Reviews (page 6 of 7)
There's another Divine Comedy album on this list? Why?
What a weird little album.
Are we sure this isn’t Spinal Tap masquerading as a horse loving chamber pop group once they realized their idea for a rock opera Saucy Jack was a failed venture?
Ummmm….what? Didn’t love this. Voice kinda got to me after a few songs.
Does this guy want to fuck a horse?? 2/5
Not Short Enough🥀
Precious. Twee
I thought the first Divine Comedy album I had to rate must have made it on here by mistake. But here we are again, listening to another one. Thankfully it's 30 minutes long. Just confusing....crooner pop chamber music. Good on him for doing his thing, I just don't enjoy it.
Not bad but so schmaltzy. I’m sure that’s what he was going for, just didn’t hit for me today
I love the orchestral pieces, and the lyrics are pretty good (especially If...). But generally, it seems kind poorly rendered, for instance the vocals waver between great and lousy. 2/5
Last Shadow Puppets showed us a turn of the century Scott Walker rip-off can work. This is just incel tripe with a veneer of humour to mask the stench of piss
I didn’t hate this, but it’s kind of weird. The vocalist is a wannabe crooner, but doesn’t quite have the pipes for it. And some of the lyrics are just plain inane. It gets just two stars, and I don’t understand why it made this list.
This doesn't sound like an album released in 1997. the closest you can get is Nick Cave which begs to question, why not Nick Cave on this list? 2.5/5
The lyrics and delivery on this make the cringiest of Morrissey sound perfectly normal. I hated this so much that I'm almost tempted to listen to it over and over again, like a tongue searching for the exposed nerve on a broken tooth (see, I can be a poet too).
Hello, the 60's are calling....I had no idea what this was going into it and had to verify this was from 1997 and not 1967 when the first song started. This seems more like a parody than a serious album about love.
eh
Did not know it and discovered that I did not need it ! Like if there was not enough of Nick Cave album
Why is this in the book
Not terrible, but didnt really enjoy it. Standout song: Someone
2.5
Would have preferred a longer album about love by a different artist with a less dronier and annoying voice and a music accompaniment that wasn’t so pompous and pastiche-heavy. There were touches of Bacharach I liked towards the end but for a short collection of songs it is also very spotty and uneven. 2.5 stars.
My hopes were high for this one after reading its description, but I’m afraid it didn’t live up to those hopes. I just had a hard time finding many musical ideas or hooks to hang onto here. There are some exceptions, the ending of “Everybody Knows (Except You)” with those ‘ba-ba-baaaa’ backing vocals was really fun. The album was so short that I listened to the disc 2 remaster, and enjoyed “Bath - live” a good bit too. But outside of that, I don’t think I’ll remember much from this one, nothing made a lasting impact on me. Not bad, just not exceptional.
• 2/5 • not sure the world needed a revival of Bacharach-esque 60s orchestral pop - at least not this one
I liked the last one, but this one not so much
Rat pack wannabe that feels like he's the only one in on the joke he seems to think he's making. The "if..." song came across downright creepy. Would not listen again.
Not for me. Definitely talented musicians and vocalist but the style of music was a bit too pop for me. Some of the lyrics were fun but I think I prefer a little more depth and complexity to music.
A interesting collection of love songs that had some nice moments but ultimately didnt really capture my attention. A little hokey at times. Overall- probably 2.5/5 but not quite 3
Another band I have wanted to listen to a complete album by, for a long time. Just never got round to it. Did it live up to expectations, quite frankly no. Not that it's not a decent album. The music is performed brilliantly, he has a truly superb voice. It's just the material droned on and on. Thank God it was a SHORT album of love songs. I'm surprised the woman it was written for didn't strangle him by the end of it. That said each track taken on it's own, varied from ok to good. It's just that as a collection it was a bit much. I'm pleased to say it has definitely not put me off listening to another album by them, but I don't think I'll be adding this one to my must get list.
I’ve never liked this dude. Pretentiously unfunny. Feel like I’ve just listened to a sound track to a Hugh Grant rom-com. Thank God it was indeed a Short Album. I’ll give it 2 stars as it’s not Jazz, Ganstaaaa rap or Country & Western.
I don't understand why this is on here, surely it's not even their best work? I liked it, but it really isn't a standout album i feel I need to listen to before I die.
Normalet
A Short Album About Love has some really lovely arrangements, musically it hits all the right spots, but the rest of it lets it down. The vocals are okay but come across as a pale imitation of more sophisticated crooners, and it's unclear whether it's a pastiche or just a bad attempt at trying to be good, and the lyrics are so bad at times I can't overlook it. A 2/5 on balance.
This was a bit quirky, 90s crooning. Musically it's decent, I quite like his voice but it's not Buble let alone Sinatra, and the lyrics to a lot of this are pretty woeful. Don't think this qualifies for a 3, so 2/5.
I somehow haven't forgotten about the other Divine Comedy album that's on this list, so I kind of knew what to expect here. But man, this was campy as all hell. I guess I have to give the album some credit, naming it "A Short Album About Love" is accurate and not misleading at all. That's quite literally what you're in for as a listener. I guess there is some comedic aspect to this, but it all just teetered on being TOO ironic for me.
The music wasn’t that bad actually but the lyrics where awful.
