Casanova

Charge is very interesting! :) Overall style is wacky - some reminds me a tiny bit of Mr. Bungle, some of Roxy and other bands. The Dogs & the Horses was great. Great overall - great discovery - thanks!

This is fantastic. Great music, smart-are delivery. Brilliant songwriting. A fantastic find.

Loved it. Reminds me of flaming lips in some way. A true concept album that knows how to have fun while not taking itself too seriously. Solid pallet of instrumentation. A theatrical singing style that doesn’t get old.

Originell und abwechslungsreich

Divine indeed

That was a surprinsingly pleasurable album, very nice songs!

I'm pretty sure I'll say very similar things to the other Divine Comedy album in this list but I can't help but love this. The theatre of it all tickles me big time. The show tune voice, wacky but mysterious story lines. Some unexpected lapses into falsetto. He's definitely in on the joke (as proven by the closing credit track).

As soon as Something for the Weekend kicked in I knew I was in for a treat. I vaguely knew of this band but have never spent any time with it and really enjoyed this album. Fave tracks, The Frog Princess and A Woman of the World.

Standouts: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, (Everything!) Singles: -------------------------------------- Something for the Weekend (#14 UK) Becoming More Like Alfie The Frog Princess 4.5/5

love love love this. Constantly amazed when I listen to the DC that they're not super mainstream and listened to all over the world. Just joyous music delivered with a wink and a nod and not to be taken too seriously.

"And I see naked bodies twist and turn on the futon of dreams fulfilled" "I'd rather die than be deprived Of Wonderbras and thunder thighs. This album is perfectly smarmy and just the right amount of creepy. It exemplifies its title perfectly. Neil Hannon's voice is glorious amongst the strings and horns and harpsichord. I love it!

I can’t recall ever hearing of this group before, but I LOVE the modern lounge style and vocals. It feels like neo-60s English pop music and I love it! Orchestral, quirky, over-the-top musical shenanigans that I’m here for! It was no surprise to discover that this band was inspired by Scott Walker. I love this!

One of my favourites.

Cheeky and entertaining chamber pop. Tea Father?

Based on the Wikipedia description, I really didn't expect to enjoy this album particularly much. But it ended up hitting all the sweet spots and I listened to it twice in a row. It boasts a lot of variety with very nice vocal performances and instrumentation that seems simple, but is rock solid and reveals depth on closer listening. I also quite enjoyed the lyrics' wit and humor - although there are a couple of lines that are a bit... let's say 'outdated' in terms of communication of consent versus 'playing coy'.

Really enjoyed this album - definitely needs to be listened to in order - Cheeky, sexual lyrics delivered in a smooth Lounge style, almost Roger Moore James Bond like. Tongue in cheek, but also witty. I had liked the singles that I had heard previously from Devine Comedy, but never delved any deeper into albums and this was a really good listen

dude that was actually really cool shit man, I loved every song and listening to it the second time, you can really appreciate the layers of everything, catchy melodies and whatnot it’s also funny just how clearly influential Scott Walker was for this album at least yeah I really enjoyed the fuck out of that 10/10

Wow. Los conocía de tiempo pero nunca los había escuchado. Muy grata sorpresa. Grandes baladas en un disco conceptual dedicado a Casanova. Absurdísimo, divertido, romántico. Muy bueno.

Oh hell yes! I absolutely adore The Divine Comedy. I don't even have to listen to it today to know that this is a work of genius. Hannon's voice is sublime. I'd rather die than be deprived of Wonderbras and thunder thighs.

this is amazing. Its this weird sexual ballad fusion

Father Ted theme for some reason

I think I really need to explore chamber pop as a genre. Every time one of the albums I have listened to here with that descriptor has been intriguing to me. This is no exception. There's just something about the melodrama and big feeling of the strings / orchestral instrumentation / divergence from verse-chorus-verse-bridge song structure I'm into, I think. The last two tracks on this album bring it from a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐.51. I hate doing fractional ratings that wind up the same as a full star, but such is the rating system here. ⭐⭐⭐.51

Great

La verdad me gusto mucho en album, al principio no me gustaba casi nada pero conforme avanzaba mas me gustaba, tiene buen sonido, me gusta la produccion

I somehow had no awareness of this album, so had no idea what to expect. The ratings are really low so I was somewhat dreading it. Turns out, it was a pleasant surprise. Comedic (sometimes actually funny), interesting, varied... and although tongue in cheek, an actually solid vocal/musical performance. Granted it did score some free points in my book for having prominent brass in several tracks. Also the Father Ted theme?!? Some tracks are pretty typical brit pop, some tracks sound like they're part of a stage show... it's definitely a bit all over the place. Probably one of the biggest negatives for me was the weird intros to some of the tracks. Honestly though, I actually quite liked it. Surprise 4. Favourite tracks: "Songs of Love", "Become More Like Alfie"

Somebody else said it best, that this album is like if David Bowie wrote a musical theatre album, but all the songs got jumbled out of order. They said it wasn't their speed, but it IS mine. So.... 4 stars.

Firstly, to all the quarter-witted Americans in the reviews hating this just because it's BRITISH...The Divine Comedy are an IRISH band. There is a difference, you know. Anyway, love the references to Cold Comfort Farm and the general Carry On brand of comedy. Possibly not aged well in parts, but it would have been taken in the spirit intended at the time. Indeed, The Divine Comedy had a huge number of young female fans when this came out. There's a massive difference between Neil Hannon's attitude towards women and someone like Dr Octagon. The former is a rascal who will pursue you, but to whom you can say no and he'll accept that. Not so sure about Dr Octagon. Anyway, how The Divine Comedy got two albums on this list is a bit of a mystery, but as I said, they were popular at the time and it was good to hear this again.

I have to say this album's strange charm really grew on me. I appreciated how unapologetically weird this thing is. Great voice, wish he talked less and sang more but oh well. Enjoyed this one!

Back to back divine comedies. This one was better than the last

I love the Divine Comedy, Neil Hannon is in my top lyricists of all time. This album is full of great songs and ideas. Slightly weaker in the second half before the end, but still a fab collection of tunes.

Surprisingly good, wow.

It's been about a year and a half since I listened to A Short Album About Love, and I remember enjoying how many jokes Neil Hannon could pen for a sweeping love-themed orchestral pop album. To no surprise, the preceding Divine Comedy record, Casanova, is also a joke-filled orchestral pop affair, largely themed around sex. Whether it's the sexual advance of the narrator leading to his getting beaten and robbed on "Something for the Weekend", the struggles with love for the womanizer on "Becoming More Like Alfie", the ludicrous wartime analogies of "Charge", the sexual plight of the adolescent male on "Songs of Love", or the flip on a fairy tale story with "The Frog Princess", Neil Hannon breaks out one quip after another with a schmaltzy delivery, while providing the orchestral arrangements himself alongside co-producer and drummer Darren Allison. Neil certainly presented a cross between Scott Walker, sexual deviant, and pure theater kid energy. Why else would he include an end credits song in "Theme from Casanova", if not to play into the camp of it all? Much like with A Short Album About Love, the humor is very subjective, and not every line's gonna land well, such as with the reliance on a few French stereotypes on "The Frog Princess". Plus, the album ends on a completely different note from the other songs, as "The Dogs & the Horses" is a rather melodramatic musing on death, accompanied by a large orchestral ensemble. I certainly liked it, but it did feel incongruent with the sexual nature of the preceding record. At the end of the day, Casanova is another witty album from The Divine Comedy that I wound up enjoying.

Intelligent funny pop crooning

This is just delightful Ignore the reviews where irony and humour have bypassed the listener. Its only getting a 4 cos its not the best DC album.

The sort of tunes I might enjoy if I was holding up a sign saying "Down with this sort of thing"

Pretty decent. Maybe not something I would go back too often, but its theatricality is fun and engaging

Lovely.

So I made a joke the second I saw the genres that this was "reheating Scott Walker's nachos". It actually was. Also this album is ungodly horny; unable to decide whether or not that's a benefit. This is so UK-coded it's not even funny. "Songs of Love" sounds like Sufjan. Pretty cool.

