Casanova

Second Divine Comedy album this week and this one seems to have a theme: British Carry-on humour. I desperately want to like it but it's so bland and formulaic. Very well put together and produced but devoid of a spark for me.

Two songs in and I'm noticing the lyrics (almost always a bad sign). And I hate them. In a not-shocking corollary, I'm quickly loathing the lounge-singer/musicals garbage singing on this - almost making me irrationally angry. Mostly because the music is interesting in so many ways - so the only question is: will I get used to these absurd second-rate Bryan Ferry vocals by the end of the album....? ...good god no; by just track 3 I'm already all set. Feels tough to slap down such an obvious musical effort but it doesn't take much introspection for me to admit that I hated this and in the end rather than feeling bad about not giving this a 3, not even midway through the album I was trying to come up with reasons to not give this a 1. And by song 5 was re-evaluating my interest in music altogether. (HOLY HELL OF COURSE this guy assisted on Ute Lemper's "Punishing Kiss" album!) I'm not sure how to even sum this up. Almost like listening to a way way over-the-top soundtrack of a somewhat-funny nightmare. e.g. It's not Velvet Underground-horror but more like "clowns aren't really funny so please direct me to the exit" horror. Memo for future-me: just listen to the song "Charge" and you'll know. Almost a shame it couldn't have been more *restrained* like "Songs of Love" which is actually kind of quaint in a Brian May / Queen way. Not nearly enough to save this in any way for me. 2/10 1 star.

A second Divine Comedy album? Why? It is not good. Unnoteworthy. Better than a one I guess not really a two.

Not the worst thing but I don’t get it. you get one of these songs per album but this a whole album of them. Maybe with a better singer… Not sure why this on here

Uniquely terrible. Each song was worse than the last. Completely unhinged in the worst possible way. In&out is truly one of the worst things I’ve ever heard. I think I would rather listen to kollaps

This has to be a joke

absolute wank. hateful

Did not care for this album. Only got through the first 4 songs. 1/5

not this fucking guy AGAIN. there’s a total of like 13 soul and country albums on this list, and somehow, this is the THIRD Divine Comedy i’ve gotten. what is going on

Nothing funny about this.

Awful songs. I stopped the album after about four songs. I did discover the origin of "slap and tickle" though!

God I am so tired of Brit-pop. This is just a slog of smarmed up bullshit. The operatic grand The Dogs & the Horses is the smelling cherry on top of this truely terrible album.

I know we aren't supposed to just an album by its cover, but I wonder if the divine comedy is that they got Elijah Wood to pose with a little cigarette in his mouth. A true Casanova. All that to say I wouldn't listen to this album based on the cover. Upon listening, I should have trusted my instincts. If I wasn't so dedicated, I'd have stopped after the first song. I only listened to about 30 seconds before skipping. Anyone who has the balls to start an album with some casual non consensual kissing does not deserve to be on this list, but then to actually get into the song and it be terrible is a whole other level of dumb. As I said, due to my principles, I did listen to the second song as well, but as soon as he started singing in that played out voice, I had to stop. So that's the long and short of it. This does not belong here. PS: just like other UK pop bands (this one from Ireland which is honestly shocking), the wiki entry says on their best day they charted at #13. How does that warrant being on this list??????

Fancy-pants prick. Our second from this dry fart of a man (band? don't care), and it's as goofy and pretentious as the previous. Each track that plays, I'm dreading his vocals. If he were doing a bit, it would be an excellent, funny bit making fun of this kind of person. But I'm afraid he just is that kind of person. I thought I enjoyed "Middle-Class Heroes" (oh, the irony), but then it got so boring that I skipped it. Truthfully, I skipped through almost every track of this slog. This guy blows. Favorite track: A Woman of the World. Album art: Fancy-pants prick. 1/5

This was painful and difficult. I have to be honest to say I only made it 2/3 of the way through this album.

... this wasn't it.

Not to my liking

Horrible

Super weird overall and not in a good way. 1 listenable song on the whole album (Songs of Love), which oddly enough, is quite good. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding

Vitsihän tämä on, mutta camoon silti

Saattaa alkuun yllättää (melkein) positiivisesti, mutta asettuessaan omalle melodiselle uralleen osoittaa sointu soinnulta, intonaatio intonaatiolta ja läppä läpältä yhä varmemmin oman hirveytensä.

No thank you. 1/5

Thanks, I hate it!

Lounge music for sociopaths.

Meh. I don’t get it. Below average pop music.

Hated it

Yeah ... no.

ass. quit recommending me this shit

Songs of love was decent, everything else was not my favorite.

I am simply not British enough to deal with the Churchill quotes, Royal anthem references, or Blitz imagery. And furthermore, I cannot stomach Scott Walker so when I heard that he was a major influence on the creation of this album, well that’s what one star ratings are for, I guess. Barf.

Campy, creepy and crappy Casanova music. Way too dramatic and not even a wink to the listener, this dude takes himself far too seriously.

What the hell

1 out 100

Bland Britpop drivel that can't even decide what it wants to be – veers from cheesy 80s balladry to orchestral themes and back without any clear sense of direction (or guiding talent).

1.

crooner stuff, don't like it.

I didn't make it through the album. I don't even dislike the genre, but it didn't work for me. 1/5

had to ask myself 'am i meant to take this seriously? ' throughout the runtime because the lyrics oozed cheese and greasy douchebaggery. surprisingly enough this wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience, just an odd one. but that's what this project is all about so for the sake of broadening my horizons this gets a 1

Something for the weekend - I really hate the socalled 'tittering females'. The old switcheroo at the end Becoming more like Alfie- honestly, I don't know the reference. Pretty catchy but some questionable lyrics👍 Middle class heroes - loves spoken intros. This is boring and cynical In and out in Paris and London - creepy and rapey. Instrustal sounds like Thomas the tank engine music. Charge- obvious and crass metaphor Songs of love- generic The frog princess- hmm.. Not sure how to heel about this one. Definitely better than some tracks but still quite dramatic for no reason A woman of the world- chorus in chorus makes it sound like a musical. Definitely very theatrical👍 Through a long and sleepless night- this is incredibly overblown The theme from Casanova - and now we have boring Muzak for some reason. And it is six minutes long The horses and the dogs- what in the off off broadway is this? Half of this album is unbearably dramatic, and overplayed, the other half is frankly creepy. Also thought his singing was too tryhard. Didn't come out as fun and tongue in cheek as it was meant imo. 1 /5

Too theatrical for my taste

Barf

Sounded like a bad lounge singer, lyrics seemed to be social commentary. The album is called the divine comedy, if it's a joke, I don't get it. If he's trying to make some sarcastic protest, it's poorly executed.

Terrible

"My slap and tickle made her giggle" haahahahaha this list is like "the 100 albums everyone admits are great and then 900 other pieces of shit like this"

Just Nope

Garbage. Hot British-pop trash.

no

I give a 1 if I cant get through an album, this one was lucky that I was driving and couldn't go to the next album - but a 1 it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't understand this at all.

Oh I was really grooving to this until the second song lyrics about "No really means yes" which is shitty, but within the context of 1996, this type of language really makes sense. And cue the rest of the album being kinda creepy and gross. Ugh.

It’s a big no

Just can't take to this. He gets on my tits. Nailed on to be a 'national treasure'

Not really a fan.

Felt like the soundtrack to a niche musical

ass