Mon Jun 21 2021
2
Now this is peak fucking Gen X garbage lol. At least it's only half an hour. Congrats man, it's the 1990s and you're pretending to be Sinatra. Aren't you just fucking ironic. 2/5.
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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
1997
- Album Summary
A Short Album About Love is the fifth studio album by Irish chamber pop band the Divine Comedy, released in 1997 by Setanta Records. It was recorded on 20 October 1996 at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London.
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Wed Feb 10 2021
2
I gave this album three listens, trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. But every listen, the only part that caught my attention was when he started talking about how he wished his lover was a horse or a dog. Okay buddy.
Thu Mar 25 2021
5
Outrageously beautiful and beautifully outrageous (If... you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable and never once complain). Orchestral and theatrical, first impression was Bowie but I think it's more Scott Walker. I assume Father John and Kirin J take a lot out of this kind of thing. Pretty impressive it was all recorded live as well.
Wed Jun 09 2021
4
If the lyrics took a more serious or less comedic tone, this album could easily be a 5 based on its production and composition. It was a pleasant surprise and an enjoyable listen.
Wed Mar 31 2021
3
Oooh look, it's more 1990s British indie rock. I remember the name, but not any of their songs/albums. To be fair, this one is reasonably decent. Although considered a studio album, it was recorded live in a concert hall with a small orchestra and an audience (though thankfully you can't tell on the album that this was a live show). They are songs... about love, ranging from the romantic to the absurdist and twee. "If you were a horse, I'd clean the crap out of your stable" is a great line to sing with earnestness against orchestral accompaniment. I'm not opposed to orchestral pop, and the guy's voice does suit this setup. A bit like the Springsteen record, I can appreciate the craft and I wouldn't object to hearing their other material. But I'm not falling in love with this record. 3.5
Mon Oct 24 2022
5
Just what I’ve been looking for. Thank you.
Fri Jan 29 2021
4
His deep, baritone croon has never sounded more affecting, and his songs are easily among his best, making A Short Album About Love much more than a record for hardcore fans.
Wed Apr 12 2023
4
Nice, but what’s with all the horses?
Tue Jun 29 2021
2
Hated it at first, but some of the lyrics grew on me. Still don't need it in my life.
Mon Apr 11 2022
2
I think their greatest hits would have been a better option here. It includes the Father Ted theme song.
Fri Feb 12 2021
1
Bloody shite
Fri Feb 12 2021
1
Another one my Irish relatives won't be pleased about. Can't stand this band. Can't even muster any objectivity. 1/10 (ahh yeah that felt good)
Fri Feb 12 2021
1
Awful
Sat Apr 17 2021
5
5. Of course. Canciones: Everybody Knows (except you)
Fri Jun 18 2021
5
Talk about an underrated love/break up album. Genuinely some of the most beautiful melodies and movements on this short, grand album. Highlights: 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7.
Thu Dec 09 2021
5
Loved it! So unique, definitely going to listen again.
Fri Mar 11 2022
5
Absolutely soulful and swanky album, quite tightly packed as well. Huge Surpise here.
Thu Mar 24 2022
5
Cinematic, epic and really unique. Lovely orchestration and enchanting vocal tone. Very impressive for a live album, an unexpected 5.
Thu Oct 27 2022
5
Kinda goofy, but I like his voice
Wed Nov 09 2022
5
A great listen throughout. Highly recommend it
Mon Dec 05 2022
5
Wow, I was not expecting this! How is this from the 90s? Let alone considered pop? Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but this never what I would picture if you said that. The voice is absolutely magnificent, and the orchestral backing is gorgeous. Are some of the lyrics a little cheesy? Sure, but I don't care, it sounds amazing, and while this isn't technically an "album", so maybe it shouldn't be on this list, but I'm so glad it is. Fantastic. Reminds me a lot of Nick Cave.
Wed Jan 11 2023
5
Another exciting and wonderful surprise in a shape of a band, The Divine Comedy, thatcI have never heard of! From the first song onwards, this album was full of baroque splendor and glamour, orchestral motives and actually great singing by the main guy in the band, Neil Hannon. I never knew this, but he was a composer that recorded music for IT Crowd and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. This album let me appreciate him even more. Basically every song on the record is a hit, or at least a single worthy track. I am certainly adding almost whole album to my everyday playlist. Great job Neil, easily 5 stars.
