Ordinary Boys (Viva Hate - Morrissey)

Member Name: Jake Speed

Product:	Viva Hate - Morrissey
Date:	30/12/07 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An interesting album with some strong strongs

Disadvantages: Not for those who struggle with Morrissey

Viva Hate was the first solo Morrissey album following the break up of The Smiths in 1987. Released in 1988 and produced by Stephen Street, Morrissey brought in guitarist Vini Reilly to work with and while Reilly is no Johnny Marr, the result was an interesting if not perfect album and a strong debut.

Anyone expecting Morrissey to fall flat on his face without his former guitar maestro was wrong. The record is, unsuprisingly!, very dark and melodramatic but consistently interesting with some high spots that live comfortably with anything The Smiths produced.


The Songs


Alsation Cousin


With a title inspired by a play by Morrissey's friend and former neighbour Alan Bennet (Don't you just love the idea of Morrissey and Alan Bennet sitting down to tea and biscuits!) Alsation Cousin is much more aggressive and chaotic than the most of the songs he wrote with Johnny Marr. Reilly proves a capable songwriting partner with some inventive guitar flourishes and there are some classic Morrissey lyrics;

'Leather elbows on a tweed coat
-Oh!-
Is THAT the best you can do ?' 8/10


Little Man, What Now?

A gentle, shortish song about a faded child star, most probably the late 'Artful Dodger' Jack Wilde. The figure in question appears on a cheesy 'Guess the Celeb' panel show but no one remembers him...except Morrissey.

Not a great song but a pleasant one with a wistful air. The post Smiths Mozzer is already starting to wonder how long people will remember who he is. 7/10


Everday Is Like Sunday

A majestic and brilliant song that crashed the top ten and ranks as one of Mozzer's finest hours. The song is backed by a beautiful six-piece string section and violins and was later covered by 10,000 Maniacs and The Pretenders. It is absolutely fantastic.

On the surface the song is about a humdrum seaside town but themes of escape and nostalgia make it more complex. The opening lyrics, with the immediate and rich music, pull you in. You know Morrissey is on top form here lyrically and vocally;

'Trudging slowly over wet sand
Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen
This is the coastal town
That they forgot to close down' 10/10


Bengali In Platforms

A so-so song most famous for the tricky subject matter which was interpreted as somewhat racist by some. The line "life is hard enough when you belong here" was not the best choice of words. Morrissey (and some journalists in defence) have suggested that he is imploring people to remain true to themselves and their backgrounds and not cave in to preassure to join the herd just to fit in.

The song has a retro glam feel and is nothing special. 6/10


Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together

A short and very melodramatic song with snappy vocals and a string section. Interesting but nothing remarkable. This is one of those songs where only Morrissey really knows what he is going on about although a few sources suggest the song is about Johnny Marr, the shadow of whom still hovers around Morrissey strongly around this time. 6/10


Late Night, Maudlin Street

A very long, sad and kitchen sink Morrissey epic with haunting lyrics and beautiful guitars work by Reilly. Morrissey is saying goodbye to an old house where he 'Never stole a happy hour'. The theme of leaving a place filled with unhappy memories and the humiliations of his youth but, despite himself, inducing feelings of nostalgia, regret and flashbacks of incidents that he'll never forget, is beautifully articulated by Morrissey.

There are some funny lines - especially regarding his doomed and brief attempts at romantic connections. Despite the gloom Morrissey can always make me laugh. 9/10


Suedehead

A monumental pop single (and the first taken from the album, reaching number 5 in the UK) Suedehead is my favourite solo Moz tune of all time. A very hooky guitar riff drives the whole thing along and Morrissey, who was raised on the likes of Sandie Shaw and Cilla Black, taps into the radio friendly pop persona of the song with his vocals.

Stephen Street, who later produced Blur albums, wanted a really catchy single on the album and everyone came up trumps with this one. Morrissey seems to end the song by repeating 'It was a good lay' which certainly raised a few eyebrows at the time! 10/10



Break Up The Family

Another nostalgic song but this time Morrissey is looking to the future. Here Morrissey is saying goodbye to the past on firmer ground;

'To move away from those darker years
Oh, I'm in love for the first time
And I don't feel bad
So wish me luck my friends
Goodbye'

This is a soild and complex addition to the album, the song mid-tempo with some typically interesting vocal contortions by Morrissey and his usual way with words with 'hailstones' and 'cars without brakes'. 8/10



The Ordinary Boys

A very strong and sweeping song. Morrissey sings about the working-class 'ordinary boys' in humdrum towns who are 'happy going nowhere' and have their lives 'laid out before them'. The dual aspect of Morrissey feeling intimidated and depressed by this world is coloured by his often expressed jealously at those who 'Steam through life with an astonishing lack of thought'. He both dislikes them and envies them, but he knows he can never be one of them and this is a source of both relief and regret. 9/10



I Don't Mind If You Forget Me

A faster song that divides Morrissey fans this is nothing special but not bad. Morrissey tells an old flame that he doesn't care if they forget him because he 'never made an impression on anyone. He clearly has no desire to start doing that now! 7/10



Dial-A-Cliché

A decent addition to the album with no immediate music but some very inventive vocals, the song seems to be aimed at Morrissey's difficult relationship with his father with lines like "Do as I do and scrap your fey ways". 7/10


Margaret On The Guillotine

A slightly obvious piece of agit-prop, Mozzer, the scamp, dreams of putting our much (ahem) loved former PM Maggie Thatcher on the Guillotine and asks when her rather pointedly when she will be kind enough to die. A mournful song that trails away.

Believe it or not the song resulted in a visit to Morrissey's home buy the Metropolitan Police in 1988 who wanted to confirm that the singer wasn't actually a threat to the PM. Rather unsuprisingly it turned out to be just a song and Morrissey wasn't actually planning to kill the Prime Minister. It's a funny old world sometimes! 6/10


Overall

I like Viva Hate a lot but it isn't flawless by any means. Be warned, this is an especially concentrated dose of Morrissey and some interest and liking of the man and his work would help in appreciating this Album.

Summary: Worth a listen