Meat Is Murder

In my life I haven't so much as knowingly listened to a Smiths song, let alone an album--a blind spot I've long been keen to eliminate. So this was an exciting task. But also a bittersweet one, as I knew I would be forced to adjudicate on that grey area between not only the album's objective quality and my subjective enjoyment of it but the band's. One listen of one album is no way to do that. And yet there I was yesterday evening, a pawn in this cruel game, my hand forced to commit crimes against music I'd never dreamt of. Reservations and objections aside, I diligently discharged my duty. Here is my meagre judgement: It Was Quite Good. Morrisey's affectedly self-absorbed vocals dancing widdershins around Marr's dexterous guitar lines, ostensibly independent of each other but really in some kind of synch, is immediately arresting. As is the rhythm, is more energetic than I expected. Less so Morrisey's fey digressions and whimpers--clearly there's lots to hear but not much stood out (ON ONE SINGLE SOLITARY SOLE LISTEN, I HASTEN TO ADD). This unusual combination evidently coheres, yet I'm going to be conservative (though fascist may be more appropriate here) because a) my interest was piqued only in short bursts, and b) from this evidence of the band's talent, plus one or two things I’ve heard elsewhere, I suspect they made much better albums than this. And I want to reserve my extra stars for those should they pop up and prove my suspicions correct. And if I start too high--giving this a 3, for example--and then like the next one more, I'll be compelled to give it a 4. But what if I don't think the next one’s a 4? More of a 3. But it’s only by listening to the second album that I realise I've overrated the first. I'll be ensnared in a cycle of overrating The Smiths, which seems both unfair on me and them. Life is hard. And yes, meat is indeed murder.

Mozz and Marr decided to give poor Andy some free reign as a joke, but the resulting album was so powerful they had to make The Queen Is Dead to punish anyone who liked it. Suck my nuts indieheads- this is the real (gay) man's Smiths album

Man, it is such a shame about the severe back problems Andy Rourke developed from carrying The Smiths all those years.

Glad I read everyones' reviews before writing mine because I also had the line "Morrissey is an insufferable prick" written in my notes. So I'll just say he's an asshole, but I do love his music. The Smiths developed such a cool sound that so many other bands tried to bite but could never really pull off because Morrissey has such a distinct crooning vocal sound. Baritone I think? Been awhile since my choir days. Anyway, those guitars really drive these songs! Morrissey always sounds so morose but then those guitars come in and sound all upbeat and rollicking and boom theres another great Smiths song. I know its a joke that the Smiths are sadboys to the extreme (I counted and there's only 1 song's lyrics that doesn't explicitly use the word die, dying, or talk about death) but Morrissey's forlorn pining for love and purpose strikes a chord with most everyone, which makes for relatable jams. I know there's vegetarians in this group and I'm knocking vegetarianism but man was he being way melodramatic with that "Meat is Murder" track. "..the unholy stench of murder....you savor the flavor of murder," with cows mooing in the back! C'mon Morrissey. Still though a pretty great album and I will begrudgingly give Morrissey props.

What more can you wish for Marr's guitar, Morrissey's lyrics and then the ruin it by letting Morrissey sing.

Luckily this album was recorded before we knew Morrissey was A Bad Man. In 1985 he was merely a pompous man with a compelling turn of phrase quite unlike anything that’s cropped up in music before or since. No-one sings about bottoms quite like your man Stephen Morrissey. And yet, the star of The Smiths’ music always has and will be Johnny Marr’s arrangements. The glistening, shimmering, bright counterpoint to Morrissey’s turgid melancholy. The tension between woe and glory as Marr and Morrissey tussle for supremacy is what they are all about. And Marr wins, every time.

I'm not sure why this album makes me so cross. Maybe I'm disappointed that I missed out on something because I don't, "get it". Anyway, it's wrong and I'm right. NAA.

Morrisey sounds like he is singing in the shower, didn't really like it.

Johnny Marr is one of my top-three underrated guitarists. I can't stand Morrisey.

The title track is dour, but the rest of this album is fantastic, musically brilliant, adventurous and generally just really catchy with its overt pop and funk influences and some of Morrisey’s sharpest lyrics (even if he is an insufferable cunt). Now excuse me while I enjoy eating this steak.

The Headmaster's Ritual is 🥵

Great guitar, niche vocals. I like it a lot, full of bangers, That Joke, What She Said, Barbarism, and only 9 songs long. Maybe my favourite Smith's album.