I don’t like overly dramatic music in the first place and maybe I’m just extra special grumpy today, this sounds like something that came out of a Seinfeld episode. Bonus star here for ambition and because my friends liked it, but it’s a no thanks for me. It is worth a listen so that you can appreciate the other albums more though.
Herkkää oli. Ei ehkä ihan mua varten muttei tässä mitään vikaa ollut. 2/5
Not my thing, never liked DC, that hasn't changed with this album
Bit dull.
I'd never heard of this guy-I can appreciate him, but I was disinterested after 2 tracks. He reminds me - at least at one point he did.. of Lloyd Cole, who I love, so I ended up listening to him for most of yesterday : )
Impressive in many levels. But to what end. I don't feel anything. It's like an immaculate coffee table book. Seems he just wasnt made for these times.
15/12/24 Just could not work this album out.
There are some interesting musical arrangements here, but for an album that's claiming to be about love there's a lack of heart. Dude may be crooning about love, but I'm just not feeling it come across. It sounds like he's working hard to come off as clever instead of being genuine and honest, which doesn't satisfy me at all. This is yet another album that's far from being a "must hear" in my book.
Decent humour in the lyrics, but the music and vocals just didn't do it for me.
Has a nice voice but reminds me of the music from Spain that I don’t like
Okay okay, this is fun in a throw-back 60s trippy way, but kind of out of time for its era.
Nah, I really don't know what the point of this album was but it honestly is complete meh
A Short Album About Love is the fifth album from the Devine Comedy, an Irish "Orchestral Pop" group. The group's work could be placed alongside that of Andrew Lloyd Weber; these are akin to showtunes, pop songs that are played with a full orchestra. These are melodic, reasonably performed, but not very interesting songs. They fall flat - between the over-produced sound and the melodramatic lyrics - these sound more like 60's movie soundtrack material, very produced but not actually popular music.
I was happy to listen to this once but I'll be just as happy to not listen to it again. This is not really my cup of tea - orchestral pop. The lyrics are kind of dumb and the guy has a good voice, but it does kind of get old after awhile. It's the sort of music I imagine my grandmother would listen to. I can appreciate that while I don't enjoy this much, it is well done.
Niet mijn ding, over the top, niet origineel
although it's a short album, it was still too long for me. Just not a fan of the sound or the style.
These people who write music are supposed to be good with words, so why is it so hard to understand the meaning of "short"? More than 1 hour is not short. Let's state once and for all that your irony and/or sarcasm is not as good as you think it is. Never. Annoying album with 1 or 2 highlights here and there.
Ugh. Theatrical, with the music better than the lyrics, which veer to the ridiculous. Seems to be striving to be as alternative as possible.
I was pleasantly surprised by The Divine Comedy’s previous album Casanova, a ridiculously over the top orchestra-backed witty deconstruction of the archetypal ladies man. A Short Album About Love started ok and the instrumentals were mainly very strong again, but the songs were nowhere near as gripping, with forgettable melodies and uninspired lyrics - the self-aware wit of the previous album was replaced by schmaltzy pap, with the last song in particular being very basic. A shame
2/5
A little slow and droll for me, with a hint of Shatner vibes (without the talk-singing, much more musical than that). It's okay.
Never heard of this band, and it is not clear to me why they would be on this list.
“if you were a tree you wouldn’t cry bc cause trees don’t cry” come on man….. some of the instrumentation is genuinely beautiful but holy shit the lyrics are fucking ASS
boring
I don’t get it
Het grootste pluspunt van het album wordt gespoiled in de titel: Het album duurt slechts 32 minuten. Enigszins overgeacteerd, traag croonen met dramatische strijkers en een orgel. Het is te doen, maar heel enthousiast word ik hier niet van. Al moet ik zeggen dat de composities wel lekker in elkaar zitten. En "If you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable" vind ik wel een prachtige zin. Over de liefde raken we nooit uitgeschreven, zo blijkt maar weer. Het theatrale doet me een beetje denken aan Bowie en aan Richard Hawley die we hier ooit voorgeschoteld kregen. Tussen de 2 en 3. Omdat het zo kort is overwoog ik even de 3, maar dat is eigenlijk waanzin: Ik zet dit nooit voor m'n plezier aan.
Weird one for me dog
Den var heldigvis kort - Ikke at det gjorde ondt at høre den igennem, men god og skelsættende det var den ikke.
Jeg har allerede glemt den...
Despite loving some other chamber pop favorites, this wasn't for me. The album's remaster included some extra odds and sods material, and I surprisingly enjoyed the demo material more than most of the finished songs.
This does not spark joy
Did not enjoy.
The juxtaposition of the orchestral music and the oh so clever lyrics just doesn’t do it for me. I toyed with giving this a one but apparently it was recorded live which is pretty impressive
Thoroughly meh. 2/5
It's not a bad album, but it's not something I want to listen to all the time.
Some promising songwriting, unfortunately held way back by utterly unconvincing vocals and often cheesy, over-the-top arrangements
I didn't really like this very much. Not sure why. I guess because it is so melancholy.
to be honest, I didn't really care for this one. what I really didn't like was the production which was so bright that it felt disjointed. the songwriting here did nothing for me and overall I felt like it was a slog, even for how short the album was. not my thing!
