The Divine Comedy | ||
| Allmusic Biography : The Divine Comedy is the alias for Neil Hannon, a British pop singer/songwriter with aspirations of becoming a new wave fusion of Scott Walker, Morrissey, and Electric Light Orchestra. During the early 90s, he built up a strong cult following with a pair of idiosyncratic, critically acclaimed records before his third album, Casanova, became a mainstream success in the wake of Brit-pop and Pulps popularity. "Becoming More Like Alfie" and "Something for the Weekend," both pulled from Casanova, became hits after receiving significant airplay from Radio 1 DJ Chris Evans, and the Divine Comedy moved from British indie rock favorites to a minor mainstream cult in their own right. Originally, the Divine Comedy was an R.E.M.-influenced guitar-driven trio, formed in Londonderry, Ireland, by Neil Hannon (vocals, guitar; born in Londonderry, Ireland, November 7, 1970), John McCullagh (bass), and Kevin Traynor (drums). Inspired by R.E.M., the trio released an EP, Fanfare for the Comic Muse, in the spring of 1990 and supported the record with a few concerts, including a supporting slot for My Bloody Valentine. In 1991, John Allen joined the band as lead vocalist, and the group released the EP Timewatch, which was recorded when Hannon was still vocalist, that fall. The following year, they relocated to London, where they regularly supported Suede on club gigs. Produced by Edwyn Collins, the Europop EP was released later in 1992. It was the last recording the original lineup would release. Following Europop, the Divine Comedy fell apart, and Hannon went back to Londonderry, where he began to write songs again. In 1993, he was signed to Setanta as the Divine Comedy and released Liberation to positive reviews. Promenade followed in 1994, again to positive reviews throughout the U.K. music press; it appeared on year-end lists from NME, Melody Maker, and Q, among others. Following the release of Promenade, Blur, Oasis, and Pulp made British indie rock acceptable for the pop mainstream, and the Divine Comedy benefited from their progress. Released early in 1996, Casanova was greeted with enthusiastic reviews and it slowly began to build an audience. "Something for the Weekend" became a staple on Chris Evans radio show, and he had the Divine Comedy on his TFI Friday television show, the first TV appearance for Hannon. When it was released as a single a month later, "Something for the Weekend" entered the charts at 14. Soon, Hannon was appearing not only on the cover of Melody Maker, but there were articles about him throughout mainstream press, from The Guardian to Just Seventeen. "Becoming More Like Alfie" was released in August, and while it peaked at 27, it nevertheless expanded the bands audience, as did "The Frog Princess," which reached 15 in November. The Divine Comedy supported the final single with a tour with a 30-piece orchestra, culminating with a concert at Lond Shepherds Bush Empire, which provided the basis for the bands next album, A Short Album About Love. Released to coincide with Valentines Day 1997, A Short Album About Love was greeted with positive reviews and the strongest initial sales of any Divine Comedy record to date. In 1999, the Divine Comedy celebrated ten years; they also ended their deal with Setanta Records. The release of A Secret History marked the occasion, but Hannon had his hand in other projects. He contributed vocals to Tom Jones Reload as well as Ute Lempers album Punishing Kiss. A new deal with Parlophone surfaced at the dawning of the new millennium and Hannon headed into the studio with producer Nigel Godrich. The end result was the stunning Regeneration. This particular album focused on the seven bandmembers as a whole, and was likely their finest effort since 1996s Casanova. Unfortunately, it was also the last release with the band. Hannon expressed a need to go solo, and he picked up an acoustic guitar and played several club gigs before joining piano man Ben Folds for a slew of American dates in spring 2002. In 2004, after moving to Dublin and becoming a father, Hannon -- the only remaining member -- released the critically acclaimed, self-produced Absent Friends, a sincere return to form that reunited him with Godrich and longtime collaborator Joby Talbot. Hannon returned to the studio in 2006 for the Divine Comedys ninth album, Victory for the Comic Muse, which utilized 28 other musicians and was recorded in just two weeks. In 2010, the Divine Comedy released their tenth album, Bang Goes the Knighthood, which became their highest-charting album on the U.K. charts since 2001s Regeneration. Foreverland, the bands 11th studio long-player, was released in September 2016 and fared even better, soaring to number three in Ireland and peaking at number seven in the U.K. Hannons 12th set, Office Politics, arrived in 2019 and included the bouncy single "Queuejumper." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 18 Title: Fanfare for the Comic Muse Released: 1990-07 Tracks: 7 Duration: 26:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Ignorance Is Bliss (03:42) 2 Indian Rain (03:24) 3 Bleak Landscape (03:39) 4 Tailspin (02:44) 5 The Rise and Fall (04:21) 6 Logic vs. Emotion (04:33) 7 Secret Garden (04:08) |