That's fucking punk right there

The Smiths weakest album. Needs more protein. 🥩

I like the smiths alright and this was one of their biggest albums but I can't really get into this one as much. It's weird cause I like the album before this one and the album after this one much more. I'd bet that the latter one, "the queen is dead" is on this 1001 list too. "Well I wonder" is probably my favorite track on the album. Morrissey gets all the glory but Johnny Marr is severely underrated in the US. Moody brooding.

Most of the album was okay. "Barbarism Begins at Home" was surprisingly funky. But the title track is pure garbage. We get it, Morrissey. You don't eat meat. Good for you. I'll see about getting you a medal. But saying meat eating is pointless and unnatural is objectively false (the point is sustenance and our incisors and canines are proof that it's natural). If you're going to shit-talk the meat industry as a whole, there are plenty of valid arguments to choose from. Bringing weak shit like "it's pointless and unnatural" would get you slaughtered in even the lowliest of middle school debate clubs. Also, does riding around on that high horse everywhere you go constitute animal cruelty? I feel like it does. You gotta give that poor nag a break every now and then, dude. Sincerely, Someone who understands the criticisms of meat eating but loathes shittily-constructed arguments from pretentious douchecanoes. (Let's call this a 2.5.)

A little bit of Morrissey goes a _LONG_ way.

But I like meat

Just not my bag. Is “meat is murder” a metaphor for something? Last track would imply no…should team up with Moby on a meat is murder collab or something. And I shall pass. 2.5/5

Yeah, Moz is fash garbage now but this is forever peerless.

This is my least favorite Smiths album including the non-true albums, Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs. However the worst Smiths record is still really good. I got give it a 4 for the title track which is just not enjoyable at all but I always give a 5 to Morrissey and Smiths just to counter the haters.

Yesterday, Viva Hate, today my favourite Smiths album. Title track is a dirge but everything else is sparkling and wonderful. Favourite song: Nowhere Fast. Really should learn how to play it.

man, what can i say about this album that I dislike.......there's not much. The Smiths is one of my top 10 bands of all time, due to their amazing sound, lyrics, and importance of the time and the reach their influence had, even changing people's views on food! This album was also my introduction to Morrisey and that world of music, and it definitely helped shape my taste in music and what i considered to be good music. I mean there are so many good tracks on this album "Nowhere Fast", "What She Said" are amazing, but the entire album is damn near perfect.

The torture of the previous two albums cannot be smoothed out by anything. But The Smiths did their best! From beginning to end, I enjoyed the instrumental scores. The vocalist's voice has a separate respect, it was a basic pleasure to listen to. In addition, the relevance of some songs was felt now. Literally howling in "I want to go home" resonates in the soul of many.

Really good album that seemed way before it's time

Damn good

No second album syndrome here. Marr’s guitar and Morrissey’s lyrics and voice combine to offer a uniquely recognisable blend of melancholy angst and musicality that is still a joy to listen to

I don't think that there's anything bad you can say about The Smiths. Unless you are a bad person.

Authentic singer and jangly guitars, a solid effort.

As much as I've heard this album (on account of my husband plays it sometimes), you'd think I'd be able to tell the songs apart. Other than The Headmaster Ritual and the title track (on account of its farm noises), I really can't. I would never choose it but I don't mind it.

Meat is Murder I do have a bit of a blind spot with The Smiths. Despite how great Johnny Marr is and how much I love a lot of their songs I’ve never actually listened to one of their albums, finding that, for me, Morrissey’s voice works better in small doses of 5 or 6 songs, so I’ve just stuck to listening to their greatest hits in chunks. So because of that I’m not sure where this sits in their canon and how it compares to their other albums. I very much enjoyed listening today though, even though, despite there being some excellent songs, my sense is that it may not be their strongest collection of tracks? The Headmaster Ritual is a great track, what I imagine when I think of them, great jangling guitar, superb rhythmic and melodic bass and an excellent lyric full of pithy observations of anc criticisms of the education system. Rusholme Ruffians is great too, love the rockabilly feel and the guitar figure. Lovely guitar on I Want the One I Can’t Have, and although it's a solid track it perhaps feels a little Smiths by numbers. I like What She Said’s slightly more aggressive guitar, but like I Want the One I Can’t Have, while good, it isn’t perhaps as strong as some of the other tracks. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore I know from the greatest hits and of course is a great track, probably the strongest on the album. Love the acoustic and the deeper resonating bass sound. Super lyric too. Nowhere Fast, again a good song, but feels a level below the highlights on here. Well I Wonder is superb though, one of those great mournful sounding Smiths songs. What a bassline on Barbarism Begins at Home and love the chugging disco/funk guitar. Very very catchy. Meat is Murder is a bit dirgey, I presume intentionally to match the tone of the lyric, but it’s not totally successful. Like I say I’m not really aware how this sits in the arc of their discography, but it’s a very good album with some superb highlights, and as you’d expect its full of fantastic guitars and arrangements by Marr and excellent bass from Andy Rourke. However its perhaps not quite what I’d expect a 5 star Smiths album to be, so I’ll go for a 4. Playlist submission: That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

Ate a whole chicken fillet kebab while listening to this

J'avais failli oublier que Morsay était le chanteur des Smiths avant d'ouvrir sa boutique de prêt-à-porter à Clignancourt. L'album est sympatoche mais le rock des années 80 commence un peu à me taper sur les nerfs si tu vois ce que veux dire Robert...