🎧This feels like a bad Stephin Merritt/Magnetic Fields knockoff, though I believe The Divine Comedy came first. Regardless, no one needs to hear this album before they die. As noted by many listeners, “If…” features the lyric “If you were a horse I’d clean the crap out of your stable.” Listening to this made me want to put on a much better equine-themed love song, “Since She Started to Ride” by Jonathan Richman.
Certainly Walkerian in manifesting Scott's strengths and weaknesses, the latter being schmaltz and schlock (primarily manifested in instrumentation and arrangements). As for the strengths ... wait, did Scott Walker have any strengths? However, ironic this was meant to be, one senses it was lost on many who bought the record. For instance, the jokes on "If..." are too covered in cheesiness to land. Shame to waste such a good band name. But, on the plus side, kudos for truth in advertising and keeping this brief.
While musically not the worst I heard on this list up to now, the rest is boring and sometimes really bad.
I don't really get this crooner thing. It does nothing for me. A bit French in a way.
Another album from the British Isles whose presence here is completely perplexing to this American. It's competent, if not my style. Minus 1 star for taking a place on this list that could have gone to something more noteworthy.
Like if someone was jokingly riffing on being an occasionally maudlin lounge act, with over the top, nonsensical lyrics. I guess it's trying something, but it's not really good.
I like the lyrics but not a fan of the music.
This was lame as hell.
It was an alright listen I just don’t think it’s my cup of tea in terms of music. It’s a nice effort and I love the conceptuality of it but just doesn’t really hit that nerve for me. 4/10
One of the most memorably hateable albums on this list so far has been by Ute Lemper, and this guy is in league with her to do . . . something. And that is part of what frustrates me about this and Ute Lemper. I don’t understand what they are doing. Do they want to write songs for musicals? Is this crooning? Are they lounge acts? What the fuck is this? And more importantly, who is this for? I’ve been on this earth for 46 years and have met all kinds of people in that time and can’t think of anyone I have ever encountered that would be into this. Who listens to this?! https://youtu.be/ilcRS5eUpwk?si=TJiOw4Kr3usTorbO
interesting - - but nothing stands out
This album is bizarre. I don't even know where to place it. It's like lounge music mashed up with musicals but with the vocals of Depeche Mode or Morrissey. I actually like the type of music that's being played but the mashup of all of these things together made for a long 32 minutes...
Boring and sounds like Sinatra
Nothing about this made me mad, but I found it wholly unremarkable and pretty cheesy. Like I said in my review of their other album on this list, they just sound like a Scott Walker knockoff.
Didn't enjoy it but it wasn't unbearable. Low 2.
This was really quite weird, a bit like a soundtrack to a musical crossed with an old-fashioned crooner. I didn’t like it. Rating: 2
Sounds like the soundtrack to the annoying movie I’ve never seen
Woah. wany Newton called. He said you're trying to hard to get panties thrown at you on stage. First track was actually really quirky and made me think I might like this. But then... Well. At least it's short.
Not very interesting
This album is looong but it was also like 25 years ago so I get it. Anyways I just don’t like it. The talent is there and songwriter to an extent is really good but just not something I like and will ever probably like.
A one-joke act that got old really quick. Sing a slightly amusing song in the faux emotionally serious style of Scott Walker. Aaaaand repeat.
Not bad, but definately not great. I didn't love it or hate it, it's just not my style of music. 2.5
A short album, indeed
Coldplay has residency on The Love Boat. Sounds like Mike Flowers is trying to make something substantial
Sounds like Nick Cave but with eccentric lyrics. It's not awful, but, it's an okay album.
William Shatner vibes
This does not sound like it's from 1997. It sounds like a copy of late 70s, early 80s - just 20 years later and not any better. He's like Emo David Bowie.
What a dumb album.
"If you were a horse, I'd clean the crap out of your stable." Pure, simple poetry. I'm not exactly sure what this is trying to be, but I can't say it's doing it particularly well. It feels like a modern day crooner album, but it has almost no charm. The arrangements are...fine, albeit too stagnant for what should be a sweeping, orchestral suite of love songs. I like the idea, but not so much the execution.
These lounge love songs are crooned charmingly enough but they're ultimately too sleepy to truly penetrate the heart.
Tylsä
No idea what this is all about but it sounds like an album where a poet from the 70s tries to put music to his poems. Weird but not good weird. 2 stars.
2.5
Thank God it really was a short album
Odd album
4.5/10
Everybody knows, only song I liked.
Quality vocalist gives adequate performance of uninspiring love songs.
A bit slow, sappy, and saccharin. No change of tone or pace. i get that it sounds like the late 90s Britpop underneath but it sounds like a lighter version of what the Artic monkeys started doing with their lounge music, not my favorite.
I found track 3 kinda charming and track 4 a bit clever. Otherwise not my bag.
there was so much weird stuff (respectfully) in here. not something i probably would have come across outside of this exercise
This sounds like an album of music from a broadway play, and actually if that were the case I’d probably like this more. I started to get more on board with this album at the song “If…” which is where the vocals became more tolerable for me but the instrumentals and lyrics are still too campy for my tastes.
Found this one just a bit droll, not sure why it’s on the list.
Meh.
Uh not bad but not my jam
Album 386 of 1001 The Divine Comedy - A Short Album About Love Rating : 2.5 / 5 I like some odd stuff. Some nice baritone crooning. From the 90s but sounded as if it would have been a couple of decades earlier. A nice roadside attraction.
