1001 Albums Generator
Casanova by The Divine Comedy

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

1996
2.65
Rating
22727
Votes
1
14%
2
32%
3
33%
4
16%
5
4%
Distribution
Genres: Pop, Rock Styles: Baroque Pop, Chamber Pop, Lounge, Pop Rock, Indie Rock

Reviews (page 4 of 8)

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

It's OK if you like this. We can still be friends.

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

boring!!!!

I’m not wild about Morrissey as a solo act, so why would I want to listen to a slightly different Temu Moz? Did not dig it. TBF, I didn’t end up finishing it. 2.5 for the “slightly different” part. Horns and instrumentation was fun.

Did not like, I tried and it was late lonnnggggggg

It was hard to tell if this was a joke or not. Perhaps the title is an indicator? Maybe, maybe not. But in either case, this was a challenging listen that was pretty tough to take seriously. It was one part goofy ass lounge music (sort of), and one part creepy dude trying his hand at smooth talk with an imaginary lady. This record is honestly so fucking weird, and the novelty wears off pretty quick. 2/5

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

The Good: The last time I will ever have to listen to The Divine Comedy on purpose… The Bad: The fact that something so great as Casanova, the person, was tainted by association to this album… The Ugly: The scratches on my skull as I try to figure out why someone would grant this shit 2 entries on a list of 1001… Here we go again, why not include Saturday Night Fever soundtrack to this list, instead of this absolute garbage? I really tried to listen to this with virgin ears, but as the afore ears were already once raped by having to listen to “a short album about love”, this experience proved to be excruciatingly painful. Fuck you Mr Dimery for making me listen to this shit twice! 1*

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.

better than i expected!!!

I liked it

I liked the other album by this group more than this one.

Wasn't really big on this one tbh. Felt pretty dated in some of its terms and just didn't really enjoy it.

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

Great listen

Honestly, this just sounded like a mediocre pop album from the 90s with a crooner as a lead singer. Just couldn't get into it.

I really liked the music but my gawd is this dude so corny when singing lmao

Weird fucking little thing? Weird setting for me, too. I need a guide. TWO !

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

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

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

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

Catchy, but sexist lyrics

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

I remember vaguely that they were pretty well regarded back then? If so, standards were low: it's very disposable 90s pop with a tiresome archness. Completely inessential.

pretty schmaltzy for 1996

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

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

2nd Divine Comedy album in a week for me. And that really, really drives home the point that as a rule, there shouldn't be more than one album from the same artist, except for really and truly outstanding exceptions. Beatles, Bowie, Björk and Pink Floyd might get a pass on that rule, for instance. Divine Comedy definitely have their own sound - chamber pop, apparently - so I can see why they're included to begin with. But it really is an acquired taste for most people, including myself. I like the odd song of theirs but when I listen to more it l becomes a bit much, dripping with... A bit of sleaziness, actually, that doesn't seem to be ironic, either.

Maybe after repeat listens I would get it more, but for now it leaves me kind of flat.

Whoa! Incredible fusion of genres. Hard to classify as anything other than brilliant 4.6

Love his artsy stuff

One of my all time faves.

Something for The Weekend

Oh man this is fucking great. So tongue in cheeky about the way it goes about, and absolutely rips when it goes all out. I can't imagine why people hate this, other than being britpop by a band they don't know. Which isn't fair to the album

Thoughts before listening: I've never heard of this before. Must be British. Review: Yep...it's British. Over the top, theatrical Brit pop to be more precise. I don't really like it. 2⭐️

PK, bbut it doessn't hold up

Perhaps if I was in a good mood, I would be entertained by this album.

Mad weird

imagine thinking somebody should listen to this even once of all the albums made in the 20th century then writing it in a book and that book is published. what the fuck are we doing here. dweeb theatre perverts: hated. (⌐■_■) 🚬

This has negative appeal to me. Absolute stinker. Get outta here.

Enjoyed this one

this is very strange. not unpleasant, but weird.

I really don't like this style of music. 2 stars or D-.