With their second proper album Meat Is Murder, the Smiths begin to branch out and diversify, while refining the jangling guitar pop of their debut. In other words, it catches the group at a crossroads, unsure quite how to proceed. Taking the epic, layered "How Soon Is Now?" as a starting point (the single, which is darker and more dance-oriented than the remainder of the album, was haphazardly inserted into the middle of the album for its American release), the group crafts more sweeping, mid-tempo numbers, whether it's the melancholy "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" or the failed, self-absorbed protest of the title track. While the production is more detailed than before, the Smiths are at their best when they stick to their strengths -- "The Headmaster Ritual" and "I Want the One I Can't Have" are fine elaborations of the formula they laid out on the debut, while "Rusholme Ruffians" is an infectious stab at rockabilly. However, the rest of Meat Is Murder is muddled, repeating lyrical and musical ideas of before without significantly expanding them or offering enough hooks or melodies to make it the equal of The Smiths or Hatful of Hollow.

The line “I think about life. And I think about death. And neither one particularly appeals to me” is a pretty great line. Loved the bass on Barbarism.

I cannot begin to understand the effusive praise offered upon this mediocre band by the (mostly English) press. Something about The Smiths apparently prompts some irrepressible urge to hurl superlatives upon them. The book calls them "Manchester's finest sons." Marr "amaze[s] with his guitar palette" and Morrissey (sorry, Moz) shows "the first signs of real hurt in his words." Another review I found lauded the "quintessentially ‘Morrissey’ themes and blunt lyrics...presented over a suitably more muscular and athletic musical accompaniment." Lads, it's an arsehole moaning into a microphone while his slightly less shitty friend plugs away on some lackluster melodies that you forget as soon as you hear it. Give your heads a wobble. Wankers. Best track: Well I Wonder

similar to sound of silver I was familiar with that joke isn't funny anymore, barbarism begins at home and the song meat is murder but loved the song how soon is now but it is not actually on the album or the original album anyway. The Headmaster Ritual - "He does the military two-step / Down the nape of my neck" is a great line about "punishment" in schools from 80s and prior. I Want the One I Can’t Have - "And if you ever need self-validation Just meet me in the alley by the Railway station It's all over my face" considering rumours about morrissey is interesting as in the previous verse he is talking about a guy That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore - is the peak of this album for me - very meloncholic singing but not whiny like the rest - "It's too close to home And it's too near the bone More than you'll ever know" "I've seen this happen in other people's lives And now it's happening in mine" nowhere fast - "I think about life and I think about death And neither one particularly appeals to me" reminds me of a much later robbie williams lyric "I don't want to die / but I'm not keen on living either" but doesn't have the same impact / is not as believable. Barbarism Begins at Home is another high point in a fairly low album. Love the music, lyrics are ok and the singing suits the song but slightly irks me. His "barking" or "ruh"ing is so so odd but he does it in a few songs throughout his career. Meat Is Murder - appreciate it for what it was and when it was but what the hell is this song really. nearly 7 minutes and a closer to an album just truly bizarre they were allowed to release it at the time. musically very very good but morrissey is whiny throughout. 2, meh but won't throw it on again except this joke isn't funny anymore and maybe barbarism but probably not.

God, make it stop! Morriseys maudlin lyrics and droning voice over the pedestrian backing music was too much…I couldn’t make it through…Morrisey is musical murder.

I'd rather shit in my hands and clap than listen to The Smiths ever again 1 ⭐️

Boaring! The 3rd Album of this absolute unimpressive band.

Struggled to get through this. Some Smiths songs are alright, but this seems to be an unfocussed mess to me. Not even sure if Morissey is working on the same tunes as the band. But I guess this meandering of melody and tempo is what draws people to it. Definitely not me though.

love it

Punchy hits and incredible compositions, the Smiths at their very best. Marr’s guitar layers over Rourke’s and Joyce’s rhythms create such a fantastic counterpoint to Morrissey’s dark and bleak lyrics. A perfect Smiths album Top tracks: The Headmaster Ritual, I want the one I can’t have, Barbarism begins at home, Meat is Murder

Absolute classic, what I hate about Morrissey is how great the Smith's stuff is. Truly remarkable music and lyrics takes you somewhere else,somewhere fragile, beautiful and dangerous. Just a shame it was created by an absolute twat.

