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Playland
by
Playland Image
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 15 Ratings

  • Summary: The second full-length solo release for The Smiths' former guitarist was written while he was on tour.
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Easy Money
I used to want it all And that's money money That's money money That's money money Watching human fall And that's only money That's money... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Q Magazine
    Oct 3, 2014
    80
    Playland is better than its predecessor in pretty much every respect. The songs are better, the palette broader and there's a genuine sense of Marr hitting his stride as a solo artist. [Nov 2014, p.103]
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  2. Alternative Press
    Oct 6, 2014
    80
    More like sophomore triumph. [Nov 2014, p.94]
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  3. Magnet
    Nov 5, 2014
    80
    A gorgeous, seductive album. [No. 114, p.56]
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  4. Uncut
    Oct 2, 2014
    70
    Playland is pretty much "The Messenger Part 2." [Nov 2014, p.77]
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  5. Exclaim
    Oct 3, 2014
    60
    In 2014 this just seems like the kind of better-than-average album that befalls way too many British musicians past their prime.
  6. Rolling Stone
    Oct 15, 2014
    50
    Marr’s singing is nice enough (check ''The Trap''). His most compelling voice, inevitably, remains his guitar.
  7. Pitchfork
    Oct 7, 2014
    46
    It’s been fussed over so much that any spark that may have spurred it has been smothered.

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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. altecsole
    Oct 7, 2014
    9
    I stumbled upon this on Spotify and decided the give it a go. What can I say? I love this album! The guitar sound is brilliant and who knewI stumbled upon this on Spotify and decided the give it a go. What can I say? I love this album! The guitar sound is brilliant and who knew Johnny could sing so well?

    This prompted me to take a listen to The Messenger too and that's a firm favourite now too.    … Expand
  2. Spoonman3068
    Oct 24, 2014
    9
    "altecsole - I stumbled upon this on Spotify and decided the give it a go. What can I say? I love this album! The guitar sound is brilliant"altecsole - I stumbled upon this on Spotify and decided the give it a go. What can I say? I love this album! The guitar sound is brilliant and who knew Johnny could sing so well?" It's scary how close my experience of this album is to yours. Totally agree. Additive, great fun, **** brilliant!… Expand
  4. StevenX
    Dec 27, 2017
    9
    A worthy successor to his amazing album "The Messenger", Marr shows here that there's no fluke at play, as if his decades of stellar guitarA worthy successor to his amazing album "The Messenger", Marr shows here that there's no fluke at play, as if his decades of stellar guitar work with others didn't prove that already. While some songs have obvious precedents on the previous record - "Candidate" could easily have come from the same session as "New Town Velocity" from "The Messenger", and so on - the writing is right-on, and the cinematic production gives clear ear to every instrument, not least of which is Marr's voice, obviously happy to speak for himself for a change. As adept at joyful pop-rock like "Dynamo" as he is at the atmospherics of the aforementioned "Candidate" and the brilliant "The Trap", Marr's palette is broad enough to keep the greats coming within a pop framework he's working now. Looking forward to the next installment.… Expand
  5. FIF
    Oct 7, 2014
    8
    Very solid solo effort from one of the greatest guitarists on planet Earth! His previous album, The Messenger was good too. He seems to beVery solid solo effort from one of the greatest guitarists on planet Earth! His previous album, The Messenger was good too. He seems to be very much alive and kicking!… Expand

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