Meat Is Murder

500th Album Alert! I was hoping for something better from this milestone album, but I got The Smiths. I know some people just love them, I guess I just don't fully get it. To be clear, it's far from awful. There's some definite talent there. The song structures are pretty good (borderline great). But Morrisey is just a hard listen for me. I find his voice grating for some reason. Maybe because it sounds pretentious, or maybe it's the lyrics, or his bouncing around the melody. Whatever it is, I simply am not a fan of him. As for the rest of the band, they are quite good. Too bad they didn't have a great front man, otherwise they might have translated much better over in the States. Still, a solid record, carried by the band, let down by the vocals.

Never really got into the Smiths and now it seems too late to bother. Shame about Morrissey

Det är något med det här soundet som är väldigt ointressant. Gillar inte heller Morrisseys röst så mycket att jag står ut någon längre tid. Låtarna är väl helt okej men det är inget jag lär vara sugen på att slå på igen.

I’ve heard this before and I own it. I’m not a huge Smiths fan and all the Smiths and Morrissey albums in my collection were added by my wife. I like the Smiths for the most part but I hate Morrissey, and this goes back to when he was only known for being a whiny little prick, and well before he was known for being a whiny little racist nazi prick. The rest of the band, they’re great and the also hate Morrissey which is cool. So, on to the music. This album is half uptempo pop jumpers with some really great guitar work and half ballads leaning into depressing dirge territory. The lyrics and singing are just bad, though I might like the singing better if I didn’t hate Morrissey so much. The title track at the end is a real whiny snoozer and terrible closer to the album and makes me want to eat a 20 ounce prime rib just out of spite.

Andy didn’t need to go so hard on the bass, but he did and we’re all the better for it. Top bops: The headmaster ritual That joke isn’t funny anymore Nowhere fast Well I wonder Barbarism begins at home

SO good. i have realised through this challenge that i really do love the smiths. unsure if all their work is on this list but damn i gotta seek it out. unreal!!!

I fucking love the smiths 4,5/5

Comfortably the weakest of The Smiths four studio albums and it's still better than your favorite band's best. Elite Indie Pop

Nearly a 5, just missing a big hit and not my fave smiths album. Still brilliant

Decent album!

Not my favourite Smiths album, but still very good and really enjoyed it - close to a 5

Feels weird to get a Smiths album right after a Morrissey album, but I guess it's statistically in line with the massive British bias of this list. With a total of 7 albums, Morrissey and The Smiths combined make up for 0,6 % of the records listed here... I never cared much for The Smiths, and this album didn't really change my mind. It's all right for a casual listen, but I don't get what's remarkable about it. Gone are the anger of punk and the bleakness of new wave ; it just feels like middle-of-the-road pop to me. I'll admit they're musically competent, there's nothing I actively disliked in this record - I just didn't connect with it on any level. 5/10

With all these Morrissey related albums popping up lately, I initially thought the guy had died… I’ve always had a soft spot for The Smiths. Not everything they’ve done, but they definitely represent, along with a few others, the more enjoyable side of the 80s: raw, lively, and far enough from the synth-pop that ruled the decade. The bass lines are excellent, bouncy and playful, bringing real energy alongside the understated electric guitar. Light rock with rich vocal melodies and plenty of character. No major hits here, but I can listen to this with genuine enthusiasm.

I think this is very good and interesting and i would like to listen again.

