About The album
Meat Is Murder is the most eclectic Smiths album, featuring such divergent styles as funk, rockabilly, ballad, and dance, along with the Smiths' signature indie rock. As such, it contains some of the most unique and lauded songs of the Smiths catalogue. However, because of the album's extreme diversity and lack of coherence, some fans believe it is the least listenable work from their catalogue. Considered a 'grower' rather than an instant favorite, the album is often overlooked in favour of more accessible work.

After the relative disappointment over the production of the band's debut album, singerMorrissey and guitarist Marr decided to produce the album themselves, only aided by engineer Stephen Street. Production was officially credited to The Smiths as a whole with Rourke and Joyce being allowed input on the sound level of their instruments in the mix, but the major productional decisions and arrangements were done by Morrissey and Marr.

Possibly detracting from the album's appeal is the fact that no popular single came from it. The only single taken from Meat Is Murder was "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore," which stalled at No. 49. A beautiful ballad and the centrepiece of the album, its selection as a single was perhaps not that fortunate