Review
The Smiths really pulled out all the stops with "Meat Is Murder," released on the grand day of February 11, 1985. This was their rocket to the top, sticking it out for 13 sweet weeks as their only studio album to reach the number one position on the UK Albums Chart. With their second studio outing, the band swims confidently in a sea of growing pains and delightful experimentation, serving up a tantalizing buffet of genres. You've got songs like "Rusholme Ruffians" flaunting a rockabilly flare, while "Barbarism Begins at Home" drops a funky groove like it's nobody's business.
We dive deep with Morrissey, who wields his pen with fierce politicism, helping listeners to remember corporal punishment, give Thatcherism a sharp side-eye, and most importantly, rethink that burger with "Meat Is Murder" and its chilling cow effects. And, if your heart beats a little faster when "How Soon Is Now?" hits the speakers, you're not alone. Adorned with its throbbing bass and signature guitar warble, despite its original omission from the UK's pressing, this track made a catchy crash-landing on the U.S. release, claiming its place as an anthem of longing and power.
Wrapped in its striking cover art showing a Vietnam soldier whose helmet tasks us to rethink our dinners with the phrase "Meat Is Murder," this masterpiece is imbued with all kinds of thematic grit. Produced by dual masterminds Morrissey and Johnny Marr, with engineering support from Stephen Street, the album boasts a cohesively mature and meticulously tailored sound. Is it truly any wonder why "Meat Is Murder" might pop up on exalted lists like Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums? The Smiths left their indelible mark on the '80s and in our little music-loving hearts. - Lila
