Meat Is Murder

[tallulahtaurus]

I think that How Soon Is Now was one of those songs I heard before I even knew it was by the Smiths on an old MTV advert when I was a chile!!

As such it always has semi precious memories for me, although I can say that I don't think it's there best song, I think musically that it is the most unique sounding bit of guitar music I have ever heard and I revel more in it's uniqueness and creepiness and it enlivens the experience of listening to it for me...

I just love Babarism too, although I can kind of see why the band didn't like it same as What difference does it make is superb, but it's not really terribly like much of their work... it's just so funky!!!

[elko]

Hmm, not a big fan of How Soon Is Now, nor had I heard it before I got into the Smiths. The only Smiths song that rang a bell when I supposedly first heard it was I Started Something..., although whether I had actually heard it I don't know.

Anyway, I really haven't listened to this one for ages, I listened to it far too much, and boy does that title track sounds cheesy now. It really is naff, but in a good way, of course.

[girl_afraid]

<!--QuoteBegin-elko+Jan 31 2005, 04:42 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (elko @ Jan 31 2005, 04:42 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Hmm, not a big fan of How Soon Is Now <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, nor am I. I love the reverby-feedback of the intro, but the song as a whole really could do with being a minute or so shorter, to be honest. It is an iconic song, and I do love it, but it confuses me when people call it their best song, when it quite blatantly isn't! It really pisses me off when people only know the song from Charmed or whatever - the other day this person in one of my classes noticed I had the lyrics written on the straps of my bag and was like "Oh yeah, I love that song! Alyssa Milano [or whatever her name is ] is so fit!" RAR. They've so blatantly never even heard the original, it annoys me. I expect quite a few bands who cover it haven't heard the original either... <!--emo&<_<--><!--endemo-->

I hadn't actually heard ANY Smiths songs before I got into them. Oh, I might have seen Heaven Knows... on TOTP2, but I don't really remember it at all. A life without The Smiths seems so surreal now, how on earth did I survive??

[tallulahtaurus]

I wanted to wholly agree with that statement about life without smiths seeming surreal and just wrong... how did I cope?? I dunno now!!

I remember odd snatches of their songs now I know them... like I said the MTV advert introduced me to that reverb in How Soon is now which I loved at the time and was enchanted by - I was an odd child but I didn't know who it was by...
And this charming man came back in snatches - I realise I'd seen it on VH1 a few times just before my friend played me their CD...but I'd not paid much attention - how?

I kinda think Meat is Murder is okay, no where near as mawkish and crap as it could've been, I was moved... it's all fairly new to me though so it may get old...

[Chorlton_Ruffian]

Your favourite track:
The Headmaster Ritual, easily. It's so bombastic, the best Smiths song bar none. Next faves would be Barbarism and Well I Wonder.

Your worst track:
Nowhere Fast. It's a bit silly and I find some of the musical effects annoying.

Best lyric:
I am the son
And the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you:
Belligerent ghouls
Run Manchester schools

Spineless swines
Cemented minds

Which is about as relevant as relevant can possibly be, or something.

Overall opinion of album, how it compares to others, etc.
Some absolute classics but some tracks quickly grated for me and have become unessential, so I'd probably have this last! Blasphemy?

[Bref]

Your favourite track: Rusholme Ruffians

Your worst track: 'meat is murder'(too preachey)

Best lyric:"the grease in the hair of a speedway operator is all a tremulous heart requires"



Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you:"i've seen this happen in other people's lives and now it's happening in mine"

Overall:The smiths' least consistent album, but still a great listen

[elko]

Has anyone else noticed that MIM sounds incredibly weak through earphones? I suppose it just wasn't produced with that in mind, but on iPod or similar it really lacks the punch of The Queen Is Dead or Strangeways- the bass sounds really tinny, and on 'What She Said' Morrissey's vocal sounds completely detatched from the rest of the track.

Not that I'm picking faults or anything- The Headmaster Ritual is still the best guitar riff ever.

[Alex]

Your favourite track: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

Your worst track: Rusholme Ruffians

Best lyric:
When you laugh about people who feel so very lonely,
their only desire is to die.
Well, I'm afraid it doesn't make me smile.

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you:
I want the one I can't have, and it's driving me mad.
It's written all over my face <!--emo&;)--><!--endemo-->

Overall: I don't know anymore, I have trouble ranking these albums. Though That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore is one of my favorite Smiths tracks.

