Meat Is Murder

I enjoy listening to the Smiths. A picture of an American soldier in Vietnam graces the cover, with "Meat is Murder" inscribed on his combat helmet. The original photo has the inscription “Make Love Not War” and the actual soldier was unhappy that this band changed the saying for the album. There's a lot of irony in the photo. I enjoyed the tracks "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and "Well I Wonder". Four stars. Great music for hanging out at home, just don't try to explain the cover to your children.

The Smiths are excellent. This album is terrific. 4 stars. Great guitar, both acoustic and electric

Well, I don't love the Smiths. Interesting commentary though

This isn’t a bad album, but I need more than one listen to do it justice. As it is, it’s The Smiths and it’s fine. I also think, given the influence the my had, it’s almost difficult to listen to this now. Certainly, it doesn’t fit into my regular repertoire.

kinda mid

Preachy towards the end but most of what comes before is very good. Details of corporal punishment are a sharp condemnation of uk state schools. Great guitar work all over the album. Great lyrics overall.

Enjoyed this one, but nothing new to me here. Morrissey is witty but not awful, everything is gloriously jangly.

Zakonczenie roku z albumem znanym i lubianym, bo drugi krazek od Smithsow z 85, ktory wydaje sie chyba najmniej sluchanym obecnie albumem bandy, bo lirycvznie sluchac tutaj odejscie od doomerskiej wizji swiata i rozczuwania sie nad wlasnym nieszczesnym losem, a wiecej tutaj aktywizmu spolecznego, czy to pro weganizm, ktory bije juz od samego tytulu krazka, czy krytyki nieudolnosci rzadzacych, bo przeciez wyspiarski album z czasow thatcherowej, albo wytykania wad systemu edukacji, jak na openingowym the headmaster ritual, ale nadal jest to mocno sluchalne nagranie, bo przepelnione charyzma czy raczej poteznym ego pana Morrisseya, co najlepiej slychac na nowhere fast, ktory brzmi jakby juz na swoim drugim krazku czul sie na takiego big szota, juz na drugim krazku zaczeli mocne eksperymenty brzmieniowe, wiec nie jest to jedynie popowe rokowanie jak na debiutanckim materiale, wiecej tutaj samplowania, ktore buduje klimat, jak na well i wonder, a zwlaszcza na tytulowym traku, ktory zamyka album, ktory ma sprawic, ze sluchajacy zajadacz miesa choc na chwile zastanowi sie nad tym czy jego przyjemnosc jest warta mordu, robote robia tutaj rowniez gitarkowanie pana Marra, ktore w outro brzmia niczym rzeznia, funkowe rokowanie z liryka twardo stapajaca po ziemi, podane w wyjatkowo charyzmatycznym opakowaniu, na plejke poza tytulowym utworem leci wspomniany juz nowhere fast, no i przynajmniej dowiedzialem sie ciekawostki dotyczacej okladki tej plyty podczas dzisiejszego odsluchu, bo o ile kojarzylem, ze jest na niej zoldak pewnie z czasow wietnamu, tak nie wiedzialem, ze jest to zreczny retusz, bo orginalny napis na helmie marina kaprala michaela wynna glosil make war not love, robi cie myslacym

not a good album. bad. morrissey is shit. the end.

This is not my jam- but I get why people like them

Okay I thought I hated The Smiths at first. But then grew to like them a bit. But the first impression stuck. Overall I found the album mostly meh but sound good songs at the end.

Kind of blah but it has a point.

Music OK, lyrics OK, Totally ruined by Morrissey's crap voice Musically not as good as the queen is dead

Una mezcla interesante de ritmos. Agradable para relajarse, aunque algunas canciones son muy lentas

Un grup amb el que mai he connectat, i aquest segon disc seu no n’és una excepció

The vocals were pretty shit on this one. Sounds like it's inspired by the punk movement. 2 Overall pretty ok though 3

Not my favorite Smiths album, and I'm definitely sitting here eating murder, but still a classic from my youth.

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

good smiths album

Fuck Morrissey.

Tried once more. Bored again.

Not my favorite smiths album, but still pretty good. I want to do 3.5 or something, but I'm rounding up in this case :) 4/5

Meh

Can’t stand this dudes voice. Like a Rick roll sound

Couldn’t even make it thru

Not bad

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

Not as good as the eponymous debut (the criticism on the latter as being "too pure" is like criticizing Shakespeare plays for being too well structured). Still this is a great record. Driving, gritty and winningly downbeat. The last few cuts really take it from very good to the classic and timeless. "Barbarism Begins at Home" is terrific and the last few minutes of instrumental is a master class in how to give depth and gravity to pop music. Title cut does the same and makes it awfully hard to get off the mind. The lack of a hit was tempered by the fact that "How Soon Is Now" was on the original US release. Today, it reads just as an extraordinarily good record for people serious about serious music.

Great album cover, shame about the album.

The album before they all went a bit too Morrissey. I remember going on an A-Level drama trip to see Alan Bennet's The History Boys at The National Theatre, which included a brilliant use of the song 'Headmasters Ritual' - the standout track of an otherwise 'filler fueled' album.

Peak Smiths, peak Morrissey. An album for Smiths/Morrissey aficionados ... which I am not.

I'm a Smiths fan, and I don't think they ever did a bad album. This is amongst their most lauded, but not one of my favourites, but it has grown on me over the years. Oddly for an 80s album is breaks the accepted formula that groups had at the time - 11-12 songs. 45-50 minutes, 3 singles. This I think was under 40 minutes, 9 tracks and no obvious single amongst them, and I still feel like that. Some good tracks on there. Some beautiful guitar playing by Johnny Marr (the real sound of The Smiths) but not one track which you could see having the ingredients to be a single in their own right.

I’ve listened to one other Smiths album (The Queen Is Dead) which I thought was ok, but it didn’t blow me away. It didn’t make me see Morrissey’s supposed genius, so let’s find out if this album sways me. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: The Headmaster Ritual, Barbarism Begins At Home This album started off strong. I really enjoyed the first couple of songs and the last couple, but the middle was very… well, mid. Morrissey continues to caterwaul nonsense in if faux croon which often makes me cringe with the silliness he spouts - Nowhere Fast highlighted this when he spoke about wanting to flash the Queen. I’m no royalist by any means, but this is a grown man with a litany of fans who call him a genius. I’m fully aware of how contrarian I sound when I say this, and I know everyone would disagree, but I just feel the Smiths would be a better band with a different singer. The rest of the music is generally interesting and fun to listen to until the singing starts. Just my thoughts!

