Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I love The Smiths and Morrissey’s voice so I was surprised to not be as into this as I expected. The hits are the best tracks, but I’ll likely catch myself listening to this again.
This isn't bad by any means, but I don't think it really has great legs to stand on. The style is good, and I like his voice, but other than that, it's bounces between standard/normal music and some slightly odd/weird music that's not off-putting, just odd. Favorite Song(s): Everyday is like Sunday
Synes godt man kan mærke at bandet mangler, men det er sgu nogen ret fede sange alligevel
Fine sange
Wasn't expecting to like this because he's turned out to be such a knob. Actually it was okay.
It was fine. 3/5
I own this one on CD. His best album by some way.
Overall a 2 but I'm adding a star for Margaret on the Guillotine.
Solid 80s British rock/pop.
a bit dreary
Morrissey just isn't my bag. I liked the Smiths better, but not significantly. I will say of the four albums I've had to sit through (not including three Smiths albums) I'd say this is probably the best of them. Also, of the 738 albums so for, of the 1000 albums I need to hear before I die, how are seven of them Morrissey? He's a very good song writer if that's your bag, but that can be said about many, many, many artists that aren't on this list. Like, not one Cake album yet. This is more albums than I've heard of both Pink Floyd and Zepp combined. What am I missing?
Better than I was expecting.
Un tanto aburrido... Ni fu ni fa.
Unlike more than half of you, I'm Morrissey positive. So, this is a pretty good one though there are weak tracks. Suedehead is excellent in my opinion and a really cohesive track.
Not as bad as I’d feared. Some interesting things going on musically. His lyrics and voice still leave me cold.
I almost gave it an extra star for nostalgia but meh.
6 albums for Morrissey (3 Smiths and 3 solo) WTF??? He and Bowie have to be the most over represented artists. Even though Bowie has more albums, his portfolio is better. So I’d propose that Morrissey is the most egregiously over represented.
Morrissey bad 👎 this album good 👍
It’s The Smiths but missing the best part, the instrumentals. It’s decent but I don’t think it really does anything special of note. 6/10
3 - Suedehead is a good hit. There are a few songs that are almost as good, but they just didn't do enough for me to care more about them. Sometimes it got a bit boring, and it's not as good as The Smiths albums I've listened to, but it's not bad. It's got some good songs, but nothing that's a must listen besides Suedehead.
Solid lyrics overall embedding social commentary along with stories, humor, and pathos. Knowingly (for the most part) tends to the maudlin and aims to stomp on societal norms and sanctions often for the purposes of irony. But musically not as creative as The Smiths were.
Oof. More Morrissey. This seems like the album you make when you feel like the world deserves your music and yet they have the gaul to complain about it.
A decent album.
Another 80;s standard. But nothing special. Just god 80's sounds.
Its the Smiths but more of it, will most likely go back to it at some point later in time but didn’t impress me that much at first.
So much complaining!!! ;)
It has it's moments but can't hold up to anything by the Smiths. He's best when he's held back
To me, Morrissey's solo output has always been vastly inferior to what he did with The Smiths, but this one's ok I guess. I wouldn't call it a classic or an essential listen though.
The only Morrissey album that's worth anything. I still would'nt put it on this list.
This Morrissey was closer to the jangle pop vibe and the sound of The Smiths overall. Not essential at all, but still a decent album and enjoyable album.
Christ *finally* something halfway listenable from this guy. Now get out of my sight dude
The man has a gorgeous voice but these songs just don’t hit like the Smiths’ did.
Big M.
Some fine songs but his solo work just lacks the dynamics of the Smiths. I tire of his solo work were I never do of the Smiths.
Everyday and Suedehead are good pop tunes that buoy the record. The rest, and this is really Morrissey in general, just doesn’t meet the standard set by The Smiths. Yes, his lyrics are as good as ever, but the songs just aren’t as interesting.
Fine. Kind of what i was expecting. I liked some of his other stuff better.
There’s usually something intriguing on every Morrissey album, I’d wager. Little Man, What Now is one good example: an unusual subject matter for a pop song, with a mysterious, unresolved backing track. Yet at other times the music becomes pedestrian and the lyrics feel like stuff we’ve heard before from him. Two strong singles keep this album the right side of average, though. 3 / 3.5
suena piola pero la voz del loco es aburrida
Not bad but not memorable.
Y'know, if I'm kinder towards Morrissey than I am Kid Rock, it's not because I actually like the guy. More, it's just about exposure in relation to the quality of their music they've made. Kid Rock makes shitty rap rock that's very easy to dunk on, so of course more people have talked about him and his beliefs. Morrissey, meanwhile, was a member of The Smiths, and a lot of that stuff is generally accepted as "good" and not as fun to dunk on. Hell, the two biggest pieces of criticism of him I've seen are a recent SIMPSONS episode and a JPEGMAFIA song. And wha'd'y'know, this is pretty good, too. Musically a very chill record that brings to mind the words "atmospheric new wave" in a lot of spots. It's a sound I gel quite a bit. If this is anything like what The Smiths sounded like, then, honestly, it makes me feel a little sorry I haven't checked them out sooner beyond Richard Cheese's cover of "How Soon Is Now?". It's a bit of a wash-over, but like I don't like one of those every once in a while, eh? I was only able to give this thing one listen today, and that's largely why I'm giving it a 3, but I could totally see myself bumping it up to a 4 on repeat. Honestly, it's kind of a shame that just on principle I'm never gonna listen to this again. Like, if it weren't for the man behind it, I'd probably definietely play it a few more times. But that's what he gets for bein' a piece of shit. Boy, bet he feels bad now that I've said that. And, hey, I mean, if I want good music from people who hate Maragret Thatcher, I'll stick with Chumbawamba, thank you very much.