Didn't grab me, never heard it before. Rather cinematic.
That became quite annoying quite quickly. More gen x shite.
Some of the music wasn't bad, but the vocals didn't seem to fit it well in my opinion. The lyrics were kind of stupid to me at times too. Just a bizarre album to me. 2/5
If is a new favorite
Not my favorite. Beautiful voice. Songs about love pretty ok, but honestly the writing is kind of weird. I feel like maybe a cultural thing... He is from ireland and singing about looking horses in the mouth... But extra points for sounding like a lounge singer singing beautifully in an empty bar.
Why is this here?
Everybody Knows
to give credit where credit is due, i genuinely thought a short album about love was going to be like 69 love songs. the divine comedy kept their album at a tight 30 and it was appreciated. without the orchestral backing, i would've found this album lacking, but the orchestra aspect added such beauty and even made up for some not-so-good aspects, like the lyrics. i mean, what was up with lyrics from "if..."?! "if you were a dog, i'd feed you scraps from off the table"???
Nice album but not for me
Nach dem zweiten Lied schon keinen Bock mehr gehabt, wtf. Es ist so schlecht, ist das ne Parodie?!
I liked the slow melodies, but the voice annoys me. I don't know why. It's distracting.
Sounds dated, of its time.
Я помню, что много раз крутила этот альбом по кругу, чтобы понять его прекол, но в итоге каждый раз просто ела кактус
ranged from boring to annoying and back for me
<insert clown emoji> Additional star for only being a half an hour of cringe(I only endured the first 15 tho)
Really shit, every song is identical
2.6 not a very enjoyable album for me.
Too much horseplay.
Forgettable.
This is way too theatrical and orchestral, in a bad way. Maybe it's ironic? Anyway, it sounds pretentious and vain. And kinda boring.
Wow... I have a heard time describing how I feel about this. I guess it must be quite genuine, and he is obviously quite sad. But at the same time it just gets too much and become cheesy instead for me, almost to the point where it gets a bit pathetical. I envision him sitting (much like the album cover) inside his room alone and feeling sorry for himself, which is reflected in the music. I guess I am supposed to feel sorry for him or find some songs beautiful, but I don't. Maybe I am just too cynical, I don't know. Either way, I wasn't very fond of this, neither of the theme nor the chords or anything really. The singing was fine, but it got quite moany after a while, as did the album.
I could barely get through the first few songs. It just felt annoying. The crooning singing style with bland pop. It feels like listening to music used for commercials. The latter songs saved it from being a one-star but it was really close. Just pretentious, whiny and bland. Some of the orchestral arrangements towards the end of the album was its only saving grace.
i respect him but it’s a no from me, dog.
After listening to this three times I was still unsure about how to score it. So I put on another album from the same era - Catatonia's International Velvet. Fuck me, that blew this pile of pretentious horse shite away. How the actual fuck is this on this list but Catatonia aren't? Just listen to the two albums back to back ffs. It's not even close. So, any thought of a potential 3 disappeared in the time it took for the opening chords of Mulder and Scully to finish. It's not a 1 - somewhere buried deep inside this is the makings of half of a reasonable Belle and Sebastian EP. The muted horns, some of the orchestration when it's not too over the top, the guitar break with the horns behind two and half minutes in to Everybody Knows (the best thing on the album, although it vocally lacks drive let alone the groove and swagger that Murdoch would bring to a song like this (and the fun and variety B&S bring)). The whole vocal line throughout is a bit Val Doonican at times. More rock and roll please. And less overblown orchestra - it's nice when it's subtle, not when it gets over the top. Timewatching in particular is all a bit dire. And don't get me started on the fucking horses and dogs. There's something in there. But so much shite to go with it.
Niet heel interessant
Really didn’t like it .. the lyrics are kinda terrible
Shit sucks!!!!
Terrible, boring, uninspired gen x love songs. Shit sucks! Only doesnt get a 1 because some of the instrumentation is decent and its short af
Sounds like a musical, some epic orchestration. Overall, it's ok. Not sure why it's on this list. 2*, not 1* because it's not total garbage like some albums on this list. Highlights: everybody knows Like wtf is this: If you were a dog I'd feed you scraps from off the table Though my wife complains If you were my dog
You know what they say; good things don't last forever. I'm not saying that because of the length of this album, although it is quite short. I'm saying that because I had a really good streak of albums going, and now it's over. This album sucks. Well, okay. That's a bit harsh. I'm not a fan though. Let's start with the positives. As far as instrumentation and sound go, the album's not that bad. The chamber-pop sound does work fine enough. The singing is also tolerable. It is basically just a worse Frank Sinatra though. I have two main complaints with this album. Problem 1 is that it has absolutely no reason to be on this list. Apparently there's another album from The Divine Comedy on here, but that one, from what I've read, has an argument to be made for its inclusion. It's not a great argument, but it is an argument. But this? I see absolutely no reason for this to be one of the top 1001 albums to listen to before you die. Like, why does The Divine Comedy get two albums on here but Weezer and MF DOOM get absolutely nothing? That doesn't seem fair to me. Finally, let's talk about this album's writing. It's bad. Straight-up. I don't get it. The album starts out innocently enough. The writing isn't great, but it's not horrible. Once you get to the song "If...", then things start going downhill quickly. That song just sucks. The line "If you were a tree I could put my arms around you and you could not complain" seems pretty rapey to me. The last stanza about a dog is just straight-up creepy. And the horse lines. Horses are brought up in two songs, with another being implied to be another horse song, and the way he sings about this subject makes me worry if this guy wants to pull an Enumclaw (DONT GOOGLE ENUMCLAW HORSE BY THE WAY). Overall, this is just not worthy of being on this list. I don't get it man. 2/5.