Maneirissimo, bom jazz me senti no Sopranos lowkey :)

I've zero recollection of this album from the mid 90s. No wonder really. Questionable lyrics and themes. Talking a load of bollocks really. There is a quirky Britishness to it, sure. However it's a forgettable album, which is exactly what I'll do now.

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

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

I was entertained by this album.

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?

dominant male sexual self-admiring is off-putting, sentences like "no is really yes, you know it" etc are kinda disgusting and added by that chearful-christmasy background makes me nauseous

kinda fun

interesting rich voice

Strikes a droll british tone. It works in only a handful of songs, though I see the musical talent.

Great album

Meh. Sounds like something better suited to stage/musical. Pleasant surprise hearing the Father Ted soundtrack though!

And this album is a must listen because...?

1. uueekend - 0 2. alfie - 0 3. heroez - 0 4. London -0 5. Charge -0 6. Love - 1 7.frog - 1 8. Woman - 0 9. Night - 0 10. Casanova - 1.5 11. Horses - 1.5 FUCKING ZERO BUT NOT AN OPTION !!!!

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

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.

Sounds like the lost soundtrack to a 1970s community-theatre panto adaptation of A Clockwork Orange.

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

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

Like the original Divine Comedy I went through different circles of thought on this. I didn’t care for it, then I thought meh, then I perked up, then I hated it, finally at the end I was intrigued. I don’t know if that’s a recommendation - but there it is.

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

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

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

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

Boring music, bad lyrics

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

Pleasant!

• 2/5 • Insipid • Sounds like the soundtrack to a mockumentary

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

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

What did I just listen to? I feel like I need a shower now. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.

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...

kellemes

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

2.3 1x in BER airport on way back to ATL

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 sounded like an old Vaudeville act. Risqué, crass, fun, crazy, strange.

I haven’t liked a single album from any Irish band so far

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

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

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

It slaps and tickles.

Strangely hammy, weirdly rapey, oddly energetic.

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

This was fine - not an album that I'd choose to listen to again, but it had some good tracks on it

A great album, balanced, with a production of orchestral and classical overtones. Especially Something For The Weekend, Middle Class Heroes and In And Out In Paris And London Wow, I almost didn't finish it. Outer Space and Caramel are the only good ones. The rest made me hate the album. It feels like listening to Rufus Wainwright's grandfather, but with a bigger depression and not nearly as many good melodies. At some point, I liked two other songs. I'm seriously considering unliking it just because it's so annoying to my ears.

I really don't like The Divine Comedy longer than about a song length.

For being a comedy, this wasn't that funny

50s crooning in a 90s package. Does not compute and sounded like garbage.

An enjoyable album. Worth a replay.

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.

Best Song: Something for the Weekend. This has a lovely, rolling energy to it. Whimsical and playful. Really nice. Worst Song: Charge. This sounds like three different mediocre theatre songs all merged together into one song that is somehow worse than the sum of its parts. Overall: Another of those British entries that can be broadly classified as "failed theatre music". Were there just entire decades wherein "camp" was the dominant cultural trend in England?

I didn't really give this one a chance, so this is a soft 2, a 2 without a backbone. A 2 left on a park bench somewhere, getting pecked at by pigeons

It’s as if the clangers dropped acid and recorded an LP. Worst album on here so far

Even Smiths/Morrisey and Echo and the Bunnymen can make me enjoy this one. Somehow it's a 5 when Belle and Sebastien do it. This just feels boring to me. Not bad, just boring.

This album is not bad, but we're talking about "albums you SHOULD hear before you die". I don't think it deserve a spot.

Sorry but this was honestly annoying

please,,, please stop

I dunno it was just a bit goofy

Catchy, but kind of annoying.

There were some decent melodies here, but something about it was a little off putting. I don’t know if it was the voice, lyrics, show tune like sound, or a combination of all.

This guy sure does like to write about horses. And while this is not quite as bad or annoying as A Short Album About Love, do we really need two albums from this band on the list? This one follows the same feel as the other, which places the listener inside what appears to be a tongue n cheek musical. But I’m not so sure he’s doing it with a wink and a smile. And that is what’s even more frightening.

