Viva Hate is Morrissey's debut solo album, released on March 22, 1988. The album was considered Morrissey's very strong foray into a solo career, as he utilized his traditional lyrical style and retained the basic sound that The Smiths had developed by the time they broke up. The album was originally going to be called Education in Reverse, but was renamed to reflect Morrissey's feelings after the break-up of The Smiths. Some LPs in Australia and New Zealand were released with the original title.
The album was released a mere six months after The Smiths' final album, Strangeways Here We Come. The title predicts the content as Morrissey's lyrics are sardonic and filled with invective, while some of the tracks deal with the harshness of the breakup of The Smiths.
The album was produced by Stephen Street and most of the arrangements were composed by Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column. He added his distinct style on this album and it remains one of his best known recordings as a musician.
