Viva Hate

Not bad but not good enough to justify his personality

There has never been, nor will there most likely ever be again, a pop star like Morrissey. Sure, there have been many icons in the history of popular music. But not a single one of them can lay claim to the same blend of nonchalant authenticity and unbridled star power embodied by the morose Mancunian. A commonplace opinion in casual music parlance is the recognition of Morrissey’s lyrical genius as frontman of The Smiths, while also sidelining his solo works as proof of the law of diminishing returns. Written amid the literal ruins of his bands’ dissolution, Viva Hate delivers upon the undisputed potential for Morrissey to bridge that gap between eccentric 80s has-been to genuine pop stardom. Produced and largely written by Stephen Street, with the enigmatic Vini Reilly serving as Moz’s creative foil in place of Johnny Marr, the album is not a radical departure from The Smiths’ brand of 60s infused jangle pop. And yet the flourishes of bossa-nova rhythms and spiralling sitar-sounding riffs give it just enough flavour to mark it out as a distinctly Morrissey affair. Couple all that with two bonafide hit singles (“Everyday is Like Sunday”, “Suedehead”) and you have yourself a winner. This is just the platform for what I consider one of the frontman’s finest lyrical outings committed to record. From “Alsatian Cousin”‘s acrimonious tale of romantic scandal to the melancholic nostalgia of “Late Night, Maudlin Street”, there is no single lyricist who could ever get away with such genius lines as “Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel”. It’s the commonplace elevated to the level of the sublime that earmarks Morrissey as the single most important lyricist in pop music history - and that’s not hyperbole. A few minor detractions however. Leaving aside the questionable tone of “Bengali in Platforms”, a song that’s bafflingly clumsy at best and downright racist at worst, Morrissey’s decision to remove “Ordinary Boys” in favour of a tinny demo of “Treat Me Like a Human Being” is beyond comprehension. The album is slightly front-loaded in its original running order, but this just draws out side 2 with a completely redundant skipper of a track. Going off of my vinyl copy, this album is a masterpiece. Arguably a more true distillation of Morrissey the artist than any other album in his enviable discography. It’s hard to believe there were some who doubted his ability to survive the demise of one of Britain’s most beloved groups. But this album secured Morrissey’s relevance in pop culture (on and off) for the next 20-30 years. As one of my friend frequently puts it: “The guy’s a cunt. But he’s our cunt”.

I won't listen to this. I struggled with the Smiths, but this is where Morrissey started going off the rails for me; the (ambiguously) anti-immigrant content of Bengali in platforms, appearing on stage draped in the Union, seemingly playing to the skinhead crowds at Madstock. he was challenged on it at the time, and never satisfactorily apologized or clarified that he was anti-racist; he just muddied the waters. His statements and actions since then really cemented his anti-immigrant, intolerant views. I struggle with the issue of when an artist's behaviour crosses the line and I need to cancel my consumption of their work. I don't have a hard and fast rule. Often it is when their problematic views and behaviour start creeping into their work (like when Michael Jackson starts singing about saving the children) But, really, when it comes down to it, the line is when the ick-factor overwhelms my ability to enjoy the music. That's a pretty subjective line, but no more Morrissey for me. Too icky.

There are some songs on this album that I would like if someone else sang them. In my review of the last Morrissey solo album we were sent, I said his voice had worn on me by the time the Smiths blew up. Getting another Morrissey solo album so soon after the first is like rubbing vinegar in the wound. No way this brother should have two solo albums in the 1001. If he has a third it's getting a 1. 

Unfortunately he’s very talented

I like the Smiths alright, Morrissey's solo stuff less so. I think this album is saved for me by Vini Reilly's guitar work. I like his sound, particularly on "late night, maudlin street" with the delay. I find this album to be a bit of a drag. 2.5 rounded up to 3.

Pretty good. Why is he so sad?