This felt like mostly a prank that at moments asked us to take it seriously, but just for a sec

This was so confusing. I guess interesting and decent at parts but I really didn’t get it. Charge I’m like “what the eff am I listening to???” And then songs of love!?! And frog princess!?! Props on the range but this didn’t really connect with 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

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

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

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

This was some funny shit but not something I could listen at all a lot of. Musically sounds pretty solid but I can’t take the guy singing seriously. 2.5 goin down.

Really nothing special - so why is it on this list

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.

Uno de tantos sonidos tontorrones que hacían los anglos cuando se estaba acabando el siglo (es de Irlanda del Norte, cuenta como anglo). Tiene esos momentos ascendentes donde la voz se apoya en algunas cuerdas para sonar más grande e importante. Si es que cuando se trata de ser cursis, a estos nadie les gana, te lo digo. Suena a lo más insoportable de Robin Williams y a otro puñado de cosas a las que se intenta parecer. La teatralidad que se entromete en algunas de las canciones, siendo algo que me suele gustar, es tan incómoda de escuchar... Favs: Además de que no me gustó ninguna, le voy a poner un 1 en señal de protesta para que nos dejen de llenar la lista con sonidos que no tienen nada de esencial

Disco extraño, un poco dinamitado por el artificio. Las dos primeras canciones suenan bien, pero la fórmula seductora se me cae muy rápido. En algunos momentos me quedé como el meme de Bob de Monsters vs. Aliens. Favs: Something for the Weekend (excepto los primeros 10 segundos, socorro), The Frog Princess (porque suena medio trip hop)

Incluso en sus momentos más tolerables, cuando no es un musical que estoy escuchando en contra de mi voluntad, no hay nada que sus colegas de la época no hayan hecho mejor. Charge seguramente se ha usado como instrumento de tortura en algún lugar del mundo. A la playlist: Becoming More Than Alfie.

Just ew. This man makes me uncomfortable.

Good fun

Very much like the novelty songs you'd hear on Dr. Demento.

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.

Really didn’t work for me. I can see this working for you but I’m gonna pass. You can just take it all, I don’t want it.

I had no clue what this was and I liked it

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.

Aldrig gillat sån här klämkäck, bombastisk musikalsmörja. Usch.

Sort of prog-pop I guess? Over the top theatrics in a pop-orchestral package.

Didn't hate it, but I feel like this album gets a plus 25% enjoyment modifier if you're from the UK.

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

Horrible.

Sounded like it was written for indie-adjacent romantic dramas. Songs of Love could have been in a Wes Anderson piece. Didn't care for it though.

WTF did I just listen to?

Hva skal dette forestille? En musikal?

Interesting

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

I recall in the 90s as a teenager being entirely unimpressed with The Divine Comedy. Something for the Weekend was vaguely pleasantly nostalgic but the whole album screams 'novelty'. I can't work out if this is intentional or not.

Aye enjoyed this

Good lad

Enjoyed this, Hannon's voice delivers

I appreciate this and the bizarre lyrics are great but sometimes the chamber pop aspect is a bit too much for me.

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

Oh god I _despise_ this self-satisfied bullshit

I dislike a novelty song, so imagine my pleasure at finding a whole album of them. Neil is so up himself, and a lot of the songs seem pretty demeaning to women. In summary - no.

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.

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.

I didn't get the joke; 2 stars.

Not terrible. But I’d never listen again.

They’ll just give record deals to anyone over the pond huh? I thought this was a parody at first.

Well, I'd never heard of chamber pop until today. I'm not sure that my life is more enriched for the experience. The first song sounds like Christmas music, and the third song sounds like a mix of Christmas music with Tom Jones' voice. The whole album sounds like a relic of mid-90s "let's see if this works." Given that nobody knows what chamber pop is, the answer to that is pretty clear. The longer this album goes on, the more I suspect Bowie had something to do with this, as that would mean automatic inclusion on this list for Dimery. Just a lot of cheese. It's only 11 songs but seemed to go on forever. 1/5

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

"Everyone knows that no means yes." Yikes. Pretty shit album, close to completely unlistenable. Couldn't finish it.

