Johnny Marr Look Out Live!
Johnny Marr's Look Out Live! arrives as a guitar-forward celebration of a catalog that still crackles onstage, and critics largely agree the set succeeds. Across one professional review the record earned an 80/100 consensus score from PopMatters, which highlights Marr's emphasis on rhythm and bass and the joy of live reinterpretation. The quick verdict: a confident live document that favors riff, groove, and songcraft over vocal showmanship.
Reviewers consistently point to standout live moments that anchor the collection. “Easy Money - Live” emerges as a riff-driven triumph, while “How Soon Is Now? - Live” supplies the chest-beating thrill that validates Marr's reputation; “This Charming Man - Live” and “Bigmouth Strikes Again - Live” are noted for tightened arrangements that emphasize bass and rhythmic push. The collaborative “Rebel Rebel - feat. Neil Tennant - Live” adds a playful pivot, showing how Marr reinterprets classics and folds surprises into familiar songs.
While praise centers on performance energy and inventive arrangements, the review also frames the album as celebratory more than revelatory - a record best appreciated for live immediacy and guitar craft. For listeners asking whether Look Out Live! is worth hearing, the critical consensus score and the highlighted tracks suggest a rewarding set for fans of Marr's songwriting and electric-stage presence. Below, the full review unpackages how rhythm, bass, and guitar elevate these live reinterpretations.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Easy Money - Live
1 mention
""Easy Money" is another minor triumph of riff and word."— PopMatters
How Soon Is Now? - Live
1 mention
"Chest-beating anthems "How Soon Is Now" and "This Charming Man" are reliably exciting,"— PopMatters
This Charming Man - Live
1 mention
"Chest-beating anthems "How Soon Is Now" and "This Charming Man" are reliably exciting,"— PopMatters
"Easy Money" is another minor triumph of riff and word.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Sensory Street - Live
Panic - Live
Generate! Generate! - Live
Spirit Power and Soul - Live
This Charming Man - Live
Somewhere - Live
Walk Into the Sea - Live
The Answer - Live
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - Live
Armatopia - Live
Get the Message - Live
Hi Hello - Live
How Soon Is Now? - Live
Easy Money - Live
Rebel Rebel - feat. Neil Tennant - Live
Getting Away With It - feat. Neil Tennant - Live
You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby - Live
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - Live
The Passenger - Live
New Town Velocity - Live
Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before - Live
Bigmouth Strikes Again - Live
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 1 critic who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Johnny Marr wears his influences proudly on Look Out Live!, and the best songs - notably “How Soon Is Now?” and “Easy Money” - show why the catalogue still sings. The reviewer's voice revels in Marr's guitar-first approach, praising the riff-driven triumph of “Easy Money” and the chest-beating thrill of “How Soon Is Now?”. Marr's willingness to reinterpret - turning “Get the Message” into a jazz-leaning detour and leaning into camp on “Getting Away With It” - is framed as evidence of a confident live document. Overall the record is cast as a celebratory songbook that foregrounds rhythm, melody, and stage giddiness rather than vocal heroics.
Key Points
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The best song is "Easy Money" because its riff, quasi-rap delivery, and propulsive bass make it a minor triumph.
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The album’s core strengths are Marr's guitar-forward arrangements, rhythmic focus, and respectful yet inventive reinterpretations of his catalogue.