I may be disappointed. I loved The Messenger & Playland but had ...
As a long time Smiths fan who has only recently got into Johnny's solo stuff I approached Boomslang fearing I may be disappointed . I loved The Messenger & Playland but had read many negative reviews of his work with The Healers.However once the cd arrived I was pleasantly surprised . It's a very different sounding record to his more recent solo work but in my opinion this is just as good . Every song on the album is well worth hearing and it's far more laid back than the more recent "punky" stuff and maybe not as instant but after a couple of plays it really gets into your head .Marvellous stuff and it's sad Johnny doesn't seem keen to play any of this album on his wonderful solo gigs anymore .
M**R
Okay-ish.
Not his greatest, a bit bland to be honest. The Messenger , Playland and Call The Comet are 10000 times better.
M**Y
Quite good.
I got this while on a bit of a Marr spree, having been impressed by his new solo album(s) and having loved his work with The Smiths, Modest Mouse etc. It has some good stuff on it, though nowhere near as impressive as "The Messenger".
A**N
great CD
great album
B**E
The packing was done very well
Brilliant
G**Y
Five Stars
Great album, really like it!
A**R
Cutting The Mustard Big Style
Since the demise of The Smiths some fifteen years ago Johnny Marr's career has pottered from guest appearance to guest appearance - Billy Bragg, Bryan Ferry, Talking Heads etc - as well as stints in The Pretenders, The The and Electronic. But there always seemed to be a widening gap between the graph points of Marr's post Smiths business and that of his ex songwriting partner Morrissey. Johnny Marr, many critics were saying, couldn't cut the mustard anymore. With the debut album from Johnny Marr and the Healers it's time for those critics to eat their words.Boomslang opens with 'The Last Ride', a song which has been around a few years now but sounds fresh and full-blooded. 'Down On The Corner' blends acoustic guitar and piano with Marr's emotive voice and some riproaring elctric guitar riffs as backdrop while 'Need It' chugs along with a rockabilly rhythm and a Smithesque urgency - a 'Rusholme Ruffians' for the 21st century. 'You Are The Magic' has a trippy, Happy Mondays feel to it - we can only concur what The Smiths might have achieved if they had survived the eighties and ridden on the Madchester train. Throughout the album Marr's voice is delicate but strong enough to hold its own against the criticism that some reviewers have directed at him. The Healers, Alonza Bevan on bass and Zak Starkey on drums, are a tight knit, reliable rhythm section and the guitar playing is as good as ever.If you only buy one album this year, make it this.
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