Morrissey is like a few other talented douchie artists out there, yes I'm talking to you Van Morrison. Its hard to separate the art from the artist, but yet we must try to preserve the integrity of 1,001 rating system. That being said, I really find Morrissey's voice annoying and he seems to put out albums with one decent song and the rest is just dreck. Eg on this album its Everyday is like Sunday. On The Queen is Dead its only saved by There is a light that never goes out. Unfortunately one good song does not an album (that you have to listen to before you die) make.

Not too many people or really anyone, can carry the desperation, longing, and hopefulness that Morrissey provides with his solo debut. Something about these bossanova beats and his crooning voice creates a melancholy dance and makes me yearn for unrequited teenage love and regret. Even though these heavier feelings emerge, I still am filled with happiness as the album makes it seem possible to go back to the past with new enlightenment and say things you never could’ve said then. Overall: fantastic record and the first 5/5 so far. Instant buy and a mark in the collection.

Morrissey may have better albums than Viva Hate, but it's hard to go wrong with almost anything he's put out. Favorite Song: Alsatian Cousin

I'm remembering when this album first came out, on the heels of the Smiths' breaking up. All good Smiths fans took this album in with great anticipation, and maybe with a hint of disappointment. It's an early lesson that people move on and grow up, and do things we don't entirely appreciate or understand. I agree with others here that Morrissey's work in general is a notch below what he did in the Smiths. That said, this album is lyrically more mature and has some beautiful arrangements that you probably would never find on a Smiths album. I'm still moved by "Suedehead" and "Everyday is Like Sunday," as much as I was at 17. Nobody does sweet pathos and longing like Morrissey.

Fairly boring. Easy enough listen.

Him being a bad person does nothing to me as I am a Kanye West fan. Separating the art from the artist I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. 3.5 I’ll be mean and round down.

bit of a prick

Morrissey sucks, I can not imagine possibly caring about something less than I do listening to this person's music. Get it out of here. Wish I could give it less than 1 star.

Morrissey can go soak his head. I'd give zero stars if they'd let me.

Dark, humorous, and hip as usual. Great album!!

I head into this with some pretty negative Morrissey prejudices. Instead I found a wonderful, charming, lovely album that drew me in like a friend. Quite unexpected especially since it is called “Viva Hate” and is filled with hard sentiments. Still, it all struck me as a warm and human expression or love, hate and frustration that really resonated. So while I had to contend with some idiotically shortsighted notions dating back to my youth, what I get in return was a really wonderful addition to my music library. I love Viva Hate!

Okay

Upon re-visiting, much groove. Much verve. Much emotion.

Was pleasantly surprised by this and have a. We respect for Morrissey

Suedehead <3

Sonically there's a lot of interesting things going on here. Viva Hate has a very distinctive sound that's different to much of the Smiths output. Lyrically though, I don't care all that much at times for Morrisey's politics and social commentary.

I went into this not sure how I’d feel about it. I haven’t heard much of Morrissey’s music, but I’ve gotten the general impression that he’s kind of a dick. After listening to most of the album, I was inclined to give it 2 stars because it just seemed kind of generic and didn’t really do anything for me. Sure, Morrissey has a good voice, but he uses it to do this kind of mopey crooning that’s just blah. But, Margaret on the Guillotine convinced me to bump that up to 3 stars. That song is great and a perfect way to end the album.

It’s a decent album, but it suffers without Johnny Marr and Morissey is just too melodramatic for anything more than a three

I'm still not a big Moz fan, but hating Thatcher will always be based.

Since there is more than one listenable track on this album (don't get excited; the exact number is two), I'm going to assume this is the best Morrissey album. I'm making that assumption because there's no way that anybody is keeping track of this, just like nobody has a ranking of the best tooth to have pulled or the safest bleach to drink. I viva hate you, Morrissey. Best track: Everyday is Like Sunday

