Meat Is Murder

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

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"

Not their best

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.

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.

This was fun and moody.

Has its moments

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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'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

“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.

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⭐️

This was like an early 200’0’s rock album. Not offensive not innovative

yeah nah

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

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.

Favourite song: - That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

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

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.

🎧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

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.

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

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.

Okay.

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.

Sær, men spændende stemme. Det samme om de skæve rytmer. Det er et kort album, men et svært lyt for mig.

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.

Rätt bra groov, lite för deppigt för min smak dock. 6/10

mostly average, last 2 tracks in the album really good. Barbarism begins at home and Meat is Murder

Marr FTW on this album

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

Chill

Pleasant surprise.

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.

That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is the best track but never been a massive Smiths fan

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.

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

Great album, but it's far from their best.

Day367 -if there’s three or four smiths albums on here this is my least favorite

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.

This is one of the albums that you have to give a second listen to actually appreciate. Nice overall, especially for late night studying.

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.

i always think i’m excited about The Smiths, but three songs in and it was already way too much Smiths for the day.

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.

"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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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!!!

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

Not my favorite Smiths album, most of the tracks sound like filler/B sides to me.

Shitting on Morrissey in a Smiths review is such low hanging fruit it may as well be a root vegetable. I’m gonna do it anyway. This retarded faggot is genuinely a disservice to an extremely tight musical outfit. You put literally any other vocalist in front of these guys and I would rate every album five stars. The unique combination of Morrissey’s annoying as fuck moany voice added to the moments when my zen master mental filter fails me and I actually comprehend the lyrics instead of my brain scrambling them to just be another instrumental track he becomes so insufferable I feel like pushing him into a locker. I’m not surprised he doesn’t fuck. What a loser. The worst song on this entire album has to be the title track. I can’t imagine anyone being inspired toward ethical vegetarianism by this tosser. The real curiosity for this one came though when I did a bit more research on Morrissey’s views. On one hand he is an ardent militant vegetarian, and has compared eating animals to being a pedophile - obviously implying he thinks pedophilia is bad. On the other hand though, he seems to be some sort of British patriot - you see my confusion. How can one be a British patriot while slagging off their national pastime? It boggles the mind. Regardless this album is alright if you skip the last track and do your best to ignore the retard frontman. Props to the band for making this at least listenable.

It’s a very ‘The Smiths’ sounding album. Musically they’re always very good, Morrissey gets on my tits though and I’m not massive on his voice. He’s a very marmite character, and in my opinion, you shouldn’t put marmite in your ears all too often. Music definitely made it a middle of the road listen.

Es un buen disco, aunque The Smiths es medio monótono. Pero tiene algunos temakos.

Not a big fan. Vocals are better than the last from this band but still meh

Not bad at all, but being exposed to The Queen Is Dead feels like I was spoiled the best hits of the band, really. Hope that album finds me here eventually.

By some coincidence, I actually listened to this album earlier in the day before I revealed today's album. Not my favourite Smith's album though

This album was alright. Enjoyed a few tracks: Barbarism Begins at Home, Nowhere Fast and What She Said. Everything else was a bit ok. Meat is Murder has the line “and Death for no reason is MURDER”. I think that there is a reason though, delicious life sustaining food.

Remarkably listenable for post-punk

Meh, couldn't get into it

Probably my least favorite Smiths album, even though it's the favourite of a certain subset of Marr and the Mozz's fans, quite inexplicably for me. I suspect the iconic cover art, only bested by *The Queen Is Dead*'s Alain Delon, plays its part here. But for me, the music in the Smiths' magnum opus is as good as its artwork (if not more), instead of what occurs with *Meat Is Murder*. Musically and compositionally speaking, a couple of tracks indeed verge on ridiculousness in this LP (example, second cut "Rusholme Ruffians"). Most of the others are decent enough, even if a bit mundane at times (or they overstay their welcome, like the heavy-handed funk of "Barbarism Begins At Home", whose album version is twice too long). Fortunately, you also have a handful of stellar tracks that are part of the very best of The Smiths' repertoire: opener "The Headmaster Ritual", sinister "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and lively-yet-also-snarling "Nowhere Fast". But that's only a tiny minority in the track list (the old US version also including "How Soon Is Now?" makes the album better, but it's not considered a "cannon" version today, I'm afraid). Lyrically and vocally speaking, early Morrissey does what he does best: grating your ears with over-affected simpering for one second, suddenly impressing you with an unexpected change of pace in another, and delivering strings and strings of striking one-liners and punchlines about how miserable and inadequate his borderline-autistic narrators all feel. One of my favourite examples in that realm, found towards the end of "Nowhere Fast": "And when I'm lying in my bed I think about life And I think about death And neither one particularly appeals to me And if the day came When I felt a natural emotion I'd get such a shock I'd probably lie In the middle of the street and die I'd lie down and die Oh, oh" I mean, there is some obvious form of self-deprecating humour at play here, and that triggers tender feelings on my part (whereas latter days Morrissey triggers nothing but scorn from me). As for Johnny Marr's guitar playing, nicely assisted by Rourke and Joyce, it's constant fireworks after fireworks, as usual. And this even on the disappointing compositions, and in spite of the unimpressive, paper-thin eighties production values -- admittedly less annoying than on the band's debut, but still clearly doing a disservice to the guitarist's work decades after the fact. So, overall, it's rather a mixed bag for me. But it's a mixed bag by one of the most idiosyncratic rock bands that has ever graced this Earth. That explains why the album landed on Dimery's list, I guess, even if I doubt it will ever land on mine. 3/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 8/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3) Number of albums left to review: 5 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 428 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 255 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 315

