Casanova

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

Always felt that 2004's *Absent Friends* was the best Divine Comedy album. Its only problem was maybe that it was released quite a few years after Neil Hannon first attracted the spotlights with his snarky, witty-yet-impossibly-gorgeous chamber-pop act. Check out song "Our Mutual Friend" to hear him at the top of his game during this second stage of his career. 1996's *Casanova* is not so bad though, even it partly catered to a britpop sound that was far more standardized than Hannon's endearing usual chamber-pop shtick. Britpop was already a bit dated by 1996, ironically. But it didn't hurt The Divine Comedy's sales to go that way after two albums in the same understated vein, I imagine. Plus this LP features the iconic hit "Something For the Weekend", which can't hurt. I lived in England around 1999, and I remember hearing it all the time on the telly, even three years after its release. Good memories... The lyrics of "Becoming More Like Alfie" have not aged well, though: "Everyone knows no means yes / Just like free glasses come free on the NHS". It's a funny rhyme, I'll grant it to Hannon. And I know this here is mostly literary license in keeping with the album's theme of "Casanovas", including the bullies harrassing girls who think they're that titular character. But taken out of context, some folks might take this tune the wrong way today, understandably. In spite of its questionable chorus, the song yet remains pretty good, like many others on this generally endearing record. Musically speaking, there's the occasional overlong filler, sure. But ones like "Charge", for instance, are still welcome, as they serve the narrative conceit behind this concept album, with a battle scene for the ages in this particular case. I guess Hannon can be forgiven for many of his musical self-indulgences here.They're mostly used for the greater good that the album as a whole is. In the list of keepers, *Father Ted* surely made "Songs Of Love" famous, but that tender, mostly acoustic gem probably didn't need that to be remembered anyway. The same goes "The Frog Princess": being French, that "Marseillaise" interpolation in it cracks me up everytime, and the track is also one the best and catchiest compositions in this LP. And I love closer "The Dogs And The Horses", narrating the acceptance of upcoming death through a dusky, "pathetic" orchestration that's particularly fitting with the contents of the lyrics. What a bold way to end an album. So yep, good stuff. Yet as much as I like this record, I'm not so sure it's a *clear* candidate for a list like this. From 2023's standpoint, The Divine Comedy might be a bit of a niche act--one that could scare regular listeners with its many mannerisms and flourishes (*Absent Friends* would be a better entry point for them, I think). 1001 is a finite number, after all, so I'd rather err on the side of caution for my own list. Giving a 3.5/5 grade to *Casanova* for the purposes of this list -- rounded up to 4 --which translates to a 8.5/10 grade for more general purposes. (5+3.5) Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 453 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 255 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 131(including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 163

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

Aldrig hört talas om innan men tyckte detta var kul?? Nån sorts ironisk crooner, uppskattade verkligen det. Väldigt solitt låtskrivarhantverk, gillar verkligen hur han använder så många klyschor utan att det låter klyschigt. Kanonplatta imo

Belle découverte. Arrangements élégants et complexes. Rappelle un peu Bowie, parfois Zappa voire Mr. Bungle, mais en smoking.

Perhaps a bit too clever for its own good but still made me smile

Very good pop album - lovely story-telling.

7/10 cooler than a lot of britpop albums. Felt like a selection of musical theater songs which was interesting, while some of them were really corny it was fun and I especially liked the first 3 tracks.

Great album, if a little samey throughout. All songs have a slightly arch quality, which works better in some than others. Songs of love and frog princess are my favourites, but all tracks are very good

Muy bueno

You know, this is kinda catchy. I can definitely see myself listening to this more than a few times.

What a delightful weird listen

Orchestral pop. Very nice.

No es el que más me gusta.

This was… unique. I don’t think I have heard anything like this. The singer first reminded me of Mike Patton, but then he seemed closer to Scott Weiland. It grew on me a lot. Songs like “Charge” and “The Frog Princess “ I really enjoyed. Definitely something I am looking more into.

The opening track had some annoying elements (giggling to start, organ bops in the background) but it was still kind of catchy and the lyrics were cheeky/funny. Definitely made me curious about the album and I'd say this observation persisted. The songs were catchy, the lyrics were offbeat but really intricate (cool stuff), starts of tracks had annoying talking bits, and almost every song had some annoying instrument (often from the brass section). It felt like an even more satirical Interpol or Franz Ferdinand. So wacky, but surprisingly infectious. And kudos to creating a theme for the album and sticking to it.

Very interesting album. It kind of reminded me of a very older more fabulous version of Cake. The last couple tracks were more reminiscent of broadway and New York showtunes though, so that was a fun surprise. I don't know if I would listen to it again but it was definitely unique.

Ben Folds does a great cover of Songs of Love so this gets an extra star. Pleasant listen, something different

You know what? This was a lot of fun. Reminded me of a lot of Joe Hawley's solo work (Hawaii: Part II). Also reminded me of Taco (Puttin' on the Ritz). Just a fun, goofy album.

