Phrases like “Pale, pubescent beasts” are golden, but one line sticks out in particular: “Fortune depends on the tone of your voice. Talbot was beginning to play an increasingly important role in the band; he arranged and orchestrated "The Dogs and the Horses," and he co-arranged "Theme from Casanova" with Hannon. It was certified Gold in the UK in July 1997, aided by the release of the album's first single, " Something for the Weekend", which reached No. By far the tightest of the band's earlier works it paved the way for not only more ambitious music from Neil Hannon over the course of the next few years but also left a permanent mark on the Brit-Pop genre, making The Divine Comedy a must have to many an indie lover. The CD comes with a booklet of photos, credits and extensive liner notes written by Neil covering the context and inspiration behind the album and its songs.

The album is “inspired by the writings of the eighteenth century Venetian gambler, eroticist, and spy” (which Hannon himself details in the penultimate “Theme From Casanova”, using his best BBC voice as he ushers in a contrastingly gentle and ambling instrumental piece). Also included is the iconic 'Song Of Love' - a reworking of the tune originally written for the Channel 4 comedy 'Father Ted'.When the bass gets slinky and busy during passages on “Charge” and “A Woman of the World” there are echoes of Climate of Hunter to be heard. On a related note, my slightly racist, second cousin Terrance often tells a story about when he went into a portaloo after Neil Hannon, at the Glastonbury Festival once.

First released in 1996 it explored and dissected a world of casual affairs, loose morals and a thousand anxieties in between.I listen and content myself knowing that someone out there is still carrying the mantle of Walker’s style. I had this on a TDK cassette and played it over and over flying from London to Japan on the way to Australia in early 1997. The Walker style is arguably at its most obvious on Casanova – which makes it all the more enjoyable for me to listen to. This is a brilliant album, it features The Divine Comedy's best songs such as Something for the weekend and Songs of love which was the theme tune from Father Ted. Casanova and A Short Album About Love will be performed on the 3rd Sept in London and the 26th Sept in Paris.