Casanova

not really my style. pretty cooky lyrics too

⭐⭐ Svårt att beskriva men ser att en av genrerna som det definieras som är Baroque Pop och det kan nog vara en bra label för att beskriva vad det handlar om. Låtskrivarhantverket är nog bra men för mig är det lite för quirky och jag kommer inte lyssna på det igen så det blir en 2a. Bäst är Something for the weekend, Becoming more like Alfie, Songs of love, The Frog princess

Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope

2,6 Highlights: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie

pretty bad, not my vibe at all

Very surprising album. Opening track was my favorite, but all good stuff here.

super talented song writer but always quirky and sometimes too much going on

Хороший альбом с ярко выраженным британским характером, изящной иронией и симпатичной театральностью. В отличие от Queen, здесь манерность не превращается в чрезмерную помпезность. Однако за приятной эстетикой не находится достаточно запоминающихся композиций, чтобы альбом оставил более сильное впечатление.

Príjemné spestrenie.

Well shoot, I kind of really liked this. At times. And other times I didn't feel much about it one way or the other. But generally speaking, the good tunes are very unique and enjoyable. He never takes himself too seriously which works out well for him, and the instrumentation really lifts this to another level. I get the Blur/Pulp comparisons, but I still think this stands on its own. Funny, at times poignant, and really quite listenable. I'm a lukewarm fan. "Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice Fortune depends on the tone of your voice So sing while you have time" Dang!

Oh, I get it now. The Divine Comedy! It’s supposed to be a journey through hell. Well, sir, bravo.

I have never heard of this band. Perhaps I have heard one of their songs and didn't know it was them? Another true blind listen. "Something for the Weekend": Upbeat. Rolling drums. Nice twist at the end but I will pass on this song - "Becoming More Like Alfie": No doesn't mean yes, it means no. This song is a no for me - "Middle-Class Heroes": Feels like a song from a musical - "In & Out of Paris & London": Boring - "Charge": This one is all over the place. - "Songs of Love": An acoustic song of young love and attraction. Not bad + "The Frog Princess": Music is good but the lyrics sound hateful - "A Woman of the World": A slow crooner builds into a show tune. I kind of like it + "Through a Long & Sleepless Night": Lots of words in this song and I have no words to explain why I don't like it. - "Theme From Casanova": Certainly sounds like a theme song for a 70's or 80's era TV show - "The Dogs & The Horses": A slow-burn about death. It's okay but not a playlist song + Songs added to playlist: Songs of Love, A Woman of the World This album is not one for me. There were a couple songs I liked but the rest is not up my alley. The lead singer's voice was pleasant at times but other times I found it disconnected me from the music. The songs I liked saved this from being a 1 star, so I give it 2 stars.

I didnt think I liked Divine Comedy, but actually I do.

1990's Brit pop....not a fan, but you can defininately hear the influneces of the big BritPop bands of that decade. Giving it a 1 only for the fact that Hannon wrote the theme tune to Father Ted.

I mean if you really wanted to remove an album big dawg…

Not really my thing

Eh

Was this supposed to be funny? It wasn’t, but at times sounded like it was trying to be.

Another band I've never heard of that I ended up really liking. The early tracks on the album sounded like great brit-pop and the last couple sounded almost Danny Elfman gothic.

2.5 - Not terrible, but not something I would come back to either.

3/5. Not too bad, but definitely very showtune-ey. You’d need to be in the mood for it for sure.

I don't think I recognize this artist or any of the tracks by title. So I'm basically going into this blind. Uh, what _is_ this? It sounds like they cranked the Cheese knob all the way up and then broke it off. I don't get this and am not enjoying it. I think I'm hating this more as it goes along. I feel like I should have taken the failure of youtube music to load the link automatically as a sign that this was going to be bad.