It's okay. 3/5

I try and I try to like the smiths and I struggle to feel it.

bem the smiths das ideias. achei bom, bem político. a melhor música do álbum é Well I Wonder!

the og sadboys meat is murder não me converteu ao veganismo

I was disappointed. Their previous (compilation) album had a number of songs that I love. This one: a bit dull.

This album had tough subject matter to get through while suffering from a headache on a rainy November Monday. Lyrics aside, the music was enjoyable. I prefer their The Queen is Dead album more, though. "You should know, time's tide will smother you. And I will too"

Solid. Strong 3 but not quite enough for a 4.

Not the best smiths but better than i expected

as a vegetarian i find this shit kinda annoying

Favorite track: "Well I Wonder"

It's strange because i listen a lot to the queen is dead album and in this one the sound is very different. It sound more bright even though the singer voice is very malinconic. The song Barbarism begins at home is really good with a ripetitive (in a good way) guitar riff

There is a very 80’s quality in the vocals and arrangements that meets nicely with the guitar/folksy side. I’m glad we got some more Smiths to enjoy.

Good

Not my genre of music. It's inoffensive, but not my thing. Better than Morrissey I suppose, but not by much in my opinion. I'm also probably wrong. I listen to bad music all the time.

Damn I really like that title track....I can feel my Smith's hate slipping away....damn you Morrissey....

It's not my favourite Smiths album, but it's still pretty good. Andy Rourke shines on this one. The first two songs are epic. Liked Songs Added: The Headmaster Ritual Rushholme Ruffians

Overall, not a bad album. As soon as I saw the label (Meat is Murder) I almost decided to just click the 'Did not Listen'. I don't agree with that. Anyway, I decided to listen and found most track OK.

Never my favourite Smiths album. Too many dull tracks.

I really don’t have much use for The Smiths anymore, but this is probably their best album, even without “How Soon is Now?”. It has some of their strongest and least overplayed compositions and Morrissey isn’t whaling as hard as he does elsewhere. “Barbarism Begins at Home” is probably as funky as white British people can reasonably get. C

i like the smiths but a lot of their stuff sounds kind of similar

Not bad, not amazing. I really loved two or three songs. And I was pretty blown away by Johnny Marr’s guitar playing. Having avoided listening to The Smiths for a long time, I thought it was funny that they sounded almost exactly like I expected. But I didn’t expect to realize just how many of today’s artists are influenced by them. Jangle rock kings, maybe? I gotta learn more.

Well not my favorite but I said I love the smiths

I am not ashamed to admit I am a Smiths fan. However, for me this is their weakest offering. There are none of their best tracks here (the version I listened to does not have How Soon Is Now? which would take this up a notch). A tad underwhelming. Want to give it a 3.5

I had definitely heard The Smiths before- they typically had been "good" in my mind but not really for me. Gave this one two listens- its nice background music for sure. I like morrisey's vocals and the piano really excentuates the mood they are going for. Overall- similar to my previous experience with the Smiths: good, but not for me.

Very "The Smiths" sounding. They aren't bad, but one of those bands that just seems to have one sound that makes up every song. Meat is Murder (the song) was very interesting, and an album of songs like that would easily be 4 or 5 stars.

OK album, didn't grab me but I didn't find it hard to listen to or especially bland.

Good, not my favorite smiths from the anthology. Less whiny than other albums despite this overarching veganism theme. I like to enjoy this album with a glass of milk and a sirloin steak.

Were these guys hardcore vegetarians? It's very Smiths -- enjoyable sound but nothing stood out. 3* Barbarism begins at home had a nice bass groove.

