The Smiths - Meat Is Murder Original Rough Trade Vinyl

Artist: The Smiths

Title: Meat Is Murder

Label: Rough Trade Records

Catalogue Number: ROUGH 81

Country: United Kingdom

Original Release Year: 1985

Pressing Year: 1985 UK Original Pressing

Format: Vinyl LP

Speed: 33⅓ RPM

Description

Meat Is Murder is the second studio album by The Smiths and the record that cemented the band's reputation as one of Britain's most important and influential alternative acts.

Released in February 1985, the album expanded on the sound of their debut with richer arrangements, more ambitious songwriting and increasingly political subject matter. It became The Smiths' only studio album to reach No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart, firmly establishing the band at the forefront of British independent music.

Featuring the classic tracks The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, I Want The One I Can't Have, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Barbarism Begins At Home and the powerful title track Meat Is Murder, the album remains one of the defining releases of the 1980s.

Pressing Notes

Original 1985 UK pressing on Rough Trade Records, catalogue number ROUGH 81.

Issued in the original single sleeve with a printed lyric inner, first UK pressings feature the distinctive hand-etched runout messages "Illness As Art" and "Doing The Wythenshawe Waltz", details highly regarded by collectors of original Smiths vinyl. Original UK Rough Trade copies remain the definitive analogue edition of this landmark album.

Track Listing

Side One

The Headmaster Ritual
Rusholme Ruffians
I Want The One I Can't Have
What She Said
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

Side Two

Nowhere Fast
Well I Wonder
Barbarism Begins At Home
Meat Is Murder
Additional Information
Original 1985 UK pressing
Rough Trade Records
Catalogue number ROUGH 81
Original lyric inner sleeve
33⅓ RPM vinyl LP
Produced by The Smiths
Engineered by Stephen Street
UK No. 1 album
Features The Headmaster Ritual
Includes Rusholme Ruffians
Features That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Includes Barbarism Begins At Home
Features Meat Is Murder
Landmark British indie rock album
Essential Smiths vinyl
Highly collectible original UK Rough Trade pressing
Condition

Sleeve: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Record: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Inner Sleeve: Very Good Plus (VG+)

Rockabuy Records Grading Guide

Near Mint (NM)

Virtually flawless condition. Played only a handful of times with no visible marks or signs of wear.

Excellent (EX)

Lightly played and exceptionally well cared for. May show only minimal signs of handling with no significant marks affecting playback.

Very Good Plus (VG+)

A well-preserved copy with only light signs of use. The sleeve remains clean and structurally sound, while the vinyl shows minimal surface marks that do not significantly affect playback.

Very Good (VG)

Noticeable signs of use with light surface marks and handling wear, though the record plays well throughout without major faults.

Good (G)

Visible wear with more pronounced marks. Playback remains enjoyable with some background noise.

Poor / Fair (P/F)

Heavy wear and significant scratches affecting playback quality.

Shipping

All records are visually inspected and conservatively graded for both sleeve and vinyl condition. Records are securely packaged in professional record mailers with protective stiffeners and dispatched via a fully tracked delivery service to ensure safe arrival.