One of the best works I've listened from this collection

Very unique sound that combines many genres from pop to rock to thetrical

I enjoyed this one much more than A Short Album About Love, so because I gave that one a 3, this one gets a 4. There's a lot to like, but its far from perfect, and a lot of cringe lyrics. But because I'm willing to listen to this again, I will stand by the 4 I give it

Interesante, me gustó. Diferente a lo que escucho, parece una peli

# In-Depth Review: *Casanova* by The Divine Comedy (1996) Released on 29 April 1996, *Casanova* is the fourth studio album by The Divine Comedy and remains the band's most commercially successful record. It arrived at the height of Britpop yet stood apart from the guitar-driven, lad-rock orthodoxy of the era, offering instead a theatrical, orchestral pop experience centred on the persona of an unscrupulous, foppish lothario. --- ## Lyrics & Themes The album is a concept record built around sex, death, and the absurdities of male desire. Neil Hannon adopts the character of a louche, upper-crust womaniser—part Casanova, part Terry-Thomas cad—whose exploits are rendered with gleeful self-awareness and dark humour. **Sex and Seduction:** Nearly every song circles around carnal pursuit. On "Something for the Weekend," the protagonist lures a woman into an affair while hiding his marital status. "Becoming More Like Alfie" flirts with dubious consent ("Everybody knows that no means yes / Just like glasses come free on the NHS") . "In & Out of Paris & London" pushes the Carry On-style innuendo to smutty extremes, subverting the Hokey-Cokey for comic effect . **Death and Mortality:** Beneath the bawdy surface lies a preoccupation with mortality. Seven of the eleven tracks contain explicit or allusive references to death . "Charge" treats trench warfare as a sexual metaphor, with Hannon alternating between falsetto and a Barry White-esque baritone to deliver lines like "Baby, baby, gonna set your village on fire" . The closing track, "The Dogs & the Horses," offers a deathbed vision of pets escorting the narrator to the afterlife—a moment of unexpected tenderness and redemption after an album of sleaze . **Class and Character:** "Middle-Class Heroes" skewers bourgeois mediocrity with psychic-reader theatrics, while "The Frog Princess" ("I don't love anybody / That stuff is just a waste of time") candidly admits emotional emptiness . Even "Songs of Love"—the gentle, pastoral track familiar to millions as the *Father Ted* theme—hides darker undertones about roaming the streets "looking for prey" . **Drag and Gender Performance:** "Through a Long & Sleepless Night" is sung from the perspective of a drag queen lamenting that she will "always be the bridegroom but never the bride." The line "I'd rather die than be deprived / Of Wonderbras and thunder thighs" was famously misread by *Rolling Stone* as "plain-spoken lust" rather than the character-driven pathos Hannon intended . --- ## Music & Production Musically, *Casanova* represents Hannon's move toward a "more straightforward pop tone" while retaining the orchestral ambition of his earlier work . **Orchestral Arrangements:** The album is rich with brass, marimba, harpsichord, and sweeping strings. Joby Talbot's orchestrations—particularly on "The Dogs & the Horses," recorded at Abbey Road Studios—evoke the baroque pop of Scott Walker's first four solo albums . "Middle-Class Heroes" could sit comfortably on *Scott 2* with its rubbery brass and wide-spanning instrumentation . **Genre Fusion:** The record blends 1960s lounge-pop, music-hall vaudeville, chamber pop, and neo-swing. "Becoming More Like Alfie" channels slick 60s swing with a glistening harpsichord and a surprising country-tinged guitar solo . "Charge" pairs marching drums with air-raid sirens and spiralling orchestral chaos . "The Frog Princess" deploys squelchy synths alongside brass riffing on the French national anthem . **Vocal Performance:** Hannon's delivery is theatrical and shape-shifting—by turns he channels Frank Sinatra, Jim Morrison, Scott Walker, and Barry White. On "Through a Long & Sleepless Night," he snarls and screams through a post-rock/Britpop climax that stands as the album's heaviest moment . **Production:** Co-produced by Darren Allison and Hannon, the album had the longest recording period and highest budget of any Divine Comedy record to that point, funded by the unexpected success of Edwyn Collins' "A Girl Like You" on the Setanta label . Hannon performed the majority of instrumental parts himself, giving the record a unified, auteurist vision. --- ## Influence & Legacy **Scott Walker Connection:** The album is perhaps the most explicit example of Hannon's lifelong devotion to Scott Walker. The title "Through a Long & Sleepless Night" is borrowed directly from Walker's debut solo album, and the chamber-pop grandeur of "The Dogs & the Horses" serves as a love letter to Walker's early baroque period . For fans of Walker, *Casanova* functions almost as a spiritual continuation—a "90s version of Jackie" that carries the torch for orchestral pop narrative . **Britpop Context:** Though often lumped in with Britpop due to its 1996 release and commercial success (two UK Top 20 singles, gold certification), *Casanova* actively resisted the movement's guitar-centric, laddish aesthetics . Where Oasis celebrated cigarettes and alcohol, Hannon offered camp innuendo and orchestral suites. The album's very existence—foppish, literary, and European in sensibility—was a quiet rebuke to Cool Britannia . **Cultural Permeation:** "Songs of Love" transcended the album to become a cultural touchstone via *Father Ted*, introducing The Divine Comedy to a mainstream audience. The track was actually Hannon's second attempt at a theme for the show; his first, brasher effort became "A Woman of the World" . **Later Influence:** The album's theatricality and wit can be heard in the work of artists like Pulp, Belle & Sebastian, and even Kaiser Chiefs (whose 2014 track "Cannons" bears the clear imprint of "Charge") . Hannon's later career scoring films like *Wonka* (2023) can be traced back to the musical-theatre instincts on full display here . --- ## Pros - **Lyrical Wit:** Hannon's couplets are razor-sharp—simultaneously hilarious, disturbing, and poignant. The album demands intellectual engagement. - **Orchestral Richness:** The arrangements by Joby Talbot and Hannon are lush, detailed, and timeless, elevating the material far beyond standard indie-pop. - **Character Consistency:** The Casanova persona is maintained with discipline across the album, creating a genuine narrative arc from lechery to deathbed redemption. - **Vocal Range:** Hannon's chameleonic voice keeps each track distinct, whether crooning like Sinatra or snarling like Walker. - **Commercial Accessibility:** Despite its complexity, the album produced genuine pop hooks and hits, making it an ideal entry point for newcomers. - **Emotional Depth:** Beneath the camp and innuendo lies genuine melancholy—particularly in "The Dogs & the Horses" and "Songs of Love." --- ## Cons - **Persona Fatigue:** The unrelenting sleaze of the central character can become one-dimensional over a full album. Some listeners find the "cheeky chappy" act wearing by the final tracks . - **Tone Inconsistencies:** Tracks like "Charge" and "Theme from Casanova" occasionally tip from knowing archness into outright novelty, threatening to undermine the album's sophistication . - **Pacing Issues:** At times the album feels overlong; a trim of ten minutes might have tightened the narrative without losing impact . - **Dated Sensibilities:** Lines like "no means yes" and the general predatory male gaze, however ironic or character-driven, have aged poorly for some modern listeners and can read as uncomfortable rather than transgressive . - **Smugness:** Critics occasionally note a sense of self-satisfaction in Hannon's delivery—the feeling that he is "not quite as clever as he thinks he is" . --- ## Verdict *Casanova* is a singular achievement in 1990s British pop—a record that managed to be simultaneously a commercial breakthrough and an artistic outlier. It is an album of contradictions: bawdy yet beautiful, camp yet sincere, rooted in the past yet unmistakably of its moment. Neil Hannon's creation of the Casanova persona allowed him to explore the grubby, self-serving realities of male desire without ever letting the listener forget that the joke is, in part, on the narrator himself. Thirty years on, it remains a testament to what happens when wit, orchestration, and theatrical ambition collide—and proof that Britpop's most interesting moments often happened far from the mainstream fray.

Some of the vocal performances reminded me of the vocals on ‘Ants From Up There’ by Black Country, New Road. The first two tracks in particular I really enjoyed. This was fun listen with very ‘large’ vocal performances.

Very similar to our other album by him, and once again, I really enjoyed it. Again, no idea when or if I'll listen to it again, but a really delightful experience

I enjoy this project. It's a fun, campy romp. This album specifically makes me think I'm listening to some britpop version of a Donald Fagen record.

não ironicamente eu ADOREI a teatralidade. acho que conseguiu o objetivo de ser um álbum propositalmente "cringe" (o nome é literalmente casanova né amores) e combinar com instrumentais, técnicas e ritmos muito interessantes. talvez eu não pegue tão cedo de novo para ouvir de cabo a rabo, mas eu vou dar 4 porque achei que ele se compromete e é fiel com a proposta e eu adoro coisas divertidas, a vida é curta demais pra não abraçar a vergonha alheia!!!!

Within a few seconds of the start i'm transported back to the mid 90s. It's so British - "like glasses comfy on the NHS" is such a great line. At it's best the lyrics are just outstanding and witty. Dispationately there are some lulls on the album. But the nostalgia in me can't help but rate it higher

Melodic horniness. Lots of great tracks on this and their other albums.

Interesting and unique

I don’t think I’ll revisit this, but I enjoyed this

Very theatrical, which in the past I did not enjoy much but has been growing on me the last few years. Like their other album from the project, I really enjoyed the listen and am surprised how low the global average is (I’m typically fairly close). 3.5/5

Sexerligt, lusterligt och alldeles, alldeles underbart. Vilken upptäckt! Stumt att gå in och köra 100 % pranksång. Fina arrangemang, orkester och det händer något hela tiden. Mycket bra lyssning. Är typ sugen på att ge en femma, men får bli en väldigt stark fyra. Kommer lyssna mer.

spännande, aldrig hört talas om!