I like it. You get happy :)

Me ha encantado. Es una mezcla entre Bowie y Morrissey.

I usually don't like this music genre, but this one was a nice surprise

Very cool songs, I like.

Completely unknown to me before, but really cool

There were songs which deserved 1 and songs which deserved 5. A few songs were balancing between being interesting or just bad.

Half cabaret and half pop. We disagreed on the rating- e adored it, j felt neutral.

-Was pleasant to listen to -Some tracks I enjoyed: "A Woman of the World," "Charge," "Middle-Class Heroes," "The Dogs & The Horses," "The Frog Princess," and "Through a Long and Sleepless Night" -I like the classic/orchestralish instrumental

ну и странная же дичь. Как будто тот самый шестидесятнический-семидесятнический барок-поп по типу карпентерс и волер бразерс, но с бритпоп аранжировками и спорадическими моментами помешательства вокалиста. Сначала как-то вообще отторжение вызвало, но потом немного проникся. Вот как раз тот случай, когда стоит сложить 2 и 2 и скорее решить, что это ты чего-то не понимаешь. Through A Long & Sleepless Night как будто вообще из раннего периода Коэна. Напряженная пиздец тема, а потом расслабляет наоборот, каеф. На высокую оценку, конечно, претендовать не может, и вообще не уверен, что захочу переслушивать, но в целом вероятности не исключаю. Ну пусть будет 7/10 где-то

Si

This guy looks and sounds like a douche bag, but this album was not bad. Actually I found it quiets enjoyable, even if kinda cheesy at times Favorite tracks: “Something For The Weekend,” “The Frog Princess,” and “Through A Long and Sleepless Night”

De esto se trata este ejercicio. Sin conocimiento del nombre del grupo ni de sus discos nos echamos el clavado en blanco. Al inicio rápidamente pensé "ahh... es britpop... meh... ok suena a Pulp.. aunque Pulp suena mejor." Después llego la 2a canción y sonó más alejado... llegó la tercera y sonó a ningún grupo comparable de britpop... y siguió cantando con un tono extraño, afectado, exagerado casi operático pero con un dejo de sátira. Y pone uno atención a las letras... y te vas dando que es un disco concepto... y que el concepto es que los personajes aquí son unos imbeciles egoistas que solo les importan sus pitos, rebosantes de misoginia y enormes egos: un hombre tiene como objetivo atraer a una mujer sin decirle que está casado en "Something For The Weekend", mientras que en "In & Out of Paris & London”, otro excusa el asalto y el acoso, argumentando que “esto no es un pecado, ni siquiera es original”. Con el paso de cada canción el disco se hacía cada vez un mayor deleite al ver la inventiva para seguir haciendo una parodia al "arte de la conquista." Musicalmente variadísimo me llevó a pensar en cientos de cosas desde ese Pulp a Gilbert & Sullivan, Oingo Boingo, musicales de Broadway. Después de pasar tiempo de calidad con el álbum, las 11 canciones se convirtieron en canciones de amor que no puedo mas que amar, incluso si en realidad no son de amor sino de sexo (o tal vez especialmente por eso). En un mar de britpop a medio de los 90s, en un género que se caracterizaba por ser simple y sin chiste existió este disco, brillante y con carisma, sofisticado sin tratar de sentirse presumido ni condescendiente. Sí existió buen britpop... solo que era irlandés al parecer.

Asqueroso. Cínico. Grandilocuente. Crudo. Poético. Divertido. El soundtrack de un musical honesto y despiadado. No creo escucharlo completo muy seguido en el futuro, pero no cabe duda de la calidad de la obra. Songs: Something for the Weekend, Songs of Love, The Frog Princess, Through A Long & Sleepless Night

Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 17/20 Innovation: 12/20 Bangers: 15/20 Emotional response: 18/20 =75 What a lovely piece of work well done father.

Este disco es muy interesante. Las letras son inesperadas, algunas chuscas, otras sombrías, e incluso una canción que describe el concepto del disco mismo. Musicalmente, llama la atención que algunas canciones parecen tipo Rammstein, o Interpol. Las canciones transmiten una vibra muy diversa y no aburre. Escuché este disco tres veces, y probablemente lo escuche de nuevo después.

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

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.

Ehh, it was fine. I didn't really dislike it or whatever, but it's not to my tastes. Too lounge-y or croon-y, I guess.

C’est sympa. L’orchestre est bien je trouve et rompt avec la voix rauque du chanteur. Les musiques varient donc ça s’écoute. Un album anglais centré sur le sexe, je connais son qui es dans le thème avec ton voyage à Cambridge

Casanova was certainly something, i will give it that. Apparently Neil Hannon was playing a character for this album and this character is a complete creep who has no concept of consent and thinks that any girl that rejects him is just playing hard to get. It's good that one of the discord server members said that Neil Hannon isn't like that in real life and was just playing a character or i would have given this album a 2 due to the creepy lyrics. The music itself is also very lovely and definitely did a lot of carrying for this album. So if this album were to start at a 1, it gets 1 star for having solid music and another for good marketing. Best Song: Theme from Casanova Worst Song: Becoming More Like Alfie

Well, I didn't *dislike* it. It feels a bit like a joke that you're not actually in on. Is it serious, or tongue-in-cheek? I don't think I'll listen again.