Verkligen deras sämsta skiva

Some good music, but Morrissey still sucks. Its unfortunate for the rest of the band that they are consistently dragged down by an officious asshat.

Meh. They all sound the same but not unlikeable.

Love The smiths I listened a few times

Not my favorite Smiths album, but definitely listenable...

Iconic cover art

Am a vegan but would eat Morrissey

Some of The Smiths' best grooves, but also some of their most meandering and forgettable songwriting

Morrisey is a twat but fuck me The Smiths are good.

Baaaaaaaa 4+/5

Another album that passed me by at the time. I loved The Smiths when they first appeared all over Peel, but my interest waned over time, as they felt a bit same-y after a while. I didn’t mind this, but the songs did sound like Smiths songs, for good or ill. I checked out the lyrics as this played, due to Morrissey’s reputation as a wordsmith. Not bad, but he did / does have somewhat of a preoccupation with death, it seems. The fact he is a first class ar*e these days has stopped me re-evaluating this band and to be honest, this feels to me to be of it's time. A lot of the values and feelings that Morrissey tries to capture and sum up here seem long gone, not least in Morrissey’s ever-narrowing world view. The cabaret version of His Latest Flame didn’t do much to convince me either. I quite liked the closing, title track until the squeaky voices came in. For me, a mixed bag.

I wanted nothing to do with this. More to the point, I wanted nothing to do with Mozza. It's a decent album though from a time when Mozza wasn't being a complete twat. Rusholme has an ACE rhythm going off. I almost danced. Nine songs at 39 minutes is the perfect length for an album. It wasn't quite as strong as I remembered. I'm pleased that I have managed to move on from believing that The Smiths would have a legacy that would last 50 years plus.

This is a minor project in the Smith's discography, but it's still good (only not memorable).

I was never a big fan of the Smiths, but the entire early alternative rock genre has really grown on me in the last several years. Although not at good as The Queen is Dead, I actually enjoyed this album front to back and paused to wonder why I don't listen to more of the Smiths.

Some high points, some filler. Gets a full star extra for the bass outro on Barbarism Begins At Home.

Fuck off Morrissey... lazy melody writing apart from That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore. The rest of the band don't get out of 2nd gear either for most of it.

The Smiths weakest album. Needs more protein. 🥩

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.

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

This was the first album I ever heard from The Smiths, and it's such a pleasure to hear it again in full. The title track, "The Headmaster Ritual," "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore," "I Want the One I Can't Have," "Barbarism Begins at Home," and "Nowhere Fast" are probably my top tracks.

I think I found more value here than in The Queen Is Dead, but I still have a tough time giving it a 4. I love the sound they achieve – it's hard to pull off that distant, droning vocality – but I don't find the spectrum of music to be incredibly diverse across the album, and I'm not sure how I feel about the last track.

I can’t even with morrissey. He’s such a bag of hot fresh turds. That said I’ve heard enough of the Smiths to know that this album is not for me.

The smiths were a very solid british band. Morrissey is a good singer but a relatively shit person. It seems that sometimes that’s just how musicians are. The instrumentals on this are decent and the album isn’t too long but sometimes a bit too pretentious. It was okay overall. 5.7/10

Having wasted my time listening to the album 'The Queen is Dead" when offered it on this list, I am not going to make the same mistake twice. This is their best known album, which is one more reason to avoid it.

The most cheerfully sad bastard music

An edgy album for a teenage vegetarian, shame it's morrissey tho 3 stars

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

Alright, don’t know if I would listen to it again

I feel very judged by this album. So I'm going to judge it right back. Bleh!

Heard it before?: I have Enjoy it?: Yes, it’s essential 90s and so wonderfully written and produced. Best use of animal noises you’ll ever hear in a sample Favourite song: Track 3 - I Want The One I Can’t Have

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.

This is the 2nd or 3rd album I've gotten of theirs and I still am not a fan of them. I couldn't get through the entire album, their music is just not for me.

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 🔥

Man, what a fucking dropoff from The Queen is Dead.

meh

the queen is dead >>>> meat is murder

Lesser album from them that we've had

Just an average album

I like the guitar tones, but his singing is pretty monotone. Great album name!

It shouldn't be controversial to say that Morrissey has one of the best voices of his era, but apparently it is for some. The Meat is Murder album is not my top favorite Smiths albums but has a lot of melodic songs that take me back to the early 90's when I was listening to the Smiths on repeat. It's hard to believe this album dates to 1985 and is only their second! Morrissey had really hit hist stride here and the driving tinny drums and groovy little guitar riffs way behind the vocals that form the mechanics of the trademark sound were already falling well into place. It is an excellent album that would blend well with almost any circumstance. Well I Wonder seems to be the best track on the album, because it has a more thoughtful rhythm, more melancholic passion, and lots of transitions and drops to keep it interesting and multi-dimensional. Overall, excellent.

The music is fine, but can we please replace Morrissey's vocals with with William Hung's. "She bang!"

This is my least favorite smiths album. There are some decent riffs in some songs but upon this listen after decades of not hearing it didn’t evoke any reminiscence in me line usually happens when I hear the smiths. And the gratuitous dubbing of cow screams at the end of the title track is so quintessential morrissey and not in a good way. I’d give it 2 stars except I’m still on a post-Johnny Marr high so it gets extra credit.

"The Headmaster Ritual" isn't too bad... maybe this one will turn around my opinion on The Smiths. Oh, no wait, there it is. "Rusholme Ruffians" undid it all. I just don't like Morrissey. Sorry. Was just about to write about how I enjoy a lot of Johnny Marr's guitar work, and then that thought felt familiar, and sure enough that's what I wrote about "Strangeways, Here We Come." Three Smiths albums in. Are we done yet?

Quote from high school while trying to puzzle through mousetrap car building: Josh: We should make the wheels really big. We could use records. Find a bad Smiths album or something. Sam: There are no bad Smiths albums, Josh.

