Meat Is Murder

The Smith's are one of the all time best bands ever. The beat, the lyrics, the vibe. They are just the bomb. Morrissey is a controversial human, but this band was one of the all time greats. And vinyl is the way to go. Put on the album. Dim the lights. Drink a warm beer and feel bad about the burger you just ate.

One could very easily hear on The Smith's self titled debut album that the band had a sound that was both different than what was happening at the time,yet also very familiar. Interesting how sometimes in music,a mild throwback can be a gateway to it's own future. For sure it's a catch 22. But The Smiths were lucky that they had no intention of resting on their laurels. The approach of that debut had been rather slow paced and was definitely not on the harder edged side of post punk rock-focusing very heavy on song craft,melody and the emotive,highly lyrical vocal styling's of Morrissey. The band apparently had the attention of turning up the muscle on their second album. Yet seemed to look upon it as a means by which to integrate their new approach into their established context of song. What emerged was one of those second albums where sophomore slump was not going to present a problem"The Headmaster Ritual" begins the album with a very uptempo guitar oriented new wave sound-complete with the genres use of fast transitions of major/minor chords-with "I Want The One I Can't Have" having a more straight up jangle rock approach on the same basic tempo. "Rusholme Ruffians" and "What She Said" are both shuffling,churning 50's/early 60's style rock 'n' roll full of reverb and both the drums and guitars churning in a rhythmically moving fashion. The slower "This Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" has a very European folk/rock style where the more upbeat and countryish "Nowhere Fast" reflects more the American folk/rock tradition. "How Soon Is Now?" is the only Smiths' song I knew well before this-defined by it's bassy rhythms and high pitched,crying rhythm guitar riffs which are probably it's most identifiable element."Well I Wonder" is closer to the mid-tempo sound of the debut while "Barbarism Begins At Home" has a funky dance/rock rhythm-complete with a pretty grooving bass line on the bridge while the harrowing title song ends the album with a dark folky melody and a rhythm based on the mooing of cows-apparently on their way to the slaughterhouse. This album is much more overtly political than the debut. Corporal punishment in schools and anti Thatcher sentiment appear to dominate the earlier part of the album while it concludes with child abuse (corporal punishment at home) and pro vegetarianism dominate the second part. As with the first album,the eloquent lyrical language contrasts the socially aware,if seemingly politically divided stance presented here. Still it shows The Smiths were able to grow as they went along,and continue to make well done and even challenging pop/rock.

Sounds great on vinyl, and my God is the title track ever haunting. Not a dud on this album, and it contains what is probably my favorite Smiths song, “Rusholme Ruffians”. All of the releases by this band are great, but this one feels a little darker than the others, which is saying something when talking about the Smiths

I had a copy of this from a cassette dual deck recording and loved it. Having it on vinyl now finally after all these years was worth the wait. Johnny Marr is exceptionally talented and this is his finest album to date. Getting to listen to this now on a decent turntable and system has been a real joy. It sounds phenomenal and is well worth the purchase. Whether you are a die hard Smiths fan or just looking for some decent music on vinyl, this will not disappoint. Easily a 10/10, two thumbs up!

The second long-player by The Smiths is a revelation even today. This reviewer lived in Manchester at the time of its release and can fully attest to the record's dead-center portrayal of a tender hooligan's fight to survive the soot of a disused city. The now classic "How Soon is Now?" warbles from its lair with the unforgettable post-clubbing line "You go home and cry and you want to die." Instead of suicide, Morrissey urges the like-minded to moon the queen in the defiant "Nowhere Fast." The lyricist par excellence routinely got bashed and parodied for his persona of mope (rightly so), but "Meat" comes rushing out of the gate with four breathless songs about sadistic headmasters, dodgy carnival rides, a railway rendez-vous that will never happen, and cigarettes intensely inhaled to bring an early death. Anyone trapped a whisper and a nudge from what they desire immediately senses in Morrissey a compatriot, a sensitive soul clutching secret treasures in a thuggish, merciless world. And as one perceptive critic once noted, Johnny Marr is the wind that blows Morrissey's clouds. The guitar work on "Meat" is simply superb. The twining figures and textures, buoyed by Andy Rourke's melodic bass lines, bring the bumps. "Every sensible child" knows what The Smiths mean.