This was a very strange album. I actually really liked the opening track but then it pretty much went downhill. There were some fun moments on here and felt very original, but just not something I need to revisit. Top Songs: Something for the Weekend, Songs of Love, Theme from Casanova

a few curious moments, but a good listen

The interesting thing about this book is that you'll get a good amount of 90s and early 2000s albums that the authors probably predicted would age well. This album is a perfect example. And... Well eh. I actually didn't hate this take at 90s britpop. But overall this was too orchestra themed for my liking. It actually seems to be screaming one thing the whole time. "Where is the star power?". No disrespect to Hannon, but I just didn't feel something truly unforgettable. I remember the first time I listened to Oasis, Blur Pulp etc. But I will say this. It stuck with me as something that was interesting as a first listen, and it wasn't hard to get through the entire album. However, most of the themes of this album, I could find better explored elsewhere, both britpop and other genres. If I could do 2.5/5 I would. However, I imagine I will hear worse. Therefore. 3/5

God, It's a bit melodramatic and operatic. It kind of improved as the album progressed though. I know what they are capable of because I have listened to other albums of theirs, but this just did not excite me enough. There were a few good songs but for the most part was un-exciting. Through a long and sleepless night was my standout track. borderline 3 stars

I love a character song and a over-instrumented pop song but I think I draw the line at doing a funny voice in every song. I know it's a comedy - I don't know if I'd call it divine though! 😂😂😂

Some parts were a bit too overly theatrical and cheesy for me, but there are some great arrangements that caught my ear. 3.5/5

Like sleazy Belle and Sebastian, maybe a bit of Momus? Not as good as either of those artists though, even if they don't quite make me feel like I need to go take a shower as much as Momus does.

The Divine Comedy - Casanova Divine Comedy høyres for meg ut som noko midt mellom Scott Walker og Jarvis Cocker. Det heng ei erkebritisk sky over det heile og så får me kontrasten i alle desse strykarane og svære arrangementa. Det starta bra og etter dei to første tenkte eg at, tja... kanskje dette kan vere noko for meg? Men... "In & Out of Paris" og særleg "Charge" er heilt fæle og eg må faktisk spole litt. Fint at nydelege, nedtrippa "Songs Of Love" dukkar opp då - for då var dette verdt dei 50 minutta det tok likevel. 6/10

Honestly, I didn't even pay attention to it, it didn't sound bad, but not particularly great. It didn't bother in the background. 2,5/5.

3/5. This album was way hornier than I was expecting, which does lead to some questionable lyrics (especially on the song “In and out of Paris and London”) but also based on the tone of everything here the band seems to be taking the piss out of it all. It doesn’t all work for me, some of it gets a bit too cheesy, but there are some genuinely great highlights here like the opener and biggest hit “Something for the weekend” or “through a long and sleepless night.”

Definitely feels like this could be like the 10th time I've heard this album on this list.

Casebrova vibes

Good pop

Melodramatic, over the top, but had a strange appeal.

There were some catchy songs on this but it didn't particular stand out for any reason.

As much as I love the best tracks - Something for the Weekend, Songs of Love and Becoming More Like Alfie the rest of it is lacking.

Kind of cheesy. There are strokes of beauty and some great humor, but it can be a bit much theatrics at times. I know it's what this band does, but I've heard them do it better on other albums.

Pretty good

My dog hates horses. Didn't think that would ever be relevant to a music review but here we are. It's a solid album, even if it's a silly album. I absolutely adore the tone and timbre of his voice.

I hated the content of this album (is it satire, is it British comedy I just don’t understand?) but some of the song structure was interesting and I enjoyed it as “at least it’s a bit different than most Brit pop”. Instrumentation definitely the highlight for most songs.

I judge anyone who likes this nonsense just a little bit.

New to me. In another life I might have liked it more.

Really cool one. However pretty meh, there were very strong vocals and really cool instrumental sections which I loved. However the songs were pretty long and they kinda all give off the same vibe, which makes a lot of them blend together. There was a really cool high note at the end of through a long and sleepless night. That sounded pretty cool however the rest of the album is just idk. And it’s like I don’t wanna listen to this full thing again it was already hard to get into. Really cool and happy I heard it but never need to return again.

Michael Bublé meets Pulp

This grew on me as it went on but I don't see myself revisiting it.

I really liked one of Divine Comedy's other album "A Short Album about Love" but this one doesn't strike me the same. Sounds a bit too pompous and overblown. There also is some monologue present throughout that just sounds so pretentious. The arrangements for all the songs are mixed, some are good, some are bad. Just this album is underwhelming and doesn't leave with much thoughts. I think I'd be fine with not hearing this album again. Nothing noteworthy was gained with this album. Just mostly meh to bad stuff Highlight Song/s: "Becoming More Like Alfie"

Not terrible music but im not a crooner fan

I came around to this more toward the end, but it is a weird one. Very literary, which I appreciate.

