Reviews (page 3 of 8)
I've got Morrissey fatigue
5/10
Good
every day is like sunday is NOT the vibes I need right now but I like it slow but ight favorite song: margaret on the guillotine
You could not pay me to actually listen to this man’s music. You all can separate the art of the artist all you want, but supporting shitty and harmful men because they made or make music you enjoy, when there is an infinite amount of music in the world, is not a choice I’m going to make for myself.
Copy past review as per nearly all the Morrisey/ Smiths albums - the mans a bell end and I don't like his vocals half the time - but he can write a good tune. Particularly enjoyed Everyday's like Sunday - and overall enjoyed the album more than I was expecting - possibly my favourite or 2nd favourite of his albums.
Separating the music from the person, the album has two absolute Smith-esque bangers and then a lot of Morrisey trying to find a new direction that doesn't work as well as the standard he had set in the Smiths. Bengali in Platform lyrics sadly allude to the racist old man he has become, and yet the same album has a very anti-Thatcher message.
Better than any other Morrissey album but that is a LOW bar.
Morrissey might be an absolute tit, but records like this show why we tolerated his behaviour for so long. Fresh off The Smiths breaking up, Morrissey must have put this album out to show his detractors that he will be absolutely fine without his former band. The dramatic lyrics from those Smiths records can still be found here. On 'Alsatain Cousin' and 'I Don't Mind If You Forget Me', the jangling riffs of Johnny Marr are traded for something more loud and fierce. The instrumentation throughout the record is lush and we even some strings backing up Morrissey, allowing him to feel like a crooner from days gone by and not the frontman of a hyped-up indie band. 'Late Night, Mauldin Street' has Morrissey serenading at his emotional and vulnerable. Initial single 'Suedehand' might just be the perfect song to introduce the audience to his solo work as it sounds both familiar yet also like it is doing something different to what he was doing the last time you heard his voice on an album. By the time the guillotine comes down to round out delicate ballad 'Margaret On The Gullotine', Moz has certainly made a statement that he can put out music that might even be better than what his former band churned out.
Morrissey has a special voice and unique phrasing. I have always enjoyed his music and this album brought back so many great memories
I think I understand Morrissey’s place in the universe of music and the contributions of The Smiths in particular, but is it my imagination or to all of his songs start to sound the same after a very short while? That seems to be particularly true on this album. And man he is whiny.
solid
Boy does he know how people feel about him. In his own language 'What A Fucking Wanker'. I fear that if I listen to more Morrissey it will start to tinge how I feel about the Smiths. Honestly did not like them much to begin with but Shoplifters Of The World Unite is such a great fucking song it will never fall from grace in my eyes because of Morrissey. Honestly I'm halfway through and it's not as bad as I was thinking but it's amazing how long his career has lasted. How long can you keep putting out albums that are just the same thing over and over again. The only song worth a shit on here is "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Margaret On The Guillotine" which is only there because Margaret Thatcher is worse than Morrissey. As I started this with I'm sure that Morrissey will outlive us all because he lives on how much hate people have for him so Viva Hate.
Not really a fan of him or the Smiths
How can such a horrible man make such beautiful music? Ive always avoided his solo albums cos... hes Morissey... but this is up there with any Smiths albums. Its not perfect, with the first half seeming stronger than the second, and Treat Me Like a Human Being has very odd production and is a bit tedious. But some of the songs are sensational and the musicianship throughout is fantastic. The closing section of Margaret on a Guillotine is a particular highlight. 8/10
Prince of emo all grown up.
Solid
😧 again !?
I enjoyed their sound. I liked his voice.
The best of Morrissey's solo albums
3.5
This is a hard one to rate. There are such great heights and such great lows on this album, the three first songs for example are almost perfect in a way but on the other hand the second song is also pretty bad. There are two enormous hits on this album, but some duds. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, it’s not a bad album, but to think of what it could have been… but I guess that’s just Morrisey, after all.
Relistening to this album, I am very much relieved that the knowledge of Morrissey's later trajectory hasn't ruined it the slightest bit. Quite the opposite, it is a shockingly great album, sounding carefree and tongue-in-cheek even in its most insidious moments (Bengali On Platform). Production is great, with lush arrangements that never lose clarity and punch (the splash cymbal deserves its own Grammy). Any hint of too much musical theatrics is immediately countered by Morrissey's trademark scathing humor. Lastly, the cadence of Alsatian Cousin (slow burning intro jam) and Little Man, What Now? (pensive interlude) into Everyday Is Like Sunday (climactic banger) might be the best album opening of all times.
Good but samey
Easy listen, but a bit boring a melodramatic for me.
meh... nothing of real value to listen to here...don't hate it but ain't making it to my playlist.
Oh my god, stop giving me Morrissey records. Bro can sing for sure, but this one meanders around for the entire runtime. And fuck Morrissey (not sexually)
I really liked this. I don't love the smiths but I felt like this album had everything that I like about the Smiths in it which was really nice. I will be listneing to a lot of the songs on here again. But his voice is what I would imagine Romeo would sound like in the balcony scene except Romeo is a goat with a tooth infection.
Okay, so after the horror of listening to one of The Smiths' albums, I wasn't really expecting the guy alone to sound like this which is a way to say that the listening experience is more... bearable? But I really don't like his voice and his lyrics just make him sound needy so all in all this is just easier to dissociate from that his previous band stuff.
Isn't this the guy that keeps cancelling his concerts for stupid reasons? Anyway, I don't like him in the Smiths, and I don't really like him here either. There are also some not so subtle racist themes (Bengali in Platforms) that make the general undercurrents quite unpleasant
Meh
I heard that recently Morrissey was on tour, but the festival near his hotel was so loud that he cancelled his next show due to lack of sleep. He said he needed "one year to recover." I feel like this story perfectly encapsulates what a pussy Morrissey is.
M i d
I felt so much dread approaching this album that I put off listening to it by a day. Wasn't as awful as expected but all Morrissey's songs do sound the same to me and I find it impossible to separate the art from the artist in this case. Not for me. Rating: 2.
Not my typical thing, but not bad. I was a little surprised to see the low worldwide ranking after I listened to it, but I guess most of those low reviews are because he’s a dick? I don’t care enough to look deeper into it.
I’m very familiar with this album. It definitely left an impression on me.
Early industrial, driving, some vocal. Couple alright songs, no bangers.
I really enjoyed. good vibe
oh
Too brokenhearted, too whiny and too dull. I did not enjoy this. Just too much of the same. This review has so many too's so I guess this album gets a two.
It'd be better if Morrisey didn't sing or write the lyrics
I am not a big Smiths fan, but I still own a few records and this particular album. Morrissey has always been a bit of a pretentious twat, but I also cannot ignore the fact that he has made some good music over the years. Everyday is like Sunday is up there with the most perfect pop songs ever written, that I will never get tired of. This album comes with a list of notable songs along with two incredible singles in Suedehead and Everyday is like Sunday. These two songs on their own hold up this album, but there are a handful others that do a lot of lifting too. It is a solid 4 stars
Still riding many of the strong waves started with the Smiths, Morrissey doesn't compromise his confrontational and often too sharp wit. Despite a few memorable songs, however, it lacks the musical cohesion of his earlier work, and as a result, feels more biting than ironic or cynical. As a frontman, he is too unrestrained. Again, he does ok here, but it doesn't last.
8/10 top Morrissey Canción preferida: Suedehead
Morrisey is just a weird one… Despite it’s short length I’ve always been fond of ‘angel angel we go down together’ I think it’s beautiful. Everyday is like sunday is also a wonderful single. Theres always the people I’ll never understand who just judge him as a person and never bother to give him a go (this is my penultimate day of the main list I know what people are like). If I were to rank the morrisey/ smiths albums that I know it would go like this… 1. The queen is dead 2. Vauxhall and I 3. Meat is murder 4. You are the quarry 5. The smiths 6. Viva hate 7. Your arsenal 8. Strangeways here we come Make up is a lie will be out by the time I submit this but not now. None of his albums are perfect but there’s real peaks on all of these to the point that even strangeways I feel bad for ranking low. With Viva hate, it might actually be the inl consistent one but it doesn’t have the peaks, not as much. 4/5
Lowkey sardonic.
