Viva Hate

Ignoring recent controversy with Morrissey, I'll say that I have loved The Smiths and Morrissey's solo music (Quarry being his last great one). Though Viva Hate gives us Everyday and Suedehead, the rest of the album is just interesting and pretty decent. If anything it really just showed us that Morrissey retained some exciting potential without having Johnny Marr's great guitar work. Still, good album.

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

Decent album. I don’t have a lot to say about it, because it was another run of the mill Smiths album but with Morrissey’s name slapped on it. 4.0/5 Favorite: “I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me” Least Favorite: “Late Night, Maudlin Street”

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 .

I like most of the songs, I like this, mellow, 4 stars!

I enjoyed the variation within this album. Starts bordering on some nice edm tracks, then transitions to a bit of pop and finally heads to pretty straight rock. Really good. The vocals are also top notch.

Not as good as The Smiths but not bad

Morrissey reminds me of what makes him a special singer. being able to dive into the deep of your emotions with a soothing, calming demeaner.

Morrissey and/or the Smith's just don't do it for me. Can't find much I enjoy about a significant portion of the music I've had to endure over the years. Maybe Frankly, Mr. Shankly but that because I love to hear "Shank." I am familiar with Suedehead and Every Day Is Sunday, but that because my Mindy and Luke enjoy a lot of this guy's music. The songs are ok and I guess if it brings them happiness, I'll refrain from ripping into his guy and just give this album a 2 and move on. One other song stood out to me. Margaret on the Guillotine, with the lines "When will you die" and "Please die" made my mind travel to a dark place and think of all those you would have eliminated right now, if I had the ability. I know it's dark but I smiled while I thought about it. Yea, I'm one sick dude, but ain't we all? And the album is called Viva Hate, so there ya go. 2

4 Ohhhhhh Morrissey, my most complicated relationship, and one my own girlfriend must compete with at times (sorry Mel). Look, I know he’s a massive POS and has said (and continues to say) terrible things, but he’s also the ultimate sadboi icon, and this album is proof of how much star power and bankability there is behind that. Granted, it also led to an inflation of the man's ego that has spiraled and led us to where we are today, but for a minute there, Morrissey was king. That all to say, this album is great, but it’s not better than the majority of his albums with The Smiths, nor is it even his best solo album (that’s Your Arsenal). There was just something about his chemistry with Johnny Marr (professionally, not personally) that elevated The Smiths to above and beyond levels of musical genius that he never quite reached again after their dissolution - though he’s come close, and this album is one of those times. Gotta mention right out of the gate - two of the best songs of not just his career, but of all-time are present here in Everyday is Like Sunday and Suedehead. Morrissey captured everything that drove fans to The Smiths in the first place on these two epic numbers with impassioned, brooding charm that rivals even There Is a Light That Never Goes Out… aaaand then the rest of this album is just pretty good. There’s nothing that I dislike, though there’s also not a ton I find super commentable either. Alsatian Cousin is a cool opener, I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me is a banger, and as a whole, there’s a lot of cool, new instrumentation being thrown around, though I will say, Margaret on the Guillotine is a particularly strange and weak closer. I respect the energy though - wish he would have kept with those kinds of political views. Regardless, if you’re a Morrissey fan, there isn’t a bad time to be found here, and while it’s not the best work of his career, it’s proof that the man had stock as a solo artist and ultimately sealed his place as a depressive musical icon.

Ah, Moz. So polarizing yet so unique. As a huge Smiths fan I also gravitated towards his solo work later on, and this album was in my rotation back in the day. It still holds up, but I've outgrown Morrissey a bit since then. My 1990's self would have given this 5, but my 2020's self veers between 3 and 4. It still has the quirky, scathing, pretentious lyrics, great production, and great instrumentation. But I sympathize with those who find it a bit much.

2.99? Damn, I really liked this album.