Grand idea but execution was not there.

It was fine

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.

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

We need a good album guys

Middle-Class Heroes was so bad it was comical. And, as with A Short Album About Love, I'm not convinced it is purposeful.

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

Dumb. We do not need two Rivine Comedy albums on this list.

Much too theatrical sounding. More like a lounge singer on Broadway.

I can’t believe the number of albums like this on the list. Sounds like a bad knock off of David Bowie. Never need to hear this again.

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

2.5 - Meh

Ehhh, not really in my wheelhouse, but interesting.

A couple of good songs

Un peu rompiche

I don’t like this spoken word-esque vocal style.

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

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

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

I'm at a 5. Perhaps a little higher. Color me impressed; maybe it’s the 477-album gap between this album & “A Short Album About Love” expanding my tastes a lot more, but I found this to have much, much more character behind it. That album came out of the gates bombastically, but it felt like it was using the past as a crutch; it never really built up to a point where I felt like I could properly believe in what they were trying to do, nor did it really stand on its own original merits. This album feels far more original from Track 1, as it immediately sets the tone by introducing the titular Casanova as a living, breathing womanizer of a character in the first track, and simply explores love through that occasionally deprived, sometimes icky lens. This feels much more like a 90s album out of the gates, and that contemporary nature helps the album find its own feet immensely. I really enjoyed this. With the knowledge that this is all generally a character, I can’t find any real fault in the lyricism; a little much at times, sure, but that’s Casanova’s vaguely misogynistic character speaking. Since it feels far more grounded to me, I think I just found it far easier to believe in this album’s premise, and as such, trust the arc of the “story” they’re telling here. This does have a loose framework, and while it’s definitely a concept album, it’s not rigid. That’s not a negative; I like the looser approach here, as it allows the album to jump from scenario to scenario & explore a wider range. If this had been boxed into following a plot, I think it would’ve suffered. This album kind of reveals itself as a sort of vague radio production by “Theme from Casanova” (which should’ve ended the album, but we’ll get there), and I think seeing it as a bunch of individual scenes with the same character keeps a good consistency & moral bar to hit. Instrumentally & vocally, I think this album really really shines; there’s a lot more variety present here than on “A Short Album”, and the orchestral work feels fully earned when it comes in after setting a more traditional, Britpop-y rhythm for each track. I wish I could offer more specifics on this part, but it’s genuinely just worth listening to. I hear a lot of other British bands throughout this thing; a bit of Pulp, & a bit of Simply Red, but I’m most struck by how much this kind of reminds me of “Scott 2”, which we got back in May. This album has a sort of “Disney” feel to it, much like that one did, and while it’s a lot more horny & nowhere near as starry-eyed, the energy just feels fun & uplifting throughout, and it’s a really contagious feeling that kept me from ever truly noticing the length of this thing. Seriously, this was a brisk 52 minutes. If I have any minor nitpicks, it’s that if you’re gonna provide a sort of meta outro on “Theme from Casanova”, it should’ve ended the album. It would’ve thematically fit better with “The Dogs & the Horses” as proof of the dogs having their day & the horses having their year, and the lack of a final real orchestral lift / swirl would’ve fit better as an indication of being past your prime. Instead, where it’s at just feels like a bit of a letdown given the building tension, though “The Dogs & the Horses” is a damn good closer regardless. I think they really did hit on this album, and it makes the inclusion of “A Short Album About Love” in the list all the more baffling; maybe I need to give it a re-listen to see if my thoughts hold up, but given that this is here and immediately a superior & more satisfying album, I question its inclusion. Regardless, I shouldn’t use the other album as an excuse to lift this one up; it absolutely stands on its own merits, and I think it’s just a delightfully strong listen. Great instrumentals, great vocals, strong lyricism, and ultimately, just an album I’m far more inclined to believe in. A good first impression really can make or break an album, and this set a damn good one off the top and never looked back. Hence, a very strong 5, and arguably a bit higher. This one deserves to be on the list, for sure.