Not only did I not hate this album, but I actually kind of enjoyed it. I listened to it two times in a row, one after the other, which tells me something. The album title and its track make a clear point of view about carnivorous diets. According to VegNews (https://vegnews.com/2013/6/vegnews-music-week-the-history-of-pop-music-and-vegetarianism), this album was a seminal moment in musical vegetarian activism. So it’s got that going for it. While the bass part on Barbarianism Starts At Home is rad, I’m still not sold on Morrisey’s voice. More so, it’s how he uses it. It’s OK most of the time but at other times it grinds my gears.

Great album, great band.

"Meat is Murder" is the second studio album from The Smiths and the only one to reach #1 in the UK. The Smiths and Stephen Street produced this album which introduced some rockabilly and funk. Some of the lyrics are political although Morrissey does a good job on a number of these songs leaving the lyrics open for multiple interpretations. Similar to their next album "The Queen is Dead," this is the music of a complete band with each member standing out at times. A very, very good album. The album starts strong with "The Headmaster Ritual" and a Echo and the Bunnymen guitar which transitions into more traditional Smiths. Morrissey is getting bullied by his headmaster. He also gets his yodeling going...not the last time. "Rusholme Ruffians" has a rockabilly and funky sound with the bass. Based on the Victoria Wood song "Fourteen Again." "The Joke isn't Funny Anymore" slows things down with a waltz time and acoustic rhythm guitar. The lyrics attack the mockery of depression and suicide. Not the last waltz either. "Barbarism Begins at Home" is my favorite song on side two. Johnny Marr has an obtuse and almost Chic-like guitar. Great bass. An anti-child abuse theme. "Meat is Murder" ends things and expresses Morrissey's vegetarian stance. It's slower and yes a waltz. This album is up there for me with "The Queen is Dead" as The Smiths' pinnacle. Both albums are worth getting, listening to and being in the 1,001.

A good effort, but not the best Smiths album. Worth listening to

No more Morrisey thanks

It's definitely the bridge between their debut and The Queen is Dead, but there's not a lot that stands out for me here. Great playing by Marr, but this is where Morrisey starts to get a bit grating.

There is some great Smiths material, and the album cover is iconic of the time...but listening back on this, while the sound is nostalgic it's not the songs of theirs I revisit.

I've learned that I like The Smiths.

Classic Smiths

The opening track, Headmaster Ritual was so British and sad, and was probably my least favorite from the entire album. Rusholme Ruffians had such an upbeat fun feel, so unlike The Smiths that I am more familiar with, that the rest of the album held.

Another great album by The Smiths, its own unique style make this album kinda in terms of message and meaning but it's a peaceful album. The combination of rhythms give this album its uniqueness, even if us classified it as alternative rock, it's just The Smiths style

It was not bad but it was definitely less enjoyable than the other Smiths' album that was generated here before (The Queen is Dead).

Legenda: 1-Não oiço nunca e se alguém estiver a ouvir penso menos dessa pessoa. 2-Não oiço nunca 3-Não chateia, e se ouvir alguém ouvir, isso não me chateia 4-Oiço várias vezes, se ouvir alguém ouvir -> essa pessoa ganha respeito 5-Sou capaz de ouvir sempre

I liked this...maybe more than The Queen is Dead? I dig the 80s-ness of The Smiths.

It's fine. Morrissey's fine. The Smiths are fine. It's all fine. I don't like it, I don't dislike it, I just want this review to stand once and for all so that I can stop writing down my opinions on Morrissey's sadness. Like, it's good, but it's a fucking bummer that I don't need right now. I also don't need it when I'm sad. Or when I'm happy. Or at all. It's just that, every time I think I'm done being served albums by Morrissey, or Neil Young, or Randy fucking Newman for christsake, then here comes another one. I want to hear music by bands that I've never heard of and be transported to strange new sonic landscapes, not hear Morrissey whine about how he doesn't have a girlfriend, or doesn't like his girlfriend, or whatever his fucking problem is. 3/5 Like I said, it's fine. Everything's fine. Stop asking

Trash

Me gusto solo que es mas como para tener asi de fondo o pasar el rato todo tranquilo

Definitely a moodier alternative to The Queen is Dead. Some real standout tracks like Rusholme Ruffians and Meat is Murder. All in all, though, not as many memorable hooks and catchy songs as what came after.

I had never listened to the Smiths before this but I see why they are considered legendary. Perfect rock-angsty-rainy weather music. The Headmaster Ritual especially stands out, but this album also suffers a bit from repetitiveness. Plus points for political messages ahead of their time, but minus points for Morrissey’s political views later on.

Top, inventive & charming. Songs progress incredibly well and the whole album avoids repetitions. Riffs are surprisingly catchy and the overarching unpolished production makes it a superbly endearing album. Can see how Morrissey's singing could rebuke some, but there's no getting around it if you want to get into the album. Great writing, great album. Best songs: What She Said; That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore; Well I Wonder; Barbarism Begins at Home

We get it you're vegan...just kidding, this one is pretty good. A little more inconsistent than my favorite works by them, but there are still stand-outs here and there, like "I Want the One I Can't Have" and "Nowhere Fast".

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

Al escuchar dos dias seguidos distintos discos de The Smiths me aburrió un poco, me di cuenta que las canciones se parecen a otras de ellos mismos, No es un mal disco, no. pero....

This is my first time hearing the Smiths, and I can see what all the hype is about. Very cohesive album with amazing storytelling, great production, and a lot of interesting concepts I’ll need to relisten to fully digest. I think there’s potential for more variety in sound, think a couple songs with more energy would do it justice, but really fucked with the vibes on this thing (maybe not as depressed as the smiths are though)

MARAVILLOSO

Not my fav. Maybe it’s the Smiths meme but was only so so imo.

Another one where the style is so strong that everyone of their songs sounded the same, but I can appreciate how obvious the style is. Maybe I'll like this more in the future after a few more listens.

I only have two artists blocked on Spotify, and Morrissey is both of them. Unblocked just to listen again. Still a decent enough album if it perhaps feels a bit more "samey" than it used to, it now feels like once you've heard one or two Smiths songs you've heard them all.

