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The Battalion
Thursday, December7,
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THE GRAPEVINE
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Morrissey stands alone
Insightful lyricist goes solo after The Smiths’ breakup
By Andrew Gardner
SfiCCDrSlEimu:^
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Morrissey
“Viva Hate"
Sire Records
Oh so alone.
Steven Patrick Morrissey, lead singer for the
now-defunct Smiths, stands alone.
He has gone solo since the breakup of The
Smiths, but more significantly, he stands alone in
spirit and in the skillful way he expresses this
stance in his music.
Since launching his solo career, Morrissey has
released an album and two maxi singles. He is
now recording a second album, which has no set
release date.
With its melancholic outlook, Morrissey’s mu
sic continues in the tradition of The Smiths, and
yet it is thoroughly original.
From the wailing electric guitar in “Alsatian
Cousin” to the string interludes in “Angel, Angel,
Down We Go Together” to the classical guitar in
“Margaret on the Guillotine,” the most striking
aspect of “Viva Hate" is a musical variation that
was not achieved by The Smiths, a four-piece
band.
Although the melodies on “Viva Hate"are not
as upbeat as those of The Smiths, the essential
contrast between despairing lyrics and pleasant
tunes still remains: the songs’ deeper truths un
dermine an outward show of “normalcy.”
The music, somewhat simpler than Johnny
Marr’s brilliant tunes for The Smiths, serves
mainly as a tool to carry and set the mood for
Morrissey’s wonderfully insightful messages.
On “Viva Hate,” Morrissey continues to decry
what he perceives as the sad spiritual state of the
world.
“The Ordinary Boys” chronicles the sad
tual state of modern society and Morrisse,
jection of it. “Ordinary boys,” he says.areli
knowing nothing / happy being no one
soothes those who stand alone: “you werey
ferent / you had to say no / when those
fools / tried to change you, and claim you..
The significance of his words is refreshing
next to most of the pop music that gets airplay,
music that Morrissey abhors. In “Panic,” a Smiths
tune, he says, “Hang the DJ... / because the music
they constantly play / says nothing to me about
my life.”
In “Bengali in Platforms,” the fourth of the
generous thirteen tracks, Morrissey advises,
“Bengali / oh shelve your Western plans / and un
derstand / that life is hard enough when you be
long here.”
But Morrissey himself belongs only in a super
ficial sense. He writes music for those like him —
those who are alone and yet do not want to be
part of the empty world they resent.
Oh so alone.
For the existentialists, this alouenessisar
mon bond that allows humans to reach outit
another. For Morrissey, however, itisstrioi
isolating factor, a chasm between the
sight of an ordinary boy and his own percep..
Morrissey cut three tracks for eachofliii
singles, The Last of the Famous Intern®
Playboys and Interesting Drug.
The music sounds like a move backtowaii
sound of The Smiths and away from theg
emotive, varied tunes on “Viva Hate". Martd
inated The Smiths’ sound, and without hist;
cal genius, trying to recapture that sound!
dangerous move.
Still, Morrissey continues to express thee
view he has espoused since the beginning^
singing career.
His message is just as strong in these
works as it was with The Smiths, and as:
doubtedly w ill be in his next album.
Morrissey sparks an uncharacteristic
of hope, however, in “Margaret on theGuI
ne,” the last track of “Viva Hate".
Although “kind people" who “haveasvoti
ful dream... / make me feel so tired,"he
seeches them in the last lines of the sob
change the world, to “make the dream real"
Until they do, Morrissey will remaino:
alone in spirit and in the quality of his artists
pression.
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