Reviews (page 8 of 14)
At the time it came out I liked it but now when I listen I think what a whiner.
The atmospheric sound on some of these songs mixes well with the rockabilly quality on others. The Smiths are a band that no other band can quite sound like.
Distinctive sound: Bright, hazy guitars with low & emotional vocals. Nice as a vibe for particular moods. The whole thing kind of runs together. No standout individual songs. Enjoyed listening while driving for the most part - hated the last (and unfortunately title) track.
I love The Smiths.
Classic Smiths.
mid
Growing up in rural New South Wales, I was drawn towards the sprawling, dying, broken vistas of Bruce Springsteen. Towns filled with people who had been left behind. Who had suffered merely for being born. The rusted out cars perfectly captured the illusion of freedom, but the reality of economic bondage. I’ve been to villages and towns which once thrived in frugal comfort, with now empty courthouses, police stations, hospitals. The victims of neoliberalism, but also neglect from older systems. Once vibrant communities were now isolated individuals with no prospects. You might have been born to run, but you were in the badlands mister. Best try and purge yourself in the river. The Smiths never appealed to me then. Whinging poms. Moaning about this and that. Four hours from London. It took me at least 5 to get to Sydney, then a long plane flight to get anywhere interesting. The mofos could just hop on a train and get to London. I suspect it was a city/country thing at least in Australia. City kids resonated with the Smiths. Country kids with Bruce. But I also realise that even if I’m right there’s a million exceptions on both sides. As I’ve aged though, I realised: 1) the arch whinging Pom, the racist, small minded bigot that is Morrissey could write a lyric. And Johnny Marr is a great player. Andy Rourke was an incredible bassist. Possibly a better bassist than Marr was a guitarist. That is saying something. Mike Joyce is tremendous on drums and percussion. And remember I was never really taken with this stuff so they must be good. This album or really this band had a profound effect on many people, and I see their struggle as they try and reconcile the Morrissey that seemed to express their lives perfectly once and the rancid gobshite he’s become. That generation of kids who could relate to a lonely orphan under the stairs have similar complicated feelings towards J K Rowling. This album should be on the list. Taking out its long term context, it remains everything it was supposed to be. Adding in the context does ruin it I think. So 5 out of context, minus 4 for its context. So we’ll give it a 3.
Tom Ewing in Pitchfork wrote: "Your reaction to the Morrissey cult of personality is still likely to determine your reaction to the band as a whole-- grotesquely unfair on guitarist Johnny Marr though that is. It's thanks to him that everything the Smiths did is worth hearing, even when his lyricist is having an off day. His range and ambition as a composer widened through the band's life, and his contributions remained consistently stellar." There certainly are plenty of fawning reviews out there, completely besotted with Morrissey's words of unmatched genius. Personally, I find Morrissey to be a insufferable prat. He always was, and it seems like every year that goes by, he goes even further to prove it. He was always pretentious and contemptuous of everyone around him, and a pretty shit singer to boot. Most of his 'melodies' consistent of loudly shifting back and forth between two or three notes. Johnny Marr, however, I have a lot of time for. I credit much of The Smiths reputation as classic band to his work. But this album just doesn't have their best songs. They released a staggering number of strong singles in their four year existence, and none of them are on this album. I know there are critics that sing the praises of songs on the record, but they are only great if your were already convinced that the album is a work of staggering genius-- it's a circular argument. To quote Scroobius Pip: "The Smiths, just a band". And Meat is Murder is just an album, a pretty average album. With fucking Morrissey on it, so that's a star off.
Was Morrissey the first Emo? He certainly wasn’t a Goth…
Heard it before. I know for lots of people this is their favourite Smiths album but it's my least fave </3 Still, it's The Smiths and Barbarism Begins At Home is on this album so I can't complain 3/5
Ate a chicken sandwich while listening and felt bad
Thinking thinking 134
Just not a Smiths guy. I don't get it. Dont enjoy Morrisey's voice, don't connect with the emotion of the songs, and basically think they're a poor man's British REM. Quality guitar work and solid songwriting, but not for me at all.
Meat Is Murder finds The Smiths at a crossroads, caught between their scrappy debut and the polished brilliance that would define their later work. Johnny Marr’s guitar work is as inventive as ever, with intricate riffs that could make you rethink your entire relationship with the instrument. Morrissey, meanwhile, delivers his signature, often polarising vocals with a mix of vulnerability and biting wit, but his political diatribes sometimes feel a little too preachy for their own good. It’s clear the album is striving for something bigger, but the production, with its thin drums and heavy reverb, occasionally drags it down, making it feel stuck in a bygone era. Still, Meat Is Murder stands as a vital, if imperfect, step in The Smiths' evolution. While it doesn’t quite reach the emotional depth or polish of their later work, tracks like "The Headmaster Ritual" and “Barbarism Begins at Home” prove the band’s ability to innovate within their confines. The album’s thematic ambition is commendable, but its sonic limitations leave it feeling less timeless than the rest of the band’s catalogue. it’s still a must-listen for anyone wanting to understand where The Smiths were headed and a reminder that even legends have their rough drafts.
Morrissey is a twat. Now thats out the way, this is a good album musically, Johnny Marr is inspired and the rhythm section of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce are tight, but Morrissey is still a twat...
Sounds like The Smiths, but just not quite as many bangers as the previous album I had of theirs.
Really good, was great to listen to at work.
prefer other smith albums but of course love “i want the one i can’t have”
I first heard a Smiths' song when Radiohead covered the Headmaster's Ritual- and so this is the first album I looked for, and it remains my favorite of the four Smiths albums (though some of the singles might eclipse any of the material here). It's a great record- Barbarism begins at home is a bit overlong, and from the first 8 tracks that's the only bad thing I can muster. Most of the album is so great in fact that the lumbering, preachy, joyless, maudlin album closing vegan dirge that somehow became the stupid title of the record- not even that colossal piece of shit can stain the rest of the record. it does take a star off though. I mean, fuck industrial capitilist farming for it's cruelty to animals and it's degridation of all our food quality as well. but vegans can bite it too; nature is cruel, I don't care for it myself, but all of natural slection is red in tooth and claw. Have as many cries about it as you like, the universe is stubbornly indifferent.
1. ritual - 1.5 2. ruffianz - 1 3. uuant - 1.5 4. zhe - 1 5. joke - 1 6. fazt - 1.5 7. uuonder - 1.5 8. barbarizm - 1.5 9. murder - 1.5
Oh look, the second Smiths album that's popped up for me this week on this website. The author must really have a hard-on for Morrissey. It's good. Or is it great? Or somewhere in between... fuck if I know. I was a twinkle in my mother's eye in the mid-80s, not listening to 80s Britpop doing mountains of coke in the club while questioning the meaning of my life.
Great smiths record. The bass playing is at its best and headmasters ritual remains goated
Good stuff. Feel similarly to other smiths albums. They’re a song band not an album band. When I listen to too much of their stuff together it begins to blur. So unfortunately not my fav but has some really incredible songs.
Same same same
So glad I gave this a chance. I really enjoyed this album. Great guitar tones
No hi ha hits pero hi ha una idea i els hi suma més i tot!
Oh moaning Morrissey. Love this album.
