Reviews (page 3 of 8)
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.
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.
The frog princess is peak wimsey
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
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
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.
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.
Scott Walker after a stint at comedy school.
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.
Fun. Makes me feel like I'm inside a children's novel. It almost has a musical theater vibe to it.
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 Be coming 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.
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!
Decent album, the worst thing for me here was the slightly sub-par mixing. Aside from that, it's a very on the nose, deprecating album. The album is called Casanova, complaining about the lyrics completely misses the point and the commentary being made. Lyrics like "everybody knows no means yes" obviously aren't meant to be taken at face value, the theme continues with the whole full orchestra thing too. I understand not finding it funny, but finding it pretentious and creepy clearly misses the point.
This was an interesting listen! I felt like the songs had a very avant garde and eclectic sound to them which is different than most music I listen to. I found the lead singer’s voice to be very unique and unlike other frontmen I’ve listened to. Overall, I liked this album fine but I can’t tell if it was for me personally. I can see why people like this band though!
This was fine - not an album that I'd choose to listen to again, but it had some good tracks on it
For being a comedy, this wasn't that funny
I don't remember much about the previous Divine Comedy album I got, but I think I'm liking this album more than that one. At least a couple songs are standing out to me (Becoming More Like Alfie and Songs of Love). Album basically sounds like if The Beatles and Bowie discovered big band music. That said, some stuff is still a little too silly or niche for me. Perfectly good album, but just fine to me.
Can't tell if this dude is for real or if he is in on the joke. Either way, I enjoyed this more than expected based on reviews. Kinda gave me vibes of The National if they had a sense of humor and made pop music. 2.75/5
Middle of the road. Not bad, but I forgot it the moment I stopped listening. In a year I won't remember having listened to this
Casanova, it seems, really wants to be a crooner with magnificent orchestral backup. Sometimes it works, espcially when it has a Sgt Pepper's feel. Sometimes it doesn't like the last couple ending songs. It's a pleasant listen, but it was done better in the 60s.
Never quite got the hang of the Divine Comedy. Bit too arch and cabaret for my taste. Certainly quite a few charming moments though, so probably a bit better overall than I've been giving credit for.. Songs of Love stood out here
Waste of time on an extremely mediocre album
Decent, I guess? Sounds very mid/late ‘90s. Would I have liked this in mid/late ‘90s? Maybe.
Bitvis rätt ok. Men det här är i mina öron ett album bland många. Får inte en känsla av wow. Det är som sagt helt ok. Kommer glömma den om exakt 5 sekunder.
Didn't hate it, but I feel like this album gets a plus 25% enjoyment modifier if you're from the UK.
Interesting
Aye enjoyed this
I appreciate this and the bizarre lyrics are great but sometimes the chamber pop aspect is a bit too much for me.
Good listen.
The Father Ted theme, and of course plenty of other good songs. It's a shame that the writer's gone fully off the deep end in such a major way, because it's such a lovely TV programme and the theme tune is a really beatiful hit of nostalgia and warmth. This is more of a review of Father Ted than of Div Com, who are, here, what they are everywhere - a good band if a trifle silly to be scoring the big numbers.
Meh
Big Morrissey vibes here but not as broody. This was...fine.
Neil Hannon's tongue was so firmly against his cheek that it almost wore a hole through to the outside. Makes it a difficult album to review. It's clear he's a playing Casanova as a horny, lecherous and often deplorable character. This is juxtaposed against the dense production complete with easy-listening orchestration and bombastic vocal delivery, like a demented Bacharach/David with extra Britpop guitar work and electronics. All of this framed by a faux radio announcer reading credits on the penultimate track. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here, but I'm well aware it might just because I already knew who he was and was in on the joke.
There's an easy comparison to Jarvis Cocker here, both because of the vocal style and because the third track is about the middle class. But it's not quite apt - Neil Hannon's performance here feels much more like a stage show. I don't know how much of this is tongue-in-cheek, but at least 50% of it is, maybe 100%. Combine that with the lavish horns and strings, and on tracks like "A Woman of the World" you can practically see him strutting around on stage. "Middle Class Heroes" may be the highlight, it's dark but still a bit funny. Your enjoyment of this likely depends on how much you can stand the smarm. I usually can, but the spoken transitions between tracks and high brow literary references sometimes make it too much. Combine that with songs that all play with similar sounds and this just falls under a 4 for me.
