Meat Is Murderformat: vinyl (ROUGH 81) / cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,44]
producer: The Smiths
label: Rough Trade / MNW - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: A) 1. "The Headmaster Ritual" (4 / 5) - 2. "Rusholme Ruffians" (5 / 5) - 3. "I Want the One I Can't Have" (5 / 5) (live 1985 - live 2011) - 4. "What She Said" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" (4,5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Nowhere Fast" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Well I Wonder" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Barbarism Begins at Home" (4 / 5) - 4. "Meat Is Murder" (5 / 5)
2nd studio album by The Smiths was anticipated with huge expectations from fans and the British Press. After the debut, and in the same year, the record company had released the compilation album Hatful of Hollow with previously unreleased material and singles omitted from the debut, so naturally, a real studio album was awaited. Morrissey and Marr were apparently unsatisfied by the sound on the debut album, and they have here put themselves in the production seats assisted by engineer Stephen Street. The Smiths had managed to fill out a space as new British invasion icons with their self-consciousness, lyrical links to Oscar Wilde and a great and highly praised ancient Britain, and daring texts on moral issues including abuse and sex debate. This album exposed further critical aspects from Morrissey: vegetarianism, most explicitly in the title track of course, as well as sharp political criticism. Also, the music is more experimental featuring rockabilly and funk elements, and the production side is much more spacious and elegant. Morrissey always had his say on the album covers - he decided and chose design and photographs. For this album sleeve he picked a 1967 photo, depicting a soldier apparently in the Vietnam War, with a new edited wording on his helmet "Meat Is Murder" instead of the original text: "Make War Not Love". The original footage is featured in Emile de Antonio's '68 documentary "In the Year of the Pig". It took me a little time getting used to the new sound of the band but within few weeks this was my then favourite Smiths album with the tracks "Meat Is Murder" and "I Want the One I Can't Have" as the album's best. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
Highly recommendable.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Uncut, Select 4 / 5, Sounds 4,5 / 5 stars ]
1985 Favourite releases: 1. Ry Cooder Paris, Texas - 2. The Smiths Meat Is Murder - 3. The Pogues Rum, Sodomy and the Lash