Mid 1980's Brit-rock. Kind of whiny but fun nonetheless
Another solid album from a shit person. Still don't know how people think this is better than the Cure. 6/10
Is Morrissey an insufferable cunt? Absolutely. He is also one of the great lyricists of all time? Absolutely. I don’t even agree with the title track but it’s still beautiful. I Don’t This Joke Funny anymore is a classic. 8.5/19
Johnny Marr is just so amazing
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌘 (4.5/5 Moody Morrisseys) This is The Smiths at their most bleak, bratty, and brilliant. It’s a melodic existential crisis served with jangle-pop guitars and enough poetic bitterness to ruin your lunch and your worldview. It’s not here to comfort you—it’s here to make you uncomfortable in beautiful ways. There are no bops here. There are melancholic marches, sarcastic ballads, and Morrissey monologues disguised as songs. Johnny Marr’s guitar work sparkles like sadness in the sun, while Morrissey floats above it all like an emotionally repressed ghost in a thrift-store blazer. This isn’t an album—it’s emotional passive-aggression with a rhythm section.
Morrissey is super mopey. The Smiths are slightly less mopey. It's an noticeable improvement. Title track is pretty shitty.
'Belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools / Spineless bastards all'; 'On the day that your mentality / catches up w/ your biology'; 'Happening in mine, happening in mine.' Only the final song, which is an experimental gem, has anything to do with vegetarianism, but the themes of cruelty and empathy run powerfully thru the entire record. It's not an album that I look forward to returning to, however, even tho Marr is incredible on 'What She Said,' and Morrissey's lyrics are no less impactful. It may be that it's too dark, too despairing in the end, not joyfully cynical. W/ the exception of 'Barbarism Begins at Home,' which vigorously bears witness to the catch-22 of a vicious school system, no track here properly gets me going.
I fuck with the Smiths heavy. Meat is murder is one of the classics and really good.
Ste, Ste, Ste. Ste, we get it - you were subjected to corporal punishment at school and didn’t like it. A lot of people were, and I’m going to say most of them didn’t like it either. You aren’t special. I quite like a The Smiths, but I have to admit it’s in an Alan Partridge-esque “Very Best of The Smiths” kind of way. Give me the good tunes, filter out the filler - I think the fact that only ‘That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore’ is regularly anthologised in best ofs kind of sets out where I stand on this. No better than ok, the self-titled debut and The Queen Is Dead are both far superior.
The Smiths always kinda bring me down but there's nothing wrong with them. Just not my cup of tea
Bell
Not at good as expected
Lyrically this is great, I just don't enjoy the music at all ;(
I always enjoy the smiths but I don't think this is their best album. Not their worst either
This album is full of great songs and was massively influential on indie music in the UK.
This is a great lyrical record with Morrissey penning some of his best lyrics across this release.
Decent
En terme des Smiths, c'est pas le pire. J'ai toujours de la misère avec la voix du chanteur, mais il me gosse moins que les premières fois. Bref, c'est du post-punk, jsuis pas la bonne personne pour en faire l'éloge malheureusement
Pretty good effort from the Smiths. It sounds a bit more like they're coming into their own on this album. I really love Barbarism Begins at Home with its lyrics about children being mistreated by parents and it's funky bassline and song length 7/10 Favourite: Barbarism Begins at Home Least Favourite: Meat is Murder
The Smiths. Si.
2.5 stars
83% Best: The Headmaster Ritual; I Want the One I Can’t Have; Nowhere Fast; Barbarism Begins at Home Must-Hear? Sure
Decent British pop rock
This was significantly better than the last "Smiths" album we listened to, but God...could this singer please sing in tune. I'd love to hear this band with a different vocalist because the instrumentals are sooooo fantastic and interesting. Like the other album tho, the beginning was strong and then it got mid. Most songs I liked everything but the vocals Liked Songs: "The Headmaster Ritual" , "Rusholme Ruffians" , "What She Said"
liked songs: The Headmaster Ritual, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Well I Wonder Very good. Not my favorite Smiths album, but still good. 3.75
This is the third album I've listened to from The Smiths, and I've came to the conclusion I'm not a fan of this band. The guitar, and lyrics are okay, but Morrissey's singing just ruins the vibe on every album. I also think their songs tend to blend in, and aren't distinguished. Favorite Track: "The Headmaster Ritual".
I like the Smiths but this was just nothing special to me icl
Not their best
has the smiths sound, but the songs all blended together for me. idk maybe i’m not sadboi enough rn for this
Although "The Headmaster Ritual" was my introduction to The Smiths, I had been wary towards the Meat Is Murder album for the longest time. For me, it was The Smiths's weakest work. It lacked the warmth and poppiness of their debut, the prominence of "The Queen Is Dead," and the melancholy beauty of "Strangeways, Here We Come." In addition, the album ends on a dreadful note with Morrissey guilt-tripping the listener into veganism while sad animal noises backed his wooing (I still hate that song.) Recently, I have decided to give Meat Is Murder a second chance, mainly because I have exhausted The Smiths's discography. I will admit that I was wrongfully judgmental to the album: The album begins with "The Headmaster Ritual," a satirical song deprecating the British education system. It is cleverly witty and relatable to all those who are victims of oppression. The beginning segment of "Rusholme Ruffians" eerily reminds me of My Chemical Romance's "Mama.." Perhaps they drew inspiration from The Smiths for their album The Black Parade? The whole album has great narration but "..Ruffians" is particularly remarkable. "I Want The One I Can't Have" is my favourite Smiths song because I do indeed want the one I can't have. It is perhaps the most distressing Smiths song. In addition to being melodious and poppy, I can 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 Morrissey's desperation on a spiritual level as he cries "If you ever need self-validation, just meet me in the alley by the railway station!" His sexual frustration is astronomical: The theme of sexuality is explored later on in his solo work. For most of my time as a Smiths fan, I discarded the following songs. However, "The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and "Well I Wonder" are too devastatingly beautiful songs. The latter poses a question most people will ask in their lifetime: Do you hear me when you sleep? The inquiry is followed by the silent plea: "Please keep me in mind." By now, I have gone through all five stages of grief. Then of course, there's the song "Barbarianism Begins At Home," which is about abuse. It is upbeat but furious: A fantastic song, albeit Morrissey's "barking," which is unapologetically cringe. I cannot see myself listening to "Barbarianism.." on a regular basis though. Most—if not all—the album is too dark for my liking, especially "Meat Is Murder," which is almost sickening to listen to. Nonetheless, Meat Is Murder is still a great album: Definitely darker than its predecessor, as it is filled to the brim will raw anguish and quiet desperation. The album is a true work of art.
Jumpy - driven by melodic bass lines and a great guitar jangle playing off against the neurotic, and sometimes soaring, vocals. Can see why it's as loved by those who love it, but I'm not totally grabbed as it bounced around - at its best when stretched out and slow. Favourite tracks: What She Said, That Joke's Not Funny Any More, Meat Is Murder
Not my favorite Smiths album but still a decent listen.
Gud
point9.
Not for me
This is an alright album that you may hear playing in a pub, but I don't think that it would be very popular nowadays. There isn't a lot better, a bit meh.
First time hearing The Smiths—very enjoyable. Great vocals with perfectly crafted music. 9.5 out of 10.
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder First album that I hear from them and not gonna lie, it's really catchy to listen to. Considering with the political themes and messages that The Smiths were portraying with this album really makes it all the more impactful. Overall, this is really good! 1.- The Headmaster Ritual = 10/10 2.- Rusholme Ruffians = 8/10 3.- I Want the One I Can't Have = 9/10 4.- What She Said = 8/10 5.- The Joke Isn't Funny Anymore = 8/10 6.- Nowhere Fast = 7/10 7.- Well I Wonder = 8/10 8.- Barbarism Begins at Home = 8/10 9.- Meat Is Murder = 9/10 FINAL SCORE: 8.3/10
terug een smiths album??? that joke isn't funny anymore... de muziek, ça va nog, maar als Morr begint te bleiten, is het rap over met de goesting om verder te luisteren...
