- Audio CD
- Label: Setanta
- ASIN: B000024C8T
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,242,537 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Before Neil Hannon turned into the swaggering parodic cabaret artist of "National Express" and "Something For The Weekend", he used to sit alone in his parents' house in Londonderry, all hay-fevery and wheezy, and write delicate piano songs about the local girls, imaginary girls and Parisienne ballerinas. As a consequence, his first three albums--Fanfare For The Common Muse, Liberation and Promenade--are as lovely as Easter morning: all harpsichord half-minuettes, and gorgeous melodies as small and warm and perfect as a wren's egg. The Michael Nyman fixation was showing through, but so was a nascent interest in shoe-gazing: the ravishing "Lucy" is a Wordsworth poem set to a Cocteau Twins-esque FX swirl, and quite possibly one of the loveliest things he's ever recorded. These were the years Hannon sounded like a virgin, in the best possible way. --Caitlan Moran
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Strange that the reviews on Amazon so far have been duplicated for 'Liberation' and 'Promenade'. Yet perhaps not so strange, as they stand side-by-side as Neil Hannon's greatest works to date (not meaning to be critical of later recordings, but I'm a fan of theirs strictly in the retrospective sense). 'Death of a Supernaturalist', 'Europe by Train', and Wordsworth's 'Lucy' are wonderful, and it's one of my all time favourite - truly eccentric - albums. Hannon's latest album 'Victory for the Comic Muse' has its moments: a slight return to form and a considerable improvement on recent offerings. But he would perhaps benefit from locking himself away for a while and totally ignoring the influences of others - as it seemed he did here!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I'm a major fan of The Divine Comedy, having collected everything they've produced to date - with the exception of the best of compilation (A Secret History). This was the second album from Neil Hannon and friends and less well known than later outings, but for me is among Hannon's best work. Its not an instant listen, but the more you play, the more you get. Lightly orchestrated, and a little different (but certainly better than) the later, more commercialised offerings such as National Express etc. (what went wrong Neil?), but this is what the Divine Comedy do best. If you're tempted - dig this one out, its well worth a listen. And if you're out there Neil - more of this please!
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Though not quite as good as some as some of his later stuff, this is still a great album for Neil Hannon to start out with. It features some truly fantastic songs such as 'Bernice bobs her hair', 'Three sisiters' and 'Europe by train', and there aren't any really bad ones. Admittedly, the re-recorded versions of 'Timewatching' and 'The pop singers fear of the pollen count' are better than these versions, but they're still good. All in all, a good perchase, but if you want absoloute brilliance, go for either 'Promenade' or 'Short album about love'.
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