See Devo? Songs about sex don’t have to be grating on the ears. Album very much gives theatre kid x Halloween x Numberjacks sonically (and that is a compliment) Stand out tracks: Becoming More Like Alfie, Charge, A Woman of the World, Theme from Cassanova, The Dogs and the Horses

Holy creativiteit zo diverse very noice 4.5

Like listening to a play

You know what, I really enjoyed this. Is it kinda silly? Sure! Is it also funny and different? Yes!

The divine comedy: Casanova Production was very interesting, not boring at all despite the reviews. This album really feels like it goes on a journey from a happy tone to a much more dramatic and intense second half. Something for the Weekend: 4.2 Becoming more like alfie: 4 Middle Class Heros: 4.4 In&out of paris and london: 3.75 Charge: 4 Songs of love: 4.1 Frog princess:4 A women of this world: 4.3 Through a long & sleepness night: 4.4 Theme of casanova: 4.2 beautiful orcheastral piece The dogs & the horses: 4.2 Avg 4.14

How did I miss this in the 90s? Great storytelling, Zappaesque even.

Neil Hannon is genuinely my favourite songwriter. Something for the weekend is a belter, it should have had the plaudits some of Pulp, Supergrass, and Blur songs had, and it's a thousand times better than tripe like Wonderwall if we're talking iconic Britpop defining bops. Alfie is a jaunty little number, and a nice nod to the movie and male ego and all that. Some of the songs in the middle of the album don't hold up as well as others, but they do maintain the wit, the bouncy, rollicking momentum, while unpacking awkward romantic endeavors throughout. Songs Of Love is a masterpiece of stringing phrases together, "pale pubescent beasts" and "young uniformed minds, in uniformed lines, and uniformed ties, run round with trousers on fire", it's so good! It sounds absolutely divine, so much so, it became woven into the world of the equally superb Father Ted. Frog Princess is a fantastic tale of an attraction that has quickly diminished, and the reflection and inward searching people go through after such an affair. It's big and brash, it's a really funny, boastful confession and something I've had on repeat for 20 years.

What da bloody blemeing hell is this album gonna be? I'm pretty sure I took a scroll through all the Britpop albums a while back, and I don't recall seeing this album in the mix. Were I to take a guess, I'm expecting a by-the-numbers 90s alt rock album. Something British, too - I forgot to mention that earlier. Man, what the fuck. I mean that with a positive connotation for a change. Opening your album with awkward crooning, children's laughter, glorious strings and some great electronic tones is a pretty great and funny way of opening your album. This is just a British Shibuya-kei album. It has the mellow songwriting. It has the jazz/lounge influence. The vocals sound straight out of Katamari - they're particularly reminiscent of "Katamari on the Swing". The only thing really undercutting my comparison is the occasional raw, aggressive guitar riff. This is riiiiight up my alley. It's been too long since one of these album doohickeys clicked with me, lemme tell ya. The instrumentals have a great sound to them. Very string-centered, with some welcome appearances from some of my other favourite instruments, namely the trumpet and harpsichord. The vocals aren't particularly outstanding to me, but I still appreciate them. I like the gentlemanly charisma that is captured within them. I wasn't paying too much attention to the lyrics as I was busy smashing out this review, but I liked what I heard. They're my kind of tongue-and-cheek, especially on "The Frog Princess". If I am to criticise, the album is let down a little by its lengthy runtime. "Through a Long & Sleepless Night" also doesn't measure up to its six-minute duration. The rest of this album was some nice, feel-good fun, however. I feel like I'm hearing the comedic exploits of a gentleman thief while I'm listening to this album. Book time. The band's finest hour. Strange lyrics. The entry talks a lot about this album being a modern revival of some Alfie character. They're talking about a British comedy film about a womanising, narcissistic young man, apparently. It's disappointing that there isn't much of note in this entry, but I don't need much persuading. I wrote a review of "A Grand Don't Come Free" ahead of its appearance on my list today, where I recounted a time where my Dad played "Fit, But You Know It" for me in his car. Given my previous experience of having heard Ian Dury's "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" through my father, I concluded that the exact kind of person who likes weird British shit is my father. It's funny and kind of fortuitous that I happen upon some weird British shit of my own today. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess. I cosign this inclusion.

Tvær stjörnur við fyrstu hlustun (í heyrnartólum, hjólandi). Fjórar stjörnur eftir ca. sex, og rúmar meira að segja. Skemmtilega tilgerðarlegt og stundum afar töff. Stundum fyndið, oft dramatískt, alltaf leikhúslegt á góðan hátt. Minnir mig smá á Richard Harris, á besta mögulega hátt.

Like a 90's Geordie Greep, loved it. Easy 4

Divertido album, aunque me dejó un poco intrigada. Volveré a él.

This album is from an Irish group (actually pretty much one guy), and a group that I never heard of until now. Apparently they are well known around the UK. Most of the music reminds me of the type of music in a Broadway show. Although the record seems a bit juvenile, the lyrics are clever and the music is decent. I’m tempted to give this one four stars because it is unusual.

3.5/5

3.5

Wild ride

This was an interesting album - pretty good. He's a very creative lyricist.

Not bad at all!

Something of a latter-day Scott Walker, with highly orchestrated, and slightly melodramatic, pop with a classic baritone crooner. It can come across as jarringly cheesy or retro on first listen, but if you let it wash over you the terrific pop songwriting comes to the fore. A first listen of the Divine Comedy for me, and I look forward to exploring more of their/his catalog.

Unique, quite lovely really

I enjoyed this

One of their best

This sounds like a parody of a cheesy, pervy lounge singer singing to a backdrop of eclectic well played music. I shouldn't like this, but somehow it works for me.

A fairly enjoyable album, helped immensely by the nostalgia of Father Ted

I don’t really see why he needed two albums here but they’re both decent

Corny and full of cheese, but also kind of brilliant. I was never bored and they definitely won me over by the end.

better than i expected!!!

Great listen

I enjoyed this especially the father ted song and the one about the charge of the light brigade, it was a jolly and upbeat but interesting album. I really liked the sound and need to listen to it again

groovy or something I like the part where he started describing the album in great detail, hot

I'd never heard of The Divine Comedy before, but I thought this was rather good. Very corny but lots of good tunes with a great sound. I immediately recognised Songs of Love from Father Ted, and turns out this guy wrote My Lovely Horse too! If that was on the album, I would've immediately given it a 5.

Most lyrics, even by the most amazing lyricists/poets, just completely pass me by. I mainly listen to music for melodies and rhythms. But Neil makes me listen to what he has to say. Only maybe Joni Mitchell so far on my list has had this ability. The music is cool as well but he is truly one of a kind and this was great.

Love his artsy stuff

Enjoyed this one

Maneirissimo, bom jazz me senti no Sopranos lowkey :)

So yeah, I'm puzzling over this too, a whole over-the-top album about cheezy sleezy loungey lechery? Then Martine comes home and sez "Is this The Divine Comedy??" Sez her and some friends stumbled on them in their early 20's, and pulls up 6 songs in a row from various albums. Apparently every album has a different concept and persona, so imagine the fun ahead? I'm kinda loving his commitment, amazed a record company would stick with this. Call me Divine Comedy curious.

I was entertained by this album.

Great album

Love how gloriously camp this is. And a quirky time signature!

I have three very definite memories of Casanova before listening to it proper. 1. Asking Noel, the manager of Games Workshop, what this odd, galloping, whooshing song was that was playing in the background of some orc battle. It was Something for the Weekend. 2. Paul Feeney sidling up to me, during lunch, handing me a headphone and saying "listen to this." A Woman of the World, followed by My Girl by Smokey Robinson, was the template for the various projects we would produce over the coming years. 3. Friday nights in the O'Reilly's living room watching Father Ted. They turned all the lights out, which I thought a little strange. It is a challenge to evaluate Casanova objectively. It is not a phenomenal record, not a masterpiece, not the best Divine Comedy record. The very flappable Neil Hannon is not unflappably cool. Indeed, his archness and clumsy pretentions are only saved from cringiness because they speak to my own clumsy pretensions. There must be something approaching universal in it. That's why it caught my attention in the stupid, geek strategy game store. And that's why it provided the foundation for the music Paul and I would make: expressing our characters without ever expressing our thoughts or feelings.  And this was before I knew that Neil Hannon was Northern Irish. Another lonely oik, hiding from this damp climate by reading books in an upstairs room. If Father Ted felt like absurd Ireland finally visible on TV. The Divine Comedy was something of awkward Northern Ireland on record. The Northern Ireland that was changing. Or I was changing. Or the period between the ceasefires and the Good Friday Agreement just happened to coincide with my coming of age and opening myself up to a world of art outside the rather grim confines of the early nineties. And it's not as good as Promenade. And it's not as good as A Short Album about Love. But I would be lying if I said it wasn't important to me. And it is silly that it is important to me, because there is so much insulation around Hannon's heart. But that insulation is wit and Joby Talbot's orchestration and Neil's ridiculous, but somehow touching voice and the silliness itself. And yet, maybe I feel nothing as keenly as The Dogs and the Horses. 3.5+ Yeeeeeeeeooooooooooo 4/5

I always want to like the Divine Comedy more than I do. There’s something about the whimsy and old-timely-ness that gets too much. Though, coincidentally, I suddenly wanted to listen to the “So Long and Thanks for all the Fish” song from the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy film - sung by Neil Hannon! So input this in and for the first three songs I thought I was going to give it five stars. Then it dropped off a bit, then there was the song which is the Father Ted theme but with lyrics which was the lovely and the rest was a bit meh. So realistically, it should get three stars because the high points were evened out by the low points. But! The extended version of the album has “My Lovely Horse” from Father Ted in it - which is the greatest song ever and any album with that should the get full five stars! So I’ll split the difference and give this, unextebded version 4 (though it’s more like a 3.5)

I like Divine Comedy, I really should listen to more of them. They have just snuck in on the radar with a few bangers, but this album has several more.