Wants to be the Magnetic fields but not as talented.
I don’t know why this band has 2 albums on the list, let alone 1. This one is slightly better than the other but doesn’t need to be on here.
Why
The guy can sing,and the songs have some decent, if simple arrangements, and theres lots to hang your hat on here, but oh my, the lyrics are dreadful, and completely ruin what potential there was. Were the Divine Comedy camping it up deliberately?
It was very meh
More songs which lean heaviliy into arching eyebrows, cheeky winks and knowing nods. That Scott Walker vibe hangs over this album like his suits do over his skinny frame. Rather than a Casanova, he's more likely to be the person hiding in the cupboard having a wank - I'm guessing that's the point? Best Songs: In Pursuit of Happiness; Everybody Knows (except you); If...
I have no idea when I’d listen to this. 80s love ballads with a 70s Tom jones big band sound. Not for me
The last album from these guys on this list, I turned off for being trash. This is as bad as Casanova was, but I still don't understand why I'm listening to it. There's way better comedy or parody albums out there. Maybe their label paid to be included in the list.
Holy this this band got another album on the list? What the fuck..... yeah it sucked. But hey it's short which is great.
Crooooooooooon you irish fecker
Gear: Meze 109 PRO Mix: dynamisch, detailreich und ordentlicher Soundstage. Besonders beeindruckend für eine Live-Aufnahme! Musik: wenigstens ist es schnell wieder vorbei Wertung: 🍺(🍺)/5
This is exactly the kind of album that tries me crazy. How was this group on this list twice
A bit twee and knowing. Everybody knows is great. Didn't really take to the rest but it sure does have some lyrics "If you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable". Will give it another go.
I really didn't get it. It wasn't bad as in 'The Cramps' type bad, but it was so bland that I just forgot it was even playing. Nothing memorable or even slightly toe-tapping good. I made it all the way through so for that it gets 2 stars.
2/5 way too gentle for my taste
An interesting sound. But why does every cute pop song about unrequited love need a 13th and 14th movement? A little precious. A little over-wrought. Tediously self-indulgent.
Just okay. It seems like a strange musical.
Listened to a few songs. Wasn’t terrible music, but wasn’t feeling the comedy aspect
Bah c'est pas nul mais c'est pas mon style
I loved the instrumental in this album but that alone wouldn't make me relisten.
Lounge singer wannabes. Not even sure what kind of person would listen to this.
Just wasn't for me. I'm not a fan of 80's-90's pop, and this was many of the worst parts of that era. Pretty bland lyrics, not a great sound. This one's a pass.
I love many albums by The Divine Comedy. On my shelves, I have the debut *Liberation* and the sophomore LP *Promenade*--with its gorgeous minimalist string orchestrations inspired by Philip Glass and Michael Nyman. I also own their commercial breakthrough *Casanova*, the indie-rock, Radiohead-inspired *Regeneration*, and their real true masterpiece *Absent Friends*. My partner also owns *Bang Goes The Knighthood*, because she's much more of a fan than I am, even though she doesn't collect albums. Yet I would lie if I said I know that later very well... So I'd say I'm more than "open-minded" when it comes to Neil Hannon's *oeuvre*. Yet I don't have *A Short Album About Love*. I've always considered that "rock critics" overrated that one, expecially compared to later, more consistent albums. You can bet your boots that if Hannon had released that project *after* *Absent Friends*, most people would have forgotten it by now. It's one of those records where Hannon crosses the line and becomes quaint, boring and hackneyed, musically speaking. The blame doesn't lie in the concept and the wonderful production but in the overlong compositions, clearly lacking the lively dynamics of the best The Divine Comedy songs. Therefore, and as "short" as it is, that album feels like it goes on for an hour. So, nope, not this one. 2/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes (5 +2). Next, please... Number of albums left to review: 385 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 280 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 146 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 195 (including this one)
this was not as bad as i thought. kinda monotone and goofy tho.
Sometimes okay, sometimes just cheesy and dull. Don't really get the appeal
It felt more like a Broadway album than anything. And even for it being such a short album, I got tired of the songs about halfway through. There were some great instrumentals but it felt more like a concept that should’ve been condensed into a single song.
I thought I would like it when it started, but it turns out it was a bit overdone and boring
I like: Everybody knows (except you) If... If you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable
Boff je l'ai écouté fort dans mes ecouteurs et ça a peut êtes forcé.un peu la note mais c'était très moyen comment album. 2.5
Reminds me of the Magnetic Fields. Kinda boring and weird. Two stars for at least keeping it short.
Lovely whimsical album but ultimately forgettable.
I chuckled along with the last The Divine Comedy album I was given, enough that I remembered it more than a year later when served this album. This new batch of songs are just as ridiculous, which could be fun, but some of the charm has worn off. A touch more tedious a bit less witty and, well, pretty mean. Anyway, do we really need two of these albums on this list?