It's fine I guess, nothing that stands out too much for me personally. The Headmaster Ritual and Nowhere Fast where a tad bit better than average.

Did not like it at all!

The music was great but the singer wasn't. If the singer was stronger I'd consider a 5 but because he was just okay they have been knocked back to a 4.

4 for johnny marr's guitar playing and arrangements. 0 for morrissey. Averages out to a 2. How I wish there was an an instrumental version so I can enjoy the band in peace without that pretentious twat howling all over the place.

2/5 it was like alright i guess. Maybe 3/5

Not interesting.

Enjoyed the album vibe, no big standouts but overall vibe was good

starting biased because i really like the smiths already, but havent listened to this album the whole way through. halfway in i love it so far. like all of the songs, but favorites are the headmaster ritual and that joke isnt funny anymore. its great. pretty much all of these songs ill be listening to again in some capacity and some are goin in the playlist.

I like my steaks so rare it feels like I'm murdering the meat myself /srs Good album, though Morrissey's vocals sound so dreadfully weepy

Bassline in Barbarism is good. Maybe I’d enjoy it more if I was on the dole in Thatcher era Britain.

It’s the Smiths. Didn’t pay too much attention but nothing stuck out.

OK I guess. My first time listening to the Smiths. It has nice guitar work. I guess I want a little more variations on the types of songs.

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

4.5

Nice album, amazing writing

The Cure лучше.

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.

Why does he sing like he's getting his balls stepped on at random intervals?

J'ai bien aimé. je ne connais pas morissey et les gens semblent le détester... je m'en fou un peu, La guitare et les arrangements sont malade. Barbarism begins at home a un super jam et la guitare est super crisp. Vraiment bien. 4.10 car un peu plus que Strangeways, here we come que j'ai eu sur cette liste.

I wasn’t super into this one but I thought it was good sad 80s alt rock.

Not their best album but fits the mold

Gave this a couple listens and enjoyed the guitar work throughout. The vocal style started to click for me by the end but I'm not a big fan of it. Favorite: The Headmaster Ritual

Several of my friends were big fans of the Smiths and this album back in the day. I found them whiny and unlistenable, so I looked forward to see how my appreciation for them might have evolved since then. It had somewhat. Morrissey didn't seem nearly as whiny (until we got to "I Want the One I Can't Have," but which I found the only truly whiny and unlistenable song). The rest had some interesting lyrics and Morrissey does emote appropriately. What I really noticed was that I appreciated the music behind Morrissey quite a bit, which I assume has a lot to do with Johnny Marr and his guitar. Some really good stuff here. I appreciated this revisit quite a bit, but it's still not really going to be my thing.

Through the first couple of listens, I enjoyed the musical arrangements. I had no complaints, but I couldn't really focus on the lyrics at all. So, I sat down with the specific purpose of viewing the lyrics as I listened. During this lyrics exercise, I found myself uninterested and easily distracted. I would suddenly realize that I had walked into another room not even knowing how many tracks had actually played since I last was reading the lyrics. Then back to the computer and starting over with the last track that I remembered seeing the lyrics for. This routine repeated to make the 40-minute album perhaps a 90-minute event. I don't know if it was the lack of appeal of Morrissey's vocal stylings or the lyrics themselves...but I did still enjoy the musical arrangements...

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.

I heard this sometime back in college at a party, or at least I heard the song "Meat Is Murder." I disliked that experience enough that ever since I was sure I did not like The Smiths. Oops. Although the title track is my least favorite song on this album, I really kind of liked a lot of this. The songs are less whiny and catchier than I thought I remembered. There's a dry wit in a lot of the songs that I enjoyed. A few of the songs surprised me with their tone and quality. The only lingering reservation is I lost interest in some of the songs well before they before they ended. Fortunately the album was peppered with songs I really liked that I was able to ride those out. I'm not a huge fan of The Smiths yet, but I've made some real progress with this listen. Favorites: The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, Well I Wonder, Barbarism Begins At Home

Another album I would not have considered listening to if it weren't for this list.

I have to admit I quite enjoyed this, there's actually some great atmosphere and feel to some of the songs. And I did get to explain to the kids why Morrissey is such a disappointment, and how sometimes when people get older they become embittered and angry.

Pretty good album. I definitely understood the smiths in my mind. I don’t have too much negative to say, it was just missing that secret sauce

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.

Tough one, the Smiths sound great hear, but hard to erase the last twenty or so years of Morrisey being a bell end. Still great album, with some nice xperimental touches.

Not bad but a bit meh

I love a lot of Smiths songs but they aren’t on this one

Wow I love fascism and being a fascist. The smiths

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.

Actually not too bad, but half of the album sounds similar and, well, Morrissey is a moron.

fine for what it is. Most redeeming parts are the guitar parts. Morrissey is really at his most Morrissey (until that solo album about 15 yrs ago).

Revisionist history from the masses, who seemingly have written this album off ever since they learned Morrissey is an insufferable prick. I'm guessing that Morrissey has always been an asshole. He was probably more of a prick when he recorded this album than he has been in recent years. Perhaps these feelings towards Morrissey's personality have allowed listeners to realize this isn't that great of an album. The best song on the album, or at least the American version of this album, is "How Soon is Now?". It's not on the original version, but that song along is worth one rating point. It wasn't on the version in the Spotify link here, so I'm grading accordingly. It turns out I prefer Morrissey's solo output over a lot of the Smiths music I've listened to so far.

It's the smiths...

Huge fan of the Smiths, all of their albums. Some of their most enegetic (Rusholme Syndrome, Barbarism Begins at Home) and most miserable tracks (That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Meat is Murder). Some nice influences like the postpunk "I Want the One" or surf rock "Nowhere Fast." Several weak songs, but it's pretty solid, and I love the Morrissey's yearning vocal style, his introspective lyrics, and the mix of New Wave synths and jangly guitar. Would listen again as with the rest of their discography.

