The Smiths: Every Album Ranked Worst To Best

The Smiths’ second album is difficult, but not for the reasons many sophomore efforts are. The band’s most overtly political record, it’s challenging, heavy, laser focussed, and packed with the finest tunes and lyrics of the group’s brief tenure.

Opener “The Headmaster Ritual” is right up there with the best Smiths songs ever recorded. A diatribe against authority abuse, with the backdrop of Manchester schools (run by “belligerent ghouls”, per one of Morrissey’s truly great lyrics) the target of the band’s ire. The percussion, riff, and wordless chorus are all absolutely on point.

Morrissey’s main target is the meat industry, though, and he goes in hard on the title track particularly. A ghostly number complete with wailing farm animals, it’s enough to put anyone off their chops.

“Barbarism Begins At Home” is another highlight, a rare Smiths funk track a la Gang Of Four, with its sparse lyric and aggressive playing used to illuminate the ugly, authoritative political scene of the time.