Up da ra
Yeah the lush chamber pop is not really for me. I don't think this band needs to have one album on this list, let alone at least two. At least it is short.
I’m unsure what it was but I didn’t find anything particularly good in this. Throughout it all I wanted was for it to be over. Once it was I was relieved I’ll never have to do it again.
Just not that super. Not terrible, but really didn't break any boundaries, apart from some good taste boundaries in the lyrics.
I dunno about this one. I normally don't mind baritone singers but something about this guy just sounds pretentious which is strange because lyrically he proves he's not taking any of this seriously. Speaking of lyrics. They're not as funny or witty as he seems to think they are. Just listen to If... to get an idea of what I'm talking about. Musically the orchestral presentation isn't bad but it isn't enough to make this worth listening to either. Thank God I decided against the remaster which is twice as long as the original release. It's like a 2.5-3 star but I'll probably just round down to a 2 on this one. It's all pretty forgettable. As I was typing all this out I think I figured it out. The way he sings sometimes sounds like a prince from those old animated Disney movies and it's just super cheesy and borderline annoying.
Odd: I'm really not sure about this. I didn't hate it but the music just sounded dulling and merged into background noise with no meaning to me. Also what the hell are these lyrics, it just seems like an album for those who feel 'different' or 'misunderstood' but in reality it's just really cringe.
Meh.
It's good but I also don't want to listen again.
it was fine for what it was
Production was lush, some really nice orchestral touches. Those vocals, boya oh boy were they twee! Was often not sure if the lyrics were supposed to be funny, but not sure I can give it the benefit of the doubt. Too too twee. Fave track: Someone
Sounds like an original cast recording of a jukebox musical of Scott Walker unreleased B-sides. Thanks to Maeve for helping me write that. Fave track: In Pursuit of Happiness
Something about this feels off. Every time I start to think I'm enjoying it, it takes a turn I don't like.
IDK what to make of this album. Kind of hated it at first then I warmed a bit. But in the end, this just reminds me of a stage musical with a bit of a pop music aesthetic and it kind of falls flat. More random UK shit from the 90s that doesn't belong.
Singer's voice and style remind me slightly of Nick Cave, though this album is really quite boring both in terms of instrumentals and lyrics. Not much variety in the vocals either, each songs feels like the same song. 1.5
competente. aburrido. cantante narciso.
I found this difficult to pay attention to.
Wow, those are some bad lyrics.
Musically I didn't mind this, but listening to the lyrics I got some weird stalkery vibes and that took away from it.
it was good but it dont really catched my attention to be honest
This is pop? The Wikipedia entry has to be wrong. This is painfully slow. The guy has a good voice, but it really isn't clicking with me. The biggest saving grace is that this is only 31 minutes long. There really isn't anything musically wrong with it; I am just not enjoying any of the songs on this album A high 2/5
The instrumentals feel way too lush and extravagent for how simple the lyrics are. It is also at times much too soapy and just focused on showing love without any details at all. 4/10
Boring. I even liked the beginning, but the further I go the worse it gets. Thank you, next.
hmmmm. not to sure on this one yet. 2.5
Not really my type of album.
I really gave it a fair shake. I might just not possess the correct mentals.
Too much speak-singing for my taste.
Not for me
Dislike the singer’s voice. Overindulgent childish lyrics.
Why do I feel like Zack from Love Is Blind would love this
Strange and entertaining 2.5/5
He's another I can't take too but is acclaimed. 2
Not feeling it, at least it's a short one.
At least it was actually short. Couldn't take another \"69 Love Songs.\"
Blessedly short. not my thing.
The veiling for this album is tolerable. I have major problems with the vocals.
Neil Hannon’s wry lyrics and orchestral take on pop add something a bit different to the 1001, so fair enough that The Divine Comedy comedy are represented, but at that same time I didn’t feel I was listening to a particularly remarkable album. I enjoyed the first couple of tracks (and any time the music was a bit more sprightly or rousing) but on the whole I didn’t really connect with it. 2.5
Not really for me
Snoozefest
I've got to admit, I didn't really "get" it. Was it a satirical album? Was it meant to be funny? I enjoyed some of the tunes, but the fact it was so short as well made it feel a half-arsed attempt at an album. Certainly not in the top albums to listen to before I die!!!
God, I really wanted to like this. But I just found it extremely dull.
Did I want to like this more or less than I did? I can say with more certainty that I didn't listen closely enough: The Divine Comedy continues not to get their due from yours truly.
Short Album, but i only like it as a friend
2 albums from this guy? Why? Good thing this dropped on holidays so I had an excuse to skip this and just rest. I don't think I can handle two days of this self-important boy. Anyway, "A Short Album About Love" is indeed a short album about love. That's it.
Listened Before? N Ugh... MEH. Another slow, droning, europop album. Listen guys, it doesn't rain all the time in the rest of the world. Do some coke or something, lets GO. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Everybody Knows (except you)
I like the usage of brass, but together with the strings, lyrics and voice I can picture this music being played in some cheesy musical.
I loved some of the instrumental parts but a lot of parts were a bit... cheesy?