The music and orchestration is top-notch, but I couldn't help but not take this seriously (which is maybe the point of The Divine Comedy)? That is to say, not for me, but interesting for a listen.

Ce gars là, il exagère.

I didn't know "chamber pop" was a thing. I do like pop/rock music that is mixed with strings and other instruments. This album is more on the lounge or theater side of things, especially with the baritone/crooner lead, so it's not quite my favorite but pretty decent.

Brit/Ork Pop from the 90s. Not bad, but not really my thing.

Not too bad

Fav song: The Dogs & The Horses

Що це? Хто це? ))) Ну таке)

Odd.

The Divine Comedy always struck me as being so very fucking pleased with just how very clever and funny they were. They dramatically overestimate themselves in this. It’s like a Scott Walker tribute album.

kind of feels like a father john misty/yard act combination. A little meta/on the nose. Way more theatrical/grand in presentation. I kind of like it?

The frog princess is peak wimsey

Podia ser um musicalzito, gostei, mas não é para ouvir muitas vezes

Gostei do album. Bastante teatral. Acho que com mais atenção poderia ter dado 4. Para voltar a ouvir.

Equal parts charm and cheese. Too long, but I actually didn't mind it

6.5

Bit weird but at least it's offering something new.

Very special pop album. Mixture of classic music with typical brit pop elements.

mogu cijeniti raznovrsnost pa i svojevrsnu vickastost, premda ne bih inače slušao... eto vam jedna pristojna trojka, tako

iii felt really uncomfortable listening to this. some people said it's comedy in the reviews but I got the impression of someone with a massive ego from the cover and the tone. I looked into it and found an interview where he claims it's a self-deprecating album, if that was obvious from the get go I might have enjoyed it The music itself ranged from boring to quite good and I particularly liked how grandeur Charge was even if the subject matter was extremely uncomfy. low 3

No idea who this band is. So far it's coming off as Temu Morrissey which is somehow better than Morrissey but still not great. I mean it is a bit whimsical which I like but it just doesn't hit for me.

Show Tunes without the show. One can hope.

Something not quite anything I can put my finger on. Pulp. Musical theatre. Shakespeare. Slimy men. One review said it’s a calling out of Casanova. It’s so weird. I can’t look away. And I will never listen again.

I like them and their quirky takes on life; I just don't particularly seek out this sort of music to listen to. Also - two Divine Comedy albums so far, and no National Express yet. Does that mean there's more to come, or are listeners being denied their best-known track?

A swaggering, smirking little chamber‑pop romp that keeps flipping from smooth to snarky just to amuse itself. Wow! What a ride...

The lead singer plays the part of an arrogant sexist named, appropriately, Casanova. (You will get the gist by the time you get to "The Frog Princess".) In that light, the album has its moments.

Pretty cool stuff, sort of baroque pop-y at times but there's just too much filler here

This was an odd album. It seemed to sit somewhere between an indie rock album and a collection of show tunes. I feel like if it was a tad more experimental it would have been more interesting.

Sonido muy 90s, sonido poco arriesgado. Siento que los temas se parecen mucho entre si, me aburre un poco. La voz del chabon tampoco es muy de mi agrado. es un 5.5/6 de 10 muy mid

Bit Bowie, Bit Disney villain, Bit Eurovision ballad. All of these are compliments. Not sure why I liked it so much. I think I know it’s a bit shite but that might be why I liked it? Got better as it went. Songs of Love is a tune.

David Bowie meets Neil Diamond meets a full bag mushrooms

Scott Walker after a stint at comedy school.

Dimery was a theatre kid. I was driving home and it struck me, this music is like a baroque pop version of Muse. If, instead of orchestration this was heavy space-rock distorted guitars and bass it would straight up be Muse. Like most of these choices, they get better with repeated listens. Invest some time, it's all really well done. I don't know if The Divine Comedy deserves 2 records on the list, but Costello has 6 so I obviously don't know shit from shinola.

nice

3.5

Father ted saved the album

I'd never heard of them before but didn't mind listening to the album. Enough creativity and variation to keep me interested.

Alright alright hear me out, the mix of orchestral and britpop actually works pretty damn well here. I found the arrangements to be consistently engaging throughout the album. There are some horrifically sleazy parts from time to time, but they're also so over-the-top that they're hard to really take seriously. I had a better time than I originally expected, and wouldn't hate to listen again. Standouts: Something For the Weekend • Becoming More Like Alfie • The Frog Princess • A Woman of the World

almost as good as the wonka (2023) soundtrack

Fun. I could see getting more into it upon repeat listening

Kinda good! Sounded alot like Bowie : )

Little bit of bowie, little beatles little elo. Its just alot of influences and for mea at least not a ton of substance. Its not horrible dont get me wrong. It just doesnt have alot going for it for me. Fine enough while its on but nothing special. Its not bankrupt or anything just dont vibe I guess. Meh is about all I got.