Pretty boring stuff but there some fairly good songs in the first half here, I don't really like Morrissey all that much
3- Stars (7/15)
Another familiar one from my youth. After the Smiths were over, this was good B-/C+ Smiths substitute, as I remember, and I played it plenty. But this was the last Morrissey album I listened to. The best songs here ("Every Day is Like Sunday," "Suedehead,") would've fit on Smiths albums. The worst suffer from, first, very 80s production with terrible percussion and, second, Morrissey getting repetitive. There's some keepers here, but overall it's merely good. I learned from listening that the current tracklist swaps a couple pretty good tracks out in favor of a pretty crap one. If Morrissey himself thought he needed to fix this album, what is it doing on this list? 2.5 rounding up, somewhat generously (or nostalgically?), and no, this doesn't need to be on a Must Hear list.
Day789 - i wish i knew nothing about him other than his music. suedehead is an amazing song
Meh
First listen
I love the Smiths and Morrisseys voice. So this is his second last great album to me. But it’s close to perfection.
Fuck Morrissey but hes talented
Buen álbum del sorete este. Hay que poder separar la obra del artista. El álbum lo merece. Qué gran componedor es. 8/10
Boring AF, I couldn't even finish
Not bad at all. Less droning.
2026.03.01
I gave myself a headache rolling my eyes when I saw this come up. To say I'm not a fan of Morrissey is an understatement. And this goes way back before his dodgy political views became the reason to not like him. I can't separate the art from the artist, because their "art" is just as questionable to me. That posh, nasally, whiney voice warbling all over the place, set to melodies that are dull and boring. Not for me. And this is Morrissey without the buffer of being able to enjoy the creativity and inventiveness of Johnny Marr's guitar. But, unlike Morrissey himself, I'm going to try to be as open-minded as possible. So, here are some actual positives about the album. While I disliked almost everything I heard on the first play-through, I have to admit that on subsequent listens some of the songs were less annoying than they first seemed. "Alsation Cousin" has some decent enough guitar textures, "Little Man, What Now?" has Spanish-infused acoustic guitar melodies that aren't bad at all, and "Late Night, Maudlin Street" has moments of interesting delay-soaked guitar work. Is it telling that anything good I have to say is about the guitar work, and not the man himself? OK, then let's be honest about the last song on the album, "Margaret on the Guillotine". I liked it. And as odd as it is to say it, it's a very rare moment when myself and Morrissey's politics overlap. While the guitar melody is great, I'll try to focus on saying something positive about Morrissey. I'm going to give myself a headache again. The lyrics are confrontational and intensely direct, and darkly funny. And what the hell, even his voice isn't annoying in this song. There. I did it. But as for the rest of the album? Dull and insufferable. Just like Morrissey himself.
This is great - I love Morrissey’s whiny character and lyrics… Not his very unfortunate comments throughout the years. The songs are great, but sometimes I really miss that Johny Marr jangling guitar on here, though
I can hear an origin of so many albums I like in this, it's hard not for me not to take that into account
Not bad, better than the previous Morrissey record I reviewed.
This is #day567 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second Morrissey record already. Now, I've always had the impression that, when it comes to his solo career, it is Viva Hate is the essential one. After today's listen, I can more or less confirm that. "Every Day Is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead" are, of course, the standouts. But then, there are others, like "Break Up The Family," which pulled at some inner cords in me. Oh, well, there are still two more to go. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day568.
started off not really into the music but, it got considerably better. 4 stars
Kinda just meh at best. Doesn't land with me, I suppose.
In my opinion, Morrissey’s best since the Smith days
Some good hits but the rest just kind of faded into the background at times. I’d give it a 3.5 overall.
fell into a little morrissey hole!! like the vocals and the production was interesting. yet still prefer the smiths
I know we’re all meant to hate Morrissey, but there are some absolutely brilliant tracks on this album. I absolutely LOVE ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’, it’s a euphoric, impactful indie track that really does hit the sweet spot. And throughout the album there are many strong points - ‘Late Night, Maudlin Street’ and ‘Suedehead’ are great examples. What lets it down slightly is how disjointed it feels. Going from the aforementioned to ‘Bengali in Platforms’ is like going from a 5 star meal to a Tesco Meal Deal. There’s a real inconsistency that for me drops it to a 7/10 album.
No. 370/1001 Alsatian Cousin 3/5 Little Man, What Now 3/5 Everyday Is Like Sunday 4/5 Bengali in Platforms 4/5 Angel Angel Down 4/5 Late Night, Maudlin Street 3/5 Suedehead 3/5 Break up the Family 3/5 Treat Me Like a Human 3/5 I Don't Mind If You Forget Me 3/5 Dial-a-Cliche 3/5 Margaret on the Guillotine 4/5 Average: 3,33 He might be a POS, but I actually enjoyed listening to this.
It was fantastic
Not too bad. Morriseys voice is not quite my thing, but there's a lot happening in the music.
Came and went. I don’t really remember too much about this one. Was okay I guess.
For the people in the back, who haven't heard me before...this pretentious full of himself @sshole is OVERRATED! Every album is the same, whiny voice, obvious overdone 80's emo music, with really basic lyrics. This could have been any random wanna be 80's band that didn't make it, but somehow this guy must have known the right person and they backed him and suddenly he became a thing. Albums like this make me truly believe its not always about talent but having the right media people, because he isn't special, he is mediocre at best and somehow has gone down as one of the greatest artists ever. This album's title really encompasses how I feel about this album and Morrisey overall. I am also starting to lose hope in this project....why is this racist, sexist, jerk on this list 7 times! One would have been semi-justified and MORE than enough of him.
Viva Hate! I was really hoping this would be Morrisey at his worst. Singing about all the people he hates the most and why life is unbearable in so many ways. Turns out it might be his most mediocre album yet. Nothing really grabbed me. It has no edge like some of this other albums. No quirky sense of humor. No off the wall judgements. I came expecting to get an earful of hate and it was just dull. snooze.
Nope. No more Morrissey for me. He’s firmly in Bob Dylan territory now. This is just getting ridiculous. If it’s good or not, I just don’t care. This list is clearly from some boomer who only listens to corporate approved Rock or some pretentious music critic getting paid by corporate music. At this point, it’s almost like they’re daring you to tap out of this project.
Good grief, the book author sure has it bad for Morrissey. As the project goes on, it's becoming more difficult to separate my annoyance with how often certain artists appear on this list from what my true feelings would be about an album. But I persevere. As its own separate entity, I didn't mind this album. His voice gets grating, but I like how the songs are structured, and the instrumentation is enjoyable. But when will you die? (From this list, not for real.) Barely squeaking by with a 3 here.
Yesterday I got The Smiths. Today I get Morrissey. Not a great weekend. Whereas the Smiths album actually surprised me (I enjoyed the music more than I thought I would, having been a lifelong Smiths hater), this Morrissey album did not disappoint. It is terrible. It is an album with one well-manufactured pop song, and a long list of mediocre Poetry 101 lyrics and shockingly bad music. And I hadn't realized he was engaged in his racist, anti-immigrant rants all the way back in 1988. Bengali in Platforms is, frankly, unforgivable. I went online and can find many people defending it, claiming it actually is meant to show empathy and describe the plight of the immigrant. Without any external context that's a stretch - the chorus is literally a statement declaring the Bengali is someone who doesn't belong. And I feel pretty convinced of my rectitude on this one given Morrissey has dedicated a large portion of his life to spewing anti-Muslim, anti-Hindu, anti-immigrant, and anti-people-who-don't-look-like-me rhetoric. The top positive review on here does an embarrassing job of apologism. "He's a cunt, but he's our cunt". I took cunt to mean asshole, not anti-immigrant racist. If that's "your cunt", please take him with you. Far away. Morrissey doesn't merit defense as a human - he's a bad one. But my review doesn't have a lot to do with that, apart from that one reprehensible song. Even beyond that, this album, frankly, sucks.
