Casanova

#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.

1. Songs Of Love 2. Becoming More Like Alfie 3. The Frog Princess

Interesting contrast between show tune type vocals and unusual pop music with eclectic instrument choices like full strings.

Edgy in a derivative way somehow

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

Did somebody lose a bet? Why is this album on this list? I fail to see what I would be missing out on if I didn't listen to this before I died.

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

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

Banda irlandesa da década de 90. Lembra de fato um pouco de Pulp. Not my vibe. Não gostei de ouvir, irrelevante para mim...no final das contas, sei la que porra é essa!!! Dois está de bom tamanho...

1.75

♫ Listening to "Something for the Weekend" by The Divine Comedy (Casanova, 1996) ♫

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

Just not really it

In general I’m not against theatrical pop, but most of this album was just icky. Theme from Casanova was mildly pleasant though.

So not my thing. The dude looks like thom yorke. Too bad he isn't tho

Cleaver and humorous lyrics. Great songs as a whole, but can get a bit much after a while.

Very boring

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.

I rejected The Divine Comedy as a novelty act, a bit of tongue-in-cheek, loungecore cheese, thanks to this album. A great friend of mine who is a huge DC fan later introduced me to the track Our Mutual Friend on a later album (Absent Friends). It absolutely blew me away and I now have huge respect for the band. Doesn’t change the fact that I can’t stand this album though.

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.

Yeah idk what this was. One comment called it discount Bowie, that seems appropriate.

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.

Man, reading the reviews of this album on here reveals there are a lot of people who a) don’t have a sense of humour and b) lack fairly basic comprehension skills to understand what this album is about. This is a wry, filthy, regretful, bombastic and incredibly catchy collection of songs. Mostly sung in character, the songs here are both hilarious and affecting An album that contains the lyrics “Everybody knows that no means yes, just like glasses come free on the NHS” alongside “Sing a happy song, for spring does not last long, a flowers blooms and then it’s gone” is running quite the gamut of pathos The sound of The Divine Comedy is best described as chamber pop, or a hybrid of Pulp and Scott Walker. But it is easy to overlook that, for all the pastiche, there is nobody else out there that is able to pull off Neil Hannon’s alchemy. What Douglas Adams is to sci-fi, or Terry Pratchett is to fantasy, Neil Hannon is to the Orchestral pop song. Something For The Weekend, Alfie, Songs Of Love, Frog Princess, Dogs & The Horses - all terrific songs that can make you laugh and/or cry In truth this is probably a 4⭐️ album as occasionally it does go a little too far over the top (hello Charge, which is a fun joke played a little too long) but so many people have missed the genius of this album that I’m going the full 5 to compensate EDIT - I’ve gone back down to 4. Everyone else is wrong but that doesn’t make it a 5 EDIT OF THE EDIT - Sod that. I listened to it again the other day and I think it’s a 5 again

As corny as it is boring.

Boo

thought this was an album named “the divine comedy” by the guy on the front who called himself casanova. so i was gonna write, “lol what an asshole.” but it turns out it’s an album named “casanova” by a band named the divine comedy. either way, it stinks.

i just dont like this kind of music 2

Please no more of this garbage

Didn't we have this album already? When I'm listening, I just keep thinking about the movie Anchorman. Is this serious or is he playing the folks listening? This is something I just didn't really enjoy and can't see myself revisiting. I guess the best thing I can say, he sings pretty well. This just wasn't for me, but not outright terrible. 2

2 Oh God, not this dude again. Much earlier on this list, my first impression of this guy was that he’s an overdramatic Sinatra wannabe, and now, 500 albums later, my opinion hasn’t changed at all - this album just feels pompous, pretentious, and theatrical to a point of being borderline insufferable. You can tell there’s some Morrissey and Prince influence buried in here with the sort of delivery and mysterious romantic frontman persona Neil Hannon attempts to give off, but he has none of the charm or personality in comparison - or the lyrical ability. I mentioned this in my last review as well, but holy cow, some of these lyrics are AWFUL. Fortunately, I didn’t clock anything this time around as bad as "If you were a horse/I'd clean the crap out of your stable/And never once complain", but there is a weird recurring horse motif to be found here as well, both with the final track title and the lyric, “You deserve to be horse-whipped/But I've no horse, that joke's so shit” on Through a Long & Sleepless Night. Seriously dude, wtf’s with the horse thing? And that’s not even the worst line on that song - shortly before that, he charms you with, “It's four o'clock and all's not well/In my private circle of hell/I contemplate my navel hair/And slowly slide into despair”. Just… gross. That all said, I’m actually rating this one just a touch higher than A Short Album About Love. It’s been a while, but I seem to remember that one being pretty boring musically. I can’t say that I loved the music or squeaky clean production on this album either, but it at least feels like it’s trying to be interesting at times - with a different lead singer and lyricist, perhaps I’d like this a little bit more. As is, I don’t see myself coming back… to this or probably anything else The Divine Comedy might have.

