After the acrimonious demise of The Smiths it wasn't going to be easy for Morrissey. And yet, he surprised all the lyrics with a very consistent debut which duly reached number one in the UK. "Viva Hate" was the result of the successful collaboration between Morrissey, producer Stephen Street (who had also worked with The Smiths in their latest years) and guitarist Vini Reilly. The latter's unique style is particularly defining in the spine-tingling "Late NIght, Maudlin Street", possibly the most emotional song in "Viva Hate". MOrrissey's lyrics are probably more introspective and moody than those he had penned for "Strangeways" the year before. Nevertheless, the result is an excellent album. Particularly brave is the political "Margaret on the Guillotine", while "Ordinary Boys" should have been a single beside "Suedehead" and the beautiful "Everyday Is Like Sunday". 8 out of 10