A year after the Smiths split up, Morrissey already released his solo debut album which was this one. It is a continuation of the Jangle Pop sound that made the Smiths popular in the first place but already with this project you can feel that without the other band members, the ideas are all over the place and rarely turn into anything close to what the Smiths had created. Still, it was a successful album with many people recognizing it as a pretty good album which I agree. It is a pretty good album with a couple of really great songs but when its held against albums like "The Queen is Dead", this feels rather pale and bland. The albums opening track 'Alsatian Cousin' combines elements of Post-Punk, Noise Pop & Neo-Psychedelia with mainly Indie Rock as the genre that ties it all together. It is much less "jangly" than most of the album but it works quite well. It really ties into the more alternative side of Morrissey which I do sometimes prefer. The song is pretty interesting sonically and the songwritings quite alright but my main problem with the song is that I feel Morrissey tries way to hard to sound Post-Punk and dark and edgy which he obviously isn't. It's a pretty great song but I do feel that some moments feel forced. The song transitions into the next and actually quite short 'Little Man, What Now?' which is way more Pop sounding but for some reason has drums that feel like straight from a marching band which does add a little weird twist to it but that twist doesn't fit. This not only feels forced but it feels off and just not good. The song itself is actually quite nice and cute but these drums absolutely destroy it. It's not a good song but not terrible either. 'Everyday Is Like Sunday' is probably the albums best known song. A great blend of Pop Rock, Chamber Pop and Jangle Pop which has some incredible songwriting with how the song is structured and builds up towards the chorus. It's an incredible song but nothing close to the highest points of the Smiths' career. Mainly the vocal delivery takes away from the enjoyment even if it's just a little bit. He does put in enough emotion for the song to work but he does it in a way that feels arrogant and like he thinks he's the greatest (he probably does) which he just isn't. But still, the highlights it has to offer are just incredible. The most "Smiths" sounding yet is 'Bengali in Platforms' which from the title to the performance feels like something you'd might find in the "The Queen is Dead" sessions. And the song does really feel like it's just a session piece as it doesn't feel finished and like they are still trying to figure out how the song is supposed to sound. It's a good song but with a lot of uninteresting moments and a finished track that doesn't really go too far out of its way. Another short "interlude like" track is 'Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together' which is a pretty sweet mix of Baroque Pop and Chamber Pop but it doesn't really stick with me with anything that it does. It feels like an interlude and not necessarily a good one. It tries way to hard to be epic and full of agitation which it isn't. While talking about epic, 'Late Night, Maudlin Street' tries a similar thing but succeeds way better. It's over seven minutes long and features acoustic guitar, piano, weird "lashing" drums and moves through different sonic stages and builds more and more while keeping it steady for the listener. It's a great and even if the vocals do feel like they want to be way more, the song is incredible. It's sentimental, bittersweet and full of great moments. It isn't a perfect song as there are a couple moments that feel dragged but all in all, pretty great. 'Suedehead' is the other commonly known song this album offers. It also feels a lot like The Smiths but much more like this might actually be on one of their albums mainly because the few Post-Punk influences are incorporated much better than on other songs here and the hook feels similar to how it's made up. Many love the song but I personally don't really find a lot to love about the song. I like it and I think it's good but I don't care for it much. The quite interesting drums to add a little bit of interesting stuff to 'Break Up the Family' but it overall feels dull and just average. It's a basic song with neither a great chorus/hook or great lyrics to make up for that. It feels just basic and like something that has aged just like you'd expect. It's good in the context of its release but from today's eyes it's just boring. ('The Ordinary Boys' was omitted from the album but was a part of the original release) The exact same thing is happening with 'I Don't Mind If You Forget Me' only that there isn't even one thing that stands out, not even the sound of the vocals. It feels dull and like before, just boring and average. 'Dial-a-Cliché' does add more of the lush Chamber Pop sound but the result is as average as the couple tracks before. The songwriting doesn't feature any highs or build-ups and the lyrics are quite middlebrow for Morrissey and the performance of them doesn't help that much. It's a snoozer like most of the last songs. The final song 'Margaret on the Guillotine' is a rise in quality from the last couple songs but it doesn't achieve the highs that some songs had so far. It's a good song and the lyrics are much better and are performed way better but the result feels still a little too average. It's a good song but there is still a lot of room for improvement. favourites: Everyday Is Like Sunday, Late Night, Maudlin Street, Alsatian Cousin least favourites: Little Man, What Now?, I Don't Mind If You Forget Me, Break Up the Family, Dial-a-Cliché Rating: decent to strong 6 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Oh man, no. When I sleep with that picture of you Framed beside my bed Oh, it's childish and it's silly But I think it's you in my room By the bed Yes, I told you it was silly And I know I took strange pills But I never meant to hurt you Oh, truly I love you. No. Just no. No no no no no no no no. No. No.