This one was just ok, but nothing stood out in the same way as the other Smiths album we had on here

nobody does it quite like johnny marr, and morrissey's peculiar way of singing has always spoke to me. the lyrics are very pretty and romantic throughout, and simultaneously crushing as per the rest of their discography. this album has a special place in my heart :) stand outs : i want the one i cant have, nowhere fast, barbarism begins at home

Ok

Meat Is Murder is one of the most balanced records I have rated so far (118 prior to this) and one of the most astonishing musical achievements known to me. Quite notably, Morrissey's vocals are arguably of the highest value here; he delivers so well at all times, having a great and pleasant voice in the first place, utilizing is with great emotional truthness to it, both restrained and expressive at the same time. He even does the high-pitched lines in "Well I Wonder" the way I was surprised to hear. A wonderful job by him, really added so much to the greatness of their release. Apart from the vocals, Meat Is Murder is full of exquisite music. What's so great about it is that it manages to include this general roaming approach, also being very diverse and making you pay strong attention to it as its artistic value makes you truly await what's coming next. There's a great shift in the tempo between "I Want the one I Can't Have" and "What She Said", for instance. And they do that so greatly. I enjoyed the numerous approaches to end the song abruptly, to put a catchy riff into the very end, and so on. The music feels blurred and distant, a bit unclear, especially in the first tracks, but it does not work to the detriment. Again, combined with Morrissey, it ends up being just great. There are two of the best tracks here: "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and "Barbarism Begins at Home". Both great masterpieces, and that deep, poetic, powerful music gave me goose bumps. And I'm not even sure about the latter writing this as there were so many tracks. "Meat Is Murder", the title track, is an extended composition (the band manages to bring great results both with short and long song formats) included additional animal sounds and effects. Perhaps surprisingly straightforward with its message, I express my support to the statement nonetheless. "What She Shaid", a track I've already mentioned, was also one of the most notable tracks to its great fast rhythm. The Smoths add so many great detals, perform their instruments so well (great riffs in particular) that leave me almost speechless. So it is a tough job trying to identify the best track here. I suppose this is one of those rare records that should truly be heard from the beginning to the end. A rare occasion that I wish it was longer. Another thing to be added about Morrissey's singing is the abundance of syllable singing and expressing the feelings otherwise non-verbally. That feature was great, and again I'm not prone to judge music by its lyrics and meanings, I enjoy how it sounds and the forms it takes. Meat Is Murder is indeed an exceptional masterpiece. It is part of that sacred part of the musical art which makes you feel alive and is though to be compared with anything else. To all those who appreciate music, you should hear it before you die.

I know mexicans love morissey so need to see what the hype is about. Solid album but nothign really stuck

Mostly fine, but nothing much stuck out, and Barbarism Begins at Home is too damn long. Standout Track: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore Rating: 3

Two Smiths albums in a row! MIM is a more complete album than Strangeways (as offered yesterday), and perhaps more adventurous? Pretty great all round.

Nice sound

It's a Smiths album. I don't know. The instrumentation is usually good enough. I like the riffs. But man I don't care for Morrissey's singing style. He sounds like a bad yodeler.

In spite of it all, I love this album. There is almost nothing else that brings me back to this exact moment in time. It’s a dream of the late 1980s.

That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is quite cool. It's also nostalgic.

There were a couple songs that caught the slightest bit of my attention; however comma I'm not amazed by this

Really didn't like anything here. Not awful but just boring. 2/5

Repeat listen

Pas trop mon genre mais il y en quelqu’unes de pas mal

Didn’t finish it but liked what I heard

Every time I revisit the smiths I end up in awe of Johnny Marr over and over and over. But that’s a disservice to the rest of them. Most of my bass inspiration comes from Andy Rourke tbf, what a player. It’s fun to hate on the smiths because morrissey is such and obnoxious wanker, but they really were special. 5.0/5.0 Best Song: Barbarism Begins At Home

So good, not my favourite smiths album, but still so impressive. What a song writer that awful man is. Barbarism begins at home is insane as well

1 - The Headmaster’s Ritual - 👍 2 - Rusholme Ruffians - 🙌 3 - I Wan’t The One I Can’t Have - 🙌 4 - What She Said - 👍 5 - That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore - 🙌 6 - Nowhere Fast - 🙌 7 - Well I Wonder - 👏 8 - Barbarism Begins At Home -👍 9 - Meat Is Murder -🤷🏻‍♂️ 4/5