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

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

Kinda good but kinda creepy and very British

Aika väsynyttä vaikka välillä odotti että tulisko jitain kuunneltavaa

Tämä jäi kyllä pahasti piippuun. ⭐️⭐️

Ekojen biisien kohdalla odotin albumilta enemmän mutta fiilis vähän lässähti.

Good if you like that sort of thing

#705. I feel like I need more context, because it seems like this is an inside joke that I just don't get. Seems like a Scott Walker tribute band, but 30 years too late for anyone to give a shit. 2/5: entirely too British

surprisingly really good actually

In a couple of days I’ll forget I’ve ever listened to this album. The same thing happened with their other album I got a couple of moths ago

There were points when I liked this and points when I questioned it. It rode the roller coaster between 2* and 3* for me.

This one kinda reminds me of the Disney land haunted house voice but the lyrics are pretty interesting and creative. It surprisingly upbeat and the instrumentals are very unique and accurate for the music. I actually quite enjoy. I don’t really know what I can even compare it to! Trevor said it was like a really weird Disney song from Aladdin.

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

This made me wriggle... and not in a good way.

Music to be shot to

Nothing funny here - - tortuous. How producers agree to make some of these albums are beyond me... [639/1001 fr those keeping score]

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

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

come on man

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

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

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

This is going to be a long 1001 albums with stuff like this.

I can't stand this theater kid bullshit

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.

As far as Brit-Pop goes, it's not terrible. It's just that Brit-Pop isn't very good. I don't think we needed 10 of the 11 songs to be about sex. Maybe branch out a bit. I think this guy is wasting his talents on this album. I can tell he has vocal chops, but he uses them to sound like the biggest douche on the planet. With better lyrics and less focus on the low register, i think I might actually enjoy this band. But alas, i do not enjoy it. I often adjust rankings based on potential, but I don't think I will this time. 1 star.

I did not care for this album, but, when I don't care for an album, I take a star but otherwise try to rate it objectively. This is an album where I might say something like "For what it is, it's very well done." This album is well produced and performed well, but in this case, we have to talk about what this, in fact, is. It's 90's brit pop that's a parody of 70s lounge acts. It's Frank Sinatra meets 90"s kitchy offbeat humor. I'm sure this stuff a load of fun for the Brits at the end of the last millennium, but that's where it needs to stay. The Frog Princess is a straight up spoof on Frank Sinatra's "My Way" but it's about a one night stand with a fat ugly girl? Ugh. (I'm assuming the euphemisms "frog" and "cow" have the same connotations across the pond that they do here). No, I did not need to hear this album.

Didn’t like it

Second track just put me off with the no means yes thing I am not listening to any more; i did like the music decent enough and was trying to see if there it's trying to be ironic or anything or fits a grander narrative- what ive read from the wikipedia and global reviews though a lot of it surrounds sex and seduction and I am not for it. The first track was creepy enough with the weird deep voice. I think the album doesnt seem significant enough to give it another chance

Look, I love Andrew Lloyd Webber, but I didn't need a guy pretending to be the neckbeard version of the Phantom hitting on me non-stop.

There's obvious Bowie inspiration, and a lot of elements that are very reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright, but overall I think it's a little incoherent and honestly just not my fave.

There was some good humour on the first half that wore down towards the end.

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

Interesting

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

Something for the weekend- 3, feel violated Becoming more like Alfie- 4 I like trumpets Middle class heroes-3 In &Out of Paris & London- 1 i hate France Charge- 2 Songs of love- 2 I listened to the whole song and immediately forgot what happened The frog princess- 3 A woman of the world-2 Through a long and sleepless night- 3 Theme from Casanova-2 The dogs & the horses- 2 I do not have enough cigarettes in my system to rate this more than a 2

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

This was so unserious.

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.