This album is weird to me. Objectively, I don’t think there’s a song that SOUNDS bad on this album; I think the production work and the instrumentation across the board is really well done, really varied, and I’ll probably add a lot of songs from this to my big playlist just because they’re super easy listening. Lyrically and vocally is where I think this album is kind of weak; it’s not egregiously bad (save for Bengali in Platforms), but it’s the least compelling part of this album to me, even with Morrissey’s super smooth voice. I’ve never heard a Smiths record or a Morrissey record before this, but I think I enjoyed this. I also know nothing about the guy’s personal views, and I don’t know if I really care to. The problem is that I just kind of found a lot of the songs to be… weirdly unremarkable? I don’t know if it’s a lack of focus on my part, or if I was too hypnotized by the instrumentation, but even when the album has these sort of bombastic guitar solos that capture the ear, those moments just sort of faded away to me after. I do think it’s a great sounding album, but it just isn’t sticking to me in a memorable enough way; it’s a 3.5 that FEELS like it should be a 4, but I’m going to round it down to a 3, even if I’ll probably enjoy most of these songs on shuffle when they come up.
I think it’s gonna take me more than a day and an album to get into Morrisey’s solo work. It wasn’t a bad listening experience at all but neither the melodies nor the lyrics blew me away.
So.. funny enough I’ve been taught to hate Morrissey but I have to admit that I didn’t. Sure he’s mopey but it’s not as awful as I thought he would be. I think it’s a very strong 3 but a lot better than I thought.
This guy sucks. Which makes it a bit maddening that I don't outright hate this album at all which would have made this review a lot easier and shorter. Eh maybe I'm getting softer but his annoying vocals are wearing me down in the sense that they don't bother me as much anymore. As for his endless lyrics -> from someone rarely paying attention to lyrics at all, his are often (always) un-ignorable. I can't decide whether I want him to shut tf up or if I'm passively amused by the rambling weirdness of his soliloquies. Enjoying a few recognizable singles and overall the sad melodies and surprising guitar heroics that are barely under the surface are fairly compelling at times. eh I'm questioning a lot right now, leave me alone. 6/10 3 stars.
fuck morrissey but i did enjoy listening to this while i did homework
his work with the smiths is better
Morrissey puts all of his emotions out there! I still Get a kick out of the fact that he stayed at his grandmothers in Staten Island for a summer.
The lead singer of The Smith’s solo career - you couldn’t tell me this wasn’t the Smiths. Felt a little less “rock” heavy and more lyrical/vocally focused. I liked “Late Night, Maudlin Street”. I get why his sexuality was questions throughout his career because I’m not sure who these lyrics are about either.
This album definitely left me with mixed feelings. A lot of it just wasn’t for me due to dated production and what felt like a lack of stylistic cohesion but there were several songs that I found catchy, such as “Suedehead” and “Alsatian Cousin”.
Post-Smiths Morrissey suffers from Lockjaw.
The Queen is Dead has moved up in my ranking since I reviewed it earlier in this endeavor. Now I know that I like The Smiths more than I like Morrissey. Still not sure if I like his voice.
My disinterest in the Smiths is well documented through this journey, especially with my distaste of Morrissey. This album wasn't as bad as the others. It was just fine. Nothing more.
What might have been for Morrissey. A fork in the road. He could have been interesting but chose not to be. Needs more vinni reilly.
Not the equal of any of his work with the Smiths, but perfectly acceptable. Some interesting arrangements.
It's actually pretty decent. Not as annoying as he usually sounds. It's still overall another mid '80s synthpop though.
The instrumentation is solid, and he’s got a great voice. I had a hard time figuring out why, but the whole thing is a little unsettling. Some of the songs like suedehead and break up the family had uplifting melodies but his voice/lyrics is angsty and depressing.
Some good tracks and some more forgettable. Suedehead is a cracking tune but I don't have a strong desire to listen to the whole thing all the way through again
I mean it's not the smiths, but not too bad. Gotta revisit this one
Liked this more than some of his other albums. A little more uptempo songs, though the lyrics are similar. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again
I liked the sound. For time sake, I had to skip around, but I like how you can play this music casually doing just about anything 3.7
it was fine. i feel like he really thinks he has a lot of opps but he's actually just personally sad, so i relate in that way.
Okay.
A solid album. Morrissey has a good voice and he uses it well with the various instruments across the album. None of the songs stood out to me as must listens or come back to. But if someone put this on I wouldn't complain.
80's misunderstood main character core. Liked the voice and some of the lyrics but it all kind of blended together.
Not half bad, but not fully good either. 3/5
Pretty good. Too bad he's such a wanker.
Very solid album from Moz and perhaps his most cohesive output post Smiths. The singles are obvious stand out songs (Suedehead and Every Day Is Like Sunday). I think the album serves mere mystique over substance. Did the album garner such generous reviews with no history of the man and his former band? As a stand alone record I think it’s good, not great. Few people would become a fan of Morrissey (from having heard Viva Hate) before first being a fan of The Smiths
Morrissey steps out on this album from his Smiths group and performs well. I sill can't get too hyped on the style but it is enjoyable.
now I know that Morissey is from the Smiths. never would have listened to him otherwise
Johnny Marr was the heart of the Smiths, and without his unique guitar playing most of these songs are ok/good at best, with a few stand out exceptions
3.5
I've realised I don't dislike Morrissey as much as I disliked the people that like him back in the day.
Begon best als weer zo'n boring jaren 80 bende album, maar werd aangenaam verrast!
An inoffensive album. Nothing memorable or standout. 3/5.
Kinda like budget-brand The Cure. Not bad but I felt kinda meh about it. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Everyday Is Like Sunday Rating: 3
Enjoyed it. Never listened to him without the smiths. Was a good album but only can give 3 stars as there were ups and downs
While I still hate this guy's voice, and I don't think anything will change that, I didn't hate this record. The songwriting and mixing here is incredibly done, and the songs are generally catchy. Of the few I've listened to, I'll even say this is my favorite Morrissey album so far. It's still very British so no 4.