Honestly, far better than I anticipated. I judged an album by the cover.

This right here is how you make an album that will stand the test of time more than others that came out of the same scene. I love britpop, don't get me wrong. But the clear influence from so many other scenes and genres while still staying true to the era it came from is the reason this album hold up so well even now.

Enjoyed this one, unexpectedly. Vocals and arrangements were great. Lyrics, sometimes funny, sometimes cringey. A couple tongue-in-cheeky lyrics could be a little rapey, but I can excuse it for the 'comedy' sspect. Another reviewer compared this to Meat Loaf; I don't get that, but to each, her own. Previously listened? N Saved any tracks? N Favorite tracks? The Frog Princess, Becoming More Like Alfie. ⭐⭐⭐⭐. Really liked it

kellemes

korrekt volt szerintem, elhallgatnam a tovabbiakban is s egy lemezen possibly

This is probably not my cup of tea normally, but it was very interesting and I ended up listening to it twice and really appreciating it.

This is great, entertaining and full of great powerful songs. Silly at times in the best way. I hear the Walker influence but I like this more. Something for the Weekend and Becoming More Like Alfie are the standouts to me.

The album plays like a vaudeville show. Easy to listen to.

It slaps and tickles.

i’m a sucker for this big voice, huge production, overly theatrical, pretty weird shit. i always have a great time listening

An enjoyable album. Worth a replay.

Honestly enjoyed it. Quite fun and bright! 4/5.

For some reason, I had never heard a full album by the Divine Comedy before. A mid-90s album by a smart Alec fan of Scott Walker, Bacharach and David and mid-60s orchestrated pop was exactly what I needed. I really enjoyed this.

Good fun

I had no clue what this was and I liked it

I once had a friend who dragged me along to a show by The Divine Comedy, at Gloria, one of the most beautiful venues in Cologne. I hadn't heard anything by them, but was enthralled. Especially the song "Lady Of A Certain Age" is so vividly in my mind, how Neil Hannon sighed '... no, you couldn't be', brushing off a lady's answer to how old she actually is. I got the album with said track ("Victory for the Comic Muse"), and years later, someone recommended "Regeneration", which I played a lot during the pandemic, a Radiohead-ish fever dream of an album, that feels torn between two worlds of indie stardom and Hannon's kitsch-heavy pop of his usual songwriting. That said, I'd never heard "Casanova", and while I could see how this album got The Divine Comedy through the roof, as it certainly was quite unique for the time, I didn't really enjoy it as the other two records I know of them. While I loved the weird, timeless aura around it - it's a record that could've only been made during the height of Britpop, yet it breathes the lushness of a sixties Scott Walker solo record - and love songs like "Something For The Weekend" and the hilarious, yet heartbreakingly sad "Frog Princess", I found a few things that I usually cannot stand in other types of music. There's the greasy spoken word in "Middle Class Heroes" and the self-referential "Theme from Casanova". So, I guess, this won't ever become my favorite Divine Comedy record. But one I still really enjoy.

What a fun and interesting album. I'd never heard of this band/guy before, but will definitely check out more by the same artist. Very good stuff!

Good lad

Enjoyed this, Hannon's voice delivers

Thoroughly enjoyed, something very QOTSA about Neil Gannon's vocal style. Becoming More Like Alfie highlight of the album. Vgvg

this one worked out for me pretty well. Had a few songs I enjoyed a bit Will I listen to again: 66%

Overjoyed to see this gem come up, not least because they have just released a new album (Rainy Sunday Afternoon in 2025), but because it's an old favourite. There's rather annoying shouting (roaring basically) on songs like Charge and Through a Long... but otherwise it's an impeccable enjoyable listen. TDC would only improve from here and had more masterpieces to come in the form of Regeneration, Fin De Siecle and Absent Friends but this continued to pave the way nicely.

A mi na przekór wszystkiemu się podobało. Było teatralnie, musicalowo i britrockowo. Im dalej w płytę tym lepiej. Lubię takie przegięte projekty. 7/10

Back when my group got our first album from The Divine Comedy ('A Short Album About Love'), I ended up only writing 105 words about it. The further condensed version of that review was, essentially, this: "I like this album quite a bit, though mostly because it reminds me a lot of Sparks in places." Over a year later, now looking at my group's second and final The Divine Comedy album (actually the one released immediately before 'A Short Album About Love'), I feel like I could say the exact same thing. Like, it's both a blessing and a curse that this album reminds me as much as it does of Sparks. On the one hand, it's obviously a compliment. I dearly love Sparks, and the lyric writing on this album largely feels like the kind of sardonic, dry British humor you'd find on one of their records (seriously, if you weren't told, you'd might never guess they were American). It does allow me to look over some of the more... Y'know, questionable lines on the album. That bit that's like, "She resisted / I persisted until she said OK?" If I wasn't assuming that the narrator of this song was supposed to be an asshole... But then we flip it over to how the comparison is a curse. Sparks is a very refined, sophisticated band. Whether they're doing glam rock, dance music, or some minimalist chamber pop, you can tell that despite the sardonic humor in their lyrics, they're not a joke and neither is their music. Similar to They Might Be Giants, which I was also reminded of at some point: they write songs with odd lyrics in a way that feels like it's supposed to be comical, but it's obviously not. It's just, y'know... Hand wiggle from FANTASTIC MR. FOX: different. The Divine Comedy comes off as a joke. The orchestrations on this album can be so over-the-top and so overdone, and the guy singing it can sound so incredibly smarmy... It comes off like this is supposed to be a comedy record. Y'know, it feels like a parody, but you're sure as damn shit not sure **what**. As such, you can't really take the lyrics seriously, which leads you to wonder why in the fuck you'd have a line like the one I listed above — or why in the hell that Barry White impersonation is there on "Charge". Seriously, it sounds like Barry White is trying to speak and burp at the same time. Then Prince shows up outta nowhere for a few seconds—! Like, **are** we supposed to be rooting for the narrators of these songs or not? What in the hell is going on? I can only imagine that if you gave these songs to Sparks and allowed them to rearrange them in their style (and maybe let them rewrite some of the lyrics), you'd have a much stronger overall end product. One that maybe doesn't come off as such a directionless spoof of nothing. But at the same time... Y'know, my favorite album of the 70's — the entire 70's — is Meat Loaf's BAT OUT OF HELL. It's an album that, to any reasonable listener, sounds like a parody. The songs are so over the top in their scale, scope and epicness, it feels like they're trying to take the piss of Springsteen's style of songwriting. This album has a nine minute song about a motorcycle crash that takes **seven minutes** to get to the crash! They must be having a laugh, right? And yet, specifically because of the Wagnerian scope of the album, taking 50's teen-age rock n' roll songs and blowing them up to sound as big as they probably did to the kids back then, I love that album. I do truly love me some over-the-top, epic, near-parodic material sometimes. BAT OUT OF HELL falls into that category — "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" does, too, and is my go-to example for my love of over-production — and so does this album as well. I have my faults with it. I do believe it might've been a better record in the hands of other artists. But damn it, I still enjoyed the hell out of my time with this thing. All of the overblown lounge orchestrations — yes, please. Inject it into my veins; gimme that shit all day. It's silly with how big it goes, but damn it, that's the appeal. That's what I'd maybe honestly come **back** to this thing for. It's 51 minutes, and yet I was never not engaged with it — that's a feat, believe you me. I can't give this album a 5 in good faith. There's just a moment too many that holds it back from me claiming it's a "deep in my soul" album or a "damn it, it just deserves it" album. But it still remains a **high** 4. I understand what people's problems with this would be, absolutely. Even **I** had to wonder at some points if it was getting too big for itself. But of course the comedy of it all is that, like I said, I'd still give this thing a revisit, even over albums that are far more restrained and easier to take seriously. I just really dig it. And I doubt I'll be able to convince anyone else to like it like I do... But, eh: so goes life. So, I suppose the short for this review would be "I like this album quite a lot, and not just because it reminds me of Sparks in places." It simply has more to offer me than that. Though it really does remind me of Sparks a lot. Seriously, let Ron Mael sing this album. It'd no doubt be better than this guy's Bublé Bowie sorta thing...

