- Audio CD (11 Jun 2004)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Import
- Label: Parlophone
- ASIN: B0001MYY8G
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 29,859 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
With Absent Friends the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon finally establishes himself as one of the finest songwriters of a generation. Over successive albums he's slowly been moving in that direction--from curious pop novelty with an avid interest in camp kitsch to the sly storyteller of 2001's brilliant Regeneration. But Absent Friends is something else. He's still revelling in his supremely eccentric perspective--namely that of a 60s dandy who likes a drink--but now he's using it for dramatic not comedic effect. Quirky ditties "Come Home Billy Bird" and "My Imaginary Friend", respectively about a businessman trying to get home for his son's football match and invisible childhood playmates, manage to be both sweet and poignant. At the other end of the emotional scale, "The Wreck of the Beautiful", "Leaving Today" and "Our Mutual Friend" ponder love, loss and betrayal with a panache and dry wit that make the melancholy all the more staggering. And with sinister sweeping orchestras and eerie lounge--all Michael Caine in a sharp suit--echoing throughout, Absent Friends is a vintage masterpiece in every sense of the word. --Dan Gennoe
Product Description
DIVINE COMEDY Absent Friends (2004 Taiwanese issue 11-track CD album including the single Come Home Billy Bird and featuring collaborations with DJ / presenter and indie rock goddess Lauren Laverne and French multi-instrumentalist / Amelie composer Yann Tiersen sealed picture sleeve + obi-strip)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Neil Hannon's back, and it sounds fantastic.
Looks like he's listened to a lot of Scott Walker (the title track, 'Sticks & Stones', 'Leaving Today' are heavily influenced but Hannon manages to make them sound fresh ).
Looks like he's listened to a lot of Scott Walker (the title track, 'Sticks & Stones', 'Leaving Today' are heavily influenced but Hannon manages to make them sound fresh ).
Though mixed by Nigel Godrich, "Absent Friends" just sounds miles away from "Regeneration".
A sort of return to the "Liberation"/"Promenade" era, with orchestral arrangements back at full force. (with the assistance of ex Divine Comedy member Joby Talbot)
Hannon's voice really stands out in this collection of stories, mostly written on the road when Neil toured the USA with Ben Folds in 2002. (that's when he had showcased the songs "Wreck Of The Beautiful", "Happy Goth", "Our Mutual Friend", "Charmed Life" or "Come Home Billy Bird" (first single of the album to be released on March 22nd).
All in all a beautiful, rich and clever album.
48 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Divine Comedy have been one of the British music scene's most interesting, if never influential, bands, combining lavish orchestral arrangements with witty and intellectual lyrics. However, since the frontman Neil Hannon's marriage in 1999, he has moved away from the arch wit of 'National Express' and 'Something for the Weekend' in favour of a more heartfelt and sincere sound. The first evidence of this was the Nigel Godrich-produced 'Regeneration', which had some interesting musical and lyrical ideas but was largely spoilt by Hannon adopting Radiohead as an influence (listen to Kid A and Regeneration back to back, it's an education), and, most damagingly of all, eschewing the sweeping arrangements that epitomise the Divine Comedy.
Here, Hannon and his long-term collaborator Joby Talbot have returned to the orchestral, lush sound of Fin de Siecle and Casanova, where song after song sounds like a hybrid of Broadway musical, Scott Walker epic, Michael Nyman-esque soundtrack and, in the case of the splendid title track, even 60s-esque western. Fans of earlier Divine Comedy albums are almost certain not to be disappointed by this; stand-out tracks include the mighty 'Freedom Road', loosely based on Hannon's experiences touring America, the doom-laden epic 'Our Mutual Friend', which is about an especially cruel case of infidelity, and 'Sticks and Stones', which features Amelie's Yann Tiersen on guest accordion.
However, it is the lyrics that raise this several notches above most of the competition. Over and over again, Hannon has proved that he has a gift for the witty allusion, and Oscar Wilde, Steve McQueen, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and Tennyson all appear in some guise or another. Yet the sole redeeming feature of Regeneration for many was that Hannon had moved away from archness into the more heartfelt and sincere, which is continued here in such obviously autobiographical tales as his account of leaving his family to go on tour in 'Leaving Today', with its heartbreaking couplet 'I could stay if you asked me/ So for God's sake don't ask me', and his reflection on his current situation in 'Charmed Life', to say nothing of such charming vignettes as 'Come Home, Billy Bird', detailing the adventures of a businessman trying to get home, and 'The Happy Goth', with its self-explanatory title.
In fact, out of 11 tracks, the only ones which seem to be less immediate than the others are 'The Wreck of the Beautiful', which lacks an interesting tune, and 'Laika's Theme', which shows the heavy influence of Nigel Godrich (here on mixing duties only). But this is still a welcome return to form for Hannon in all respects, and an extremely exciting purchase come the end of March.