Pre-Listening: I never listened to the Smiths because it was a weird time in life for me when I got into rock and roll where bands like The Shins, The Kinks, The Kooks, and The Strokes all had music I needed to listen to. Call me bias, but I saw The Smiths as the most boring of those names so I let them slide. Best: Well I Wonder Runner-up: Nowhere Fast Third: I Want The One I Can’t Have Post-listening: Had I been alive in the 80s, I could see me getting into this band. Johnny Marr’s guitar sound is exactly the kind of guitar sound I seek in my groove rock. I like that each song has a purpose and does something for the album. However, I do not care for Morrissey’s voice. I wasn’t surprised to find that his unique sound wasn’t always well received. For me, it’s either over the top, or killing the vibe of the band. I appreciate that this album and this band helped music transition into shoegaze which I have come to really enjoy in the last decade of my life. The Smiths use of tremolo (new music word unlocked) is really emphasized in Meat is Murder and that made the songs have a really tangible atmosphere for me. I can’t say I’ll come back to this album often, but it’ll make for good background music in the summer moving forward. Rating: 7/10 Stars: 3/5

fun bass work and a very interesting vocal presentation. the rest isn't super compelling, but it is catchy, which counts for a lot

De lo menos bueno de los smiths, pero pues son los smiths

Overall a solid album with a few stinkers mixed in.

love the smiths

I do quite like the smiths, but not my fav album of theirs

I read some of the reviews for this album, as it is one of my favourites, there is such a swing for and against, the 4 together, were amazing to see “live” in the 1980s, The Meat is Murder tour was fantastic- I still have my programme from that tour - this is a classic album- not everybody will agree, but 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🕺🏻

*Sigh* I've heard enough Morrissey bullshit over the past few months to groan Everytime I see one of his albums. However, the Smiths stuff is usually better than the solo by quite a bit. This follows the pattern, with great songs like "The Headmaster Ritual" and the title track. They're fairly typical of the Smiths lyrically, but they're far catchier than anything Morrissey's solo work has. The rest of the album isn't exactly boring, either, just not quite up to the standard of those songs. It's probably one of the Smiths' best albums.

you're much better off starting with Hatful of Hollow, the compilation of non-album singles and radio sessions from this era.

A Smiths session where my reflexive distaste for Morrissey didn’t surface. He has not made the shift of annoying singers to ones that break me (Tom Waits; Thom Yorke), but this time Morrisey avoid whining and hectoring. Instead I could revel in what a tight band The Smiths were on this record. No overplaying nor thunderous bar chording, they kept it minimal even when stretching out on “Barbarism Begins at Home.” Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke engage with each other. Marr plays circular scale note while Rourke bounce back with line that are a worthy update to Wire. The backing trio showed restraint in building the ominous backing for the title track. Marr contributes film track piano runs. The Smiths have a bright sound. There are the post-punk sounds for some darker shades, but for the most part I hear higher end of the register. I’m no expert on skiffle, but the near folk-rockabilly tinge to Marr’s playing, and their English background, makes me go with skiffle. It’s one of the many traits that make Marr a great guitarist and songwriter. Should have stolen my college roommate’s copy of this one.

It baffles me that Morrissey being aggressively vegetarian was once the height of his controversy—I’d take him admonishing carnivores any day over his xenophobic malarky. The Smiths’ sophomore album has never been my favorite from their brief catalog, but it’s still as solid as anything Smiths-related. Morrissey’s lyrics are especially angry and violent this time around, with less of a focus on romantic pining and more on abusive power structures. Marr and Rourke really shine here, having some excellent interplay and getting genuinely funky at times. All in all, a great album, but a decent Smiths album. Fav Tracks: The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, I Want the One I Can’t Have, Nowhere Fast, Well I Wonder, Barbarism Begins at Home Least Fav: Score: 7.5

It's kinda strange to me that I hear a lot of this is red hot chili peppers tunes. I really liked it!