These guys would absolutely crush it on a cruise ship!

p780. 1996. 1.5 stars. I always feel I should like the Divine Comedy, but there is something about the oh-so-clever lyrics and Neil Hannon's smug faux Scott Walker voice that makes me want to slap him with a wet kipper. Saved from 1 star by the theme from Father Ted. Speaking of comedy, how does Neil Hannon get two albums on this list and The Cranberries get none?

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

Horn and organ heavy. Not sure what it's alternative to for 1997. Something for the Weekend lends itself to a 80's pop sound. Curious how a band with a handful of songs barely cracking any significant UK chart making a list for entire albums you need to hear before you die. Production sounds good at least. Plenty of big band influence. Lots of orchestra for 90's Alt. Dude has talked way too much through 3 songs. This will be the one and only time this will ever be intentionally played by me. Were they trying to have a modern 90's take on the rat pack? The talking on tracks is a common theme. This is in the bottom three of the minimal 54 albums I have listened to so far on this list. One of those that I really didn't want to have to finish, but ya got to hear it all.

This isn't a parody album? BSFFR. This 1001 album experiment might just end here.

I could NOT fucking stand this

To quote Beavis and Butthead, "This sucks more than anything that's ever sucked before."

This definitely had interesting elements. Not boring at all.

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

очень понравилось, оркестральный поп это уникально и круто

it’s trying so hard :-(

Pop funk groove, baritone voice, good jams

Somehow more pretentious than a mediocre "SING" act at Baylor, plus some extra lounge overlays. I'm not a fan.

Boring and overly theatrical, couldn’t wait for this to end

Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy wrote the songs for the movie Wonka, and with the benefit of hindsight, I do think musical theatre is a better fit for him than vaguely indie-ish pop. The man can write a tune, but there’s an archness to this that sometimes threatens to tip into flat-out novelty songs.

This is not the worst pop record but one of the worst I had to listen to.

All song are the same. Norhing new or innovative here

5/10… baroque pop / musical soundtrack

I had to look this up on Rate Your Music. It says, that for genres it's Chamber Pop, Baroque Pop, Art Pop, and Cabaret. If that's what it is, I'm pretty sure I don't like these styles. For descriptors, it says that it's humorous, sexual, sarcastic, male vocalist, quirky, romantic, love, bittersweet, passionate, orchestral, lush, poetic, epic, satirical, playful, energetic, melodic, breakup, theatrical, lonely, self-hatred, hedonistic. Again, I don't think I like this style. Maybe I'm not cultured? That's fine.

Bono's Mephisto made a record. Hard pass.

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.

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

not bad, interesting

Didn't hit for me like the last Divine Comedy album, but kind of interesting

Reminds me of an English Nick Cave mixed with chamber pop; which did not really interest me at all. Has a strange mix of bombast that feels very misplaced. Some okay moments, but not much going on

#52 Casanova ~ The Divine Comedy Everything I said about A Short Album About Love can be applied to Hannon's earlier album, Casanova, except with far less consistency. He's still doing a cheesy schtick, and still someone getting popular with this album, and still I will tell you just to listen to A Short Album About Love or his later albums over this, unless you want more weird dog and horse metaphors. The highlight is the opening track, very beautiful that one. But again, just listen to A Short Album About Love and you get the idea pretty quickly.

From the Wiki: "Casanova is the fourth studio album by Northern Irish chamber pop band the Divine Comedy." There goes another example of England fucking up Northern Ireland with their occupation. 2/5

2 out of 5. I feel like this album tried to go somewhere but just missed the mark.