It is interesting, and possibly expected, that Morrissey's first solo album is probably the closest he came to the Smiths sound in his solo career. Late Night Maudlin Street, Break Up the Family and Little Man What Now could have all been on the Smiths non-existent next album. Morrissey's lyrics are always the best, even when he asks Margaret Thatcher to just die and in general wishes the worst for nearly everyone he meets. Everyday is Like Sunday may be my favorite Morrissey song, though I do love Suedehead as well. It's a tragedy that Hairdresser on Fire isn't on the version I listened to, because that screed against his stylist is one of my favorite tunes as well. Really good debut solo album and one that I had in my collection and will continue to listen to. I know he's an ass, but he's an ass that writes fun lyrics and has talent. My favorite tracks: Everyday is Like Sunday Bengali in Platforms Late Night, Maudlin Street Suedehead Break Up the Family I Don't Mind If You Forget Me Margaret on the Guillotine
Pleasant enough to listen to but nothing really draws me in. For me this really illustrates how important Johnny Marr was to The Smiths’ sound.
Morrissey
Très cool, un peu varié dans les rythmes, des instru sympa
Je me disais progressivement « on dirait vraiment les smith ». Oui, c’est le chanteur…. C’est un peu tristoune poétique Mais quelle voix ! Il y a une vibe REM un peu aussi
Assez boring et inoffensif
Totally forgot what I thought about it by Monday.
Aunque un álbum no debería valorarse con una sola escucha, las tres primeras canciones me han parecido muy buenas, especialmente Everyday Is Like Sunday. El disco en general está bien, pero se me ha hecho algo largo. Tomando esta valoración con cautela —ya que solo lo he escuchado una vez— le doy un 3,5/5.
que sí Morrissey, ya te vimos SIN PELOS
So brilliant. So racist.
Hai algúns singles apañados ('Everyday Is Like Sunday' e 'Suedehead', principalmente), pero o conxunto do disco pareceume bastante inane e prescindible. Pensei que me ía molar moito máis do que o terminou facendo e creo que todo ten a ver con canto boto en falta as guitarras de Johnny Marr (#21 dos 1.001 discos que escoitar antes de morrer: 1,5/5)
morrissey, canalla, a ver si te callas
I think I like him better in The Smiths but definitely a few bangers on here
whiny
Racista.
I hate UK alt rock but the smiths are the best of a bad genre. and this guy was from the smiths. Edit: TIL that this guy sucks as a human. welp it was going to be 3 stars but now its 2 stars
Hm. The Smiths so mi všeč, njegov solo šit me pa nikol ni neki zanimal. Ok, probejmo. Fak, v bistvu, po prvem poslušanju kr mal ne vem kaj napisat oz. nism še čist pogruntala album. Dejansko morm še enkrat, to se mi redko zgodi. Čeprav, historically, se ponavad to prevaga v pozitivno mnenje. "Alsatian Cousin" mi je kul. Mal bl udarno, k z bandom. "Everyday Is Like Sunday" mi je ful fajn komad. Mja, I like it. Tok ma specifičn glas, da je težko ne najprej pomislit, če so The Smiths, sam dejansko je vajb muske tok drugačen da NE, niso The Smiths. "Break Up the Family" se še spomnim, da sem ošvrknila naslov, ker mi je blo fajn. (Ha, vidim v recenzijah od ostalih, da večinoma ne morejo prek Morrisseyevih mnogih karakternih pomanjkljajev. To je sam review bombanje pol, fakin probite bit objektivni, fak me. Večina folka so cunts, najbol, da ne konzumiramo čist nobene umetnosti pol, če je tko.)
Listen, I love The Smiths, I admit it. Despite what I know of Morrissey's shitheadery. I liked a few songs here but nothing that wowed me as much as the earlier stuff.
Weird voice but interesting! :D
The softer tracks are very boring. The rest are okay but not good. The instrumentals are sometimes grating. I don't like the singer's voice. I have yet to listen to a good piece of music with the word "Viva" in its title.
It’s pretty cool listening to this because of how much it sounds like a lot of the indie and alt stuff that’s coming out now. For example, "Late Night, Maudlin Street" sounds a lot like "In My Mind" by Amanda Palmer. Unfortunately Morrissey also sounds like shitty Bowie.
What a pretentious twat! Shame there's so much good music that he's put out...
I really enjoyed this album. I did some research on Morrissey and discovered how truly awful his actions and beliefs have been throughout the years. Now, I hate that I loved this album.
Separating the art from the artist; it's one of those unending challenges for fans of music, film, literature, sports... Anything really. It turns out, most people who get a platform either end up being dicks or become dicks. I went through a briefer than most Smiths phase in my younger days. The whole Manchester music scene never did much for me, but The Smiths were the one group who I rated. Good tunes, good guitars, funny lyrics for sad boys. Plus they hated Thatcher, like all sane people should. But they didn't have much staying power. Outside of a handful of songs on each album, while I recognized their overall importance, I could live without them. And so, I had no inclination to listen to any of Morrissey's solo work. Had you told me at the time this was just another Smiths album, I would have believed you. The voice is obviously the same, but so is the rhythm, best, melodies, sound, and even the guitars. Which means it's good. Is it four star good? Maybe. There are some strong songs here, up with the best of The Smiths. But there's also all the other stuff which just exists. And then there's the fact that Morrissey turned out to be more than a little like Margaret. I feel for those who held him up as a hero. So, I must go with three stars. It's a good album, deserves it's place for being Morrissey's debut, but outside of a few songs I won't listen again. He doesn't deserve that attention.
Handgemachte Musik, eingängige Melodien, Texte zum Nachdenken, ... . Passt!
I got Eric Clapton earlier this week, and today Morrissey. Looks like it’s racist week on the ol’ 1001 Albums listening project. Viva Hate has some of Morrissey’s best solo output, particularly with “Suedehead”, but it also has the explicitly anti-immigrant “Bengali in Platforms”. With The Smiths he wrote some self-indulgent, sometimes downright terrible lyrics, but at his best he could be witty, even occasionally with some levity. That’s all gone here, replaced by performative moroseness and a sense of grievance. What an odious gasbag.
I love this writhing crazy but his work with Mr Marr is still superior.
Morrissey = bad person. Morrissey albums = actually pretty solid.
Interesting voice Very nice album! It was soothing, it could help calm my mind.
Guy from the smiths!!!! fun voice
vini reilly is no johnny marr but he works pretty well with morrissey, great production as well and morrissey is still writing great songs at this time
Marcy's stuff was good but never as good as his Smith stuff
Replacing the light floaty jangle of Johnny Marr's guitar with a mix of production styles like dark gloomy goth rock (Alsatian Cousin), string section (Angel Angel), and super 80s acoustic pop (Late Night) means that this is a pretty slow, bloated, and ponderous album that has all the maudlin crooning, but not of the bittersweet dynamism. Still, if you're going to listen to any maudlin crooning, this shithead is pretty much the best at it, and this being barely in the top 10 albums he's made is just an artifact of how prolific he'd been to this point. The two best songs are among the best Smiths approximation: Everyday is Like Sunday & Suedehead that have that bounce and jangle and a bit more of an upbeat uptempo sound to cut against the morose vocals.
Spanking good
Not bad first solo album. Doesn't beat the Smiths but it's nice atmosphere. 3.5
Nice start with some strong songs. Feels quite experimental at times, which keeps it interesting
Would have been 5* if Morrissey hadn’t become what he is today.
Нытье Однако не самое плохое Есть интересные песни Есть хиты Вокал не надоедает Возможно переслушаю
Damn my third Morrissey album all before #140. I guess he’s influential enough, even without The Smiths. I honestly don’t understand why his solos are included so much, but here we are.
Bad album by a bad human.
