Search - Morrissey :: Viva Hate: Centenary Edition

Landmark album, shrill remaster

punkviper | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 12/19/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"THIS REVIEW ONLY APPLIES TO THE UK IMPORT VERSION (REMASTERED, w/BONUS TRACKS) RELEASED IN 2005.



First off, i am a hearty proponent of remastering older CDs to bring the sound up to date with the latest mastering technologies, fixing albums with low volume levels (like The Replacements' Tim and Pleased To Meet Me) and generally cleaning it up to be in line with an artist's wishes & whims. But... here is a case where i honestly can't say I enjoy the remaster. Case in point: Alsatian Cousin. The remastered version is slightly louder, but the treble and high-range is so blown out that it literally gives me a headache, and subsequently makes the middle and low-end seem buried. Bengali In Platforms fares better, mostly because higher fidelity can only help a song mostly centered around a pleasant Spanish guitar melody line. But then Late Night, Maudlin Street also suffers from the 80's production flourishes being over-amped to the point where the tinny frequency becomes honestly annoying. The record loses the sumptuous quality it had and now becomes shrill & robotic, 2 qualities that might work for Kraftwerk but don't suit Moz at all.



And if the audio quality doesn't scare you off, the "bonus tracks" will at least have you sighing in disappointment. Of the 8 bonus tracks, 6 were already available compiled on the US release My Early Burglary Years (which also has the excellent single Sunny, a transcendant cover of Cosmic Dancer, and the song that should be Moz's anthem, Nobody Loves Us, along with many other gems) and 1 is just a swaggering & swarthy live version of Disappointed. This leaves Let The Right One Slip In as the only reason to have this CD. This is certainly in line with Moz's solo-era modus-operandi (reissue, repackage, repackage indeed.)



So there you have it, tinny sound and a group of "bonus tracks" easily found elsewhere, save 1. Proceed at your own risk."

"Everyday Is Like Sunday"- the passion, the desperation, the

The*hot*wax*kid | Detroit-michigan | 01/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this disc, I never go for very long without listening to it. I plan to take it to my grave.





Peace

The*Hot*Wax*Kid"

Thank you for the remasters

Sheldon Cooper | Pittsburgh, PA United States | 05/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Picked this up while I was in London in Sept 98. The remastering is fantastic. And all the extra trax alone
are worth replacing your original copy for. Alas not
available as a domsetic release in the US spend the money
& get this version !!!!"