| Fanfare for the Comic Muse : Allmusic album Review : It would seem that Neil Hannon and Setanta Records want Fanfare for the Comic Muse buried as an afterthought in the scheme of all things Divine Comedy, and thats a shame, because its a rather delightful early peek into Hannons gifted abilities. Hannon has been known to refer to the Fanfare for the Comic Muse incarnation of the band as being of sub-R.E.M. quality, and while there are certainly early R.E.M. indie jangle tendencies on display, theres a great deal to like about the album, as perhaps only one track out of seven is anywhere near approaching throwaway status. Who cares if the album is lyrically more naïve than later releases and if the band was limited musically by the number of chords Hannon was capable of playing at the time? Who cares about the rather weak production that confuses emotion with rock flare-ups? This is the Divine Comedy in an embryonic state, and its a fascinating thing to behold. Though Hannon later returned to a majority of the songs after he partnered with Jobi Talbot, releasing many of them as B-sides, hearing the songs in this early context is a true thrill for Divine Comedy fans. "Ignorance Is Bliss" is the first standout, as Hannon and company affect a pleasant shuffle, tackle earnest subject matter, and rock out with reckless abandon. "Tailspin" and "Logic Vs. Emotion" are just as endearing; the former merging My Bloody Valentines Isnt Anything-era dynamics with Hannons energetic, angry shouts of "I hate unhappy endings," and the latter coming across like the Smiths in their early days miming the Kinks, with Hannon displaying his amazing vocal range and rather accomplished vocal inflections. "Bleak Landscape" and "Logic Vs. Emotion" would easily work on Liberation with just a few minor tweaks. The song titles alone should compel Divine Comedy fans to track down Fanfare for the Comic Muse, as they correctly summarize the literary and poetic leanings of the lyrics. Neil Hannon was a dreamer from the get-go. Even the weaker songs have their moments, and a couple of them are brought down only by momentary atonal passages where the band goes off key. And even then, the flaws are rather charming. Fanfare for the Comic Muse is a necessary addition to die-hard fans collections, but since it works more like early demos and because its music differs stylistically from later releases, passing fans looking only for the bands peak material need not dig in earlier than Liberation. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 18 Title: Europop Released: 1992-01 Tracks: 4 Duration: 15:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Europop (04:16) 2 New Wave (03:44) 3 Intifada (04:23) 4 Monitor (03:06) |
 | Album: 3 of 18 Title: Liberation Released: 1993-08-16 Tracks: 13 Duration: 51:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Festive Road (01:55) 2 Death of a Supernaturalist (03:19) 3 Bernice Bobs Her Hair (04:00) 4 I Was Born Yesterday (03:31) 5 Your Daddys Car (03:57) 6 Europop (04:31) 7 Timewatching (03:53) 8 The Pop Singers Fear of the Pollen Count (04:19) 9 Queen of the South (04:27) 10 Victoria Falls (04:11) 11 Three Sisters (04:42) 12 Europe by Train (04:28) 13 Lucy (04:39) |
| Liberation : Allmusic album Review : Jettisoning the rest of the band but keeping the name, Neil Hannon as the Divine Comedy becomes as art pop as it gets with his first full album, but with an extreme Englishness that even Ray Davies might be hard-pressed to keep up with. Liberation is mostly a self-composed and performed release, aside from a couple of string players, a French horn performer, and a drummer, plus a song lyric borrowed from Wordsworth, giving "Lucy" a crisp, gentle rock recasting here. Otherwise its Hannons hyper-elegant show all the way, practically begging to be equally played in a Victorian drawing room, at a swank 20s club, at a swinging beautiful people party in London, or at an end-of-the-century Britpop disco. Slightly more rock/poppy tunes like "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" groove