It’s The Smiths! Not my favorite record from them but this is a 9/10 either way. Beautiful, and never overstays its welcome.
++: The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, What She Said, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Barbarism Begins at Home +: I Want the One I Can't Have +-: Nowhere Fast, Well I Wonder -: Meat Is Murder 7,9/10
Gillar en del av låtarna men kan inte se förbi hur dålig sångaren är. 2 av 5
Nice album. I like Morrissey and The Smiths, they’re interesting and their music more so. The songs are deep and creative, they have intent. Although, listening to this album, one must wonder: Are they vegetarian?
This was fun and moody.
No more Morrissey, if it wasn't for him I could probably like this album.
Mist!
Nice one.
I had a really funny roadtrip with a friend where he pretended to be the singer of the Smiths, it was hilarious, now I can't unhear him anymore 😄
The first half was so good and then the second half just didn’t have the same quality
Has its moments
fun
17/1001 While some would have it The Smiths' debut is the bee's knees, I think this is a more mature, more refined effort. It may not be as radio-friendly as its predecessor, but every track here sees Marr in particular expanding his arsenal. Ok, it's been said numerous times, but the title track is an absolute dirge (does a traumatic subject necessarily require a traumatic experience for the listener?) so let's get that out of the way. The remaining eight tracks, however, are all top drawer with only Rusholme Ruffians perhaps becoming a tad tiresome on repeated listens. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore may be the band's most subtly brilliant recording up to this point, while the jigsaw puzzle of open-tuning shimmer that is The Headmaster Ritual and the straight funk of Barbarism Begins At Home represent a conscious effort to avoid being pigeonholed. Would be a five, if not for the title track, but still a truly great album.
A balance between bouncy, fun tracks and sadder, slower tracks. The music is solid, finding a balance between poppy, jangly, dreamy, intense, even some rockabilly - with bass and guitar really shining. Morrissey’s usual sad, ironic, intellectual croon didn’t really hit for me here. The music held a tighter grasp on my attention.
This could be better. But it’s not
Waar Morrissey zijn grootste vorm kende op 'The Queen Is Dead', is dit hét album waarop The Smiths laten horen gewoon een geweldige 'band' te zijn. Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce en - vooral - Andy Rourke zijn echt in optima forma. De basslines in 'Rusholme Ruffians', 'What She Said' en 'Barbarism Begins at Home' zijn ingenieus en ijzersterk. Vooral in die laatste track kreeg Rourke eindelijk het podium dat hij verdiende. Maar zoals ik al zei, het album staat bol van het muzikaal vakmanschap. Waar sommige platen van The Smiths iets te veel naar de melancholische kant van de band leunen (lees: Morrissey), en ze lijken te vergeten dat ze ook een steengoede rockband kunnen zijn, is dit bij uitstek het album dat de emotieve factor en muzikale souplesse perfect doseert. Ik vind het gewoon hun beste en meest constante werk, dat snijdt aan meerdere kanten. 9/10 Highlights: I Want the One I Can't Have That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore Well I Wonder Barbarism Begins at Home
Weet je nog dat we een deze hoes op de Rrrright2000 poster hadden gezet, zonder dat er één nummer van deze plaat in de lijst stond? Dat zegt iets over de iconische hoes (want die wil je op je Top2000 poster) maar ook iets over de onvolledigheid van die lijst. Want dit album kan toch niet ontbreken! Voor mij komt bij Meat Is Murder heel veel samen. Dat zit 'm enerzijds natuurlijk in de boodschappen van Morrissey en het feit dat deze hoes al jaren trots bij ons in huis hangt. Meat is Murder sluit naadloos aan bij mijn eigen overtuigingen. Morrissey is op deze plaat bloedserieus, en dat is te horen. Muziekaal is het daarnaast echt een fantastisch kunstwerk. De riffs vind ik echt fenomenaal, samen met de tekst creëren the Smiths juist een wat donkere sfeer dan op het debuut. Dat past natuurlijk onwijs goed bij de taaie kost waar hij over zingt. De combinatie vind ik fantastisch, omdat de jangle-riffs er vaak iets van luchtigheid aan geven. Meest perfecte voorbeeld: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is één van de mooiste nummers ooit gemaakt, en de laatste jaren mijn favoriet van the Smiths. Het is zwaarmoedig, maar echt prachtig georkestreerd en gezongen ("I might die with a smile on my face after all"). Je zit wel even vol na die track, dat verdient wel even een beetje lucht. Nowhere Fast wordt dan ook ingestart met een heerlijk introotje en is een makkelijker en uptempo nummer. Op deze manier vlieg je echt de plaat door en kom je aan bij Meat is Murder, de slottrack. Die begint ongemakkelijk met koeiengeluiden en blijft een soort ongemak aanwakkeren. Voor je luistersessie eindig je het liefst anders. Maar omdat het op deze plaat juist gaat om die boodschap kan je eigenlijk niet beter eindigen dan op deze manier. 10/10 Highlights The Headmaster Ritual I Want the One I Can't Have That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore Meat Is Murder
Mjög góð plata. Ekki þeirra besta. Morrissey er samt weirdo.
Slakasta Smiths platan finnst mér, en hinar eru auðvitað bara svo góðar. Nokkur góð lög, en í heild finnst mér þetta bara la la. Titillinn líka alltaf farið í taugarnar á mér, tilgerðarlegur. 3,5
Hated these lyrics and forgettable production
из-за песни с гавканьем бляха не могу 5 поставить она убила вайб 👎👎👎
Eh I never really liked the smiths
Not my favorite album by The Smiths. The lyrics are still moody and sexual but they're often paired with a more upbeat sound that creates a bipolar discordance I wasn't enjoying. May need more continuous listens to get the bigger picture.
Good album, but I prefer The Queen is Dead.
Really enjoy this album, and while not every song is a 100% winner, the songs that are incredible rank as some of The Smith's best songs. Mid 9
OK
Mér finnst eitthvað afskaplega leiðinlegt við að hlusta á Morrissey þótt það byrji vanalega ekki þannig. Get ekki sett fingurinn á hvað það er. Mér finnst þetta allt saman verða svo niðurdrepanlega eins eftir smá stund og þessi plata er ekkert öðruvísi
Enjoyed the album, again Marr's guitar work is intricate and excellent, Morrissey's vocals at times is a little grating, but overall some very good songs
There’s no doubt the Smiths were a force to be reckoned with in their day. Not as good as the Queen is Dead but still of a good standard
Great album cover. I've heard good things about The Smiths, though I've never found the time to listen to their music. Glad to finally be given the opportunity. I have no idea what I was expecting going into this album, but I was prepared for it to be vaguely within this style of music. There are some pretty good guitar performances on here and the rockabilly influence is fun. There's a respectable level of variety as well. I like how the atmospheric "Well I Wonder" shifts the direction of the album in a more intricate direction. "Barbarism Begins at Home" was my favourite song on Meat Is Murder. It's less lyric-focused than some of the other songs on the album, but is carried by a great central guitar riff that somehow manages to justify the song's 7-minute runtime. The only real gripe I have with this album concerns the vocals. They're pretty weak and made me pay less attention to the lyrics than I perhaps should have. I'm open to the idea of them being an acquired taste, much like with some of the other bands that I now herald as favourites. There's a good chance that this album will grow on me with additional listens, which is something I have said about a few other albums in recent memory. I think I can confidently say that my appreciation of music is growing. For the longest time I have looked at 80s music with complete disdain, though there are now two albums from the decade that appreciate (the other being "The Stone Roses"). Coin of indecision time again as I'm unsure of whether this one will grow into a favourite. Heads. Into the 4-star category you go, lil buddy. I've heard that "The Queen Is Dead" is the best Smiths album, so I'm glad that I haven't even reached the apex of this band yet.