This felt like a straight 69 love songs and i loved it

I initially thought that the artist’s name was Casanova, and that went a long way to explain what I was listening to. But alas, I was wrong, and now I’m just a little perplexed. I think for me this was a little too cheese and not enough camp, ultimately meaning that this album missed the mark for me. I feel like there’s probably some real clever stuff here but I don’t care to dig beneath the surface to find it.

unfortunately this style kinda annoyed me. A bit too musical theatre or cabaret esque but without much interest to back it up. But I found a more enjoyable song by him called Tonight We Fly afterwards!

This one started out bad and just got worse. Some of the melodies were fine, I just hated the lyrics

The first thing that came to my mind when I started listening to this, and the only thought I ever had listening to this whole album, is that Casanova by the Divine Comedy is Scott Walker by way of Jack Skellington. Where Walker wielded elaborate baroque pop with restraint and subtle nods, this album seems content to wield theatrical chamber pop with reckless abandon. My main gripe with this album is that, for every genuinely sweet-sounding instrumental or decent vocal performance, there's another song that just bashes me over the head with a scenery chewing show tune, complete with snarky exposition lyrics. The best songs on this album are invariably the baroque pop-styled ones as they seem to be the only ones taken seriously. They're the only ones where the singer sounds like himself rather than some weird David Bowie-meets-Scott Walker-meets-Frank Sinatra-meets Danny Elfman pastiche. The album is kind of hard to describe outside of that. I guess you could consider it baroque pop by way of 90s Britpop, but there isn't anything rocking enough to put it in that category either. A very strange inclusion on this list, but I will admit you won't find much like this anywhere else. If you still have some theatre kid whimsy in you, this album will become your new favourite. Key Tracks: Something for the Weekend, In & Out of Paris & London,The Frog Princess,

Chalk and cheese. I found this strangely compelling without loving it, but on a worse day I think this would have driven me up the wall. Chamber pop is usually always at least an interesting listen, even if it only hits half of the time for me.

It's a weird mix this album. I do generally like the musicality of it, and the upbeat nature of many of the songs, but the actual approach is so weird. There's some personality to them, but they're also pretty weird and creepy as well. It sits in that kind of baroque, cabaret kind of space. Some of the tracks wouldn't be out of place in Rocky Horror. Big shout out to Father Ted and Songs of Love! What an all-timer of a show that is, and this is a lovely track. It's just a shame that we also didn't get a track on here about a lovely horse. I was less enthused the longer this went on. 2.5 rounded up.

Not sure what to make of this guy. Can’t tell if it’s satire, a long lost brother of Jarvis Cocker, or deadly serious.

Irish lads from enniskillen, about an hour north of Cavan

So this turned out to be thought-provoking more than anything else. The thoughts all started with the 2nd track which immediately sounded like a post 1990s Morrissey song - at least lyrically - in terms of delivery, the banal observations, and somewhat contradictory or flat conclusions to line before (i.e. throwing arms around Paris because only stone and steel accept my love). As the album progressed the instances become more obvious and I began to openly wonder if Morrissey - ever in search of his 1980s genius - simple chose to copy this artist for everything he's done since the late 1990s. So is this guy the chicken, the egg, or the chicken again? I've made no effort to research his background or subsequent work - I try to approach these albums on the basis of what I listen to only, on a single day. I am going to grade the album a 3 with an asterisk to come back and revisit when the project ends. 3/5

This was actually a pretty nice album, I left it in the background and it was quite enjoyable and relatively chill. There are songs that are a bit meh but that's okay.

