Victory for the Comic Muse

by The Divine Comedy

Overview

To say that any Divine Comedy album feels overly calculated is somewhat pointless, given that Neil Hannon's cheeky musical alter ego is a nostalgic figure caught in a 1930s time warp to begin with. It's all about affection, as it were. But Victory for the Comic Muse is almost mathematical in its calculation: open with a jaunty number to get the audience excited; slow it down for four consecutive reflective ballads to suggest maturity; split the album in half with a throwaway piano instrumental like an old movie intermission; inject some life into the proceedings with four sprightly, comic selections; and close with a tearjerker. Such a structure means the album feels like two separate entities, almost like two EP collections jammed together representing two distinctly different phases of Hannon's career. As such, its highlights are more satisfying on their own than in the context of an LP. The ELO-like opener, "To Die a Virgin," seems to be another stab at "Generation Sex" territory, right down to its Fellini-esque opening samples. The slower numbers that follow are pleasant enough, with some alternately witty and touching lyrics, but Hannon's voice is so subdued as to be positively inoffensive and his back-to-basics production is weak. The second half starts with some welcome drive, as Hannon tackles the Associates song "Party Fears Two" with whimsical aplomb. "Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World" presents the early Hannon eye twinkle and is reminiscent of previous creations like "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." Here Hannon suggests he needs a TV investigation just to understand his girlfriend. Yes, Victory for the Comic Muse has its funny moments, its sad asides, and some of the now standard Nyman minimalist moments, but in the Divine Comedy's overall discography it's a rather slight and often flat affair with unfortunate suggestions that Hannon might have milked the comic cow dry. ~ Tim DiGravina

Product Details

Release Date:	10/09/2020
Label:	Divine Comedy Records / Harmonia Mundi
UPC:	5024545892017
Rank:	60985

Tracks

1. To Die a Virgin
2. Mother Dear
3. Diva Lady
4. A Lady of a Certain Age
5. The Light of Day
6. Threesome
7. Party Fears Two
8. Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World
9. The Plough
10. Count Grassi's Passage Over Piedmont
11. Snowball in Negative

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Divine Comedy   Primary Artist
Neil Hannon   Primary Artist,Banjo,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Calina de la Mare   Violin
Andrew Haveron   Violin
Simon Little   Double Bass,Bass (Electric)
Chris Worsey   Cello
Sonia Slany   Violin
Ian Burdge   Cello
Lucy Wilkins   Violin
Rob Farrer   Percussion
Camilla Pay   Harp
Gillon Cameron   Violin
Tim Weller   Drums
Celine Saout   Harp
Ilid Jones   Oboe,Cor Anglais
Daniel Newell   Trumpet
Elizabeth Marshall   Flute
Andrew Skeet   Piano,Director,Harpsichord,Musical Direction
Reiad Chibah   Viola
Dougie Payne   Bass (Electric)
Charlotte Glasson   Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Matthew Gunner   French Horn
John Ilewelyn Evans   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Rick Koster   Violin
Ian Watson   Accordion

Technical Credits

Billy Mackenzie   Composer
Mark Bishop   Mixing Assistant
Richard Woodcraft   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Neil Hannon   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Recording
Alan Rankine   Composer
Hans Leip   Composer
Chris Worsey   Contractor
Raj Das   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Guy Massey   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Norbert Schultze   Composer
Adrian Green   Photography
Rankine   Composer
Steve Rooke   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Andrew Skeet   Arranger
Nick Webb   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Jason Sinclair Long   Design
Jonathan Brigden   Contractor
Tom Sheehan   Photography
Luis Gonzalez   Arranger