The Smiths Meat Is Murder 1985 Eacflac

It is impossible to discuss this album without addressing the elephant in the room. "How Soon Is Now?" was added to the tracklist for the U.S. and subsequent releases (replacing "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" on the original UK Rough Trade pressing).

For the archivist, this creates a hunt for the "correct" version of the album. Do you want the UK sequencing, which flows more cohesively as a post-punk record? Or do you want the version that includes the band's most iconic slab of tremolo-induced anxiety?

The FLAC community often gravitates toward the original UK pressings for their purity of vision. "How Soon Is Now?" is a masterpiece, but it sits oddly next to the rockabilly stomp of "Rusholme Ruffians." It disrupts the flow of the record. Hunting down a pristine log/cue of the UK pressing (Rough Trade REF 7 or CD 101) is a badge of honor for collectors.

Technical Report: The Smiths – Meat Is Murder (1985) [EAC-FLAC]  the smiths meat is murder 1985 eacflac

This report summarizes the technical and historical details of the 1985 release of The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

, particularly as it relates to high-fidelity archival standards like EAC-FLAC.  1. Release Overview  Artist: The Smiths Album: Meat Is Murder Original Release Date: February 11, 1985 Label: Rough Trade Records (UK) / Sire Records (US)

Production: Self-produced by The Smiths (Morrissey and Johnny Marr), with engineering by Stephen Street.  2. Technical & Archival Specifications (EAC-FLAC)  It is impossible to discuss this album without

For digital collectors, an Exact Audio Copy (EAC) rip to Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) is the gold standard for preserving the 1985 CD master's audio fidelity. 

Source Integrity: 1985 CD releases were mastered before the "loudness wars," offering high dynamic range compared to modern remasters. Key CD Pressings:

Rough Trade (UK): Catalog #ROUGH CD 81. The original UK CD famously did not include the track "How Soon Is Now?". For the archivist, this creates a hunt for

Sire (US/Canada): These versions typically included "How Soon Is Now?" as a bonus track, often placed as track 6 or at the end of the album.

MPO France: Some early European pressings (1988–1989) have "MPO" imprinted in the center, while pre-1988 pressings lack mould text.  3. Original 1985 Track List (UK Edition)  The Smiths - Meat Is Murder - ProStudioMasters

In lossless FLAC, the dynamics of the original master shine—warts and all. Marr’s guitar sparkles on “Rusholme Ruffians” (acoustic intro especially). Rourke’s bass on “Barbarism” has real thump and decay. The title track’s ambient moos and siren-like guitar feedback are stark and unsettling.

If your rip is from an early CD or vinyl, expect some analog warmth and slight tape hiss—but zero compression. The EAC extraction ensures no jitter or read errors. It’s the closest you’ll get to the master tape without analog gear.

Let's break down the technical jargon because it matters for sound quality.