Musically well put-together and a mixture of tempos; a better album than I expected. It didn't sustain my interest for a whole album though. I really liked The Smiths' first couple of albums when they came out, but 40 years later, I was probably never likely to be really moved by what essentially sounded "not as good as The Smiths were".
Ugh it’s so hard listening to Morrissey these days. I was 19 and in my 2nd year at Manchester when this came out so I had a happy reminisce about that era of my life. Queuing in the rain outside the Hacienda. Cheap vodka in the Poly union. Mooching round Affleck’s Palace looking for distressed denim that didn’t make me look like a heifer. Oh was I supposed to be listening to an album? 2.5 stars rounds up to 3 Favourite track - Suedehead
Perfectly pleasant this! Not much to say about it to be honest. Perhaps needs a second listen!
I guess this was fine. Just Morrissey stuff.
Another day, another Morrissey album. Nothing to write home about. Some good songs.
This wasn’t bad. Fairly enjoyable. Admittedly, I didn’t pay too much attention to the lyrics but it was nice to listen to in the background. A good relaxing vibe
1 star extra for "Every day is like Sunday".
My second Morrissey album from this list. The first one I didn't enjoy, thinking that he lost a lot of the magic that Smith's possessed. This album, his first post-smiths, straddled that line, with it sounded like his departure from that sound. Half of the songs are good, the half that could easily be Smith's outtakes. The other half...not so much. A blend of 4 and 2* throughout
A nice album which I most likely never come back to. Felt like it had little soul .
Not as good as The Smiths but not bad
I liked it alright, perhaps I'd need a few more listens to get more into it because I am more familiar with his work in The Smiths. He is always cool but hopeless and sad at the same time.
One of the better of contemporary voices
A record you need to be in the right mood to enjoy, then its a great album. If not, its just a good album.
prima album! Kende nog niks vgm. Vond het nummer “Suedehead” het leukste, dit bleek ook zijn meest geluisterde nummer hahaha oeps Album krijgt een 2,5 van mij!
Morrissey tries to convince you that there is nothing harder on this Earth than being Morrissey. It has its moments, but I could definitely live without it.
Fine.
Low key sad music very much like The Smiths.
Oh Morrissey, you fucking twat. I am begrudgingly a Smiths-fan; I love their singles, but their albums don't really click for me. I like Morrissey as an atypical gay icon, but the less said about his abhorrent politics the better. So when the melody maestro Johnny Marr says fuck you to Morrissey and splits up the Smiths, I wouldn't expect the first solo album of Morrissey to be of note. Well, that same duality of man can be found in this album. Part of this album is Morrissey in all his narcissistic grandiosity, now commanding all the musicians to his beckoning. Alsatian Cousin is a great opener, a sludgy track with a mean ass bass to back it up. Everyday is Like Sunday finds Morrissey pulling out the orchestra to prove his music is as grand as his ambitions. Late Night, Maudlin Street demands you to hear Morrissey out for a straight 7 minutes, but the instrumental vibe is good. But part of the album sounds like Morrissey taking it for granted and not giving a shit. Little Man What Now is nice acoustic tinged ditty that's maybe a tad too short. Angel Angel We Go Together is another throwaway track, except this time Morrissey wastes the strings. Treat Me Like a Human Being and I Don't Mind if You Forget Me have some naff instrumentals, and frankly from that point onwards the album is forgettable (even though yes, Margaret Thatcher deserved the guillotine) The duality is most apparant in two tracks, Suedehead and Bengali in Platforms. The former is a great ass track and one of my favourite songs. Even though the instrumentation sounds too much like Johnny Marr circa Strangeways, Here we Come, that's not really a mark against the song because it sounds so damn good. Morrissey is also not overstretching himself and just writes a good relatable song about longing gay love (The fact that Morrissey is fanboying about James Dean in the music video and limits his autofellatioing mostly to the first 30 seconds helps). But Bengali in Platforms... oof. Don't think I want to hear a song from a future almost-UKIP voter about the plight of immigrants, just because he has a boner for the guy. Plus there is that orientalist cliche in the 'lets sample some exotic music'. Morrissey wants to prove two things with this album. He wants to pretend he is still that effete, relatable uwu man (even though the album is called Viva Hate), and he also wants to pretend he is the next Big Hot Shit who doesn't need the Smiths. Considering after this album he barely makes something of note and that he dropped the effeteness for muscles and the racist subtext for more blatant racism, well, at the very least this album is of note for like a couple songs and nothing else. But hey, in my opinion that's the average Smiths experience. Mid 3
2 bangers and a load of meh
The compositions are pretty cool. I understand Stephen Street did a lot of the writing, and this must be why I like it more than most Smiths/Morrissey. Still don't love his delivery.
3/5 nicish, but it's missing something
Un Morrissey fidèle à lui même, c'est-à-dire préférant sa propre race.
Du Morrissey dans le texte, avec une homosexualité pleinement retrouvée. ça fait plaisir à entendre.
Suedehead is great, the rest of it isn't
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but not something I’d particularly choose to go back to
6/10 Morrissey, not a lovable figure as of late, but arch and witty with razor sharp claws. I don’t know if this is his best, but it was likeable enough
It's fine. I didn't lose my mind over this even though I remember Ryan Adams name checking 'Viva Hate' at the start of his first solo album. So I kind of expected more. It is fine. It is a bit one tone for me. And, sad. I wouldn't need to listen to this regularly and I wouldn't necessarily turn it off if it was on. 3/5
I think this is a bit of an acquired taste. I don't hate it, but may be too gloomy compared to his Smiths work. It's enjoyable and have also heard alot more nonsense on this journey, but it's not exactly excellent either. 6/10
The Smiths are better than solo Morrissey. I like the alt-folk/rock style. Bonus point for real guitar. But too whiny and mopey for me.
bien apprécié. new wave par moment ? 7/10
I know Morrissey is a hill some people want to die on, but for me it's just "ok"... a little repetitive after a while.
