Viva Hate

"Viva Hate"
Studio album by Morrissey
Released	14 March 1988
Recorded	Winter 1987
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	46:09
Label	HMV (UK), Sire (USA)
Producer	Stephen Street
Professional reviews
Allmusic.com link Blender link NME 8/10 upon release in 1988 Q upon release in 1988 Q October 2000 Rolling Stone link Robert Christgau (B) link
Morrissey chronology
"Viva Hate" (1988) Kill Uncle (1991)
1997 Re-Release Cover

Viva Hate is Morrissey's debut solo album, released on March 14, 1988. The album was considered Morrissey's very strong foray into a solo career, as he utilized his traditional lyrical style and retained the basic sound that The Smiths had developed by the time they broke up. ^[1] It was listed by Q as one of the top 50 albums of 1988.^[2] The album was originally going to be called Education in Reverse; some LPs in Australia and New Zealand were released with the original title.^[3]

The album was released a mere six months after The Smiths' final album, Strangeways, Here We Come. The title predicts the content as Morrissey's lyrics are sardonic and filled with invective, while some of the tracks deal with the harshness of the breakup of The Smiths.

The album was produced by Stephen Street and most of the arrangements were by Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column. Reilly's distinctive style is evident throughout the entire album, especially in tracks such as "Late Night, Maudlin Street" and "Bengali In Platforms". The record remains one of his best known recordings and was certified Gold by the RIAA on 11/16/1993.

Track listing

All tracks by Morrissey and Stephen Street

1. "Alsatian Cousin" – 3:13
2. "Little Man, What Now?" – 1:48
3. "Everyday Is Like Sunday" – 3:32
4. "Bengali in Platforms" – 3:55
5. "Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together" – 1:40
6. "Late Night, Maudlin Street" – 7:40
7. "Suedehead" – 3:56
8. "Break Up the Family" – 3:55
9. "Hairdresser on Fire" – 3:51 (US bonus track)
10. "The Ordinary Boys" – 3:10
11. "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" – 3:17
12. "Dial-a-Cliché" – 2:28
13. "Margaret on the Guillotine" – 3:42

International Editions

The American release included the track ("Hairdresser on Fire" - 3:50) which had been released in the UK as a b-side to "Suedehead". This same track was released on a 7" single that was sold with the album in Japan.

Special Edition

In 1997, EMI, in celebration of their 100th anniversary, released a special edition of this album in the UK. It features different cover work, and a different booklet (it has a photograph of a billboard for Beethoven Was Deaf and drops the lyrics), and features 8 bonus tracks - only one of which was contemporaneous with the album. "Hairdresser on Fire" does not appear on this version despite originally added to the North American version of the album as a bonus track. The bonus songs are:

• "Let the Right One Slip In"
• "Pashernate Love"
• "At Amber"
• "Disappointed (Live)"
• "Girl Least Likely To"
• "I'd Love To"
• "Michael's Bones"
• "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty"

In addition to receiving bonus tracks, the album was also remastered.

Personnel

• Morrissey - Vocals, Lyricist, Sleeve Art
• Stephen Street - Bass, Guitar, Songwriter, Producer
• Vini Reilly - Guitar, Keyboards, Songwriter
• Andrew Paresi - Drums
• Alan Winstanley - Producer
• Richard Koster - Violin
• Fenella Barton - Violin
• Rachel Maguire - Cello
• Mark Davies - Cello
• Robert Woolhard - Cello
• John Metcalf - Viola
• Steve Williams - Assistant Engineer
• Anton Corbijn - Photography
• Linder Sterling - Photography
• Eamon Macabe - Photography
• Jo Slee - Art Coordinator
• Caryn Gough - Layout Assistance

Resources

• It May All End Tomorrow - Lyrics and Song Information Database
• It May All End Tomorrow - Lyrics FAQ
• It May All End Tomorrow - Margaret on the Guillotine Lyrics page

References