Not a patch on the queen is dead but still a decent album. Some great bass lines in there

The Smiths are one of those bands where I’m just not sure if I like them or not. Musically it’s very listenable but the sound of Morrisey’s voice just doesn’t do it for me after a while. I think it’s fine when they come out with some bigger numbers or an album broken up with a bit of variety but this one just dragged by the end.

the smiths are at their best when morrissey isn't around

I'm not a real Smiths person, but they are pretty good. The title track is amusingly self-important, though, and takes this down from a 4 to a 3.

some nice jangling guitars

Starts out fine, but then gets a bit long. Went from 4 to 3

Not my style at all. Good enough but I won’t listen to again.

It’s an ok album. Never understood the love for them.

Solid British rock

I've been a Smith apologist on this site before, but this album is pretty hard to defend. It's a lot lower energy than the other Smiths albums on this list and it comes off as pretty whiny too. At their core, I really do like their sound but they lost me a little bit with this one. I've heard them do more and I've heard them do better than this. If you don't like the sound of the Smith's you'll hate this one, but I think even if you do like the Smiths this one will fall short of their other albums.

This was pretty cool. Homeboy's voice grates on me a fair bit though. Favourite tracks: The Headmaster Ritual, Well I Wonder, Meat Is Murder.

Pretty standard Smiths album. Every album solidifies my stance that Morrissey by himself just isn’t as good. A solid listening experience if you enjoy their sound, can definitely understand complaints against it.

Just fine.

I'm sort of a greatest hits Smiths fan, so didn't recognise many songs. Probably sacrilege to say this, but found it rather average. You also can't help but think what an arse Morrissey is nowadays 3/5

I listened twice to see if I’d like it any better the second time. Not really. It all sounded the same to me. I like the Smiths but this was just meh for me.

Pretty scathing stuff here, as The Smiths set their sights against the English education system, corporeal punishment, and even eating meat among other topics. It all sounds so...dreamy along the way despite the content matter, probably thanks to Morrissey's crooning style of vocals in the front & center and the jangly guitar sound heard throughout. But The Smiths were a well-organized kit, as said guitar playing/overall composition from Marr, bass from Rourke, and drums from Joyce were vital here and can't go unnoticed. Back to the actual content of the album: while heavy-handed at times, the messages are certainly received thanks to the aforementioned collective talents of the group. There will be more of The Smiths in this list I'm sure.

I liked a lot of this, but the last song was quite boring and depressing. 3.5/5

Well I wonder is gorgeous but otherwise I don't really care for this album unlike the previous Smiths album

Well, it's Britrock. And Morrissey is very happy that he finally is getting laid on the regular. And there's lots of angst. The kind of angst that populates every universal sophomore dorm room. The last track is gross as hell. Which is, of course, the point. Anyway, it's fine. Unexpected bangers: Nowhere Fast, Well I wonder

This was a short album. I didn’t mind it mostly. Enjoyed it at first, but they have a distinctive sound that I got tired of. The last song, the titular song, was different, but I didn’t care for it either. 3

I don’t get the smiths for the most part

The Headmaster Ritual That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore Meat Is Murder

There is a lot of music out there that I -get- but I still don't like— I understand its role in the musical universe, but it doesn't appeal to me personally. This band is the opposite. I like the music, but I don't get it. Maybe I lack the proper perspective, but even without reading up on the context, an album should be able to telegraph it's emotional or narrative purpose. Then again, maybe that inscrutability is an artistic choice in an of itself. But it could also be covering up for an ultimately hollow work.

Not anything to write home about.

I have no opinions on this one but 'barbarism' goes alright anyways.... The smiths more like the sniffs coz that shit was stinky

Decent, but morrisey can sit on a cactus

Not bad for the 80’s, I guess

This album has some catchy hooks and rockabilly beats, love some of the bass lines, particularly on “Nowhere Fast”. I like the overall sound of this, but I like other albums of theirs better.The last track/title track is a downer and doesn’t fit the vibe of the rest of the songs IMO.

It's alright

i mean its not bad, but its not super exciting either YNN

I felt like this was a bit more punchy than other Smiths. Had some slapping basslines in there which were fun. I probably need to pay more attention to have a stronger opinion.

decent

Absolutely A+ vibe - I’ve always felt like I should listen to the Smiths and I love the feel. Lyrics a bit depressing when I was listening carefully and Morissey was a bit out of tune some. Should listen to more of their catalog!

I've always been a little ambivalent about the Smith's but I followed along with the lyrics on this one and I enjoyed much more. I am still a devout carnivore

Not as good as I remembered it being.

