Meat Is Murder - The Smiths

Let me hear them Rickenbackers ringing out. If, in the mid-80s, Peter Buck was the US exponent of 60s styled indie guitar then his UK counterpart was Johnny Marr.

If there was ever a guitar that encapsulated a particular sound then the Rickenbacker must be it - and the influence on popular music is immense; The Beatles, The Jam, The Byrds, R.E.M., Tom Petty, The Stone Roses, The Who and The Smiths. Oh and The Bangles.

Continuing the tradition where George Harrison left off, Johnny Marr's distinctive jangle adorned many a classic Smiths' track- and 'Meat Is Murder' is no exception. The opening track 'The Headmaster Ritual' is awash with lush arpeggios and rhythmic strumming. If that wasn't enough, once you've got past the hectic rockabilly of 'Nowhere Fast' there is the extended treat of 'Barbarism Begins At Home'. At nearly seven minutes long it could quite easily have become a tedious dirge. But with Marr's intricate rhythm playing it is a genuine shame when it suddenly bows out.

Classic Smiths. Classic Marr