Chrissie hynde's notes for "Viva Hate" on Liberty Records & Vinyl Matrix Message.

joe frady

Vile Refusenik
Scarcely Pete Hamill-esque in terms of length, but truer words have rarely been typed ~

'..."Life is hard enough when you belong here". "Angel, don't take your life tonight - I will be here." "I love you more than life."...

When he sings these lines, you know from the bottom of your soul that he is singing them to you alone. And when you hear his voice (in my case anyway) the unfathomable loneliness of modern life eases its grip.

In a celebrity world of glib proclamations (as in "I don't take myself too seriously"), you can believe that Morrissey takes himself very seriously, and when his words are delivered to you, the listener, you know that he takes you very seriously too.

Viva Hate - is an ironic title from a man who, try as he may, is not capable of so much as a hateful glance beyond the barbecue.

The compassion steeped in these 12 tracks, without shame, will make you feel, (maybe for the first time) truly loved.

He means it folks!

~ Chrissie Hynde!'


Side 1 of the LP has the message "BLOOD BATHS I HAVE KNOWN" scratched into the matrix. Side 2 has a message vigorously scored out rendering it almost illegible - begins with S end with a BA possibly. Cock-up?

LP is not a double. The original tty release never said it was but pretty much all the retailers have it listed as such, which never made a bit of sense given 12 tracks. It's gatefold though. No 'pull-out poster' as listed on tty. Nice inner as well - blue Liberty Records house bag.

The LP is a thing of beauty. Corbijn's cover shot is beautifully rendered, in more of a slight sepia tint than the slight blue I remember of the original. The rear cover is that shot of him stood in front of a funeral announcement in some poor soul's front parlour window, and looks both hilarious and melancholy at the full 12 inch square. It's by Jake Walters, who was but a twinkle in Morrissey's eye at the time of 'Viva Hate', but nevertheless...

The remaster sounds magnificent ~ spatially precise, pristine in it's separations, enhanced volume but not 'louder' if you catch me, and bass that could give the dog a stroke. By the end of 'Alsation cousin' I was sold. It sounds so gloriously menacing in all it's dark and erotic seedy splendour that, back in the day, with this song and the two that follow, you could have been forgiven for forgetting all about The Smurfs. The title may have been filched from Alan Bennett, but if Philip Larkin had had a fuzzbox he couldn't have mustered better than this. I haven't compared the Very Best Of tracks with this remaster yet, so I don't know whether 'Suedehead' and 'Everyday Is Like Sunday' sound slightly more or slightly less magnificent there than they do here. But we're talking minimal degrees of magnificence, if that's possible. And this remaster is by John davis, 'with Stephen street'.
 
Scarcely Pete Hamill-esque in terms of length, but truer words have rarely been typed ~

'..."Life is hard enough when you belong here". "Angel, don't take your life tonight - I will be here." "I love you more than life."...

When he sings these lines, you know from the bottom of your soul that he is singing them to you alone. And when you hear his voice (in my case anyway) the unfathomable loneliness of modern life eases its grip.

In a celebrity world of glib proclamations (as in "I don't take myself too seriously"), you can believe that Morrissey takes himself very seriously, and when his words are delivered to you, the listener, you know that he takes you very seriously too.

Viva Hate - is an ironic title from a man who, try as he may, is not capable of so much as a hateful glance beyond the barbecue.

The compassion steeped in these 12 tracks, without shame, will make you feel, (maybe for the first time) truly loved.

He means it folks!

~ Chrissie Hynde!'


Side 1 of the LP has the message "BLOOD BATHS I HAVE KNOWN" scratched into the matrix. Side 2 has a message vigorously scored out rendering it almost illegible - begins with S end with a BA possibly. Cock-up?

LP is not a double. The original tty release never said it was but pretty much all the retailers have it listed as such, which never made a bit of sense given 12 tracks. It's gatefold though. No 'pull-out poster' as listed on tty. Nice inner as well - blue Liberty Records house bag.