I cannot stand Morrissey's Kermit voice. Songs sound alright, but that voice would ruin anything.

I’ve never listened to a more pretentious fuck than listening to morrissey. Hopeful don’t have to hear him again anytime soon.

I'm so very tired of being subjected to this man. And the songs are really starting to all sound the same.

I came to this with what I hoped was an open mind. The first couple of tracks were quite bouncy. However, I did find myself being dragged down by the mood of this album by the midway point. I don't really like Morrissey's voice, and the bleak 'humour' of the Smiths seems to have moved into 'man angry at the world for not recognising how special he is' territory. I just wish he would stop whinging and blaming everyone but himself for what is a fairly turgid set by this point of his career.

It has to be said... Morrissey needs to be consigned to history. Sure, he came along at a time that kinda tolerated him, even appreciated his work. But that time has gone, and it won't ever come back. He's railing against his own irrelevance, desperately voicing hateful bilge just to court some controversy. He is the GB News of music, and it would genuinely be better just to forget him.

Morrissey just straightup sucks

One Morrissey solo record down, three more to go.

Creo que ya lo dije, pero Morrissey entra en la categoría de artistas que me gustan, pero que no escucho con tanta frecuencia. Este disco medio lo conocía, hace mucho no lo escuchaba y sí me parece muy bueno. Creo que Morrissey sabe hacer un buen balance de letras y melodía, si bien a veces no es nada espectacular. Pero de acá, "Suedehead" sí es una gran gran canción y en realidad no tengo skips, porque casi todas me gustan por igual. El final, hermoso con "Margaret on the Guillotine". Siempre político él, aunque se haya hecho nefastito. Viva Viva Hate! 9.5/10

Está bien verga. Es un chingón.

Si les gusta morrisey, medio ya sabían que esperar. Y este álbum cumple y siento que da todavía un poco más

Härligt!

In probably a surprise to no one, I loved it. 80s alternative, mopey tunes with mopey lyrics, singer I can easily sing along with, it's everything I love. Favourites: "Angel Angel Down We Go Together" and "I Don't Mind if You Forget Me"

So I now know not what is the Smiths and what is Morrissey. I just like the voice okay?

Only love for Morrissey

Yeah . I dig this. Morrissey, like many Brits of this era, have this kind of grand sad moody kind of sound to me. Sometimes others go too far in either direction, but this feels balanced. I'm gonna dig in more.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Perfect, just ignore his shithouse right-wingery

After the wonderful Strangeways Smith album a strong 1st solo album, with Suedehead (where he even seems to sing 'it was a good lay', good times for a change), Every Day Is like Sunday and the in some opinions (including mine, UB40 (madame Medusa) Simply Red's (Money's Too Tight) then well deserved punch in the face for Thatcher (Margaret on the Guillotine). Stephen Street is no Johnny Marr, 5 stars but 4.7. Is 5

Moz

beautiful and relaxing af

Just a very well put together album. Two monster hits, with Suedehead being one of my favorite songs of all time.

so good

Not my favorite Morrissey album but probably top 3. It starts off a little meh for me but really picks up with track 3, the classic Every Day is Like Sunday. Overall it's probably a 4 but because everyone's always gotta hate on my boy Moz it gets a 5.

Very nice and chill

Favorite album yet, incredible incredible

I quite liked this album. The vocals were distinctive and evocative with the trilled r's. Probably a 4.5/5 for me, but we'll round up. Most songs were quite good but my favorites were "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead."