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

This gets an extra star for its connection to Father Ted

Very cheeky, groovy, the kind of album you play while drinking a dirty martini Some of the songs are beautiful breezy pop influenced by 60s baroque pop The rest of the music is stereotypically too british, just something I wouldn't understand as I'm not a fan of crooning and don't really like the theatrics 2.5/5

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.

I gave up on track 8. Not even the theme from Father Ted could redeem this garbage album.

Big "TEMU Scott Walker" x "We've got Pulp at home* energy here. Lyrically, this belongs on a list, just not this one...

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

Alright, only went through like once and a half. None of the songs jumped out at me, but could be good background music?

I really enjoy this album. He's so witty. And Songs of Love is of course the theme tune to the greatest TV show ever made.

Better than the other but not by much. 2.5

Weird

More spoken word. Weird lyrics

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

OK. Northerm Ireland Pop.

Some of the picks on this list are so weird...

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

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.

reminds me of joseph and his amazing technicolour dreamcoat type music. solid album, not too keen on lyricism, probably won’t listen again.

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

Speakeasy, theatre, orchestral delight!

Never heard of this band before. I tried placing myself back in 1996 (was 13) and this definitely wouldn't have been on rotation. Listening to it, reminded me of a community television production. You could tell the band is / was tight but the sound and production didn't do them justice. Anyway - not something I'm likely to every play again. No highlights.

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

Not heard this for a while - top notch!

This is the corniest shit I have ever heard in my life.

Come on list...I'm in the home stretch here. Can't we finish out strong? Yes, this seems very British and very witty for being very British, but as a dumb American, I can't help but roll my eyes at the delivery here.

I’m equally as confident in noting the charms and virtues of this record as I am in saying I’ll never listen to it again.

Unnecessarily overdramatic

NGL PROBABLY AM SKEEPING ON IT BUT IT WAS A PLEASANT LISTEN

this was British as hell. I saw him open for Ben folds and forgot all about him. I bought one of his albums at half priced books for $2. And forgot all about it. It was too long. It sounded like showtunes and a movie score the whole way. And the R trill on “Charge” took it down a whole point.

I think I missed the reason why this album is on this list. 1 star

Simultaneously weird and boring.

Какая-то пафосная попса или поп-рок.

Found this quite boring, nothing stood out for me. Around the end of the album it started to pick up a bit, but unfortunately it was too late. Background music for me

This guy again?! I listened to his other album about two months ago and didn't like that one either. I don't understand how two(!) of his albums made the list. At least I can rest assured knowing that there are no more inclusions of this artist's albums in the list.

This reminds me of something that William Shatner would produce. Lounge/club/showtune vibes, but with a lot of cheesiness. Can't say I really enjoy this one given how closely it resembles a musical. This Casanova did not sway me.

Not for me.

Never been the biggest fan of actually listening to auld Pete, but some of the singles really are great fun

This album cover pisses me off Not much else to say it’s just alright

Genre: narrative poetry For painting Cool liked that

It wasn't entirely useless because I was laughing at how bad it was

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.

Songs Of Love is great, the rest is not so great, despite the sense of Britpop nostalgia it brings with it. Hannon is a much smarter songwriter than you might give him credit for, unfortunately, The Divine Comedy's music has never been as smart or as witty as it thinks it is. Casanova is never truly awful, but it is something of a period piece, and one which was kind of parodying another period first time around at that. Anyway, two stars for an album with one five-star track.

1.5, ugh. I try not to question why things are on this list but this one has me asking.

i dunno what this is and i am not interested in discovering more about it. it was dreadful to experience.

oh, insufferable

If I had a nickel for every album in this project where I thought "this could be really nice but the sweeping orchestral arrangements really overshadow this guy's not so dynamic singing voice" I think I'd have at least three nickels?