The LP is a thing of beauty. Corbijn's cover shot is beautifully rendered, in more of a slight sepia tint than the slight blue I remember of the original. The rear cover is that shot of him stood in front of a funeral announcement in some poor soul's front parlour window, and looks both hilarious and melancholy at the full 12 inch square. It's by Jake Walters, who was but a twinkle in Morrissey's eye at the time of 'Viva Hate', but nevertheless...

The remaster sounds magnificent ~ spatially precise, pristine in it's separations, enhanced volume but not 'louder' if you catch me, and bass that could give the dog a stroke. By the end of 'Alsation cousin' I was sold. It sounds so gloriously menacing in all it's dark and erotic seedy splendour that, back in the day, with this song and the two that follow, you could have been forgiven for forgetting all about The Smurfs. The title may have been filched from Alan Bennett, but if Philip Larkin had had a fuzzbox he couldn't have mustered better than this. I haven't compared the Very Best Of tracks with this remaster yet, so I don't know whether 'Suedehead' and 'Everyday Is Like Sunday' sound slightly more or slightly less magnificent there than they do here. But we're talking minimal degrees of magnificence, if that's possible. And this remaster is by John davis, 'with Stephen street'.

Fantastic review. Thank you.
 
Scarcely Pete Hamill-esque in terms of length, but truer words have rarely been typed ~

'..."Life is hard enough when you belong here". "Angel, don't take your life tonight - I will be here." "I love you more than life."...

When he sings these lines, you know from the bottom of your soul that he is singing them to you alone. And when you hear his voice (in my case anyway) the unfathomable loneliness of modern life eases its grip.

In a celebrity world of glib proclamations (as in "I don't take myself too seriously"), you can believe that Morrissey takes himself very seriously, and when his words are delivered to you, the listener, you know that he takes you very seriously too.

Viva Hate - is an ironic title from a man who, try as he may, is not capable of so much as a hateful glance beyond the barbecue.

The compassion steeped in these 12 tracks, without shame, will make you feel, (maybe for the first time) truly loved.

He means it folks!

~ Chrissie Hynde!'


Side 1 of the LP has the message "BLOOD BATHS I HAVE KNOWN" scratched into the matrix. Side 2 has a message vigorously scored out rendering it almost illegible - begins with S end with a BA possibly. Cock-up?

LP is not a double. The original tty release never said it was but pretty much all the retailers have it listed as such, which never made a bit of sense given 12 tracks. It's gatefold though. No 'pull-out poster' as listed on tty. Nice inner as well - blue Liberty Records house bag.

The LP is a thing of beauty. Corbijn's cover shot is beautifully rendered, in more of a slight sepia tint than the slight blue I remember of the original. The rear cover is that shot of him stood in front of a funeral announcement in some poor soul's front parlour window, and looks both hilarious and melancholy at the full 12 inch square. It's by Jake Walters, who was but a twinkle in Morrissey's eye at the time of 'Viva Hate', but nevertheless...

The remaster sounds magnificent ~ spatially precise, pristine in it's separations, enhanced volume but not 'louder' if you catch me, and bass that could give the dog a stroke. By the end of 'Alsation cousin' I was sold. It sounds so gloriously menacing in all it's dark and erotic seedy splendour that, back in the day, with this song and the two that follow, you could have been forgiven for forgetting all about The Smurfs. The title may have been filched from Alan Bennett, but if Philip Larkin had had a fuzzbox he couldn't have mustered better than this. I haven't compared the Very Best Of tracks with this remaster yet, so I don't know whether 'Suedehead' and 'Everyday Is Like Sunday' sound slightly more or slightly less magnificent there than they do here. But we're talking minimal degrees of magnificence, if that's possible. And this remaster is by John davis, 'with Stephen street'.

You just had to go and post this scintillating review, didn't you? Sigh. Typically I associate "bass that could give the dog a stroke" with Sir Mix A Lot, but now you've gone and made this re-release a most tantalizing prospect... :rolleyes:
 
You just had to go and post this scintillating review, didn't you? Sigh. Typically I associate "bass that could give the dog a stroke" with Sir Mix A Lot, but now you've gone and made this re-release a most tantalizing prospect... :rolleyes:

...if you think the Chrissie note is a bit outré, when you hear how 'Angel, angel..' sounds now your only response will be 'What is that queer sensation? Why, it's the unfathomable loneliness of modern life losing its grip. Of course!'
 