Dull Smiths album sounds very generic with no top songs it at all, really question why it was included in this list.
It seems that the lead singer of the Smiths is controversial and I'm probably to much of a kid to know anything about the background surrounding this band. I've always listened to some tracks of the Smiths but never attempted to go through an entire album. I generally have a positive view of their work from the few songs that I listen to. Meat is Murder didn't really convince me all that much, it's a bit of a hit and miss for me but man there are some bangers on here. I absolutely adore the post punk jangly guitars and infectious basslines inhabiting some of the tracks. The Headmaster Ritual was just a joy to listen to and I particularly enjoyed The Joke isn't funny anymore. Honestly, I cannot judge these lyrics or if Morrissey comes off as a pretentious tosser. Overall, I think there is just a really good instrumentation going on which carries a lot of the tracks. There are just a few songs here where I didn't feel much and were just a bit forgettable. I enjoy the album but it's not a classic for me but I admit that it still evokes a nostalgia for a time where I wasn't even alive, it does feel timeless.
I've got three Smiths albums, and like them all more than this one. Too flat overall for me.
First time listen. I thought I’d like it. I don’t. Disappointing.
very entertaining, obvious messages which some are more heavy handed then others, but not bad
Four stars (sorry)
Mid
Terrible voice.
Rusholm Ruffians reminded me of The Drums, but less catchy. Damn near put me to sleep, lead singer sounds lazy in a boring way. I caught a glimpse of the singer from that band "Hers" who I absolutely adore and could hear some similarities, but overall this album bore me. There was a reason why I haven't listened to this band until now. Couldn't get into it then, and can't get into it now. Maybe some other time or album.
Probably the Smiths album I'm least familiar with, and yet is almost the archetype. They passed me by 1st time out. I was 14,15, and they wern't on rotation in my school in the way , say, The Cure who were massive, were. My introduction to them was through the Queen is Dead and Strangeways. It's got Marrs shimmering guitars and Morrissey's fey ambivalent lyrics. I bet it really bugs him that increasingly they are remembered for the guitar playing and not his arch and now.somewhat tired phrasings. To think they were held up as the acme of mordant wit or the.second coming of Pop. Or summat Still all the boxes are checked. Death,square pegs in round holes, angst, puns, bottoms and suburban mancunian Britain. I'd argue That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is as archetypal a Smith's song as you're ever going to get. Its nowhere near my favourite album of theirs l, and I doubt I'll revisit it again soon. Or maybe ever. Maybe I've.listened to Meat Is Murder for the last ever time.
Not bad. Liked it better than the morrissey solo album I had. A couple good ones but nothing to write home about.
I don't like Morrissey's voice (or some of his political views for that matter, but I try to put things like that aside), but despite that significant blocker I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
I was in my late teens when the Smiths broke and thought they were a lightweight fun pop group but now they seem to be revered as ground breaking and Morrissey and Marr as icons. Morrisseys solo stuff is far better and Marr is grossly overrated. This is an ok pop album with a couple of good tracks.
The instrumentation rips. Unfortunately Morrisey sucks at singing. Still a great listen though.
I'm not very familiar with The Smiths. This album is growing on me. It's a high 3, and I could imagine it eventually bumping up to a 4.
My brother had this album, growing up, so I'm probably more familiar with it than any of the non-Best Of albums. Would be an easy 4 star, but charging the -1 star Garbage Person Tax.
Decent Brit pop
OMFG how many fucking smiths albums are on this fucking list?! Theyre all bad, stop it! 1/5
“One or two songs rocked harder than I thought was their gestalt.” It’s very much of its time.
Really just kind of somewhere in the middle and I wasn't expecting a cow voices on that last song
It’s ok, definitely not their best. There are a few good songs, but it sounds uncharacteristically poppy in parts.
A lot if the things I hate from the 80's in here. Overly processed snare sound and annoying vocals - I can't stand Morissey's voice! I've never understood the wide range appeal with this band
Very good album. 4 stars
Johnny Marr is a great guitarist, and if Morrisey just wrote lyrics he would be fine. But I can't stand Morrisey once he opens his mouth. 3⭐️
Enjoyed this although recognised less songs than I thought I would (not a bad thing)
First two are grand - not a fan of the occasional like, yodelling? Like the start of the first one though. Good beat. 'Tis all very meandery and tuneless, isn't it? Good beats though. Except That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, that song is really good.
This was like an early 200’0’s rock album. Not offensive not innovative
yeah nah
Not their finest but ultimately it’s okay
This album was dead middle of the road for me. Not impressed or annoyed by the group, so it’s like a 2.5.
3,5
Err ok? Kinda forgettable.
1. the headmaster ritual: nice guitars, upbeat tempo, nice dreamlike vocals, very chill, depressing war lyrics, not much melody in vocals, cool post chorus, long faded outro, cool song 2. rusholme ruffians: fun bass, faster tempo, interesting vocal breaks 3. i want the one i cant have, upbeat tempo, nice vocals, deep lyrics 4. what she said: super reverby vocals and drums, cool guitar intro, short and fast 5. that joke isn't funny anymore: slower, calmer, dreamlike vocals, chorus guitar effect, long outro that fades out and back in 6. nowhere fast: fast again, blues riffs, interesting lyrics, short 7. well i wonder: nice, chill intro and vocals, nice guitar, relaxing, rain sound outro, cool song 8. barbarism begins at home: mid tempo, great acoustic intro, barking?, repetitive lyrics, longer song, nice vocals, long yet interesting outro, funky bass, cool song 9. meat is murder: strange intro with cow sound, nice effects, nice chill guitar riff, chill vocals, vegan lyrics, long vibey outro overall: pros-solid 80s production, relaxing, calm vocals and guitars, meaningful lyrics, good length songs cons-nothing super surprising or special, long outros rating: 8/10
Bad vibes of Moz aside, it’s an alright album. Title track’s a bit boring though, we get it. Meat bad, fascism good.
Morrisseys a douche
good album. they really had a unique style and sound. but for me the instrumental part is carrying throughout the project. still songs i love
It’s a solid album, enjoyable listen. I prefer the smiths in smaller amounts bc the lead singers voice kinda annoys me after a while. But the instrumentation is good, slightly repetitive but the album flows together really well.
A good for the list of Albums you should hear if you are a Smiths fan, but worth debating whether it needs to be among the 1001. Sandwiched between 2 stellar records, Meat is Murder is merely very good. Not the essential intro to the band, but a nice follow up. Clearly Smiths/ Moreisey are favorites of the author, but that doesn’t mean their entire catalogue needs to be on the list.
Favourite song: - That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
I jumped for joy when i saw this
i tried. i dont like the smiths. i like the album cover though.
Still my least favourite Smiths album, but Barbarism Begins At Home is a banger, and the guitar on That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is beautiful
Fuck Morrissey but this album is bloody excellent. Favourite songs: Barbarism Begins in the Home
Nice sounds but all felt very similar, was tempted to give it a 3 cause meat is murder is a v interesting song but i was just a bit bored by this as a whole
they have better albums tbh but this one is enjoyable. headmasters did it better 🙄 ethically sourced morrissey
Great album. Really enjoyable songs and production, thoughtful lyrics. I need to spend more time with this album
3/5 Not what I thought it would be. Fine. Not great. I don’t get the hype.