C+ Alsatian Cousin 2 Little Man, What Now? 3 Everyday Is Like Sunday 2 Bengali in Platforms 2 Angel Angel Down We Go Together 3 Late Night, Maudlin Street 3 Suedehead 3 Break Up the Family 3 Treat Me Like a Human Being 4 I Don't Mind If You Forget Me 3 Dial a Cliche 2 Margaret On the Guillotine 3 I thought I would like this more after I realized it was The Smiths' guy. Poor me.
2.8 Decent but I prefer the smiths
I must begrudgingly admit this is a pretty decent album, but that’s likely due to the lack of lyrical whining on Morrissey’s part. The instrumentals really carry this one and keep it from being a snooze fest, the vocals have just never cut it for me and seem too soft and airy without some solid rock track behind them
Rock med følelser, lidt mørkt, ganske godt
Pretty good, but minus one star because Morrissey is stupid or something.
Straight up, this isn’t the Smiths. Not that they were the most dynamic band but almost any dynamics they have are gone. The opener, Alsatian Cousin gives promise with its borderline blow out soloing background, Little Man, What Now settles into the pretty sadness, bitterness of the album. Everyday is like Sunday bangs. But not much else does. The true only hit in the closer and it’s pretty offside. But I will say when his lyrics hit, it’s a home run But overall 6.6/10
A bit less jangly and more straight pop compared to The Smiths which is cool, and the varied instrumentation was nice as well. A chunk of the songs just don’t do much for me though. 6/10
This feels like a story in an album but, as always, I am working while listening so it's hard to follow. Didn't love Morrissey's voice in the first couple songs as it was moaning and whiny. It either got better or I got used to it and it was fine. This feels like a very technically advanced album with a tone that I don't really resonate with. Maragaret on the Guillotine was good as was Suedehead, with the latter being a bit of a poppy change to the whole album. Didn't know what to expect from this album except I think I have heard that Morrissey is an exceptional guitar player. I would say that the guitar in this album is above average, but I may not understand what a good guitarist sounds like. Some highs could convince me to give this a 3.5, but its a bit more square in the 3 department for me.
I like the Smith's more than his solo work
I was never a big Morrissey fan, but I have nothing against him. This is a solid debut performance.
Unfortunately, most Morrissey music just sounds like second rate Smiths music... And I'm already someone who LIKES The Smiths but doesn't love them. Realllllly missing Johnny Marr on this one. Still a couple good songs though, and some nice bass playing. Pretty solid 3, maybe 3.5
This is certainly the fourth Morrissey solo record I've heard before I die.
Morrissey's voice and style works extremely well in a certain kind of musical context (embodied by The Smith's particular and very effective brand of mopey indie pop-rock). This solo album is a lot more experimental and varied than The Smiths... and it doesn't work. There's nothing really 'bad' on here, but apart from the handful of tracks that do work (Everyday is like Sunday, Treat me like a human being; the tracks that sound most like The Smiths) the music sounds weirdly unsatisfying. Most of the songs just don't sound like they're going anywhere.
Felt like a mix of the cure but also some Depeche mode in terms of the singing and the sound. Enjoyable, but nothing I'd write home about.
Our second from the bastard I believe, and it's actually quite good. Dammit. Favorite tracks: Everyday is Like Sunday, Break Up the Family, I Don't Mind If You Forget Me. Album art: Close-up jumpscare. The shadows work to great effect. Reminds me of the film class in high school where we learned that a heavily shadowed face usually indicates the character is evil. This fits. 3.5/5
6/10
Good
Сойдет
A good deling of the time that was…
3.5
Vanwege mijn enthousiasme voor The Smiths en de vertrouwde stem, luistert het lekker weg op de achtergrond. Maar het is redelijk eentonig.
There's a couple of songs on this album that are so good! I do like this album but I like the other one better.
Eh it's alright I guess
Everyday Is Sunday is quite mopey. The whole affair is pretty mopey, sonically complete though.
Shit politics
I loved this album but with him the way he is now? Fuck that.
Morrissey er ålreit, men jeg liker The Smiths bedre. Ganske særegen stemme.
Some good moments, always good lyrics but not quite the standard of songs and consistency of a great album.
The hit song is good.
Goodish
The talent of Mr. Morrissey is only matched by how much of an ass he is. However, this album can drag a little, and definitely isn't as strong as The Smiths' discography.
None of Morrissey’s solo stuff is as good as the Smiths, but he does prove that he can put together a strong collection of songs on his own. This sounds generally more evil compared to the morbid humor of the Smiths best, Moz was definitely salty about a number of topics, but it also has some excellent songs that standard up with some of the lesser Smith tracks. Giving it a 3, but could be convinced on 4.
Not bad, considering
Morrissey ohne Johnny Marr ist halt leider nur halb so gut.
Morrissey.........love him or hate him. I used to have a friend who idolised him, dressed like him and went on to study English at Uni. He didn't have gladioli sticking out of his rear though......
A few cracking songs which have become classics. Overall not as strong as Smiths, but good.
Not my style.
3.5
I thought this was just alright. A lot of people here like to insult Morrissey in these reviews. After listening to this it seems to me the biggest insult you can give him is just to say that he's mediocre and left no impression on you. I get the impression he'd hate that.
