With the addition to the Approved Guide of an article on Dante Alighieri, many more of the researchers on h2g2 now will know about 'La Divina Commedia', one of the many celebrated works for which Dante is justly famous. However, this article is not about the literary masterpiece. This is about a band from Ireland, who prospered from a songwriter of extraordinary genius.

Neil Hannon.

To my mind, this quiet, small Irishman is one of the finest songwriters ever. Not because he writes lyrics of indescribable beauty that move you to tears. Well, they do move you to tears, but only because you're wetting yourself and giggling uncontrollably at the same time. Either that, or they render you wide-eyed in amazement at the sheer revelation of clarity and truth that the songs bring.

Son of the present Bishop of Clougher, he was born in Fivemiletown and raised in Derry and Enniskillen.

The rest of the band.

Technically, the rest of the band are actually session musicians who get used repeatedly and do every gig. Neil is the only member of the band who actually has a contract.

Joby Talbot.

Joby Talbot, as well as playing the piano, harpischord and cello, and having been BBC Young Composer of the Year in 1996, has also done all the orchestral arrangement for the band since the release of 'Casanova'.

Stuart plays organ and accordian, having decided not to be a high-flyer in the city. Wise man.

Bryan Mills.

The band's bassist. He went to the same school as Neil, but was in the year below.

Ivor Talbot.

Brother of Joby and mate of Bryan (Ivor also went to the same school as Neil, and was in a band with Bryan before The Divine Comedy), Ivor is the band's guitarist. He also plays the mandolin.

Miggy Barradas.

The drummer. Of Venezualan descent, born in Trinidad, and now living in London. Quite a mover, our Miggy.

Rob Farrer

Rob, the youngest member of the band, has been playind with The Divine Comedy ever since he banged a timpani during the recording of 'Casanova'. He plays percussion, and joined through his association with Joby Talbot.

The music itself.

I could just direct you to mp3 sites so that you could find out for yourself what The Divine Comedy sound like, but that would be a cop-out. Probably the best-known piece that Neil has composed is the theme tune to 'Father Ted'. Neil and Joby also did the theme to 'Tomorrow's World'

The band have been going for the last nine years, since Neil formed an indie band influenced by R.E.M. with two school mates, who left the band to follow educational paths to proper careers. Fortunately for the music-loving public, Neil persevered. Their fame has only come since 1996, when Chris Evans lent his considerable media weight into pushing the band into the realms of musical stardom.

To understand why Neil Hannon has to be considered as one of the finest lyricists in the world, one only has to listen to a couple of songs. 'National Express' is a witty and scathing attack on the bus company. 'Something for the Weekend' is a well-worked analysis of the small world and small-mindedness of the adulteror. 'Tonight We Fly' is just bringing all parts of society together under one banner, a good deal neater that socialism ever could, rendering us all down to our essential humanity:

Everyone, all classes, professions and vocations, all sorts, all in one verse. And all inspired by the following lines:

To actually here The Divine Comedy 'in action', as it were, click here, doing 'Becoming More Like Alfie'. A very fine tune, I think you'll agree.

Discography.

Produced with the invaluable help of Marlowe (ta mate!), who gave me this veritable hoard of information.

These are all the releases that The Divine Comedy have ever done, in any of their
various incarnations, as far as I'm aware¹.

1990: Fanfare For Comic Muse (now deleted, and a collector's item).

Tracks: Ignorance Is Bliss | Indian Rain | Bleak Landscape | Tailspin | The Rise And Fall | Logic vs Emotion | Secret Garden

1993: Liberation

Tracks: Festive Road | Death Of A Supernaturalist | Bernice Bobs Her Hair | I Was Born Yesterday | Your Daddy's Car | Europop | Timewatching (Liberation version) | The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count (original version) | Queen Of The South | Victoria Falls | Three Sisters | Europe By Train | Lucy (album version)

1994: Promenade

Tracks: Bath | Going Downhill Fast | The Booklovers | A Seafood Song | Geronimo | Don't Look Down | When The Lights Go Out All Over Europe | The Summerhouse | Neptune's Daughter | A Drinking Song | Ten Seconds To Midnight | Tonight We Fly (album version)

1996: Cassanova

Tracks: Something For The Weekend | Becoming More Like Alfie | Middle Class Heroes | In And Out Of Paris And London | Charge | Songs Of Love (theme from "Father Ted", album version)| The Frog Princess | A Woman Of The World (album version) | Through A Long And Sleepless Night | Theme From Cassanova | The Dogs And The Horses (album version)

1997: A Short Album About Love (issued as a limited edition and a standard cut)

Tracks: In Pursuit Of Happiness | Everybody Knows (except you) | Someone | If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me) | Timewatching (Short Album version) | I'm All You Need

1998: Fin De Siecle

Tracks: Generation Sex | Thrillseeker | Commuter Love | Sweden | Eric The Gardener (album version) | National Express | Life On Earth | The Certainty Of Chance | Here Comes The Flood | Sunrise

1999: A Secret History : The Best Of The Divine Comedy (issued as a limited edition and a standard cut)