When I first started listening to the 1001 albums list, I did not want to like The Smiths or Morrissey. But goddammit, I love them, and this man is a genius. Great fucking album

David Bowie enjoyed would probably love this

Album 475 of 1001 Morrissey - Viva Hate Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Tracks : Everyday is Like Sunday, Suedehead As controversial and hated as he may be, I like Morrissey's music. When I first listed to him, I wasn't aware that he was such a lightning rod of controversy. I just enjoy the tunes. Like his voice and the tracks. Maybe in the future, I'll learn more about what it is about him that pisses off so many people.

It may sound weird, but I discovered this album before I was aware of The Smiths. It was my formal introduction to Morrissey; and it's still my favorite of his solo albums. The obvious highlights are Suedehead, and Everyday is Like Sunday. But those are really just pillars, holding up a great set of songs. Break Up the Family is equally great, as is I Don't Mind If You Forget Me. There's a distinct sound that I associate with producer Stephen Street that we only get from Morrissey on Viva Hate, and a handful of singles from the period. By the time Morrissey made his next studio album, he'd settled on a completely different sound. The albums that followed are great too. But Morrissey never made another Viva Hate. It's a very special snapshot of the transitional period between The Smiths, and later sounds that Morrissey's muse would follow.

I loved this when it came out - I still have it 😊 morrissey is such a gifted and clever songwriter it was a pleasure to revisit this one.

u could say i viva Hate morrissey.... but i fear hes goated at music smh

Still full of The Smiths essence, all in all not too bad, only 1 or 2 bangers.

I have listened to the Smith's some but don't know a ton about Morrissey (other than what I have heard from Jon) so I am coming to this more or less with fresh ears. I liked "Everyday is Like Sunday", so smooth and 80's in a good way. Like the spooky guitar work on "Late Night, Maudlin Street". I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.

Viva Hate sounds a lot more badass than the sort of middling whine he does throughout most of this album. I think The Smiths, and by extension, Mr. Morrissey here, are one of my favorite finds of this whole list. I really dig the sound. That being said, I really don't get the hardon some people have for him. Just look at him.

Ennakkoasenne oli, että Morrissey ei olisi ihan omaan mieleen. Levyn alku oli kuitenkin yllättävän mukaansa tempaava, mutta kun samalla selätti bittejä, niin jäi taustamusiikiksi ja tuntui, että ei sitten kuitenkaan ole erityinen levy. Kuuntelin kuitenkin seuraavana päivänä uudelleen ja tokalla kierroksella tykkäsinkin taas enemmän levyn tunnelmasta.

Critical listen during my sad, misundertood adolescence, and just a hair below his best from The Smiths, which is the only thing keeping it from a 5/5

A notch below the Smiths

This is way more the catchy Morrissey that makes it hard for me to denounce his notoriously eye rollable personality. Not quite the same level as The Smiths as a whole but definitely some gems on here and an overall decent album.

Morrisey

overall thoughts: I enjoyed this album quite a lot. I was already familiar w/ a couple of songs by the smiths, so it wasn't surprising that I was going to enjoy this LP. love the vocals, the lyrics. tho I will say that Bengali didn't really do it for me. also the margaret track thooo, get oofed. anyway, I can def come back to a lot of these songs, many faves. sum good brit indie rock rite here. fave tracks: everyday is like sunday, angel angel, late night, suedehead, I don't mind if u forget me

Great album haven't listened to it in many years. Everyday is like Sunday is just such an incredible song. Top 5 Morrissey songs, including The Smiths output. Hardly a dud on the album. I'm tempted to give it a 5 star rating but 4.5 seems right which means 4 stars for this exercise

Nice

Good. Can’t stand his politics though

Brilliant. Not just lyrically but musically and I found this surprising. I was expecting I'd need to really pay attention to the lyrics to appreciate this album fully but the music perfectly captures the mood and emotion of his lyrics and compliments his singing brilliantly meaning I could tune out every now and then and just enjoy the music. Will definitely be adding this to the listen again list and I'm sure it'll get even better with further listens.

This was an enjoyable pop album which I expected since The Smiths, The Queen is Dead, is one of my favorite albums ever. Really only a certain few tracks dragged on then it needed to be but besides that really enjoyed the brevity of the project. That being said Morrissey is a piece of shit cunt and an absolute dickhead I absolutely hate him as a person but I can't deny at the time his personality was not like this as well as his ideals. Peggy said it best "I cannot fucking wait until Morrissey Dies". 8/10

morriseys voice is so fucking annoying but even that cant save it from this being an alright album :((( SHAME!!!

