Boomslang | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Johnny Marr + the Healers | ||||
Released | 4 February 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2000 at Clear, Manchester | |||
Length | 50:40 | |||
Label | Artistdirect/iMusic | |||
Producer | Johnny Marr | |||
Johnny Marr + the Healers chronology | ||||
|
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 53/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
E! Online | B [3] |
The Guardian | [4] |
Pitchfork | 3.7/10 [5] |
PopMatters | 5/10 [6] |
Rolling Stone | [7] |
Uncut | [8] |
Boomslang is the first, and to date only album by Johnny Marr + the Healers. It was released in 2003 through Artistdirect and iMusic. The band consisted of drummer for The Who and son of Ringo Starr, Zak Starkey and then former Kula Shaker bassist Alonza Bevan with Marr handling guitars, lead vocals and keyboards. The literal definition of the word "boomslang" is "a venomous, tree-dwelling snake... of tropical and southern Africa". [9] The expression "I got boomslang..." in South Africa means to get caught up in something (like a boomslang snake hanging from a tree.) For example, "I was about to leave work when I got boomslang by a customer who needed something, and had to stay late."
The 2001 single "The Last Ride" – and its B-sides "Need It" and "Long Gone" – were included in the track listing. "Down On the Corner" was also released as a single, promoted by an appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn in February 2003. [10] "Bangin' On" was released as a single in 2003 and got to #78 in UK. Its B-sides were non-album tracks "Here It Comes" and "Get Me Wrong". Videos were made for "The Last Ride" and "Down On the Corner".
Tracks "Bangin' On" and "The Last Ride" comprised the primary soundtrack for the runway show of American fashion designer Michael Kors for his Fall-Winter 2003-04 collection. Track "Caught Up" was featured during the show's finale. The collection, Kors's first outing under Sportswear Holdings Limited, was shown on February 12, 2003 during New York fashion week and met critical acclaim by the fashion press.
Boomslang was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 53 based on 15 reviews. [1]
In a review for Uncut , the release was given two stars out of five, explaining: "Though 'historic' in being the first album of his career as a singing frontman, for those who have bothered to follow Marr's career, Boomslang isn't so extreme a manoeuvre." [8]
In Rolling Stone , Pat Blashill wrote that the album "shimmers with elements of T. Rex and traces of the Stone Roses – it's got all the atmosphere of a great rock record, but not the guts of one". [7] In The Guardian , reviewer Alex Petridis compared the album negatively to Marr's earlier work in the Smiths. Petridis said that the vocals were in tune but they were "devoid of character". The album's lyrics were said to be "from the Gallagher School of Meaningless Twaddle." The review conceded that the album had its moments but was overall "an opportunity missed..not bad, exactly but nothing to suggest that history should be rewritten". [4]
All tracks are written by Johnny Marr, unless noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Last Ride" | 4:28 | |
2. | "Caught Up" | 4:27 | |
3. | "Down On the Corner" | 4:25 | |
4. | "Need It" | 5:47 | |
5. | "You Are the Magic" | 7:09 | |
6. | "InBetweens" | Zak Starkey | 3:39 |
7. | "Another Day" | 4:58 | |
8. | "Headland" | 1:34 | |
9. | "Long Gone" | 4:39 | |
10. | "Something to Shout About" | 4:22 | |
11. | "Bangin' On" | 5:06 |
Additional personnel
Chart | Peak position |
---|---|
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [11] | 1 |
John Martin Marr is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous other bands and embarked on a solo career.
The Queen Is Dead is the third studio album by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released on 16 June 1986 in the UK by Rough Trade Records, and on 23 June 1986 in the US by Sire Records.
Zak Richard Starkey is an English rock drummer who has performed and recorded with the English rock band the Who since 1996. He is also the third drummer to have appeared with the English rock band Oasis. Other musicians and bands he has worked with include Johnny Marr, The Icicle Works, the Lightning Seeds, and The Semantics. Starkey is the son of the Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr.
Electronic were an English alternative dance supergroup formed by singer/guitarist Bernard Sumner and guitarist Johnny Marr. They co-wrote the majority of their output between 1989 and 1998, collaborating with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, of Pet Shop Boys on three tracks in their early years, and former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos on nine songs in 1995.
Lifes Rich Pageant is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released on July 28, 1986. R.E.M. chose Don Gehman to produce the album, which was recorded at John Mellencamp's Belmont Mall Studio in Belmont, Indiana. This was the only album the band recorded with Gehman, who moved them from the more obscure and dense sound of their earlier albums to an accessible, hard rock-influenced quality. The album was well-received critically.