Plus 5 for Johnny marr minus 2 for morrisey
My favourite was Barbarism Begins at Home. What an outro on that song.
Bunch of wank. Guitars are nice tho.
Ehhhhhh. Pathological dislike of Morrisey's voice stops me enjoying the Smiths. Can appreciate there's some good guitar bits, but I just don't enjoy listening to them!
Good but didn't change my life
🎧This is a fine Smiths album. I feel like it doesn’t have any big standout songs like all the others do. Baseline on Barbarism Begins at Home absolutely slaps. Favorite track: Well I Wonder
2.5 - not awful but I hate his voice
bib
With the saddest person on the planet, Morrissey, the Smiths played sad music. Emo music before there was Emo music? This is a good collection of jangly guitar alternative music from the golden age of alternative. It is much better than I remember, which, ironically, made me kind of happy.
At first I resist this album, almost certainly because I know where it’s taking me. It’s all here, though. The sound of everything happening at once. A crooning voice bowing across fizzing arpeggios; rhythm section, disciplined while encouraging – often to the extent of being doting or parental. In The Smiths you meet pure conceptual perfection; proof of why bands exist and why they should forever. The ultimate charm of this record, for me, resides in a sort of paradox. Why, since what The Smiths is doing here is so, so much greater than the sum of its parts, do I not feel happy about it? We’ve Johnny, busy tinkering at melody’s atomic level while the mononymous one intones another of his jeremiads (“I want the one I can’t have”) – this charming man brittle before his reflection. We’ve the slicked back hair, oily rag smell of “Nowhere fast” – so coyly propulsive with its rockabilly shuffle. And we’ve the weaving bass and funk flourishes of “Barbarism begins at home” – a shot fired back across time to the previous incumbents of Britain’s teenage imaginary (Duran Duran especially). “Well I wonder” and “Meat is murder” offer two poignant counterpoints to the thrill of the album’s three-minute pop songs. (The former being another entry into Johnny Marr’s “d minor hall of fame”; the man just knows how to use that chord, I don’t know what else to say.) It’s a more obviously political record; you have to hand it to the lads that the final minute even works. It probably shouldn’t. I read that “How soon is now?” was added to this record for the US release – and I’d perhaps have liked to hear it kicking off the second side. But, realistically, if this album had gone on forever it wouldn’t have been long enough. For the sake of our sick hearts, we should be grateful that it didn’t. So back to what I was resisting: I’m there. I’m back to putting “I want something I can’t have” on repeat and thinking that if the edge of the universe doesn’t sound like The Smiths – if the force pushing it out into whatever’s beyond isn’t exactly the feeling contained in a record like this – then I’ve read this whole thing totally wrong. I hope not.
This is a pretty decent album, but I don't think I'd ever choose this over Strangeways or The Queen Is Dead.
хмммм не совсем моя музыка
Boooooo
Snooze
It was nice, I should check their other albums too
Another glorious soundtrack to my teenage years.
I'm a pretty big Smith's fan (I can separate artist from art on this one), but I think this is one of their weaker albums. It is still really good and I love the title track, The Headmaster Ritual, and That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, but everything else is a little forgettable but not bad in any way. Johnny Marr really is the standout on this album (he and Andy carry this band). High 4.
straight and enjoyable indie album that gets out of the way. somehow everything from that period sounds gothy, maybe that's only the perception from the rearview mirror...
Had high expectations but disappointed
The music is OK for what it is and what is represents from this period of time. It's good, especially the guitar parts and the overall atmosphere, but a bit too dated (this kind of sound, cold and with lots of (too much of?) reverb is so 80s). OK but not overly memorable.
I think I liked the previous Smiths album more. Either way, I didn't really connect to either of them.
Love this really. They have their ‘own sound’.
Okay.
Ugh. I hate this sound. I think the Smiths might be a major reason that I stopped listening to pop music in the late 80’s and 90’s. I mean, the instruments are played well and the underlying music is fine. But that crooning, preening, emo “tra la la,” talk-singing that is the same on every song is SO grating. Plus, you can tell the lead singer doesn’t care about the rest if the music as his vocals are disconnected from the rest of the mysic in almost every imaginable way (rhythmically, at the sound mixing level, melodically). It’s a 1.
LOVE the Smiths e questo album non è da meno, ha tutte quelle caratteristiche tipiche della loro musica come gruppo per cui mi manca il lessico appropriato. Ho però sempre trovato che parta un po’ debolmente. Stand out è Meat is Murder che mi ha sempre inquietato infatti la skippo sempre
Generally, I'm not that impressed with The Smiths. They had several critically acclaimed albums, that never resonated with me despite having my sister's, The Smiths LP's around the house. On paper, I should like this more, I'm not against Brit-pop, post-punk rock and I like jangly guitar riffs, but it probably has something to do with the singer, Morrissey, who is an arrogant twit. I really love the opening track, a great start that rocks more than most of their songs, but they settle in for a bland, less interesting ride to the last track, the annoying, "Meat Is Murder" title track. I will say, Johnny Marrs guitar is underrated and worth the listen and I wish he never met Morrissey.
I never listened to the Smiths much during their heyday. But the more listen, the more I like it (even though it’s as sullen and morose as you can get)
I wanted to like it more. The highs are high with The Smiths...lows are pretty low though.
Bien
Unas ganas de escuchar the smiths pero no sabía como empezar, la página lo eligió por mi y realmente me gustó, estoy seguro que si lo escucho más veces llega a 5 estrellas, una intro activa, muy disfrutable en todos los sentidos, un final por no decir curioso, me gustó me gustó, chevere, espero que con el resto de la discografía sea así, tal vez un poquito lenta pero vale la pena
Not their best work
Sær, men spændende stemme. Det samme om de skæve rytmer. Det er et kort album, men et svært lyt for mig.
Der opstår en form for magi når The Smiths blander Marrs jingly-jangly guitar rytmer med Morrisseys kritiske og humoristiske tekster og lidt triste vokale fremføring. Der var ikke en eneste af de The Smiths sange jeg kender på albummet, men hele lydbilledet er umiddelbar genkendeligt. Den er lige et par bangers fra være en 5er.
From a very young age I remember singing "And if a doublе-decker bus crashes into us, to diе by your side is such a heavenly way to die" because my mom was always singing it. She loved the Smiths so they always makes me think of her. Some solid guitar work and basslines in this album. Overall I liked it but it's not really an album I think I'll revisit very much if ever.
What a classic. Its sad, its moody, its longing but its also progressive, flowing and moving. I like how they experiment with different percussion, bass and even guitar elements. Morrissey's moody lyrics kind of keep you grounded and intrigued. I like that some songs feel more punk, where others feel more new wave and even folky here and there. This is a great record and one thats always fun to turn on every now and again.
Rätt bra groov, lite för deppigt för min smak dock. 6/10
Morrisey is Zionist, fuck off
mostly average, last 2 tracks in the album really good. Barbarism begins at home and Meat is Murder
Marr FTW on this album
3.5 / 5 rounded up This was my first introduction to The Smiths and also my first time revisiting since. It has really grown on me and I don’t hate it as much anymore as those years ago, but still my least favourite The Smiths album. The 5 track run from What She Said to Barbarism Begins at home was awesome, just a shame that it had to be followed by the title track.
Lalalalalalalala animals cry I think the queen is dead is better
There’s individual songs from The Smiths that I love. But I struggle with full albums. Kinda mid honestly. 3/5
holy shit i finally actually liked something associated with Morrissey wtf this a good album wow
oh i hate this man
A very good album. Not Smith-s best, but great nonetheless.
