I was a big fan of The Smiths, having six albums and quite a few singles so it was a sad day when they split up. Still, Morrissey had gone solo and "Suadehead", his first single, had been pretty good and a top 5 hit, and the the follow-up "Every Day Is Like Sunday" was even better, although it wasn't quite as successful but still reached the top 10.
At that point I purchased the album, but my memory is that although there were some good songs on "Viva Hate", it wasn't nearly as good as any of The Smiths albums I had. Despite that, it was a number 1 album in the UK.
I remember that "Bengali in Platforms" drew a lot of flak, with the line "life is hard enough when you belong here" being pounced on by the anti-racist brigade, but I thought it was more of a song about an outsider trying to fit in, which was something Morrissey could associate with. I thought it was one of the best tracks on the album, and was actually quite sympathetic and tender.
Looking at the track listing now, the only songs I recognised were the two singles, plus "Bengali In Platforms" and the seven minute plus magnum opus "Late Night, Maudlin Street".
Side One opens with "Alsatian Cousin" which has a screeching guitar intro and also throughout most of the song. It sends a clear message that this isn't the joyous, uplifting guitar playing of Johnny Marr even if the lyrics could have been written for "Hatful Of Hollow". A bit of melody breaks out from the lyrics, but it's mostly noise.
"Little Man, What Now ?" then comes as a bit of a surprise with heavy, almost military drumming and the sad nostalgia of a forgotten TV star. "Friday nights 1969, ATV, you murdered every line. Too old to be a child star, to young to take leads, four seasons passed and they axed you". "Oh but I remembered you". It's less than two minutes long, but is really very good, and I was surprised I had forgotten it !
"Every Day Is Like Sunday" is a glorious tune, with a nice bass and breezy synth strings. In some ways this song has parallels with a lot The Smiths' material with a some miserable lyrics, in this case about a decaying seaside town, combined with some beautiful music. "This is the coastal town they forget to close down. Armageddon, come Armageddon, come Armageddon, come".
"Bengali In Platforms" is another of the stronger tunes, with a gentle acoustic guitar and a great riff under the "life is hard enough when you belong here" chorus. Musically it reminded me a little of "Well I Wonder" from "Meat Is Murder"
"Angel, Angel Down We Go Together" has some dramatic strings and has a vibe comparable to "Eleanor Rigby" or "Matthew and Son".
"Late Night, Maudlin Street" closes side One and features agreeable drumming/bongos, acoustic guitar and piano and becomes more hypnotic the longer it goes on. The ending is a bit disappointing though as the track just fades out when it deserves a big finish.
The big hit "Suedehead" opens side Two, with the bass and drum rhythm being the closest to take in the Smiths although the guitar is very different.
"Break Up The Family" is slow but has a pleasant refrain. "I'm so glad to grow older, to move away from those awful times. I'm in love for the first time, and I don't feel bad".
"The Ordinary Boys" has a slow piano intro, but is a bit of a dirge and easily the least interesting song on the album. It is hard to believe the cult mid-2000's band "The Ordinary Boys" took their name from this ordinary song !
"I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" has a buzzing guitar, then heavy drums before launching into a 1960s boppy tune. It's another good song I had completely forgotten..........
"Dial-A-Cliche" has pleasant, serene electric guitar playing over acoustic guitar, but personally, the "Dial-A-cliche" lines are a bit grating.
"Margaret On The Guillotine" is a dream about Margaret Thatcher being executed. The music is suitably dreamy despite the subject matter, with gently strummed electric guitar to begin and plucked Spanish guitar for the outro. I can't say I sympathise with the lines "when will you die ?" and "make the dream real" but if I ignore the lyrics the music is melancholic.
Overall, "Viva Hate" sounded quite a lot better that I remembered it to be, and there were only two tracks that wouldn't want to listen to again.
Track Listing :
Side One :
1. Alsatian Cousin
2. Little Man, What Now ?
3. Every Day Is Like Sunday
4. Bengali In Platforms
5. Angel, Angel Down We Go Together
6. Late Night, Maudlin Street
Side One :
2. Break Up The Family
3. The Ordinary Boys
4. I Don't Mind If You Forget Me
5. Dial-A-Cliche
6. Margaret On The Guillotine
Released 1988
UK Chart Position : 1
Suadehead ( No 5 - 1988 )
Every Day is Like Sunday ( No 9 - 1988 )
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