We need a good album guys
Teeters between clever and corny. Painful in spots, promising in others. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Something for the Weekend - Becoming More Like Alfie - Songs of Love
I heard this album a few years ago and remember liking it, although this time I found it harder to get through. I really like Songs of Love and some of the ideas work for me. However, others are quite grating. I really don't like In & Out. I think this is a 2.5/3
Kinda good but kinda creepy and very British
Good if you like that sort of thing
Decent.
Haven't listened to their music before. The top review called it a Pulp parody album and I thought they're exaggerating but it really does to a degree feel like a mix of Pulp and Scott Walker. Can't complain though, I quite enjoyed it 3/5
I had never heard of The Divine Comedy before, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the cool melodies and nice harmonies here. I especially enjoyed finding out that they were the original performer of Songs of Love, a song I had previously thought was a Ben Folds original (and really love). Some of the songs were a little forgettable, but the ones that were good were pretty good -- three stars for the bright spots.
Not bad but not my cup of tea. Easy to have on, didn't skip anything 3.8
Æ skjønne greia, tror æ, men det va på ingen måte interessant eller iørefallanes. Veldig inn et øre og ut det andre.
Very pleasant and inoffensive
Let's call it The Clever Amusement.
I don’t really think it is as bad as some of the reviews are saying it is. I liked this a little more when comparing it to the last album I heard. The reason being it was a little more different, but I don’t think it is the greatest thing I have ever heard.
I can see how this album was right at home in 1996. It's not my cup of tea, but I can see why it was popular. My favorite song was Becoming More Like Alfie.
Songs from a shameless womanizer. Not sure how I feel about it. Tracks to Track: Songs of Love, Becoming more like Alfie
ballin
5/10… baroque pop / musical soundtrack
Wanted to like this more but I think you'd of something they requires a lot of listens to fully enjoy bar rhythm catchy ones.
not bad, interesting
Ehhhhh
Didn't hit for me like the last Divine Comedy album, but kind of interesting
Quirky, weird, creepy vocals, but ok music
Leary British guy
Previously rated: A Short Album About Love (3/5) ************************************ I got the previous album about a month ago. It wasn't really my style of music. Let's see how it compares to this one. I liked it better than A Short Album About Love, but this is theater kid music, and it’s hard to get into outside of that setting, sometimes even in that setting. Best track: Frog Princess. I don’t know why.
Good album, has real good songs.....I liked the record that follows this one too.
Like and dislike in equal measure
Here is a compilation of the creepiest lyrics from this predator's anthem: "But it's time to let off some steam [sic], Everybody knows that No means Yes" "My slap 'n' tickle made her giggle, made her wiggle like a willow tree" "So I suggested, She Protested, I persisted till she said Well OK" "Pale, pubescent beasts, [sic], Their pray gather in herds, Of stiff knee-length skirts" "Maybe I'll kill her" "You cannot stop it, so why the devil do you try?" "I'd rather die than be deprived of Wonderbras and thunder thighs" I genuinely winced at the "No Means Yes" line on the Becoming More Like Alfie song. It was a bit of a banger (the lil baby guitar solo was sick) - but still, definitely a bit creepy. Despite the fact that this bloke needs chemical castration, and if he wasn't from the poor slums of ULSTER I'd expect to see this bloke on the Epstein list.
Started strong. Unique sound and approach but it got a bit repetitive and…honestly…creepy by the end.
Was this a novelty album? I don’t know but it had a couple toe tappers.
Interesting contrast between show tune type vocals and unusual pop music with eclectic instrument choices like full strings.
Na primeira audição me soou confuso, entre o satírico e a performance de crooner. Mas ouvindo com mais atenção, se revela um disco com ótimas canções e uma performance vocal estupenda de Neil Hannon, que antecipa, em alguns momentos, ao que Geordie Greep (Black Midi) faria anos depois. Bom disco!