Nice to meat you 😅
killer and so much fun
A lot like Orange Juice. Kinda post-punk with a little funk.
Chill
I think it's their best. Good from start to finish. Favorite song: Nowhere fast.
The smiths are great, morrisey is not
The Good: The irony that (half of) a gun manufacturer is telling us about murder The Bad: turns out The Smiths aren’t related to Wesson… The Ugly: realizing the PSA has nothing to do with veganism either… Yeah. Hurray! Finally, a The Smiths album. I have read that there are one too many The Smiths / Morrissey on this list, and I am yet another fan of music who hates listening to that whiny bastard… So there really isn’t much to tell. Johny Marr might be considered a great guitarist, I was never really familiar with his work, and this album did not blow me away. I knew plenty of people who were die-hard fans of The Smiths in the mid-80s, again, don’t count me amongst them. So, though I listened to the album, the album did not register with me at all, which means I have to give it a rating of 1* while keeping my fingers crossed that the next album will be a 5* delight!
To this point, I have not been very happy with what I've heard from Morrissey. Either his music's been shoulder shruggingly "ehhhh, fiiiine" like on VIVA HATE, or I just could not get past what an asshole he is like with YOU ARE THE QUARRY. I mean, for someone who used to be part of such a well-respected band, I'm a little surprised that the stuff he made without them hasn't been that great, at least to my ears. Well, today I got to find out at least one part of what that band was all about. My group, at last, was given an album by The Smiths — finally, an album with Morrissey that I figure people generally actually like! And, hey, it's the one with the title that relates to one of those things I hear Morrissey is very annoying about! But let's put that aside for the moment, though, and just answer the simple question: did Morrissey fare any better with a band behind him? Oh, goodness, yes. Absolutely, yes. I like this way more than anything else I've heard involving Morrissey. Seriously, all the credit to Johnny Marr for actually writing music I can be engaged with. It's often pretty rockin' and driving, and, ahh, mmm, it's so enjoyable. I'll take this tenfold over the "restrained and refined" whatever that VIVA HATE had going on. Y'know, that this is particularly wild or rough, but goodness, it doesn't feel the need to be nearly as uptight and respectable, y'know? Then we've got the lyrics, which, like usual, I wasn't able to catch all of. Jus' how I am. However, from the little bits I were able to catch, this isn't nearly as aggravating as YOU ARE THE QUARRY was. That album, at various times, felt either like Morrissey complaining about how awful everyone else is or Morrissey being smug about how **great** he is. Real asshole behaviour. Meanwhile, here — well, I can't pull any specific overarching theme out, but just the fact that I didn't wanna skoosh him for anything he said is a major point in this album's favor. Even the closer and title track wasn't as obnoxious about its veganism as I would've thought it'd be. Another point, too: I found Morrissey's voice better here than on any of his later solo albums. Which, maybe it's just a case of better backing instrumentals making him sound better as a result, but whatever the case, I'll take it. Big respects as well to the band for playing as well as they did, of course. So... Well, shucks. I'm pleasantly surprised! If this is what The Smiths generally sounded like, then yeah, I can understand just from this alone why they were held in such high regard. Even if it did lead to Morrissey becoming such a name on his own... Well, y'can't really hold that against the music, can yah But anyway, as for a rating, uhm... I'm really tempted to give this thing a 5? Which, goodness, ain't that an improvement from the 3's and 2's I've otherwise been givin' this guy's work? Ultimately I think I'm happy with a high 4. 'Coz I needa remember, the 5 is for big "Wow, this touches in my soul" reactions — or at least close enough — and as much as I like this, it just didn't quite get there. Still, it's the best thing I've ever heard from Moirrissey, and I can only hope their most famous album (THE QUEEN IS DEAD) is even better.
Well, whaddya know? Looks like Morrissey can make an album I like without it being a guilty pleasure. But seriously, these are just some stellar 80's alternative tunes, so it's getting Solid 5 Stars from me. Oh yeah, before I forget, FUCK MORRISSEY ALL MY HOMIES HATE MORRISSEY.
I’m at a 4. I mean, it’s definitely the best thing I’ve heard that has Morrissey singing lead vocals on it. Not the highest bar to clear, but not a particularly low one either. For a while, I was considering a 5, but I think “Barbarism Begins at Home” sort of rubbed me the wrong way with how much it leans into the “first minute is the whole song” syndrome without ever really getting that captivating. It wasn’t boring, at least. After that, “Meat is Murder” is like… it’s a good track, and its messaging makes sense & has a sort of gentle scolding approach I like, but it’s just a really heavy way to close out the album that I don’t think flows well with the general upbeat tempo on most of the tracks. Don’t get me wrong, I know this album leans into a lot of cynical & nihilistic lyrics, but it covers and shadows them under some excellent production that stands up next to some of the greats of new wave / indie rock at the time. “Meat is Murder” is just really heavy overall, though I can’t blame them for making it the last track. Whoever’s gonna skip it because of the message would’ve skipped it no matter where it was in the track order, and it’s better to make the last one skippable than any of the others, I guess. I really did like the rest of this album, though. “The Headmaster Ritual” is also kind of a heavy track lyrically, but the instrumental really, really makes it digestible with an R.E.M.-ish feel. I kind of bounced off of “Rusholme Ruffians”, but it’s a fun listen, at least. “I Want The One I Can’t Have” is REALLY good (or at the very least, the vocal structure is super catchy and appealed right to me).“What She Said” is fine & has a cool instrumental, but I don’t think Morrissey’s vocals are as strong as they could be. I loved the lyricism on “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”, but that long swirling section didn’t click for me as well as it could have – I do think it could’ve had a little more after the initial fake out ending from a lyrical standpoint. I listened to “How Soon Is Now?” even though it’s only on the US release, and… yeah, that’s just an awesome track. “Nowhere Fast” is fun, and a little goofy (the only time Morrissey has felt endearing to me in a while), but “Well I Wonder” might be the standout of the album – it perfectly captures a sort of innate human fear that’s usually hard to put into any kind of form, but they did it somehow. So, yeah, there are a few too many flaws for my tastes to really go up to a 5, but it’s absolutely worth giving a 4. I liked it a lot, and I can only hope Morrissey’s slow descent into madness doesn’t get documented on the rest of The Smiths albums on the list. Fingers crossed.
Morrisey is like Herpes, i just cant get rid of him. He is annoying and unsightly. An instant one, with Mr Marrs decency and jangly guitars getting a bonus.
Pleasant surprise.
I didn’t hate them but not my jam. 2
While this is far from my favorite Smiths album, there is still a charm to it. The lyrics are unmistakably Morrissey. He toes the line between cheesy and endearing- and usually accomplishes both.
Just a bit meh, prefer other albums by the smiths found this a bit boring
Morrisey’s vocals really irritate me. Some danceable tracks. Probably wasn’t in the mood for it either which didn’t help.
The Smyths have never really excited me. Didn’t this time either.
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is the best track but never been a massive Smiths fan
Didn’t rate this, not particularly memorable
I think they've got better in them tbh, so i'm gonna keep this one low.
I heart birkinhead would go mad on a t shirt
Thought it was an ok listen overall, but not great. The standout tracks for me were That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore and Barbarism Begins at Home. I enjoyed the musical side of the album, especially Johnny Marr’s guitar sound. That said, some of the tracks felt a bit repetitive, and I found myself zoning out of Morrissey’s lyrics more often than I expected. While there are highlights, the album didn’t fully hold my attention throughout.