The fun show tunesy type sound was a pretty welcome change, even if they didn't have as much charisma to really pull it off

2.5, like it's kind of annoying and I skipped some songs but there's also n ice songs, and charge is really good hahaha

Pretty cool album. Very story-like. Becoming More Like Alfie and The Frog Princess were my favorites. 6.5/10

Chamber pop for the Brit pop set. I quite liked the first few songs but it quickly started to blend together for me until maybe the very last song. Still, a worthy effort.

a bit too Theatre for me ...some nice tunes but over all tries and fails to be funny

Always had a soft spot for the Divine Comedy (probably the Father Ted connection) and National Express was a stone cold classic. On this album I have always liked Something For the Weekend and Becoming More Like Alfie, but not really much else.

Ähnlicher Eindruck wie bei deren anderem Album neulich.

This was overall ok. Some moments were pretty clear knockoffs of Scott Walker, but there was enough here to like overall. 3/5

I really liked the composition and production, but I only liked a few of the songs.

Bom até

Rv

slightly annoying at times but has some good horns

Good

Something for the Weekend 3 Becoming More Like Alfie 3.3 Middle-Class Heroes 3 In & Out of Paris & London 3.2 Charge 3.3 Songs of Love 3.1 The Frog Princess 3.3 A Woman of the World 3.5 Through a Long & Sleepless Night 3.4 Theme from Casanova 3.4 The Dogs & the Horses 3 Score: 3.227272727

Can't tell if the tongue in cheek cheesiness is purposeful or not. Fine if so, a bit creepy if not. Fine overall, but top 1000???

There were some interesting moments, but that’s really all I can say about it.

buen album para ir caminando por la calle con aura

Saw these live a few years ago in Switzerland and he did his playlist in alphabetical order! I like a lot of it but a lot of it is just alright!

Has some great moments and nice to have something a little different in the 1001. 3.5 stars

7/10 Divertido, pero por momentos no termina de gustarme. Después bien, buena instrumental, la voz, no se hace pesado, cumple

Genuinely some really fun tracks on this. Was surprised by how much I enjoyed it considering some of the reviews left on here.

It’s a different kind of album but I don’t mind it

Meh. I didn't hate this.

AHAHAH. Truly Divine Comedy xdd

Alltså hans sjunger som en korsning av Bowie och Iggy, men lever ju inte upp till deras cred. Det här är crooning, easy listening, en arvtagare till Sinatra. En trea!

Musically cool. Feel like i need to take another listen or read the lyrics for some of these.... Can't tell if he's doing an Alex Cameron thing or a real misogyny lol

New to me. Not bad for background music.

Weird and campy. There are a few songs that I really liked, Something for the Weekend, Songs of Love and Through a Long & Sleepless Night were definitely the most interesting.

454/1089 - Sex-haver music. Not for me.

Giving off Jack skelington vibes. I really enjoy the weird and cheesiness of this album. Probably won’t listen to it again but it was a fun first listen!

2.5/5 - Had a good start, but ended weird and not what I was hoping...

This album was a bit too cringe for my tastes. While the other album we’ve had from The Divine Comedy was earnest to the point of cringe, this one was cringy with just a little too rape-y to overcome it.

There are a few good tunes: the singles, the Father Ted one but I don’t really get the lecherous older man persona, it is not amusing and certainly hasn’t aged well. 2.5

I mostly liked this, but I feel like this sort of thing has been done better by others without the cheese.

The benign comedy… I can appreciate the production, no doubt about that. But it’s not for me. Songs like 'Songs of Love' and 'A Woman of the World’ brought it up from a 2 to 2.5. Insane voice on this guy btw.

