The Smiths had a definite look when it came to album covers. They were famous for black & white photos of minor cultural icons rendered in various tints (duotones).
They were all designed by singer Morrisey and the Rough Trade (record company) art director Jo Slee. (She has 60 credits on discogs.com - all of them for The Smiths or Morrissey.)
This one’s a little different though. First, it’s straight black & white (no tints). It then repeats the image a la Warhol.
There’s also the famous photoshop (or whatever they used back then) of the original slogan. That original, by the way, just so happened to say, “Make war not love.”
The title means exactly what you think it means, reflecting front man Morrisey’s strong vegan beliefs. The Smiths’ second album, it’s their sole one to go to #1, though it really doesn’t have any classic hits, except for maybe “How Soon Is Now?”
I loved the Smiths. Still do. Those jangly guitars, Morrisey’s supple voice, the back-to-basic (but very post-punk) arrangements, the super catchy (but never saccharine) tunes, the great (though morose) lyrics …
Bassist Andy Rourke, Morrisey, drummer Mike Joyce, guitar god Johnny Marr
As with any famous image, it’s lent itself to more than its fair share of parodies.
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