Morrissey - Viva Hate (re release) (Mar. 26, 2012)

The HMV/Parlophone Singles '88–'95.

Generic title and functional packaging aside, it's absolutely essential. Captures Moz at his absolute peak. Southpaw Grammar aside, everything he's done since leaving EMI has been a study in irreversible decline (and I've got all the albums).

 

Just acquired a UK vinyl copy of Viva Hate cheaply & it sounds fantastic. If you are unhappy with the new version(s) of this title look for a nice original UK vinyl; it won't set you back a lot and you won't be disappointed.

 

I interviewed Stephen Street a few weeks ago about "Viva Hate".

Inevitably, some similar ground was covered as per the Louder Than War interview but he does say some very interesting things. Pretty candid all in all.

Teaser quote... ""...it tarnished his thoughts and feelings towards me, and I was out of the picture..."

Anyway you'll find it here http://bit.ly/street_vh

 

Wow!! Many, many thanks!!

 

You're welcome..!

 

Great interview. Really hoping that the Blur remasters he's working include vinyl reissues of all the LPs.

 

What a great interview! Thanks very much for sharing! Stephen Street seems like a really cool guy--and certainly his work speaks for itself!

 

Unfortunately once again there is someone else who doesn't come out as a really cool guy...

I think that after this interview Stephen can bank on another 20 years of silence between him and Morrissey

 

Yes, I was a little surprised by his candour... On the other hand, the changes Morrissey have made are ridiculous.

And he is also unwilling to do any interviews (to explain himself) or make any comment or do any promotion for EMI for this release.

Interview here: http://bit.ly/street_vh

 

Hmm. Hearing Street describe the new mastering makes me want to hear it. But at the same time, Morrissey's meddling with the tracks and cover art makes me want to steer clear of it. What to do?!

Great interview, by the way!

 

Thanks... I know what you mean though. It's a bit like Kate Bush replacing "The Big Sky" on the most recent Hounds of Love CD with the 'special single mix' -

Don't try and 'fix' something that doesn't need fixing!

Don't these artists realise that to a generation of fans albums like these are incredibly important and deleting a track here, re-editing another track there is completely out of order.

If EMI had any balls they'd have refused to put it out. But naively I'm assuming they care about 'art' more than money.

Interview here: http://bit.ly/street_vh

 

That is probably a good marketing decision. Anything he says has the power to alienate more people.



By the way his new beloved gothic font is probably due to the time he spent in Rome.... Here is the website of a very popular local rag in Rome:

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/

 

what's really frightening is to think of what might be done with the eventual reissues of Vauxhall and I and Your Arsenal......can you imagine? Vauxhall with Lifeguard Sleeping removed in order to put Swallow On My Neck on, or Black Eyed Susan.

Your Arsenal with yet another mix of Let The Right One Slip In instead of I Know its Gonna Happen Someday, or with Glamorous Glue replaced with There Speaks A True Friend.

Both with that hideous font.....

 

It didn't mind the font too much on "Bona Drag", but doesn't really work on "Viva Hate"

Interview here: http://bit.ly/street_vh

 

I think the font is a sop to his huge Mexican street gang audience vis a vis their tattoos.

 

As a U.S. fan, who knows this song from the Viva Hate Sire CD, "it belongs." To say nothing of it being a really cool song!

I can kind of see it being dropped, as it didn't appear on the UK release, which would expectantly take precedence on a reissue centered on "original correctness". Then again, there's zero correctness from any sane person's view regarding "The Ordinary Boys" being dropped. There are no rules here with Morrissey.

I'll be looking the the Sire LP unless a UK copy comes up cheap.

I'm a more casual fan who doesn't yet own all the Smiths or Morrissey. But these latter-day creative changes, that piss off paying customers and frustrate successful producers who clearly know a thing or two about not just the business but also the music ... strikes me as coming from someone truly not happy nor understanding of what good he created.

Seems he wants producers but not to work with them. And that's self-defeating. Why not just self-produce from the get-go? Oh, that's right, producing is work. Steve was right to be candid in that interview. He's a professional who can't get a concise reasoning from the artist, and wasn't given the professional courtesy to be allowed to take is recommendations to fruition.

 

Rumor doing the rounds that this is the proposed 'Vauxhall' tracklist:

1. Our Frank
2. Asian Rut
3. Sing Your Life
4. The Ballad Of Tom Jones (demo)
5. King Leer
6. Found Found Found
7. Driving Your Girlfriend Home
8. The Harsh Truth Of The Camera Eye
9. (I'm) The End Of The Family Line
10. There's A Place In Hell For Me And My Friends

 

You mean Kill Uncle? Anyway... Mute Witness is my favorite track on the album...

 

Exactly, Roxy Music "Virginia Plain" rip be damned, that song is my fave too (maybe because of the rip!). Not to mention the fact that it was far and away the best tune live off of this whole record when they toured it in 1991 (Gary Day's live upright bass fills in the breakdown of "King Leer" aside, which were just fantastic).

 

Kinda tempted... the remastering sounds interesting - more low end and wider stereo according to Streert. Would be cool to compare with my Aussie "Education In Reverse" LP.

 

I hope remastered doesn't mean brickwalled.

 

I'd rather listen to a complete "Late Night Maudlin Street" played on a lift loudspeaker than a perfectly mastered but butchered version of it on a great stereo.

 

I agree this remaster is a totally mess however im gonna buy it.