Customer Reviews

Viva Hate

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Viva Hate" isn't my favorite Morrissey solo album. There, I said it. I'm going against the grain of public opinion amongst Morrissey fans, but not without reason. Don't get me wrong, the album is an impressive solo debut (even more so considering that it was released within 6 months following "Strangeways, Here We Come," the final album of his former band the Smiths). But I just don't think it deserves to be on such a high pedestal. Producer Stephen Street replaces former Smith Johnny Marr as his music collaborator on "Viva Hate," and while Street doesn't match Marr's skills, he compliments Morrissey nicely on this disc. There's the lush orchestral arrangements on "Hairdresser on Fire," the gloomy "Everyday is Like Sunday," and the soaring "Angel, Angel Down We Go Together." Mozzer hasn't lost much of touch as a lyricist, either. He tells a tale of unrequited love in the excellent "Suedehead," addresses racism in the semi-controversial "Bengali in Platforms," and delivers a scathing commentary on Thatcherism in the chilling "Margaret on the Guillotine." As much as I like "Viva Hate," my personal favorite Morrissey albums are the tough-as-nails, glam-flavored "Your Arsenal" and "Vauxhall & I." Still this is a respectable and solid debut.

I can't understand those critics/reviewers who nitpick at the album's alleged shortcomings i.e. its supposed shallow lyrics and lack of melodies. Sixteen years of listening, I find the album holds up quite well. First Stephen Street, the producer, gives the album a bright, clean sound that was never matched on subsequent Morrissey efforts. Second, there are plenty of strong singles here, including Suedhead, Everday Is Like Sunday, and Bengali in Platforms. While some of the songs are too long like Margaret on the Guillotine, overall the songs are Morrissey at his pop music best, the songs full of melancholy, angst, irony, all packaged in a wall of guitar sound to soothe those of us who would surely miss the jangling aching guitar sound of Johnny Marr.

If you like the melancholy wall of guitar sound, you might also check out another album that came out two years later, "Cake," by the Trash Can Sinatras.

Thus opens this, one of the finest examples of late 80s britpop ever to come out. Rash, straight-forward, poetic and cunning. Utterly devastating.

Morrissey took a big step by releasing this record, just a few months after the demise of The Smiths... obviously, the style is pretty much there and it evolved through the years with a lot of hits and a lot o misses, too.

The two pièces-de-resistance of this album are the very well known "Suedehead" and "Everyday is like Sunday", both perfectly ochestrated and composed brilliantly to an effect of pain in the right place... also there is the share of political controversy and even a couple of lame songs ("Margaret..." and "Dial a Cliché")... but the real centerpieces taht show the juxtaposition of Moz's vision, of the most tender and the most convulsedly gothic is present in "Alsatian Cousin" (a brutal and at the same time tender gay love story) and "Break up the family" , quite possibly the only hopeful song he has ever written.

In fact... a good, solid record you will spin, and spin and spin...

Morrissey's career thus far has been full of incredible highs and some rather confusing lows, but overall, he's proven himself to be a songwriter and lyricist of unique talent and an undefineable charm. this was his first album after The Smiths disbanded and it shows him in fine form. classic songs such as "Everyday Is Like Sunday", "Hairdresser On Fire" and the quintessential "Suedehead" are all career-defining moments and snapshots of genuine pop genius. elsewhere on the album, things get a little darker and moodier with the orchestral snippet of "Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together", the haunting ambience of "Late Night, Maudlin Street," and the scathing "Alsatian Cousin." Viva Hate may not be the most solid solo record from Morrissey, but it's a fine album and a bright start of more great things to come.

Really one of the best solo debut's ever. Of course Moz just capitalized on the angst of the Smith's breakup. Using Stephen Street to produce and Vini Reilly to rip you a new one on guitar, this record seethes with hate while mourning the loss all the same. The hits: "Everyday is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead" are wonderful. Others include "Alsatian Cousin", the tender "Late Night, Maudlin Street" and my favorite, "Break up the Family". I own the LP and it's worn out. See my Wish List and buy me the CD, please. Or just give me a helpful vote luv, thanks!

It's nearly impossible to address the artist Morrissey without also adressing the eccentric, enigmatic icon of sorts we also know as Morrissey. As a reviewer, is it necessary to trudge through an artist's personal life and politics, as well as his or her quirks, to fully understand and appreciate the final "product?" Why is it that with Morrissey, we can't just focus on the music and the lyrics - but seemingly feel compelled to pick apart the mind and "spirit" of this most complex artist? The answer is this: Morrissey the man, Morrissey the Icon, and Morrissey the Myth are a triune force that act as One - the Holy Trinity of those who worship at the alter of Smithdom. And so I start my review with this in mind. The breakup of the Smiths did more than just seperate 3 very talented musicians and a pious frontman - it broke the hearts of many around the planet. There, alone in their bedsits, or out on the cold city streets, they contemplated a life post-Smiths. What did it mean for them? How many more times could they spin their already worn and tired Smiths vinyls, before the pined for new material? How many more times could they bemoan the fall of Britain's rock royalty? While some were praying for a reunion, others for a Marr replacement, Morrissey was busy assembling the bits and pieces that would later become this grand entrance into the world of Going it Solo. More than just a wee bit bitter over his band's demise, he cooked up an ever-never subtle title: "Viva Hate." Armed with fresh anger and still hot resentment, he launched into his craft with a renewed passion - spewing forth acidic lyrical turns from one song to the next. And from one song to the next, Morrissey proved that he had what it takes to rise from the ashes of a torched dream.

Chris Heath, you are a dolt. You're probably the kind of guy that listens to Britney Spears at full volume in his New Beetle. Granted, Morrissey's a preening, self-indulgent, self-involved lout, but if that's what it takes to make music like this, then so be it. Maybe in your little Chrissy world the big blue sky's full of topiary clouds and fake-breasted pop starlets, but in THIS world, there's often an unspeakable darkness to contend with. No one gives voice to the sadness quite like Morrissey on 'Viva Hate', his familiarity with inner torture rendering my own quite livable by comparison. No, this isn't music for a Saturday afternoon barbecue, but when your crystalline head is full of bittersweet melancholia, there's no better companion.

This gets my vote for his best solo album. Also, because it's his solo debut, it's the album of his that sounds most like The Smiths, to me. "Everyday is like Sunday", "Hairdresser on Fire", and "Suedehead" are only three of the classics on this cd. My favorites happen to be "Bengali in Platforms" and "The Ordinary Boys". His collections are also very good, but I would rather have this cd anyday. In short, if you're a fan of Bryan Ferry, Ian McCulloch or obviously The Smiths, you'll love Viva Hate.

If you are feeling down and think your friends are all false and no one understands you, this album is for you. My older brother is a big Smiths fan and would always play this album. Now i am old enough to really appreciate the lyrics. They're witty and sarcastic.

"Everyday is Like Sunday" has nice strings on it. "Suedehead" is my favorite with "I Don't Mind if You Forget Me" being a close second. If you can stand to listen to music that is not popular but really speaks to teens get Viva Hate and forget about what your friends say.

I remember a boyfriend gave me this tape when I was going through a particularly blue period of typical teenage angst. I have had this tape for over ten years now and I never grow tired of it. If you loved "The Smiths" you will love Morrissey. Even today there are times when I am a bit down and I say to myself "This is a "Viva Hate" day."