Meat Is Murder – The Smiths (Vinyl 12" LP)
Released in 1985, Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by The Smiths and the only one to reach No.1 on the UK Albums Chart. Building on the jangly guitar-pop of their debut, the album showcases a darker, more politically charged tone. With lyrics tackling topics like animal rights, corporal punishment, and alienation, Morrissey’s provocations found a sharper edge, while Johnny Marr’s inventive guitar work matured into more layered, experimental territory.
Key Highlights
- Includes seminal tracks such as The Headmaster Ritual, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, and Barbarism Begins at Home
- A blend of indie rock, post-punk, and melodic pop with introspective yet confrontational lyrics
- The title track is an unflinching anti-meat manifesto that helped popularise vegetarianism among alternative music fans
- Marr’s guitar work integrates funk, folk, and rockabilly influences with intricate melodic sensibility
- Available in reissues on 180g vinyl with original artwork and improved mastering
Tracklisting
Side A
1. The Headmaster Ritual
2. Rusholme Ruffians
3. I Want the One I Can't Have
4. What She Said
5. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Side B
6. Nowhere Fast
7. Well I Wonder
8. Barbarism Begins at Home
9. Meat Is Murder
Fun Fact
The album’s confrontational title and closing track played a key role in turning Morrissey into a vocal animal rights activist, even leading to controversy in the press and among meat-eating fans.
Why You Should Buy This Vinyl
- A landmark record in 1980s British alternative music, capturing The Smiths at their most fearless
- Marr’s guitar textures and the band’s dynamic range benefit richly from analogue vinyl playback
- Culturally significant as a politically potent record that influenced generations of artists and fans
- Essential for collectors of post-punk, indie rock, and socially conscious music
Meat Is Murder remains one of The Smiths’ most daring and cohesive statements—poetic, provocative, and musically vital. This LP edition is the definitive way to experience its haunting resonance.