Meat Is Murder

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Singer Morrissey's brittle wit and guitarist Johnny Marr's incisive guitar helped make the Smiths create both an entranced cult following and pop music of the highest order. The U.S. edition of the band's second album includes the bonus single "How Soon Is Now?" and while it's a welcome addition, the rest of the tracks stand ably on their own. The militant vegetarianism is heavy-handed, but the sly humor of "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and "I Want the One I Can't Have" present proof of the band's scope, as do the anthemic "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Rusholme Ruffians." --Rob O'Connor --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Meat Is Murder
Average customer rating:

The Blueprint For A Successful Follow-Up Album

"Gasping - but somehow still alive"

Militant Smiths

Absolutely haunting

My favorite Smiths album

Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Hatful of Hollow

ASIN: B000002L7J
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

The Headmaster Ritual
Rusholme Ruffians
I Want The One I Can't Have
What She Said
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
How Soon Is Now?
Nowhere Fast
Well I Wonder
Barbarism Begins At Home
Meat Is Murder

Amazon.com

Singer Morrissey's brittle wit and guitarist Johnny Marr's incisive guitar helped make the Smiths create both an entranced cult following and pop music of the highest order. The U.S. edition of the band's second album includes the bonus single "How Soon Is Now?" and while it's a welcome addition, the rest of the tracks stand ably on their own. The militant vegetarianism is heavy-handed, but the sly humor of "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" and "I Want the One I Can't Have" present proof of the band's scope, as do the anthemic "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Rusholme Ruffians." --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

The Blueprint For A Successful Follow-Up Album.......2007-04-11

In today's day & age of artists releasing albums with the frequency of presidential elections, it seems almost inconceivable that a smash-hit debut could be followed one-year later by another equally-impressive album. But that's exactly what The Smiths did in early 1985 with Meat Is Murder. "How Soon Is Now?" and "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" are the two main standouts, however "Rusholme Ruffians", "Nowhere Fast", and "I Want The One I Can't Have" rival anything off the band's self-titled release. Morrissey continues his heady and socially-conscious songwriting, while Johnny Marr takes his guitar-playing up a few notches - which is ultimately showcased on "How Soon..." (the rhythm guitar-track was conveniently sampled on Soho's 1990 hit "Hippie Chick", and one could make a case that Marr stole the main bent-chord from Jimmy Page's riff on Led Zeppelin's "The Rain Song"). Even Andy Rourke gets into the act with his funky bass line contribution on "Barbarism Begins At Home". No weak spots on this gem, which will surely spark your interest from start to finish. If not, you don't know what's good for you.

"Gasping - but somehow still alive".......2007-03-12

The Smiths' second album of new material is essential listening for an unlikely reason: it contains some the band's most mediocre songs. Now, "mediocre" is a relative term of course, considering that we are talking about the greatest band to emerge in the last quarter-century, i.e., since The Jam broke up in '82. It isn't that Morrissey's voice sounds bad (how could it?), or that Johnny Marr's guitar playing is less than tasteful. It's just that somehow the words and the music just aren't as great as one would expect.

Most of the tracks on this album are not particularly well-known ones. However, "How Soon Is Now?" pops up in the middle of the American issue. This is one of the band's best-known and best-loved songs. It is not, however, one my personal favorites, if for no other reason than it is over six-and-a-half minutes long. For a group whose music is informed by classic pop ideals, The Smiths sure have a tendency to let their songs run a bit too long. This is especially to the detriment on the closing tracks. The nearly 7-minute "Barbarism Begins at Home" is quite good, as is the title track (even if it is a bit, dare I say, ham-fisted), but they just go on forever, and therefore lose some of their impact in the process.

Other than "How Soon Is Now?", the only song that will be familiar to neophyte Smiths fans is the excellent single "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", which includes the fathomlessly clever line "It was dark as I drove the point home". Not surprisingly, The Smiths are more successful with shorter songs. "What She Said", "Nowhere Fast", and "Well I Wonder" are some of the album's best songs. "I Want the One I Can't Have", on the other hand, expresses what was even by this point in his career a pretty trite Morrissey sentiment. And I still haven't mentioned the opening tracks, "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Rusholme Ruffians". Sadly, there isn't really much to say about them, apart from that they sound a bit juvenile and uninspired. (Although the "Marie's the Name of His Latest Flame" riff on the latter is a nice touch).

Given the excitement that had built up around The Smiths by 1985, it is not surprising that Meat Is Murder entered the UK album chart at #1. Fans were certainly justified in their expectations for the album, and were right to rush out and by it. Unfortunately, the material on the album proved to be disappointing by any standards. Fortunately, it was not enough to bring down the band's hopes, as they re-emerged in the finest form of their career with their next release. While Meat is Murder is not essential in the all-embracing sense of the term, it is worth hearing for that very reason. After all, every great band has at least one album that demonstrates what they sound like at their not-so-great. In the case of The Smiths, that album is Meat Is Murder.

Militant Smiths.......2007-01-09

I gave two other Smiths CD 5 stars, the great 'The Queen Is Dead' and a Singles collection. This album just doesn't reach the level of TQID and therefore I have to give it just 3 stars.

Absolutely haunting.......2006-01-14

Meat is Murder was one of my first forays into indie music as a 15 year old kid in 1987 and what a great place to start. Full of painful angst and alienation, Morrissey really bears himself... his wretched life lives all over these songs. Maybe it's a little dramatic, but it never seems faked and it always sounds fantastic.

My favorite Smiths album.......2005-11-22

This is the album that got me hooked on the Smiths back in 1986. A friend had copied the album recorded to tape. I avoided listening to it for several months, until one afternoon listening to Rusholme Ruffians. At the time (at the age of 16), I could not make out what Morrissey was singing, nor would have I understood the lyrics if they had been printed. However, I indentified with the music. Although Morrissey seemed to sing off-key at times, there was a sense of urgency that was very honest and passionate. My favorite songs from the album include:
I want the one I can't have ("He killed a policeman when he was 13, and somehow this really impressed me"). There is something very gritty and authentic about this song. Morrissey sings it with such passion. Great lyrics, too.
That joke isn't funny anymore- My favorite part of the song is when Morrissey sings, "When they fall down". Johnny Marr's guitar playing sounds spiraling and dreamlike.
Well I wonder- Convincingly morose.
Barbarism begins at home- At first I did not think much of this song, but it has grown on me over the years. I enjoy the ending of the song with Morrissey moaning over Johnny Marr's instrumental.
Other highlights include the Headmaster's Ritual, What she said and Nowhere Fast (one of my favorite lyrics: "And when I'm lying in my bed I think about life And I think about death And neither one particularly appeals to me"). I am an odd Smiths fan as I find "How soon is now?" to be unlistenable. The song "Meat is Murder" is amusing, but probably my second least favorite track from the album.

Average customer rating:

Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
Manufacturer: Wea Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Smiths
The Queen Is Dead
Strangeways, Here We Come
Louder Than Bombs
Rank

ASIN: B000GW88TC
Release Date: 2006-09-25

Tracks:

Headmaster Ritual
Rusholme Ruffians
I Want the One I Can't Have
What She Said
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
How Soon Is Now?
Nowhere Fast
Well I Wonder
Barbarism Begins at Home
Meat Is Murder

Album Description

Exclusive Japanese limited edition reissue of their 1985 sophomore album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. 10 tracks including 'Headmaster Ritual', 'I Want The One I Can't Have', 'Barbarism Begins At Home', 'How Soon Is Now' and more. Warner. 2006.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

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