Viva MIDDDDDD: this was just so bleh. Icl I am a little bit sick of hearing the same old Morrissey shit. Each album sounds pretty much the same and I don't know how I feel about it. Like I don't hate the guitar or anything but it is so incredibly average and nothing special. Not that good at all.

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.

Moody and relaxing. I like the Smiths, but don’t think I’ve heard a Morrissey solo album before; not quite as good. Despite being a fan of the overall atmosphere of the album, it was getting old by the end. 3.5.

Morissette is a strange vocalist, cramming more syllables into every line of his songs than any other musician. He's a great storyteller. I don't really listen to his stuff. Until today. Like watching performance poet I don't necessarily understand how he does it but I like it. I'm going to have to listen to more

pleasantly surprised. I had preconceived ideas and was expecting to not like it, but there are some really well written tracks that sound fresh and forward-thinking. On occasion, some tracks and his voice in general sound “of the time”, but not unlistenable

One of the better of contemporary voices

Better then I expected, but nothing wowed me. Seems to be good to listen to when in a certain mood.

I liked this better than Your Arsenal! Still can’t hold up to anything by The Smiths, but still really like it.

A record you need to be in the right mood to enjoy, then its a great album. If not, its just a good album.

1.5

Morrissey albums this year: 3 Morrissey albums this month: 2 The Smiths albums this year: 0 Good thing this album is good, otherwise I'd be right annoyed Stephen Street definitely produced the f*** out of this, but then you get neat diversions like the orchestra in "Angel Angel Down We Go Together" and the new wave dance of "I Don't Mind if You Forget Me" HL: "Late Night Maudlin Street", "Everyday is Like Sunday", "Alsatian Cousin", "Treat Me Like a Human Being", "Margaret on the Guillotine" November 28, 2023

Lekkere muziek! Kende Morrissey eigenlijk niet, maar hij was frontman van The Smiths en nu valt alles op z'n plekje want herkende z'n stem zo erg Dit is wel een artiest die je niet de hele dag kan luisteren want dan gaat z'n manier van zingen denk wel irriteren haha, beetje net als Liam Gallagher van Oasis (niet qua stem maar qua vermoeiend haha) I don't mind if you forget me opgeslagen en favoriet denk ik Would buy!

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!

Beware. Beware the one who assures you they’ll have just a little Morrissey. Just a little Morrissey at breakfast, a little Morrissey at lunch, a little Morrissey at dinner: for they may soon transform into a morose melancholic maudlin little lump. What can I say about Morrissey that hasn’t been said a hundred times before by more elegant descriptors? I like his haircut. He is a consistent man. Same can be said for his musical output: always vibrant, engaging, surprising, and full of that singular Morrissey downbeat wit and mournful charm. ‘Your gran died and your mother died on Maudlin Street In pain and ashamed, with never time to say those special things’

not terrible but pretty bland, got old and repetitive quickly. singing skill is there, but every song is entirely forgettable and they all sound the same

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

great effort

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.

Morrissey being Morrissey

Morrisey is a cunt, his voice appears way too much on this list

1/5. I don't care on a good day about the Smiths, hard to feel anything listening to this. It's boring at the best of times. There are some catchy beats and the guitar work is impressive in some songs but I can't get the hype about Morrissey. I wish I related more but I don't. The last song is funny though, but that's all I can credit it.

Fine.

Low key sad music very much like The Smiths.

Meh

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

11/14/23. First time listening to anything Morrissey or Smiths. Had no idea he was big into the jangle pop sound. This album has a good flow and variety of songs, would check out again.

2 bangers and a load of meh

Every song is like Monday.

Any album with “Everyday Is Like Sunday” and “Suedehead” is a four minimum. The rest was good but not enough to bump it to a 5.

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

Meh. Nothing over the top spectacular. 2/5

beautiful and relaxing af

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.

What's not to love about a hateful old man prancing around singing about a Bengali on platform shoes

Suedehead is great, the rest of it isn't

Not bad on first listen, although doesn't compare to the smiths

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but not something I’d particularly choose to go back to

4.0

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

One Morrissey solo record down, three more to go.