5/10 Separate the art from the artist, separate the art from the artists, separate the art from the artist… Let’s leave aside Morrissey and his awful opinions for a moment and focus on the actual music here. This is actually a pretty good album. There’s a decent range of styles across the tracklist, but it all feels very stylistically consistent and well produced. For an album from 1988, there is a very 90s indie sound about a lot of this, and it’s clear that Morrissey was very influential among the indie and briptpop bands that would follow. The strongest aspects of the best songs on this record are undoubtedly the bass and drums, which bring a solid and reliable drive and impetus to proceedings. Morrissey’s voice is exactly what you would expect; a bit flouncy, always somewhat maudlin, and consistently ensuring that there is a morose edge to even the most uplifting of tracks, but he’s got good control and does what he does well. He does have a few common phrases and intervals that he uses again and again in his work, which does stand out after a while and makes his work have less range and variety than it could. The quality of the songwriting does vary a little, with some strong efforts and some that are a bit dull and underdeveloped, but by and large it’s not bad at all. Production wise, there are a few odd choices. The guitar in I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me, and the vocal delay in Late Night, Maudlin Street, for example, and the the reverb is pretty overdone in places, but for the most part it’s well balanced and competently presented. Unfortunately, Mr Morrissey does give us an indication of some of his worst opinions on Bengali In Platforms, and his subsequent behaviour has essentially doubled down on the sentiment therein, leaving no further room for doubt about his intentions. It’s a shame, because this is actually not a bad album, but I’m not going to go back to it. At least listening to a Smiths record puts money in Johnny Marr’s pocket. Alsatian Cousin - An interesting piece of sound design to start us off and the guitar emerges in a wash of tonal distortion. It’s Quite a dark and dreary, but has a decent drive to it in places. It’s not a bad track and there’s a decent bit of range to the different sections. I quite like the ambience to it too. Little Man, What Now? - This doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s a nice enough idea of a track, but it just doesn’t really do enough with the idea. Morrissey has a lot of go-to melodic phrases and runs that he goes back to again and again, which often makes it feel like a lot of his vocal performances are incredibly similar, and this is one where that is pretty blatant. Everyday Is Like Sunday - This is a more Smiths-like song. It’s ok, but it’s a fairly basic composition that more or less does exactly what you expect and it’s a bit on the dull side. Ok, but not in any way exciting or invigorating. Bengali In Platforms - It’s not entirely clear if this song is intended to be Morrissey representing the views of others, attempting to speak about immigrants trying to fit in, or just him sharing his own views, but given his subsequent behaviour, I think we can probably make an educated guess. The guy is an odious little prick, and just grouping people as those who “belong here” and those who don’t (particularly from the son of Irish immigrants) is enough to turn me off. The song beneath is pretty enough, but fairly plain. Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together - The string arrangement here is really quite nice. It moves really nicely and there’s enough variation in the lead violin part to give it extended interest as the song flows. It’s a stark and open song that’s really nicely produced and backs up a really convincing vocal delivery from Morrissey. When he produces stuff like this, he can be really good, which makes all the horrible shit even harder to take. Late Night, Maudlin Street - Maudlin is right. It’s a thin old production too, at least to begin with. It does thicken out a little, but there are some odd choices of effects in places with a slightly distracting use of delay on the lead vocal in places. The rhythm is quite nice, but pretty repetitive after a while, although when it eventually gets fuller late on, it does add a bit of extended interest. It’s a slow build that the core musical structure is perhaps a bit too basic to justify, even though there are some nice moments from the piano. I mean, it’s not that bad and could have been decent at 3-4 minutes, but how on earth did he drag this out for nearly seven minutes? Suedehead - There’s a bit more of an uptempo approach here, although Morrissey’s vocal delivery fails to ever let any of his songs be truly uplifting. This is quite a nice little track and actually sounds a little ahead of its time. I could easily see this fitting in with the jingly indie-pop canon of the 90s. The bass is a great driver to this track and there’s a solid drumming performance in there too. It’s got great tempo and I’m not surprised to see this was a single. Break Up The Family - This runs on nicely from the previous track. More decent driving bass and a really solid groove to the beat keep it shifting along. The arpeggiated guitar is pretty nice too. Overall, the ambience of this is really pleasant and Morrissey uses rhythm nicely in a few places to give the vocal range an interest. This album is growing on me, much to my chagrin. The Ordinary Boys - I had to look around for this one, as Morrissey decided to remove it from the remaster and replace it with something more plodding and boring than this. This is also quite plodding, but there’s a little more about it. Some decent moments of piano and guitar and it’s pleasant enough, but overall, it’s just a bit dull. I can see why he removed it, but I can’t see why he replaced it with something that is also dull. I Don't Mind If You Forget Me - I wish I could forget you Morrissey. I’ve quite enjoyed this album in places, but you’re an arsehole. This has got a really good drive and pace to it. There’s a nice blend of guitar tones in here, although there is a bit into the chorus where the guitar goes off piste and sounds distractingly odd. In fact, the longer the song goes on, the more out of place that bit sounds. It’s awful! Besides that, it’s a good piece of pop-rock songwriting. The bass and drums are solid and driving and the vocals are well delivered. But that guitar can do one. Dial-A-Cliché - This is a pleasant enough folk-edged track. The rolling drums are restrained, but give a really solid shuffling pulse to things. It’s another slice of good pop-rock songwriting that’s quite emotionally compelling, but it kind of has that Morrissey trademark ‘always the victim’ mentality to the lyrics and delivery. He seems very sad that people might not like him, but would rather look outwards than inwards. Margaret On The Guillotine - A song about Margaret Thatcher that could easily have the name ‘Margaret’ replaced with the name ‘Morrissey’ and be a suitable representation of how many people now view Morrissey and his take on the world. It’s stark and pretty and closes the album out quite nicely.
If I don’t listen to the lyrics, I would say this music feels like yearning. Would have given it a 3 but apparently this man is a POS. So….
more whiny men, i guess? where's the spunk. where's the creativity. get a grip (I wrote this review unaware of how much Jack Morrisey sucks on his own. My hate is now warranted) Would I listen again: No Deserves to be on this list: Two songs have over 100 million streams and I couldn't tell you why. No. 1.3
Sad boy songs, but have to admit it wasn't all that good either. Also just a fucking shit human being in general.
Didn't feel strongly about this one either way. As far as a morrissey work goes it is listenable but his voice is only tolerable for a while. And then you read the lyrics and stories of bengali in platforms.
Please let this be the last album by Morrissey that I have to listen to.
Never really listened to Morrissey before. I was pleasantly surprised by this album. My highlights were Everyday Is Like Sunday and Suedehead but found the whole album a great listen. Will dig more into his catalog.
I was kinda dreading listening to this, but you know what? It's fine. Never been that into the Smiths and Morrissey was the part of that group I disliked the most, so surprised that I mostly enjoyed this. Probably won't ever listen to it again though.
I don't like morrissey, but this is a good album
If I separate the music from the artist, I actually kinda like it.
I’m not sure how I feel about this album. It was good, I guess, but also kind of forgettable. I did like the variety on the album, but I wasn’t exactly blown away or super impressed by anything either.
Damn, I really wanted to hate this one. You win again Morrissey.
The music stands out. I think there needed to be a song with a more vocal punch at some point and the lyrics feel clumsy in places. I also find it hard to stay in Morrissey's melodramatic view of the world for a whole album. Low 3 for me .
Similar quality to Vauxhall and I - very strong outing
An album of strong highlights of not fully consistent.
In a universe where Sundays are a bad thing, only one month after the release of Strangeways, Here We Come, Morrissey recorded his most direct and immediate collection of solo material. He was in the white heat of his career, where excellence comes easy. Ported over from production on The Smiths albums, Stephen Street also writes all the music here. He knows exactly how to treat Morrissey’s vocals, and the backdrop needed to get the most out of him. He does a pretty excellent job in subbing in for Marr and Rouke on guitar and bass and is truly the unsung hero. The string section provides a beautiful contrast to all that and results in some lovely dynamic shifts.
Low 4, love the vini bits as always, think morrisey sounds vital here in places and it follows on reasonably well from the final smiths album
Some really good pop songs on this one, fairly lush production
Decent indie pop collection. Not as good as 'your Arsenal' which for me was improved by the heavier guitars.
no
Hate morrissey, love morrissey
Did not like this one nearly as much as the last Morrissey record I got this week. I have a feeling I'll be rating this one lower due to the fact that I already got one this week and I'm kinda salty about it. Genuinely though I didn't like this one as much and I gave the last one a 4 so this one will probably get a 3. It's fine but it's also kinda flaccid.