I’d previously listened to A Short Album About Love (also by The Divine Comedy). Other than that, this record is my only experience of Irish chamber pop. (A bit niche, this.) Honestly: it’s good, but not quite as good as ASAAL. Reminds me of ELO at their peak. It’s certainly Beatlesque in its approach to sound-building and use of instruments to carefully construct a texture. Songs of Love is probably the best example of this. The lead vocalist kind of sounds like he should be singing Christmas carols à la Bing Crosby, but to be fair, singers like Crosby can pull off just about any genre. Something for the Weekend opens the album with a ceaseless burst of energy (well, except it ceases after 4 minutes). A fantastic, energetic, “galloping” tune featuring a very simple but relatively catchy melodic hook. A couple of songs later, Middle-Class Heroes is delivered in a positively bizarre fashion. Something akin to late-70s/early-80s Bowie, maybe. I can almost hear him: “Always crashing, in the same car (ba ba ba ba ba baowwwww)…”. Except The Divine Comedy abandons the trippy psychedelia in favour of a weird, stringy, brassy, Disney-esque instrumental. It’s good, I guess. The short trombone(?) solo outshines the rest of the song. Songs of Love, a fun little waltz ditty, is a great use of harpsichord. It pairs nicely with the grandiose The Frog Princess, which would approach excellence if not for trying to combine its grandiosity with absurd whimsicality. Still a really good song, though. The whistling is goofy as heck. A Woman of the World steps up the whimsy, and is actually pretty mediocre until the explosive middle section. Through a Long & Sleepless Night takes it too far, though. Too self-indulgent, too long, the bloated culmination of the previous songs. I’ll probably come to like it after multiple listens, but man, my ears have got places to be. Theme from Casanova is just I Am The Walrus with a swung rhythm. Even when other instruments come in and change the melody and mood completely, I still can’t unhear it. To its credit, the song is good in isolation, and also good as a palate-cleanser after the behemoth preceding it. Beautiful strings. The album ends questionably with The Dogs & the Horses. Which is just Through a Long & Sleepless Night, Pt. II. And I have the same criticisms for the sequel. The lyrics get a bit clumsy here and there. In the song In & Out of Paris & London (arguably the weakest track here anyway, regardless of lyrics): “Out or in, this is not a sin / It’s not even original / and hey, we’re all individuals”. Even worse with Charge: “There’ll be a cannon to the left / And a cannon to the right / They’ll go bang bang bang bang bang bang bang all night”. That song is kind of hilarious though – complicit in its own mediocrity – so it gets a pass. Still, who knows what other lyrical nonsense is packed into this cute little Casanova box? 3/5 Key tracks: Something for the Weekend, Songs of Love, The Frog Princess

Not bad, but I didn't enjoy it all that much

Roligt och absurt. Mycket passande musikalisk paketering till texterna Älskar det samtidigt som plojigheten gör att det är svårt att sätta högre än trea.

I liked this a lot more than I remembered... Fun, cutting lyrics in the vein of Jarvis... Not quite as catchy music as Pulp though.

Okay. This was weird in a fun way, like Scott Walker and Roxy Music for me. It's not my day to day jam, but this was good fun. 3 stars.

This is a really strange album. Like in one sense it is pretty much just pop, but there's so much odd shit happening that it's like just a really strange experience. I don't even really remember that much from the album, I just remember a sense of confusion. It was good though, I did like it kinda. Just weird. Favorites: In & Out of Paris & London, Charge, The Frog Princess

This guy's spotify page says he's trying to be a fusion of Scott Walker and Morrissey. He definitely succeeded, and the result is kinda off-putting. It grew on me a little by the end though.

a little kooky. often has the vocal delivery of like, nerdcore parody music? generally charming though, and has some bops for sure. favorite song is In & Out of Paris & London

I thought this was one of those "60s funny music" type of albums a la Scott 4. It was kind of fun and kind of decent and I didn't hate it 6.1/10

this was quite weird 3

Genuinely don't know what to make of this album. There is some music in here that I adored followed by some music I was baffled by. There are also some off-putting lyrics. Really can't make heads or tails

Not gonna lie...this felt like a Dollar Store Morrissey.

A lot of effort went into making this record. The finished product sounds like it was meant for a musical. One has to appreciate the artistry, if some of this falls short.

I listened to a lot of singers that don’t have great voices Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, but I still enjoy their music. Mr. Comedy doesn’t have a great voice but what separates him from those I named above is he doesn’t always hit the notes. I think his whole singing style is flat. I didn’t hate this album actually. I heard different influences from artists such as Burt Bacharach, Lena Lovich and Paul McCartney. There are some interesting ideas on the album and with different production ideas it might have been an excellent album.

A solid Pulp rip off

Fijne barokke pop, verrassend! 3,5

Weirdly enjoyed this but also felt a sinister energy from this man?

Well, it's hard for me to rate this one. It's creative, some of the songs are fun, I really liked Charge. But low points are making me losing my focus from time to time... Probably will raise my rating later.

Quirky, considered, knowing, self deprecating, and a good listen. I saw someone wrote "the Irish Jarvis Cocker". I like that.

Not bad but not memorable!

I'm always excited for a concept album! However, this time I did not enjoy it that immensely as the lyrics and music could have been more interesting, but still it was an enjoyable listen, cannot say anything bad.

I was intrigued by this at first because I had a few older friends who got into The Divine Comedy when they went to college and I liked a few songs I heard as a result. What I recall was pretty different from this. I’ve run into this persona in British records in this list before, the ironic amoral lecher. Neil Hannon’s version worked a bit better than the previous instances because there was more of a sense of humor to it. And there were lots of good moments along the way. But… then I put on a few of his other songs and realized I liked them a lot more. So I think this is a 3 to be honest, but hoping for more in the future.

I feel like I'm being trolled. Like someone decided to do what they thought an old vegas act is but then they realized they couldn't fully commit to the bit. This has to be a comedy album. In and Out of Paris and London has to be a joke right? Ok every song seems to be about sex. Combine that with the way the album is structured I'm thinking the band/artist made this for the giggles. In that context it works. It's weird and out there and leans into the surreal. Think Frank from Always Sunny in Philadelphia saying, "I don't know how many years on this earth I got left, so I'm gonna get really weird with it." If they were trying to make a straightforward pop album I'm confused as hell.