Wed Apr 12 2023
5
Short but epic. Wonderful stuff from Mr Hannon and his marvellous melody makers.
Mon Sep 14 2020
4
it’s cute
Thu Oct 15 2020
4
A classic example of good trustworthy advertising. It is short, it is an album, and it is truly every sense about love. The vocalist's voice soars as he tells you how we can be together forever, how you would not cry if you were a tree, and how if you were a horse, he'd clean the crap out of your stable and that's when it really hits you that you're in love.
Wed Mar 03 2021
4
Exactly what it says on the tin. I'm a sucker for orchestral arrangements. Best track: Everybody Knows (Except You)
Wed Jun 09 2021
4
Enjoyable and somewhat amusing album with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, surprisingly good
Wed Jun 30 2021
4
entertaining album. The lyrics to the songs are bizarre. Short and not so sweet.
Fri Jul 16 2021
4
A surprise smash hit out of left field. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Gorgeous songcraft, funny and witty lyrics, and a nice melodic ambiance.
Thu Feb 04 2021
4
One off 60's orchestra and single singer style. Enjoyable.
Thu Feb 25 2021
4
New to me but I enjoyed it
Thu Jun 24 2021
4
Sounds a lot like Magnetic Fields. Pretty listenable
Fri Jun 04 2021
4
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: In Pursuit of Happiness, Everybody Knows (Except You), Someone, If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me), I'm All You Need Cutting Edge: If... Overall Notes: Some nice chamber pop. I can see people seeing this as pretentious, but I like it like that. The orchestral moments are beautiful and the lyrics aren't too self-serious. A 4.5 rounded to a 4 because it wasn't anything earth-shatteringly good (and again I'm trying to avoid score inflation), but I really really enjoyed this album. This is like a better version of that Rufus Wainwright album and will probably replace it for when I'm in the mood for some chamber pop.
Thu May 06 2021
4
Nice little album
Thu Apr 29 2021
4
This was actually great. Started off feeling very twee, but I grew to like it a lot.
Thu May 13 2021
4
Für Freunde des Melodrams wirklich ein gutes album
Wed Apr 14 2021
4
c'est un peu court jeune homme, 4/5
Thu May 13 2021
4
Zu pompös, um es normal zu hören aber echt cool!
Wed Apr 07 2021
4
A voice like velvet, great lyrics, clever songwriting, beautiful arrangements... what a joy this album is.
Fri Jun 25 2021
4
Intriguing and often mesmerizing, although the occasional odd lyric feels out of place with the tone of the album. But well done and I was hooked throughout.
Thu Apr 29 2021
4
This was actually great. Started off feeling very twee, but I grew to like it a lot.
Sun Jun 20 2021
4
I've never really heard anything of this genre before outside of straight up musical theatre, which is obviously right up my street. This album was really cohesive and was a pleasure to listen to. My favourite moment was the orchestra at the end of 'If...'. Beautiful music.
Sun Jun 20 2021
4
I got into this album more and more the further through it I got. Felt very nostalgic of when I used to go with my grandparents to little pub/clubs ( the lax working club kind)
Wed May 26 2021
4
New to me, i liked it
Tue Jun 22 2021
4
Never heard of The Devine Comedy. This is such well written music. Very full and layered. Like an Ogre. I'm interested in hearing more.
Sun May 30 2021
4
I really quite enjoyed this album.
Wed May 19 2021
4
This was a great album to have come up. I know this band from their first best of and this was a great excuse to dive into more of their full albums. I already liked the songs on here that I know but really fell for a few I didn't (specifically "Someone").
Sun Aug 15 2021
4
the guys voice was lovely n deep. the instrumentals were extremely good and felt very grand and orchestral. lil bit of comedy. lil bit of cringe. pretty cool. 4.5
Thu Aug 19 2021
4
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: In pursuit if happiness, Everybody knows
Fri Oct 29 2021
4
Nije moj đir, dost kliše ljubavnih pjesama, al iskreno iskreno jedna od ugodnijih šetnji do faksa, makar se osjećo malo sjebano. Tako da iako nema teorije da bi inace dao ovak visoku ocjenu ovom, pasalo je, tako da neka bude četvorka ko ga jebe.