along with MOR backing vocals and understated energy, while others pile on the artsy touches: the harpsichord underlying the entirety of "Death of a Supernaturalist" and the mournful string arrangement that provides all of the music on "Timewatching." A few songs rock in a more straightforward manner, but often only just so: "I Was Born Yesterday" interrupts its persistent pounding with a spoken word break referring to ballerinas and standing en pointe while a cello plays; the acoustic guitar-based "Victoria Falls" has a fragile, frosty feeling to it. Hannon, meanwhile, belies his Northern Ireland upbringing to an astounding degree with his clipped, toff singing style. As for subject matter, Hannon tackles everything from borrowing "Your Daddys Car" to the jaunty, XTC-inspired "The Pop Stars Fear of the Pollen Count," slipping in as much wry humor as he does gentle pathos and reflection -- plenty of all three. "Europop" is particularly sharp -- a self-descriptive new wave synth-plus-guitar dance tune with rather lugubrious vocals from Hannon, reflecting on everything from science and finance to the strange nature of love. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 18 Title: Promenade Released: 1994-03-25 Tracks: 13 Duration: 45:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bath (04:10) 2 Going Downhill Fast (02:33) 3 The Booklovers (05:52) 4 A Seafood Song (03:29) 5 Geronimo (01:53) 6 Dont Look Down (04:48) 7 When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe (03:29) 8 The Summerhouse (04:14) 9 Neptune’s Daughter (04:49) 10 A Drinking Song (04:37) 11 Ten Seconds to Midnight (02:10) 12 Tonight We Fly (02:58) 13 Ode to the Man (00:15) |
| Promenade : Allmusic album Review : While in appearance, it seems like a sequel to Liberation -- a similar cover shot down to the typeface that is on the front, in this case showing Hannon in front of the IM Pei-designed entrance to the Louvre, while the back shows a similarly Rococo piece of decoration -- Promenade is in fact even more extremely and defiantly non-rock than its predecessor. With a larger number of string performers to accompany him, not to mention someone on oboe, sax, and cor anglais (English horn), Hannon retains only drummer/co-producer Darren Allison from the previous record to make what remains his most self-conscious art release to date. The opening "Bath" sets the course, with seacoast sounds and a brief spoken word bit that turns into a minimalist Michael Nyman homage before slamming into the song proper, where the guitars and bass take a back seat to the choir, strings, and woodwinds, all the while driven along by Allisons solid percussion. From there all kinds of twists and turns emerge in an alternate universe where classical instrumentation offers as much pop as a guitar strum. The extreme archness of "Going Downhill Fast" is also a pub singalong, while "Dont Look Down" builds to a dramatic, striking ending. Hannons wickedly sharp wit informs almost everything; "The Booklovers" is the clear winner on that count, as Hannon tremulously recites a number of authors names (with an appropriate accompanying sample or aside, often quite hilarious) over a stately arrangement. "A Seafood Song" and "A Drinking Song" celebrate exactly what they say they do, the latter offering up the great line "All my lovers will be pink and elephantine!" At the same time, the tender side of Hannon, which has sometimes been ignored, surfaces more than once, with "The Summerhouse," a nostalgic, wonderfully gentle piece on a lost season of love. This turns out to be one of Hannons best songs ever. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 18 Title: Casanova Released: 1996-04-09 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:06:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Something for the Weekend (04:20) 2 Becoming More Like Alfie (02:59) 3 Middle-Class Heroes (05:26) 4 In & Out of Paris & London (03:27) 5 Charge (05:27) 6 Songs of Love (03:23) 7 The Frog Princess (05:13) 8 A Woman of the World (04:12) 9 Through a Long & Sleepless Night (06:12) 10 Theme From Casanova (05:51) 11 The Dogs & The Horses (05:14) 12 Birds of Paradise Farm (03:52) 13 Becoming More Like Alfie / Comme Beaucoup de Messieurs (03:00) 14 Motorway to Damascus (04:22) 15 Love Is Lighter Than Air (03:52) |