At first I read some of the most popular reviews and I was like "Woah this guy is a creep, like what else could you be saying here no means yes applies" Then I turned on random reviews and learned it is a concept album about a guy and the singer was criticizing him for his actions. Other than that, I don't think the album tells its story very ell and I think it could be better if it was about a different topic and it wasn't a concept album. The songs themselves are very good but it's hard to not be good when you have some of the most skilled up and coming musicians behind you. Nice listen though, nice pop. Highlights: Something for the Weekend and The Frog Princess Honorable mention: Through a Long and Sleepless Night 7/10

I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to get from this one. The album is full of literary and musical references, but it doesn't often take those anywhere interesting. There are some extremely tortured metaphors and some meta themes that come across as annoying rather than clever. I wouldn't have ever reached for this album to put on the list, and I don't expect I'll ever come back to it again. There were some moments I liked, but I think every track had at least a little something that rubbed me the wrong way. Unfortunately this album falls into the fatal combination of boring + annoying + derivative in my opinion. I can see how someone might like it, but that person is not me. I will say I think that I liked the last half of the album more than the beginning (which I strongly disliked), but I'm not going to listen through this again to verify that instinct. Favorite track: "Charge." I'm not sure if this is my actual favorite, but it stuck out as kind of interesting and a good example of the strengths (and weaknesses) of this album. I could also put up with "The Dogs & the Horses."

Really enjoyed

Deze dude ligt mij gewoon echt voor geen ene meter, wat kut. Tbh is het interessanter dan het andere album van 'm op deze lijst, dus geen 1, maar 2 sterren

Geen idee hoe dit verhoudt tot het vorige album van deze gast, maar echt stomverbaasd dat hij nog een keer langs komt. Doe normaal zeg. Klinkt muzikaal niet verschrikkelijk, maar ik kan zo 10 artiesten noemen die erop lijken en een stuk meer te bieden hebben.

I'm not a big fan of satirical, theatrical, songwriting like is found on this album. It's probably why I have a hard time stomaching Scott Walker, who Neil Hannon of Divine Comedy must idolize. That said, I rather enjoyed much of this album with its bawdy, womanizing characters involved in sketchy situations. There are very good arrangements and orchestration. And, hell, it even has the theme song of "Father Ted," the song "Songs of Love." Overall, this album is too clever for its own good and I was ready for it to be over long before it was.

From reading these user reviews, people these days really struggle with media literacy, taking everything at face value, and cant understand that artists can play characters and be tongue in cheek. It is a bit much for me at times with the Scott Walker-esque theatrics, but consistently interesting at least, and some of the arrangements here are great. Also didnt know about the Father Ted connection, cool link and great melody on Songs of Love

Great fun album, not every track lands but love Something For The Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie and Father Ted theme Songs of Love.

C’est comme ça que je m’imagine un musical, y’a un petit truc épique qui me déplaît pas

Vincent Price has traded the haunted mansion for a hotel lounge, and he’s absolutely certain you’ll be joining him upstairs after his set.

Lounge music from the point of view of a toxic male protagonist. I’m hoping this whole project is an example of British “humor”. I need a British person to explain to me how this actually made it to their charts in 1996.

I mean, it's alright, and I genuinely enjoyed the first two tracks, and the massive love ballad 'The Frog Princess' deeper in, a genuinely great track. But again, I ask what's the point of this being here. I don't know much about this guy, but I can't say I'm the biggest fan; he can be way too much, and his wit doesn't feel natural. I think the word I'm looking for to describe this album is "try hard". So many of these songs, be they the closer or, most egregiously, 'The Long and Sleepless Nights', have these bombastic and explosive endings that just sound so cramped and overly animated while obviously trying to be grandiose and climactic. Lyrically, it's decent and a somewhat redeeming factor here; I do like the satirical edge to 'Change', despite the song structure being far too gimmicky and quite frankly annoying. I guess when it comes to the not-so-great obscure UK indie entries from this list, this is probably on the better side. But still, too long and exhausting for my liking, despite the few genuinely great songs here.

This is one of those albums that I genuinely think “why is this on the list”? Because it’s not different or special at all. There’s no way I’d have listened to this when it came out, I suspect it was critically acclaimed because the music press hated Oasis and this is the exact opposite. Casa-NO THANKS.

