Meat Is Murder

One could very easily hear on The Smith's self titled debut album that the band had a sound that was both different than what was happening at the time,yet also very familiar. Interesting how sometimes in music,a mild throwback can be a gateway to it's own future. For sure it's a catch 22. But The Smiths were lucky that they had no intention of resting on their laurels. The approach of that debut had been rather slow paced and was definitely not on the harder edged side of post punk rock-focusing very heavy on song craft,melody and the emotive,highly lyrical vocal styling's of Morrissey. The band apparently had the attention of turning up the muscle on their second album. Yet seemed to look upon it as a means by which to integrate their new approach into their established context of song. What emerged was one of those second albums where sophomore slump was not going to present a problem "The Headmaster Ritual" begins the album with a very uptempo guitar oriented new wave sound-complete with the genres use of fast transitions of major/minor chords-with "I Want The One I Can't Have" having a more straight up jangle rock approach on the same basic tempo. "Rusholme Ruffians" and "What She Said" are both shuffling,churning 50's/early 60's style rock 'n' roll full of reverb and both the drums and guitars churning in a rhythmically moving fashion. The slower "This Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" has a very European folk/rock style where the more upbeat and countryish "Nowhere Fast" reflects more the American folk/rock tradition. "How Soon Is Now?" is the only Smiths' song I knew well before this-defined by it's bassy rhythms and high pitched,crying rhythm guitar riffs which are probably it's most identifiable element. "Well I Wonder" is closer to the mid-tempo sound of the debut while "Barbarism Begins At Home" has a funky dance/rock rhythm-complete with a pretty grooving bass line on the bridge while the harrowing title song ends the album with a dark folky melody and a rhythm based on the mooing of cows-apparently on their way to the slaughterhouse. This album is much more overtly political than the debut. Corporal punishment in schools and anti Thatcher sentiment appear to dominate the earlier part of the album while it concludes with child abuse (corporal punishment at home) and pro vegetarianism dominate the second part. As with the first album,the eloquent lyrical language contrasts the socially aware,if seemingly politically divided stance presented here. Still it shows The Smiths were able to grow as they went along,and continue to make well done and even challenging pop/rock.

The Smith's are one of the all time best bands ever. The beat, the lyrics, the vibe. They are just the bomb. Morrissey is a controversial human, but this band was one of the all time greats. And vinyl is the way to go. Put on the album. Dim the lights. Drink a warm beer and feel bad about the burger you just ate.

great cd but I wish Amazon would stop shipping cds in plastic bags

I had a copy of this from a cassette dual deck recording and loved it. Having it on vinyl now finally after all these years was worth the wait. Johnny Marr is exceptionally talented and this is his finest album to date. Getting to listen to this now on a decent turntable and system has been a real joy. It sounds phenomenal and is well worth the purchase. Whether you are a die hard Smiths fan or just looking for some decent music on vinyl, this will not disappoint. Easily a 10/10, two thumbs up!

My ears are not the most robust in quality, but I do not remember being as impressed with "The Headmaster's Ritual" as heard on the 2012 remastered edition as I was on the 2008 THE SOUND OF THE SMITHS compilation. This 2006 Japan mini-LP edition does sound more in line with the crisp jangle I enjoyed on THE SOUND OF THE SMITHS. I used to think "The Headmaster's Ritual" was a song I did not like when I'd first heard it on one of those on-demand streaming services (i.e.: Spotify, except I never use Spotify specifically and they are by far the first of its kind, btw...) The other songs sound good too, duh, and "How Soon Is Now", although omitted from the list of tracks shown on the back cover (since the original UK LP did not have that song on it and The Smiths are a UK band...), the song IS included on here at its usual spot of track #6. People that don't share my view don't seem to "get" it, but I cannot stand it when a band opens an album with a song that I find detestable. The decision to open the album with "The Headmaster's Ritual" confused the heck out of me, especially seeing that The Smiths are not some deliberately difficult to listen to band i.e.: Sonic Youth. It never occurred to me that it was just lousy sound quality taking away from the power of the song. Don't get me wrong, THR still is not my favorite song by The Smiths. My favorites by them are never on the "hits" CDs, "Well I Wonder" and "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" + "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle"..."The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" and "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" along with numerous others are all good and well, but that's usually how it is with songs in a band's catalog; only so many make the radio waves and the ones that don't automatically get disqualified from being on a "hits" album...if every good song by The Smiths were on the radio, the radio waves would have nothing left to play! Well, at least from 1984-1987 that is...if only music insiders knew the band would implode so soon...if they did know, they could have tried passing this info on to the radio station managers...("these guys are going to break up any minute! "How do you know? "Because! You should see them, they argue all the time about the dumbest of things..." "So?....) Anyway. This album is good. The Smiths are not my favorite band and this album is not my favorite album. It is my favorite of The Smiths' output. BTW, don't hate, ppl! Just because a guy cries over the death of farm animals doesn't mean he's a member of PETA...and if he does just so happen to be a member of PETA, don't hesitate to throw a tomato at him just because he happens to possess a talent that society is addicted to...

Sounds great on vinyl, and my God is the title track ever haunting. Not a dud on this album, and it contains what is probably my favorite Smiths song, “Rusholme Ruffians”. All of the releases by this band are great, but this one feels a little darker than the others, which is saying something when talking about the Smiths

Producto de excelente calidad

Came in a sealed, durable packaging. Was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this record. It came in pristine condition, no scuffs or any warping. And no dust on the vinyl whatsoever! The sound blew me away as I played the first track. Crisp high end, solid low end and crystal-clear mid range. This purchase is a winner. Highly recommended.

PERFETTO

As described

I got what I asked for.

Pues que decir es un a chulada

Good