...if you think the Chrissie note is a bit outré, when you hear how 'Angel, angel..' sounds now your only response will be 'What is that queer sensation? Why, it's the unfathomable loneliness of modern life losing its grip. Of course!'

OH! I haven't felt that way since the last Taylor Swift album. You're getting me worked up, here. Friday=payday, you know.
 
this should probably be posted in the Collectors Corner, but anyway..
I got the EU vinyl LP and it lacks the Chrissie Hynde notes . Does anyone know why? Got my copy from an EMI friend of mine, but it's no promo copy, it's the proper album release.
 
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this should probably be posted in the Collectors Corner, but anyway..
I got the EU vinyl LP and it lacks the Chrissie Hynde notes . Does anyone know why? Got my copy from an EMI friend of mine, but it's no promo copy, it's the proper album release.

The LP doesn't include the notes. It's only in the slim booklet in the CD. It could have easily squeezed onto the LP's gatefold spread but instead you have some fairly poorly printed track listing and credits information over the Kevin Cummins photograph.
 
Scarcely Pete Hamill-esque in terms of length, but truer words have rarely been typed ~

'..."Life is hard enough when you belong here". "Angel, don't take your life tonight - I will be here." "I love you more than life."...

When he sings these lines, you know from the bottom of your soul that he is singing them to you alone. And when you hear his voice (in my case anyway) the unfathomable loneliness of modern life eases its grip.

In a celebrity world of glib proclamations (as in "I don't take myself too seriously"), you can believe that Morrissey takes himself very seriously, and when his words are delivered to you, the listener, you know that he takes you very seriously too.

Viva Hate - is an ironic title from a man who, try as he may, is not capable of so much as a hateful glance beyond the barbecue.

The compassion steeped in these 12 tracks, without shame, will make you feel, (maybe for the first time) truly loved.

He means it folks!

~ Chrissie Hynde!'


Side 1 of the LP has the message "BLOOD BATHS I HAVE KNOWN" scratched into the matrix. Side 2 has a message vigorously scored out rendering it almost illegible - begins with S end with a BA possibly. Cock-up?

LP is not a double. The original tty release never said it was but pretty much all the retailers have it listed as such, which never made a bit of sense given 12 tracks. It's gatefold though. No 'pull-out poster' as listed on tty. Nice inner as well - blue Liberty Records house bag.

The LP is a thing of beauty. Corbijn's cover shot is beautifully rendered, in more of a slight sepia tint than the slight blue I remember of the original. The rear cover is that shot of him stood in front of a funeral announcement in some poor soul's front parlour window, and looks both hilarious and melancholy at the full 12 inch square. It's by Jake Walters, who was but a twinkle in Morrissey's eye at the time of 'Viva Hate', but nevertheless...

The remaster sounds magnificent ~ spatially precise, pristine in it's separations, enhanced volume but not 'louder' if you catch me, and bass that could give the dog a stroke. By the end of 'Alsation cousin' I was sold. It sounds so gloriously menacing in all it's dark and erotic seedy splendour that, back in the day, with this song and the two that follow, you could have been forgiven for forgetting all about The Smurfs. The title may have been filched from Alan Bennett, but if Philip Larkin had had a fuzzbox he couldn't have mustered better than this. I haven't compared the Very Best Of tracks with this remaster yet, so I don't know whether 'Suedehead' and 'Everyday Is Like Sunday' sound slightly more or slightly less magnificent there than they do here. But we're talking minimal degrees of magnificence, if that's possible. And this remaster is by John davis, 'with Stephen street'.

This is a very well-written review and I have to admit that the reissue, which only appealed to me on a so-so level before, now seems much more exciting and worth the risk.

Thanks for writing this and also for the info on the details of the Late Night, Maudlin Street edit in the other thread.
 
