Bring it on! Will it also include Here Comes The Flood? Or just do one consisting of the least popular songs amongst our group - wonder what that would sound like?
I’m following @The Booklover’s guidance that CDs can be 80 minutes in length and going for the following. One regret is that I couldn’t include ‘October’ up front as I kind of like the idea of having an early track that would act as a good opener. Like @Radiophonic_, I like chronological best of albums, which helps track a band’s progress over time (such as the previously mentioned ‘Standing on a beach’ by the Cure). I have admittedly contravened this rule by including the 1999 recording of ‘Pop singer’ whilst keeping it in its original place. And I did include a couple of idiosyncratic favourites that’ll be nowhere else on anyone else’s list just so as they don’t feel left out. Clocking in at 78:07… Bleak landscape The pop singer’s fear of the pollen count (1999) Lucy The summerhouse Theme from Casanova Songs of love If… Sunrise Maryland electric rainstorm Perfect love song Our mutual friend Absent friends Idaho A lady of a certain age At the indie disco To the rescue Norman and Norma After the Lord Mayor’s show
They *so* did! And I would like to issue forth a myriad thank-yous to yourself - as the architect of this glorious exercise - and everyone else who has accompanied me on this year-long journey through one of my favorite artists! Now, dare I venture forth into the wider forum moreso than I already have to very limited extent? It's also pretty damn impressive that we get all the way down to number 44 before we finally leave the ranks of tracks rated 4 or higher!
Sad I missed Office Politics on this - (Had an absolutely horror month with work, maybe I'll try to catch up if the thread resumes with the best of) - but just want to thank @LivingForever and everyone else for providing very entertaining daily reading! Been really fun going back through the catalogue of one of my favourite artists. Found some great rarities (those pro-shot videos of the Liberation/Promenade era were sensational, and the inter Regeneration/Absent Friends set), discovered some new loves (No Excuses was my big discovery!) and just really enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts and giving my own sporadically.
It's a big wide, scary world out there in the Rest Of The Forum, away from this cosy little corner! If you do venture out, good luck to you! (I have only done so sporadically with mixed results - it just doesn't seem that fun )
Popping out of hibernation to share this Christmas message from Neil which just landed in my inbox! (Not had time to check out the new song yet…) Hello all, I usually talk a load of Hannonesque twaddle in these messages, really just so you’re assured it’s me and not one of my glamorous assistants. This year, given the situation, I’ll keep it simple and bad-dad-gag-free. We’ve all been through the mill. We’re all suffering varying degrees of grief, anxiety, penury, loneliness. We’re all searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps life will give us a break soon; perhaps it will kick us while we’re down. It seems to me there’s nothing else to be done but try and remain hopeful, and not take our frustrations out on each other. Be kind to those around you. Be generous; not with expensive gifts people don’t need, but with time and attention. End of sermon. Have a restful and peaceful holiday season my friends. I look forward to seeing you all soon (fingers crossed, touch wood, throw salt over left shoulder and count backwards from eleven!!). Neil P.S. I almost forgot to mention ‘Home For The Holidays’ - the first Christmas song I have written since ‘Christmas With The Hannons’ in 1991. It is my humble Christmas gift to you - it will be on the bonus volume of the ‘Best Of’ but we thought you'd like to hear it at a more seasonal time.” If you have bought any format of ‘Charmed Life’ from our UK or EU online store‘Home For The Holidays’ will appear tonight in the downloads section of your account! From Christmas Eve, the song will also be available on streaming services.
Home For The Holidays Let's just say that I'm slightly less excited for disc 3 now It's fine, and Christmas songs should be given a bit more leeway maybe, but it's just... fine 2/5
Today’s song is… (ooh, that felt good to write!) Home for the Holidays Another preview track from the bonus disc of “Charmed Life”, released on the occasion of Christmas Eve!
On a first listen, I think it can’t quite decide whether it wants to be a joke / parody Christmas song, or a real one… mind you, isn’t that so often the fine line Neil treads? It’s better than “Christmas with the Hannons”!
A jolly and festive "no comment" from me! Disagree. But then I actually like that one quite a lot. Season's Greetings to all in the thread!
As I don’t want to be churlish at this time of good cheer, I’ll just say this song is fairly…bland. Hope it is not indicative of the level of the other new songs on this upcoming bonus disc (although would you put a bunch of great tracks on a throw-in disc in a greatest hits comp?)
Can't believe I looked at this on Christmas day, but there we go... I did, so I may as well comment! Home For The Holidays I also can't decide whether it is mean to be a parody of every Christmas song ever, or serious. There is a rather sweet message in it (the empty chair bit). I won't score it. Read into that what you will... I agree with @Vagabone here that I don't think it is - although it is surely also a parody, I prefer it. Merry Christmas everyone!
Well it is on a bonus disk......and Christmas songs are rarely classics......Just played it to Mrs Linky who is also a big fan and her summary was “it’s awful”. Pretty much sums it up. Still it’s nice to hear something new.