Thu Nov 25 2021
4
Klinkt ook bijzonder. Gaan we nog meer van horen
Mon Nov 29 2021
4
Interesting! Somewhat eerie love songs with strange lyrics (if you were a horse).
Mon Nov 29 2021
4
Optimistic (mostly) collection of brass, drums, strings. Abba-adjacent.
Mon Jan 10 2022
4
Solid album from one of my favourite artists. Does exactly what the title suggests and more.
Thu Jan 20 2022
4
I love Neil Hannon. A man out of time, a voice from the 50s and the wit of Noel Coward but with 90s instrumentation. It's so enjoyable. He can break your heart in one line and make you laugh your arse off with the next (is there a better delivered line than "I told the passers by/I made a small boy cry"). I have always loved Everybody Knows. If is a revelation - big swelling orchestration and a writer's challenge of coming up with as many situations as possible. If I Were You feels like Frank Sinatra retold by Morrissey (in a good way, not a racist way). This actually feels like a lost Scott Walker album! I really like it. Not everything on here is essential - which is a shame with its brevity, but at it's heights, it soars.
Thu Mar 03 2022
4
Pleasantly surprised! I'll listen to more of this band.
Sun Apr 03 2022
4
Very good album, but this musical style does not appeal to me enough to give it 5 stars, so 4 stars it is.
Sun Apr 03 2022
4
Divine Comedy has made the perfect (chamber) pop song numberous times (Our Mutual Friend, Tonight We Fly, The Booklovers etc etc) . This min-album: If. The remaining songs are around 4*. Lyrics: 5* (of course).
Thu Apr 14 2022
4
The drama
Fri May 13 2022
4
I wasn’t expecting much from this one, but I kind of loved it! Very pretty throughout, and I like how his voice added a little bit of edge to offset the sugary sweet coating. This might be my favorite week here ever. B
Wed May 18 2022
4
Why include this Neil Hannon project, and not the cricket-themed concept album side project "The Duckworth Lewis Method"? That would really get the commenters foaming at the mouth about the UK-centric bias! 😆 Anyway, this is a perfectly pleasant listen - I got a Frank Sinatra album picked the next day, which makes for a nice contrast... Fave track - "Everybody Knows (Except You)"
Wed Jun 15 2022
4
Brel-liant. More obsessed with horses than I remember.
Mon Jul 11 2022
4
I've a grudging respect for Divine Comedy. Their overplayed cleverness, catchy lyrics, odd orchestral sounds. But I can't work out - who is now annoying - Neil Hannon or Divine Comedy fans?
Wed Aug 03 2022
4
A very nice album indeed with very precise & carefully-chosen lyrics.
Thu Sep 15 2022
4
Great instrumentation and vocals. Probably the best chamber pop album I've heard yet
Wed Sep 21 2022
4
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to
Thu Sep 22 2022
4
An old favourite!
Wed Sep 28 2022
4
Expecting something 'avant-guarde' but it was just a collection of old fashioned love songs. It gets one extra star for having the most literaly truthful title of any album I know.
Mon Oct 17 2022
4
I actually wasn’t that keen on this after the first listen. I somehow didn’t know what I was going into and simply wasn’t ready. But I had a feeling that I was missing something. So I gave it another listen. And BANG. There it was. I was totally blown back the second time around. The grandiose orchestration, the wonderful songwriting and Hannon’s raw and honest emotions. Especially the four songs starting with “Everybody Knows (Expect You)” and concluding with “If I Were You…” stands out as phenomenal. How have I wasted 25 years not listening to this sooner?
Mon Oct 17 2022
4
Short and sweet. Playful, unpredictable, tender, with great melodies. I definitely need to listen to some more 'The Divine Comedy!
