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Old 11-29-2013, 09:24 AM   #20 (permalink)
Isbjørn
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Meat is Murder (1984) and The Queen is Dead (1986)




Finally
, I have acquired a copy of Meat is Murder. That means I can finally bi- ...write about which Smiths album I like the best. I decided to put it up against The Queen is Dead, since that album was rated the greatest ever by NME and I think it's my favourite.



Meat is Murder
tracklist:


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"
6. "Nowhere Fast"
7. "Well I Wonder"
8. "Barbarism Begins at Home"
9. "Meat Is Murder"


I think there are very divided opinions on Meat is Murder. Some say it's The Smiths' worst album, some say it's their best, some say it's a tie between it and The Queen is Dead and so on. I, however, am not sure where to place it on my Smiths top list. Musically it's a bit more diverse than the debut (having funk infuences on track 8, for instance), and lyrically it's a bit darker. Though there are political and pro-vegetarian themes on it, the usual sad-to-the-point-of-being-depressing lyrics are still there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Smiths in Nowhere Fast
And if the day came when I felt a natural emotion
I'd get such a shock I'd probably jump in the ocean

The Queen is Dead
tracklist:


1. "The Queen Is Dead"
2. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly"
3. "I Know It's Over"
4. "Never Had No One Ever"
5. "Cemetry Gates"
6. "Bigmouth Strikes Again"
7. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side"
8. "Vicar in a Tutu"
9. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
10. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"

The opinions don't seem too divided on this one. Everything I read about it before buying it said it was their finest work, it's their highest rated album on Rateyourmusic and it's apparently "the greatest album of all time", according to NME. Though it may not be the greatest ever, it certainly is a great album. It has very few weak moments, in my opinion (though Vicar in a Tutu is an obvious one).

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Smiths in Bigmouth Strikes Again
And now I know how Joan of Arc felt
Now I know how Joan of Arc felt
As the flames rose to her roman nose
And her Walkman started to melt

My opinion:

Which is the best album in The Smiths' catalogue? I haven't heard their live/compilation albums, but they don't count anyway. I decided it had to be one of these two. But how will I decide which one it is? I can't do a track by track comparison like I did with Black Sabbath. Therefore, I'll score the music, lyrics and "other variables", and judge from the average points of each album.

Meat is Murder:

It's more musically diverse than the debut, but it sounds a little bit more unfinished than its follow-up. However, there are some good riffs and compositions here. Out of ten, I give it a 6.5*

The album has the most serious lyrics of all. I'm talking animal abuse and corporal punishment. It also has some of my favourite Smiths lyric lines. 7.5

"Other variables" include the album cover and nothing more, really. This was the first Smiths album cover I saw, though I didn't know it was theirs. Anyway, it's my favourite. That means an extra point.

The Queen is Dead:

The funk influences are gone as far as I've noticed. Instead, there are just tongue-in-cheek pop songs (and music hall, according to Wikipedia). Also, this album contains There is a Light that Never Goes Out, one of my favourite songs. 8

The lyrics are much less dark on this one. They are sad, they are funny and they are referring to poems I've never read and movies I've never seen. 7


The score average for Meat is Murder was 7.5, and for The Queen is Dead, it was exactly the same. It's a tie, but remove the album cover of Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead wins.




*Note that it is only based on how much I like it,
personally. No science or anything.
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