It’s okay
What a band, shame morrissey is a prick. Prefer the queen is dead
Bittersweet listen considering Morrissey is an absolute weapon these days but I still enjoyed this album. It was the first Smiths record I bought so it was nice to revisit and confirm that Barbarism Begins at Home still goes incredibly hard. A record which also showcases that the Marr and Rourke duo matters just as much as Marr and Morrissey did for the band and its sound.
7/10 I love the Smiths, this album is my least favorite. Nothing wrong with it, but it sounds like the music you would put in a biopic to avoid copyright to the good songs. 1-10-2025
Someone killed Morrissey's kitten and now I guess we all have to listen to him cry about it. He clearly needs to get laid.
Hi, I'm sorry but I just cannot get into Elliott Smith. I've heard a lot of people tell me he's very good and I'm very sorry to hear about his personal issues and his tragic passing but his music always seems so down to me that was hard for me to get into it. I listen to a couple of songs, but I'm sad to say that I just found the music very depressing even though he may be a very talented artist. R.I.P.
I've never given a Smiths album a listen until now so I'm not sure if they have any better stuff It's very typical of the 80s British indie rock that was being put out at the time, and I think this album does it ok but pretty standard Marr is getting the praise for his guitar work but I think the true hero of this album is Andy Rourke's bass, especially on Barbarism Begins at Home. I can't make my mind up on the vocals. They suck sometimes, but others I think they suit the music well
Listening to this, I had a strange revelation. As much as I dislike Morrissey, I can’t help but really like this album. So respect to the rest of the band for making a succes despite the presence of Morrissey.
I thought a lot of the songs were funny, but I liked listening to them.
Great album, but it's far from their best.
Morrissey is a twat
Morrissey really hates melody
Would be a good album if not for Morrissey’s voice.
Not for me
Not my jam
4.5
2 out of 5 for me.
Meh. Not really a big fan on The Smiths, and this fight sound any different to any of their other music. Some catchy riffs, though.
Day367 -if there’s three or four smiths albums on here this is my least favorite
➕the headmaster ritual, rusholme ruffians ➖nowhere fast, barbarism begins at home this is the smiths album ive listened to the least, and maybe its because of the relative novelty of it but it might be my favorite? even my least favorite were fantastic…
It's amazing how The Smiths can write so many different sounding songs and then when Morrissey starts to sing, it turns into the same song as all the others. I mean I like The Smiths but they're one of the bands that is only good in short bursts. This album is ok, not as good as The Queen Is Dead but still decent. If you like The Smiths anyway. I totally get how this could be insufferable for a lot of people and after more than one play through, I think I would be ready to move on. I love that this album is more political and maybe a little more intelligent than their first album, it shows growth in that aspect for sure. Instrumentation is great as well. I think that the real strength of The Smiths is the lyrics and the big weakness is the vocals. That's sort of odd to think about - the words are great but the delivery leaves something to be desired. Morrissey has such a unique voice and I can't ever decide if I like it or not. I think I do but today it seems that I only like it for 15 minutes or so before I start to wish that someone else was singing. 3.5/5 rounding down.
Enh
Favourite tracks: meat is murder; headmaster ritual; that joke isn't funny anymore
This is one of the albums that you have to give a second listen to actually appreciate. Nice overall, especially for late night studying.
Sensational. One of the best albums made by The Smiths. The manic melancholy lyrics delivered superbly by Morissey are evident throughout. As for that distinctive sound that Marr does with guitar is in a class of its own. Fab
Malgré que j’aime beaucoup The Smiths et la voix unique du chanteur, je n’ai pas été séduit par ce disque. Les arrangements sont pourtant intéressants, frôlant par exemple la musique country dans mes deux préférées : « Rusholme Ruffians » et « No Where Fast ». Ils sont denses et chargés, avec plein de samplings et de couches qui s’additionnent, mais au final, c’est pas aussi facile à écouter que les autres disques du groupe que je connais mieux. Ça ne coule pas autant et la magie n’opère pas pour moi.
Not their best album but still a classic
Solid album!
2025 is here and I am being tested. I wish to be less immediately-cynical about artists I have relative knowledge of, but haven’t listened to a majority of their discography’s. I believe I accomplished that by stumbling into the correct circumstances to appreciate what this album has to offer. It’s been a cold, grey day so I went to the gym to run on the treadmill. I think this was a great backing track to that setting. It also made me realize that the smiths/morrisey are functionally similar to Lana Del Rey but for gen X white male teens/20 somethings. Both are very whistful and often sing with a sense of yearning for something ephemeral. As for this album specifically, it was still what I would expect from a Smiths project. Maybe a bit more based in reality, which I could appreciate, considering the albums topics about war, unnecessary human suffering, vegetarianism, and ethical consumption. My favorite track is probably Well I Wonder, I liked that slightly surfer guitar riff. The final track, the title track, is interesting to me. It had the best instrumentation, cutting edge production, but felt a little on the nose and melodramatic, lyrically. All in all, I honor the in-depth experience I had with this album, one I could’ve very easily half-assed and passed over easily. Soft 3/5.
I can't much be doing with this record in truth. I like a wee bit of Smiths but this is peak whinge-era Morrissey.
Good album. Marr’s guitar shines throughout. Rourke’s bass line really stands out on "Barbarism Begins at Home". Morrisey is… Morrisey.
The title track was gross, but otherwise, the album was tolerable.
Not quite their best, for me, but there was still nothing else like them.
i always think i’m excited about The Smiths, but three songs in and it was already way too much Smiths for the day.
SHIT BAND SHIT ALBUM SHIT SINGER FUCK NAZI MORISSEY
This is the third Smiths album I've been obligated to listen to for this project and I hate them more. Okay instrumentation, and then it's a race for worse vocals or lyrics. Thanks for somehow influencing actually good bands like Quicksand, I guess.
Let's just get the obligatory 'Fuck Morrissey' out of the way up front with this one. I mean seriously, this dude is a GIANT piece of shit. Hate his voice, hate his lyrics. Music/instrumentation/production here is probably the best I've heard from them, though still laced with the typical sad jangly bullshit The Smiths are known for. Without vocals, it wouldn't be offensive, but still nothing special. This whole band's position in the history of music is extremely overblown.
Судьба говорит мне: не еби головы и купи Ягуар. Лучшая песня - Barbarism Begins at Home.
This was a solid album, I think this is classified ad english rock. I have never heard of the smith's before and this was my introduction.
Pretty nice sounding album, I do like The Smiths and their sound. Nothing really stood out to me, the title track is as preachy as you'd expect and grated me a bit.
-this is SO GOOD oh my god i love it. i got really into a few songs on here about a year ago but never listened to the full album, honestly it’s a no skip. something very haunting and intriguing about the vocals too -definitive 4.5 stars -Favorites are The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, and I Want the One I Can’t Have
Not as good as The Queen Is Dead, but still excellent. Morrissey's croon can border on grating sometimes, but other times it just yanks emotion from me. There's this desperation in his voice in "I Want the One I Can't Have" that just pulls me. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is a sorrowful oddysey. It's a song that's easy to get lost in. "Barbarism Begins at Home" milks a single bassline for nearly seven minutes. Luckily, it's one of the best ones I've ever heard. Fav tracks: I Want the One I Can't Have, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Barbarism Begins at Home
I have the same experience most do nowadays with the Smiths where I really like the music but also “yeugh Morissey”. Still the album is very good.