Как смитс только хуйня 5/10

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

Morrissey was a new band for me and I will definitely listen to their other albums, and I could see myself listening to this one again. My standout songs were Everyday Is Like Sunday and Dial- A-Cliché.

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.

Morrissey needed Johnny Marr. The only song that gave me a strong Smith’s vibe was Suedehead and it seems like it’s his most played track by far as a result.

I can't believe but I really liked this. I guess I'm somehow a fan of this guy's music.

*yawn* more Morrissey.

bien apprécié. new wave par moment ? 7/10

Not bad at all

J'aime pas des sons trop court et pas ouf

Blijkbaar is dit de zanger van The Smiths, en dat hoor je. Ik kan er gewoon echt niet aan wennen, dan jaren '80 kopstem gejengel. Ik twijfel zeer tussen 1 en 2 sterren, en weet je wat, we doen gewoon 1.

Didn’t get the chance to listen to the whole thing, but I enjoyed what I heard. Sounds like the 80’s post-punk/new wave sound was perfected on this album.

Quite good! I enjoy the rocky aspect, reminds me of depeche mode.

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.

I'm disappointed with how much I enjoy Morrissey and The Smiths. I couldn't pick a favorite, so I feel like that says enough.

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

Tchê sonzao, estilo inconfundível mas surpreendeu pela envolvência, boa banda

Once again, I do love me some Morrissey. Not his politics but his music. Every Day is Like Sunday speaks to me on another level.

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

It might be my love for The Smiths that is making me lean this way, but I really enjoy this. It's almost like a 5th album of theirs, just missing the amazing Marr guitar work. But still Morrissey manages to string together a choesive album full of fun catchy pop songs. Sunday, Suedehead, Forget Me are all fantastic and I would throw on a playlist in a heartbeat.

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

Three songs in. Not hating it, but am kind of bored TBH. Okay, 3 more songs and I still don't care. This is the first album in a while where I really just can't wait for it to be over. Very few moments over the playtime that actually called out to me. Not a fan, but not outright awful. 2 / 5

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.

Album started off enjoyable, but then got pretty exhausting to listen to the 80's jams over and over. If i were to show someone what 80s music sounds like this would be it. Nothing really stood out to me and it was difficult to have this on in the background

A bit boring. Some of the guitar and instrumental is good but also it's just 80s bullshit. Thank god cocaine was a thing back then. I did like Every Day is Like Sunday.

Moz

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

I like the Smith's more than his solo work

I find Morrissey unbearable to listen to. "Everyday is like Sunday" is a redeeming song, but I prefer almost anyone else singing it. It doesn't help that he has proven himself to be a fatuous twat.

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

Morrissey just straightup sucks

Meh

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

He's a really good songwriter. He does the melancholy thing better than most. Is that what you want to hear? I'm not going to call him a genius, he doesn't deserve that! Also my god, what is with the shredding on I Don't Mind If You Forget Me? Eddie Vam Halen over here.

I imagine most people look at the idea of Morrissey going solo with quite a bit of skepticism, especially these days. After all, he’s the only insufferable part of The Smiths (and that’s nothing to say of his politics). It was definitely the reason that, despite being a fan of his original band since I was a teenager, it’s taken me some 15+ years to dive into any of his solo work. But honestly, at least in his beginning years, Morrissey clearly reveled in the idea of what he could do without being shackled to the sound of The Smiths. He still has his moments, but more often than not his lyrics have more wit and malice than the overly dramatic emotions he was expressing with Johnny Marr. He just seems to be having some fun for a change, with a little bit of maturity that keeps him reigned in, and it comes out in some of his best work. Suedehead is a must listen, and Everyday is Like Sunday will be stuck in your head for weeks once you hear it. Break Up the Family may be my favorite of the bunch. It feels like the bridge between The Smiths and his solo debut, while simultaneously being something he never could have done with that band.