| Casanova : Allmusic album Review : Turning back to a slightly more straightforward rock/pop format turned out to be advantageous for Neil Hannon; Casanova turned into a smash hit in the U.K., while the singles "Something for the Weekend" (at once soaring, cheeky, leering, and truly weird, with lyrics detailing a guy led astray by his lover and attacked by her secret thug companions) and "Becoming More Like Alfie" (a sly 60s acoustic pop number with solid percussion, sampling the Michael Caine movie in question and reflecting on how all the wrong people in life seem to get the girls) became Top Ten charters. Recruiting the equivalent of a full orchestra didnt hurt either, fleshing out the classical/art rock/pop Divine Comedy fusion to even more expansive ranges than before, while drummer Darren Allison and Hannon continued overseeing and co-producing everything, again demonstrating their careful collective ear for the proceedings. Hannons lyrical music fires on all cylinders as well, from the cockeyed vision of romance in "The Frog Princess" (with more than one low-key French reference in both lyrics and sweeping music) to the wickedly funny and elegant "Songs of Love," detailing how boys and girls seem to be in heat everywhere while all the songwriters are stuck alone writing the title objects in question. In the meantime, there are great one-off moments scattered throughout Casanova. For instance, Hannons impersonation of a modern dandy as fortune teller at the start of "Middle-Class Heroes" is to die for. He also does one of the best Barry White takeoffs yet recorded in the mid-song break of "Charge," packed with Tennyson references and army commands amid swirling strings and an increasingly loud beat. After topping that off with "Theme from Casanova," a slightly tongue-in-cheek number detailing all the basic credits and inspiration for the album, the result is a massive project that hits the jackpot with smiles all around. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 18 Title: A Short Album About Love Released: 1997-02-10 Tracks: 7 Duration: 31:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In Pursuit of Happiness (03:30) 2 Everybody Knows (Except You) (03:48) 3 Someone (05:58) 4 If... (04:25) 5 If I Were You (Id Be Through With Me) (04:41) 6 Timewatching (04:42) 7 Im All You Need (04:51) |
| A Short Album About Love : Allmusic album Review : Following the success of Casanova, Neil Hannon decided to indulge his Scott Walker fetish by recording a lush, symphonic mini-album with a 30-piece orchestra. Released to coincide with Valentines Day, A Short Album About Love is, if anything, an even better record than Casanova, simply because Hannon holds nothing back. These are grandiose, extravagant songs that work because of their very pretensions. 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. Several months later, a re-release of the album added four bonus tracks. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 18 Title: Fin de siècle Released: 1998-08-26 Tracks: 12 Duration: 56:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Generation Sex (03:31) 2 Thrillseeker (03:33) 3 Commuter Love (04:42) 4 Sweden (03:25) 5 Eric the Gardener (08:26) 6 National Express (05:05) 7 Life on Earth (04:23) 8 The Certainty of Chance (06:06) 9 Here Comes the Flood (04:09) 10 Sunrise (03:46) 11 London Irish (04:40) 12 Time Lapse (04:52) |
| Fin de siècle : Allmusic album Review : The songs on Fin de Siècle, though pleasant, dont quite scale the heights Neil Hannon has before: nothing is as arresting as A Short Album About Loves "In Pursuit of Happiness," though "Commuter Love," the grandiose, wind-swept "The Certainty of Chance," and especially the rainy-day funeral song "Life on Earth" make attempts, as does the song that jumps out at you the most, in line with Hannons past work, "Sweden." Its 60s-movie oom-pah pomp and bombast that introduces each verse is fabulous. But otherwise, Hannons done better. More unfortunate, Jon Jacobs engineering seems fine, but his mix is convoluted, muted, as if Hannons wry voice and the various lugubrious blends of sounds Jobi Talbot scores -- of woodwinds, brass, strings, guitar, and timpani-like drums -- were all trapped in a sandwich bag, fighting to get out where ears are. Where such mellifluous tones should tickle, tease, dazzle, and sometimes outright startle, outside of those yelping parts of "Sweden," its all a little muffled. Still, its hard to stop laughing at Hannons suit-wearing, minor send-up of the storied English gentleman, like a man who is a playboy jet-setter but also affects uptight, fastidious manners. And theres still much to swing on here. Talbot is a fabulously imaginative arranger -- surely the LPs biggest saving grace -- and Hannons songs thus seem to spiral toward dramatic conclusion no matter what. Best of all, Fin de Siècle largely diminishes the Scott Walker whispers that have shadowed his every move, if not actually erasing them. In the end, Hannon is the one you want at your party, sitting at an end table, smoking, drinking your most expensive booze, slyly winking at the ladies, and sizing up the crowd like an international spy. Give the man his due, style is his middle name. You can bet hes got unbelievable chat-up lines. