The Divine Comedy "Live at Somerset House" (2010) (live)

Live at Somerset House (live)

release date: Dec. 2010
format: digital (24 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Concert Live - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

12th album release by The Divine Comedy is a double live album from a concert at Somerset House, London, Jul. 17, 2010 released on the label Concert Live.
The album consists of 24 tracks (some issues: 22) and it contains many great songs, and it truly serves to document Neil Hannon as the great amusing entertainer, he also is.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Bang Goes the Knighthood" (2010)

Bang Goes the Knighthood
release date: May 31, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Divine Comedy Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Down in the Street Below" - 3. "Neapolitan Girl" (acoustic session) - 5. "At the Indie Disco" (live) - 6. "Have You Ever Been in Love" - 7. "Assume the Perpendicular" - 8. "The Lost Art of Conversation" - 11. "Can You Stand Upon One Leg" - 12. "I Like" (4 / 5)

10th studio album by The Divine Comedy released on Hannon's newly-founded label, Divine Comedy records, UK.
This is another fine but somewhat superficial album. The melodies are fine, the lyrics also with the usual amount of irony and themes in place, but... he's just been there before. It's by no means a mediocre release, though.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Record Collector 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Victory for the Comic Muse" (2006)

Victory for the Comic Muse
release date: Jun. 19, 2006
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Parlophone Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "To Die a Virgin" - 2. "Mother Dear" (live on Later) - 3. "Diva Lady" - 4. "A Lady of a Certain Age" (4 / 5) (live) - 5. "The Light of Day" - 7. "Party Fears Two" (4 / 5)

9th studio album by The Divine Comedy is very much like a part two to Absent Friends from 2004, and also much on par with that, making it a very fine release.
"Party Fears Two" is a great cover version of a (likewise great) new romantic track by The Associates from their debut album Sulk (1982), which Hannon nicely succeeds in transposing to his own chamber pop version [Associates original version].
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars, The Guardian 4 / 5 ]

The Divine Comedy "Absent Friends" (2004)

Absent Friends

release date: Mar. 29, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Nel Hannon
label: Parlophone Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Absent Friends" (studio session) - 2. "Sticks and Stones" (4 / 5) - 3. "Leaving Today" (4 / 5) - 4. "Come Home Billy Bird" - 5. "My Imaginary Friend" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "The Wreck of the Beautiful" - 7. "Our Mutual Friend" (4 / 5) - 8. "The Happy Goth" (live) - 9. "Freedom Road" - 10. "Laika's Theme" - 11. "Charmed Life" (live)

8th studio album by The Divine Comedy is Hannon's second on Parlophone, and now he has put himself in the producer seat.
After a short detour into art pop this marks a return to his heydays of A Short Album About Love (1997). Vanished is the experimental and darker style as heard on Regeneration (2001), and instead full focus on chamber pop orchestrated with horns and violins, and a bunch of great songs.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Regeneration" (2001)

Regeneration
release date: Mar. 12, 2001
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Nigel Godrich
label: Parlophone Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Timestretched" - 2. "Bad Ambassador" - 3. "Perfect Lovesong" - 5. "Lost Property" - 7. "Love What You Do" - 8. "Dumb It Down" - 11. "The Beauty Regime"

7th studio album by The Divine Comedy with producer Nigel Godrich. All the previous albums have all been released on the smaller Setanta label but Hannon has now signed with a major label, EMI Records and releases through its sub-label, Parlophone Records. This is often referred to as Hannon's darkest album and his OK Computer Radiohead album. Well, it doesn't contain the normal amount of pure croon of baroque pop revival, or Scott Walker influenced ballads and does have a more art pop / rock style, which may be his closest release to Radiohead BUT it's still very much an original Neil Hannon fabricated album with great songs. It may just take more time to appreciate the single tracks.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy" (1999)

A Secret History: The Best of The Divine Comedy (compilation)

release date: Aug. 30, 1999
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: various
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

7th album release by The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon's first best of album. The album contains 17 tracks and it's a fine collection of songs for anyone not familiar with The Divine Comedy. For someone who knows some of his albums, I suggest that you buy the original albums, as these songs come from albums with either conceptual tracks or various styles and subject matter.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Fin de siècle" (1998)

Fin de siècle
release date: Aug. 31, 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]
producer: Jon Jacobs and Neil Hannon
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Generation Sex" - 3. "Commuter Love" (4 / 5) - 6. "National Express" (4 / 5) - 8. "The Certainty of Chance" (4 / 5) - 6. "Sunrise"