Too cheesy to take seriously.

The first 4 songs were absolutely terrible. It improved marginally after that with a Prince feeling and acoustic guitar song. Then sounds back into the first few songs again. Comedically bad

Not sure exactly what I just listened to tbh. The real divine comedy was that i listened to the whole thing.

Some whiny shit.

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

What is this

Seems to be forcing it a bit but...

Just felt far too over the top and full of its self and just didn’t sound good, some was at least slightly decent so not 1 star but can only make it to 2

Muy Serge Gainsbourg. Pero con producción 90s Bastante bueno

Pass the cheese please.

Utterly cringe-inducing. I can’t believe this clown gets two whole albums on the list when more significant artists are left off.

Pure comedy gold. It’s supposed to be taken seriously unfortunately. It’s a really well performed pile of crap.

Belanglos!

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.

Not quite

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

Too kitschy for me

A meandering pile of ocean trash. Gave me a deeper appreciation for silence.

Weird but not bad?

What a dumpster fire!

The album is smug, pretentious and overblown.

The authors' obsession with britpop strikes again. Adding in an orchestra makes it sound even more pretentious wow.

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.

Something For The Weekend was a pleasant reminder of a song I'd completely forgotten about, but by about track 4 I'd started to find this kinda annoying. I'm just not a fan of the over theatrical, musical-ish style. Also, the Britishness of it gets a bit much (references to GCSEs, the NHS etc), and I'm British!

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

This guy has to be a sexual predator.

Don't know who this is but fuck him and his terrible album

Not my thing, too unexciting, not boring just plain.

Annoying. Vaudeville musical is not my cup of tea.

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

Didn't really rate this one, it was giving musical vibes, but not a good one.

Didn't really ever get better from the start. I can hear the great sound but all the different parts come together to just feel corny and boring. Not sure why this is on the list I could've done without hearing it to be fair.

Sorry but this is godawful. I think it was supposed to be funny and I tried really hard to get into it but I just thought it sounded weird and crap and it couldn’t finish fast enough.

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.

Like

I did enjoy most of the album but I don't know if I totally understand what it's going for.

This one wasn't very pleasant. I didn't care for the singer's voice at all, and the instrumentation and melodies felt disjointed the majority of the time. There were a few glimmers of interest, but overall I didn't enjoy this very much.

I do like Divine Comedy - I like his voice and lyrical flair - and really like some of their other songs (Gin Soaked Boy is in my top 100 songs) - however i found this album a bit too OTT / show tuney at times and a bit annoying (I am trying to work) so did not really enjoy as much as I thought I would. Some nice moments and hooks but not something I will come back to.

Casanova I don’t think I particularly liked the Divine Comedy when this came out - they’ve got all the hallmarks of a band I wouldn’t have liked as a teenager - but listening now has triggered a long forgotten memory that I bought the Becoming More Like Aflie single. Something for The Weekend and Becoming More Like Alfie are a great start, both excellent 60s-lounge adjacent pop songs, but it’s definitely a bit of a mixed bag after that. Some of it I really enjoyed and some of it grated. When it’s on the right side of knowing archness it’s a great cabaret-chamber-pop album with some nicely wry lyrics - Down and Out in Paris and London, Songs of Love and Through A Long and Sleepless Night I really liked and The Frog Princess is excellent. But it often stumbles the other way, and you get a sense of slightly smug self satisfaction, the feeling he’s not quite as clever as he thinks he is and the music becomes too cabaret and too musical theatre - Middle Class Heroes, Charge, Theme from Casanova and The Dogs and the Horses are all quite irritating. He has a great ear for a melody and a hook, and he's more often than not a very good lyricist, and I quite like the 60s cinematic lounge style of Something for the Weekend and Becoming More Like Alfie a lot, I just get a bit lost when he leans to heavily into cabaret. It’s probably just about tips into a 3. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 Playlist submission: Becoming More Like Alfie

Totally sidestepping the prevailing guitar-driven Britpop of the day for lounge pop, some of this hits a sweet spot, and some of it is rather cloying. He looks a bounder with cravat, neckerchief and cigarette on the front cover. But I found the English cheeky chappy Terry Thomas character, becomes one-dimensional very quickly ('everybody knows that no means yes'; 'hello what have we here - a young lady!'). A whole album of this schtick is too much to swallow (Neil Hannon: "oh I say!"). There are clear highlights, aside from 'Something for the Weekend', not least 'Songs of Love' and 'The Frog Princess'. It's hammy, it's obsessed with the sexuals. Its 'Carry On'. At it's worst it's like a Space album track. It could have done with a trim of about 10 minutes. But it's comforting to have this sort of schtick being created in the swell of Britpop, to be pushing against that ubiquitous tide. I admire that. There are some very solid melodies, and a tongue in cheek mentality. There's humour, there's wit, there's fun. We need this sort of album. It's an easy three.