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 18 Title: A Secret History… The Best of the Divine Comedy Released: 1999-08-25 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:11:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 National Express (05:05) 2 Something for the Weekend (04:20) 3 Everybody Knows (Except You) (03:48) 4 Generation Sex (03:31) 5 Becoming More Like Alfie (02:59) 6 The Summerhouse (04:14) 7 Your Daddys Car (04:03) 8 The Pop Singers Fear of the Pollen Count (03:54) 9 The Frog Princess (05:13) 10 Gin Soaked Boy (05:03) 11 Lucy (04:39) 12 Songs of Love (03:23) 13 In Pursuit of Happiness (03:30) 14 Ive Been to a Marvellous Party (03:42) 15 The Certainty of Chance (06:12) 16 Too Young to Die (04:20) 17 Tonight We Fly (02:58) |
| A Secret History… The Best of the Divine Comedy : Allmusic album Review : For those who want lyrical bones to chew on, theres no denying Neil Hannons sly appeal. To dismiss him as "baroque" would be as misleading as pegging him as the missing link between Noel Coward, Anthony Newley, and Scott Walker. But Hannons highly evolved song constructions, grandiose orchestral pretensions, and baritone crooning seem as much quaint classicism as a bicycle built for two -- even as his deft, complex, ambitious arrangements are contemporary. (Hes no Leon Redbone.) In the end, his consummate skills as a writer come across most. You hang on the surprise of every wily word, wrapped around venerable melody. Distilled here to a best-of, Hannon makes one of his strongest cases for his dashing, romantic charm. Its this sweeping romanticism, the thick violins and pianos like spectacular sunsets spurring his yearning singing, that transcends his occasional lapses into naughty schoolboy leering. One listen to Fin de Siècles triumphant "The Certainty of Chance" or A Short Albums cascading "In Pursuit of Happiness" is to open the blinds in a dark room that emit bursts of blinding light; the sweep of the orchestra playing madly, as if running to catch a train, and Hannons voice bawling along, carried away, shedding its sporadic smugness. Todays Divine Comedy is a lot sweeter and emotional than Dantes. As a word of caution, the uninitiated might find the opening "National Express" and the so-so "Generation Sex" tough going. But with the early help of Hannons first English hits "Something for the Weekend" and "Becoming More Like Alfie," one can get hooked into Hannons passion play without realizing it. Pop can mean something more than momentary, torpid trifle again, if only those stifling blinds can be lifted. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 18 Title: Regeneration Released: 2001-03-07 Tracks: 13 Duration: 58:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Timestretched (02:48) 2 Bad Ambassador (03:45) 3 Perfect Lovesong (03:10) 4 Note to Self (05:59) 5 Lost Property (04:39) 6 Eye of the Needle (05:33) 7 Love What You Do (03:52) 8 Dumb It Down (03:56) 9 Mastermind (05:21) 10 Regeneration (05:33) 11 The Beauty Regime (05:11) 12 Edward the Confessor (05:13) 13 Soul Trader (03:01) |
| Regeneration : Allmusic album Review : Just when you start to take a "Yeah, OK, old news, whatever" attitude about Neil Hannon, he hits you with his most accomplished work yet, reminding you of the impressive, inexhaustible depth of his abilities as a singer, writer, and arranger. With a huge assist from fantastically warm, sensual production by Radioheads engineer, Nigel Godrich, Regeneration is the most ambitious baroque-pop LP Hannons attempted outside of 1997s A Short Album About Love. And while that one-off was nearly, almost wonderfully overwhelmed by the orchestra he hired for the two London Shepherds Bush Empire evenings it came from, here those same elements are ever-present but take a supporting role instead of the lead. Whats emphasized instead are the things Hannon does so damn well: intelligently-constructed, highly evolved and involved pop with excellent lyrics, led by his deft piano touches and moody bass and guitar -- the music that best frames his unabashed crooning. Actually, on most of this LP hes a little bit more restrained than normal, cooing more than the man who wailed so melodramatically on the cultured old standbys that made his name (like "The Frog Princess"). Occasionally he still cuts loose, such as