6.5/10 The opening song and self titled one are these two songs that make most of the sense to me in this album. I'm not so into The Smiths' music and their personnel, and that's why I find these two touchy and kinda influential.

Liked the sound of this album. Singing style reminds me of Duran Duran. MEAT IS MURDER song is so judgey and a bit spooky. I was in PE alone when the song came on and the cow moo's made me stop and take out my headphones to make sure it was the song and not real-life.

I don't love it, I don't hate it - interesting and distinct sound but just okay overall.

Not bad I guess, but not really my cup of tea

A good album. I think the last track is the weakest. I won't come back to this, but it's still a worthwhile listen .

хоть и много хитов и очень уважаю вокальный стиль Морисси, опять половина песен выше на полтона, очень тяжело

No siento que haya mucho que resaltar, me parece más de lo que siempre hace the smiths

Estuvo bien. Nunca he conectado realmente con los smiths

Good

The Smiths are great and a few classics on here. But overall one of my least favorite albums they have.

i like the smiths a lot but this is not their best

British rock. I felt like the album would go from a song I really liked to one I couldn’t remember anything about immediately after it was over, and just alternated until it was over.

Meat is murder and so is listening to non-singing Morrissey.

It's The Smiths but it's not their best

Solid album, lacks a killer hit but plenty to like. Marr is a unique guitarist, his jangly work here influenced a generation, and Andy get's to cut loose a bit more as well.

Not my fave album by the Smiths but a pleasant experience.

3 stars

If you like the smiths you’ll like this album. Whats more to say. 3.4

Almost a quarter of the way through this list, and this is my first Morrissey album so far. I didn't know much about him (or The Smiths) before, but vaguely was aware that he's a controversial figure. I knew he was a bit of a racist (probably a massive understatement), so was a little surprised to see "Meat Is Murder" as an album title of theirs. Turns out his politics are truly all over the board, what an odd guy. Anyway, this was fine but not my favorite. I actually think I like the music better than the vocals here. We'll see how I feel about other albums, but his voice is a little annoying and really "80s sounding. That said, the music itself is mostly pretty enjoyable, and doesn't really fall into the New Wave sound that was big at the time. Maybe this one would be better once I'm more familiar with it, but it was just ok for me. I can see myself liking this type of music though, so interested to see what else they've got. Favorite song: Well I Wonder Other: The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, I Want the One I Can't Have, That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, Meat Is Murder 7/21/24

Melancholy as always from Morrissey's vocal sound, but the music was good.

Second Album des Smiths généré dans la liste, le premier étant Strangeways, Here We Come. MiM est plus dynamique, avec basse+batterie globalement plus intéressant, très groovy parfois. Cependant certains morceaux semblent longs, et trop répétitifs. Et quand le rythme baisse ils deviennent ennuyeux. L'écoute était quand même globalement plus intéressante que pour le précédent, je lui met une meilleure note. => 3/5

Perfectly pleasant to listen to. Nothing really stood out to me, likely because I'm a dummy and I love me a nice hook / chorus.

the smiths really put more focus on their lyrics than in the musical part. that’s fine but for me i found it a little bit repetitive to hear the same cords with barely no instrumental change throughout the song. however, i still love this band and i think their lyrics are truly beautiful and meaningful. The songs really have this greatness feeling to them because the band uses a lot of instruments and reverb especially on the voice. i definitely understand why this album did so well in the charts, it is almost nihilistic and teens and young adults in 1985 could probably relate to a lot of what the band was saying. I love the beginning of the last track and the concrete music vibes.

I’ll just never get beyond morrissey being the biggest tosspot that ever existed. I’ve tried, I just can’t! 2.5

The Smiths on this album have an attitude but don't always have the music to back it up. It's a bit boring, and it seems like they never quite caught up with the '80s: some of the best moments are callbacks to older trends.

A first for me. This album cover just makes me think of some sort of 80s english punk rock. but not even. So looking forward to hearing what this actually sounds like. Yea not my style. I respect it though.

Kind of reminds me of REM in a way?

I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I expected to, I dig the sound

Average attempt

My default position towards Morrissey is antagonism, partially because of his...unscrupulous political beliefs, partially because I find him corny. But even I'll admit when he hits me hard, and he hits me hard here on "The Headmaster Ritual" and "I Want the One I Can't Have". My misgivings by and large do not extend to the rest of the Smiths, who are all fantastic here except for artistic choices that make me groan at least a little (e.g. the fade out/fade in on "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"). Even as a vegetarian myself, jury's still out on the sound effects on the title track. Verdict: Just above a Moo/5.