Why did I have to listen to this

“No means yes”, “Oriental”, and whatever the fuck “Charge” was. And that’s not even to mention the weird chamber music that comprises the second half. Better than the other Divine Comedy album here, but that’s a low bar.

Painful start to finish

Pues tiene 2 de sus canciones favoritas para mí de él y otras dos muy buenas, le daría un 4, pero lo voy a dejar en 3. Me guardo: Something for the weekend, Becoming more like Alfie, Songs of love y The frog prinmcess.

It was different enough to be interesting but I don’t need to hear it again.

One of the most ill-conceived pastiches of chanson and chamber pop styles I think I've heard. And I've heard some bad ones on this list. I'm sure he thinks he's doing something cool and fun and inhabiting a genre in need of some new life. But it's in his head cause this is just some straight garbage with absolutely nothing to latch on to. Utter shite mate.

A few hits (in my world) such as "In & Out of Paris & London", "A Woman of The World" and my favorite "Through A Long & Sleepless Night".. I had an alright time, but this album is not nearly as good as "Absent Friends".. Thank you ❤️

Casanova – The Divine Comedy | 1/10 I’m not going to deny that he has a nice voice, but the music and instrumentals just weren’t for me. Nothing really stood out or caught my attention, and I genuinely didn’t enjoy a single song on the album.

Het eerste album dat ik van deze artiest kreeg had als pluspunt dat het slechts een half uurtje duurde. Deze duurt bijna het dubbele, grof afgerond. En dat is jammer. Een snobalbum voor theaterliefhebbers. Zet dan toch gewoon Bowie aan, als je dit leuk vind. 2 sterren van mij.

Never heard of this band before and didn't recognize any of these songs. It was enjoyable overall. I liked the instrumental suite toward the end.

Well I reached a milestone with this album as it is number 100. I had hoped for a different one to highlight this fact as I had no clue what to expect from this. Never heard of this band or album and don't recognize any of the tracks, so this is totally new to me. Really British, with a singer who sometimes thinks he is Frank Sinatra. I must say some of the tunes are quite catchy and it was fun to hear it for once. A review referred to Scott Walker which I had a few weeks ago also, and indeed I did not think of it myself but can hear the influences. I also thought I heard influences from other genuinely British acts like Elton John, Soft Cell, and even sections in "A Woman of the World" that remind me of Madness. It is an interesting album and nothing like I usually listen to. The sound is quite "crowded" and a lot is happening which probably requires a few more listenings. Some parts, like the track "Charge," are quite over the top I must say. I especially like the trumpet that comes along several times. Turns out they used a massive ensemble for this record featuring a full string section, woodwinds, and brass, which explains why it sounds like a lavish West End stage production come to life. Also quite some xylophone sounds were reaching my ears which I thought makes it a bit cheesy and outdated. Overall, it feels less like a traditional rock album and more like the elaborate soundtrack to a theatrical musical.

He's a great musician and I like how unique his voice is but this got really really annoying towards the end. I'll give it a 2

Rydman-konseptialbumi. Ihan tosi bängeri. Tosi hauskoja tiluja ja matala laulu sopii tosi hyvin poppikohtiinkin. Depeche mode ja morrisey ja tukkarokki ja kaikki hauskat maailmat sulautuu. Mutta pitkäksi käy!!! Lopulta.

Tässä oli paikotellen ihan söpöjäkin hetkiä niinku Songs of Love ja The Frog Princess, mut kokonaisuus tuntu aika venytetyltä ja työläältä. Ei jotenkin napannut mukanaan ja parhaimmillaankin oli musta vaan aivan jees.

Vähän limanen, mut kuulu varmaan teemaan. Parani loppua kohti. Theme From Casanovan myötä olin vakuuttunut että laulu ei oikein isken mulle.

Eiii lähteny. Ihme taidepoppia joka jotenkin vaikutti siltä et yrittää tahalleen kuulostaa ärsyttävältä.