As a loyal Smiths fan who was a teenager during their peak, this album is undeniably amazing and foundational. But in the context of 1001 albums it is not so perfect or transformational to buy a 5 ranking. However it is a must listen

It's non linear, and it was kinda confusing at first but i liked it. About the album, i love the melancholic yet energetic feeling of The Smiths. My only problem is that My favourite song of the album was literally about how meat was murder. Because the album is called meat is murder, duh. Anyways, i'm not into that vegan shit, i love My steak, and the argument of how meat is slaughter contradicts the evolution process that we were meant to consume to survive. It's science Morrissey, not sadism. I liked the album very much.

Album #178: Meat Is Murder - The Smiths Genre (W): Indie rock, post-punk Singles: Barbarism Begins at Home, That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, The Headmaster Ritual I have listened to this album once before. Thoughts?: Morrison is an amazing lyricist. I love how direct and blunt he is and his witty style! It feels truly authentic in that sense. I also love the production of it too, this isn’t tainted by 80’s overproduced fluff, it feels truly unique and timeless. Favorite tracks: The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, What She Said, That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore, Side Two

I seriously love this album. "The Headmaster Ritual" is such an awesome way to open, and there are so many other angsty, bouncy, snarky songs that keep the vibe of the album going. Oh, and Marrs' guitar and Rourke's bass? Some of the best of the time.

Ahhh Morrisey goes political. If only the punks, freaks, and geeks back then knew what was to come LOL. Johnny Marr really takes this one to a new level. Even the harder rocking songs from their debut were pretty tame. I like the “in your face” approach the band takes here. Bro carries for real. I feel this ones also a lot less samey than the debut, and covers multiple different flavors of the band. Overall, a really fun listen.

This is The Smith’s at their learning phase. They are trying to see what works and have a pretty strong concept of veganism at the helm. Which itself is pretty counter culture especially for the time. It’s heavy handed sure but it really makes you think. This is good the music is tight the band is there but something is missing. It doesn’t go past the realm for me if that makes sense. Something is holding it back I don’t know what really to define it as cause it’s creative but it feels like a stepping stone to a greater thing. Like their next record. All in all This is great and I listen to their debut again and this is so much more mature. All in all, The Smiths still got it. It’s their 2nd try and it’s getting there. Also morrissey is so melodramatic ITS MURDERERR

Not their best. The first half is good, the second half not so much.

I just couldn't find anything on the album to push the score above 2. It feels like all the things I don't like about The Smiths and none of the good bits.

j'adore mais j'aime pas mais j'adore mais j'aime pas (il n'y aura pas plus de précision même moi jsp)

I guess if there was 1 smiths album you have to listen to, it's this. It's vintage Smiths but it's an acquired taste.

Ich mein ja, die Smiths waren schon das bessere im 80s Genre, aber es ist trotzdem nicht mein Bier

It's got the sound, but it doesn't have the hooks. It's by no means bad, but it's overshadowed by the far more memorable albums to either side. I can see myself listening to this when I've grown tired of the more famous stuff.

Liked Moz a lot better when he was an asexual whiner and not a far-right troll.

I’m actually enjoying this smiths album more than I expected to, but morrissey taints everything. Bleh

1985. This sounded like every other The Smiths Album, probably had a statement to make but not one for me.

I can’t say I dislike them, nor can I say they’re a bad group. I think it’s one of those situations where I heard a few people give them high marks, and that skewed my expectations. I like some of their songs, and their overall sound is interesting, just not my favorite nor something I think I’d work into my routine listening.

I like The Smiths. I didn't know any songs on this album though. I enjoyed it though.