Very much a part of my youth - "Something for the Weekend" was absolutely everywhere in 1996. I don't want a whole album of it, but that track in particular will always bring a nostalgic smile to my face
This hasn't been a great recent run of albums for me. In the last week: The Zutons The Only Ones The Auteurs Rocket From The Crypt Add in Curtis Mayfield, Sly & The Family Stone, and Marty Robbins, that's 7 straight days of albums where I have heard a grand total of 1 of these songs before. That can be a good thing, as I like discovering new music, but for those four bands above it really hasn't been good. When this popped up, all I could think is "here we go again". But much to my surprise, I kind of liked this record. Not that it was amazing, and I expect that a lot of people will not like this (my hunch is the average rating is less than 3) since it is a bit of a bizarre listen, but at least it was different. Frankly, it's like listening to a Broadway musical album. What's interesting about it to me is that some of these songs come off as light, but they actually have a good amount of depth to them. I don't think this group takes itself too seriously, but it's not a farce, nor are they just mailing it in. There's a bombast that is reasonably enjoyable to me. Through a Long & Sleepless Night was a highlight for me, lots to this song and well constructed. 3 stars for the effort, even if this isn't normally my type of thing.
This was really fun. he's doing fun things with his voice and i like the instrumental. honorable mention to themes from casanova, beautiful melody. top 5 would be 1. Something for the Weekend 2. Through a Long & Sleepless Night 3. Middle-Class Heroes 4. In & Out of Paris & London 5. A Woman of the World
Not sure this is it
Cleaver and humorous lyrics. Great songs as a whole, but can get a bit much after a while.
Vá hvað mér fannst þetta hljóma eins og fyrstu skref Matt Bellamy (úr Muse) í tónlistargeiranum. Allt í lagi til áhlustunar en samt ekki alveg fullmótað og vantar allt úmpf. Svo er þetta er náttúrulega ekki Matt.
Some cool songs and ideas, but just so over the top cheesy, I struggled to get through it. I was going to rate 2 stars, but then the last track about all the dogs and horses made me cry, so 3 stars.
Enjoyed the first Divine Comedy album I got on this list. Was a bit of a pleasant surprise. This one is fine enough too, but I don't think the list needs both.
This album has a really big problem. Which is that he keeps talking and it sucks. It’s like a bad hip hop skit that keeps interrupting an otherwise good album. Except this album is only okay. Which is a bummer since I liked the other album of his I got on this list
A band I’ve always thought I could / should like, sadly they never quite get me there. I can’t say this was a bad album but it didn’t quite hit spot either.
Weird
OK. Northerm Ireland Pop.
Theatrical and whimsical, this often sounded like a soundtrack to a musical play. It's unlikely that I'd listen to this again but to its credit, at least it was interesting and well executed.
NGL PROBABLY AM SKEEPING ON IT BUT IT WAS A PLEASANT LISTEN
Never been the biggest fan of actually listening to auld Pete, but some of the singles really are great fun
Ah, we have a cultural difference here. This charted well in the UK, but not stateside. It's bombastic, lecherous and honestly pretty silly. Some lovely pop moments, but not enough to overcome the silliness.
It's a bit goofy but I enjoyed the operatic pop vibe. Plus the guy can really sing. It kind of feels like a play. Favorites: Something for the Weekend, Songs of Love
Muy Serge Gainsbourg. Pero con producción 90s Bastante bueno
A fine album, I think I preferred the other album they had on the list better. This kind of reminds me of Greeps The New Sound, but not as chaotic or interesting. Also, I could have sworn this was OK Computer era Thom Yorke on the cover. High 3.
I really did not like the opening minute of this album, but as it went on it redeemed itself, and it honestly has some pretty good tunes.
I liked his voice and some of the music, but the two didn't always feel like they went together well. OK overall. 3/5
Weird but not bad?
Ridiculous
hljómar á köflum eins og scott walker/brel. textar um kvenlegan breskan saurlífissegg. mér finnst þetta skemmtilegt þó að hrossið sé en hans besta verk. 3,5.
I wasn't fully sure how to feel about this one. I liked the arrangements and he had a good voice. Some of the lyrics had me tilting my head a little bit, and only a couple songs really grabbed me. Songs of Love and Through a Long And Sleepless Night.
I did enjoy most of the album but I don't know if I totally understand what it's going for.
Pretty good album which (I think) is quite satirical on love songs. The whole album includes more orchestral instruments than normal which kinda gives the songs a very theatre musical/movie music feel. Definitely some great lyrics hidden in there
The music is alright. Some of the lyrics are sort of cute and funny, but others are a bit cringe. Lots of references to things that are UK-specific (NHS, GCSE, etc.). I liked “Middle-Class Heroes”, “Frog Princess” and a few other random ones. A lot of mixed feelings on this one, but it’s definitely an interesting album for me.