The Divine Comedy is the stage name of Neil Hannon, an Irish singer/songwriter that makes a theatrical version of pop, in the same vein as Scott Walker. Hannon's work sounds like musical theater, with extensive orchestrations and histrionic, first-person narratives. The album includes "Songs of Love," which was the theme song for a British television show, which helped push the commercial success of the album.

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

Creepy little bastard. Out on this guy.

Probably my first orchestral pop album 😂 Certainly not my preferred genre, but there were glimpses that were cool - the frog princess for example 2 stars. Obviously creative, but a bit over the top for me in non theatrical contexts

The only comedy here is the singing. It's like karaoke.

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

it started off not strong... and then just continued to go downhill for me. turned into a bunch of wailing and ultimately just felt silly to listen to. i think by the 5th track i was wishing the album was over. sorry Divine Comedy... but it ain't for me

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.

I’m four songs in and I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be ironically cringey or if this is a serious attempt at making music. Alright, apparently it’s just the sub-genre being different but I’ve finished the album and it doesn’t make me look at it differently. He absolutely has a wonderful singing voice, so can’t say much of anything negative in that regard. But overall, I can’t see myself ever listening to chamber-pop again. The writing comes off as way too simple and there are parts that are so European it hurts. I wouldn’t say it was a waste of time, more of a one-hour session of learning I don’t want to explore this branch of popular music.

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.

One or 2 good songs but overall not a great album

Light rock lounge musical

Rather British don't you think?

I like some of the odd stuff, but this just isn’t good. It’s like he was going for Bowie but failed miserably.

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

not my vibe

Hello! Ooh! Heeheehee, you bloody pervert. Ah, well I love this one. Making up for the strange inclusion of his second worst record (which isn't really even an album) earlier in the list. Something in his genes/jeans told him to pretend... This record is one of my most played, ever since Chris Evans championed them on the breakfast show and I borrowed the CD of a friend, and just completely fell in love. The voice also suited my singing voice and although I haven't listened through to this particular album in years I still know every single word, having spent most of my teens singing along in my bedroom. Effortlessly well painted characters, unloveable rogues, devastating takedowns of the middle-class, an incredibly unsubtle and yet witty war-is-sex metaphor, the Father Ted theme tune, Dickens quotes, endless references to the French Revolution and Breakfast At Tiffany's, a Radio 3 back announcement, before ending, no, CLIMAXING on a wonderfully beautiful piece of musical theatre (presaging Neil and Joby Talbot's future achievements in scoring Wonka by almost 30 years). What the hell more do you want, you ingrates??! 😂 I jest, taste is personal. But this record was a huge part of my cultural education, I only later realised why I went on to love Scott Walker and Jacques Brel "Institutionalised mediocrity.....wit, against shit" "....and I said "wa-hey! Yeah!" "Burn your briefs we leave for France tonight" "Maybe I need her because I want to be her - Baby, can I be your girl?" "The entire lyrics of Through A Long and Sleepless Night" He even went on to top this effort, arguably twice. Hence why I was quite annoyed to get the follow up instead of the two after that in the book which were far more deserving. Slightly upsetting that the good folk of this site either hate this or have never heard of Divine Comedy, Neil deserves better.

"no no no no NO. youe doing it all wrong!!!" -she walked down the stairs from the balcony. her voice had more punch than anything in this album

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

Self indulgent and shitty.

Unbelieveably boring theater kid music, i'm good thanks.

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.

So this is what it would sound like if David Bowie was a sexual predator and released a lounge album. This album was super cheesy and I didn't really enjoy it.

I always listen all the way through. Always. I had to turn this off after like five songs. I wish I knew exactly why I didn't like it so I could avoid all things like that forever.

Mid as it gets. Some high spots, but just not worth another listen.

