A Short Album About Love Explained
A Short Album About Love is the fifth studio album by Northern Irish chamber pop band the Divine Comedy, released in 1997 by Setanta Records. It was recorded on 20 October 1996 at Shepherd's Bush Empire, London.
Release and reception
"Everybody Knows (Except You)" was released as a single on three separate CDs, each one featuring an extra three live tracks. It became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching No. 14 in the UK charts. The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[1]
Track listing
All songs written by Neil Hannon except where stated.
European edition bonus tracks[2]
- "Birds of Paradise Farm" is a studio recording, produced by Darren Allison and Hannon, during the Casanova album sessions, and as such, features a completely different line-up to the band heard on the rest of the album, with Allison playing drums and percussion, Hannon playing "everything else", and strings/woodwinds recorded at Abbey Road Studios. "Birds of Paradise Farm" had previously appeared as a B-side of the "Something for the Weekend" single.
- "Love Is Lighter Than Air" and "Motorway to Damascus" are also studio recordings, this time featuring the newly formed, post-Casanova, core live Divine Comedy band. Both tracks had also appeared as B-sides to Casanova-era singles: "Something for the Weekend" and "Becoming More Like Alfie", respectively.[3]
In other media
The middle eight of "In Pursuit of Happiness" was subsequently adopted as the theme for the TV series Tomorrow's World. The original version was used for one season of the show, with a specially-recorded version being substituted thereafter.
Personnel
The Divine Comedy
- Neil Hannon – vocals, guitar
- Ivor Talbot – guitar
- Bryan Mills – bass guitar
- Joby Talbot – piano, orchestral arrangements
- Stuart "Pinkie" Bates – Hammond organ
- Miguel Barradas – drums
The Brunel Ensemble
- Simon Baggs – violin, orchestra leader
- Lisa Betteridge, Kate Birchall, Krista Juanita Caspersz, Emily Davis, Benjamin Harte, Mary Martin, Timothy Myall, Benjamin Nabarro, Juliet Warden – violins
- Yannick Dondelinger, Zoe Lake, Jong On Lau, John Murphy – violas
- Betsy Taylor, Robbie Jacobs, Douncan Moulton – celli
- Peter Devlin, Philip Dawson – double basses
- Max Spiers – oboe
- Charlotte Glasson – saxophone, flute
- Matthew Gunner – horn
- Simon Jones – trumpet
- Adam Howard – trumpet, flugelhorn
- Jane Butterfield – trombone
- Robert Farrer – percussion
- Christopher Austin – conductor
Notes and References
- Book: Robert Dimery. Michael Lydon. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. 7 February 2006. Universe. 0-7893-1371-5.
- Web site: The Divine Comedy – A Short Album About Love (1997, CD). 5 October 1997 . Discogs.
- Web site: Divine Comedy – Full Official Chart History. Official Charts. 3 September 2020.
