June 12, 2020

The Smiths - Meat Is Murder (1984)

*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Jangle Pop
Label Number: 9 25269-2

© 1984-1988 Sire Records
AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
With their second proper album Meat Is Murder, the Smiths begin to branch out and diversify, while refining the jangling guitar pop of their debut. In other words, it catches the group at a crossroads, unsure quite how to proceed. Taking the epic, layered "How Soon Is Now?" as a starting point (the single, which is darker and more dance-oriented than the remainder of the album, was haphazardly inserted into the middle of the album for its American release), the group crafts more sweeping, mid-tempo numbers, whether it's the melancholy "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" or the failed, self-absorbed protest of the title track. While the production is more detailed than before, the Smiths are at their best when they stick to their strengths -- "The Headmaster Ritual" and "I Want the One I Can't Have" are fine elaborations of the formula they laid out on the debut, while "Rusholme Ruffians" is an infectious stab at rockabilly. However, the rest of Meat Is Murder is muddled, repeating lyrical and musical ideas of before without significantly expanding them or offering enough hooks or melodies to make it the equal of The Smiths or Hatful of Hollow.

tags: the smiths, meat is murder, 1984, flac,

2 comments:

  1. Thank you very much first of all, but I have doubts about the year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The label number is available within the metadata/tags of the files. If you use foobar or MP3tag, they can be viewed by clicking on "properties" in foobar2000 or "extended tags in mp3tag.

      Screenshot: https://imgur.com/9PyadpO

      please check the post & metadata before commenting if you have any doubts. The label numbers are included in every file.

      Delete

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