A bit weird, this one, but I still think it's good. Solid 4 Stars.

What the heck am I listening to? It really feels like the result of the puppet Dracula rock opera that Jason Segel's character was working on in Forgetting Sarah Marshall....except every scene is an uncomfortable sex scene. Although I do like Middle-Class Heroes where it starts off being a fedora tipping weirdo and then basically predicts that the girl is just going to be a complete loser after finishing school, popping out kids and not really doing anything; which of course, is a commentary on the struggling middle class in general. The album grows on me the more I listen to it. I can see why Neil Hannon has been involved in TV and musicals because he's a good storyteller and writer in a way that translates well to visual media. The orchestral addition to the album really adds to the fantasy, which is what makes it feel like a rock opera. Through a Long & Sleepless Night has great imagery and captures the depraved insanity of this insomniac........then the transition into the Casanova Theme which is just pleasant and reminds me of the MASH theme song for some reason. I dunno, there's something about this album that I really enjoy and is similar to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust in that it's such a visual album that it would be great on stage. I think it's easy to get the wrong impression about this album and the lyrics because you're hearing snippets that are quite.......questionable; but the actual song

4/5. This band has a weird effect on my listening experience. When I started this album, it sounded like your generic Britpop from the 90s record and then it goes into some of the most beautiful orchestral pieces I've heard in pop ever. This sounds exactly like black midi, with the vocal intonations as well. I very much enjoyed this, in a weird way, just as with the other Divine Comedy album on here. They really influenced the indie prog scene, with changing rhythms and spoken staccato vocals. Best Song: The Frog Princess, Songs of Love, Through a Long & Sleepless Night, Becoming More Like Alfie

surprisingly really good actually

Very 90s. Smashmouth-esque voiced by Lord farquad. Quirky yet strangely alluring.

This is one of those albums that people either love or completely tear apart. I think more listeners would enjoy it if they gave it a few more chances—maybe two or three listens, especially if they’re unfamiliar with The Divine Comedy. The lyrics are clever, with a tongue in cheek humor, but they’re also balanced with moments of genuine emotional depth. Musically, it’s pure baroque pop and chamber pop, with a sophisticated and elegant approach that matches the playful humor of the album. It has a grandiose and theatrical feel, which fits perfectly within the baroque pop style. Like I said, if you’re new to The Divine Comedy, this album might take some time to sink in, but it’s definitely worth the effort.

The divine comedy might be the biggest revelation for me in this list (so far). I never got it before. But now I am getting Geordie Greep, Alex Turner and Gareth Campesinos… which he always said but I never got it before

Rather eclectic! Middle-class heroes, such strange almost spoken verse, really draws you in. Such a hectic, constantly fluctuating nature, aggressive to calm so fast, and the music perfectly complements it. Wasn't expecting to enjoy this so much! A nice blend of genres I enjoy.

Surprisingly funny in a tongue-in-cheek way. And yet, with lush orchestrations and dramatic singing in a Scott Walker type of way. I liked it.

I liked this album. It was a fun time, while not my absolute favorite it’s certainly enjoyable all the way through, I like “Something For The Weekend”, “Becoming More Like Alfie”, and “Songs Of Love”, and the whole album is pretty enjoyable

Interesting

scale: 1 - skipping if heard it again/actually skipped it 2- meh can be skipped/reaches point to skip 3 -nothing wrong/easy listen/not seeking out 4 - would listen to again 5 - must listen Something for the Weekend - 4 Becoming More Like Alfie - 4 Middle-Class Heroes - 4 because of the lyrics In & Out of Paris & London - 3 Charge - 3 Songs of Love - 4 The Frog Princess - 3.5 A Woman of the World - 4.5 knees weaken to whistling Through a Long & Sleepless Night - 4.5 (this started at 2.5 and slowly increased throughout listening) Theme from Casanova - 3 The Dogs & the Horses - 2.5 drags on good vocals, harmonies, instrumentation, and funny lyrics - If they were aiming for comedy they achieved it

Gut

These guys would absolutely crush it on a cruise ship!

This definitely had interesting elements. Not boring at all.

More like a 3, but my warm feelings from the Father Ted intro bump it up to a 4. Neil Hannon's shtick and schmaltzy instrumentation isn't something I want to listen to every day, but I can appreciate it from time to time.

очень понравилось, оркестральный поп это уникально и круто

Ok

This starts pretty hot. Gotta love a cold comfort farm reference. It did feel a bit like they lobbed the big hits to the start of the album which is always a bit of a shame. And it is weird to hear the father Ted theme in this form. It was similar to the other divine comedy album we had, not sure we needed both on the list, however, I did enjoy this one, it was more salacious which fitted the feel of it all and also made it somewhat reminiscent of pulp in places, which is no bad thing. As before it's not my favourite genre (the crooning), but the wit behind the lyrics makes it very enjoyable even if parts of it are a bit on the nose. A solid 4, and extra points for the line "there's nothing in the woodshed... Except some wood"

Awesome voice, but I think the closer in focus on the more mundane and the Casanova character do not sure The Divine Comedy well. Something for the Weekend is fantastic, and middle class heros certainly makes an uncomfortable statement, but I just don't love it like their other work.

Casanova by The Divine Comedy is like a posh man in a velvet suit whispering poetry into your ear while sipping red wine—simultaneously charming, cheeky, and a bit too pleased with itself. If Oscar Wilde made a Britpop album, this would be it. 10/10 for suave horn sections and innuendo so thick you could spread it on toast.

I absolutely loved this but I can't put my finger on why.

Think was a bit of a surprise, I've heard good things about the Divine Comedy, but only ever knew the National Express and Songs of Love (from Father Ted of course). It's not really my preferred style of singing, but it really works well with the orchestral instrumentation. Some very clever, funny and downright weird lyrics as well. Best songs: Something for the Weekend, Alfie, Charge, Songs of Love, The Frog Princess, Sleepless Night.

Some solid and interesting BritPop, similar to Pulp or elements of Belle and Sebastian. Baroque-pop? Worth listening to, although not sure I'll listen often. First song was especially solid.

Enjoyed this. Will look into more of their output. Quite enjoyed the Reissue but can't delve too deep as got to catch up on missed stuff.

wow!!! this was really good, never heard of it before! like a chamber Pulp

The 90s could have been the greatest decade in music ever, and Britpop is indisputably one of the greatest genres in music ever. The Divine Comedy reminds me of Pulp, but more baroque. Neil Hannon has the same range and a very similar wit to Jarvis Cocker, so it was easy for me to enjoy this record.

Speakeasy, theatre, orchestral delight!

These are well-crafted and interesting songs. The production is very good, though sometimes the overly fussy arrangements are off-putting. Vocalist (and songwriter) Neil Hannon is singing in character on this album, which mostly works but is a little too mannered on some of the tracks.

Not heard this for a while - top notch!

Genre: narrative poetry For painting Cool liked that

I'd never heard of them, but way more fun than I was expecting from the description and the photo.

The frog princess were our nickname for Len’s 2nd wife. Joanna Toad. 4.3

Like

It’s actually not too bad for me. The lyrics are cringey.. especially the middle class heros.. but I believed he created this album purely to entertain people not just because he thinks it’s cool. And it kinda worked.. people have strong opinions about it. One star is better than 3 stars. -1 star is as good as a four. Music wise, it’s not too bad?? I do like all the theatrical elements. And I love IT crowd, so this is a four for me.

Requires two listens to fully enjoy. Broadway musical feel with some great lyrics and orchestration.

The word "overblown" was created to describe the sound of The Divine Comedy. It's like if Morrissey got horny and more predatory, then someone offered him a free two-week session with an orchestra. "Everyone knows that 'no' means 'yes,'" is a line that I choose to take as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Alfie and the singer's need to be a lothario. I got strong "The Continental" vibes from the spoken introduction to a few of these songs. There is a lot of potentially questionable talk on this album but I think it's clearly intended as parody. Hopefully. I had never heard this album or any song by the Divine Comedy before. Fully bombastic singing that could be tongue-in-cheek is right down my alley though. The songs I enjoyed were: Something for the Weekend Becoming More Like Alfie Charge Songs of Love The Frog Princess A Woman of the World The Dogs & the Horses Really enjoyed this one, as I can enjoy kitsch.

4/5

I had never heard of this album, let alone the band. This is a work of parody, camp, and novelty, aptly named. Though novelty or camp doesn’t connect with my musical soul, this is novelty on the grandest scale. In fact in a way this work seduced me much like its namesake, Casanova himself seduced his patrons and lovers. Rather than feeling ripped off or violated, I feel rather satisfied by the experience of listening to this album.

