Johnny Marr The Healers "Boomslang"

Johnny Marr The Healers "Boomslang"

Johnny Marr brought his first album out in 2003 in the form of Boomslang. It's named after a very venomous snake that Johnny claimed to have had a dream about. Johnny is backed up by The Healers in this album, who are Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr) and Alonza Bevan. The album was releashed on Reincarnate Music and contains eleven tracks. Johnny Marr wrote every song on the album except the track "Inbetweens", which was written by all Marr, Starkey, Bevan and Gray.

Johnny met up with the Healers in 2000 and he immediately went on tour, playing small venues and appearing as a warm-up band for the likes of Oasis. The band took two years to complete because Johnny wanted the band to be chosen "by chemistry".

Johnny sings on every track apart from "Headland", which is a Durutti Column-type instrumental. Johnny sings in a strong voice that always make me think "why has he not put out more records?" But you do not have to look very far to find out Johnny does not have a great gift when it comes to lyrics. All though the songs are full of good riffs and guitarwork, this does not hide the fact that Johnny is not so good with lyrics.

Although the lyrics are the one thing that lets this album down, it is a good little album to have and it is a good fifty minutes of entertainment, full of "harmonica & quick funk slide guitar riffs", and I would recommend buying it.

The next Johnny Marr album was originally going to be released in April 2005 and a short tour was expected soon after that, but as Starkey currently is involved with Oasis, it is unknown when their next album will be released. We do know that five tracks have been recorded with about three of them been performed live at the Manchester v Cancer concert that was held on January 28, 2006, at Manchester's MEN Arena, so there should hopefully be a new album by Johnny by the end of the year.

Reviewed by Matthew Speight