I viva hate that I got another Morrissey album this week. But in all honesty, this is fine. Some of it is even great. A few parts caught me off guard, but I’m overall bored of Mr. Morrissey showing up on this list.
1. Track 4……… is one of the worst things I’ve ever heard. 2. No shade to any of the people involved with this (except Morrissey) but J***** M*** could’ve really elevated some of the dross that’s on here.
Given Morrissey’s political views it’s fitting that he chose this title for his debut solo album. The music (composed by producer-bassist Stephen Street) is pretty good, and when this album succeeds it does so largely because of him rather than Morrissey. More often, however, I was simply bored. ‘Bengali in Platforms’ is excruciating. To end on a positive note, ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’, ‘Suedehead’ and ‘I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me’ are all good songs. Overall though, this album has done nothing to disabuse me of my opinion that Johnny Marr was the main reason for the Smiths’ success.
6.6/10 I mean it’s alright but for the most part it just sounds like diet smiths, and If I want to listen to the smiths, I’ll go ahead and listen to the smiths.
to stale
i used to love the smiths when i was at school and felt like that ugly duck but since i turned an adult with large access to cosmetics and new hair cuts i prefer to listen to rihanna but it's a gem. loved it.
Ia escrever que a voz dele parece do The Smiths, aí fui pesquisar e é ele mesmo kkk. Parece Smiths mais tranquilinho. Voz dele é bem única, mas achei ok o álbum. 3*
Not my thing
I kinda liked this. I just wish it had less Morrissey.
Another boring one.
Goddamn it, another Morrissey album. "Every Day is Like Sunday" is the only redeeming track on here. I did skim the rest of it, but can't really get behind it. 1.5 stars properly.
Listened while in and driving home from Costco. Went into this really wanting to hate it because Morrissey is a bigoted prick but found myself really enjoying it. It's got that 80s British rock stank on it that I love. Still loses a star because Morrissey is a bigoted prick.
åååårgh en gang til?? javel // han har dessverre en syk stemme og spennende fortelling. det er irriterrende. men jeg sliter å forstå at hele to morrissey album må høres før man dør. men det er bare meg. han skriver bra, jeg bare takler ikke trynet hans. en allerede pretensiøs uttrykk blir bare enda verre med alle uttalelsene hans i bakhodet. høydepunkt: Little Man, What Is Now?, Suedehead
Pretty boring album in my opinion. 2 stars or D+.
the reviews are about the man, not the work, which is good politics, but bad criticism. I mostly like The Smiths, finding their sound here is nostalgic, for me, reminiscing of adoloscence and desperation. it also is a little lazy on the artist part. Reproducing oneself is the entryway for obsolescence.
Morrissey's solo debut is as good as his work with The Smiths. Of course, it lacks the distinct guitar work from Johnny Marr, but Morrissey makes up for it with great songs. The politics of this album (and Morrissey's solo work in general) seemed backwards at the time, but as it turns out, they were actually ahead of the curve. Key tracks: Everyday Is Like Sunday Suedehead The Ordinary Boys Margaret on the Guillotine
2/3. This is a good one, caught my ear right away and didn’t let go until the last 3 tracks. Nice mix of moods and tempos, classic 80s sounds, and interesting stories. Had heard the name but never bothered to seek him out, but I’ll be coming back to this one.
Mid
After listening to the first line, I was thinking this guy ripped off The Smiths... had no clue he did solo stuff! I liked it, I just wouldn't be able to distinguish this from The Smiths.
I wonder if this is the same guy who does the techno music. An easy listen
nice music, bad human
Vierde plaat van deze koekenbakker, de zevende (!) als je de Smiths meetelt? Vaker dan Queen, Prince, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, de Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Elvis, Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Leonard Cohen, Dire Straits, Sting & the Police? Waarom, waarom moet deze doorjengelende jarentachtigboy er zó vaak in? Want als je één album van hem gehoord hebt, heb je ze echt allemaal wel gehoord. Dezelfde mistige achtergrondtonen, dezelfde kabbelende instrumentatie. Van zichzelf geen onaardige muziek, maar het is volslagen onzin dat dit zó vaak in de lijst moet terwijl andere acts er niet eens in staan. Ik snap dat de man er zelf ook niks aan kan doen dat hij door een stel over het paard getilde snobs op een onverdiend marmerend voetstuk is neergekwakt, maar soms heb je als artiest gewoon pech en krijg je daar dikke aftrekpunten voor.
Er is weinig meer toe te voegen aan mijn eerdere teksten. De albums slaan mij niet achterover, ook deze niet. Maar ook dit album biedt wederom een continue kwaliteit. Dus voor de artiest heb ik wel waardering gekregen. Wellicht dat er het boek me dat wil laten merken en zijn er daarom vier albums opgenomen.
De laatste van maar liefst 4 soloplaten van een van de beroemdste konijnenknuffelaars. Morrissey houdt er niet van dat er teveel dieren gekilled worden, ik hou niet van een overkill aan Morrissey. Maar laat ik dit album proberen zonder vooroordeel te luisteren, hoe lastig dat soms ook kan zijn. We horen het kenmerkende Morrissey stemgeluid op enigszins sfeervolle late 80s muziek. Ik had mijn eerdere reviews nog even doorgelezen en wat wel opvalt is dat Morrissey wel met zijn tijd meegaat. Ondanks dat hij alles ver-Morrissey-t, klinkt hij in de 80s als de 80s, in de 90s als de 90s en in de 00s als de 00s. Dat is ergens wel een kwaliteit te noemen. Qua cijfer heb ik tot nu toe alles met de beste man een 3 gegeven, maar ik heb het daar deze keer het moeilijkste mee. Niet dat het minder goed klinkt ofzo, maar het is gewoon zo teringsaai allemaal. En de overkill aan Morrissey helpt dan niet mee. De vergeetbare 3, wordt een teringsaaie 2 dit keer.
This is ok, it’s a bit Smiths-y, but nothing is outstanding and Morrissey is a gigantic cunt.
Great solo debut album with two of my favorite Morrissey songs. Would like to see him live one of these days but he’s canceled concerts twice in two different years. He is a delicate flower.
Morrissey (and the Smiths) are another one of those artists whose work I came to through cover songs. Like the Beatles, Dylan, and a bunch of other musical geniuses, I’d like a song for years then get the rug pulled out from under me and realize THAT’S a cover too? I listened to the Dum Dum Girls’ cover of There Is a Light That Never Goes Out and the cover of How Soon Is Now from the Craft soundtrack a zillion times before I learned they weren’t originals. The original versions still sound off to me because I imprinted on the covers. Postmodernism!
Dude’s got pipes!
A couple decent songs but mostly pretty forgettable. A significant step down from his work it the Smiths.
Really good
I liked the music but I don’t like morrissey or his self indulgent and pompous lyrics.
- bout 10 minutes in, pretty mid sofar, Morrisey without Marr just feels incomplete - Latenight Maudlin Street is quite alright to be fair. I like the cyclic melody. Reminds me of the smiths - Most songs sound alike. No nuance, noch beat switch. i dont see the artistic vision - I dont mind if you forget me suprised me. something different finally. appreciated. l like the guitar and the playfull accents. Favourite Song: I dont mind if you forget me Worst Song: Dial A Cliche HM: Margaret on the Guilliotine "without guitarist/composer Johnny Marr at his side, the mahatma of mope rock seems to have gone out for a nice depressing stroll without noticing that he didn't have a stitch to wear"
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Suedehead, I Don't Mind If You Forget Me This album sounds a lot more like The Smiths than his fourth studio album, Vauxhall and I. It also appears that two of the songs from this album are his top songs in general. Strangeways Here We Come was a sleeper hit album for me. I think this album also has potential for being a sleeper hit. It takes a lot of listens to really get into the music. What's being said? Where are the good instrumental sections? What exists under the somewhat cheery music Morrissey puts out? Only time will tell if this enters into my rotation or not.