I always appreciate and often love well-crafted melodic pop music, and this seems to qualify. Yet sadly after 32 minutes I'm left with not much I remember, which is frustrating. The vocals are occasionally slightly off-putting; a bit musical theater-ish maybe, but not enough to derail it on its own... as for the music, there's almost too much polish, too much that's evened out here - i.e. I can think of nothing that sticks out either instrumentally, or a creative bridge, chord progression, hook, vocal.... it just sort of washes over you in a (pleasant, to be sure) hurry and after the half-hour I'm left with "wait, what did I just listen to again?" 5/10 2 stars.
I’m impressed that this album managed to annoy me within the first 30 seconds. It was totally over-orchestrated , the background piano line on the first song being emblematic of that. Lyrically, it tries to walk this weird line between ironic-over-the-top and genuine earnestness, and ends up just making me cringe. Not only that, I found that I could predict the next rhyme before it came. The only positive thing I’ll say is that the vocal performance is pretty decent. 3/10, disappointing bc I actually remember liking Casanova
Oooooo I wanna punch this guy in the teeth. 3/10
pas inécoutable en revanche c'est les pires chansons d'amour que j'ai pu entendre
I don't have time for this winky-ass shit post of an album. Mercifully short, though it seemed long.
I definitely don't like this. It all sounds like it should be a soundtrack to a very bad romantic comedy play and somehow they got Scott Walker to sing. It's definitely not "bad" objectively but it's definitely anything I want to listen to, sorry fans.
Meh - wasn’t for me - voice grated on me and nothing about the song structure gripped me. Production fairly crappy too
If... is the weirdest song I've ever heard in my life holy shit Somehow managed to be creepier than Dante's Divine Comedy. I'll stick to that next time, thanks.
Easy-listening but not something I like much
Music isn't bad, but the vocals aren't great, and the lyrics are terrible.
Sounds like a dramatic opera. It's dramatic and the orchestra is swayed by the emotions of the vocalist, which can range from groovy to chaotic. It's consistent, and the songs are alright, but they all somewhat sound the same, and only one song stuck out to me. Not sure how you could screw that up with just 7 songs. Maybe if I watched more ballets I'd appreciate it more. Dude loves comparing his lover to animals. Favorites: Someone
From “If…” If you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable And never once complain We got ourselves a real Bill Shakespeare over here.
Someone's a stalker. Even if this is supposed to be camp or something of a spoof, it still comes across as creepy.
Percebe-se uma qualidade na execução do pop, mas incomoda a percepção da tentativa de soar como Nick Cave.
I could never get into The Divine Comedy. Dramatic overwrought sadboy britpop is better served with more archness, as shown by Messrs Cocker and Gedge.
Why?
This music is fine but I'm failing to see why I need to listen to this mediocre cocktail lounge music before I die (let alone TWO albums now) or what great musical impact this artist had
This album started off pretty good. I did enjoy the first 2 songs and then it kinda went off the rails. If... was way just weird and then it was downhill from there until the last song. I did enjoy parts of that but then he had to go and make the lyrics weird. Not something I need to come back to and not one I feel like I needed to listen to. Nothing from The Divine Comedy belongs on this list and nobody can convince me otherwise.
This album seems like something my grandmother would like - May she Rest In Peace. It’s croon-y with instrumentation from the 40s. I don’t hate it but I don’t need it in my life.
If you were my dog, I'd feed you scraps from off the table.
Musically interesting, I suppose, but lyrically silly. Not for me.
If you’re gonna try to be Sinatra, can you at least try to have an ounce of charm?
I don't think I really understand this at all. I've never heard of this guy before and listening to this album, I am confused. It's got a lot of show tunes Broadway kind of influence in it with having an orchestra, but without the grandeur and drama of full show tunes. It's making me cringe and I am not enjoying it. Who are the Divine Comedy fans?? Is it like middle aged mothers? I do not understand. Ok now I see he wrote theme songs for IT crowd and Father Ted which is pretty cool and also makes a lot of sense. Maybe this music does only make sense as a soundtrack to me.
There's certain Divine Comedy I really enjoy, but this just wasn't it. I found this one just a touch *too* cheesy. Part of me really likes the OTT grandeurs of it all, but I found some of this just a bit much and soppy. There's a very weird one about his lover being all kinds of animals which was just funny
I didn't care for this at all. initially, I thought it was maybe going to be something like Belle and Sebastian, but it just was nothing in the end. 2/5
Really enjoyed the bombastic melodrama of the first track, but then it kinda fell off a cliff for me with the second track. Some of these tracks are pretty good, others horrendously sugary sweet love songs that made me vom a little in my mouth.
Never heard of this before today. This is weird. Sometimes this reminds me of Beck’s Mutations (an album I really love) and at others more showtimes-y, almost FJM kinda stuff. Unfortunately the swings in energy and style don’t compare to those aforementioned artists, and thus ASAAL comes off very one-dimensional. I imagine this album was a bigger novelty at its time, but I can’t help but feel like I’m missing something here because this sounds pretty middling to me. 2
2.5
boring shet
Didn’t grab me. Singing was good, but it was overall slow and somber, and the vocals weren’t enough to keep me interested
Som titlen antyder, kort popalbum, Singer/songwriter, meget hyggeligt, ikke noget at håbe hurra for
The only reason this is classified as "chamber pop" is because nobody had coined the term "emo" yet. It's mostly a bunch of sad-sack, poor me, rain songs which just wears on me. The orchestral arrangements are good, though, and the production values are high. The vocals are a bit overly-dramatic but not offensively so. The best thing that can be said about "A Short Album About Love" is that it's appropriately titled. All the songs are about love in some way or another and, with a runtime right at 32 minutes, it's blessedly short.