Wasn’t expecting to enjoy it, but I did expect it to be good; and it was. I almost enjoyed it too. The problem I’ve always had with this guy is that his voice is always so needlessly melodramatic. Weren’t any tracks I thought were objectively bad, but I can’t say I was all too thrilled with any either. 3/5
Classic, definitely the edge of playing with one's voice.
Reminds me of tears of fears but very mediocre, non-risky but good production (70%)
Perhaps Morrissey should waited a bit longer than 6 months from the final Smiths album to releasing his debut. An unsurprising lack of self-awareness from the man himself, who probably needed a bit more time to write some solid songs. This really could have been a wonderful EP with 'Everyday Is Like Sunday', 'Suedehead', 'I Don't Mind If You Forget Me', and 'Margaret On the Guillotine'.
Not bad, not great. Pretty much exactly what I expected, which is fine. Probably won’t listen again, but I ain’t mad about it. Ultimate sad boy music, probably
I have a love/hate relationship with Morrissey, and I'm sure he's fine with that. He has some great musical instincts and a unique sound, but at the same time I sometimes tire of his overdramatic, maudlin style. 3 stars.
Not bad, never really listened to him and not what I was expecting
Alls ekki hans besta plata, en það má finna gott stöff þarna inn á milli.
Thought it was decent when I listened but can’t really remember anything from it now. Also, interesting that Vini Reilly worked on this.
Meh.
The Smiths sounds turns shimmerless for the solo outing, but the guitar tone works well enough with Morrissey's voice; The bass role is similarly well-played. In building up the record's sounds, a puzzle. I loved about half of the soundscapes and hated the others. I suspect my opinions on the uniformly good pop will change, but melodramatic strings adding little are the tiebreaker.
The title is SO inviting The 1001 albums you MUST listen to before you die. IF YOU WERE DYING WOULD YOU SPEND IT SWAYING AND POUTING TO THIS, with your fringe in your eyes? Scuffing your suede? Its so... so "very" to find SO MUCH Morrissey, Dylan, Beetles ( and Hip hop) here. YUP. a first solo album. i get it. a sound. his. I admire the art. now get this this special Cussons scented wailing in a tiled room away. I do not want to feel like the closing titles of a film on loss all day. Actually, BUT MY POINT IS with so much of the musical rainbow to explore, and so few slots, And LIFE SO SHORT must we spend so long in the bleak english sodden soap scented flannel dark part of said spectrum When they could have been listening to music from a less suburban world. And so, My review. Its prejudiced. If it were a scent, its bottled essence of stilll vibrating loss, of sentimental idealism and self indulgence hanging naked and so playfully alone - waiting, insisting, out of utter vain depravity for rescue. The feeling when your sweetheart flies away form you, or when you put flowers on a grave, an ache. a special ache. bottled in a handy pump pack. Sold wherever you can find Imperial Leather, Silk Cut and Lucazade. Its Coherently pulsatining driving us to an aching grey conclusion. Its they onanistic hate that made them leave the EU so they could sit in wallpapered rooms listening to this without the oversight on an MEP, who surely was spotting the metrication of records, and the final death of Imperial Units. God Save the King. Pip.
Pop. Aburrido.
Morrissey zonder Johnny Marr op gitaar is toch een beetje een frietje zonder zout. Het is wel te eten, maar toch wat saai.
Cool!
Mooie stem toch. Plaat beetje mat, afgezien van de opening.
Quite nice. All the songs were like great to start then seemed to "hang" and not drop. I'll definitely give it a 3 for the better half.
This is a difficult one. Certain lyrics aside, I like his music. The man himself, not so much..
I'm feeling a little too weary and depressed to write a decent review today. Sigh. This is the third Morrissey album in this project for me, after Your Arsenal and Vauxhall and I. I think I liked those two more than this one. Not that I disliked this one. I was glad to hear his first post-Smiths album, and it certainly has some lovely moments. I think it may be the first album in this project where a track was deleted and replaced by the artist 24 years after the original release, though... What is this, Return of the Jedi?
I found a number of tracks musically interesting and appealing. Vocally, I not so much a fan. And lyrically, I honestly wasn't paying close enough attention most of the time to know, but I doubt I am much of a fan.
I'm not ever going to love Morrissey. This was fine though.
Unlike most of you I like Morrissey. However there is no more than a 3 here 2 banger tracks tho
Some great tracks. I dont like the dude but he does have talent
A bit too saccharine and pop'y for me but, hey, it was the 80's. Checked off the list. Next.
The ultimate sad boy music.
It was okay, a little boring to me though, but maybe just wasn't that in the mood for it on the day it came up. First song is really good though. Favourite: Alsatian Cousin
Really dark. J’ai eu l’impression c’était un album hommage à un défunt
first listen unique voice, but not much stood out to me
Overall very whiny and annoying. Still, there were a decent amount of enjoyable musical moments and I love the Margaret Thatcher hate at the end. 6/10
Better than I expected. Maybe I've let the fact that I find Morrissey insufferable color my opinion of his music. Might have to go back and listen to some Smiths again.
This album was a good first listen but I still feel like it could be better. Where this album falls short for me is purely personal preference, nothing was really wrong with any of the songs. This just isn’t typically what I listen to so it’s a little hard for me to critique this album with any authority. As far as the positives go, the thing that stood out to me right after finishing the playthrough was that every song has a unique personality, meaning that Morrissey really made sure to cover all bases when it came to soundscape and topics. This was noticeable because I didn’t feel like the tracks were getting repetitive or formulaic. Another thing that stood out was that the writing on this album is good. It is refreshing hearing an artist write from the heart, something that can’t really be faked. Some of the lyrics seem to be lacking context but that’s only because Morrissey was writing for himself as opposed to trying to be relatable or even catchy really. It’s obvious that as a listener you aren’t really meant to understand some of the songs, and that's okay to me.
