Search - Divine Comedy :: Casanova

Never been to europe

Juan Luis Arteaga | Lima, Lima Peru | 10/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"And yet, this gem makes me feel like I have. It's like Neil Hannon invented a brand new sound system, and called it "Eurovision". It makes you capable of catching every melody before the first verse is over. It compells you to follow the sardonic storytelling. It forces you to whistle and tap to the tunes. And then, it begins with what it does best: it surrounds you, gets under your pores, and places you in the middle of that half-lit street, staring at one of the stunning girls at the other side of the window of that coffee shop.



Atmosphere, they call it, and here it explodes. From the laughter at the beggining of "Something for the Weekend", to the horno-graphic climax in "A Woman of the World", going through the double morality of "The Frog Princess", this is love, seduction and a game of push-pull temptation at its best.



Better yet, the album (at least the edition I have does) includes "The Casanova Companion", collecting some songs from previous ones, as well as a couple of unreleased live performances, including a magnificent version of the American Music Club's "Johnny Mathis's Feet". Here, "Tonight we fly" got hold of me. A perfectly crafted tune, which can make you cry on a lonely friday night, laugh with the wind in your hair on saturday morning with the car rooftop down, or find you reminiscing on a sunday afternoon. Kind of a wild card.



Sometimes, there's more to the flat, cold physical appearance of a disc."

High Brow Orchestral Pop

Laura M. Witkowski | Charlotte, NC | 01/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon is a true and (mostly)hidden talent. He is by far one of the best songwriters of the century (and as pretentious as that is to say, I really mean it) and his voice is fantastic. 1996's Casanova is a great album to start with for those out there who are curious about the band. With a style that is part orchestral swell and part high brow humor, Casanova will either pull you in, or make you roll your eyes. But that doesn't mean that Neil Hannon writes only funny songs -- just that he knows when to set seriousness aside. "Over the top" instrumentation and tongue in cheek lyrics abound as Casanova takes you to the "women of the world" and leaves you to wonder, "What was in that wood shed?" Truly brilliant."

Some people were born to be pop singers...

J. Holmes | yokohama, japan | 10/02/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"...and Neil Hannon, the genius responsible for The Divine Comedy is certainly one of those people. the term "genius" is not a term that i use everyday in describing the average pop songwriter. but give a few listens to the albums of the Divine Comedy and you cannot help but feel that no one deserves that accolade more. his talent for penning perfect tunes is without question and it's done with such charm and wit and a smug cleverness that just sinks in. if you like really great music (and have a soft spot for some of the more "guilty pleasures" of pop) then you'll find yourself in the clutches of this band and you'll never escape!

Casanova is an amazing recording that still packs a dramatic punch after i've practically worn out my copy from repeated listens. one thing that i love about this band is that they are unashamed about being hopelessly romantics. in an age where loud guitars and grunge ruled the world, real feelings were about the last thing that people were singing about. it was all replaced with disenchanted youth screaming and cold electronica that had a digital blip instead of a pulse. this album's tracks like "Becoming More Like Alfie" and "Woman Of The World" display more hooks that a butcher's convention, and will be stuck in your head for...years!while songs like "Charge" and "Middle Class Heroes" have a distinct flair for the dramatic that actually gets a little *too* dramatic at times (but you still gotta love those cannons in "Charge"...nice touch). the instrumental "Theme from Casanova" is an instrumental gem that shines with a light and airy touch usually reserved for AM radio circa 1960.

overall, Casanova is a great album of wonderfully written pop songs that hold the delicate and the dramatic in perfect balance."