Mon Oct 31 2022
4
There should be more short albums about things. As the title suggests, this is a sweet, shot and idiosyncratically romantic chamber pop record. It's not subtle, but it's really good. The lyrics are direct, full of imagery and amusingly truthful all at once. In all literature, music or art I'm not sure anyone has ever described the devotion of being in love better than 'If': "if you were a horse, I'd clean the crap out of your stable, and never once complain, if you were a horse, I could ride you through the fields at dawn, through the day until the day was gone"? Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Everybody Knows (except you) Date listened: 30/10/22
Thu Nov 24 2022
4
honestly… i loved this album. usually this type of music (theatrey) is something i am SO against, but i kind of ignored the lyrics and just listened to the music and the trumpets made it sound so happy and it was just really fun.
Fri Nov 25 2022
4
Never heard of this before but pretty pleasantly surprised, really like the vibe and the orchestral bits really add something
Fri Dec 23 2022
4
Just lovely, and exactly what it says it is. (The 2020 extended version has some noteworthy material but it makes it a not short album about love and that gets to my nerves)
Sun Jan 08 2023
4
Neil Hannon probably thinks he is very clever. That can be annoying sometimes. Here's the thing: like it or not, Neil Hannon is in fact very clever. Composition, arrangements, lyrics. And singing. It's all on point and creative. It's great
Wed Feb 08 2023
4
It’s sort of histrionic and the lyrics are a bit silly but I got into the proto-elo vibe
Thu Feb 09 2023
4
Certainly very short - about 30 minutes - but also very good. Neil Hannon is a great singer and lyricist, with a slightly skewed perspective on the world. Wonderful, if perhaps a bit one paced and similar sounding. I really liked it
Wed Feb 15 2023
4
I enjoyed this. Unique pop music and the singer was also good.
Fri Feb 17 2023
4
very good, unexpected gem. kind of a mellow sound.
Wed Feb 22 2023
4
What a lovely album... shades of 60s and Blur and Pulp. Will give TDC more time for sure
Wed Mar 01 2023
4
If Jim Morrison, Elton John and David Bowie had a baby. Took a while to get into, but it’s actually good. Weird good.
Wed Mar 15 2023
4
Surprisingly good Album
Sun Apr 02 2023
4
ну не короткий альбом же)) Но вокал очень мощный + приятные музыкальные партии с оркестром небольшим Алкоальбом: говорить о любви на крыше дома, попивая дешевое вино
Sun Apr 02 2023
4
название обещает альбом про любовь, я получил альбом про любовь музыкально это просто крепкая троечка, но я ощутил какой-то музыкальный концепт в этом. какое-то вот это торжество и пафос в конце каждый песни. невероятная яма на предпоследней песне. этот тот редкий случай, когда идея и концепт сильно добавляют альбому.
Fri Apr 07 2023
4
This one caught me by surprise. Though I'd probably never load this one up again, I enjoyed it.
Wed May 17 2023
4
not the worst thing ive ever heard. this will prob grow on me but for now i stick with this rating. last three tracks are highlights.
Thu May 25 2023
4
liked
Thu May 25 2023
4
Grand, compelling and at the same time intimate, this album took me a few listens to get into. But the evening listen on the couch with a glass of wine caught the right mood.
Fri May 26 2023
4
why are all the reviews for this on this website so bad this album slaps. He does go on about the horses though
Mon Jun 14 2021
3
Really liked the music, especially the classical aspects of the music, and his voice eventually grew up on me. 3.5/5.
Fri Sep 18 2020
3
Pretty good, not something I would seek out though.
Fri Oct 16 2020
3
it was in fact a short album about love
Thu Dec 31 2020
3
Well, this was a surprise. I'd likely never pull this album off my shelf and play it, but it was compelling, interesting, and entertaining.
Fri May 21 2021
3
its alright but idk why its so special
Thu May 27 2021
3
A bit sappy, but will give it another listen
Sun May 16 2021
3
Trippy
Wed Feb 03 2021
3
Arranged well, with vocals up front. A cohesive love story.
Sun May 16 2021
3
No idea what to expect. Bombastic rich lounge music? It kept my attention.
Fri Apr 09 2021
3
I wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of a "chamber pop", but thankfully it wasn't too bombastic, it actually has some pretty good melodies. Would listen again.
Wed Feb 03 2021
3
It wasn’t great, there were some shortcomings. However, the fullness and depth of the music and atmosphere was really good. It was good throughout. Nothing too special, but nothing bad. Solid 3.