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

This is certainly the fourth Morrissey solo record I've heard before I die.

Hate the person, like the art. This album being good was a surprise to me. I had expected something slightly different, but this album has alot of elements of the late 80s that I love. I may revisit this album from time to time I will go for a 4/5

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.

The album is entirely unremarkable. I just listened to it and I cannot really recall anything good or bad about it. It is just there. I do not have a desire to listen to this album again. It is on par with the other Morrissey albums on this list.

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.

God dammit, Morrissey is such a fucking nonce. The whole time I was listening to this I was reading quotes of his that just displayed what an asshole he was. And yet... this was good. The nonce makes good music, because of course he does, its like a requirement of a musician. Usually hear I'd praise the singer for liking Sparks, because I am the your local friendly Sparks shill, but nah, fuck this. Bad fan to have, thank God Sparks have never joined in on his comments. Hell, they told him "lighten up" in a newer song. Anyway, he doesn't get praise. Just enjoy your four star and get out of here. Oh, and that album font on the cover is ugly.

Best Song: Margaret on the Guillotine. I just like the chorus of "When will you die?" Worst Song: Little Man, What Now? Whose idea was it to have a washing machine on in the background of the recording? Overall: An especially sleepy album from an already sleepy man. At times poetic, but mostly just emotionally overwrought.

When you have a song that's called "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me," that doesn't say much about the album, does it? It's just Morrissey being whiney Morrissey. At least it was short, and the band was semi-decent...

Some observations. If 2000's emo thought they were the first to come up with novel, long-winded, and sardonic song titles, they need to check out Morrissey. And really he was emo before emo was emo. A very gifted lyricist and vocalist, and a key figure in the changing 80's music scene. I don't know how much different his solo stuff was from the Smiths, other than the music is lighter and less edgy guitar-oriented. But this is a great debut. I'm also not sure he was able to consistently deliver the same kind of quality solo as he did with the Smiths. But again, great start. Everyday is Like Sunday is my favorite of all his solo songs on any album and one of his best even including the Smiths. Beautiful and haunting delivery. Angel Angel Down We Go Together, Late Night Maudlin Street, Treat Me Like a Human Being (even if he wasn't trying to be, you can see why he was seen as a champion in gay circles), and Dial a Cliche are other good songs with that soft soaring vibe. Suedehead was also a big single and it's very good, but it has a different sound - more tempo, less despairing, and more criticism in its lyrics. Alsatian Cousin and I Don't Mind if You Forget Me are other good songs with more tempo and more of the Smiths feel - more edgy or jangly guitar. Margaret on the Guillotine was another song with much criticism in its lyrics (when wasn't he going after Thatcher?) but a softer style. It's a great tune with a great outro (wish it didn't end so abruptly). A few meh songs, but all in all a good album.

Overall fine.

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.

Meh - Suedehead and Everyday is like aside, feels like a pastiche of the Smiths...

Eh it's alright I guess

Just not a fan

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 really is at his best when he’s allowed to croon at full volume. This album features (arguably) his best solo track alongside a decent collection of other rather well-written and well-produced pieces of ‘80s pop.

Morrissey er ålreit, men jeg liker The Smiths bedre. Ganske særegen stemme.

Morsel

Some good moments, always good lyrics but not quite the standard of songs and consistency of a great album.

Quelques moments un peu moins mémorable mais définitivement un album très bien construit. Je devrais réécouter The Smiths car la voix de Morrissey ne me dérange vraiment plus comme elle le faisait. Je me sens mal d'apprécier la musique de quelqu'un qui a clairement des tendances racistes, mais il faut admettre que la musique de cet album est très bone. 8/10

The hit song is good.

Perfect, just ignore his shithouse right-wingery

Goodish

As a first-time listen, the singles and top-hits of this album (Everyday, Suedehead) really carry the water of this album. On a superficial level, this is not an album I would likely revisit. While I can appreciate some of the distinctive instrumentals of this album, this album helped me identify that the "mope rock" genre is not for me.