Not the best solo album by Morrissey, but still a solid debut. With classic singles Suedehead and Everyday is like Sunday. On the latter the combination of the reverb effect on the guitar on and Moz’ voice is epic.
Un tanto aburrido... Ni fu ni fa.
Very good
Same problem as before, Morrissey is a prick even more so without The Smiths backing but I still like his voice and style so I'll sit on the fence again
He's still a horrible xenophobe. Viva Hate, eh Steven?
Really not the best Morrissey, and Morrissey is not the best The Smiths.
I’m usefully surprised by how much I enjoy Morrissey/ The Smiths when they come up. Yes, I do still hate his voice and his persona but the songs are alright. Some interesting production on here, sounds like NIN, G&R and various other stuff I wouldn’t have expected. Still not a fan though.
When I got this album, I groaned out loud. I have hated everything that Morrissey has touched so far. But "Viva Hate" is surprisingly... mild? For a Morrissey joint, it's pretty inoffensive. Is it good? Well, not particularly. Morrissey is still a massive douche and that absolutely comes across in these tracks. But the music behind the pretentious tosser is really solid 80s pop-rock. The engineering is really good as well. Great tracks. Too bad they have Morrissey's massive ego smeared across them. I can't understand the cult of personality that has sprung up around this narcissistic, whiney egomaniac. But, in the interest of fair and balanced reviews, I can't give this one less than a 3-star review regardless of how hard it was to get past Morrissey's self-absorbed crooning.
OK, Viva Hate? I almosts didn't listen because of the title. After giving the record a listen I began to think that the title is a bit facetious, probably. Not completely sure (Bengali in platforms). In any case, the lyrics are good and the music is at times stimulating but mostly soothing. The voice, I liked it very much but then it did start to get a little annoying by the end. I'm not sure why, needs to be changed up a bit perhaps. Add some harmonies, different types of melodies or could be the constant echoey quality of the sound.
You have to admire someone who would record Margaret On The Guillotine while Thatcher was still the Prime Minister. Problem is, it’s not that memorable a tune when compared to, say, Stand Down Margaret by The Beat (1980). And herein lies the problem for me with Morrissey’s solo output - there’s no Johnny Marr. Morrissey’s words are still interesting but it ain’t The Smiths. Still, Morrissey’s lyrics are worth listening to. And the epic 8-minute Late Night, Maudlin Street stands out for me, although claims that the music is based on the work of Joni Mitchell are totally deluded.
It was a decent album
Very uninteresting. The words might be worth reading at some point, but the music was not interesting at all.
It's Morrissey Morrissey-ing around as expected
Can we still listen to the racist curmudgeon? I still like this album, but obviously it's not The Smiths and suffers from the absence of Johnny Marr.
A proficient vocalist with an interesting timbre, but the songs are nothing to be excited by.
Too much Morrissey for one lifetime.
Eh ok 3
Didn't know that the singer from the Smiths went solo Very similar vibes as the Smiths, somewhat upbeat melodies with very depressing lyrics
So gloomy, but also quite beautiful. Knowing a bit about where Morrissey’s career was at the time the album was produced as well as what life was like in Manchester when he was growing up really puts the songs into perspective. I would have to be in a pretty specific mood to seek this album out, though. Not exactly my favorite, but I definitely didn’t dislike it - I’d give it 3.5 if I could. LOVE the song “Everyday is Like Sunday.”
nothing special really
Dos grans temes, 'Suedehead' i 'Everyday Is Like Sunday', posada en valor dels temes que marcaran la seva carrera en solitari, i, mal que em pesi, molta palla. És força correcte, però està a anys llum de qualsevol dels discos de la banda mare
não é ruim mas vtnc morrissey
Je ne suis pas encore très familier avec Morrissey et les Smiths. Ce premier effort solo part fort. L'époque est bien marquée, mais j'aime beaucoup la guitare dans la première pièce. L'enchaînement avec la deuxième pièce fonctionne bien. Everyday Is Like Sunday est sympathique. Bengali est un peu moins intéressante, mais Angel Angel Down We Go Together avec seulement Morrisey et des cordes nous la fait rapidement oublier. La face A se passe pas trop mal même si rien n’est mémorable. Le style vocale reste proche de ce qu’il faisait avec les Smiths. Garder l’intérêt sur la face B est plus ardu. Heureusement, avec sa guitare, I Don't Mind If You Forget nous ramène dans l'ambiance de Alsatian Cousin. C’est bien d’entendre où va Morrissey après les Smiths, mais je préfère tout de même le groupe.
Morrissey being Morrissey (6/10) FT: Suedehead
Easy listen - alt rock.
As someone said once.: if you are ever disappointed in Morrisey, that’s entirely on you. Anyways. Good, robust melancholia..
Simpatico, mi è piaciuto.
Very good
I've complained too much already about the over-representation of Morrissey on this list: but I just don't get it. Pretentious, gloomy, musically not that special. Teen angst on a bigger budget.
Post Smith's first outing for Mr Morrisey, Steven, the quintessential English, working class rock star, starts life without his Anchorman Johnny Marr, with a good attempt at a smiths light album. I do like it but it lacks the musical power of the Smiths studio albums. I liked "Little Man What Now" "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead" I am so disappointed at his support to the extreme right wing views he has professed in the past and although I understand that unless I sat and spoke to him I can not profess to understand what he believes I feel his statements have undoubtedly damaged his and the Smiths legacy.
Morrisey’s bestest album
Seemed better than his Smiths stuff but not much. Meh.