Been a while since I listened to The Smiths but the aching beauty of depression still comes through.

Not my favorite work of theirs, but it’s alright.

🙄

Needed a couple of listens. Lyrically it hits and Johnny's jangly guitar is good if not brilliant.

3.5

Love the Smiths, unsure about this album

I remember when the record companies were constantly pushing this. It's not for me, and I've heard it before. I did make it all the way through though, and didn't turn it off. It has its moments.

I wasn’t a big fan

It's fine, my first full Smiths album listen and it's got me feeling a little let down.

3+

Solid 3. Live the lead singers voice.

Good new wave. But his voice gets a bit monotonous. And the songs start to sound similar. Compared to songs Spotify plays when album is done, Doors, Tears for Fears, Lou Reed, it’s just not as good. 2.5

Not exactly a huge fan of the Smiths but I liked this album. Morrissey's singing does get old after a while though and the songs tend to blend together. 6.75/10 (3.375/5)

rockige gitarren, stimme mit wiedererkennungsfaktor - stellenweise etwas gar viel „jodeln“. alles in allem nette britische musik.

Interessanter Indy Rock, aber ohne grosse Highlights.

Nostalgic sound to me, from my mom's music (although it's a different album). I like it, but it's also quite sad music. I like the instrumentals, and the sound of the lead singer's voice.

Pretty good. I like it ok, but wouldn’t buy it

Pretty good album. Kinda quirky at times, but rolled some nice bass lines throughout.

Some great melodies and guitar lines. Closes pretty strong too. That said, sometimes I am just not in the mood to hear Morrissey sing. Best song: Barbarism Begins at Home

They weren't there yet with the balance of tragedy, playfullness and despair we now associate with the smiths in their lyrics but the sound was there and it is very recognizable theirs. The second half of the Lp I like a lot more I think

No es especialmente llamativo, sin embargo tiene unos temas finales bastante potentes. Te puede sobrecoger ciertos sonidos y por ello creo que gana más nivel el álbum. A nivel musical no veo nada super llamativo. Sin embargo se entiende que lleva una intención más crítica y de potencia a nivel de lyrics más que musicalmente. Aun así hay momentos que el bajo brilla y tal y como he dicho ciertos sonidos sobrecogen y llaman mucho la atención.

Titular track was ass. Rest of it was pretty OK but not as good as self titled or queen is dead.

Kinda boring but twcjnically great

An ok album

Wow I was not expecting to like this. I’ve tried to get into Morrissey before when he was playing at a festival I was going to. I wasn’t able to then and the little I caught of his performance was…bad. I honestly had considered doing 1 star and not listening for the first time this project. I’m glad I didn’t because I quite enjoyed it. The title track is a little ham fisted and kept this from creeping up to a 4 star.

salvaged by some beautiful guitar work

Some songs are quite good.

Among the Smiths' more low-energy, stripped-back albums that not so pull the curtain, as much as they allow a short peek at the band as excellent song-writers and Morrissey as an excellent shithead.

Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.

It was fine. I don't think I'll ever seek out The Smiths.

Yeah, good.

3.5

its okay. Needs great hits.

I like it. I get a little tired of his voice over the album, does feel varied enough for me but its still all good. Will I listen to again: 40%

I need to listen more to fairly evaluate anything past the singing but ain't nobody got time for that.

Good 80’s Smiths

listened to again still kinda meh

Listened Before? N Despite my dislike for Morrisey, this album was pretty okay. Won't listen again but I didn't hate it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: The Headmaster Ritual

Broody.

You know, I like The Smiths but Morrissey is a bit of a twat. All their moping and whining works in some situations. This album was easy to listen to, kept my attention, and I borderline enojiyed a few of the tracks. The guitar work is easily the savior of this album.

Not bad

El segundo álbum de los Smiths es el más disperso, con temas menos comerciales y emblemáticos (salvo How soon is now, incluida en posteriores reedeciones del álbum y la infecciosa Barbarism begins at home). Carece del encanto del primero y de la excelencia de los dos posteriores. Sin embargo, The Smiths jamás publicaron un disco malo, ni siquiera regular. Todos son de enorme calidad e influencia en el resto de bandas de su época y posteriores. 1985 es el año del C85, Psychocandy, This is the sea, Low-life, Once upon a time, Brothers in arms, Hounds of love, Steve McQueen, Love not money, This nation´s saving grace, Fables of the reconstruction, Around the world in a day, Rain dogs, Slave to the rithym, Songs form the big chair, What Does Anything Mean? Basically , Rum, sodomy and the lash y Picture book.