I wonder if anyone has ever formed a band for the sole purpose of being so annoying that people would pay money to punch them in the face so that they could make a living just off getting punched in the face and I wonder if The Divine Comedy is that band and I wonder what they charge?

Overall Rating - 1.59/5 (3.18/10). If this album were released today, I'd call it "Music For the Cornell Seven." The lyrics make my skin crawl and the cover makes me want to cover my beverage, and I'm the only person in my house. Penalty for the super creepy, cover your drink even if you're alone feel of the album cover.

Seems like a good band, this one falls short of a 5 but I can definitely listen to more of this band. 4/5

An ambitious bedroom musical loosely based on the writings of Giacomo Casanova, depicting the idiosyncrasies of the modern man with a pinch of irony. On paper this album sounds amazing, and there are elements I enjoyed. There were some genuine moments that made me laugh - like the reveal in “Something for the Weekend” that the garden shed contained an ambush, the later reference to that moment in “Charge”, or the intro to “Songs of Love”. I also enjoyed the instrumentation, vocal performance, musical variety and catchy melodies. At its strongest moments "Casanova" feels grand and flamboyant, like a Broadway musical. Still, the album failed to grab me. I didn’t like the songwriting. Lines like “I met a girl, she was a frog princess, and yes I regret it now - but how was I to know that one kiss could turn a frog into a cow?” try to be tongue-in-cheek and poetic, but mostly feel like the written output of a middle schooler. “Through a Long and Sleepless Night” is a barrage of simple A/B rhymes. There were a few clever lines, but they were the exception rather than the rule. While there is variety, most forays into different genres don’t really pan out. The metal aesthetic in “Charge” feels like a barking Chihuahua. Given the topic of the song that might have been intentional, but I found it grating, almost annoying. My main gripe is that most of the songs try to shine an ironic light on the modern man, but at times end up reinforcing old-school gender stereotypes: men want to bang, men want to fight, men get tricked by beautiful women and don’t like successful ones. I have trouble vibing with this; not because it isn’t true, but because we need to abandon this narrative, not enforce it. In defence of the album, I think it’s a victim of its time. In the early 2000s the stereotypical womaniser still had some intrigue; but 2026 is the age of the incels. Ultimately I like what the album is going for and think it’s solid from a musical standpoint, but the songwriting and lyrics are not for me. A decent to strong 2.

If there was an album by The Beautiful South where they learned how to boogie, here is that album. Lyrically sharp and delightfully dramatic, Casanova is worth multiple listens, with or without the feather boa.

This was a welcome change of pace in my journey. Although the songs can get a bit loud, sometimes becoming distracting, the nihilistic joy contained within still came through. The album walks the thin line between dire seriousness and childlike amusement, inviting the listener to laugh about the tragedies of life. Personally, the atmosphere was additionally helped by the thick accent, which added a layer of comedy. I can find little fault with this album, but it didn't have me rolling on the floor either. Yet I find that this is actually an advantage if it is played in the company of others, as it is amusing enough to be entertaining but not too invasive to ruin the atmosphere. Best songs are Middle-Class Heroes and The Frog Priness. 8/10, a welcome piece of dry humor.

I didn’t really enjoy this. National Express being overplayed in the 90s did it for me with most of The Divine Comedy tracks/albums/back catalogue.

Marvellous.

my god this is completely unlistenable lol. I muscled through but this is just the dregs of 90s britpop. listen to Edwyn Collins or something.

Fine enough, but I didn’t finish it.

Hated the voice and the singer. that was just bad. almost deserving of a 1.

Never heard of this before —- and probably won’t go back. But I didn’t mind it as some new background music. 3

Faded into the background and disappeared from my brain entirely. 5/10 Decent

Better than the other Divine Comedy album on here but still not great. Would recommend to fans of musical theater maybe? Favorite track is "A Woman of the World" just because of those sweet horns. Favorite track: A Woman of the World

Buttery voice singing about sex over a great backing with some horns to back it up? Good for me. The frog princess song was great.