Not bad. This seems like The Smiths but with less good guitars. It's overall more varied though, so it has that going for it. 3.5/5

Fucking Morrissey, can’t believe I used to like his music. The last song slaps though. D

Can't stand Morrissey

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.

As a person, I think Morrissey is dreadful, but I have always loved this album, having worn out the cassette in middle/high school. It has aged surprisingly well

Alsatian Cousin, Everyday is Like Sunday, Bengali in Platforms, Angel Angel Down We Go Together, Suedehead, I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me and Dial-a-Cliche. I love Morrissey’s voice and I also love The Smiths but never heard his dolor stuff. Guitar player is great. I really enjoyed this. 9/10

extremely classy, i live on the same planet as this guy. Alsatian cousin, little man, what now, Angel Down We Go Together

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

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.

Dull - dated

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

Was it still acceptable to like Mozza at this point? I lose track. Bengali in Platforms in a recruitment track for the Nazis, right? How the hell did he get away with this? The singles stand out. Suedehead floats from start to finish. It's close to the perfect Mozza track. Ditto for Every Day is Like Sunday. The rest of the album is still something of a climbdown from The Smiths - although they were well past their sell by date with Strangeways. Oh well. What a talent, what a waste.

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.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Can’t get into this. Just like the Smiths, it does not go well through my ears. Too soft, just not feeling it.

Morrissey is a very controversial guy, but I can't help but thoroughly enjoy this album. Great guitar and catchy songs.

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

Actually a really good example of a not-tacky 80s sound. A highly relaxing listen

Classic, definitely the edge of playing with one's voice.

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

Only love for Morrissey

his sister is good too but not bad

Reminds me of tears of fears but very mediocre, non-risky but good production (70%)

He's good at music, people shouldn't hate him for other stuff

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'.

If you were ever in doubt about whether Morrissey or Marr was the true genius in The Smiths. There are very few songs I love on Morrissey’s debut album, “Every Day Is Like Sunday” and “Angel Angel Down We Go Together”. The majority of the other songs I simply don’t care much about. But then there’s also absolute dog shit like “Little Man, What Now?” and “I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me”. Not a huge The Smiths fan; definitely not a Morrissey fan either.

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

Many Morrissey songs are now irrevocably tainted - Everyday is Like Sunday is not one of them. Suedehead and Maudlin Street are also very good. This isn't one of his albums that I actually listened to back then so even nostalgia can't come to the rescue, and songs like Bengali in Platforms - "life is hard enough when you belong here" - make me feel ick (I am so very sickened now?) I still like Vauxhall and I and rated that highly, but not this. Fair bit of late 80s production also here that jars with the Smiths in a bad way. A couple of songs have squalling, over the top guitar solos that feel horribly out of place, like someone scribbling in biro over a painting (Alsatian, Forget Me). The 2 classics - and even a song about decapitating Thatcher - aren't enough to redeem the album's many flaws as a whole.

It didn't keep my attention at all. I don't care for the Smiths and even less for Morrissey.

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.

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

Not a bad album, shame he's such a shit. 2 stars.

Shows just how much M was capable of sans-Smiths, which was quite a bit, obvs. There was reason to be skeptical but classics such as "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead" and the nearly-as-great "Bengali" put such concerns to rest.

80s pop. Kind of whiny

Except for the "Suedehead," which sounds like a Smiths song, this album does not deserve many more lines of commentary, especially considering Morrissey's personality.

Just don’t get him as an artist, odd song is ok but very whiny style really grates over a whole album

Not bad, never really listened to him and not what I was expecting

Morrissey takes whining to new heights. After leaving the Smiths, it was like the control rods cam out of the reactor and the proto-emo machine went into overdrive. This is the beginning of the whining, complaining, diva Morrissey we see today.