As pedantic as a blue polka-dot bow tie at a funeral. Spoken verse poetry that someone said “I could make this even worse with some boring music”

4/5

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

If flight of the conchords wasn't funny

Did not care for this.

Nothing grabbed me. Could of done with never listening to this album.

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

I vaguely recall National Express, disappointed not to hear it. Overall, found this a slog. A lot of the tracks sound the same, backed by carnival music. Would go down well on the Waltzers. Lyrically silly. Really not for me, somewhere around 1.5. His commitment to almost never singing is remarkable.

Only know if the divine comedy for , the national express" although I did find I recognised "something for the weekend" here. Also the father ted theme tune! Can't say the rest of it did much for me. A bit strange, kinda half meant to be funny or a bit silly..... Guess that's tracks with the national express song. Think around 2.5

Not interested in this type of music.

Sounds like the songs from an off broadway show. Not really for me. 2/5 Won’t listen again

I can’t make my mind up if I liked it or not

Bleh

At first I was like, I like this and then by the end I was like is aight

This feels like the type of music that falls into this category: Q: How do you know someone is a fan of The Devine Comedy? A: they tell you. Over and over and over again as they insist on how great it is. Listen, this is bad. It is clever. It is beautifully arranged and produced. But after a few songs, the joke gets old and repetitive. Fans of this think that SNL had one good season - the first. Liked SCTV more and if you ask about their favorite Monty Python sketch, they say something obscure and look down with disdain at the popular ones.

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

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

Het was een hele musical met ongelofelijke kutnummers en heel geinige nummers, geen idee wat ik moet geven

I was not expecting this album to be so fun. It’s a mix of Morrissey and Scott Walker with some dramatic arrangements.

tinha um tempo que eu não sofria tanto p escutar um álbum muito ruim filho puta merda

o cara queria ser o pulp tadinho... bem sem sal. xoxo demais.

Fine, I get it. But not for me.

Ummm. C'mon. This was unpleasant. Dull, irritating at times...many times.

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

Odd lounge music with slight crooning and peppered with 1970s modern influence and less edge than a dusty bag of dull spoons.

I love this album so much. While it's not my #1 favourite DC album (Short Album about Love gets that honour), it's a close second. From the pop ridiculousness (a good thing) of Something for the Weekend, to the fact that The Dogs and The Horses has never not made me cry, it's filled with tune after tune after tune. I just had a dance around my kitchen to 'Becoming More Like Alfie'. It won't be to everyone's taste, but if you buy into Neil Hannon's world, you'll come away happy.

This is lame as shit, these vocals are irritating and the mixing is so jank, absolutely trash

The overly-British spoken word parts surrounding each song took me out quite a bit, especially the opening song. The music itself is quite nice, at times. Bonus fact: this is the guy that wrote the theme song for IT crowd, how strange. 4/10.

1 star. I hate you albums about sex I was gonna say the music was enough to take it to a 2 but man do I fucking hate the overall theme of this album 👎👎👎👎👎

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

Chamber pop, a genre I had never heard of before this morning, is not a thing I vibe with. Definitely feels like a pastiche on the crooners of yesteryear, but not in a good way. Edit: 9/9/2026 Relistened to this one after A Short Album About Love. Neil Hannon is a bit of a jokester it seems. I still think it’s a pastiche, but this is solid work here.

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.

Sounded like a dull musical

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

It’s a no for me, didn’t care for the vocals

I gave it an extra star for the father Ted theme tune, and because my lovely horse was on some expanded edition

Frog Princess, I am a muppet

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.

Went through this record three times in a row, really special album with plenty of surprises and original sounds and words

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.

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

Cute!

Do I like Divine Comedy? 2 days, 2 albums by them. I know I don’t hate them

was alright, it's so so so so so british i've never heard anything more british in my life lmaooo

As the last album on my list was Scott Walker, this album is remarkably similar. However, this is not a compliment. His voice is so mediocre and when the music did something, he did nothing. The ending of Becoming More Like Alfie was neat, but that was the only cool part. Not horrible, just mediocre.

Sounds like a bunch of parody songs for an Austin Powers movie but none of it is catchy enough to make the cut.

Day 91 - March 4th, 2025 This shit actually made me uncomfortable. 0/5

Welcome to the Stomach Room! Oh, look it's Scott Walker & Burt Bacharach. Hello, Burt, hello Scott! What's playing? Sounds like chamber pop mixed in (or is it up?) with a bit of Brit pop & Frank Sinatra, old blue eyes himself! Sounds so strange, yet so very familiar. Did Noel Coward show? Of course! Go say hi!