I mean I like their sound but this lacked a bit of pizazz. 6/10

When I originally got this album I didn’t think it was as good as the first album (which should be on this list ) yet it was great in its own right. On first play yesterday I was a bit underwhelmed, but on second play it all came back to me. Morriseys lyrics, Jonny Marr’s guitar work and Andy Rourke stretching out the bass. Brilliant! What she said I smoke cos I’m hoping for an early death and I need something to cling to. Outstanding!

I was never into the Smiths, but I actually liked this. I'm still not a huge fan of Morrisseys voice, but it grew on me.

Would be higher if not for so many Morrisseyisms and I actually like the Smiths generally

Nice sound

"The Headmaster Ritual" and "Barbarism Begins at Home" are so amazing!

4⭐️

A rock solid album by this band. Good grooves and lyrics

I’ve spent some time with this album before, but it grows on me with every listen. The front half has my favorite melodies and turns of phrase, but I enjoyed the whole thing. The album leaves me wanting to learn more. “Rusholme Ruffians” feels like an American line dance (maybe it’s just reflecting a cyclical relationship between Western music and European folk/skiffle), while the decision by an English band to use a cover photo of an American Marine in Vietnam also adds another layer to my curiosity (perhaps they were just inspired by the visceral impact of such an image, but I do wonder at their thoughts on US and UK imperialism). The title track takes a bit of a strong stance in my opinion, but I’m not one to kill the party just because I don’t agree with 100% of their opinions. It’s provocative, in a good way. 4.5 stars.

The smiths do a great job of making depressing vocals sound uplifting

Pretty standard Smiths. Despite how arresting their sound was when the first emerged, I'm not finding this album holding up too well really.

Morrissey’s melodies are occasionally repetitive, often following the same melodic lines, and the same can be said of his delivery. There are some great tracks here, though, and it’s such a solid album that a 4 seems warranted.

This one was pretty decent. Some catchy songs. I didn't resonate with a lot of the classic Smith's type of mopey lyrics, but thought it wasn't too bad on this album. A solid 3.

I just don’t get the sheer amount of terrible British Indie Rock on this list.

A tale of two sides, this record has a really strong start and a really rough end, tailing off into two of Morrissey's most navel gazing songs (and that's saying a lot). There's a lot of emotional energy here, but none of the mystery of their debut or the refined pop of Queen is Dead. It's just not that great, even if it's still better than a good chunk of radio hits at the time.

This was better than the other smiths album I had the other day. Morriseys voice is grating at times but again I think if I heard these multiple times I would be into it.

cool album :)

Fela Kuti is one of the most important artists of the rock era, popularizing the Afro-Jazz scene and creating some extraordinarily euphoric dance-inducing protest music. This album is one of many classics from the 1968-75ish era. Give it a listen.

that joke isn't funny anymore çok iyi

Pretty solid album by The Smiths. It's hard for me to get away from how much of a giant douche Morrissey is, and the lyrics just feel more and more pretentious the older I get. When I was an edgy teen / in my early twenties I lapped this stuff up, and now it just feels hilarious to listen to.