Morrissey’s debut album was plenty popular upon its release and grabbed plenty of positive reviews from journos broken-hearted at the end of their favourite group. Me? I never really engaged with Morrissey post-Smiths, a decision that’s stood me in good stead over the years and listening to Viva Hate properly for the first time, it’s striking just how dull a record it is. Suedehead is probably the standout track, insofar it feels alive and vital, rather than the album’s other much lauded single Everyday Is Like Sunday, which indicates strongly that singing songs about being bored, is quintessentially quite boring. Of the rest, I’m struggling to engage with much at all – I just can’t bring myself to care. 4/10
el plan perfecto sería escucharlo con una cerveza fría en una mano, un cigarrillo a medio fumar en la otra, mirando por la ventana a la luna iluminando el mar
alright, nice sound
Class act he, Morrissey.
good voice but meh
nah
Review - A better album than I would've expected. While the lyrics and vocals are just as good as his earlier work with The Smiths, it definitely has moments where you can feel that the instrumentation is much less interesting then The Smiths work Rating - 7/10 Need to hear? NO
The smiths is leuker
Hmm zonder de smiths mag hij nog meer janken. Iets te veel voor mij.
Ik dacht eerst; hé dat klinkt er beetje als the Smiths, voordat ik eracht kwam dat dit de debuutalbum was van de zanger. Ik vond t wel mooi maar niet heel bijzonder. T album zou t goed doen tijdens een etentje op de achtergrond.
Good depressing but v good
Some good stuff in this album. I don’t know much about Morrisey but if this is his best album I agree with it being on the list.
Pretty sedate stuff and musically uninteresting for long stretches. The draw is Morrissey's lyrics but that only goes so far for me.
I never understood why everyone hated Morrissey on all the Smith album reviews until I listened to this. Without the rest of the Smiths behind him, he really is just a pretentious and annoying whiney singer. This was a tough one to get through.
Lovely voice, but nothing else really captured my attention. I sort of forgot I was listening to this album while I was doing so
Hate this slow depressing style of pop/rock. It screams “feel sorry for me”. Lyrically it didn't age well and musically it’s boring. Pass on this one.
Classic tunes does not a perfect album make.
I know people love Morrisey and the Smiths, but I never saw the draw. So far this sounds like everything I’ve heard from English alt rock from this time frame. I can picture the depressed kids in school who listened to this in their head to toe black. I do like the sounds on the sounds. The guitar tones are cool. I think it’s the droning vocals that don’t do it for me. “Everyday is like Sunday” right away has my attention. I like this a lot more than the first two tracks. I love when an album starts so-so and gets better. This is a great example of that. “Late night, Maudlin street” started great and then lost me. I’d like to hear more songs in the vocal style of “treat me like a human being”. Love the beginning of “I don’t mind if you forget me”. This is a fun song. Torn between three and four starts for this album. Leaning towards three, but songs like this could make me change my mind. Last track. Margaret. Love this one. Ok, it’s a little reluctant but I think I need to give this album four stars. It’s the guitar at the end of the song.
This album really makes you appreciate how much Johnny Marr contributed to The Smiths. The bad thing about solo Morrissey is that every song sounds the same because he only sings one way. Like you could lay the vocal line for any of these songs over the music of any of the others on the album and it would be fine. Plus Morrissey is a dick. 2.5/5
Morrissey minus Marr equals shite. Plus he’s generally disagreeable. Two tracks of note otherwise it’s a pile of shite.
*It too often sounds like he's just talking over an odd guitar melody. *Just doesn't resonate for me.
Viva hate this man but can respect his talent.
I have listened to the two hits on this one many times, the rest of the album I listened to most of it one other time. Its a fairly fine album but it is Morrissey. Why does he have so many albums in these books?
Not a huge fan of his voice. Don't really like The Smiths but it was cool to hear his own stuff. Overall, not bad but not my fave.
Dnf
Closer to a 1.75.
he's so based :0
Do we need all this Morrissey? No, but this is a good one. Still whining a lot but it sounds good. Everyday is Like Sunday, Surdehead, and I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me are great and get this to a 4.
Best thing I can say is I didn't hate it, but I really can't stand him.
This sounded the same as the other mortises albums we’ve already heard. I don’t get why this is essential listening.
"Viva Hate" is subjectively Morrissey's strongest album. In fact, it can be passed off as a The Smiths album, albeit grittier and more political. Favourite tracks include "Everyday Is Like Sunday," "Angel Angel Down We Go Together"—an ode dedicated to Johnny Marr—and "Suedehead."
Mopey music from human trash.
Album No. 0102 on my list. I’m a very huge Smiths fan. Like, top 5 artists of all times huge. I love all their albums, not least because of Morrissey’s singing. And I although like the two most prominent songs in “Viva Hate” very much, i.e. “Suedehead”, and “Everyday Is Like Sunday”. However, I’ve never listened to the album in its entirety, so I was really looking forward to it (Disclaimer: I also fully acknowledge that Morrissey is a horrible person, despite me liking his first band so much). I gotta say I’m somewhat disappointed by the album. Not because it’s bad and not because Morrissey is such an obnoxious guy, but because my expectations were very high. Yes, I love the two aforementioned songs, and yes, they will be added to my playlist alongside “Alsatian Cousin”, and “Breaking Up The Family”, but the rest of the album can’t always hold up to the standard of those songs. Many of the lyrics match the standard and contents of the Smiths and show Morrissey’s songwriting talents, but “Bengali in Platforms” has a weird racist undertone. Maybe this is the first time his racist attitudes first showed, I don’t know, I’m not too familiar with his biography. The music is pretty good - well composed and well performed, with a little more 80s bombast. But it doesn’t match the Smiths’ level as well. I guess Johnny Marr was just missing here. Maybe it’s unfair to compare Morrissey’s solo work with the Smiths’ work as a band, but I mean, I guess you can’t really help it - it’s not impossible to do it. Well, and despite Morrissey’s terrible personality, this is a pretty good album. But it’s just not Smiths good. 4/5 stars.
I experience Viva Hate differently from many UK listeners. I don’t carry the same historical or political context, so I tend to focus more on the sound and emotional atmosphere. Heard this way, it’s an album I really love. The music feels fragile, intimate, and quietly powerful. “I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me” is my favourite — the jangly guitar sound is beautiful, and the lyrics feel comforting in the way they accept loneliness rather than deny it.
Is this it? Am I finally finished being forced to listen to this man?
Every whiny song sounded the same. Angel Angel We Go Down Together stood out. Just need a different voice singing it. 1/5
The most tolerable Morrissey album on here. Rocks out a bit more than I expected. Margaret on the Guillotine is definitely provocative. He's still punchable and there's too many Morrissey solo albums on here. A begrudging three stars.
Rating temp, just generating albums.
Enjoyable music and voice Bit redondant, nothing really stood out. Kinda felt like listening to a subpar album from the Smiths.
Love this more than I care to admit.
Morrissey sure is the way he is but I still like listening to his songs despite it.
