Jackie MCewon of the 1990s disses Meat Is Murder LP

[Bluebirds]

Great blog/ article on GUardian website about classic LPs that don't rock your boat. They ask a string of music celebs and people you've never heard of (or are likely to - as above) what classic LPs they can't really abide.


The Smiths Meat Is Murder
Nominated by Jackie McKeown of 1990s

I'm a Smiths fan and I like most of their records, but this is the weakest link in the canon. With the debut and The Queen Is Dead, you could cut up Morrissey's lyrics and they could be pages from the same book. For Meat Is Murder, he seemed to make a list of topics to write about. It was a protest album, which defeats the idea of Morrissey as romantic. The cool-guy cover with Meat Is Murder written on his helmet rams it down your throat. The title track is offensive, not least because of the loud, gated drums and 80s production that you get on Huey Lewis and the News records. Morrissey was obviously suffering from a loss of nerve or lack of faith when he wrote these songs. It took him years to write the first album in his bedroom. By the second album, he started panicking and pointing fingers at teachers at school and thinking up things like, "Oh, meat is murder and, oh, we're going to get attacked by thugs in Rusholme." Barbarism Begins at Home is where the Smiths betray their jazz-funk session-guy roots; it's absolutely treacherous to listen to, even if it was brilliant fun to record. You can just see the rolled-up jacket sleeves. It's everything Morrissey hated. Meat Is Murder is Red Wedge music for sexless students. It's like being stuck in a lift with a Manchester University Socialist Workers' Party convention.

She does have a point (assuming Jackie is a she) especially referring to Barbarism Begins At Home!

Anyway full blog here: Good read.

http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,2102991,00.html

 

[unruly_girl]

humm...interesting, I personaly like Meat is Murder A LOT

however , have you seen the others in the list like... Velvet Underground & Nico I LOVE THAT ONE !! so, I suppose Meat is Muder is in good company

 

[Worm]

Who? The 1990s? Who?

"Barbarism Begins At Home" is a great song. Called by those who attended the gigs a "crowd favorite" at Smiths shows in 1984-- er, inconveniently for Jackie that was 'round about the time Morrissey was still singing songs written in his bedroom-- I think it highlights why Marr, Rourke and Joyce were so great, not why they were "session men". How can someone claim to like The Smiths, as Jackie does, yet refer to the band as "session men"? Christ almighty.

Still, I know the point of the article was to present dissenting opinions. So, whatever. I guess Jackie's take-down wasn't as bad as it could have been. But it wasn't as good, either:

Arcade Fire The Neon Bible
Nominated by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti

People who enjoy this album may think I'm cloth-eared and unperceptive, and I accept it's the result of my personal shortcomings, but what I hear in Arcade Fire is an agglomeration of mannerisms, cliches and devices. I find it solidly unattractive, texturally nasty, a bit harmonically and melodically dull, bombastic and melodramatic, and the rhythms are pedestrian. It's monotonous in its textures and in the old-fashioned, nasty, clunky 80s rhythms and eighth-note basslines. It isn't, as people are suggesting, richly rewarding and inventive. The melodies stick too closely to the chord changes. Win Butler's voice uses certain stylistic devices - it goes wobbly and shouty, then whispery - and I guess people like wobbly and shouty going to whispery, they think it signifies real feeling. It's some people's idea of unmediated emotion. I can imagine Jeremy Clarkson liking it; it's for people in cars. It's rather flat and unlovely. The album and the response to it represent a bunch of beliefs about expression and truth that I don't share. The battle against unreconstructed rock music continues.​

Preach it, brother! And I mustn't fail to mention Peter Hook!

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band Trout Mask Replica
Nominated by Peter Hook, ex-New Order and Joy Division

It sounds like you feel when you've taken the wrong drugs, like going to your mate's dope party on speed. I'd listen to it with my head in my hands. Trout Mask was highly regarded by post-punk bands because of its idiosyncratic approach to rhythm and song construction - but those bands were full of shit, weren't they?​

Genius! (Why don't my mates throw dope parties?)

 

[lilikoi]

rubbish!

 

[konstantinl]

Who? The 1990s? Who?

I don't agree with his (take note Bluebirds) opinion but 1990's, there's no The, are one of the better 'new' bands around at the moment.