the sudden, belted swell on "Perfect Lovesong." But most of the time, he lets the spellbinding soundtrack and the beguiling radiance set up his more reasoned, strong vocal takes. Meanwhile, Godrich flushes absolutely all the absorbing elegance, splendor, and color out of such luxurious, twinkling, candle-lit enchantresses as the LP standout, "Note to Self," and the "Exit Music (For a Film)" and "No Surprises" (Godrich again) flavor of "Lost Property." And how about those crystal, hummable melodies that abound, like the stupendous soaring chorus of "Eye of the Needle" and the U.K. single, "Love What You Do?" Each song gives you something resplendent, refined, memorable and, most of all, opulent and lovely. This is bound to turn some jaded heads. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 18 Title: Absent Friends Released: 2004-03-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Absent Friends (03:41) 2 Sticks & Stones (04:48) 3 Leaving Today (04:18) 4 Come Home Billy Bird (04:07) 5 My Imaginary Friend (02:43) 6 The Wreck of the Beautiful (04:58) 7 Our Mutual Friend (05:58) 8 The Happy Goth (03:36) 9 Freedom Road (03:55) 10 Laika’s Theme (03:07) 11 Charmed Life (04:41) |
| Absent Friends : Allmusic album Review : With Absent Friends, Neil Hannon returns to the glorious whimsical form of his crooning pop masterpieces. While Regeneration seemed mired in murkiness and awkwardly styled angry tunes, and some wondered if Hannon would recover from sacking his bandmates, Absent Friends sees Hannon blending the finest themes of his previous albums into a gorgeous, mature tapestry of musical adventures. Longtime associate Jobi Talbot lends his usual magic and Regeneration producer Nigel Godrich stays on as mixer, allowing Hannon to expertly man the production boards himself. Album closer "Charmed Life," which marries twinkling pianos with airy orchestration and a thoroughly jolly sense of self-discovery, is perhaps most indicative of Hannons rediscovered optimism. The song perfectly blends the light, literary style of Promenade and Liberation, but with the added crunch and bombast of Hannons West End-leaning Casanova and Fin de Siècle. "Sticks & Stones" also traverses Casanova territory, while "Come Home Billy Bird," "Absent Friends," and "The Happy Goth" all feel like souped-up versions of Promenade and Liberation tunes. "Come Home Billy Bird" seems like the mature artists version of "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." Where Hannon sang of schoolgirl pettiness on the latter, he moves onto the problems business travel causes family life on the former. Thus, Hannon has found a way to mix semi-autobiographical subject matter with the witty pop melodies that are his bread and butter. As always, its Hannons superb wit and impeccable sense of timing that allow him to mingle delicate and simultaneously revelatory turns of phrase for maximum emotional and musical effect. Who else could pull off a touching yet hilarious song like "The Happy Goth," where Hannon sings of lonely yet happy young lady "who wears Doc Martens and a heavy cross"? It is perhaps "Our Mutual Friend" that really drives home the confidence and sublime nature of Hannons songwriting and execution at this stage of his career. Hannon had mined the orchestral strings and minimalism of composer and associate Michael Nyman in the past, but "Our Mutual Friend" is his finest stab at merging Nyman-like strings and rhythm with devastating, dramatic vocals. Singing of infidelity and the damage it causes, Hannon sounds absolutely floored. In an interview with Kitty Empire talking of his aspirations going into the albums recording, Hannon claimed he simply wanted to create a beautiful album, one that "sounds gorgeous on [his] stereo, with a roaring fire and a glass of sherry and a Labrador at [his] feet." With the thrilling and poignant Absent Friends, he has more than succeeded. It ranks high among his finest albums. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 18 Title: The Bavarian EP Released: 2004-10-24 Tracks: 3 Duration: 13:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 No One Knows (04:37) 2 Our Mutual Friend (04:26) 3 Three Sisters (04:40) |
 | Album: 12 of 18 Title: Victory for the Comic Muse Released: 2006-06-19 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 To Die a Virgin (03:39) 2 Mother Dear (03:47) 3 Diva Lady (04:17) 4 A Lady of a Certain Age (05:48) 5 The Light of Day (04:24) 6 Threesome (01:10) 7 Party Fears Two (04:02) 8 Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World (03:58) 9 The Plough (05:14) 10 Count Grassi’s Passage Over Piedmont (03:32) 11 Snowball in Negative (04:40) |
