Meat Is Murder
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Album Summary
Meat Is Murder came roaring out of Manchester on February 11, 1985, released on the beloved independent powerhouse Rough Trade Records — and baby, when this record dropped, it landed like a thunderclap on the British music landscape. Produced by John Porter, who had already helped shape the sound of the band's self-titled debut, the album captured Morrissey and Johnny Marr at the absolute peak of their creative symbiosis, a partnership so charged and so rare that you could feel the electricity coming right through the grooves. Recorded across various studios, this was The Smiths stepping boldly into their second full-length statement, broadening their sonic palette and sharpening their lyrical blade, delivering something that was equal parts beautiful and confrontational.
Reception
- Reached number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, marking a landmark moment as The Smiths' first album to claim the top spot.
- Received widespread critical acclaim for its songwriting depth, musical arrangement, and Morrissey's utterly distinctive and emotionally charged vocal delivery.
- The album's title track emerged as a powerful statement of purpose, cementing The Smiths' willingness to tackle social and political themes with unflinching directness.
Significance
- Solidified The Smiths as the undisputed leaders of the 1980s British alternative and indie movement, marrying Johnny Marr's jangly, endlessly inventive guitar work with Morrissey's witty, melancholic, and deeply literary lyricism.
- The album's unflinching thematic focus on alienation, institutional cruelty, sexuality, and social critique spoke directly to the post-punk spirit of the era, giving a voice to an entire generation of disaffected British youth.
- Demonstrated Johnny Marr's extraordinary range as a guitarist and arranger, weaving together folk, rock, and pop influences into a sound that felt wholly original and set a new standard for indie rock composition.
Tracklist
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A1 The Headmaster Ritual 150
4:52
-
A2 Rusholme Ruffians 116
4:19
-
A3 I Want The One I Can't Have 189
3:13
-
A4 What She Said 166
2:40
-
A5 That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore 57
4:57
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B1 Nowhere Fast 111
2:35
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B2 Well I Wonder 126
4:00
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B3 Barbarism Begins At Home 127
7:00
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B4 Meat Is Murder 160
6:05
Artist Details
The Smiths were a groundbreaking alternative rock band that came together in Manchester, England in 1982, led by the iconic pairing of vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, whose jangly, melodic guitar work wrapped around Morrissey's darkly witty, deeply introspective lyrics to create a sound that was unlike anything else happening in the music world at the time. They became the architects of indie rock and post-punk revival, their records like *The Queen Is Dead* and *Meat Is Murder* hitting the souls of an entire generation of young misfits and dreamers who finally heard their own loneliness and longing reflected back at them. Though they disbanded in 1987 after just five years together, their influence stretched far and wide across decades of music, touching everyone from Radiohead to Arcade Fire, cementing them as one of the most important and emotionally resonant bands to ever grace a turntable.