Good but not amazing.

Oh Moz, you’ve certainly made an impression on me.

This isn’t bad. Obviously it’s not a scratch on the smiths. The vinnie Riley stuff adds something interesting.

Classic.

Not bad, Needed more time to listen

I like how the songs keep it interesting with having a nice variety. I also enjoy the overall low-key mood of it, without it being a downer.

I'm gonna be real honest. I'm giving this 4 because it sounds just like a Smiths album. From the powerful yet jangly synths, to the unique vocal style, and the introspective lyrics, there's little for me to dislike. Has a couple hits, several other tracks to sing along or dance off to, and only a few that are indisputably weak. Nothing new or crazy, except for some intriguing techniques here and there. It's a solid debut.

Before he went all weird, I listened to this a lot on the original vinyl and loved it’s musical variety, despite being crushed that there wouldn’t be anything else from the Smiths. A great collection of tracks and collaborations. One of his best albums. Top tracks: everyday is like Sunday, late night maudlin street, suedehead

nice

papa maman les gars dsl j'ai aimé cet album

J'allais mettre 3 mais le dernier titre est trop bien.

C'est bien, mais 1 point de pénalité pour le racisme.

Really solid follow up from Morrissey after the death of The Smiths. Similar to my feelings of that band, I enjoy this album best in brief intervals rather than the whole. Still, this I'd a very good album nonetheless. Favorites: "Alsatian Cousin", "Everyday Is Like Sunday", "Suedehead"

Dark, morose and beautiful

This is a pretty good album despite Morrissey's personality. Exceeded my expectations.

The first album post Smiths from the Mozfather. Decent but missing the soaring Marr guitars. 4/5

Morrissey’s first solo album strikes a different tone from his work with the Smiths. He has an incredible gift for melody and his voice and delivery style are iconic. There are some truly incredibly songs on this album. One song that I found challenging was ‘Bengali in Platforms.’ I know this song is controversial, and while I see how this song could be seen as darkly ironic, the use of the word ‘belong’ is a bit troublesome to me.

Yeah, I liked most tracks. Since this was his debut record, it was very reminiscent of The Smiths. The guitar work here is really pleasant. Still don't like Morrissey, though.

Vähän pehmeämpää kuin Your Arsenal, mutta edelleen jostain sydämestä tämä tulee. 4/5

Täähän oli yllättävän jees. Luulin, että ilman Marria Morrissey ei oo tehny mitään erityisesti mun makuun. Aika tasan 3,5 ja pyöristetään nyt ylös.

Oon aina tykännyt tästä vaikka ukko on aika sekasin. Hieno melodinen kokonaisuus 4/5

So I'm 600 albums in and this will be the SIXTH time this morose cunt has appeared in the list: 3 Smiths albums and now 3 solo albums as well. SO FAR. Are you telling me that Morrissey is basically 1 out of every 100 musicians in the world? Fuck off Robert Dimery, you UK-centric piece of shit. No one wanted a soft advert for the UK music scene. If I'd known this is what it'd be when I signed up, I don't think I'd have done it. But in any case, this is a nice soft rock/pop album. In a more sensible world, this would have been the only Morrissey solo album included. It's really cruisy, story-like, the scungy UK council flat vibe isn't too full on and his vocal delivery is kinda perfect here. I even listened twice and I think I'll save it for future listens too. 4/5. Also, because I must have gotten out of the wrong side of bed this morning: everyone who goes "wahh Morrissey is such a bad guy, -10 points for all his albums", shut your holes. You're pathetic.

The sound on this one is interesting to say the least. Was pretty surprised to hear his voice over something like this. It works imo.

The worst thing about Morrisey isn't that he actually makes good music, but it us the most annoying. The man may be a prick, but he makes some solid sad boy tunes. Bit melodramatic for my tastes at times, but overall great record