I’ve never heard of The Divine Comedy or this album before, and I have no idea what this is going to sound like. I’ll admit that the average score for this album doesn’t really bode well, but after close to 900 albums, I’ve yelled “what the hell were these people thinking?” enough times to know that I might find a diamond in the rough. I guess it’s time to spend some time with this Casanova, and find out what he’s all about. This album was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I thought the first few tracks were fine, but it was tough for me to get into this. The arrangements were nice but not unique, with the strings standing out more than the other elements, the lyrics were clever and funny, but the vocals were a tad bland for me. I thought the album picked up quite a bit in quality from “Songs of Love.” I really enjoyed the strings and Wurlitzer (or maybe it was the Hammond organ? I don’t know, there’s like a feature length film’s worth of credits listed on the personnel) together. This was the first point that the instrumentation sounded unique to me. I really enjoyed the strings and horns towards the end of “The Frog Princess” as well. The horns towards the end of “A Woman of the “World” were pretty good too, and punched up the sound nicely. “Through a Long & Sleepless Night” was my favorite song on the album. I really liked the horns and bass, and the strings were great as well. I thought the structure of the songs was really good too, and I liked how the song evolved, building to a great crescendo. Overall, I thought this album was clever and interesting at times, but at what point does something cross the line from being inspired by another artist to lifting their style and sound? To me, it really felt like this album fell into the latter category. The themes of sex in the lyrics and Neil Hannon’s vocals felt very derivative of Jarvis Cocker, and the music sounds quite a bit like Scott Walker, especially on “The Dogs and Horses.” To top it all off, this album was a bit boring in stretches, made worse by its long run time, and long songs. I think I can see what The Divine Comedy were going for, but it didn’t stick the landing with me.

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

Neil Diamond...meets Belle & Sebastian...with a sprinkle of Rocky Horror Picture Show? I don't know quite how to describe it. Crooner Campy? I actually like good chunks of this. Would I ever listen to it around anyone else? Absolutely not. But when it's in my earbuds and I'm driving and I can absorb all the ridiculousness of it, I'm good with it. So much good instrumentation. Hits: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, and Songs of Love - which feels like B&S are singing - a different style/voice than the bombast of the rest of the album.

Meh. The creepy crooner schtick is a bit ick.

Pretty funny. Does not take itself so seriously.

This was Brit Pop lounge singing. Not a fan. Unremarkable.

Quirky, weird, creepy vocals, but ok music

Bloody horns everywhere!!!!

brittibias jatkuu. täysin unohdettava levy. 2/5

#DÍA 16: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) Bueno este día tenía que llegar, primer álbum del desafío del que tengo poco bueno que decir. Parece que es una banda algo olvidada a día de hoy y no me extraña, no es que haya envejecido muy bien… Voy a ser directo y decir que el trabajo que hace como cantante y letrista Neil Hannon en este álbum es vergonzoso, parece un constante intento de ser Frank Sinatra para poder dar esa solemnidad y rollo dandy a sus temas que deja muchísimo que desear, o como si Muse hubiesen viajado a los 60s para hacer canciones que tratan la sexualidad de un modo tan profundo como sus mensajes políticos. El humor mujeriego no encaja para nada conmigo, mucho menos joyas como “everybody knows that ‘no’ means ‘yes” o esos pasajes hablados tan vergonzosos, como la intro del disco, que está a un paso de estar al nivel de Corey Feldman en cuanto a ridículo. El LP puede salvarse por algunas ideas instrumentales y rasgos de experimentación que al menos me hacen ver que ambición había, y mucha, aunque resultase en una catástrofe en mi opinión. Charge, pese a ser el culmen de lo patético de este álbum, tiene una estructura y progresión que muestra cierto trabajo. Por otro lado The Frog Princess tiene una de las instrumentales más extrañas, con elementos de Trip Hop, silbidos y electrónica, aunque el hecho de que la composición orquestal esté basada en el himno de Francia la hace sonar como una parodia. Los rasgos más teatrales de las canciones tienen potencial, pero no creo que Hannon sea un cantante cuya voz y expresividad sostenga lo barroco de sus piezas, mucho menos deseo volverlo a escuchar hablar con ese tono seductor que a poco ha estado de hacerme vomitar. Tolerables: Songs of Love, The Frog Princess Menos favorita: Charge #DAY 16: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Well, this day had to come—first album in the challenge that I have very little good to say about. It seems like this is a somewhat forgotten band nowadays, and I’m not surprised—it hasn’t aged well at all. I’ll be direct and say that Neil Hannon’s work as a singer and lyricist on this album is embarrassing. It feels like a constant attempt to be Frank Sinatra, trying to give his songs that sense of solemnity and dandy flair, but it falls far short. Or like if Muse had traveled to the 60s to write songs about sexuality with the same depth as their political messages. The womanizing humor doesn’t sit well with me at all—especially not with gems like “everybody knows that ‘no’ means ‘yes’” or those painfully awkward spoken passages, like the album’s intro, which is one step away from being Corey Feldman-level ridiculous. The LP can be salvaged by some instrumental ideas and experimental touches that at least show there was ambition—and a lot of it—even if, in my opinion, it ended in disaster. Charge, despite being the epitome of this album’s corniness, has a structure and progression that shows some real effort. On the other hand, The Frog Princess has one of the strangest instrumentals, with trip-hop elements, whistling, and electronics—though the fact that the orchestral composition is based on the French national anthem makes it sound like a parody. The more theatrical traits of the songs have potential, but I don’t think Hannon is a singer whose voice and expressiveness can support the baroque style of these pieces—let alone do I ever want to hear him speak in that seductive tone again, which nearly made me vomit. Tolerable: Songs of Love, The Frog Princess Least favorite: Charge