Regrettably very good

I want to start by saying: Fuck Morrissey The Smiths are the centerpiece of jangle pop. They obviously did something special in the 80's, taking driving, gated drums of post-punk and combining it with some of the old-school 50's and 60's styles of pop/rock songwriting. The result is a sound that is equally nostalgic as it is innovative. The Smiths wrapped up this sound in their frankly fantastic songwriting to provide some of the best sounds of the 80's. The signature Smiths' sound is steeped in a sort of longing sadness. It's something I'm not a personal fan of, but it's hard to deny it's potency as excellent songwriting. The whole album is fine-tuned for a cohesive sound that delivers in spades.

So much good music in this world, yet: How many more times is this list going to force me through the mire of enduring Morrissey's annoyingly whiny voice? Not to mention its bland and boring wrapper. I expect much better than this, 1001 Album Generator.

Listened to on 8/21/22 3/5 Favorite song: what she said Good album but nothing super memorable - the Smiths are great

The precursor to modern day indie music in the 80’s. An enjoyable and quick album to listen through. Favorite song I think was I Want the One I Can’t Have.

Great album! In particular, I loved the electric, upbeat songs. Nowhere Fast was probably my favorite track. I also loved the theme of the last song. Very interesting and sort of spooky.

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...

7/10. Decent, his singing gets wearing after a while though

For a second there I swear they were getting funky. Not quite as good as The Queen is Dead. 7/10

Disappointing, but not awful. Sounds like typical The Smith's, but only a few memorable songs. Not as enjoyable or memorable as the first album or Queen is dead or Strangeways or Hatful or Louder or Risk... (Not very fair to give lower than three, but it just doesn't seem as good as their other LPs).

Tja, zodra ik de stem hoor lijken alle nummers ineens veel te veel op elkaar. Sorry Smiths-fans

The Smiths was ik net de laatste tijd veel aan het draaien (na de vorige keer dat ze hier in de lijst stonden), maar deze plaat kende ik nog niet. Weer tof, maar niet zo tof als The Queen is Dead, maar misschien nog wat langer proberen.

Ik heb een zwak voor The Smiths, maar dit vind ik wel hun minste album tot nu toe.

Ik krijg niet snel genoeg van de Smiths. Ook dit album is weer tof, maar niet hun beste naar mijn mening. (en in deze lijst hebben we ze nu wel vaak genoeg voorbij horen komen, toch?)

Woke hoor.

Rock blandito. Medio pop

Non mi lascia nulla, tra il 2 e il 3

Best Song: Nowhere Fast. A short song that hits the marks it needs to and then leaves, kicking along at a decent pace that serves as a useful counterpoint against the sleepy, echoing vocals. The lyrics also have an existential melancholy that I wish more of these wispy 80s vocalists would dive headfirst into. "I think about life and I think about death, and neither one particularly appeals to me." Worst Song: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore. Everything about this song sounds whiny. For everything that was right about the previous song, it is wrong here. Overall: Back in the British 80s I see. Not much to like overall. There is the occasional interesting track, but it's mostly just that big, echo-y vocal affect over top simple and straight forward instrumentation. I also don't understand why bands leave their longest (often most bloated) tracks to the end of the album. When the last few songs are significantly longer than the others in the album, it makes the album feel like it's dragging on and that the artist was padding for time.

Always a cool sound from the Smiths, especially considering the time period they were active, but this album lacked the grassroots sound that I preferred in their other works.

Unfortunately an album that seemed very monotonous to me, every song sounded very similar and didn't have much going on

Just not a Morrissey fan

Can't say I enjoy The Smiths. I find most of their music dull and uninteresting barring a few great songs. Definitely won't be listening to this again.

I remember how big this group was in my teens and college years, and how Morrissey got a lot of airplay too. The music is fine -- I like when the rockabilly influences show up especially -- and the musicians play superbly well, but I'm afraid I don't think I like Morrissey's singing voice. But I'm not sure, honestly. I didn't dislike it back then -- I think I had a higher tolerance for it because it was quite different from most rock/pop singers of the decade -- but now I kind of find it a bit grating. At the same time, it's still intriguing and his lyrics are interesting. Totally makes sense to have this album listed here. I am not sure I'll listen to it again any time soon, though.

Whiney Kermit-voiced fuckwit. Jesus Christ.

Todella tylsä levy ja omaan korvaan laulaja ei toimi ollenkaan.

No tätä samaa osastoo taas. Ei lisättävää

Not too familiar with The Smiths' albums despite knowing dozens of their tracks - including, on this occasion, the excellent Headmaster Ritual, I Want the One I Can't Have and That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (the point's been made to death, but how someone can write lyrics so sympathetic as the latter and turn into such an unsympathetic character himself is baffling...) As for the new discoveries: mostly pretty good. Some good up-tempo numbers on there like Barbarism Begins at Home and Nowhere Fast. It's a good album but lacking something that would elevate it to greatness. 3.5

I was enjoying a Deluxe chicken dinner, a Sudbury speciality, when I turned my mind to Meat is Murder.  While I like the songs more on the Smiths 1st album, Marr's guitar playing is stellar on Meat is Murder.   Post listen I'm off to Tarini's to get one of their signature porchetta roast. Meat is Murder is a dam good album but I guess I missed the point..

Morrisey's voice is much more palatable with Johnny Marr's guitars underneath. He's such a creative and diverse rhythm guitar player - compare "What She Said" to "That Joke isn't Funny Anymore". "How Soon Is Now" isn't on this (UK) release and even though I'm so tired of that song, it would have earned one more point.

It’s too bad this isn’t an instrumental album because Johnny’s excellent guitar playing is Marred by Morrisey’s brooding, whining voice.

I think The Smiths are a really specific type of music but I really like it, personally.

Shannah finds off key singing annoying. But some redeeming qualities and decent songs. (2/5) Jane thinks he's a bit whinging. Morrisey should stop being so negative, there's enough misery in the world without him adding to it. (2/5) Morrisey makes the music samey even when it's not. (2/5) Bill realises she's photographed all the objects with the wrong labels. (1.5/5) (1.875/5)

comfortably the least interesting smiths album. headmaster ritual is wasted on this album. when you tell people you listen to the smiths and they respond with "its so depressing", they are referring to this era of morrissey.

Morrissey, is that you again? Meat is Murder? Are you going to stand behind me again, greasing up your penis, ready to put it inside me? Your big meaty fleshstick right up inside me? You sick vegetable bumming racist.