Gettin' In over My Head is the fourth studio album by American musician Brian Wilson, released June 2004 on Rhino Records. Many of the songs were reworked versions of tracks recorded for the scrapped album Sweet Insanity and the Andy Paley sessions from the 1990s. The album reached #100 in the US during a 1-week chart stay, and #53 in the UK. Critical reaction was mixed.
Black Cherry is the second studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 23 April 2003 by Mute Records. It marked a departure from the ambient sound of their debut album, Felt Mountain (2000), incorporating glam rock and synth-pop music; inspirations were Spanish disco group Baccara and Swedish techno artist Håkan Lidbo. The album was met with positive reviews, with many critics complimenting its blend of retro and modern electropop music.
Skull Ring is the fourteenth studio album by American rock singer Iggy Pop, released in November 2003. Every track on the album features guest performers. The performers are The Stooges, The Trolls, Green Day, Sum 41, and Peaches.
Happy Songs for Happy People is the fourth studio album by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai.
Juju is the fourth studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was recorded at Surrey Sound studio with Nigel Gray as co-producer, and was released on 19 June 1981 by Polydor Records. Two singles were released from Juju: "Spellbound" and "Arabian Knights".
The Spirit of Radio: Greatest Hits 1974–1987 is a compilation album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on February 11, 2003. It includes many of the band's most popular songs from their Mercury Records era, but does not feature any material from their third album Caress of Steel. A special edition of the album included a DVD containing music videos for several songs, including "Mystic Rhythms".
Phrenology is the fifth studio album by American hip hop band the Roots, released on November 26, 2002, by MCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during June 2000 to September 2002 at Electric Lady Studios in New York. It was primarily produced by members of the band and features contributions from hip hop and neo soul artists such as Cody ChesnuTT, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli, and Jill Scott.
Raise the Pressure is Electronic's second studio album, released in July 1996.
Under a Raging Moon is the sixth solo studio album by English singer Roger Daltrey, released in September 1985 by Atlantic Records. The album reached No. 42 on the US charts, and the single "After the Fire", written by Pete Townshend, reached No. 48. It includes a tribute to Keith Moon, former drummer of the Who who died in 1978, on the track "Under a Raging Moon". In Canada, the album reached No. 33 on the RPM Magazine charts, and "After the Fire" reached No. 53.
The Balcony is the debut studio album by Welsh indie rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen. It was released on 15 September 2014 in the United Kingdom and 15 January 2015 in the United States. On 20 March 2015, The Balcony was awarded a Gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry. The album cover depicts outlines of two headless people pleasuring each other's genitals. The illustration is by New York artist Tim Lahan who originally posted it to his Flickr account in 2009 and was subsequently contacted by the band.
Hollywood Vampires is the self-titled debut studio album by American rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires, formed in 2015 by Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry to honor the music of the rock stars who died from excess in the 1970s. Released on September 11, 2015 for Republic Records, the album features guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Robby Krieger, Orianthi, Dave Grohl, Christopher Lee, Slash, Brian Johnson, Joe Walsh, Perry Farrell, and Zak Starkey amongst others.
Who is the twelfth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 6 December 2019. The band's first new studio album in thirteen years, and the second overall comprising the duo of vocalist Roger Daltrey and instrumentalist Pete Townshend, it comprises ballads, rock music, electronic experimentation and "classic Who-ish" songs, according to Townshend.
Got to Be Tough is a studio album by Jamaican reggae band Toots and the Maytals. It was released through Trojan Jamaica/BMG on 28 August 2020 and financed by Trojan Jamaica owner Zak Starkey, who also played guitar for the recording. The album is the first studio release from Toots and the Maytals in more than a decade and the first after an accident wherein bandleader Toots Hibbert was hit in the head with a glass bottle, leading to his hiatus from performing. The lyrical content of the album is political, featuring pleas for unity among people.
Still Woman Enough is the forty-sixth and final solo studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on March 19, 2021, by Legacy Recordings. The album was produced by Lynn's daughter Patsy Lynn Russell and John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. The album shares its title with Lynn's 2002 autobiography.
Latest Record Project, Volume 1 is the 42nd studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released on 7 May 2021 by Exile Productions and BMG. The 28-track album includes the songs "Why Are You on Facebook?", "They Own the Media" and "Western Man". Released as a 2-CD set and on triple vinyl, the album marked a return to the UK Top Ten for Morrison, making the 2020s the fourth consecutive decade in which he has reached those heights.