Meat Is Murder is more political and more direct than the debut: on the title track Morrissey and Johnny Marr turn against eating meat, on 'The Headmaster Ritual' against corporal punishment in schools and on 'Barbarism Begins at Home' against violence in the home. Between them sit the rockabilly of 'Rusholme Ruffians' and 'That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore'. The second studio album by The Smiths, originally released in 1985 on Rough Trade, reached number 1 in Britain and remained the only number 1 album of the band's existence. The cover photograph comes from Emile de Antonio's Vietnam documentary In the Year of the Pig, with the helmet text changed to 'Meat Is Murder'. Parts of the album were recorded at Ridge Farm in Surrey. This edition is an LP on black vinyl.