Like Neil Diamond in the worst way

“Everybody knows that no means yes” Yikes, no. This whole album made me very uncomfortable. I wish I could give 0 stars.

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

I feel like I could come with 10,001 more albums not already on the master list that I like more than this.

For some reason I'm getting 'Robbie Williams' vibes. ...also, very "m'lady", and the lyrics are more than a bit creepy. 1,5/5

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.

Afraid to say I wasn’t fully head over heels for this Casanova. Very meandering and repetitive which is rough for an almost hour long album. The goofy perverted lyrics were not that funny to me but I was charmed a bit with the attempt. Funny to see some reviews taking this album seriously

It did nothing for me personally. May as well have been white noise in its total inability to get my attention.

Initial impressions are that its pretty unremarkable. The souring strings, playful trumpeters and corny vocals sound cliche. I really dont like this guys vocals for the most part. Super melodramatic. I can get behind stuff thats melodramatic and corny but this album doesnt necessarily feel like it's paying homage not acting as a touchstone between music of past and future, instead it feels like its wearing its influences on its sleeves and not doing it particularly well. In and out of Paris and London sounds like some shit Bowie. I actually enjoyed Charge a little bit, it was kind of original, upbeat and fun until it does the R&B thing. What the fuck was that? I enjoyed songs of love, this is the kind of overproduced indie garbage I enjoy. This sing is my jam. A long and sleepless night is enjoyable, the build up is great, the chorus is messy and intense and the refrain is good. The dogs and the horses is great too but made me question whether this album is just super backloaded, the vocal performance on this track is reminiscent of musical theatre and is actually really good. 5/10

A concept album where the concept is getting laid and I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a comedy album or not. This reminds me of Moore-era Bond, but without the charm of Roger Moore. I hate the skits on this album, it makes me feel embarrassed to start playing this and also makes me thankful for headphones. There are some albums on this list that are bad, but at least I am interested in what they're trying to do even if I think it's bad. I don't remember the last time I checked how many songs are left or how long I have to go. I probably should have liked this considering some of the slop I regularly listen to but this was ass. Highlights: In & Out of Paris & London

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

This was a strange one, sounded like Elvis mixed with this guy named Mattress lol not very good but dude was a great singer!

Started strong. Unique sound and approach but it got a bit repetitive and…honestly…creepy by the end.

Everyone is allowed to have one or two of those artists they just dislike for no good reason. So when this was generated for me on a lazy Saturday morning I was deeply irritated. But I’m committed to the project. So I duly listened. And now, in fairness to The Divine Comedy, I actually do have good reason. His voice and delivery are unbearable, the arrangements are needlessly OTT and the lyrics are painfully pretentious. It’s nowhere near divine and it’s not remotely funny. Get in the bin.

Was this a novelty album? I don’t know but it had a couple toe tappers.

Well, I feel 8% more sophisticated now after listening to this. It's pretentious, but it also works well. Some catchy songwriting elevates what could have been a boring little endeavour.