Is this his best solo album? It's pretty good but obviously not Smiths class. Suedehead and Sunday are excellent. Interesting I thought that Bengali in Platforms doesn't come across racist at all to me compared to what he's like these days
Boringly sad. Occasionally good.
i might not like his politics but this is still a good album
fuck morrissey (not bad though)
A bit miserable in parts
Had this on tape when I was in sixth form, and listened quite a bit. Wasn't a Smith's fan, and didn't buy another Morrissey album, but there's a couple of serious tunes on here, and listening in 2021 revealed layers of instrumentation and production I'd not heard before. Suedehead is a proper banger
Can’t remember
An okay listen. Sometimes I forgot I was listening to it
Decent album, although I much prefer the Smiths versus Morrissey solo (something Mar's jangly guitars). Bengali in Platforms and Suedehead are highlights. 3/5
I like morrisey but his music is just so odd to me. not sure how I feel about this album.
Fun to discover that Moz had tons of influence, kinda almost directly in sound, on the artist i adore much like Liverpools' Space. But the songwriting in Viva Hate is just moderate.
I liked this album okay. After a while every song starts to sound the same, though. Morrissey has a very specific style, and I don't mind it, but I do wish that he would have introduced more variation into this album. I think that's why I tend to enjoy Smiths albums a bit more than Morrissey's solo stuff 3/5
No sorer is my ear for listening to this album- not life changing, but pretty cruisy. No stand-out moments
Hey, they can't all be suedehead
Before this listen, I've only listened to The Smiths and none of Morrissey's solo releases. Think what put me off was that I loved The Smith's instrumentation more than the lyrics and the vocals. The album itself is pretty good, but not memorable. Did like Suedehead and Everyday is like Sunday though.
This album didn't feel all that special to me. There's nothing absolutely wrong with it, as the tunes are nice and Morrissey's vocals are pleasant enough. There's just nothing that makes it stand out to me at all. It's classified as alternative rock, but to me it's on the verge of pop. I'm giving it a weak 3 stars.
A couple of really good songs. suedehead
Wel aardig maar spreekt mij niet aan
Not incredible, but not bad either at all
Wasn’t in the mood today, fine background tunes. I did not detract a point for Morrissey as a person.
Didn't do much for me. But wasn't terrible.
it's hard to approach an album I've probably heard 100 times as most thoughts I've had about the album shriveled up and died 2 decades ago. anyway Morrissey's solo debut definitely proved to be the prototype for most of his solo career, namely that each album has about 3-4 amazing songs and 8-10 more you don't care about. weirdly the one of his that I think is more or less bangers start to finish isn't even on this stupid list (Bona Drag) but they curiously thought to include Your Arsenal, and granted, Glamorous Glue is a good song but not THAT good. even though like 8 tracks on this album are forgettable if not outright terrible, the handful of classics on here earn it at least a 3. Morrissey is one of those acts where even diehard fans are just like "yeah just let me make you a mixtape" because boy he landed a lot of duds
Mi affido alla media matematica perché il "Morrissey personaggio" mi sta sul cazzo e vorrei essere più obiettivo possibile. Alsatian Cousin 4.25 Little man, what now? 3.5 Everyday is like Sunday 4.0 Bengali in platform 3.75 Angel Angel.. 2.0 Late Night, Maudin Street 3.75 Suedehead 4.0 Break the family 2.75 Treat me like.. 2.0 I don't mind if.. 3.0 Dial a cliché 2.75 Margaret on the Guillotine 3.5 Conclusione: il sound anni '80 di quest'album lo trovo piacevole, a livello compositivo è un po' ridondante, comunque nel complesso sembra un bell'album cantato da Kermit la rana. Provo comunque rispetto il "Morrissey Artista". Voto: 3.27
Allora, Morrissey non posso dire che è uno che aspettavo al varco ma ero curioso di confrontarmici perché non l'avevo mai ascoltato prima ma è universalmente osannato. Questo album m'ha fatto una strana impressione, ho trovato a tratti geniale e molto avanti coi tempi la parte compositiva e di arrangiamento ma trovo che lui sia abbastanza pesantino. La cosa che mi ha colpito è che ho letto dopo che Morrissey è considerato un grandissimo paroliere. Io stavo per dire che i testi sono la parte più debole, l'avranno pure studiati ma onestamente non ci trovo niente di geniale, le solite immagini vaghe da cantautore edgy condite con qualche "I hope you die" per sconvolgere. Direi che potrei riassumere l'album con: musicalmente avanti coi tempi e raffinati, lui non m'ha convinto e non m'è arrivato. Direi un 3.5 che non mi sento di promuovere a 4 nonostante stia in fase di svacco e c'ho pensato all'inizio.
Suedehead is a classic, the rest didn't hold me quite as well
3 1/2
Nothing amazing but it was enjoyed at moments. Morrissey is a good singer and that carries the album. A few songs have anecdotal moments but overall the album lacks support and doesn’t hit the spot. 6.1/10
It’s likeable but not as enjoyable as The Smiths. Feels like this is missing a Marr. There are better Morrissey albums.
bueno pero hasta ahi. No me encantó.
I dont really care for Morrissey's voice
Not a massive Morrissey fan but it's not too bad
I don't get why people love The Smiths or Morrissey. I was able to listen to it without wanting to kill myself.
Same old depressing Moz. But then again I am a “sad girl”.
seemed consistent with typically alt-80's sound.
El cantante de The Smiths en su disco en solitario. Nada del otro mundo.
british joy division but better. some pleasantries here
Okay... but I like The Smiths better
hmm... Es que no me gustó. Rescato la primera canción que tiene una vibrita gótica postpunk, según yo suena a medio The Cure. También me gustó I don't mind if you forget me. Fuera de ahí algo aburrido la verdad, las letras no alcanzan a compensar por la falta de variedad. Mood: Dempresión.
I liked it! Didn’t make a huge impression though, but I might have been distracted
Listened to the first two tracks - totally depressed so switched it off.