# In-Depth Review: *Viva Hate* – Morrissey (1988) Released just six months after The Smiths’ break-up, *Viva Hate* is Morrissey’s first solo statement and still his most commercially successful album. It was cut with two new collaborators who could hardly be less like Johnny Marr: producer / multi-instrumentalist **Stephen Street** (who had engineered *Strangeways, Here We Come*) and Durutti Column guitarist **Vini Reilly**. The record is therefore a strange hybrid: sometimes lush, sometimes brittle, always haunted by the recent past and by Morrissey’s twin talents for cruelty and compassion. --- ## 1. Lyrics – “a sepia-tinted poison-pen letter” - **Autobiography as ammunition** Whole songs read as coded cables to his ex-band (“I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me”, “Break Up the Family”) while others crawl back to 1970s Manchester poverty (“Late Night, Maudlin Street”). The effect is a diary you are allowed to read only if you accept the author’s right to edit the truth . - **Character sketches** “Little Man, What Now?” elegises a forgotten child-star actor; “Suedehead” is an open letter to a stalker / ex-lover who stole a diary; “Alsatian Cousin” imagines a teacher-pupil affair on a leaking groundsheet—camp, sly and cinematic . - **The political couplet** “Margaret on the Guillotine” (“When will you die?”) is pure pantomime venom, while “Bengali in Platforms” tries to universalise displacement but ends up sounding patronising (“life is hard enough when you belong here”)—a lyric that still shadows Morrissey’s reputation . - **Universal misanthropy / self-pity** Whether attacking Thatcher, small-town boredom or his own family, the default tone is *viva hate*—yet the punch-lines are often self-inflicted: “Come, Armageddon, come” sung over a gorgeous pop hook . --- ## 2. Music – Smiths DNA spliced with post-punk and MOR | Element | What happens | Example | |---------|--------------|---------| | **Drums** | Early affordable sampler/sequencer patterns give a stiff, *jagged* funk to the opener; live kit used elsewhere for Smiths-style swell | “Alsatian Cousin” | | **Guitars** | Reilly’s spider-fingered, semi-improvised arpeggios contrast with Street’s crisp, jangly overdubs; occasional psych-metal riffing | “I Don’t Mind…” contains an unwanted hair-metal lead that dates the track | | **Orchestration** | Mellotron, synth-strings and real string quartets push the record toward 60s pop and easy-listening | “Dial-a-Cliché”, “Everyday Is Like Sunday” | | **Dynamics** | Verses often whispered, choruses explode into multi-tracked Morrissey choirs; seven-minute “Late Night…” is essentially a *novella* with three musical acts | “Late Night, Maudlin Street” | --- ## 3. Production – Stephen Street’s balancing act Street’s brief was “replace Johnny Marr, but don’t copy him”. He built backing tracks on guitar, bass, keys and drum-machines, then let Morrissey top-line. The result is *cleaner* than any Smiths record—Harrison-esque slide touches, bossa-nova bass lines, even a flamenco outro on “Margaret…”—yet the voice is pushed far forward so every curled consonant lands . Reilly claims co-writing credit on almost everything; Morrissey disputes it. Whatever the truth, the album’s *sonic* signature is Street’s: spacious, slightly sterile, like a museum lit to highlight the exhibits . --- ## 4. Themes – a concept album about stasis 1. **Nostalgia as escape** – seaside towns, dead actors, childhood streets. 2. **Betrayal** – band, lovers, country. 3. **Self-erasure** – “forget me”, “break up the family”, “little man, what now?” 4. **The enemy of movement** – every upbeat hook carries a lyric about *staying still* and rotting. Even the anti-Thatcher song fantasises about a *static* head on a plate . --- ## 5. Influence – the template for “miserable-is-gorgeous” - **Britpop blueprint** – Blur’s *Parklife* guitar tone and Pulp’s kitchen-sink storytelling both borrow Street’s bright-but-grey palette. - **Emo genealogy** – American bands from Sunny Day Real Estate to Brand New cite Morrissey’s *vulnerable venom* on this record as permission to be literary *and* self-loathing. - **Indie production** – the mix of drum-machines with jangly live instruments re-appears on early St. Etienne, Belle & Sebastian and The Postal Service. - **Cultural shorthand** – “Everyday Is Like Sunday” became the go-to shorthand for dowdy English resorts; the phrase *“Come, Armageddon, come”* has been sampled or quoted by everyone from The Cure’s Robert Smith to novelist David Mitchell . --- ## 6. Pros & Cons at a Glance | PROS | CONS | |------|------| | Contains Morrissey’s most enduring solo songs (“Suedehead”, “Everyday Is Like Sunday”) | Patchy second side—“The Ordinary Boys”, “Bengali in Platforms” feel under-written or clumsy | | Street/Reilly sound is unique in the Morrissey catalogue—lush yet brittle | Drum-machine stiffness on several tracks already sounded dated in 1989 | | Lyrics balance camp humour with genuine ache; still quotable 35 years on | Recurrent accusations of racism/xenophobia around “Bengali…” taint the project | | “Late Night, Maudlin Street” invents the *seven-minute miserablist epic* | Over-long running time (near 50 min) for what was meant to be a brisk comeback | | Emotional *catharsis*—the only Morrissey LP many fans still play front-to-back when depressed | Morrissey’s non-musician status shows—when the melody is weak, the song collapses | --- ## Verdict *Viva Hate* is *neither* the masterpiece its most devout fans proclaim nor the botched footnote its detractors insist on. It is a *transitional artifact*: the moment when one of British pop’s great voices had to decide whether to mature or simply keep stamping his foot. The answer, characteristically, was both at once. The album’s best cuts remain unmatched in Morrissey’s solo catalogue for melodic sparkle and lyrical bite, while its failures are at least *interesting*—the sound of a man learning how to be alone in public.
80s realness! I really enjoyed the depth of topics discussed- aging, the breakup of the family, moving away, sadness, etc. ... this plays in the background while you create... I want this one on vinyl!
3.5
I always want to dislike the Morrissey/The Smiths as he's a bit of a twat and has an annoying voice, but it usually ends up being pretty good, this album is no different.
maudlin street is 5/5. 3.46
I have never liked his voice. Unlike the Smiths, I don't know what people like about this. Even the weirdness feels forced. Some catchy melodies. But parts of this is really painful and I've thought about skipping the rest of the album more than once. "Late Night, Maudlin Street" might be the worst thing I've heard in a long time. The longer I listen to this album, the more painful it gets. OMG, it's over. What a relief. 2 points, because there are some actual musicians and sound engineers involved, and they did their best to make this somewhat listenable. I'm not going to edit this. It's not worth my time.
Eh. I don't like his singing voice all that much. Some bops but mostly uninteresting.
Suedehead by far the best track on the album.
Anything that Morrissey put his voice in, is 5 stars to me.
Viva Hate is one of those albums where i just don't have much to say about it. This was apparently Morrissey's first album since Strangeways Here We Come and this album does feel like a continuation of that one just minus the other Smiths musicians. With an album like this, this is just a case where it doesn't do anything egregiously bad but doesn't really do anything all that noteworthy in a good way either. The music is fine, Morrissey's songwriting here is interesting but not all that memorable and this album just went by at an alright pace. I don't dislike this album, not by a longshot but i just really can't find much to say about it. Best Song: I Don't Mind If You Forget Me Worst Song: Bengali in Platforms
Favorite Track: Treat Me Like A Human Being
мне нравится сольный морисси
Morrissey's first post-Smiths LP, Viva Hate, makes it very clear as to what Morrissey's actually contributions were. Without Johnny Marr's guidance, the songwriting is all over the place. Moz still manages some earworms, like the dreamy, "Everyday is Like Sunday", but it feels far to easy to imagine any of these songs on an 'adult contemporary music' station. Just kinda bland. As usual, Morrissey's voice is grea.
Great voice but a little too theatrical. No especially memorable songs.
I would rather just listen to The Smiths, this just doesn't have enough of that the jangly guitar that I enjoy so much in their songs. I also felt the lyrics while at times poetic didn't feel as witty or grab me the way some of Morrisseys songs with The Smiths do.
i don’t know why we hate Morrissey but i’m okay with it, i guess. this album had some good vibes, and the song titles kept getting funnier but i kept getting bored, and im sorry.
I started listening to Morrissey/The Smiths in 2020. The moody melodies from songs like "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and the Russian rock band Кино (Kino) kept me sane during that year. Despite listening to him for a while, I've never delved into Morrissey's personal thoughts until now. I now understand that he is a full-fledged dramaphile. It seems you could make an entire political compass out of Morrissey quotes with each quadrant somehow associated with animal rights activism. I am waiting for Morrissey to cover John Sakars songs like "Go Vegan Muthafucka" and "Carnist Roommate." For the album proper, I liked it a lot. I like Morrissey's 'dulcet' voice (thank you for that $5 word, Brandon) and 'Everyday is Like Sunday' is the official party anthem for dreary gray days.
Not bad, still fun
This one was a pretty fun time all the way through. At no point in listening to this did I wish for it to be over, but I also wasn't wishing for it to continue by the time it was. Overall, it probably won't affect the rotation too much aside from I'm less likely to skip Morrissey if he ever comes on out of nowhere. Maybe I'll throw on a song or two here and there.
Some real jams on here, what else did I expect from the Chosen One?
No.