I should like this a lot less - it's sort of a pastiche of The Smiths, the Zombies, and Pulp all at the same time, and the issue is that individually those are all some of my favorite bands. So, was this an enjoyable listen? I regret to say that, yes, I actually thought it was.

I owned this CD having gone out to buy it on the strength of Something for the Weekend. I was a bit disappointed at the time as I'd been hoping for an album of Britpop or maybe some Father Ted songs not something that sounds like musical theatre at times. Haven't listened to this in ages, I can still only give it a 3 because I only like about half the tracks and some of the others are pretty irritating. The songs I liked were Something for the Weekend, Alfie, Songs of Love, the Frog Princess and the previously unheralded (at least by me) Through a Long & Sleepless Night.

this is like a sexed up version of the album Cole’s corner - hated the spoken word/talking etc intros but the actual music itself was pretty ok

Sounds like music from Rent by a British dude who HATED Rent. It's so over the top that it works. I see the correlation between this and the same guy doing the Wonka soundtrack. I appreciate this, but won't be listening regularly.

I’m not quite what to call this style of music, but I don’t hate it! Starting off with Something for the Weekend was a good opener and I did like the almost Christmassy vibes at the beginning. Becoming more like Alfie was a bop, and then leading in to Middle class heroes it was pretty good. In and out of Paris has some really cool instrumentation. I also like the deeper voice. Charge had some surprisingly intense moments which I enjoyed. I didn’t like it so much when it backed off, but then it came in again and all was fine. I liked the little piano motifs. Songs of Love was actually really sweet. I enjoyed it a lot. The frog princess was just good. The trumpet parts were nice and the track itself was pretty good. Through a long and sleepless night was very enjoyable. I liked the intensity. I don’t really have much to say from Theme From Casanova. It was in fact a theme. The Dogs and the Horses was a phenomenal closer. I loved the little oboe moments and the way it built was awesome. 3.5/5 ⭐️ 59/1089

Nothing burger!

The Divine Comedy has always sounded like a band that is not fully serious. This album sounds like a soundtrack to a musical and the lyrics got that story telling vibe to them. Have to give some respect to this band of being there, doing their own timeless pop music and not caring about any current on going trends.

The Divine Comedy has a unique sarcastic writing style that can be novel and fun for an individual song, but after a whole album some might be inclined to mail a bottle of mouth-safe glue to Neil Hannon's home With that said, this album isn't too harsh in that regard, and the music is nice, diverse and interesting, and the fun mostly sticks around

Courtney: good vibes but most of the songs are the same and not very memorable. Craig: no real opinion

It was ok

Interesting but not that much.

When I put this on this morning I went through motions and finished but I wasn’t being true to myself. I barely listened. So I went back. Kind of glad I did. This was interesting and kept me entertained. Not sure I’d ever go back to it but I rather enjoyed this. And I feel better about myself.

Ah, so this is what Chamber Pop is. It's sorta like if "High School Musical" was made into a full length album. It's okay, but I didn't want to be listening to it for nearly an hour. Favorite Track: "The Dogs And The Horses".

eh

S'alright

I both loved and hated this album, sometimes both feelings at the same time. Solid 2.5, but I'll be generous.

Kind of funny album, I assume intentionally. Alright music, nothing I'd share with friends, but entertaining for one listen

It occurred to me that crooning might be like cilantro. People either love it or hate it. I count myself in the former category, but it's still possible for a dish to have too much cilantro.

I figured I was going to hate this, given how much I hated the last album proffered for this guy. Color me surprised when the first song drew me in, and I didn't hate the rest. I wouldn't make this a regular listen, but taken with a healthy dose of irony, I didn't find this entirely objectionable.

The singing was fun and enjoyable. A bit whimsical if I say so

Not my favorite but also didn’t hate it. Such a strange album. Hard to know even how to classify it.

Neat. I like 90s chamber (brit)pop. You know you're eating good when there's both tuba and viola in the liner notes. The guy on this album cover (presumably the singer) looks an awful lot like a different guy whose name I can't recall. Too bad his voice is kind of unremarkable. The lyrics are obviously tongue-in-cheek, but I fear it's a bit of a Borat situation where some people will think "excuse me, sir????". Some similarities to 69 Love Songs, but not as eclectic or clever (imho), so ultimately it ended up being just "OK".

Parecen ser 1 de los precursores del indie por momentos se siente esa vibra arctic monkeys, muse También a veces se percibe como si fuera Thom Yorke cantando en notas más alegres de las acostumbradas The Frog Princess pieza favorita

In elk onderwerp schuilt humor. Dus ook om een goede sexgrap kan ik wel lachen. Maar iets is niet grappig, omdát het over sex gaat, beste 'Divine comedy'. Maar goed; dat is slechts mijn mening. Er bestaan vele mensen die daar anders over denken. Pubers. Gelukkig klinkt het (vrij theatrale) album vaak wel fijn. Dus ik luister gewoon niet teveel naar die teksten. Wiki meldt me nog wel dat niet alles op dit album om sex draait. 'The dogs and the horses' gaat ergens anders over. Ben ik toch blij met die verduidelijking.