Eh, it's ok. The guitar work is great, especially in The Headmaster Ritual (including a really fun guitar riff throughout) and Well I Wonder. But the singing is just mediocre. With a more interesting lead singer this could easily get a 3, possible even a 4. But as it is, it drags down to a 2. Best song: The Headmaster Ritual
Moan moan bloody moan
"The last night of the fair From a seat on a whirling waltzer Her skirt ascends for a watching eye It's a hideous trait on her mother's side From a seat on a whirling waltzer Her skirt ascends for a watching eye It's a hideous trait on her mother's side" ok i have to admit that was pretty funny
Awesomeness
An alright album, not my favourite sounded very stereotypically like the smiths but most of it was enjoyable enough.
the sound doesn’t appeal to me. snare sound is very 80s and morrissey’s voice just really doesn’t do it for me. his lyrics also don’t really resonate with me. i get why the smiths were so influential but personally it doesn’t scratch the music itch for me.
Ignoring the fact that Morressy is a complete dickwad now I think this is my fave Smiths album and just eclipses Queen is Dead. Mighty stuff.
Bin kein großer Fan der Band aber das war besser, als ich erwartet habe. Ganz nett, teilweise tanzbar. Nur der Titeltrack am Ende hat mich irgendwie verstört. Ja, ich verstehe die Botschaft, aber die Metzgergeräusche und das alles passen einfach nicht auf das Album.
The Smiths are so smithy
It’s unfortunate because the music itself on this album is great but the singing is terrible
No one can do The Smiths like The Smiths. Meat is Murder is a great album that still holds up. I enjoy the guitar riffs that still feel etched into the indie psyche to this day. And without Morrissey's vocals, this album wouldn't hit the same either. I don't think this is their best work, but it's definitely worth a listen. Best Songs: Headmaster Ritual, What She Said, Well I Wonder Worst Songs: Rusholme Ruffians
sure whatever
Eventhough I liked The Queen is Dead, this album is the most boring, monotonous and depressive-sounding thing I’ve ever listened to. There’s just no reason to be so fucking saaaaad. The guitar work is okay but Morrissey’ singing makes every song sounds the same, and the random weird noises don’t help. There’s not even one track that stood out & I just wished this torture to be over. Bonus point for the guitar tho so 1.5/5
I mean, it's the third smiths album I've gotten, I don't have anything new to say about them.
Favorite Track: Nowhere Fast
When I was younger, we went on a trip to visit my older brother in college. This was my first time being in a big college dorm room with the community bathroom, a payphone on the wall in the hall and tiny two-up rooms. My brother roommate had the poster for this album on the wall next to my brother's U2 posters. Those formative days of youth are what makes you the person you become and by having two older siblings that educated you on good music you become used to hearing everything and learn to like more than you knew you would. I wouldn't hear too much more of the Smith's until I got to college, but the head start I got at that small college in rural Pennsylvania has helped open me up to a lot of music. The Smiths 'Meat is Murder' is the band at its rawest and best energy-wise. Morrisey's lyrics combined with Marr's guitar licks serve up a great postpunk / indie album 3.5/5
Love his voice, very depressing though!
Beginning to think I don't really like the Smiths. I used to have The Queen is Dead on CD and did really enjoy it. Previously on this list I gave Strangeways a 3 - and struggled with Morrissey on that album. I had not really listened to Meat is Murder before - and IMHO its weaker than both of the above with no real stand out tracks and a bit too much dirgy winging plus Morrissey.
Every song on this album was new to me, and I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Surprisingly liked it more than “The Queen is Dead”
This is my least favorite of their 4 studio albums and still a solid 5!!
Weird hearing a smiths album where I don’t know any cod the songs. Still good
It was like most English food I've had. You know, filling enough but way too bland to ever order it again if there is pretty much anything else on the menu.
i want to go home. i don’t what to stay lallalalallallalallalayeaaa
It’s like all the British bands from the 80s got together and formed a Cabal where they all agreed to sound exactly the same, because they all knew their sound was awful and they were only capable of producing an inferior and mediocre product, therefore eliminating competition amongst themselves, thus manipulating the free market or whatever, which in turn punished the consumer who was none the wiser and didn’t realize that they were merely pawns in an unjust system of musical tyranny. However, I feel like by rating and reviewing just one British band I’ve therefore rated them all and saved myself time. Haha joke’s on you!!
Rhythmic, interesting, great
Oh, The Smiths. I listened to them way too much at a time when I was in a mad place mentally, so it’s hard to listen to them now, plus Morrissey has gone off the deep end. I love their sound but this album was never a favourite so rating it 3.
ну норм но не вау
The Smiths have never really done it for me and this album wasn’t much different
I am pretty neutral on the smiths. They’re fine and I can see why people love them, but they’re solidly in the wouldn’t seek out category for me
I'm back to the stance of The Smiths not being my vibe and I don't have a great understanding why so many people revere them
Morrissey delivers train-of-thought lyrics like he’s a Greek Orthodox priest sing-reading a passage from the Bible.
Meat is Murder is ironically the worst song on the album 8/10
I feel like I should like The Smiths but I really REALLY don't.
Another British group I never heard of, although apparently they were quite influential. Their sound is typical 1980s. If the ratings allowed I’d give them a 3.5, a bit above average.
Just label me as jaded. The repetitive and lengthy repetition of lyrics and music that i enjoyed on the first go, and second..by the third go made me want to yell ..'enough already, i get i, i heard it'! Each song had that issue.
I love The Smiths, despite (and also because of) lol Morrissey. Not only were they formative for Britpop, but they were formative for 2000s era livejournallers, and therefore, me. Lyric-heavy, unique voice, emo. As the Brits would say: tick, tick, tick. One thing that stood out to me is the A-A B-B C-C kinda structure a lot of these songs have. The general theme of this album seems to be "punishment", broadly construed. Or maybe that's my internalized meat-eating guilt, idk. Highlights: 'I Want the One I Can't Have', 'Nowhere Fast', 'Meat is Murder'
Not their best, some good tracks towards the end but the beginning is beans and toast level bland
Honestly really good, my biggest gripe is that all of the songs sound the same!!!
I didn’t love this album IMO the first song is the best on the album Fr
I wanted to like it more
Another school year memories album. Glad to have listened to it through, can't say there's a single favorite but the album holds up
Je suis allergique à Morrissey et cet album ne m’a pas révulsée, il ne doit donc pas être terrible
LP
I am not listening to this Nazi prick and his shite band. Never have (even changing the radio station if they come on) never will. I hate this band, especially their arsehole of a singer, and I always will. *googles* how to give a rating below zero 0 🌟
Not my favorite Smiths album, most of the tracks sound like filler/B sides to me.
Another rendition of professional and good instrumental band let's their one retarded mate sing over their music who absolutely fucks it. Much better than The Queen is Dead, though not better enough for me to rate it any differently. I had really high hopes after hearing The Headmaster Ritual, as I seemed to enjoy it - and then it just got worse from there. When that stupid cunt started yodelling in I Want the One I Can't Have (loser anthem) I was done. It's such a shame, because I honestly love the guitars and the drums, shame they didn't release a Morrisey-free version of this album, I'd enjoy that a lot better. tldr; good music until the whiny incel starts singing
Meat is Murder - The Smiths (1985) Not sure if I like this one as much as The Queen is Dead (an album I have grown to like a lot more following my review of it). I would say it has a comparable number of standout tracks that I liked, maybe not to the extent as those other songs but the quality is consistently high. Morriseys sad bitch boy antics that sorta snap you back out of what you're listening to continues here, though not quite as funny as it is in There is a Light That Never Goes Out. I guess that's what troubles me about rating this is feeling how it compares to the previous album. I still enjoyed this a ton but if I had to choose one over the other I would have to pick the previous album. Highlights: The Headmaster Ritual, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Barbarism Begins at Home, What She Said