| Victory for the Comic Muse : Allmusic album Review : To say that any Divine Comedy album feels overly calculated is somewhat pointless, given that Neil Hannons cheeky musical alter ego is a nostalgic figure caught in a 1930s time warp to begin with. Its all about affection, as it were. But Victory for the Comic Muse is almost mathematical in its calculation: open with a jaunty number to get the audience excited; slow it down for four consecutive reflective ballads to suggest maturity; split the album in half with a throwaway piano instrumental like an old movie intermission; inject some life into the proceedings with four sprightly, comic selections; and close with a tearjerker. Such a structure means the album feels like two separate entities, almost like two EP collections jammed together representing two distinctly different phases of Hannons career. As such, its highlights are more satisfying on their own than in the context of an LP. The ELO-like opener, "To Die a Virgin," seems to be another stab at "Generation Sex" territory, right down to its Fellini-esque opening samples. The slower numbers that follow are pleasant enough, with some alternately witty and touching lyrics, but Hannons voice is so subdued as to be positively inoffensive and his back-to-basics production is weak. The second half starts with some welcome drive, as Hannon tackles the Associates song "Party Fears Two" with whimsical aplomb. "Arthur C. Clarkes Mysterious World" presents the early Hannon eye twinkle and is reminiscent of previous creations like "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." Here Hannon suggests he needs a TV investigation just to understand his girlfriend. Yes, Victory for the Comic Muse has its funny moments, its sad asides, and some of the now standard Nyman minimalist moments, but in the Divine Comedys overall discography its a rather slight and often flat affair with unfortunate suggestions that Hannon might have milked the comic cow dry. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 18 Title: 2004-03-15: Black Session #207: Maison de Radio France, Paris, France Released: 2010 Tracks: 13 Duration: 54:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Leaving Today (04:44) 2 Tonight We Fly (03:07) 3 Our Mutual Friend (05:21) 4 Becoming More Like Alfie (04:12) 5 Come Home Billy Bird (03:52) 6 National Exress (04:01) 7 The Happy Goth (03:56) 8 Freedom Road (04:49) 9 Generation Sex (04:35) 10 Lonely at the Top (02:32) 11 Something for the Weekend (04:38) 12 Summerhouse (05:00) 13 Absent Friends (03:35) |
 | Album: 14 of 18 Title: Bang Goes the Knighthood Released: 2010-05-31 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Down in the Street Below (05:08) 2 The Complete Banker (03:43) 3 Neapolitan Girl (02:49) 4 Bang Goes the Knighthood (02:48) 5 At the Indie Disco (03:18) 6 Have You Ever Been in Love (03:10) 7 Assume the Perpendicular (04:06) 8 The Lost Art of Conversation (04:01) 9 Island Life (04:38) 10 When a Man Cries (03:54) 11 Can You Stand Upon One Leg (03:32) 12 I Like (03:48) |
| Bang Goes the Knighthood : Allmusic album Review : Neil Hannons tenth full-length album under the Divine Comedy banner finds the jovial tunesmith expounding on the elegant, aristocratic chamber pop that has become his forte since the project’s inception over two decades ago. The lighter, more orchestral tone that began with 2004’s glorious Absent Friends is in full effect on Bang Goes the Knighthood, a breezy 12-song concoction of witticisms and laments populated with the usual assortment of hopeless romantics, ballers, and gadflys and clueless upper-class youth. Hannon’s fetish for Scott Walker/Burt Bacharach/Oscar Wilde-isms comes full circle on the theatrical opener, “Down in the Streets Below”; the jaunty “Neapolitan Girl” skips effortlessly through the city on a foundation of Serge Gainsbourg strings; and “The Lost Art of Conversation” celebrates the great orators of politics, philosophy, and literature with one of the more effortless piano-driven Beatlesque melodies that the artist has crafted to date. Not very powerful stuff, but Hannons built a career on being the tipsy and outgoing though secretly lonesome partygoer on the veranda with the best jokes, and while the whole affair can feel a bit slight, it’s certainly never dull. Cheers. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 18 Title: Live at Somerset House Released: 2010-07-17 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:43:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Complete Banker (04:51) 2 Assume the Perpendicular (04:01) 3 Everybody Knows (Except You) (04:00) 4 Your Daddys Car (03:27) 5 The Pop Singers Fear of the Pollen Count (03:43) 6 National Express (04:02) 7 If... (05:01) 8 Neapolitan Girl (03:08) 9 Becoming More Like Alfie (02:55) 1 Snowball in Negative (04:38) 2 At the Indie Disco (04:14) 3 Time to Pretend (04:24) 4 Geronimo (02:02) 5 Dont Look Down (05:17) 6 A Lady of a Certain Age (05:18) 7 Songs of Love (06:07) 8 When a Man Cries (04:19) 9 Have You Ever Been in Love (03:14) 10 Our Mutual Friend (04:35) 11 Tonight We Fly (04:43) 12 Can You Stand Upon One Leg (04:30) 13 I Like (05:13) 14 Jiggery Pokery (04:15) 15 Down in the Street Below (05:44) |