Thanks for posting! I'm not an audiophile, but I do appreciate (good) re-masters. I really didn't want to get this, out of principal, but I'm very tempted after reading your review. Can you please tell me if the tracks lead from one to the other, like they did in the Bona Drag re-master?
 
Thanks for posting! I'm not an audiophile, but I do appreciate (good) re-masters. I really didn't want to get this, out of principal, but I'm very tempted after reading your review. Can you please tell me if the tracks lead from one to the other, like they did in the Bona Drag re-master?

Thankfully they do not. The respectful pauses are all present and correct, except when they are not meant to be ('Alsation Cousin' to 'Little Man, What Now?') And the 'Suedehead' fade-in is back!


Listening to it again this morning, and ,yeah, of course, the package could have been more 'deluxe-y' with various add-ons and bits and bobs, and yeah, 'Treat Me Like A Human Being' comes at the perfect point for a 'comfort break' (although funnily enough last night it was the one chorus I couldn't get out of my head), but, fundamentally, if you love 'Viva Hate' then this is the most beautiful it's ever sounded and it must be acquired. A sublime "abomination" :rolleyes:
 
...if you love 'Viva Hate' then this is the most beautiful it's ever sounded and it must be acquired. A sublime "abomination"

Ah, why did you have to be so helpful and level-headed with your analysis? It sounds fantastic! I badly want it, but I really don't want to support this kind of stupidity! I want it to bomb so hard that Morrissey promises to be good and never to do it again! The fact is, if he had just kept Ordinary Boys and not added a single extra track, I would have bought it without hesitation, and tried my best to spread the word about it to everyone. I'm deeply torn!
 
Should we take a minute to analyze the lyrics of Ordinary Boys vs. Treat Me Like a Human Being to try and figure out the swap? I'm not going to analyze the difference because my brain is tired of reading between the lines, but someone else can. I'm sure the answer to why he ditched it is in the lyrics of the other.
 
Controversial I know...BUT...I have been listening to these sublime remaster all day and dare I admit it but I think Moz's decision to edit Late Night, Maudlin Street actually does improve it. The track feels tighter and more succinct. As with 'Ouija Board' last year I think his edit improves the track. As Joe said, the remaster sounds amazing.

I'll be in the stocks later if you wish to chuck rotten tomatoes at me.
 
Late Night Maudlin Street has been butchered

I bought the download from Itunes Australia and was shocked. The new beginning is good but two thirds of the way through there is a really cack-handed edit that is terrible. I listened to Alsation Cousin and was stunned by the new clarity and then I realised i was listening to the EMI Centenary Edition of Viva Hate!!!!!!
 
Re: Late Night Maudlin Street has been butchered

I imagine the LNMS edit will appear on youtube eventually, and upon hearing that I will have no real reason to purchase or download the release, now having seen the inner sleeve and read the notes. Having heard the TMLAHB remaster in the downloads thread, I can imagine that - although it is better than it was on 'Glamorous Glue' - it still doesn't fit the overall production sound in the context of the rest of the album, being a demo. The reports on the remaster are great, and I'm sure my favorite songs on the disc sound excellent now. But yeah, not really worth the money. Thank you joe frady for your report.
 
Controversial I know...BUT...I have been listening to these sublime remaster all day and dare I admit it but I think Moz's decision to edit Late Night, Maudlin Street actually does improve it. The track feels tighter and more succinct. As with 'Ouija Board' last year I think his edit improves the track. As Joe said, the remaster sounds amazing.

I'll be in the stocks later if you wish to chuck rotten tomatoes at me.

The voice of experience :D
 
thanks for your review joe..do you mind scanning the pictures?..i would be most grateful...thanks a lot.
 
thanks for your review joe..do you mind scanning the pictures?..i would be most grateful...thanks a lot.

Hey sista, There is really nothing much to scan that hasn't been seen before. You get three images - the cover by Anton Corbijn,

the back cover by Jake Walters ~
viva_hate_lp_back_sleeve_02.jpg


and the gatefold shot by Kevin Cummins ~
ShopSplit1-shopStylesheet-852.jpg


That's it.
I would've just taken a digital pic, but I smashed up my camera the week before last :o
 
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