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

I know Morrissey thinks me and my family are like ruining Britain or whatever because of our race, so I should hate his music on principle but sadly, I cannot. My biggest guilty pleasure is not the 4 hour long Glee playlist I have on my phone but the fact I have The Smiths on there too. Anyway, this was also good. Why does such an annoying person have to be good at music??? Best songs: Alsatian Cousin, Little Man, What Now, Everyday Is Like Sunday, Angel Angel We Go Down Together Worst song: Dial-a-Cliché

Morrissey is the lead singer from the Smiths, who had a solo career after the band broke up. His solo music is quite similar to the works of the Smiths, and is indie pop or kind of like early emo/goth rock. This is his first solo album. Morrissey's baritone, angst filled voice is very recognizable. His melancholic musical themes center around love, loss, divorce, depression, and teenage angst. I think Morrissey needs to cheer up a bit! Because of the dark and depressing moods created by the jangly guitars, and almost moaned lyrical delivery, it is very hard to digest this album all at once. It is a huge downer. Morrissey's lyrics are beautiful, but the odd way that he delivers them over weird time signatures is kind of jarring. Overall, not a bad album, but probably not one I will ever listen to again. I am not a fan of depressing music. Favourite songs: Everyday is Like Sunday, Angel Angel Down We Go Together, I Don't Mind if You Forget Me Least favourite songs: Dial-a-Cliche, Margaret on the Guillotine, Suedehead 2/5

Alls ekki hans besta plata, en það má finna gott stöff þarna inn á milli.

Morriss-nej!

Thought it was decent when I listened but can’t really remember anything from it now. Also, interesting that Vini Reilly worked on this.

Varför!!!!!!!!!!!!! finns de så många trash morrissey album på listan och sen e smiths s/t inte med???????

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.

This album was sick! I feel like this is the sound so many artists in this time we’re trying to go for *cough cough* Elvis Costello… Glad I got this one

Yeah I think I just overall like Morrissey. He's a total shitbag, but he writes a solid tune, even if he never does a ton different. Favorite tracks: "Bengali In Platforms", "Late Night, Maudlin Street", "Break Up the Family", "Margaret On the Guillotine"

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!

Valt eigenlijk nooit tegen, die Morrissey.

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.

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

Very good. Not my style everyday but very good.

ugh. Its so melodramatic and emo, and he is SUCH an asshole. 1/5

Unlike most of you I like Morrissey. However there is no more than a 3 here 2 banger tracks tho

i find this man so boring

Liked: Everyday is Like Sunday, Late Night Maudlin street, Suedehead, and the music behind the singing is really great. Pretty dang good overall! I hear the tides have turned against Morrisey though.

This album is proof that Johnny Marr is the person that made The Smiths a great band.

too much of the same

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.

Usual caveats on his stance on many things, but... pretty damn good album

The ultimate sad boy music.

Shite. Shite singer, shite songs, shite production, shite lyrics. The guy sings like he has been kicked in the plums, but I don't think we are that lucky. Would give it zero, or even less than that if I could. Absolutely pish. He can't sing, and is a Nazi, and isn't a good lyricist, and is a Nazi, and writes terrible music, and is a Nazi, and really puts the "pretentious" in "pretentious wanker", and also, and I can't stress this enough, is a Nazi. 0 🌟

racist.

It seems that Morrissey makes better music on his own than when he's with The Smiths. Viva Hate has more life and groove, and is frankly pretty enjoyable despite still being brooding and sad. I mean, God knows we could use a lot less whining from guys like Morrissey so this livelier tone is very much welcome. I'll give him a 4 for this, but a -1 for everything else outside of music. Standout tracks are Everyday is Like Sunday and I Don't Mind if You Forget Me.

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

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

A surprisingly strong Morrissey record. If I had to choose any of his solo work, it would be this.

Härligt!

Weird

Morrissey is fine. Doesnt evoke any emotions

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

i’m absolutely a biased sucker for morrissey. i accept that. this wasnt my favorite of his, but still quite good imo

Really dark. J’ai eu l’impression c’était un album hommage à un défunt

paar gute songs, aber nicht so meins

not as good as the Smiths

first listen unique voice, but not much stood out to me

8/10 glad that the list reminded me that I love this album.