Well, this is my first listen to a Smiths album. I've heard "How Soon is Now?" in passing, though I haven't bothered to seek the Smiths out because Morrissey is that big of an asshole to ward me away from his old band. Having listened to this, I can say he was the problem for The Smiths. Morrisey's baritone vocal style and excessive wordiness hold this album back. He comes off more as rambling than any typical vocal cadence. Only a few songs like "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and "Well I Wonder" have enough space to allow him to sing, which does work. Lyrically, I will at least meet him halfway in that the songs against corporal punishment like "The Headmaster's Ritual" are generally good. Also of note are songs like "What She Said", "Nowhere Fast" and "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" where the contemplations of death carry a sense of empathy that you wouldn't expect from the man writing these songs. Unfortunately, that also brings us to the closing title track, which has a very pro-vegetarian stance that isn't for me. As someone who is a meat-eater, I can't speak for those who choose not to consume meat. However, I disagree with Morrissey saying that eating meat is "death for no reason" from an understanding of the life cycle and survival. Up to this point, I hadn't even gone into the instrumentation, which is the saving grace for this album. Johnny Marr is an excellent guitarist and songwriter, able to experiment with different styles from funk to rockabilly within the post-punk sense. Andy Rourke is an impeccable bass player who complements Johnny's work. Mike Joyce on the drums can keep it well-accented and does a superb job with the percussion arrangement for enough space between sections. Overall, it's a solid album from an instrumental standpoint that gets hampered down by the frontman. Not the worst, but I don't expect to revisit this anytime soon.

Say what you will about Morrissey but the dude can write lyrics and sing. They're not always my cup of tea but hard not to appreciate the band's technique and talents. Sometimes they really strike gold on track and have made some stonecold classics such as "How Soon Is Now?", "This Charming Man", and this album's own "Barbarism Begins at Home". I'm appreciating hearing each track on this album but I'll perhaps never be a hardcore fan of Morrissey's wallowing. Credit where it's due though, especially to Johnny Marr & the rest of the band for crafting some great compositions.

Nah, what’s up with the mooing

Some great songs on here. Overall held back by a couple of country inspired monstrosities. 6/10

Felt like I was being lectured from within a tiled room at times. Also, bass player is severely underrated. Around a 6.5/10, possibly a 6.3/10, on other days this could easily be a 5 or a 7.

I enjoy the sound of The Smiths, but in smaller doses. I most enjoyed Nowhere Fast and That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore from this album.

Decent album. Really liked Morrissey's vocals and some of the bass work was great.

It’s the Smiths. Not my favorite.

Thoughts before listening: I really enjoy the Smiths and own a few of their albums, including this one. I haven't listened in a while so it'll be nice to revisit this morning, although I don't typically consider this one of their better albums. Review: Its always nice when I can listen to an album I actually own, as I did this morning pulling this out of the record cabinet before going out to my office for work. This album is pretty good, but it just doesn't have as many songs that catch my ear as their other albums. Still though this is a 3-star record with the following songs getting added to the playlist: "Nowhere Fast", "The Headmaster Ritual", "Barbarism Begins at Home", and "Rusholme Ruffians".

This album is difficult for me to rate. The instrumentals are all really good but the vocals are just not for me. I want to give it a 4 but no songs really stuck out to me as something I would listen to again. Unfortunately, this is a 3/5 for me.

British indie rock, "Meat Is Murder" by the Smiths is a strongly political album. With pop rock vibes and Morrissey's signature vocals, this album preaches vegetarianism, anti-corporal punishment, and criticizes child abuse and the British education system, among other topics. Interestingly, the album performed well in the UK charts despite not having the album's best single; "How Soon Is Now?" was instead included on the US LP.

3+

Maybe the worst Smiths album. Not horrible but they have better.

Semplici Smiths. Non ho analizzato i testi, ho dato un ascolto di sottofondo. Piacevole infatti come sottofondo, non perché dia male ma anche perché le sonorità non sono troppo "pesanti", non suscitano le stesse emozioni di, a mio parere, altri album. Più madchester, più chili, pensa al "Crack on the head e te lo ricordi". Light 3, all'inizio pensavo anche in un 2. Però no, apprezzo più di quello che credevo all'inizio. Le canzoni sono più simili tra di loro, ma sempre diverse obviously. Da notare l'uso della voce in diverse canzoni, che si prende un po' più di briga di essere. Ottime basslines, specie a "Barbarianism begins at home". "The headmaster ritual" non è male, mi annoia l'ultima parte con quella specie di yodel ripetuto. "Rushole ruffians" mi sembra più ripeteva di altre, anche se piacevole. "I want the one I can't have" (il ritornello>) (grazie anche alla chitarra, mi ricorda il surf rock) la preferita assieme a "What she said" che ricorda vagamente l'inizio di "what difference does it make" (mlmlml). "Meat is murder" forse la più cupa. Sicuramente album piacevole, con un messaggio, più cupo magari per quanto riguardano i fatti, non l'interiorità, magari meno concreto però della chiarezza espressiva di altre canzoni che ho ascoltato.