Right off the hop, there's so much reverb and flanger on Johnny Mar's guitar that it develops some discordant notes with the bass and with itself. And then fucking Morrissey starts softly complaining into the microphone. It all has a vague feeling of detachment -- partly from the distant-echoey guitar, partly from Morrissey's smooth, even crooning, partly from the ways the vocal melody suspends before resolving. The bass sounds great. Really cool parts. Andy Rourke is a great bass player and I'm happy to have learned about him from this project. Mike Joyce is a good drummer but the production has him so reverb'd and compressed that he sounds like he's playing on a cheap electric kit in my basement. The 80's did few bands any justice. Except Morrissey: he sucks so much that it suits this production style perfectly. In the interest of defending myself a little, I can hear some of the talent he possesses: he's got a reliable ear and intonation. Some of his melodies would be somewhat hard to sing (because they sound like shite and your ear will naturally flee; Bartok wrote pieces that exploited this unfamiliarity beautiful -- Morrissey did not). He also does a sort of yodel/head-chest or falsetto-head break that's actually quite a trick. And it sounds good. But he doesn't. He takes an interesting rhythm section and makes them boring. He uses too many drone notes, explores too little of the harmony of the chords he's singing in and spends too much time in tension, waiting for the resolving note -- and sometimes it doesn't fucking come. It's well and good to think this is clever; perhaps it's intentional; what it *isn't* is pleasant to listen to. 'What She Said' has an absolutely killer performance by the band (though Marr still sounds like he's trapped in a shed behind the studio). It is absolutely ruined by the singer. Somehow it's validating that their objectively best song, 'How Soon Is Now?' isn't even on one of their LP's: it's on compilations only. This reinforces to me that these morons didn't know what was good about what they did, which maybe explains why they let Morrissey do most of the songwriting. 'Nowhere Fast' isn't bad. 'Barbarism Begins At Home' would be much better if it were a Propagandhi song. And if the vocal melody weren't mind-numbing. My wife used to put The Smiths on as background music when I'd visit her overnight when we were first dating. I remember remarking that I should really take some time to listen to The Smiths. Now that I have, I'd rather forego sex than put The Smiths on. Thank god this is my last Smiths album. I've rated their albums a *total* of four stars across three records. Sadly, I have all four of Morrissey's solo works to go. At least I can confidently say, having listened to every one of their LP's: The Smiths suck. 1/5

The title is great, but the songs are all the same.

La voz de él es bastante magnética. La guitarra. La melodía son bastante atmosféricas, pero hay un punto donde se vuelve bastante repetitivo, aunque al final es bastante bastante bueno

Not bad

You would think this is an album I would love. I think Morrisseys voice throws it off for me.

It's pretty ok, with some songs that have a meaningful, almost hard-hitting message.

The instrumentals are great but Morrissey's voice is just not getting anything out of me. The kind of guy they invented the phrase "fun at parties" for. Props to Johnny Marr for carrying this band.

438/1089 i actually quite enjoyed this one considering it’s Morrissey/The Smiths faves: that joke isn’t funny anymore, well i wonder 70/100

Fav: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore L: Barbarism Begins At Home 4 Having (that's) What She Said followed by That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore in the track list is awesome. The only song that really stuck with me was That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore but I liked everything. I guess people really don't like the Meat is Murder song for various reasons. I thought it was pretty good but it did make me hungry so I'm not sure it had its desired effect. Cover: 3.5 Really makes you think about the duality of man. Name: 3 Taking off a point for having a song titled likewise. Minecraft Parody: Raiding Pillagers (Rusholme Ruffians), Sleep Is Murder (Would be about trying to put a bed in the nether)

The Gay Smiths be like, "My cock to your head is just what you get." and "My meat is murder" This is a pretty great album. It's maybe a bit more consistent than the queen is dead with lower highs. The track "Meat is Murder" is a little on the nose, but also based so maybe it's fine. If I had to pick a track I don't like, "What She Said" kind of sounds like a Green Day song. W: Barbarism begins at home, meat is murder, headmaster ritual, rusholme ruffians L: What she said 4.5/5

Seth - 4.5/5 Logan - 3.5/5

It was okay. Would have been 100x better without Morrissey.

Hiinä ja hiinä et oliko vitosen arvonen, mutta päädyin neloseen. Ehkä jäi uupumaan jokin ”säväyttävä” elementti biiseistä, oli ne hyviä silti.

Parempaakin olen kuullut heiltä

i love u the smiths favorite tracks: the whole thing but especially The Headmaster Ritual

Morrisey is murder.

Once again, I never really liked this record much. Morrissey is an interesting lyricist, but I am not too crazy about his voice. Neither about the band's performance.

4.5, the album that made me admire johnny marr so much when i was younger, i was also made to watch the MV for the title track in religious studies so much that it eventually became one of my favourite smiths songs. barbarism begins at home also has one of the best bass lines ever