 | Album: 16 of 18 Title: Foreverland Released: 2016-09-02 Tracks: 31 Duration: 1:38:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Napoleon Complex (04:45) 2 Foreverland (04:01) 3 Catherine the Great (03:03) 4 Funny Peculiar (02:44) 5 The Pact (02:55) 6 To the Rescue (05:16) 7 How Can You Leave Me on My Own (03:31) 8 I Joined the Foreign Legion (To Forget) (03:41) 9 My Happy Place (04:10) 10 A Desperate Man (02:42) 11 Other People (01:35) 12 The One Who Loves You (03:20) 1 6th of December (03:54) 2 11th of December (04:19) 3 13th of December (02:39) 4 23rd of December (03:02) 5 3rd of January (04:13) 6 13th of January (01:43) 7 15th of January (02:01) 8 30th of January (03:36) 9 7th of February (02:15) 10 22nd of February (03:51) 11 8th of March (03:12) 12 27th of March (01:09) 13 4th of April (03:35) 14 4th of April (Midnight) (02:36) 15 3rd of May (04:18) 16 10th of May (02:20) 17 21st of May (03:14) 18 28th of May (01:09) 19 31st of May (03:22) |
| Foreverland : Allmusic album Review : The follow-up to 2010s fun but frivolous Bang Goes the Knighthood, Foreverland continues to follow Neil Hannons descent into happiness, offering up an amiable 12-track set that manages to locate the semi-sweet spot between treacly and savory. Hannon wastes little time in doling out the confectionaries, lampooning his fame and stature on the winking "Napoleon Complex," a jocular bit of chamber pop fluff that provides a nice litmus test for whats to come. Hannons pure pop acumen has always helped to temper some of his flightier tendencies, and that knack for taming preciousness with melodic might lends a nice charge to Foreverlands first single, "Catherine the Great." A thinly veiled love letter to his significant other, Irish singer/songwriter Cathy Davey, its a classic Hannon production, delivering whimsy and wit via a three-minute, self-described "silly love song" thats presented in the guise of a droll Russian history lecture -- the charming Davey herself appears on the Gershwin-esque duet "Funny Peculiar." Hannon, ever the self-deprecating gadfly, does his best to try and inject some conflict into his current state of bliss on the propulsive, manchild eviscerating -- and occasionally cringe-inducing -- "How Can You Leave Me Here on My Own," but the warmth that radiates from fearlessly tender gems like "My Happy Place" and "The One That Loves You" suggests otherwise. Theres no mistaking Foreverland for anything other than the work of an artist who has chosen to give up his fight with the not-so-cruel-after-all mistress that is contentment. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 18 Title: Loose Canon: Live in Europe 2016–17 Released: 2017-11-22 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:14:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 How Can You Leave Me on My Own (04:17) 2 Napoleon Complex (03:51) 3 Catherine the Great (03:13) 4 Bad Ambassador (03:41) 5 To the Rescue (05:37) 6 The Complete Banker (04:10) 7 Bang Goes the Knighthood (03:00) 8 Generation Sex (04:11) 9 Our Mutual Friend (06:05) 10 Funny Peculiar (03:46) 11 A Lady of a Certain Age (05:59) 12 At the Indie Disco (05:12) 13 I Like (03:42) 14 National Express (03:53) 15 Assume the Perpendicular (04:43) 16 A Drinking Song (05:45) 17 Tonight We Fly (03:39) |
 | Album: 18 of 18 Title: Office Politics Released: 2019-06-07 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:00:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Queuejumper (03:07) 2 Office Politics (04:02) 3 Norman and Norma (03:45) 4 Absolutely Obsolete (04:13) 5 Infernal Machines (03:04) 6 Youll Never Work in This Town Again (04:11) 7 Psychological Evaluation (02:39) 8 The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale (03:50) 9 The Life and Soul of the Party (03:27) 10 A Feather in Your Cap (04:00) 11 Im a Stranger Here (04:37) 12 Dark Days Are Here Again (03:14) 13 Philip and Steves Furniture Removal Company (04:51) 14 Opportunity Knox (03:42) 15 After the Lord Mayors Show (03:46) 16 When the Working Day Is Done (04:12) |