A strong compilation of singles and B-sides, BONA DRAG is one of Morrissey's finest solo discs. While he'd never achieve the commercial or artistic heights he reached with the Smiths, Morrissey nevertheless turned out some excellent music after the Smiths breakup. (One gets the sense that the collaboration between Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, like Lennon and McCartney before them, was one of those rare pairings that quadrupled the sum of its parts.) BONA DRAG brings together material from Morrissey's solo debut, VIVA HATE, and the singles released as he worked on its follow-up, KILL UNCLE.

All the elements of Morrissey's well-known persona are present--his biting, literate wit, his world-weary vocal intonation, and his flair for dramatizing anguish, ennui, and Wildean aestheticism. VIVA HATE's biggest singles are here--the cheeky "Hairdresser on Fire," the lushly beautiful "Everyday Is Like Sunday," and the pop gem "Suedehead." The remaining songs are top-notch, too, especially the sunny, incisive "Interesting Drug" and the shuffling heartbreaker "He Knows I'd Love to See Him." As a representative sampling of Morrissey's best post-Smiths material, BONA DRAG does not disappoint.