I thought it was Interesting

I thought the Divine Comedy wasn’t going to make it to Paradise, but then The Frog Princess came on 🌅

This guy seems to really enjoy making songs and music.

I hate the open. This sounds like advanced elevator music. Like someone took Girl from Ipanema and decided to try and turn it into a generic indie rock album, but only succeeded in stripping away the beauty. I feel sick, get this shit outta here! 1/5.

Quirky. 🤔

At first it was a bit jaring, what the hell is that ? I was perplexed by the cookiness, and that often is a double edged sword, it can be good absurdity, or a terrible waste of time. As it unfolds, realizing it's a comedy album, I sat on my fence. While I don't vibe with it all that much, and the songs are long and the whole album feels too scattered, I do think it succeeded in what it tried to do. It is the sleazy older man soundtrack, the Casanova, going through hell and meeting different people like in the divine comedy. It is more clever than it appears, it has a concept, references, tries to parody and successfully shocks. Do I need it in my life, not really, but I understand and respect the swing.

Why do we need more of Dollar Tree Scott Walker?

Did not need this one.

Sounds like a frank zappa bossanova record.

Ireland, blink twice if England made you produce this album. 🤮

#271 Heard Before? Yes. It's not my favorite Divine Comedy album, so only a couple of times. Notes: - it's tricky because the overstuffed arrangements are my favorite part of the album, but they tend to drown out the vocals and distract from the songwriting. - "Frog Princess" has everything I've ever wanted from Neil Hannon. So snarky it turns on itself and becomes genuine. Verdict: His most popular album for a reason. Boldly silly, painfully clever, loads of genre play and goofy references. Listen Again? Probably not, although the "Theme" (if not the whole album) really is the best starting point for his discography.

One of these songs used the same preset sound on keyboards that’s used in Mario 64’s Dire Dire Docks.

through a long and sleepless night is highkey the standout to me . nikola vidmar manic dysphoria at 3 am moments . poor thing

will wood listened to this but i can't prove it

Why does he sound like Jerry from Rick and Morty?

Мне прям очень зашел, один из моих любимых альбомов которые пока что попадались 🔥

Hipster cringe. Not even the association with Father Ted can really save it.

Pretentious pish

Sooooo boring.

David Bowie meets 90’s Brit Pop. This feels so pompous bro wtf is this. There’s a comedic element to it, and quite honestly I can’t tell if that’s by design or not. Super cheesy loungey esque music. What the fuck is “a woman of the world” man. It’s like if Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond and some pervert had a baby. Nothing stands out as fun for me here. I’d say the one song I came remotely close to enjoying was in & out of Paris & London.

Bowie called and he loved this. Woah I wanna give this another listen immediately. It’s so unique and a fresh piece of art. It mixes so much of what we have heard in the past with what more is to come, I hear the 2010 indie influence too. I wanna give this another listen soon because it’s just way too theatrical

What an album! A couple of commercial successes that were recognisable but the rest were a joyous orchestral discovery that really showcases Neil Hannons versatility and talent. The tilt of the male interest is a little uncomfortable at times but remembering that the outcome is not good for them and that this is parody helps ease that and the musicality more than makes up for any unease.

What a weird first 15 second to the album. Who wants to open an album like that ? It just some overproduced 90's cheese. Not very good. Aa far as 90's baroque pop/chamber pop goes you could have picked many albums like Elliott Smith's "XO"(well I guess they picked figure 8, wich is weird because XO is better ,anyway) ,but this is like not it. I usualy dont like male vocalist with low voice and this guy isnt a exeption. And the songs are all similar, wich is usualy not the worst thing exept when your album is bad. It makes the whole thing feel so much longuer than 50 minutes. "Charge" is probably the most dogshit song ive heard all week.