Customer Reviews

Liberation

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Divine Comedy makes music that could tickle anyone's ear, but it's so sad that not many Americans know about the band. Neil Hannon, the creative force behind DC once said that he knew he was destined to be a pop star-- and the world is a much better place musically that he made it. Their songs are reminiscent of an earlier time where singers were backed by full bands and an orchestra which is why their style has been likened to "orchestral pop".

The first song on the album, "Bath", starts off with a five minute string opening that suddenly breaks into a beautiful song. And this is the first clue that you are about to experience something completely different, something a little anachronistic, something that this side of the 20th century has been waiting for a long time (in terms of music.)

PROMENADE is their 2nd or 3rd ablum, depending on if you count "Fanfare for the Comic Muse" (which is more rock and REM influenced) as their first. Neil Hannon reincarnated the band all by his lonesome with LIBERATION, considered the first "real" Divine Comedy album by many fans. Although it's a great album, my vote is for this one as the band's best.

I've read that this was sort of a concept album about friends reminiscing about the good ol' days. "Summer house" certainly tackles that idea head on with the lyrics telling the story of one man's summer when he was 10 years old. But concepts aside, the songs individually can stand their own ground. From the jovial and boisterious track "A Drinking Song" to a very minimal and reflexive "Ten seconds to Midnight" that has only a piano accompaniment to Neil's velvety voice, every song will leave you with a lasting impression.

Even if you've never heard of this band, or maybe you think you read about them somewhere, don't be afraid and buy this album. It doesn't matter if you're a Britney Spears fan or only listen to techno or you wear your punk rock heart on your sleeve, Divine Comedy transcends all modes of genres and categories of cool. There's really only two types of music: good and bad. And believe you me, this one is goooooood.

Length - 52:13

Liberation was my first and only encounter with the seminal songsters, The Divine Comedy. At first bewildered by their bizarre and blatant noncomformism, I didn't quite know what to think of this album. After further listening and digesting; however, the eccentricities of this superb outfit unveiled to me a droll sense of humor, dynamic literacy and soaring, orchestral harmonies. An interesting characteristic of The Divine Comedy is in their influences. They seem to be undefinable in terms of music, but their lyrics and delivery are redolent of a number of famous literary pieces. The band is obviously well read, as evidenced by their scattershot literary references- most noteably Dante, F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Evangelists. This album progesses in classical epic fashion, veering around the corners of a tragicomic template in an expressive, diverse modus operandi that calls for a punctilious ear and an imaginative mind. There are several moments on Liberation that display a profound confluence of passion and ingenuity, particulary the songs Your Daddy's Car and I Was Born Yesterday, that are absolutely dazzling from start to finish. On the other hand, there are tracks so lugubrious that they teeter on the edge of being unendurable (Three Sisters and Europop). More often that not though, the better moments of this album arise and overshadow the disposable, crudely histrionic numbers. In a word, The Divine Comedy are worth checking out, and Liberation is as good a place as any to start.

This album is the follower to 'Fanfare For The Comic Muse' and it's hard to imagine that such a mediocre album like Fanfare could be followed by the splendid 'Liberation'.

In this album, Neil Hannon invented a new style: classical music (baroque kind) mixed with a sharp pop sensibility and fine lyrics.
Particulary in the song called 'Death Of A Supernaturalist' he uses the instrumentation you are likely to year in Vivaldi's or Bach's works, adding only his intellectual but humorous lyrics.

The first half of the album is particulary good due to songs like 'Death Of A Supernaturalist', 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' (a great story and a beautiful melody), 'Your Daddy's Car' (light and beautiful) and 'Europop' (a hit single around the world if this was a fair world).

'Timewatching', a version of a theme made popular by Nat King Cole is the only song I dislike in this album. I find it very boring because it doesn't show that spark that is a trademark of The Divine Comedy sound. There are also other less inspired songs: 'Victoria Falls', 'Queen Of The South' and the instrumental track 'Europe By Train', but at least they are not boring.

I must also mention 'The Pop Singers Fear Of The Pollen Count': a very very pop song. Only a talented songwriter like Neil Hannon could write a song about Summer allergies!

'Three Sisters' is also a beautiful song.

Concluding, I recommend this album to everyone who liked any of the other albums from The Divine Comedy, specially 'Casanova' or 'Promenade'. If you don't know anything from The Divine Comedy you might prefer to start by their "best of" - 'A Secret History' - which gives a good overview of their career or instead listening to their most recent album ('Absent Friends') which is also very good.

If you agree with me that the Divine Comedy are, along withRadiohead and the Pet Shop Boys, the best British musical acts of the1990s (or 80s in the case of the Boys), then this can only be called their finest hour, before the image of Neil in that suit and tie took hold. Certainly, the album is easily the most cohesive they have ever produced. The album starts with 'Bath', and a 2-minute Michael Nyman-eque intro. It then goes on through such classics as 'The Summerhouse', Don't Look Down', 'A Drinking Song' and ends with The Divine Comedy's finest hour, 'Tonight We Fly'. Hannon was 24 when he wrote that song. Genius. It's not perfect; 'Neptune's Daughter' is boring, but the album, overall, is great. Buy it.

Neil Hannon's most realised and cohesive album, Promenade is baroque-pop at its finest: The melancholy beauty of The Summerhouse, the life-affirming rush of Tonight We Fly (the best song ever written?), guest appearances from Audrey Hepburn, God and sixty authors, literate lyrics, a string quartet and Neil's wry croon... this album will change your life. BUY IT.

Hey, any Americans reading this - BUY "PROMENADE"! It is a sublime work of genius, from the dulcet tones of "Bath" through the eclectic list of authors in "The Booklovers" to the decadent "Drinking Song". This is what music could and should be like - and when you've finished with Promenade (if such a notion is possible), then find Casanova and Fin de Siècle - the two main albums to follow. Better still, e-mail me and let me preach on even more incessantly about the Hannon genius. I'll stop ranting now, but please buy this album if you love music!

Like that other famous Irish export, Neil Hannon has a velvet touch, to which all who consume are converted. Intelligent. Witty. Thoughful. Sad. It's all here. Every music lover should own this album.

When I heard this album in 1993, I found it so good that I thought Neil Hannon would become famous. But for whatever reason, he has remained a cult artist. Actually I did not really like his following albums. Good pop must follow the border separating beauty from ugliness. When you follow this border from the good side (beauty), you get the Beatles and Neil Hannon's "Liberation". But pop is like pastry, when there is too much sugar, it's heavy in your stomach. "Liberation" is british pop at its best.

Tonight We Fly has got to be one of the best songs ever...