Mozmentous. I kinda dread getting these foundational records of my teenage years in. I feel the need to write a confessional blurb, then Woodman will email me telling me how lame my review is, only to mask his own insecurities. Wait, have I written something like this before? 1988's Viva Hate marked a new level of WWF-style drama for the Moz, punctuated by "Suedehead" (insert jock yelling: "what the fuck are you listening to?!"). But really, I should have mentioned "Everyday Is Like Sunday" first. It's probably one of the finest pieces of music based on the cold war nuke era... quite possibly Moz' finest solo moment, sing along if you know it. The rest of the tracks are inseparable from the others, this is something that needs to be listened to as an album, not an edited iTunes playlist. You need to think about what the fuck a "Bengali In Platforms" is or get sub-emo to "Maudlin Street"... or listen to the closer "Margaret On The Guillotine" only to flip immediately to the opener "Alsatian Cousin" for round two. 12 tracks in all, recommended.

• black vinyl pressing
• UK import
  
• please note: original album track 'The Ordinary Boys' is replaced by 'Treat Me Like a Human Being'
• remastered sound
• housed in gatefold sleeve
• original release year: 1988
• music label: Parlophone 2018

reviewed by the mgmnt 07/2011