Tracks (all are original album versions unless otherwise stated): National Express | Something For The Weekend | Everybody Knows (except you) | Generation Sex | Becoming More Like Alfie | The Summerhouse | Your Daddy's Car | The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count (secret history version) | The Frog Princess | Gin Soaked Boy (previously unreleased) | Lucy | Songs Of Love | In Pursuit Of Happiness | I've Been To A Marvelous Party (from the Noel Coward tribute album and single) | The Certainty Of Chance | Too Young To Die (previously unreleased) | Tonight We Fly

1999: Rarities (additional CD included with limited edition version of Secret History)

Tracks: Bernice Bobs Her Hair (live) | Bleak Landscape (spliced demo) | The Booklovers (live) | The Certainty Of Chance (demo) | Commuter Love (live) | Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind (Traditional, live) | A Drinking Song (live, solo Neil) | The Frog Princess (live SBE96) | Generation Sex (demo) | Life On Mars [David Bowie](live, with Yann Tiersen) | Life's What You Make It [Talk Talk] | The Model [Krafwerk](live) | National Express (live, Glastonbury 1999) | Painting The Forth Bridge (demo) | Queen Of The South (acoustic) | The Summerhouse (live) | Soul Destroyer (demo) | Your Daddy's Car (demo).

Timewatch (deleted 12")

Lucy (deleted 7")

Europop (deleted 12" and CD)

Indulgence No1 (deleted, limited edition picture disk 7", extremely rare and valuable)

Indulgence No2 (deleted, limited edition live 7")

Something For The Weekend

CD: Something For The Weekend | Birds Of Paradise Farm | Love Is Lighter Than Air [Stephin Merit]| Songs Of Love

7": Something For The Weekend | Songs of Love

Becoming More Like Alfie

CD: Becoming More Like Alfie | Untitled Melody [Edwin Collins]| Your Daddy's Car (from Mark Radcliffe show broadcast) | The Dogs And The Horses (NYC Acoustic)

7": Becoming More Like Alfie | Your Daddy's Car (from Mark Radcliffe show broadcast)

The Frog Princess

CD1: The Frog Princess | Motorway To Damascus | A Woman Of The World (big band version) | Lucy (demo)

Cd2: The Frog Princess | Something Before The Weekend (demo) | Neptune's Daughter (live) | Tonight We Fly (live)

MC: The Frog Princess | Motorway To Damascus

Everybody Knows (except you)

CD1: Everybody Knows (except you) | Make It Easy On Yourself (live, SBE)[Bacharach and David] | A Drinking Song (live, SBE) | Something for The Weekend (live, SBE)

CD2: Everybody Knows (except you) | Jonny Mathis' Feet (live, SBE)[Mark Eitzel] | Your Daddy's Car (live, SBE) | Europe By Train (live, SBE)

CD3: Everybody Knows (except you) | Bath (live, SBE) | Tonight We Fly (live, SBE) | Middle Class Heroes (live, SBE, complete with Mistake Number One)

Generation Sex

CD1: Generation Sex | London Irish | Time Lapse [Michael Nyman]

CD2: Generation Sex | Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To Shepherds [Michael Nyman] | Little Acts Of Kindness

7": Generation Sex | Postcards To Rosie

The Certainty Of Chance

CD1: The Certainty Of Chance | Last Stand In Metroland | Miranda [Michael Nyman]

CD2: The Certainty Of Chance | The Dead Only Quickly | Knowing The Ropes [Michael Nyman]

MC : The Certainty Of Chance | Maryland Electric Rainstorm

National Express

CD1: National Express | Going Downhill Fast | Radioactivity [Krafwerk]

CD2: National Express | Famous [Stephin Merit] | Overstrand

MC: National Express | The Heart Of Rock And Roll

The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count

CD1: The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count | With Whom To Dance [Stephin Merit] | Eric The Gardener (acoustic)

CD2: The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count | This Side Of Paradise | Vapour Trail [Ride]

MC : The Pop Singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count | Jackie

Someday I'll Find You/I've Been To A Marvelous Party

This was a double A side release with Shola Ama, to promote the album "20th Century Blues: The Songs Of Noel Coward"

Shola Ama : Someday I'll Find You [Noel Coward]| The Divine Comedy : I've Been to A Marvelous Party [Noel Coward]| The Songs Of Noel Coward [Noel Coward](medley)

Gin Soaked Boy (single release of one of the additional tracks from Secret History)

CD1: Gin Soaked Boy (Radio Edit) | Songs Of Love (Phil Thornalley Remix - a prize to anyone who can spot the difference) | I Am

CD2: Gin Soaked Boy (album version) | Geromino (live, with Yann Tiersen) | My Lovely Horse (a spoof track written for Father Ted) | Gin Soaked Boy

Bibliography.

Well, I say bibliography, but it's really a list of links to the websites I used for my research, and that I pulled the pictures from.

musicOMH.com

In Pursuit Of Happiness

The Divine Online, where I got the sound file.

And this is the official 'The Divine Comedy' webpage:

The Liberator.

fin.