This was a fun one. The songs are varied enough, and the lyrics are cheesy and funny. "The Frog Princess" got me. I'm going to be singing "there's something in the woodshed" all day.
Rather British don't you think?
Self indulgent and shitty.
Really over all of this mid British albums
Jag börja fiila dehär, trodde ja skulle hata det. Tror att ja kan stor gilla det här ifall jag lyssnar mer.
Honestly better than I thought it was gonna be. Pretty fun.
the divine comedy combines the pipes of frank sinatra, the self-importance of morrissey, the creepy horniness of jeff buckley's dad, and the theatricality of meatloaf into one uncertain package. actually, wait, it's all those same qualities but just from william shatner. but is the album any good? well, favorites: something for the weekend, becoming more like alfi, songs of love, the frog princess
brings back some memories of my 20's. a bit of a crooner. not bad
Another entry in the forgettable 90s British alternative bin. That said, “The Frog Princess” has a fantastic chorus, and this album has some other redeeming moments.
2.5 - I think this guy is creepy asf and the songs are kinda random and also creepy, but he does have some great vocals and every few songs there is one talking about some incredibly relevant or important stuff
FT
Son originales pero les falta una gran canción.
Really cool vibe, I really got into the album with the first song. Some sounds used in the songs are weird but funny a good 3.5.
Wasn't really focused, but 3 i think
This was different. It’s as if each song was a different scene in a movie. Definitely background music to make the time go by.
I’ve always liked Divine Comedy, the guy steadfastly sticks to his own thing. Always enjoyed when they would pop up on the indie Shine albums
I liked some of it. Some of it was a bit clever for its own good though. Enjoyed the Father Ted theme popping up. Another one for my massive 3 star pile
64/100. Casanova by The Divine Comedy is an alright baroque pop album with a strange yet intriguing sound. It doesn’t feel like it was produced in 1996, giving it a somewhat timeless or out-of-era feel. While the uniqueness is interesting, the album overall is just alright.
Took a couple songs to get on the wavelength here but I ended up enjoying it alright. He never really gets to Morrissey like he’s compared to. I just heard a really dramatic Neil Diamond.
Cute!
Do I like Divine Comedy? 2 days, 2 albums by them. I know I don’t hate them
viel meer mee dan eerst gedacht...
Is this suppose to be comedy?? I honestly can't tell!
I'd never heard of the band or the album before. I didn't miss much either. The music on the album was pretty boring. The only good thing about it was that it wasn't particularly annoying. I can only speculate as to why such an album should be one of the 1000 best. Perhaps a new album simply needs to be added to the list at regular intervals. 3/2
Pretty cool idea but did feel a little long.
I went into this somewhat expecting to hate it from the first couple of seconds, but as it went on I found myself enjoying it more and more. I understand the humor in this and appreciated the effort behind it. I also just think the second half is much better than the first. Highlights were Charge, The Frog Princess, and Through A Long & Sleepless Night.
01) Something for the Weekend - 7,5 02) Becoming More Like Alfie - 7,0 03) Middle-Class Heroes - 6,5 04) In & Out of Paris & London - 6,5 05) Charge - 5,5 06) Songs of Love - 6,5 07) The Frog Princess - 6,5 08) A Woman of the World - 6,5 09) Through a Long & Sleepless Night - 6,5 10) Theme from Casanova - 7,0 11) The Dogs & the Horses - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,59 (66/100) Current ranking: 332/464
Had some good moments and would listen again. A bit too unserious for higher score though.
Enjoyable
I quite like the frog princess, other than that not huge on this.
Geordie Greep actually stole this dude's whole flow
This was the first time i heard this album. Some cringe moments but a lot of really great stuff. 3.5
A lovely journey into the sickly sweet world of the divine comedy - but don’t stay too long
Orchestral Pop sounding like the sound track of a whiny musical.
Cool vibes. I kept waiting for it to be just a little bit more something.
Helt sikkert i det her albums fordel at jeg så Cabaret i går. Synes egentlig det var meget underholdende, sjove arrangementer.