6th studio album by The Divine Comedy. After the great but short A Short Album About Love (1997), Hannon has returned to his tongue-in-cheek stories about modern life. The album isn't really great but still contains a number of fine compositions worthwhile, however, it's seen better from Mr. Hannon. Somehow, and apart from the fine track highlights, this appears as one of his "middle of the road" albums.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "A Short Album About Love" (1997)

A Short Album About Love
release date: Feb. 10, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5]
producer: *[Neil Hannon]?
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Tracklist: 1. "In Pursuit of Happiness" (4 / 5) - 2. "Everybody Knows (Except You)" (4 / 5) - 3. "Someone" (4,5 / 5) (live in France) - 4. "If..." (5 / 5) (live) (live) - 5. "If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me)" (5 / 5) - 6. "Timewatching" (4 / 5) - 7. "I'm All You Need"
*producer credits are absent

5th studio album by The Divine Comedy. This is the first album I ever heard with Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy. I had read some reviews praising the album, so I searched the music, and was really blown away by it's classy beauty. It's still my favourite album by Hannon, and the only real downside to it is the short running time.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

1997 Favourite releases: 1. Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club - 2. The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole - 3. The Divine Comedy A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy "Casanova" (1996)

Casanova

release date: Apr. 29, 1996
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Darren Allison and Neil Hannon
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Something for the Weekend" - 2. "Becoming More Like Alfie" (4 / 5) - 4. "In & Out of Paris & London" - 6. "Songs of Love" - 7. "The Frog Princess" - 8. "A Woman of the World" - 10. "Theme From Casanova"

4th studio album by The Divine Comedy. In my mind, this is his best album so far. This is where he finds the crooning sound and the subtle balance of strings and orchestra, and where he simply sings so very fine. The album was Hannon's first commercial success selling Gold in the UK. Again, all songs are written and composed by Hannon himself except for tracks #10 and #11.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Promenade" (1994)

Promenade

release date: Mar. 28, 1994
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Neil Hannon, Darren Allison
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Going Downhill Fast" - 3. "The Booklovers" - 6. "Don't Look Down" - 7. "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" (4 / 5) (live) - 8. "The Summerhouse" - 11. "Tonight We Fly" (4 / 5) (live)

3rd studio album by The Divine Comedy. This was the first really critically acclaimed album by Neil Hannon. Commercially, he still didn't reach any major sales but the critics and a growing crowd of fans hailed Hannon after this his first conceptual album. The entire album is about two lovers meeting one day at the seaside. The style is as its predecessor chamber pop but this time with much more use of strings and orchestrated symphonic arrangements.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Liberation" (1993)

Liberation
release date: Aug. 16, 1993
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]
producer: Neil Hannon, Darren Allison
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Festive Road" - 3. "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" - 5. "Your Daddy's Car" - 8. "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" - 10. "Victoria Falls"

2nd studio album by The Divine Comedy. Although, the band had not officially disbanded, it was by the end of '91 already reduced to a one-man band, led by Neil Hannon, who apparently consider this the debut album neglecting the first release with a very different output. In fact, the music on this is much closer to his most recent album release than to that of its immediate predecessor from 1990. The style is chamber pop (inspired by Scott Walker of the late 1960's and early '70s) with focus on Hannon's narrating portraits of characters inspired by various famous novelists, or his ironic or sarcastic comments on everyday-life in Britain. All songs (except one) are written and composed by Hannon.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Divine Comedy "Fanfare for the Comic Muse" (1990)

Fanfare for the Comic Muse [debut]

release date: 1990
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,62]
producer: Sean O Neill
label: Setanta Records - nationality: Northern Ireland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Ignorance Is Bliss" - 5. "The Rise and Fall" - 6. "Logic vs Emotion"

Studio debut album by The Divine Comedy. The music is indie pop jangle pop, pop / rock not far from the style of The Smiths (listen to tracks #5 & #6) and that of R.E.M. (listen to tracks #1 & #6).
In retrospect, the album has more of historical interest. The music seems unoriginal and is far from the style normally associated with the band and Neil Hannon. At this early stage The Divine Comedy is a band consisting of Neil Hannon on guitar & vocals, Lawrence Hoy on guitar, John McCullagh on bass, and with Kevin Traynor on drums.
Within a few years after this, the band was to be synonymous with solo releases by Neil Hannon, and over the years Hannon has himself disowned the album.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]