Noisy, up tempo, fun and, most importantly, have a bit of sass.

 

[Worm]

I don't agree with his (take note Bluebirds) opinion but 1990's, there's no The, are one of the better 'new' bands around at the moment.

Noisy, up tempo, fun and, most importantly, have a bit of sass.

I know, I was just teasing. I'm sure I'll give them a fair listen one of these days. Right after my next batch of "Meat Is Murder" listenings (18,321 through 19,004).

The "session-guy" crack is still unforgivable, though.

 

[Jones]

I think it's quite fair to say Rourke and Joyce's role in the band was equivalent to session men. That's how they were treated. I can't imagine Johnny would ever have allowed them to contribute to songwriting for example. They were there to play and do as they were told.

 

[Anaesthesine]

Arcade Fire The Neon Bible
Nominated by Green Gartside of Scritti Politti

People who enjoy this album may think I'm cloth-eared and unperceptive, and I accept it's the result of my personal shortcomings, but what I hear in Arcade Fire is an agglomeration of mannerisms, cliches and devices. I find it solidly unattractive, texturally nasty, a bit harmonically and melodically dull, bombastic and melodramatic, and the rhythms are pedestrian. It's monotonous in its textures and in the old-fashioned, nasty, clunky 80s rhythms and eighth-note basslines. It isn't, as people are suggesting, richly rewarding and inventive. The melodies stick too closely to the chord changes. Win Butler's voice uses certain stylistic devices - it goes wobbly and shouty, then whispery - and I guess people like wobbly and shouty going to whispery, they think it signifies real feeling. It's some people's idea of unmediated emotion. I can imagine Jeremy Clarkson liking it; it's for people in cars. It's rather flat and unlovely. The album and the response to it represent a bunch of beliefs about expression and truth that I don't share. The battle against unreconstructed rock music continues.​

Neon Bible is spectacular! Yes, the production is somethimes a bit muddy, and the rythms are simple, but overall it is a glorious cri de coeur. Their sound is original and their orchestration is sweeping and romantic. The lyrics are intelligent, passionate and very dark, as suits the times. As for Win Butler's voice - Christ it's beautiful, I could listen to it for hours, and often do.

I'd love to hear Green Gartside's version of passion - I bet it's somewhat academic and dry as toast. All the complex chord changes and syncopation in the world aren't as meaningful as one spontaneous groan.

 

[Worm]

I think it's quite fair to say Rourke and Joyce's role in the band was equivalent to session men. That's how they were treated. I can't imagine Johnny would ever have allowed them to contribute to songwriting for example. They were there to play and do as they were told.

Well, Jackie's reference to "session-guy roots" included Marr as well. In addition to that insult, it's sort of a bewildering comment because it implies that Joyce and Rourke were guns for hire before The Smiths, which wasn't the case at all.

And anyway I don't for one minute believe that just because members of a band don't write music they don't contribute valuable elements to the sound. Would The Smiths still have been The Smiths without Rourke and Joyce? Maybe. But I'm not going to denigrate them by calling them "session guys". Morrissey has used session guys his entire solo career and I can certainly hear the difference. "Ringleader Of The Tormentors" is Morrissey and session guys. "Meat Is Murder" is played by a band. I love both, and in both cases the rhythm sections just "did what they were told", but I know which of the two I prefer. The bass and drums for The Smiths are better. Period.

The "lawnmower parts" argument fails with other bands, too. The Bunnymen were not the same without Pattinson and De Freitas. Weller has never been backed up as strongly as he was by Foxton and Buckler. I'm sure there are other examples. Lou Reed. The Clash. Bands have chemistry. As much as it must irritate the prima donna band leaders whose names get all the attention, the fact is that far more often than not the "lesser" parts are irreplaceable-- even those guys who later prove to be court-room leeches.

 

[the judge]

Meat Is Murder is my favourite Smiths album, for the music at least. Songs like The Headmaster Ritual and That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore are so melancholic and they almost hurt me. There's something in the music... I feel it mine.

 

[Albion]

After downloading the 1990s album i have no problem in saying that nothing they will create will come anywhere near Meat Is Murder and its not even one of my favourites.