Bike Leans - Meat is Murder

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I told you I would score these new fence art paintings! Today’s 31-mile Project Hero ride “just happened” to take us on this very route (after a “suggestion” from me.) There were three new paintings, and I got all three. Today’s bike lean is the first - the album cover for Meat is Murder by The Smiths. The photo was taken on the Highline Canal Trail, Littleton, CO. The Smiths were together just five years, half as long as The Beatles. They managed just four studio albums during their brief career, but oh, what a legacy! A legacy that includes fence art. Meat is Murder was The Smiths’ 2nd studio album, it reached #1 in the U.K. (and charted in 8 other countries.) And now, it’s a bike lean! That’s my gravel bike, cleverly-named Agent Gravel. The photograph used on the cover of the album was taken in 1967. It’s from the Vietnam War, featuring American Marine Corporal Michael Wynn. The original wording on his helmet read “Make War Not Love.” According to Wikipedia, Wynn did not know his photo was used and did not like the fact that they changed his helmet wording. It is The Smiths’ only #1 U.K. album. For the first time ever, I stopped to take photos of the art while the homeowners were in the backyard. I didn’t talk to them, but they seemed unfazed by the fact that we were all out there making a bunch of noise outside the fence. Heck, some other cyclists joined us, so we had quite the two-wheeled-ruckus going, but they were cool with it. They’re probably used to it by now. Link is to the official video for “How Soon is Now?, from the American release of Meat is Murder:”