7/10. I liked this, especially the first bit, but towards the end the sound of his voice started to wear on 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

Editors are right that there was reason to be skeptical about M's post-Smiths output but this was a winning effort all the way around. "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead" are all-time pop songs. "Bengali" is terrifc, too. Other than this being lighter and perhaps slightly less biting and driving, there's not a huge diff musically from late Smiths. But the overreaching guitar solo on "I Don't Mind" reminds one of this record's Marrlessness. Still overall this is quite a bit more than solid – and not only from having avoided being worse, which it very much could have been.

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.

Some of Morrissey's solo work is pretty great. Can't stand the person, but man did he have some good stuff.

Yeah, he's a dick. Yeah, he's a piece of shit, but his music will always be with me, be it through is solo stuff or through The Smiths.

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.

Meh...Johnny made Moz

Very good

Not his best album, but mostly good songs

Unfortunately he’s very talented

The randomizer must really want me to listen to Morrissey and The Smiths as this is my second Morrissey album and I've had all three Smiths' albums in the challenge. "Viva Hate" is the debut solo album by Morrissey and wasting no time, it was released just six months after The Smiths' final album "Strangeways, Here We Come." It was produced by Stephen Street who also played bass. Vini Reilly from the post-punk band The Durutti Column played guitar and a key part, I thought, to two of my favorite songs. Overall, this was a much more pop-oriented and softer album than what he would do a few albums later. I did not exactly find an overall theme focusing on the break-up of The Smiths...maybe a few songs. This album starts out uniquely in "Alsatian Cousin" with an early PIL sounding guitar and drums sounding like a drum machine. A harder sounding song especially with the guitar. One of my favorite on the album. An unattractive girl is jealous about someone in a relationship. "Everyday is Sunday" has a majestic pop feel with the strings. I think it's simply about being bored. One the Moz's best songs. The second half starts with another one his best songs in "Suedehead." Great melody. I think some more straight-forward lyrics about a person breaking up with another for reading their diary. A very good hidden song is "I Don't Mind if You Forget Me." Here's a a song that might be about the breakup of The Smiths. Like the first song, just great interesting guitar by Vini Reilly. Not anything like Johnny Marr. Morrissey gets his acerbic side out in the closing song "Margaret on the Guillotine." Pretty self-explanatory about his opinion on Margaret Thatcher. A slower song with guitar only. This is an album that has two classic Morrissey songs and two very good hidden ones. I found the other Moz album "Your Arsenal" that I've listened to in depth (from the challenge) harder sounding, Morrissey's lyrics more clever and an overall better album. But, this has some highlights and definitely worth a listen.

oh boy morrissey. 2 stars.

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

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

Bit dull.

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

what a cunt. love the smiths, hate morrissey.

He's still a horrible xenophobe. Viva Hate, eh Steven?

Big album from a massive arsehole.

His solo work is better than his songs with The Smiths, and people hate him for that. Also: something of a mope.

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

very disenchanting, I like some of the songs, but its very mid.

I can safely say I'm not a big fan.

Kinda warbled love poetry, less melodic than the smiths stuff. Kinda liked some of the production. Incel vibe on some of the lyrics.

Savrsen album za jednu laganu depricu. Ak dođe sezona imat cu ga na umu

Dosta klasika na ovom albumu, meni najdraži njegov - jer se osjeti još trunci Smithsa. Posjedujem vinyl i drago mi je. Čista četvorka, dakle ono 8-8,5/10. Fale ljudi iz bivše mu grupe and it shows.

NAHHHHH THIS AIN't it......

Not my style at all to say the least. 80s punk vocals mixed with cheesy radio lyrics. No Thanks.