SHACK strangling Scott in album form.

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

The Smiths tend to sway from good to meh for me, but I enjoyed this album a good bit. Favourites: "Nowhere Fast", "Well I Wonder", "Barbarian Begins at Home"

Generic mid-80's pop/rock. There is not a single memorable melody line, and every song sounds like the other, arrangement-wise. Boring. 2/5

Fuck Morrissey! But I do really really enjoy The Smiths. This is not my favorite of their albums, but it still is a very enjoyable album. Johnny Marr is an amazing musician and to be able to write as good of songs as they did without being in together while they write is so impressive.

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

The bass line on Barbarism Begins at Home slaps. Also fuck Morrissey.

Pretty good.

Morrisey is murder

good voice, bad man

4.25

One great speciality of the British songwriter, one we Brits especially appreciate in our songwriters, is the teller of the uncomfortable truth. One can see shades of it in Mick Jagger, Roger Waters and Damon Albarn, rather more so in John Lennon and Shaun Ryder, and signally in Ray Davies, John Lydon and Jarvis Cocker. However, no British songwriter has embodied this archetype as eminently as Morrissey, the eccentric, catty, wilfully contrarian yodeller of 80s indie codifiers The Smiths. Indeed, pointing out (his version of) facts most would rather cold-shoulder became his songwriting raison d'être. Of course, this stance seems a dangerous one to hold; several of the figures mentioned have struggled with the consequences of an audience expecting a perpetual heckler shouting that he can see the emperor's knob, and I'd argue that this is a significant reason why Morrissey has pissed all over his reputational chips in recent time. But anyway, Meat is Murder, the second Smiths album, offers no extreme departures from the standard Smiths aesthetic. This is not a disparagement; the Smiths had a set palate of some variation (glam-tinged jangles, rockabilly stompers, histrionic wails of despair (their forte)), so they had no real need to go beyond it. Also, the Smiths were rather good at what they did, so we have a rather fine collection of songs. The songs themselves are split between the sardonic, the comic and the tormented; of course, the best song on the album, The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, belongs in the last category. But note that the jokes on the album often work rather well: I'd like to drop my trousers to the queen Every sensible child will know what this means The poor and the needy Are selfish and greedy on her terms It made me laugh. However, I don't think I call give Meat is Murder five stars. Yes, it's because it just lacks that pinch of spice to complete the recipe. And yes, I should mention that the title track is the weakest on the record, but not for its vegetarian screed; the song is musically a experiment that doesn't really work. A noble misstep, but still a misstep. J.K. Rowling's favourite band is the Smiths.

sad bitch sustenance.

Not great, not terrible. Some interesting songs but the masterpieces are lacking. Then there’s Morrissey. I hate him but he is a master wordsmith - witnessed in probably the most elegantly put vegetarian call to arms title track: ’And the flesh you so fancifully fry Is not succulent, tasty or kind It's death for no reason And death for no reason is Murder’ And the whole album is littered with brilliant turns of phrase - as is typical of whatever this fucker writes. Begrudgingly few people are of this caliber - maybe Ray Davies? As much as I love the big Smiths songs - I never had the patience to sit through the albums in depth in the past - and while im sure there are some greats - this one is average.

Not a genre I can listen to intently. Kind of average?

Solid

I remember how thrilling this album was when it first came out, just before I graduated from university. It seems to explode out of the blocks with The Headmaster Ritual and never lets up. Wonderful.

Pretty decent pop rock record. The Smiths are surprising in the way they can craft fun, poppy songs with such dark subject matter. I know that Morrissey is a good singer, and the band wouldn’t have existed without him, but I’m just not that much a fan of his voice. This is where the poppy songs clash slightly, as the vocals sometimes prevent a full connection with the song.

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

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

Chock full of a tasty blend of malaise and melancholy

Too much whine. Seemed constantly just missing the mark, close to being really good.

Faking smithsi i faking vegetarijanci.

okej album.

Moz spittin

The sound of the feeling of chewing a towel.

I just can't get on with Morrisey's vocals, I find them really grating!

I think this is the Smiths highest charting album. it's also my least favourite.

I've never listened to this Smiths album before. Sonically, it is very similar to the Queen is Dead, which I know well and love. On first listen, it seems to lack some of the humour and immediacy that contributes to that album's greatness. I guess it's difficult to find vegetarianism that funny or interesting. Having said that, the title track is unintentionally hilarious in its earnestness. 3.5/5

Estilo definido, pero demasiado parejos, monocordes, todos los temas. Básicamente, la misma base. Pop sencillo

meh

not that interesting

I enjoy the smiths once in a while. Their sound is pleasant to listen to. Not my favourite album but it is okay. Favourite songs: - The headmasters ritual - That joke isn’t funny anymore

It is one thing to generate a new genre of music. It is another thing to expect that genre to last forty years and have it still be relevant or interesting. The Smiths are difficult. It's hard to not appreciate the talent behind them, and they genuinely do have some very good tracks to their name. However, precisely none of them are on this album, which makes it quite perplexing as to why it's also one of their better regarded ones. It's almost passé to dick on The Smiths now, but one cannot help but dick on them. Maybe if I were born 15 years earlier, maybe if I was miserable, maybe if some of their actually good songs were on this album, I might rate it highly. But none of these things hold to be true.

Good album, Morriseys voice is fantastic. Interesting funky undertones too.

Great album!

Didn't care for it.

I’m a huge fan of The Smiths, but have never understood the fuss around this album. A slightly weaker collection of songs than large swathes of their output - not sure they ever put out an album that really did their catalogue justice. Still a favourite band, but something missing or something I’m missing on this one.

I’m a big fan of the Queen is Dead, first time listening to this album, it’s also very good but just not as good as their best work. Standard caveat everyone has to make now when praising the Smiths…”Just a shame Morrissey turned out to be a complete arse.”

Some surprisingly good basslines! Morrissey's voice is not my jam though.

Never listened to these guys before (though I had heard of them). Surprised to find...I really liked it! Unlike yesterday (Grateful Dead album), where I kept forgetting that I was even listening to anything, this one wouldn't let my mind wander - Kept demanding my attention with cool things, convincing me that it would be worth my time to listen and try to figure out what the songs were about.