Not sure what to make of this; the accompaniment is a slowed-down variation on "The One Who Loves You" from Foreverland , and the lyric seems rather phoned in. Also the abrupt change of tone at the "But there's an empty chair..." is a bit awkward. But hey, it's a Divine Comedy Xmas song! And I'm feeling magnanimous so am going to give this 3.5 / 5. Merry Xmas!!!
Oh and the bit where he sings "driving through the snow" there seems to be a little melodic reference to The Pretenders' Xmas classic "2000 Miles" which I'm going to assume is intentional in this context
Happy to hear the Christmas song, but I can't really rate it yet. Not making much of impression so far, but maybe it's a grower. We'll see next year! Happy New Year all! Hope everyone found some great music under the tree!
Home for the Holidays Sentimentalist that I am, I find this track pretty enjoyable. I think it overstays its welcome a bit, but the melody is memorable enough and as a bonus track for a Best of collection, I think it certainly merits inclusion. 3.6
I'd actually say that overall this is quite sincere. The only jokey bit really is the one about listening to dad's old joke once again, but even that could be read as part of the family tradition or a character trait one is willing to put up with in the festive spirit. Apart from the empty chair lines, which can be read as referring both to loved ones not being able to visit because of the pandemic situation as well as to the deceased, the line about putting sibling rivalry away comes across as quite sincere. Also, I like the bit about kissing your lover but being back in your childhood bed again. I don't know yet whether I like the Father Christmas-like "ho ho ho"s or not. They briefly give it a bit of a children's song feel, even though the rest of the song doesn't fit. I'll rate it next year, but I'm with @christian42 overall: it's enjoyable, and it works well as a Christmas song. That said, it's not in the same league as festive classics from the likes of Slade, Kate Bush, Pet Shop Boys or Saint Etienne. I wish you all a Happy New Year and look forward to discussing the rest of the upcoming TDC songs!
Home For The Holidays Hugely late to this one - I guess that's what happens when you no longer have the pressure of another song coming the next day!! I gave this a listen on Christmas Eve while I was chopping the veg for the next day's lunch, so peak timing, I guess. My initial reaction wasn't great - it didn't really click as a song, and it didn't give me much hope for the rest of the songs on the bonus disc either. That's two disappointing songs to one good one so far, I'd say. Having said that, I've not listened to it since, and the chorus is still in my head, so there's clearly nothing going wrong with Neil's ability to write a catchy tune. I think the 'ho ho ho' lets it down a bit - it's like a lick of Christmas paint which doesn't really add anything. I think it's basically fine, and given that most Christmas-songs-by-decent-artists are pretty rubbish, it sort of gets away with not being any better than it is. My iPod has a playlist of Christmas songs that fill the house through the season, and it's good to enough to add for next year (though I won't enjoy it as much as the Duckworth Lewis take on When A Child Is Born which is on the same list). I've no idea how to score it. Given that it hasn't had a lot of response, that probably doesn't matter very much, but I'll give it a 2.5/5 for the sake of completeness. Hopefully, the other songs we'll get to discuss in a few weeks' time will be more substantial. Happy new year, everyone!
Happy new year all! Not too long now until we get to discuss a few more songs, and I have to say I have spent the entire Christmas and new year period until today without any Divine Comedy songs (apart from one listen to that Christmas song)! **Random post alert** @LivingForever I recall you wondering about the similarity between the cover of A Short Album About Love and a certain Peter Gabriel album cover, but can't remember the outcome (maybe you already new the answer!). Anyhow, somehow I stumbled upon this interview with Neil (filmed in what appears to be a random school hall somewhere in France) where he talks about all his album covers and he... Spoiler confirms that the similarity is no coincidence! [\SPOILER] The Divine Comedy, rétro en pochettes d'albums - Vidéo Dailymotion
Something new from Neil albeit not music- a radio series called “Europop”! BBC Radio Ulster - Europop - The Neil Hannon Show, Series 1, Italy Episode 1 is entitled “Italy” and will be broadcast on the 23rd of January. “The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon adventures across the musical landscape of Europe to Italy to hear opera, Italo house, the Godfather of disco and iconic soundtracks.”
That sounds fairly interesting, will give it a listen, thanks @LivingForever I have just seen this rather lovely Times interview with Neil (which is probably subscribers only; I have access through work). To summarise for non-subscribers, he briefly mentions writing for the Wonka film, how he likes to pet the odd pig, the ideas behind some of the characters in his songs, how he found it quite wearing being a 'pop star', although he did enjoy it for a few years, and describes awkward moments at parties explaining how Northern Ireland is not part of 'Britain' to drunk Damon Albarn and asking Simon Le Bon how old he was . He is happier now at home with the animals writing songs about chocolate Rest in peace Revd. Brian Hannon.
There’s a barrage of interview content with Neil at the moment, as you’d expect with Charmed Life out on Friday. I won’t post all of it, but this one is apparently one of the best- an hour’s podcast with fellow Northern Irish DJ Colin Murray, who is a proper DC fan and apparently gives Neil some more interesting questions than the usual! BBC Radio 5 live - Midnight Meets With Colin Murray, Neil Hannon