Here, Hannon and his long-term collaborator Joby Talbot have returned to the orchestral, lush sound of Fin de Siecle and Casanova, where song after song sounds like a hybrid of Broadway musical, Scott Walker epic, Michael Nyman-esque soundtrack and, in the case of the splendid title track, even 60s-esque western. Fans of earlier Divine Comedy albums are almost certain not to be disappointed by this; stand-out tracks include the mighty 'Freedom Road', loosely based on Hannon's experiences touring America, the doom-laden epic 'Our Mutual Friend', which is about an especially cruel case of infidelity, and 'Sticks and Stones', which features Amelie's Yann Tiersen on guest accordion.
However, it is the lyrics that raise this several notches above most of the competition. Over and over again, Hannon has proved that he has a gift for the witty allusion, and Oscar Wilde, Steve McQueen, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and Tennyson all appear in some guise or another. Yet the sole redeeming feature of Regeneration for many was that Hannon had moved away from archness into the more heartfelt and sincere, which is continued here in such obviously autobiographical tales as his account of leaving his family to go on tour in 'Leaving Today', with its heartbreaking couplet 'I could stay if you asked me/ So for God's sake don't ask me', and his reflection on his current situation in 'Charmed Life', to say nothing of such charming vignettes as 'Come Home, Billy Bird', detailing the adventures of a businessman trying to get home, and 'The Happy Goth', with its self-explanatory title.
In fact, out of 11 tracks, the only ones which seem to be less immediate than the others are 'The Wreck of the Beautiful', which lacks an interesting tune, and 'Laika's Theme', which shows the heavy influence of Nigel Godrich (here on mixing duties only). But this is still a welcome return to form for Hannon in all respects, and an extremely exciting purchase come the end of March.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Divine Comedy's 2001 album 'Regeneration' was a great piece of work, showing that Neil Hannon can turn his hand to any style of music he wants to. However, some of it lacked the sparkle, the magic, that The Divine Comedy had become known for.
With 'Absent Friends' the sparkle and the magic are back with devastatingly effective results. From the rousing title track to the heartfelt 'Charmed Life', this is probably Hannon's most balanced and beautiful body of work to date (and for that honour it's up against some tough competition). The 'downbeat-yet-uplifting' tracks (something which only Neil Hannon seems able to write) of 'Leaving Today', 'The Wreck of the Beautiful' and 'Freedom Road' are nicely juxtaposed with the more immediate, fast-paced tracks such as 'Come Home Billy Bird', 'The Happy Goth' and the childlike and playful 'My Imaginary Friend'. The mixture works well, leaving the first-time listener never quite sure what's going to arrive next. From dramatic orchestral sounds to tender, intimate moments, this album is never anything less than the height of aural pleasure.
It's not often something that's been awaited for such a long period of time lives up to expectations. With 'Absent Friends' The Divine Comedy has surpassed them, and this is highly recommended as the best album in many a year.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
More wonderfulness from The Divine Comedy
If there was a vote for the most accomplished, classically orientated songwriter of the past 20 years, Neil Hannon would have to be in amongst the list, in my view, very near the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. M. L. Hawes
Popular Music for grown ups
An articulate and musically clever collection of truly witty and sometimes nostalgic songs.. This guy just gets better.
Published 22 months ago by HGT
The best
I didn't know The Divine Comedy, I didn't know Neil Hannon, till I saw him at Jonathan Ross with 'Our mutual friend'. For me it's the best song of this decade. Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2009 by D. Hollander
Present again
After the mess that was 2001's Regeneration album - I saw DC in concert that year and the set was almost entirely from that album so was pretty gutted - Neil Hannon and... Read more
Published on 3 May 2009 by Captain Pugwash
Noel Coward meets Scott Walker via the Temperance Seven
This unusual CD is very much a grower, as other reviewers have rightly said and as always with growers, you end up liking the least user-friendly songs best. Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2008 by Mr. Thomas Thatcher
Bits of this and bits of that
I'm very much in the minority here: most of the 50 reviews of this record are positive. I am sadly not so keen but there we are. Why? Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2007 by R. Herriott
Divine!
This is such a fantastic album, some songs are good and some are beyond fantastic!
"A Charmed life" is a song my wife loves, and it's one of my favourites too. Read more
"A Charmed life" is a song my wife loves, and it's one of my favourites too. Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2007 by GeekZilla
Under the influence of Scott Walker
Having been aware of the Divine Comedy but never having taken the plunge, I found myself wishing I had done so long ago. Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2006 by Matthew Richardson
Sublime
Mr Hannon just gets better with age, like Wine or cheese!
1. Absent Friends - Wonderful curtain raiser. Poignant and touching but enough going on to get your feet going. Read more
1. Absent Friends - Wonderful curtain raiser. Poignant and touching but enough going on to get your feet going. Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2006 by Grr
Missing a few friends but still bloody good
Neil Hannon is back to his usual capricious, witty, eloquent self on his latest release Absent friends. Read more
Published on 21 Sep 2005 by Mr Stuart Wallace
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