I only really know national express from divine comedy but the general sound was vaguely familiar so good chance I've heard others. I quite like it, its off kilter pop of the sort I think would usually get on my nerves so it must just be better than the others. 3.5 but have to round up my marks for the father ted theme. Would listen again, it was nice but don't think I'll ever be proper fan.

I didn't like the last Divine Comedy album because I thought it was too cheesy, but this one just worked for me for some reason. SO ridiculous and over-the-top, I had 2 laff. 4 stars innit

There is nothing I can compare this to. Sometimes its comical, sometimes its dramatic, sometimes its ridiculous, but I'll come back to it if only to figure out what the hell they are trying to do here!

This is an album I hadn't heard before. I enjoyed it. I thought it was mixed great, and over all it was an album that I think I'd listen to again.

Is this fool trying to be a 90's version of Scott Walker? Keep dreamin' buddy!! I'm giving this a four because it's so weird and out of the box for something recorded in 1996. And I didn't hate it. 4.

Love Divine Comedy since National Express. Great vocals

Half of it was great, the other half just okay so 4 stars.

Tongue-in-cheekily wierdly horny. Then Father Ted.

Unsure how they went from this album to A Short Album About Love. Casanova is a dynamic album experience, full of passion, fire, heart, and personality. The follow up is bland and empty by comparison. Listening to that album, I didn't get why it'd be included among the 1001. This one deserves it's spot. The songs are memorable, lots of great lyrics, and I liked it as much on a second spin.

not bad i guess easy listen

Geordie Greep had to have been inspired by this.

Witty and charming. I can see from some other reviewers reviews that they don't get it. Neil Hannon is a fantastic songwriter. It's not rock and roll, but something altogether more clever and thoughtful.

So cheesy but so fun

Louche and likable, though the joke does get a bit more tiresome the longer it goes on (which is a decent bit too long). "In & Out" is representative – pretty clever but maybe one too many punch lines than 100%-necessary. Still, it's certainly better than Scott Walker. And quality of music and lyrics holds up for the most part, leading to a pretty strong ending.

Erudite, witty, quirky. Essentially eccentric English. Loved the original of the Father Ted theme tune. I feel you either roll with the eccentricity and satire or it’s just alien to you. I will admit it’s not an emotional album - it’s slightly cold but very funny. And the in n out of Paris is strongly referencing Dickens Tale of Two Cities. Middle class heroes could be a monty python sketch. It all feels a bit Neill Innes but that’s a plus point. It’s a giant in-joke but I got it!! Loses a point for lack of passion.

I get a Zappa vibe going on here, filtered through Britpop, replacing California freakdom with London smirk.

I wasn’t expecting this to be so cool! I really liked most of the songs. « Through a long and sleepless night » it’s the Highlight for me. 4 stars

Pretty good.

This was a surprise. every now and then I enjoy a lushly produced chamber-pop album. The cover through me off I admit, but the music was good.

I thought I would hate this when it started, but like the creeps at the center of all these songs, it gradually wore me down. I think "This is not a sin, it's not even original" is when I started to get on the same page.

This is one of those albums that people either love or completely tear apart. I think more listeners would enjoy it if they gave it a few more chances—maybe two or three listens, especially if they’re unfamiliar with The Divine Comedy. The lyrics are clever, with a tongue-in-cheek humor, but they’re also balanced with moments of genuine emotional depth. Musically, it’s pure baroque pop and chamber pop, with a sophisticated and elegant approach that matches the playful humor of the album. It has a grandiose and theatrical feel, which fits perfectly within the baroque pop style. Like I said, if you’re new to The Divine Comedy, this album might take some time to sink in, but it’s definitely worth the effort.

This is so much fun. The warmth, the wit, the big sweeping tunes. This is both a pastiche of Britishness and an addition to the canon of loveliness!

I’m still trying to figure this album out! It sounds very unique to his credit and reminding me a little bit of Jim Morrison back by the Monkees with their production team. Also hear elements of Kevin Rowland Scott Walker mixed in with perhaps a little more of the Bowie archness that I would like. Having said that clearly the guy is trying to do something different, which is extremely valuable these days because no one else is bottom line still listening and investigating, but I’d recommend you listen to it too! 👍🏾

Album does a good job at being a play. Listened to it at work. Not everything hit for me, but sometimes it turned itself up. Liked it. Standouts: Something for the Weekend, The Frog Princess, A Woman of the World, and The Dogs & The Horses.

Fascinating concept, fun lyrics

4.5/5

The Divine Comedy remain one of the most unfairly overlooked acts of their time. They were never as "cool" as some of their indie contemporaries, nor were they ever as widely popular as the Britpop bands of the time. Their Chamber Pop stylings and witty lyricism meant that their sound was often seen as pretentious by the larger public and relegated them to cult band status. Personally, I think they are absolutely fantastic. I love the arrangements, the humour and overall ultra-britishness of it all. The very pronounced 60's Scott Walker influence does help, as he is one my favourites, although I did discover Neil Hannon and co. first. This album is probably their most accessible and presents the greatest balance between their more poppy and baroque moments. Wholeheartedly recommended. Key tracks: Something for the Weekend Becoming More Like Alfie Songs of Love The Frog Princess A Woman of the World

Wicked corny, but in a fun way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LvkM-Wp2iI

Ended up enjoying it more than I thought by the first 10 seconds. It definitely has its own unique personality Rating: 3.6

Lyrically funny, like a pompous musical performance. I would have liked to have a second listen.

Clever but maybe too much for its own good. The joke is well sustained for most of this, the spiky and drily nostalgic (ironic?) music makes sense. Best cuts: "More Like Alfie," "In and Out," "The Frog Princess." Overall, strong and enjoyable, but, still, two records by this lot seems a bit much (much like the overall undertaking) for this list (this would be the one to keep).

Hipster Orchestral Rock is a pretty niche genre, but it's pretty cool. I got Rocky Horror Picture Show vibes from this. It was like listening to the soundtrack of a musical that doesn't actually exist. I rename the band Tran-Siberian Dork-estra, but I really liked it. The Frog Princess was the standout for me.

I LOVE PRETTY MUSIC!!! beautiful album by a wonderful northern irish musician. Love this man and love this album.

I have rated this high not because I particularly like the album, but because it certainly is a different kind of music and thus has its own peculiarities and style.

Never heard of this singer before. The pop sounds and occational almost bossa nova like singing makes for an album that is easy to listen to. Good album throughout.

Ну ладно, очень даже неплохо. Текста интересные, музыка грандиозна, но приземленна к слушателям. Мелодии въедаются.

Very good The singles are great and the songs that are album tracks sound like a great musical. Closer is great but the highlights are Something for the Weekend and Songs of Love. 4ish baby

I have always loved Neil Hannon's voice and lyrics. I remember the chart success they had with National Express back in the day. I have never really listened to the back catalogue which I will now fix. Stand out tracks: - Something for the weekend - Becoming more like Alfie - In & Out of Paris & London - The Frog Princess - The dogs and the horses

SOOOOO GOOD. There are so many great and clever compositional and arranging ideas on here I could go on for ages about it, but th tl;dr is very lavish arrangements, excellent tone coloring and contrast, and tons of interesting voice leading and contrapuntal ideas- even when its just following the main melody the great orchestration helps a lot. So many hooks, this is like a guidebook on pop melody construction! Ugggghhh I need to write long-form about this sometime. This actually feels quite American for a Brit album- like a very English version of California by Mr. Bungle, or Duke Ellington and Jimmy Durante (less jazzy but still that sort of traditional American pop tradition) with a Cardiacs-esque twist. Plus the lyrics are witty and hilarious.

I’ve been wondering for a while how to rate this. It’s an extremely lavish album in the style of Scott Walker, bolstering a classic britpop sound with something far more theatrical and orchestral and, as the album title maybe implies, is just incredibly horny. There is a very tongue in cheek approach to the blatant chauvinism that almost redeems it, like the singer is playing dress up at being this archetypal ladies man rather than actually believing it, and that makes it a much easier pill to swallow. The epic baritone throughout is really impressive and there are some really fun passages, and even though I kind of hate the whole thing it’s also very good actually

Super Chad. 4.5

8/27/24. Very fun album! Britpop like with big production and a lot of pop sensibility. First time listening to this album and really enjoyed.

Really enjoyed this one! Very joyous, a little objectifying at times, but on the whole an enjoyable album. Big fan of the trumpets.

Pleasantly surprised by this album. Enjoyed the vocals, lyrics, and production. It almost felt like I was listening to a musical with the lyrics being so vivid and the production by grandiose at times. I dont think I would have found my way to this album without the 1001 albums generator so its albums like this that keep me coming back. Great listen.

A little Father Ted theme tune throwback was fun. A couple of other solid tracks too.

I had never heard of this group before but it was actually pretty good. A little goofy at some points but the instrumentation and the lyrics were interesting and creative

Finally, something fun. Not the best album ever, but cool, light, well put-together.