Un album bien monte et avec plusieurs bonnes tounes. Ca ma pas epoustoufle mais quamd meme meilleur que certians sur çette liste. 3.15
Music gets 4 stars, Morrissey's whiney vocals get 2 stars. Averages to a 3 star album.
some of it sounded great. better than I thought. Still impossible to shake the bad taste because of Morrissery's asshattery.
Solid
Makes me think of the 80s. Like Morrissey has the 80s voice.
It’s ok
Morrissey is like rap without the rap.
The Morrissey sound
I did not give this a fair shake, but I am not in the mood for Morrissey at all, lol. This feels like more of the same, maybe a little weaker than the last one we listened to. It's all fine, nothings bad... I will give it 3* since I feel like it's more my mood that isn't into it.
Olen monta kertaa antanut mahdollisuuden näille Morrisseyn vanhemmille soololevyille, mutta aina päällimmäisenä fiiliksenä pieni pettymys The Smithsin levyihin verrattuna. Hittibiisit Everyday Like Sunday ja Suedehead toki toimii aina, mutta näiden lisäksi levy jätti edelleenkin hieman kylmäksi. Ehkä sävellysten taso ei vaan riitä ilman Johnny Marria aisaparina.
Wird beim 2. Mal hören besser. Gute 3 Sterne.
Nära en fyra faktiskt.
"I dont mind if you forget me" is a nice tune.
Some bangers on this album actually.
Interesting album. Very similar to the Smiths for obvious reasons.
Stop being a racist and get back with Marr!
I'm just going to say it: Morrissey without Johnny Marr is just whiney. I'm a big fan of The Smiths, but Morrissey's solo work is cringe.
I'm waiting for you to be great
Meh
Morrissey SHITEEEEEEEE
You can tell that he's Growing And Maturing as an artist because it sounds just like a listless version of his older work
Washed over me. Underwhelmed.
It has moments to be sure. Not sure it's my thing, but I got this more than other albums of his
1. couzin - 2 2. man - 1 3. zunday - 2 4. bengali - 2 5. angel - 1 6. night - 2 7. head - 3 8. break - 1 9. human - 3 10. forget - 2 11. cliche - 1 12. guillotine - 2
Enjoyed a few tracks and may be more into it on a different day.
Hate is a strong word but I really really really Viva Disliked it.
this man really said "shelve your western plan cause life is hard enough when you belong here" and "leave all your hate behind you...treat me like a human being" on the same album.
Goddam this is so boring.
Do not care about this dude at all. Everyday is Like Sunday is pretty cool though. And the concept of Margaret on the Guillotine of course.
ugh
Viva Hate indeed....
I don’t have very strong feelings about this one. I mean it’s just bland pop, I wasn’t moved or pulled in by any of it tbh.
This album is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. "Suedehead" is the only interesting song on this album. The rest is just forgettable. Some people are hating on this just because they don't like Morissey himself. I just didn't care for this album. Two stars because one-star is reserved for the real crap on this list.
Oh boy, is it time for the weekly Morissey again? *sigh* How many of this douchebag's albums are on this curséd list?
even whinier than expected.
I don’t like Morrissey, the person or artist, and am utterly incapable of separating the two. I didn’t realise I’d be familiar with some of the album already (“Everyday is Like Sunday” and “Suedehead”), but I’ve never liked either song that much. I didn’t mind “Alsatian Cousin”, but aside from that, this did nothing for me. While some lyrics are enjoyable and amusing, songs become long, drawn out, and ridiculous (see “Late Night, Maudlin Street”).
overwhelmingly mediocre
I am team Robert Smith. I don't like Morrissey's whiny singing
i just hate this guy man. extra point for the thatcher song.
This wasn’t the worst thing I have heard but it definitely doesn’t have some of the things that made grow to like The Smiths….
There’s a few good songs here but man I can only take so much of Morrissey’s mewling and moaning. He’s the kind of artist that really needs other strong personalities to check him.
I've had enough of this guy. Just one more Morrissey record to go... Favourite Track(s): Bengali In Platforms, Margaret On The Guillotine Least Favourite Track(s): Angel Angel Down We Go Together
no se como definirlo, epic folk?, principalmente voz, tirando a pop de fondo, pop/rock suave de los 80, tiene una canción famosa, everyday is like sunday, el album entero es un meh, 2/5
I've intensely disliked Morrissey and his singing from way before it was cool and he revealed himself as a right-wing dickhead. I remember when this album came out and - surprise, surprise - I hated it when friends were playing it. Well, several decades later, I've sat through a whole Morrissey album. Still hate his singing, but, as with The Smiths, it's undeniable that the music and musicians are incredibly talented so rather than my gut reaction of a 1, I'll give it a 2 but it still frigging hate his singing and persona.
This all sounded the same and boring
My sister was obsessed with Morrissey, so I’ve had my fair share whether I liked it or not. The noble king of British pop still shines less solo than he did with The Smiths. That said, it works as long as you’re into that voice. Consistent, smooth and tiring over time, to me only good as background music.
With deep apologies to the Latin community, I’m sorry to say that Morrissey still sucks. His music is so mopey, uninteresting, and boring, and that’s before we even get to how bad a vocalist he is. Did not mind the opening song, it actually gave me some hope that this would somehow be better than his other stuff, but it was a quick decline after that. It was only a 40 minute album, so I had that going for me. 2/5
More British bias I guess, this wasn't bad but not very interesting either. Best songs were probably Everday is Like Sunday and Suedehead
Pro-Brit bias again? When I first heard The Smiths ("This Charming Man") in 1983, I think it was, I thought (still do) that was a great song. I didn't particularly like Morrissey's singing, though, so wasn't too surprised that I didn't particularly like his solo stuff. This is between a 2 and a 3, and I think I'm gonna go with a 2. Kinda boring. And feels kind of dated (even though, when it first came out, it had at least a whiff of being cutting edge.
yucky