Awesome

Simultaneously dark, brooding and incredibly energetic. Another one that our Amsterdam Air BnB host had in the collection which was my first foray into the weirdly attractive complexity that is The Smiths. Fucken downer closing track but that's Morrissey for ya.

Brilliant album

Esse sim é meu tipo de música!

I am an unapologetic Smiths fan and love this album. I've probably listened to it end-to-end over a dozen times and was happy to do it again. Some of the best bass work and hooks in their oeuvre on this one.

The bass on this is killer. great tone. I never knew that Morissey was my defacto english new wave vocalist. Yea holy cow the bass work is awesome. i like how the album shifts dynamically and it doesn't fail to grab me.

Though a bit heavy handed at times, Meat is Murder is a classic album. Johnny Marr’s clean jangly guitar and Morrissey’s vocals and unique melodies come together seamlessly to create some of the most identifiable music of the post punk/new wave era. This is not my favorite Smiths album, but it is still top notch.

Another brilliant record from The Smiths. The Marr/Morrissey combination is a lightning in a bottle occurrence. Marr is a top guitarist and the music marries perfectly with Morrissey’s lyrics and vocals. A near perfect album to me, with the title track maybe being a bit too heavy handed. Would be even better if it had How Soon is Now on it.

Immediately listened to a different record as soon as this finished, love it

My original introduction to the Smiths in 1985. Morrissey and Johnny Marr are amazing. They don't sounds like anybody else and I've always been intrigued by how Morrissey fits such complex lyrics into the music. Fantastic... even the buzzsaws.

Weirdly, never listened to this before. Should have.

Great album. I love how the songs flow into each other, but it does mean that a couple of them get lost in the sauce. Overall, I prefer The Queen is Dead, but this is still very solid and has 4 or 5 standout tracks. Plus the cover art is 🔥

Barbarism at home is like Кино meets the Killers.

gotta give this top marks despite Moz's worst instincts, esp. as Andy Rourke puts in such sterling work to define their best set of tunes

Dismissed this at first because I played it too quietly; the upfront vocals are not to my taste. Notably, the one song that jumped out on that go was "Barbarianism starts at home", when the vocals sod off for a while. At volume, fantastic, bass Entwhistling away, vocals make a bit more sense.

MARAVILLOSO

Not their best, but as every Smiths album easily 5 stars for this one.

Второй студийный альбом The Smith. Вокал Моррисси, треки How Soon Is Now?, Well I Wonder.

I dropped everything and listened to this. I'm sorry I just love The Smiths. The queen season 4 has better prepared me for the Thatcher references. Clearly #9 was Doja Cat's inspiration for MOOO!

I heard JPEGMafia loved Morrissey so much that he wrote a fan song about him. He seems like a really pleasant vegetarian who must really get along with immigrants to the UK.

Maybe there's some familarity here but after recently listening to a Morrissey album this certainly feels more comfortable. Fave: Meat Is Murder

It's everything I like about The Smiths. Great stuff. Fave track - "How Soon is Now?", if that's allowed. Probably my favourite song of theirs over all. "Meat is Murder" if we're picking from the original tracklist...

Sent me down a rabbithole that lasted several weeks to the point where I've fallen behind on this. Dark and sad, but... sensual?

A true British classic of the time. Morrissey is a bit of a dick now though

This isn't my favorite Smiths album, but I love it anyway. This band is my guilty pleasure away from my heavy metal headbanging.

Fluid guitar play, beautiful melody. Like the "Well I Wonder".

Hey Morrissey SHACK eats lamb chops, what ya gonna do about it?

Great album, strong message... probably one that isn't discussed as openly in many songs/albums but they really go there with the audio

Fantastic. Underrated.