Fun well arran

Shlocky, cheesy, lyrics are at times creepy, and yet I still kinda liked it.

Fav: Charge Least Fav: Theme from Casanova

Decent, but a bit weird

Interesting pop

WHY hasn't anyone made this a Muscial?

Pervy chamber pop.

my loooovely horrrrrrsssssssseeeeeee

Operatic pop, quirky and fun

3.75 stars? All the tracks sound great, and the vocal performances are very big and engaging, but most of the lyrics are a huge turnoff. The songs only start making sense halfway through the album. "The Frog Princess" was an interesting song, but has a sad and almost mean spirited ending. "A Woman of the World" is a bit odd, but is understandable. "Through a Long & Sleepless Night" is a pretty badass song; "Theme from Casanova" is pleasant and an interesting presentation of the theme of the album. "The Dogs and Horses" serves as a big and dramatic closing number.

4 - Liked this, not as much as the other album though. Very fun and lots of musical depth.

Enjoyed this a lot, way more than A Short Album About Love. A very solid bunch of tracks, with a lot of wit and some deliciously lush instrumentation. Fave Tracks: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, Middle Class Heroes, Charge 4.4/5

This album has the feel of a play with the way it ebbs and flows while building towards the end. I won't say it was always my favorite music but the album overall was enjoyable and definitely thought through. It didn't drown itself in repetition that can happen as an album approaches an hour. The album reminded me to listening to an Andrew Lloyd Webber production. The Dogs & The Horses is an excellent final track that brings the album together. I think it would take another listen to fully judge this album but my score reflects how I felt after my initial listen through.

Middle-Class Heroes has some pleasant trombone and is a chill tune. The Frog Princess is intriguing. A Woman of the World is also enjoyable. Through a Long & Sleepless Night and Theme from Casanova are also great. I was leaning towards a 3 rating but I have to go with 4, it kept me interested but I doubt I'd revisit most of the first half.

Torch songs are not usually my cup of tea. When I started playing this album, I was quite dubious. But it grew on me as we went. Really lovely musically and the lyrics can be downright clever, if not chuckle-worthy. By the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the cheekiness. A nice surprise. Unexpected bangers: In and Out of Paris and London, Middle Class Heroes, A Woman of the World.

This was such a strange album. I don't have a lot of time to write this review, so I'll just say that I enjoyed the music, didn't love the singing, and somehow came away from it feeling like it was very pleasant and I was happy it existed. My favorite song was 'Theme from Casanova'. 7/10

Frank Zappa once asked "does humour belong in music", of course it does. Fun album only lacking my lovely horse, but I can forgive them this as they give us something for the weekend.

As though Scott Walker were plucked from the late 60s and was infused with the kitsch of mid 90s lounge aping, Neil Hannon's Divine Comedy slinks, swoons and swaggers its way through Casanova. A true breakthrough in the sense of the word, it lures one in and then consistently delivers throughout the runtime. A hidden Britpop era gem. Favorites: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, Middle-Class Heroes, In & Out of Paris & London, Charge, Songs of Love, Through a Long & Sleepless Night.

Recently discovered a sad lad by The Divine Comedy that has been on rotation for a while, so have been meaning to check them out further. Enjoyed it, will continue to listen to more. Simpsons: No

Very cool, very unique album. I can hear a lot of different influences in this album and imagine how it may have influenced many future albums.

Wanted to give this a second listen today but ran out of time. I’m in the minority based on the average rating. I loved this! It’s weird, funny, and always musically interesting. Will definitely be revisiting this. 4/5

Erstaunlich kurzweilig, kannte ich noch gar nicht.

That album was so strange, but honestly was filled with jams. Each song was so unique and didn't really follow a normal structure at all so nothing got old. His dramatic voice paired perfectly with the instruments. I thought at first that it was going to be cheesy and get old, but I was hooked right at song 2 when I became more like Alfie. I really enjoyed all of the different types of instruments used in this album. It almost sounded like a musical of some sort. This was such a pleasant surprise because I had no idea what to expect going into this album. I could really see myself going back and listening to this album again. Very solid 4.

This album is fucking weird two songs in. Not bad weird just show tuney with rock and lounge music involved. The third song is even more so with some scary undertones. Idk if I’ve ever heard anything like this. Literally sounds like parody but I don’t think it actually is. Some solid guitar work in the background. The lead singers voice reminds me of the singer from black midi except not as unhinged sounding. Found myself a bit entranced by some of these songs. I would probably give this album a 3.5 or possibly lower but something about it was so unique and enjoyable to me that I’m bumping up to 4.

любопытно

Pleasantly melodramatic

This was a wild ride. Not sure what it is but it sounded like a comedy album but wasn't particularly funny.

Something for the Weekend: 4/5 Becoming More Like Alfie: 4/5 Middle-Class Heroes: 4/5 In & Out of Paris & London: 3/5 Charge: 4/5 Songs Of Love: 4/5 The Fog Princess: 5/5 A Woman of the World: 4/5 Through a Long & Sleepless Night: 4/5 Theme from Casanova: 5/5 The Dogs & the Horses: 5/5 Avg.: 4.2

A surprisingly fun and musical album. At points it is whimsical, and doesn't take itself seriously, but at other times it provides some great musicality and weight.

7.5/10 Highlights: Through a Long and Sleepless Night Frog Princess Charge Something for the Weekend

I liked it. It's like a very British Moby. Fun sounds with some lyrics that might not have aged great haha there is so cute breaking of the 4th wall too. Good show.

Almost like a sixties movie soundtrack, quintessentially English.

Hannon's voice was once described as that of a 'sexually frustrated angel' which just about covers it. Torn between the base and the romantic, Hannon can't resist his sex obsession nor his romantic yearning, fancying himself a dandyish, Byronic, romantic poet. Stuffed full of literary allusions, Shakespeare quotes, Barry White and Prince impersonations, inspired by Holly Golightly, Stella Gibbons and Scott Walker, Hannon just goes for it, liberally sprinkling in jokes, both good and bad. An album that should not work but his enthusiasm and charm carries it over the line; his later albums were even better - 'Victory for the Comic Muse' (his 9th!), followed by 'Bang Goes the Knighthood' and 'Foreverland', completing a fine three album career highlight run, although, were I to pick a favourite, early album Promenade would get the five stars. PS As a songwriter, Hannon's sensibility would seem to suit the musical, so it is a surprise this has only just come to pass with the excellent songs on the Wonka movie.

Weird but I like

Cool discovery, would come again

This chode is unashamedly goofy and I don’t mind that part one bit. I love that he acts as he truly is. He really rides that fine line between charm and pretentiousness incredibly well. The arrangements are nice and the lyrics are funny, while also being introspective. Vocals are good and I can’t complain about the production either. This is a fun listen and I’d love to give it a perfect score, but it doesn’t quite excite me like a five out of five should and some songs sound a tad too similar. Also, it does just overstay it’s welcome a bit. Just a tad. I still really enjoy it. 4/5

No es mi favorito.

Another artist I hadn't heard of. Saw "1996" and assumed it had to be another lame-ass britpop album like so many others on this list. On the contrary, this is pretty entertaining. Vibes of '60s movie soundtracks, maybe a little '70s Bowie or Queen? Very theatrical (at times too much so), but a pleasant surprise.

Too much pop.

Feels effortlessly cool and has some neat lefty political stuff in there.

I like the brass and his dramatic voice

A band I discovered throughout this site. The first album of theirs I listened, A Short Album About Love really caught me by surprise! And this one was at least equally good. But I feel this one was a bit more to the satirical side, which I really liked. Again, instrumentally it's ace, the voice is great and the songs are really well written. 8,5 out of 10

I really liked the melodies, but the singer often reminded me of a drunk uncle making up his own song at karaoke. Throughout this entire album, I went between "This is quite good!" to "Wtf am I listening to". Overall I enjoyed it, and I would listen to a good few of these songs again 👍🏻

Once again, The Divine Comedy is the best re-discovery of doing this list. It's funny, well-written and wonderfully arranged. I am going to tell my grandkids that this was Blur.

The Divine Comedy continues to be one of my favorite discoveries from this list so far. Hadn’t expected another of his albums so that was a pleasant surprise. The songwriting is amazing and his balance of extremely heartfelt and comedy is on point. As “Through a Long & Sleepless Night” suddenly arrives out of nowhere with its epic sound I find myself thoroughly convinced that Neil Hannon is one if the genre’s most underappreciated artists.

It’s the most accessible album of the band I’ve heard so far - some pretty clever wit thrown around - mixing the lecherous with high mindedness. The arrangement are also just the right amount of tasteful. Maybe the only thing that kind of put me off is the lechery - even if it’s comedy - it just kind of grates nowadays - but not enough to demote this album seriously.

Feels a little earlier than '96, but it delivers on its theme. Funny in parts and quite original in many ways. There are some things in here which I hear in more modern songs, it wouldn't surprise me if albums like this become unspoken inspiration for certain types of sound.

