Johnny Marr Quotes

I love Portland and I have so much history there and I knew it like the back of my hand, so the decision to leave was never easy.

Chicago's music scene is very inspiring. I like to think of it as a small community of friends who enjoy creating and inspiring each other.

The closest things to an influence would be people like Charlie Watts or Al Jackson. But I didn't really listen to drummers; I basically played what I thought was needed for the Ramones.

As I listened more and more to the music that moved me, I gained more fascination with America.

There are all kind of corners of the musical world that are deeply influenced by the Dead that one wouldn't expect. Lee Ranaldo is a crazy Deadhead.

2112' basically set the course for my musical career and how I approached Dream Theater.

I don't really hear the Beatles when I listen to my own music.

I had this voice when I was in high school, except nobody thought much of it then. I developed it by imitating singers I admired - Alison Moyet, Boy George, later on Nina Simone.

If you're in a garage band, it's about being better than the band in the next-door garage. But in the folk tradition, it's more a vibe of sharing.

When I was younger, music was always there.

Anytime I'm playing music or getting ready to record, Duane Allman will enter my thoughts, and so will Berry Oakley. It's part of my musical makeup and mental process when it comes to music. We learned to play together and taught each other a lot.

I take inspiration from so many places. I think, more than anything, it would have to be the music made by others that I've then fallen in love with, whether it's Madonna, Blood Orange, Fleetwood Mac, or Pink Floyd!

Bobby McGee' was the song that made the difference for me. Every time I sing it, I still think of Janis.

When I saw music as a means to an end - more fame, more money, dating celebrities - that's when things have gone terribly wrong. Now my life is focused on just trying to keep making music. Because when it's really good, it's just the most remarkable feeling on the planet.

If the best of one's feelings means nothing to the person most concerned in those feelings, what reality is left us?

New York has inspired more remarkable music than any other city I can think of.

What draws people to the instrument is the love for guitar players that play a certain way. I mean, even though it wasn't intentional, it was hard to avoid copying Eddie Van Halen. He was basically the *bleep* back then.

There's something that I can't describe about the city [Portland] that I really love - just physically - how it feels to walk around there, and have coffee there. Also, the way that it's a little overcast sometimes. Something about Portland just really resonated with me.

I used to wish I could write songs like the others - and I've tried but I just can't. I get the words all right, but whenever I think of a tune and sing it to the others they always say 'Yeah, it always sounds like such a thing' and when they point it out I see what they mean. But I did get a part credit as a composer on one - it was called What Goes On.

I tried to bring in the live orchestra like Bjork does. I love the feeling that that music gives me when I just listen to it. I mean it would be awesome to do an entire record like that. But unfortunately that's not my style. So rather than do a record like that I just got inspired by it.

You want to know how I started playing trumpet? My father bought me one, and I studied the trumpet. And everybody I heard that I liked, I picked up things from.

The thing about Manchester is...it all comes from here

The whole city [Manchester] just a real rock music vibe. It reminded me a lot of where I'm from.

It's wonderful. It's amazing. I mean we have such a great music scene and art scene and there's just a great group of young people, you know, temping their way through their 20's doing other amazing things. And I've been in...I spent like 10 years working here without ever having been shooting in Toronto. And it's so frustrating because it's a great city. And I remember seeing Montreal actually used as Montreal in that Ed Norton-Robert DeNiro.

I reckon that growing up, listening to so much different music, I think over time I just kind of sucked it all in and it probably comes back out through my music.