Not my mojo

Highlights: - Something for the Weekend - Becoming More Like Alfie - Through a Long and Sleepless Night

3.5

What an odd album. I didn't hate it though! I'll go with a 3.

The cover is way cooler than the album, but it's ok.

quite poetic

Neil Hannon has one foot in the 21st century, the other in the 20th and his posterior balances lightly on the 19th. This Elizabethan cad muses about the NHS whilst jauntily bashing a harpsichor in his red velvet smoking jacket. The wit of Wilde combined with the pointed derision of Churchill, are delivered with tongue firmly lodged in cheek. For all the epic lyricism and arrangements, the songs are as ephemeral as candy floss.

*Loved the last 2 tracks and how they built up *Very unique sound- didn't overly excite me but I'm glad I listened.

This was a fun listen. Neil Hannon has some playful takes on sex and lust. Ultimately, it tells the tale of the emptiness of pursuing those as an end, and after he wraps it up with a mostly instrumental song that is like closing credits, he underscores the void with a totally different final track that moves from carnality and solipsism to mortality.

5.5/10

Love

Liked generally. There were a few weird cheesy songs.

Album No. 0117 on my list. I have conflicting views about this album to be honest. Or rather - my moods are shifting all the time. One time I think that Neil Hannon is just a very, very eccentric Brit doing very eccentric Britpop, the next I just find it a little too eccentric, like borderline creepy. There are some very good songs on this, and I love the overall theme of the album and the "Casanova Theme" track - I enjoy this meta-music. But some songs are also not as good, and then the creepiness that I mentioned before is just a little too much I guess. I'll add "Something For The Weekend", "Becoming More Like Alfie", and "Songs Of Love" to my playlist, with "The Frog Princess" just not making the cut. In the end, it's a very narrow decision between 3 and 4 stars. I'll go for the lower rating now, but I might just as well have gone for the higher one. 3/5 stars.

I remember being quite disappointed by a previous album of theirs on here, but this was much more what I expected. Reasonable tunes, some clever lyrics all performed well. Worth a 3 all day long.

Kedvenc/Favourite: The Frog Princess Érdekes volt, de valahogy nem tudott annyira megfogni. Nem pont az én stílusom, de nem rossz, voltak olyan számok, amik tetszettek is. It was interesting, but somehow it didn't really resonate with me. It's not exactly my style, but it's not bad, there were some songs I liked.

a little hit or miss, but definitely a massive improvement from the album i heard from them. its a little corny and weird, but the theatrical shit its cool

There's some fun to be had here, but a little certainly goes a long way. Not sure I would ever sit through the whole album again, but I wouldn't mind stumbling across "Becoming More Like Alfie" or "The Frog Princess" now and again.

I liked it

aynı anda hem kötü hem güzel bir albüm soprano kısımları daha delici olsa çok muazzam olurdu bence

If I had heard this in my teens I would have loved it

Very distinctive sound, but perhaps a bit too distinctive. Almost has a novelty disc production sound going on. Enjoyable enough, liked the Father Ted moment

Catchy, but sexist lyrics

His voice was too soft. Could barely hear the vocals. Good music though

I somehow had managed to never hear of this band, so I was intrigued. I love the cover. The best tracks reminded me a little of Sparks, that over-the-top dramatic kind of stuff. I can see that one or two of them would be fun popping up in the right sort of radio set, and Neil Hannon has a great voice. I'll bet if you liked this at the time, you probably REALLY liked it. Most of it was just a little too goofy for me, but I can see why it was included in this list. 3 stars

Something for The Weekend

Mad weird

mid

meh

this is very strange. not unpleasant, but weird.

This wasn't bad, but it also really didn't stand out to me. I wasn't really taken on a trip anywhere, surprised, or impressed by anything I heard on this album. Solid 5/10 for me

This was a weird album some of it I liked. Some of it felt kinda boring/off to me. Still pretty good, tho

This sounded like some sort of weird musical. The highs were high, the lows were mid. Favorites were Something for the Weekend, Songs of Love, and Theme from Casanova. 7/10? Maybe?

kinda fun

interesting rich voice

I was simultaneously repulsed and entertained.

Never heard of this group but they have some really good lyrics and music. It's a little weird that it came out in 1996 because it makes me think of the 70's for some reason. I did enjoy the album listening to it several times trying to figure out what was going on. It's a great listen that is kind of world pop type music. Hard to describe but I like their use of various out of the ordinary for pop instruments.

3 out of 5 Mellow and chill. Not too bad for background music.

Not bad for some britpop I’ve never heard before.

Enjoyed this more now than back in the day. More for keys songs though rather than an album concept.

Pleasant!

I liked a few songs here. Overall it was just okay. I also think this is their second album on the list and I question why that is.

Blimey, it's the Father Ted song! The only catchy song on the album, unfortunately...

Funny!