"Viva Hate" isn't my favorite Morrissey solo album. There, I said it. I'm going against the grain of public opinion amongst Morrissey fans, but not without reason. Don't get me wrong, the album is an impressive solo debut (even more so considering that it was released within 6 months following "Strangeways, Here We Come," the final album of his former band the Smiths). But I just don't think it deserves to be on such a high pedestal. Producer Stephen Street replaces former Smith Johnny Marr as his music collaborator on "Viva Hate," and while Street doesn't match Marr's skills, he compliments Morrissey nicely on this disc. There's the lush orchestral arrangements on "Hairdresser on Fire," the gloomy "Everyday is Like Sunday," and the soaring "Angel, Angel Down We Go Together." Mozzer hasn't lost much of touch as a lyricist, either. He tells a tale of unrequited love in the excellent "Suedehead," addresses racism in the semi-controversial "Bengali in Platforms," and delivers a scathing commentary on Thatcherism in the chilling "Margaret on the Guillotine." As much as I like "Viva Hate," my personal favorite Morrissey albums are the tough-as-nails, glam-flavored "Your Arsenal" and "Vauxhall & I." Still this is a respectable and solid debut.