Aight it’s actually good
Me listening to Suedehead: 😃 Me listening to Every Day Is Like Sunday: 😍🥰🤗 Me listening to Bengali In Platforms: 😬(it somehow seems that the majority of the internet reads this song as sympathetic toward immigrants but I read it as more condescending than anything... not necessarily PRO or ANTI anything. But Morrissey's politics are... very complicated.) I’ve turned Morrissey’s overrepresentation on the 1001 albums list into a running gag but I truly adore this album and cannot fault its inclusion. I truly believe peak Morrissey to be one of the best lyricists in rock music and that's much more on display here than the last time he turned up. Viva Hate, Viva Moz.
I'm sure there will be plenty of reviews bashing on Morrissey because he's an asshole, and he probably is, but I'm focusing solely on the music on this album. I like it. I went into this album hearing lots of Everyday Is Like Sunday and Suedehead a bunch, and both songs are really good. Neither sound like a "lost Smiths song". Morrissey makes it quite clear musically on this album that this is NOT The Smiths in any shape or form. Other good songs to check out (besides the 2 mentioned earlier) "Bengali in Platforms" "Late Night, Maudlin Street" 3.75 / 5 stars.
Oh hell yeah!! This was great 4 stars.
1,8/5
Not for me
Never really liked The Smiths so I was never interested enough to learn about Morrissey and discover the shitty attitudes I'm hearing about now. I suppose that makes it easier for me to separate the kinda shitty art from the very shitty artist.
I like his voice, though not him. I like a solo album by him (YA) but not this solo album. I found this too dull. Not irritating, just melodically present, and unremarkable.
Don’t like Morrissey, decent album
Not as bad as I expected
this sound just scratches my brain but it’s not as good as the full smiths
Meh. I expect Morissey to impress me more at this point in our listening. 2.5
It's fine the guy is talented but Morrisey/Smiths have just never moved me. Just seem like pretentious Brits whining about shit
Smiths album devoid of charm resulting in an album of overly sad drivel. Perfect album for self obsessed pretentious dickheads.
Lot of British
Not for me.
Enjoyable and thoughtful
Not my taste at all. His voice wears thin long before the album ends, and the whole thing just never connects with me.
2.5, it's fine but it wasn't particularly groundbreaking. It sounded like a Morrissey album of which there are apparently a million on this list.
alternate rock, 1988 -> 3
3 sterne
I enjoyed the music.
Morrissey's first solo outing after The Smiths worked out pretty well. Some strong tracks like Everyday Is Like A Sunday and Suedehead make this worth a listen.
Sounds quite o.k. but exactly like "The Smiths" to me. I really don't know what is so remarkable with this album? Weak three stars. 2,5
I always enjoy a Morrissey solo album, though they mostly blur together for me. I'm not sure I have a favorite, but he's consistently good. This album has lots of sweeping melodrama and some post-punk rockers on it. I didn't catch all the lyrics, but seems like his usual witty writing about heartbreak and relationships. He's got some good one-liners. This one made me laugh: "So he drove me home in the van / Complaining, 'Women only like me for my mind.'" I also like the line "Rejection is one thing but rejection from a fool is cruel." Sounds as though he doesn't even like the person he's being rejected by, which is particularly sad and makes him seem like a jerk. But also, I kind of get it. The highlight here is his voice. I love his vocals. Nobody else sounds like Morrissey. No one else can wallow in their misery like he does.
Morrissey has a great voice and these tunes are solid. Really nice production on this album too, the drums and bass specifically really slam you in a nice way. Very rockin'. I really like "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me", nice uptempo track with a tight drum and bass groove, and I love that there's just a wild person guitarist wailing away throughout the song. I love when a guitar part "solo" is actually playing underneath vocals or other layers, it's an interesting touch that results in some nice added energy to a track.
Noiso, non mi piace particolarmente sto stile anni 90
I was trying to not really like this but it was kinda good. Certainly not bad, but exactly why you might expect of a Morrissey record. Fave Tracks: Alsatian Cousin, Break up the Family, Margaret on the Guillotine 3.7/5
Anything f*cking Morrissey album?!
It's not bad, but I didn't really connect either.
A lot of moaning
Talented songwriter undoubtedly, and a good album, but tainted by the knowledge of what was to come. Oh Morrissey, you bellend.
This sort of washed past me. I had a glance at the lyrics to see how hateful they were, but raised no eyebrows. Schmorrissey...
I guess everyday is like a Sunday!
Oh boy more Morrissey! His voice is still so unique even with so many other voices between the last album on this list. Unfortunately, I don't really care about anything he's got going on and none of this left a lasting impression. Nothing bad but mostly apathy other than some cool strings and instrumental moments.
The title of this album is a little misleading as there is a lot of living life offered, which as the surprising song Angel Angel Down We Go Together and Treat Me Like a Human, where he encouraged the listener to “leave your hate behind.” Overall, there are some good tracks in here but I can’t say that offered anything that I hadn’t heard on this other albums. I tended to lean into his upbeat tracks like I Don’t Mind but I think Suedehead was the key track off this album for me.
Random thoughts: * I really don’t have much to say about this album. * Pleasant listening. Nothing memorable. * Overall, I was really ignorant of the Smiths and Morrissey. Thanks to 1001 I’m much more knowledgeable now and better for it. I’ll be going back to the Smiths and Morrissey in the future.
I liked this album unfortunately. If I was considering who sang it, I wouldn’t listen to it.
3/4
Sounds like the Cure
Well, damn it, Suedehead is always on rotation, it's such a banger. This dude, though, awfully cunty.
i do like it very much, in particular the shift from the first few to the rest of the album
First Morrissey solo album I’ve listened too, and definitely will check out more
Don’t really love Morrissey but better than I expected.
Very cozy and good to listen. It's the type of album that is just to relax and be like down.
2.6
Finally…my last Morrissey album. More of the same. It really begs the question, why are there so many albums of his when every album feels the same?
Eh this might be good but fuck this racist guy not even going to bother Okay I just decided to start listening and it is really catchy. I also am now reading up on the guy and I think he's actually just a little egomanical because he is a fairly skilled musician. I feel very changed as a person.
The discordant guitars at the start kind of decided for me that this wasn’t going to be an album I’d enjoy. But why do I like the Smiths and dislike this? Not sure - maybe it’s the absence of Johnny Marr that allows Morrissey to really embrace the mope. Some of the more melodic tracks I liked. I think the Smiths captures this ennui of young adulthood for me, but by this album Morrissey is just being a moaner and contrarian.
It was ok. I liked Suedehead 2
This is the fourth (and hopefully final) Morrissey album I’ve got on this list. I’ve been patient, but I think now is the time to give this asshole the 1 star he deserves. While I’ve made an effort to separate the art from the artist, “Bengali in Platforms” and its not-so-subtle racism was the last straw for me. Even ignoring that song leaves nothing but a mediocre, down-tempo Smiths album where he meanders verse to verse without a hook or memorable line in sight. He somehow makes a song about killing Margaret Thatcher boring. Fuck this mopey, spinach eating prick.
Great voice. Nothing else to say.
High 3? Morrissey is a tool but his music is usually solid
OK.
Most tolerable Morrissey I've heard yet. I liked the percussion on this one, and the instrumentals did a better job hiding Morrissey's whining.
hey it's a crap smiths album.
It’s Morrisey. Solo. You know what to expect: Moody lyrics and 90s style British alternative rock. Not a bad song on the album but no real standouts either
I found this one to be kind of a bummer. I know this guy is some kind of legend but I personally find these records to be tough to listen to beyond the hits - in this case that would be Everyday is Like Sunday and maybe Suedehead. I think we've had 4 Morrissey records in total now including Smiths records... seems excessive for this list.
Meh.
3 honestly didn't really stand out. Other than guillotine was a good song.
Early morrissey post-smiths
Second Morrissey album in a week? The horrors! The shock! The agony!
This is the 4th album for me that involves Morrissey (2 solo, 2 Smiths), and I've come to the conclusion that this guy can't write an interesting melody. For that reason, none of his albums have appealed to me.
It was my first time listening to a Morrissey album all the way through. I really enjoyed it. I was listening while I was doing chores around the house and honestly couldn't step away from it until it was finished. I'm inspired to listen to more of their discog.
Fairly good