Actually enjoyed this in a weird way

Strong

Every song was unique and different it was all a little trippy

Neil Hannon does an album in-character as some sort of stereotypical sleaze. I found it quite entertaining in just these two listens, but would maybe go off it with too many more repetitions... 🤔 Quite amusing seeing all the reviews being "WTF" from most of the global listeners, and "Father Ted!" from all the British ones! 😆 Fave track - I mean, "Songs of Love" is a cracker. "Middle-class Heroes" amused me most from the ones I'd never heard before....

Wow, hvem er han her!

Interesting, Milla Jovovich released her album by the same name 2 yrs earlier. Never heard of Casanova. He's got an interesting style. Reminds me of a 90's modern day Frank Sinatra. lol Lyrics are so nineties. There's a hint of sinister darkness to this. I like it. As obscure as this has been I've been enjoying it. The last track The Dogs & The Horses was actually really pretty. I liked the variety and weirdness in this. I'll give it a 4.

good wave

Great concept album. I just found the subject matter hard to stomach.

Enjoyed this a lot Not very subtle with its satirical message but the arrangements are genuinely beautiful Favourite tracks: Something For The Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, Charge, Songs of Love, Theme From Cassanova, The Dogs & the Horses

I am not exactly sure what I just listened to. Seemed a bit overly dramatic, and on a different day, I think that I would not have enjoyed it much at all. Today, it still was a bit much for me, but also somewhat amusing.

HL: “Frog Princess “, “Something for the Weekend”, “Songs of Love”, “The Dogs and the Horses” Wasn’t expecting the actual Father Ted theme song on this list (in a way) Enjoyed it even more than the last Divine Comedy, now my research for the evening is why a man from Derry sounds like an English aristocrat June 28, 2023 (listening while heavy storm clouds cover the city)

typically british fare. quirky , funny, odd and always reminds me of Father Ted so cant be bad.

Man I absolutely loved this. I really like what I know of the Divine Comedy prior to this but this was so great to listen to in completion. I cannot make sense of the genre, what is this?! It is a bit comedy brit pop but also layered in OTT orchestral grandeur.. songs you might expect in a musical (but better). I think what ressonates with me is the same reason I love Scott Walker. Frog Princess and the very sad song about out loving dogs and horses were particularly great

This is my kind of weird. Not what it pretends to be. There’s something eldrich lurking in the lyrics that never reveals itself.

Ridiculously louche.

Dit zou niet moeten werken maar doet het toch. Coherent album, mooi thema, vet uitgevoerd.

Ended up really enjoying this. The first half was alright but the second half was really damn good. Weird sort of stuff but up my alley it was!

"Casanova" is the fourth studio album by the Irish chamber pop band The Divine Comedy and was their commercial breakthrough. The writing by front man Neil Hannon is described as a more straight-forward pop tone from previous albums, also more Britpop. I'd still say it's more chamber or Baroque pop with influences of Scott Walker. Lyrically the theme is sex. No doubt about that. The band was given their longest studio recording time due to the recent success of Edwyn Collin's "A Girl Like You." Ah, the randomizer is coming full circle this week. Their UK hit "Something for the Weekend" opens things up with girls laughing. A song that rolls along in a happy way. A busy song. Strange since the guy gets blindsided and robbed when a good-looking girl tells him to go the woodshed. Supposedly inspired by Kate Beckinsale. The second song and single "Becoming More Like Alfie" is more lush with strings. I had an initial bossa nova feel. A conflict between refinement and animal lust. We might be in cabaret territory with "Charge." Kind of vaudeville with the piano. He sings in a deep voice and croons like Prince. Sex without love. Central theme intact. "Songs of Love" was the theme to UK TV show "Father Ted." This may the simplest and best song on the album. Piano and acoustic guitar. OK, the third and final single "The Frog Princess" reminds me of Scott Walker with Hannon's voice and the orchestration. Flirting with a French girl who is not very good looking, eventually falls for her but she doesn't for him. The only non-sex theme song "The Dog and the Horses" ends the album. Hannon almost whispering. Majestic and dramatic with horns. It's about death using spring and winter analogies. I have to admit I thought this was OK on the first listen but really opened to it with repeated listens. It does a very good job of incorporating multplie instruments into various nice arrangements. It's a musical style not heard in too much in recent times being more popular in the 60's and kind of surprising this album had the success it did in the 90's. Well, maybe not: "Automatic For the People" had Baroque pop songs. I might need to research this.

Pretty fun and good music

Ngl, the sound and the production are quite stellar. But I don't think a man who takes himself THAT seriously would seduce a woman. It's pretty good as a listen, but the pompous-ness is kinda distracting.

This album has a lot to like. It's also got a lot to dislike. It's just got a lot in general. The theme is... pretty cringey, and a bit obnoxious and overblown at times. But, I *think* it's mostly satirical, which seems to be supported by the nuanced lyrics in a lot of the songs. That said, the weird spoken intros/interludes are very much not my jam. And the singer has a very melodramatic singing style which can get annoying as well, although it's usually not that bad. There are some garden-variety tracks on there, ones that just kind of exist and are pleasant to listen to but don't really go anywhere special. But most of the tracks have at least some kind of hook to make them interesting. In the first half of the album, Something For The Weekend and Charge stood out to me, the former for its build-up and plot twist, the latter for its interesting use of harmony and rhythm. I was all ready to give this album a 3, but then I was completely blindsided by Through A Long & Sleepless Night. That song isn't singlehandedly what raised it to a 4, but it is a massive tonal shift that conveys a sense of agitation and discomfort incredibly well (most of the beginning part is in 7!) and has a very satisfying build and resolution. The two closing tracks were also very solid and helped to frame the album as a cohesive unit instead of just a collection of songs about a guy being a sleaze. And that caused me to reinterpret some of the earlier songs, and I went back and listened to parts of them, and I'm pretty happy giving this a 4.

Very fun!

Strange, but clever album. I didn't hear anything ground breaking, but it was edgy, flowed good, and didn't have any bad songs.

Despite the fact I'm not always a fan of britpop, this is a nicely written album. A lot of great tracks and hooks

Always heard their songs and thought, bit kitch maybe. But really enjoyed this, the father Ted theme made me feel all nostalgic and brought back memories of laughing with the fam.

Stand-outs: "The Frog Princess," "Middle-Class Heroes," "Theme from Casanova," "The Dogs & the Horses"

while this isn't typically my bag of tea, this album rips. You really can't deny the grooves, expert instrumentation, or the clear and classy vocals. this may not enter the rotation, but i may revisit every now and then. favorite track: song of love.

Really enjoyable pop album. Feels erudite and clever and I’m sure it is, but overall it sounds well crafted, fun and pleasing to the ear. Saw Neil and the band in Cambridge about five years ago and they are very enjoyable.

The Divine Comedy prouve encore une fois qu'il est bien l'une des révélations masculines de ce générateur. Sa clope à la bouche, il mettra sa claque à tous les métalleux générés jusqu'ici avec une aisance redoutable. Cet album m'amène toutefois à dire une vérité que tout le monde pense tout bas mais que je serai probablement le seul à avoir le courage d'énoncer : il est temps d'en finir avec les reprises de la Marseillaise.

The Divine Comedy est absolument intenable. Son déchaînement total n'a d'égal que sa furie. Les invectives de la receptionniste, tentant tant bien que mal de le calmer n'y feront rien, The Divine Comedy est tout simplement hors de contrôle.

Bit cheesy at times, but isn't automaticly a bad thing for me. I like it.

Britpop con algunas canciones orquestadas. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Another one for the "weird but in a good way" category. Sampling the french national anthem? Sure, why not.

Dracula beats

I was pleasantly surprised, very good songs, especially the first half.

first listen very cool very 60s

I like this. Quirky, kitsch and unique. I do however prefer “Something 4 the Weekend” by Super Furry Animals. Welsh band, also released in the summer of ‘96, so my first response was disappointment. But still, once I readjusted to what this is actually about, I could get into it. A lot of work went into this, big compositions, poetic but humorous lyrics. Granted though, if not in the mood his tone could be pretty annoying.

Diferente y chulo

Almost Out Scott Walker's Scott Walker. Droll voice, lyrics and tunes. Classsic 90s album

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Something for the weekend

I typically don't like these kind of movie soundtrack or life soundtrack type of albums, but this is the 2nd time The Divine Comedy has come up on this site and I have really liked both albums. They are incredibly well written. Great music and good poetry.

Britpop con algunas canciones orquestadas. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

No es mi favorito.

Some of it reminded me of Philadelphia Chickens

I think I said everything I wanted about Neil Hannon on Songs About Love. Still great, has an absolute classic in Something For The Weekend on here, the song that first piqued my interest as a 12 year old!

Pretty cool album actually. Super lush and dramatic instrumentation makes the songs really interesting and creative. 7/10

Loved their sound, more time here!

njöt i lök