Not my style

If this album is supposed to appeal through comedic value, it fails, because it is just so unfunny. If not, it still fails, because I just can't take it seriously. Indeed, it is a conundrum, but one that lacks any stimulus to unravel, so I won't even try. Possibly the most perfect example of a one-star album that I have come across so far.

viel meer mee dan eerst gedacht...

OK, when the spotify bio says this guy has "aspirations of becoming a chamber pop fusion of Scott Walker, Morrissey and ELO" I knew it was going to be bad. 2 is generous here.

Is this suppose to be comedy?? I honestly can't tell!

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

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

Musically this was decent, even though it's not my scene. Lyrically, well, it comes across as creepy, sung by someone who sounds like a poser. I certainly won't be revisiting this one.

Interesting, don't think I'll listen to it again, but was not boring

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

Love Divine Comedy since National Express. Great vocals

Pretty cool idea but did feel a little long.

No. Just no. It's over-the-top brit pop, it's silly, and there are references that just aren't relatable outside the isles. And they're not even proper british, they're irish. I just can't any more.

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.

Music was fine. A little too rapey for my tastes. Sounded like the soundtrack of a musical written about the devil.

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

I don’t get it

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

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

Had some good moments and would listen again. A bit too unserious for higher score though.

Enjoyable

Never heard of him. Music just ok.

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

not bad i guess easy listen

Geordie Greep had to have been inspired by this.

I quite like the frog princess, other than that not huge on this.

8.5/10 - The bio said he was influence by scott walker and I can very much hear that. But also idk why but this album was actually amazing to me. I loved becoming more like alfie, frog princess, woman of the world and theme from cassanova. The scott walker influence is most heard in dogs and the horses.

Geordie Greep actually stole this dude's whole flow

The real comedy here is that someone with their unbearable Brit bias thought this album was something you had to hear before you die. This was straight trash. 3 songs and done.

Meh its ok but never a top 1,000 album. Last 2 songs really killed this album although the slowing of the rythym I liked towards the end but songs were bad

Oh jeez... these guys again? Was one album not enough for the Divine Comedy? If you ask me, I think one album is too much! Oh well, I'd at least say that this album is probably better than A Short Album about Love, maybe. The positives of this album I'd say are stronger than the positives on that one. The sound is mostly solid. There are some moments I didn't love, but the album's sound didn't make me want to tear my ears off, so I'd call that a pro of the album. The singing is a part of that. I'd say it's good for most of the album, but there are points that it got kind of annoying. There are, of course, plenty of complaints I have. For one, I'd say the one thing that made A Short Album About Love bearable to me is in that album's name. It's short, which is something I can't say about Casanova, which sits at 52 minutes. I didn't love listening to this album. And of course, my biggest complaint here is the same as it was for the other album. I do not like the writing of these songs. Most of them are about sex, which makes me cringe. Writing about sex is a tough task because you want to be able to capture the sensuality of it for people looking for that while also not being offputting to people like me who just want to listen to some music. Casanova does not succeed at that. The writing here is weirdly vague and kind of uncomfortable at various points in the album. Fortunately, I wouldn't say any of the songs here are as bad as "If..." from the other album. The closest one of them gets is on "In & Out of Paris & London" which has one line in particular that seems super rapey. But hey, at least horses aren't mentioned until the last song! I still think this guy wants to have sex with a horse though. Overall, while I will admit that there are good things here and Neil Hannon is clearly a man with some sense of musical talent, The Divine Comedy is simply not a musical act that I respect enough to give any sort of attention to on a list like this. High 2/5.

This was not my jam because it’s dumb.

This was the first time i heard this album. Some cringe moments but a lot of really great stuff. 3.5

Never heard of this one! Cool yeah I didnt love it. There were definitely some cool things about it. But it was kinda like that Geordie Greep album if it was boring. Or maybe not boring, just less inspired by the music I love. I was excited when their bio mentioned ELO , but this seems to lack a lot of the life and groove that I love from ELO. This feels a lot more showtune-y, which I don't hate but I am not really interested. I love musicals and have played in several pit orchestras, but I guess I dont really like when regular music tries to sound like broadway music lol. There were interesting moments for sure, mainly in the chords and melodies that I liked, but overall I really dont feel like listening to it again.