As Tom said to me, the singer’s voice is the progenitor for all “hipster/indie bullshit” and I do love my hipster/indie bullshit. While not quite something I would listen to on my own, this is the closest to the kind of music I enjoy of the albums so far.

I like the Smiths in general, despite Morrissey being a piece of shit, so expecting to like this. Headmaster Ritual -- classic Smiths, a bit formulaic if you've heard their other stuff but I like it Rusholme Ruffians -- a little different; kinda dig it I wnt the one I can't have -- again, pretty classic Smiths, a bit too familiar What she said -- same as above; feel like this is minor, derivative Smiths for the most part Nowhere Fast -- another kind of more fun upbeat one Well I Wonder -- also a little more interesting than the others Barbarism Begins at Home -- like this one a bit more too Meat is Murder -- decent song, and pretty intense lyrics

I enjoyed this one. I was working so not listening super closely, but it had some catchy riffs and I found myself tuning in more than with other albums. This is one that I wouldn't mind hearing again. I wasn't really listening to the lyrics but I think I get the gist.

Not my style

I don't listen to The Smiths.

ok

They did much better.

All in all a less self-serious effort, which suits the sound. The downtempo cuts aren't for me, but the songs feel essential and the musicians all have their chops.

Not a fan

Facts

Idk man ja sku nästan villa ge en femma!!! Anyways deras bästa album…. Ingen keps….

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

Helt bra album men int lika bra som the Queen is Dead och title tracken är snudd på pinsam, så otroligt melodramatisk fast jag själv inte äter kött. Gör man en protestsång borde den inte få vara så här predikande.

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.

LOVE Johnny's dreamy guitar sound. "Barbarism" is such a cool song. The guitars on the title track are downright spooky. Solid rhythm section too. Morrissey's voice is quite nice (although there were a couple moments it irked me a tiny bit on this album) The Smiths >>> The Cure I like the album, but it doesn't feel QUITE on the same level as the "Queen is Dead" for me. A few of the songs feel a bit too long for what they're worth, but they're all pleasant. The more that internet warriors call Morrissey a terrible person, the more I like him. I'm so fatigued by ppl calling artists pRoBLeMaTic that I think the controversial ones are the coolest ones after all. I'm bored of all the tame basic celebs who tailor every single thing they say to fit the current zeitgeist of socially acceptable opinion. The internet is full of self-flagellating losers who spend their time searching for outrage instead of contributing to society if you look up "i love morrissey" all the top search results are explaining why so many Latin Americans love Morrissey?? What lmfaooo

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.

I wanted to give this a 3, on the logic that the cool instrumentals balance out the excruciating vocals. And I was happy with that, but I realised on the last track that the rest of the lads are at least complicit in letting Morrissey get all preachy about me enjoying a bacon sarnie. So 2 stars it is.

The glory days before Morrisey was a right wing dick and he made such charming music…

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

amazing album, 10/10 you gotta love The Smiths

I like a few songs by the Smiths but not these ones.

Ok, Morrissey I get it I'll stop eating meat

mehh

Kinda dull rock stuff

I liked it!

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.

The Smiths have some brilliant tunes. Not many of them are on this album.

This album is the second from the rock band The Smiths, and is their only album to reach number 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It's an alternative rock album with messages about politics and vegetarianism. I thought the songs on this album, other than the title track, were just decent and easily forgettable. The music could very well be from any alt rock group from the UK in the 80's. But instead this album became popular because of its messages during its time.

Decent. Nothing exciting

Nothing special. I'm glad I listened to it again, but I never got the love for The Smiths.

It's a unique sound but I don't really care for Morrissey. The album was a bit all over the place. Prefer a rawer punk sound.

heard it

Je découvre tranquillement le groupe et l’apprécie de plus en plus. La version US de l’album ainsi que les rééditions UK entre 1992 et 2011 incluent comme pièce no 6 How Soon Is Now?, ma meilleure pièce des Smiths. Le reste de l’album n’est pas aussi fort que cette pièce, mais les guitares de Johnny Marr sont intéressantes. Probablement pas le plus accessible des albums des Smiths. L’ajout d’effets sonores est aussi intéressant. Pièce préférée (ajoutée sur la version US): How Soon Is Now? (Probablement la meilleure pièce du groupe) Pièce préférée sur l’album original: Meat is murder

Love the Smiths

I really enjoyed the overall message of the album, I did feel like some of the songs did blend together though but enjoyable nontheless.

Very much enjoyed this album. It has a very recognizable sound and brought me right back to the 80s!

Curiós que el que es podria considerar pitjor dels quatre discos oficials de la banda estigui a la llista. Sigui com sigui es millor que el 30% d'ella

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

What a classic. Comes in just under forty minutes. No filler.

Morrissey es conocido por ser uno de los mejores letristas del panorama musical. Estupendo. ¿No podría recitar sus poemas en vez de cantarlos? Su forma de cantar siempre me ha resultado de lo más molesto. Parece un niño burlándose de otro, ridiculizándolo o ignorándolo. El típico cántico que dice «habla cucurucho que no te escucho». Se hace muy pesado escuchar un disco entero así. De hecho, en el himno vegano que es la canción que da nombre al álbum se escuchan mugidos y balidos que se agradecen. “The Headmaster Ritual” suena como una desvencijada cama de muelles. El ritmo de “Barbarism Begins at Home” me recuerda a “Suck It To Me” de Almodóvar y McNamara, pero no tiene esa frescura. La única que se puede encontrar en este disco está en “Well I Wonder”, donde el cantante se lo toma más en serio y produce melodías vocales hacia el final de la canción que sí son placenteras, lo cual da todavía más rabia; se ve que el hombre sabe hacerlo bien pero no le suele apetecer. En general, no entiendo cómo los fans de The Smiths aguantan esa voz aunque supongo que la clave está en la repetición. Seguro que si escuchas un sonido de cadena de bicicleta saliéndose de la rueda ciento cincuenta veces seguidas, le acabas pillando el gusto. O eso o te tiras de un puente.