This is pretty meh. Very little is standing out and his voice is annoying. I did enjoy the sort of flamenco guitar at the end of Margaret on the Guillotine. I Don't Mind If You Forget Me was alright, but honestly, it's good that he doesn't mind because I probably will.

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.

So I decided to listen to this album after all, including its most controversial song (now). Yes I think he clearly means it (possibly with some personal empathy, possibly with a resigned "realism", but with no hint of promoting the alternatives) when he says Bengali Oh, shelve your Western plans And understand That life is hard enough when you belong here. Yet at the time, the most controversial song was the dreamy acoustic-guitar-and-accordion "Margaret on the Guillotine"..."Kind people, do not shelter this dream, make it real". For this, he was investigated as a potential terrorist and had his house raided by the police. Does the one balance out the other, in some scale of morality or politics? No, but there is probably a conversation to be had about how "interpretable" songs like these are meant to be, or should be. Meanwhile, there are some interesting insights into the "older and wiser" Morrissey across this album, including rejection of the maudlin wallowing of earlier years (can't find the lyric now, but it's reflected in the music too). Having said all that, the music itself isn't to my taste, so no reason to come back to this album.

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.

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

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

Heard it before?: Yes! Enjoy it?: I don’t like to give Morrissey any more credit than necessary but his music is very special, very peculiar songwriting but great nonetheless Favourite song: a LOT to choose from but Track 3 - Everyday is Like Sunday

It was a decent album

Beetje cheesy album. Niet echt mijn ding.

Too much morrissey, couldn’t enjoy

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

In this album, Morrissey asks the brave question "What if the Smiths were boring?" Nice one Steven, you fucking dickhead. The singles are genuinely good ("Everyday is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead") but this is, without a doubt, not an essential album. Just listen to the Smiths - all four albums are miles better than this. 9 hours later update: The Queen is dead, holy shit. On the day I get a Morrissey album. This is your fault, 1001 Albums Generator.

Disliked. Can't put my finger on why exactly, but it was consistent across the album. Not my style in any way, I guess.

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.

Suedehead <3

A proficient vocalist with an interesting timbre, but the songs are nothing to be excited by.

Morrissey is a guarantee for good music. Enjoyable album, without any big standouts but a high quality throughout

Je ne le connaissais pas beaucoup, et j'ai bien aimé! Très Brit, pas trop extravagant. À découvrir (avec The Smiths également)

This one wasn't it for me. Some good moments in there, Suedehead was pretty good I guess. 2/5

Not the best Morrissey solo album, but it's certainly good and only 6 months after the demise of the Smiths! Not sure why they keep fiddling with the order and the typeface, but it still holds up.

Enough already with the Morrissey

Too much Morrissey for one lifetime.

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

Eh ok 3

4.0 - Besides the bald-faced "Margaret on the Guillotine", this album thankfully finds Morrissey on a less political bent. Not surprisingly, I like this solo project much better than the more abrasive "Your Arsenal." It's got two notable hits, "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead." I also like deeper cuts like "Little Man, What Now?"

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It's good and I don't mind Morrissey's lyrics.

2.5 stars. Not a big fan of his voice on this, a little boring, no standout tracks. Liked the piano on "Late Night, Maudlin Street"

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Everyday is like Sunday, Suedehead

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

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

Very moody and I felt like it wasn’t very cohesive. Not really my cup of tea.

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.”

Vocals in some songs sound like the weird catholic song prayer

Painfully boring, I can't help but hear elevator music if you were to remove the vocals. He narrates like he is reading from a book and the flow of his story telling isn't smooth. I get this impression he has to keep adding details to convince the listener to be emotional because he hasn't yet convinced himself. I appreciate storytelling in music but this is poorly executed. The only thing I enjoyed about this album was when I heard certain parts that influenced modern artists.

Sounds like a lot of other British pop rock out of that time, nothing really caught my attention or made me want to relisten.

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

nothing special really

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

Un tanto anodino. Muchas canciones iguales. No tiene mala voz, pero lo veo demasiado insulso