A lovely journey into the sickly sweet world of the divine comedy - but don’t stay too long

Boring and pretentious, hard to see anything redeemable about this, makes me wonder why Neil Hannon is as well known in the UK and Ireland as is he 1.5*

Ugh. I did not like this all, for reasons I can’t fully articulate. 1 - 2

Orchestral Pop sounding like the sound track of a whiny musical.

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

Cool vibes. I kept waiting for it to be just a little bit more something.

55% Best: Becoming More Like Alfie Must-Hear? No

So cheesy but so fun

What the fuck is this shit. 1.46

Helt sikkert i det her albums fordel at jeg så Cabaret i går. Synes egentlig det var meget underholdende, sjove arrangementer.

Synes sgu det var en meget underholdende plade, ikke den der generiske britpop-stil som mange lignende bands havde på det tidspunkt.

Way too rapey vibes for me.. The concept/compositions were pretty original though.

Not for me.

Yet another boring basic British album that is forgettable and belongs no where near any list of albums you need to listen to before you die

I was not familiar with this. It was up and down, and the last 3 songs were decidedly down, resulting in my dropping the score from a 4 to a 3.

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

an evil and ultimately bad combination of david bowie and kiss of the spider-woman, somehow. i think more rock musicians should be honest with themselves about their desire to write stage musicals because they always end up sounding like this. embrace the show tunes…don’t make us listen to this under the guise of real music.

There were some good songs on here but some of them were just a little ridiculous sounding to me and idk how else to describe it. "Charge" became unlistenable and tedious halfway through in particular. I was charmed by the speaking section at the end of the album though and overall enjoyed this but it's definitely not something I could listen to for more than a brief period...

The Tom Jones-y vibe wears a little thin after a couple songs, and I'm a little confused by the allusions--they don't seem to have any relation to the songs. Does In and Out of Paris and London have anything to do with Orwell? Is Charge anything more than euphemistic sex play, inviting Tennyson to come into it somehow? I am a little put off by the intentionally (?) juvenile sexual politics. The retro musical stylings come up a little short too. Couldn't get behind this one.

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

This started out with promise. A bit of kitsch, maybe some biting commentary, all delivered with tongue in cheek and maybe an exposed nipple. But this album, for me anyway, shows how difficult it is to deliver on such a promise. Things quickly fell into indulgence and the songs failed to deliver anything more than a sometimes amusing, but ultimately thin confection of vaudevillian pop. It's fine, and sometimes fun, but I guess I needed more satirical barbs — or something with a bit more depth — to win my heart. This clings to a 3-star by its shiny painted nails.

i had a hard time sorting out my feelings on this one. At times I found it too smug and I often thought they were punching down. But other songs seemed to hit just right. It's hard to do satire well. The Kinks mastered it, Zappa did, too (sometimes), and Blur did as well (but they also sometimes punched down, or at least across). I enjoyed the theatricality of this one. This is yet another album from a band i'd never heard of before. i feel like i've entered an alternate dimension. I like it over here.

Quite fun

This was pretty nice!

This felt like a parody album or a bit of a joke. It has some good moments but is so random in parts. The album switches from French to instrumental with no rhyme nor reason. That said it has some good tracks on it, I really like "songs of love". I have heard it somewhere before but I can’t picture where (Father Ted). I also enjoyed 'love is lighter than air". You can see why the reviews are so polarising. The good moments on the album lifted the score to 2/5. I liked the miracle is mine from the extended version. Maybe this is just because I am a fan of father ted. Favourite song: Songs of love Least favourite: The theme from Casanova is a very boring instrumental. Album artwork: Cool cover

Neil Hannon wrote My Lovely Horse and genuinely seems like a sound guy but I simply do not like his other musical projects. I find them grating and annoying, I'm not nostalgic for them, I never liked them and I don't think I ever will

Dogshit

Chamber pop. Nah, I'm good

Day379 - corny and campy but pretty good

Did not enjoy. Thematically had lots of potential. But execution is poor, and not enjoyable sonically.

Not Great.

oof. a bit too theatrical for my taste. track one was good but they lost me at the spoken word bit in intro to the middle class one. theatricality in itself is not a bad word, someone like fiona apple i find quite theatrical - but it feels authentic, like a natural extension of a theatrical personality. This unfortunately just sounds pretentious.