Good stuff, notwithstanding any personal impressions of Morrissey

Ziemlich gutes Ding, gibt aber besserer Smiths Alben

hate to say it aber sehr sehr gut und abwechslungsreich, als ich das zum ersten mal gehört hab fand ich's nicht so gut im vergleich zu the queen is dead Aber heilige scheisse meat is murder (der song) ist der schlechteste song den man ans ende packen würde, kommt nicht ansatzweise an jeden beliebigen anderen song dran 8/10

ein paar gute songs sind schon dabei. die ganze ästhetik und dieser typ von jangle pop mit immer gleichartigen gitarrenriffs geht mir aber spätestens nach 4 tracks soo auf den geist... mal abgesehen von der person morrisey fand ich den gesang hier auch nicht wirklich ansprechend...

Noch ein letztes Mal bevor die Grünen es verbieten: Das Album

Barbarim Begins At Home ist der beste Die Schmitts Song

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

Solides Album wobei keiner der Songs an ihre größten Hits herankommt. Johnny Marr und Andy Rourke liefern wie gewohnt ab während sich Morrissey zwischen gesanglichen und lyrischen Glanzleistungen und unerträglich sein bewegt. Highlights sind für mich Well I Wonder und I want the one that I can't have.

Ok also fands ganz nett paar coole momente aber hat mich nicht so mitgenommen unterm Strich , werde Ranking system anpassen glaube weil wenn ganz nett weiter 3-4 ist staucht sich das ganz komisch

„It’s very obvious that meat eaters don’t like it because it forces them to think about the ethics of their choices.“ ich glaub das ist jetzt mein Lieblingsalbum von den Smiths. Erinnert mich iwie ziemlich an viele der Sachen die bei Creation Records Anfang der 80er rausgekommen sind. Auch wenn man hier imo keine Hits findet ist das Gesamtpaket für die Verhältnisse der Band extrem abwechslungsreich und spaßig

This is not a rant or an hysterical bombast. It is a polite and calmly measured request: Would you please stop mentioning my name in your reviews? Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music? If you can, would you please just leave me out of it? The fact is: you don’t know me. You know nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings. Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts. In diesem Sinne solides Dinge was so klingt wie die meisten anderen Smiths sachen was widerum based ist was widerum auch die Lust geschmälert hat weil ich das am wenigsten kenne und bisschen übersätigt bin über die letzten Jahre. Hat für mich nach Gefühl weniger Outstanding Songs so insgesamt. 3,5

nicht das beste smiths album in der liste, trotzdem einige enjoyable tracks (I Want the One I Can’t Have, Nowhere Fast, Barbarism Begins At Home). ganz cool ist der „field recording“ aspekt von dem album, inhaltlich passende geräusche zu samplen, aber es fühlt sich wie eine nur halbgar ausgeführte idee. der title track enthält natürlich einen komplett dämlichen take zum abschluss. strong 3 to light 4 sozusagen.

Clasicc Smiths. Their sound is unique and with Morrissey’s lyrics and Marr’s jangling guitars it a perfect combination. One of Manchester’s finest

Unpopular opinion: I can't stand Morrissey's voice.

Absolutely not.

A personal classic, Meat is Murder is a study-work companion since graduation. I enjoyed the opportunity to revisit this album and listened during my thesis research. Still a favorite!

Ugh. A star for guitar talent.

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

Quite a progressive album from The Smiths for the time it was released. There is clearly a lot of underlying dissent to the archaic way Morrissey was treated in school and yet it's also very forward thinking, contrary to the popular sentiment of eating meat as well as jokes at other's expense not being ok. Best: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore Worst: Nowhere Fast

Genre: Jangle Pop 4/5 Another solid entry from a group I’ve since grown quite fond of. While I don’t find it better or worse than Strangeways, it manages to hit all of the same buttons as the last one did. The arrangements are well done, some really tremendous bass work on this, and Morrissey sounds great in this one too. Well I Wonder is one of my new favorite songs, as well as the kickass opener, The Headmaster Ritual, and I don’t even mind the experimental title track. These guys certainly carried the torch passed along from the Beatles well. Really solid album.

Morissey's voice is annoying. This whole album is annoying.

Peppy little thing. Great beats decent lyrics.

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.

idk never heard of em but i like the sentiment. Pretty boring tho

There was a time when I couldn't stand The Smiths, but these albums - the albums of the 80s anyway - really hit for me now. Morrissey's voice still hits me as whiny and he doesn't seem like that great a guy nowadays, maybe. But I kind of love how tight the music is and how sloppy the lyrics are. It works for me.

Putting aside what a blooter he is, I simply don't like Morrissey's voice. Some of the music here is pretty fun, but struggling to hear quite what all the fuss is about. Never really given The Smiths a chance before because I've always considered them for soft lads. And, eh, not bad, but not mindblowing

Don't kill me, but I've yet to go all-in on The Smiths in my life and I'm not sure I ever will. I don't dislike them. Not at all. But I haven't had that eureka moment yet with this band, for whatever reason. I want to! I dig the voice, like the guitars, and could listen to "How Soon is Now?" on repeat. But whenever I've tried to listen to a whole album... the songs just don't completely win me over. : ( And speaking of singers who have pissed off their fans with their politics, how good are "Holy Wars" and "Hangar 18" on that Megadeth album? I could chop the thing off right there and it would get 5 stars from me. Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything else that quite reaches the level of those two, but still... freaking love how the guitars sound on that record. Maybe 3 and 1/2 stars?

Mjög góð, ætti að hlusta á þessa oftar

The title alone makes me not want to listen to this. The music itself is fine. I think I like this more than The Queen Is Dead overall, even though The Queen Is Dead has higher highs. Still not enough to push it to a 3.5.

In line with what I’d expect from The Smiths / Donovan - fast strummed high guitar parts, solid singing that hangs out on the dominant of the chord most of the time.

Classic Smiths. Not really my bag, but still enjoyed listening. Some songs seem to sound the same.

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.

I thought The Queen Is Dead was much better.

I found this album very annoying.

Even more mehhh than the last Smiths album.

Johnny Marr is great, and Morrissey has a fantastic voice. I could do with out the social justice message.

I liked this one, very catchy despite going against a lot of things I like. The vocals- something dreamier must exist, yet they’re still strangely enjoyable

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

ok sound