сразу стоит оговориться, что между зэ смитс и зэ кьюр я всегда выбирал зэ смитс, и предложенный альбом на данный моментъ прослушан такое количество раз, что адекватно оценить его уже не получится. но с другой стороны могу понять и негатив, ибо сам, помню, ещё в школе пытался данный альбом слушать и весьма желчно отплёвывался потом, так как душа просила митола и ганста репа. но чем старше становился — тем более проникался группой зэ смиты как явлением — фигурой моррисси, его надменным юмором, гитарной работой джонни марра, тугими и хлестикими басовыми рифами этого. ну, их басиста, короче. И на данный момент этот альбом вижу как один из столпов, на котором впоследствии будет держаться большой кусок более современной и привычной нам музыки, будь то рурок, постпанк, индюшатина и прочее непотребство. Лучше бы не держалось, ну да ладно. Непосредственно из претензий могу дать щелбана только песне Rusholme Ruffians, ибо даже меня она начинает душить под конец своей предсказуемостью и отсутствием интересных фишек. Лучше бы выкинуть её вообще нахой или двинуть во вторую часть альбома. А в остальном — очень крепкий, местами боевой, местами меланхоличный релиз под дождливую погоду и ночные прогулки по ярославским брайтан-бич. Кавер на песню «Перемен» группы Кино я бы вообще включил в десятку любимых песен эвер. 5/5

Might be my favourite Smiths album, and that's saying something. Headmaster's Ritual, What She Said, Barbarism Begins at Home (that bass line KILLS!) and especially Rusholme Ruffians are among The Smiths most underrated songs. Throw in classics like That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Well I Wonder and of course How Soon Is Now and you have yourself a 5 star album.

Classic Smiths

Yes, The Smiths. The Headmaster Ritual is super good. The album as a whole is great. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is on this album. The End. Best Smiths Album. Man, all the songs on this are great.

WT - really enjoyed the music interesting how much random nature sounds are featured. Rain ect

okej album.

My third favourite Smiths album, but still a 5. Was gonna go 4 before listening but the guitar work and lyrics alone make it a 5/5.

4,5

there’s absolutely an element of nostalgia going into this review (my mom loves the smiths), but i really enjoyed this. morrissey is morrissey, but johnny marr has some amazing work on this album. every song sounds similar, but they all sound great so i’m fine with it. the meat is murder track is wild, super into it.

With the exception of the title track, every song on this is excellent

A top-five of all time for me, the soundtrack of my middle school years. This has all of the best songs, and stylistically it’s the most diverse of all their albums.

The best "flat pitch" singing in the business. I love this band. This isn't my favorite album by them, but it contains their two best songs: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, and How Soon Is Now.

Probably the most raw Smiths albums, both lyrically as musically. It's a bit harder and a bit more serious than other albums (even though there's still enough humour to be found) The speedy funky basslines on this album in combination with Marr's incredible guitar-work really get a lot more swing going than on other albums. And Morrissey has things to say about hitting children ("Barbarism Begins At Home"), eating meat ("Meat Is Murder"), Depression ("That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore") Homosexuality and also unrequited love in the absolutely beautiful "Well I Wonder". "Gasping - dying - but somehow still alive this is the final stand of all I am Please keep me in mind" An absolute 5* amazing album, front to finish. Even the lesser songs are top.

amazing album, 10/10 you gotta love The Smiths

Älskar detta album sedan innan

YES!!!!

Mein liebstes Smiths Album. Weiß gar nicht was ich da groß zu sagen muss. Meine fav Tracks hier drauf sind: The Headmaster Ritual, I Want the One I Can't Have, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Well I Wonder und Meat is Murder für die geilen animal sounds!! Grüße meine Mama von der ich die Platte geklaut habe die sie mit 20 gekauft hat

sad bitch sustenance.

Is the best Smiths album? I don't know perhaps not. Is it my favorite Smiths album? yes it is. To me it's the perfect balance of Marr and Morrissey.

One of the new Smiths albums I never bought. But this is a classic Smiths sounding album.

My preferred Smiths album. I don’t even dislike the title track that much, though it’s still a miss in terms of pacing

Faking smithsi i faking vegetarijanci.

Whenever I come across the album and its title, I feel bad because I'm complicit in the death of these succulent creatures. The music, however, doesn't make me feel so bad. This is quite great from front to back, no filler. When the album features songs like The Headmaster's Ritual, This Joke Isn't Funny Anymore and Barbarism Begins at Home, there is no point in feeling that there's a wrong. Everything's just right here.

The first number was already sounding really good, this gave me hope for the rest of the album. It kinda reminded me of a mix between The Dire Straits and David Bowie. Halfway through the album it still sounds great. A bit of 60/70's rock is something I can really appreciate.

Cool album! First time listening to the Smiths. Actually have nothing bad to say.

Haven't listened to this in one sitting for decades. Still an excellent whole of an Album.

My top Spotify artist of 2021, fuck yeah! I can’t get enough of The Smiths. The emotional, social, political intensity of the lyrics with the one-of-a-kind catchy jangly Marr guitar work is a heady and addictive pairing. It’s a killer combo for me every time.