The Divine Comedy ‎– Casanova

The remastering work, on my copy, really does make such a huge difference in the definition of the sound, when compared to the OG pressing. Very clear and sharp. On a related note, my slightly racist, second cousin Terrance often tells a story about when he went into a portaloo after Neil Hannon, at the Glastonbury Festival once. He said the dirty blighter had pooed all on the seat!!

The fourth studio album to surface from the dapper & daunting The Divine Comedy 'Casanova' was the record that catapulted Neil Hannon & co. into pop superstardom. With the vast majority of it's runtime made up of songs themed around the act of fornication, it was Divine Comedy's first toe dipped into the blossoming Brit-Pop genre adding to it's style by way of Hannon's sharp suits and odd appearance. Featuring the top 30 hits 'Something For The Weekend', 'Becoming More Like Alfie' & 'The Frog Princess' each track crafts amazing depictions of middle class musings on finding love in the 90s, for better or worse.
Also included is the iconic 'Song Of Love' - a reworking of the tune originally written for the Channel 4 comedy 'Father Ted'. Seen here in a more stripped down version and with a beautiful set of harmonic vocals playing blissfully over the harpsichord melody it's certainly one of the highlights of the album. Taken from the same session 'A Woman Of The World' was also a contender for the show's theme tune but ultimately became the jaunty deep cut seen here, proving that Hannon is no stranger to recycling creative ideas across his career.
As the record comes to a close we are welcomed with the euphoric serenade 'The Dogs & The Horses' which stands as an incredible epitaph to The Divine Comedy's earlier more humble works. Recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios the song is the most grandiose of 'Casanova' and may even have you shedding a tear as Hannon plays out the record's last goodbye.
By far the tightest of the band's earlier works it paved the way for not only more ambitious music from Neil Hannon over the course of the next few years but also left a permanent mark on the Brit-Pop genre, making The Divine Comedy a must have to many an indie lover.

early copies have a kind of "beer mat" called Questionnaire; If you'd fill it and send it back to the Paris adress of Labels, you could have win a 'wolf mask"!