[Lazy Dyke]

Your favourite track: It's really hard to place a particular favourite track, because this album is such a well rounded good album. (Apart from the last track) But I'd have to go with a couple, I'd say the closest to being my favourite is "I wan't the one I can't have." the song has such a happy feel to it, despite what it's about. Somewhere about that I'd have to go with Headmasters Ritual, Barbarism Begins At Home and Well I Wonder.

Your worst track: "Meat is murder" I just really can't get on with the end track, especially when the animal noises start.

Best lyric: I have to agree with others on "He does the military two-step, Down the nape of my neck" it's a great lyric. Although I love headmaster ritual altogether, brilliant lyrically. "He grabs and devours, he kicks me in the showers!" Well I wonder! "Gasping - dying - but somehow still alive, This is the final stand of all I am" and "Please keep me in mind" beautiful!

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you:
"I wanna go home, I don't wanna stay, Give up education, As a bad mistake" This lyric relates to me so much, I detested school.. more than the average person and would do anything to get out of it.

Overall opinion of album, how it compares to others, etc.: I love this album it's brilliant, but I sometimes get annoyed by meat is murder the track and the album how it seemed to be more about promoting this vegetarian thing at the end. However if you take that away it's a truley brilliant album.

[Shakespeare's Sister]

Your favourite track: The Headmaster Ritual

Your worst track: Nowhere Fast

Best lyric:

He does the military two-step
Down the nape of my neck

I wanna go home
I don't wanna stay
Give up education
As a bad mistake

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you:

I've seen this happen in other people's lives
And now it's happening in mine

Overall opinion of album, how it compares to others, etc.:

In the top echelon of my collection.

[JaneSays]

Your favourite track: What She Said!

Your worst track: Meat Is Murder, still a good song, but im not liking the animal noises.

Best lyric:

"What she said was sad
But then, all the rejection she's had
To pretend to be happy
Could only be idiocy"

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you:

"And when I'm lying in my bed
I think about life
And I think about death
And neither one particularly appeals to me"

Overall opinion of album, how it compares to others, etc.:

Probably my second favourite, inbetween HOH and TQID. I love the smiths lol

[Rodchenko]

Your favourite track: Rusholme Ruffians

Your worst track: Barbarism begins at home

Best lyric: Anything from How Soon Is Now

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you: See above

Overall opinion of album, how it compares to others, etc.: Second greatest Smiths disc after TQID. Fantastic production, VERY clever and thoughtful lyrics by Our Hero. 5/5 stars, for sure!

[JNP369]

Your favourite track: The Headmaster Ritual. It just hits you over the head and says "remember these days at school?" I went to a private catholic school in Dallas (though nothing as rough as this).

Your worst track: Meat is Murder. I like meat and the song just brings me down.

Best lyric: What She Said. I smoke because I am hoping for an early death and I need to cling to something". Everybody needs something to hold onto to get through life, plus it is funny.

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you: "I just might die with a smile on my face after all." I love my life and I know that I will.

Overall opinion of album, how it compares to others, etc.: I play this album the most out of all The Smiths records. It just keeps me on my toes everytime I listen to it. I love an album that nevers gets old.

[atomium]

Your favourite track:
I like “Nowhere Fast” the best, but also “What She Said” and “That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore”… All three of them are such great songs.

Your worst track:
I think it’s got to be “I Want The One I Can't Have”, I’ve nothing against the songs, I just don’t fancy it that much compared to the rest of the songs.

Best lyric:
And when I'm lying in my bed
I think about life
And I think about death
And neither one particularly appeals to me

Song/lyric/line you relate to most/has relevance to you:
Nowhere Fast, definitely. Same lyrics as above...

Overall opinion of album, how it compares to others, etc.:
Well, I’ll be honest, Meat is Murder is not my favourite album. Yeah, it’s got some great songs, some wonderful songs, but The Queen is Dead and the other studio albums has just got more of my favourite songs, and therefore are stronger albums for me.

[Truman Capote]

Has anyone else noticed that MIM sounds incredibly weak through earphones? I suppose it just wasn't produced with that in mind, but on iPod or similar it really lacks the punch of The Queen Is Dead or Strangeways- the bass sounds really tinny, and on 'What She Said' Morrissey's vocal sounds completely detatched from the rest of the track.

Yes, that's absolutely right! It's a shame about the crappy bass sound, because this album has some great bass lines.