I liked the guitar work and I like meat so the anti-meat preachiness is kind of annoying. This isn't something I would seek out but it was OK.

Morrissey isn't much of a singer, eh?

I always go into the Smiths thinking I’ll hate his voice but it’s always less annoying than I remember. This almost had what it takes to get to a four but I think it’s just slightly hard for me to get past his monotone depressing voice that I can’t rate it so high.

The music is great on every level - excellent and interesting playing, some unexpected turns right in the middle of a melodic phrase that keep anything from becoming stale - really enjoy it.... It's Morrissey who's tough to take (on every level) - his voice is annoying AF but I could get beyond it if he weren't - to say the least - excessively wordy, which is sort of his entire schtick so... that's that. 5 for the band, 1 for the absurdly self-absorbed lyrics vocals and lyrics (which i can ignore at times thanks to 80s mixes where they wouldn't have the singer too-up-front) and it's right up the middle. When do we get The Smiths' instrumental remixes? 6/10 3 stars.

Brit-Pop. Ok, aber hat mich nicht von den Socken gehauen. Lag vielleicht aber auch an meiner Tagesform. 3/5

Aren't you supposed to get better at things the more you do them? This is not the first time I catch myself thinking that the earlier album by an artist is much better than what comes later. This one is good when Morrissey doesn't sing into a bucket

Good album, kinda generic

Still not really a fan of the Smiths, but this was enjoyable.

saved a couple

Good album by a great band. As with all Smiths albums, Morrissey is insanely clever and Marr is angularly jamming away in the manner that only he can. And “Barbarism Begins at Home” is a fantastic showcase for Andy Rourke’s mind-blowing bass skills. For all of you who can’t hear The Smiths mentioned without harping on the fact that Morrissey is a piece of shit, boy do I have bad news for you about every single pop star and any member of any band ever. Yes, Morrissey is garbage, but so is pretty much everyone else on this list. I’m not sure if it’s a consequence of having too much money, or the psychological effect of fame and adulation, or maybe just human nature, but basically everyone who becomes even moderately successful making music sucks. Morrissey included, but not exclusively, and not to any significant degree beyond the norm. So please, if you don’t have the requisite intelligence and savior faire to appreciate The Smiths, just admit that you aren’t that great at listening to music and having taste and stop trying to pin it on Morrissey being a monster. They’re all monsters. Always have been.

Musically, it’s ok, some decent songs. The vocal stylings scream 80s/90s Brit-pop. The lyrics don’t do anything for me. The longer it went, the less I liked it. Whatever: 3/5

Good but probably my least favorite Smiths record. Iconic cover, tho.

Prettycool

passt scho

Pretty solid album. In a way it sounded like the same song repeated a couple of times. I guess I enjoyed the song though because overall I thought it was a pretty good listen. I did notice a couple of the later songs stood out a bit differently. From what I have heard of The Smiths they have a pretty distinct sound and are pretty good at staying within their comfort zone to relatively good results. Nothing blew me away but overall the album was very listenable. Morrisey (and The Smiths by proxy) is one of the iconic acts I think largely in part to his antics and extra-curriculars outside of music. I know people who love and worship him, but I personally have never understood it. He's a fine songwriter and I enjoy the handful of hits I've been exposed to but otherwise he seems like a miserable blow hard who would be a pain to be around. Whatever, to each his own. 2.75 stars

Good album, wore this one out back in the day

Not a fan.

Not my favourite of theirs!

I took me a focused listen through this album to hear how the Smiths melodies work harmonically. Never really resolving on roots, moving between sixths and thirds and that gives them a constantly unresolved and modal feel to all their songs. Johnny Marr’s guitar tone is so clean, you can in again that with distillation and dirtiness and a slightly faster tempo all these songs could be punk tunes.

Not my favorite by them, it's solid

No me entusiasma como otros.

Wasn’t for me

Better than expected. But didn’t care for the meat is murder tune. It’s too preachy but the rest of the album is solid.

Not a fan of this one. Didn't really seem to jell together. Seemed jarring.

Good album. Cool sound.

6,5/10

It was okay, just a big too whiny for myself to want to listen to again

The music's ok, Morissey's voice and singing style is, at least for me, difficult to listen to for a whole album.