The first Divine Comedy album that this list introduced me to got my first 1 star rating. Not looking forward to this but I'll try to keep an open mind... Not nearly as bad as the first one but still garbage. This artist doesn't have any reason to be on this list once, let alone twice.
Didn't really care for this album too much, apart from a couple of tracks. My fav is I'm All You Need.
I usually like the juxtaposition of oddball irreverent lyrics and serious instrumentation, but it just doesn’t work for me in this case. The singer has a great voice, but I’m not picking up what he’s putting down. It doesn’t feel like an authentic expression of self, it feels contrived and forced. Not a standout.
Slightly better than Casanova, but not by much.
Yeah, interesting but I’m more confused by it. What did I just listen to? 2.5 stars but I’ll subtract a 1/2 star for how it left me feeling.
Casanova felt like Pulp parody. This feels like Magnetic Fields parody.
Mi fa venire in mente un po' i Baustelle e Bublé. Non ho ancora capito se mi piace o se lo trovo melenso.
The Divine Comedy's fifth album is centered on love songs and is another chamber/orchestral pop album. The melodies and lyrics were easy to get lost in and pretty enjoyable. If someone were to listen to this album just after beginning or ending a relationship, then I think the album would have a bigger effect on them, then it did for me.
boring
Liked the lush orchestration, especially the first track, but I find Neil Hannon insufferable.
bland
disappointed….. glad it was short
2/5
Comes off like music for films. Melancholy. The lead singers vocals are standardly strong. Wishing for more haunting from him though.
Really not my thing, miserable album about love doesn't seem to do it for me in this style.
Very Good voice Alternative but slow music
it was okay, I don't know that I'll re-listen a lot though. a lot of the songs had pretty music and almost spoken word vocals that reminded me of the beginning of "Stranded at the Drive In" from Grease; still not my favorite tho, probably 2.5/5
This sounds really bland. I like the lyrics, but the orchestration is not extraordinary.
Bland and not exciting in any way. An underwhelming album about love.
I was not familiar with this band or any of the songs. Comparing a woman to horse and cleaning her stable was certainly an interesting choice. I am sure that worked endlessly. No need to listen to again.
nope. i see what he's trying to do, but it's too british (yes I read he's actually scottish)
I've never heard of the band or any of the music on this album. By the time I got to "If you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable..." I was confident that I did not like this album. I didn't find anything that changed my mind after that.
Some good cheese but also depressing
An angsty and emotional entry from a band that can't compete with the Smiths, but truly wishes they could.
Nothing to note actually
Boring
This wasn't my cup of tea but it was true to its title by being quite short, so I listened all the way through. I was most suprised that I hadn't heard of this band or recognized any of the songs despite it being squarely in my peak listening/discovery days. It reminded me of maybe the Pogues or some such indie lyrical band.
Mij te braaf en gepolijst
Very bored
Het album is 2x langsgekomen, maar ik heb geen moment echt bewust geluisterd. Er was niks waardoor ik echt in de muziek werd getrokken.
Its a good album but the sound isnt super my jam. The vocals are incredible and the orchestra is great (wikipedia has the genre as orchestra pop). Could be just me getting used to the headphones Interesting how short this album is compared to other albums on the list, but that could just mean there is less fluff?
I did not know who this band was before I listened to this album and I do not care to find out anything more about them. These were some way overly corny songs right here. I did love the orchestration and the inclusion of horns right off the jump and thought I might enjoy it, but then this dude started singing. He sounds like a lounge singer with no mystery whatsoever. He's got all the croon but I don't want to spoon. I get he's in love and thats nice and all but that doesn't mean you can stop trying man, that's when the hard work starts! Example A, B, & C: "If your name was Jack I'd change mine to Jill for you." "If you were a horse I'd clean the crap out of your stable." "Dont let a frog get you down." Most of those lyrics were from the song "If," which was the point of no return for me. Being open about your feelings and being unsubtly earnest are two wildly different things when it comes to songwriting. This was not for me. Glad it was a SHORT album about love. 1.5
Un poco soso. Falto de ritmo
Bizarre
Grand and pompous (in the best possible sense of the term). Fun to listen to but I don't see myself revisiting it.
A funny album.
Nee. Ansatz begrüßenswert, durch wenig aufregendes Songwriting wurden hier allerdings leider viele klare Chancen vertan. Sehr gute 2 Sterne.
Starts out ok, decent music. Weird lyrics. If... has ridiculous lyrics but sure... pretty odd albums with some ok parts but mostly forgettable
It's alright. I guess I learned about what "chamber pop" is and I guess it's just not something I really listen to. It was okay.
This should’ve been like 3 songs and maybe I could’ve stomached it as a short concept EP or something. Or maybe it could’ve just been like, without the lyrics. Maybe it just didn’t age well or something because its highly rated per Wikipedia and dude has had a crazy long career. I feel like he wants to be Sinatra, maybe. Or we’re all just jaded. Who knows.
"Baroque pop," very heavily orchestrated with heavy instrumentals and just... HEAVY overall. Not my fav, and don't think it's objectively super well done either. 2.