It’s lacking in notable Smith singles, but it’s still a solid album. Still has the same sound, same melancholy rainy day jangly tunes. They probably couldn’t have made the Queen is Dead without first finding their stylistic footing with this album, so it’s a logical sophomore stepping stone, but it’s not a classic. This album is almost more poignant for what it doesn’t have - shitty 80s synths and effects - it’s an honest indie pop record that could have come out any time before or after (i.e. it’s sound is timeless).

Hey Morissey is back, this time its before he went insane! Never really got into The Smiths but they have some pretty good and original songs here and there! Not in this album tho. Its pretty uninspiring post-punk which is actually surprising because its hard to make a couter-culture genre boring. Barbarism Begins at Home is actually pretty good because it has that disco bass riff that makes it original, but I guess the inspiration ran out after that because the other songs are meh. The title song starts very weirdly and that gave me hope, but it devolved back into another unoriginal track. Not the worst but im giving 3/5 because it makes me angry that they were so close to sounding great and chose mediocrity.

It's alright but I won't be listening to it again

I know Morrissey is a dick etc, but I don't think anyone has ever nailed that balance of depression and ironic humour in quite the same way.

This was kind of puzzling: all my instincts, all my music experience told me that I should like this music. But, surprisingly, I just... don't! Three last songs saved it from being a complete waste of time (especially, "Well I Wonder" - it's a masterpiece!), but the first part of the album did not feel good at all. And that's a shame

A vocalist makes or breaks a band for me, and....jesus. Some of the instrumentals were great, but Morissey..just no dude. No. Having said that, the album grew on me as it went on. "That Joke isn't Funny Anymore" is a legitimately GREAT song. And the bassline for Barbarism slapped

Not my favorite Smiths record. Parts of it feel like Morrissey is trying to murder your ears.

I like some of the Smiths. Some of the albums feel like cohesive wholes. This one feels disjointed and random. It's not landing with me. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" resonates. "Well I Wonder" is cool. So far, the second half of the album works better for me, but half an album isn't good enough for all the stars.

The headmaster ritual 3 Rusholme ruffians 3 I want the one I can’t have 2 What she said 3 That joke isn’t funny anymore 3 Nowhere fast 4 Well I wonder 3 Barbarism begins at home 3 Meat is murder 3

Pretty goooood

This was just ok

not my thing

I can easily look past the pretentious prick that is Morrissey. But even then, having listened to the entire The Smiths discography multiple times, I might have to conclude that they’re just not my jam. There are some great tunes along the way, but I would never just put it on at home myself.

Ah The Smiths. I think most millennials who are avid listeners of indie rock had a Smiths phase. It’s easy listening and that’s about it.

Surprisingly better.than I remember it to be..the music is amazing. I just can't stand Morrisseys voice. So over the top.

6/10 Fine, I guess, but another one that is very surprising to find on a top 1000 list Nothing truly outstanding, nothing terrible It all rests on how you feel about Morrissey - and he doesn’t do if tor me. Better than the solo album that I listened to though. Very well produced and engineered Good, occasionally excellent music Bass & drums particularly stood out Liked the Nile Rodgers pastiche on Barbarism… Best: That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

- Not bad but I don't think I'd go back to it - What She Said was pretty good but the rest didn't match that energy - Good production tho

- I don’t always love his voice - guitar work is so solid

some of the songs are good, but i find morrissey’s voice pretty annoying in others. “that joke isn’t funny anymore” is my favorite on the album and since its so good i’ll bump it up to 3 stars.

Interesting album. Not my favorite. Barbarism Begins at Home is a banger, though.

bro the smiths..... lets just get it over with the headmaster ritual- bro you are out of school you dont have to do this shit anymore. boring. 4 rusholme ruffians- i like the bass line. 6 i want the one i cant have- um. whys it all over his face.... 4 or 5 its kinda boring what she said- its whatever. 4 that joke isnt funny anymore- crazy how this song hasnt become a meme. its kinda cornball. 4. this shit should not be 5 minutes nowhere fast- what did he say. hes just to british to be kept alive. is he still alive? thats sad. whatever the song is 4 or 5 well i wonder- dont care. 3 or 4 barbarism begins at home- the title intrigues me but i doubt it will hold my interest. i was right, idgaf. 5. it should not be 7 minutes. meat is murder- i keep thinking people are talking in the background. the song is ok but i dont care. it gave me a headache. 5 or 6 favrotie track- rusholme ruffians ig

Middle of the road music for me. Not anything offensive about this.

Good album. I prefer the queen is dead