h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Firstly, that quote at the end, "Happy the man...", is a sample of dialogue from the Albert Finney film "Tom Jones", and is actually by John Dryden, from his translation of Horace's Odes.

Secondly, "National Express" is more about people who use the coach service than an "attack" on the company. National Express actually used the song in one of its advertising campaigns! If you ask me, I think the song is a bit nasty and patronising, actually.

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No need to be so negative

Seems to me the article has some good stuff in it, and if there's more to be added... well, one the advantages of h2g2 is that everyone can contribute. Think of this article as a starting-point for all things Divine Comedy in the Guide... a nucleus, if you will, about which other matter may crystalise. Or something

I haven't heard all that much of TDC, but those that I've heard, I like... particularly 'Tonight We Fly', and 'More Like Alfie'... 's good stuff.

*twiddles thumbs*

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I have to agree on the point about National express not being an attack, but it's still a great song and one of the few I can remember all the words to.

And Tonight We Fly is a fantastic example, although they're all good songs, I think Tonight we fly has a nice up beat kind of feel to it and is definetely my favourite.

Also this article allows me to finally see the light, THANK GOD! I'm not the only DC fan in the universe! For years I have endured the mockery of my S-club 7 loving friends! At last! DC FANS OF THE WORLD UNITE! We having nothing to loose except, um, anyway, that's what I think.

I think you are being too hard on the auther of the entry!! True, Tonight We Fly wasn't the best example of Neil's lyric writing ability but there was some interessting things raised.

With regards to the choice of song, you are all forgetting Generation Sex. A brilliant commentary on society at the moment. Songs Of Love (Father Ted theme) is by far one of the most beautiful songs they have done, along with Everybody Knows and a couple of others.

For a long time I have been raving to my friends about the genius of TDC but they none of them take the time to listen and so don't appreciate it. I did mannage to convert someone this summer when I made her listen to Pop-singer's Fear Of The Pollen Count and she liked it!!!

Yeah, I love TPSFOTPC too, but don't you think the re-released version (for Secret History) is terrible? They killed it! Although Joby Talbot wearing a gas mask on Top of the Pops was worth it

I thought TPSFOTPC was good but they have done much better. I saw that Top of the pops and yes, it was great!!

You mean there's a better version of TPSFOTPC? Where can I get it (Only heard Secret History version)

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I'll have to look out for that one. It is my birthday soon, I'll ask for it!!!

I can't comment on the "opinionated" part, but I will agree with the term "sketchy." You would think a Discography would be an obvious thing to include if you're going to write an entry on a band. As a stupid American, I don't even know what style of music the band plays...

They play really good music!! The lyrics are beatifull and witty and clever and funny and many other really positive words!

It's great to see DC being discussed here. One of my abiding memories is of seeing DC play in Belfast (almost a home gig for Neil) before 'SFTW' was released, to a crowd of about 60. Wonderful gig.

I have to agree with you on that one.

I'm really surprised that none of the albums were mentioned in a discography, the key album to mention would be Fanfare for the Comic Muse. This has to be the most imfamous DC ablum to date, since Neil Hannon pulled the plug on it. Copies of this CD are so rare people have paid well over £100 for a copy (but there's a mint condition copy on EBay at the moment where the current bid is only about £17, but keep that one to yourself ok ).

Warning : this is a long one!

I completely agree with the call for a discography, and as the responsible bloke I am, I have taken it upon myself to provide one. Feel free to ammend or adjust as you will - I'm only going by my own knowledge here, but I think I'm pretty accurate.
I can't believe there's a copy of Fanfare for £17. That's insane. Must be a hoax. I'm off to ebay right now

Anyway.

Discography : The Divine Comedy

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

[note: In 1996, The DCs played three nights at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. This has since become such a seminal moment in the band's history that I have specified which of the live recordings available are from one of these concerts, with the abbreviation SBE96)
______
ALBUMS
------

1990: Fanfare For Comic Muse (now deleted, and a collector's item. I've never even seen one)

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)

_______
SINGLES
-------

Timewatch (deleted 12")
Lucy (deleted 7")
Europop (deleted 12" & CD)
Indulgence No1 (deleted, limited edition picture disk 7", worth a stuffing fortune)
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 (sic, demo) | Neptune's Daughter (live and, frankly, terrible) | 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 & 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, which Neil swore he would never release, ever. This version is not the version used in the episode) | Gin Soaked Boy (video media, not that great really)

The DCs also duetted with Tom Jones on his album "Reload". Together they covered Portishead's "All Mine". I think they also dueted with Ash at some stage, and that the recording was available as a cover disk on some music magazine, but I'm not sure.

Phew. That was longer than I thought. I'm amazed you're still reading. *wipes sweat from both brow and keyboard and glances at rises phone bill monitor, then realises he has 24/7 access* Phew again.

Good job, Marlowe. Perhaps you should re-submit the entry, combined with your stuff, to Peer Review.

Also, if you want people to like the Divine Comedy or be interested in them, one of the ways you can do it is describe what their music sounds like, or compare them to folks who are like them. I only own one album of theirs--"A Short Album about Love"--that I think is excellent, but I don't know if it's representative of their sound. From that album, I gathered that Divine Comedy's instrumentation is generally a rock band plus a small orchestra, going after a sort of lush, romantic sound. That said, everything--the music, the lyrics, and the performance--are marked by understatement and restraint. Musically, the band accomplishes this through full but fairly subdued arrangements--again, I'm going from only one album--but even on "In Pursuit of Happiness," that fantastically busy piano and string line, as complicated as it is, is pushed to the background, where it moves the song forward without overwhelming it. Lyrically, Hannon undercuts any seriously romantic (or any other sentiments) he may have by telling jokes or, in the next line, belittling his subject matter (e.g. on "Everyone Knows (Except You)," he tells the stars above and the sun about his love, then turns around and tells his mom and dad, adding my personal favorite line from that song, "They seemed to understand."). If I had to compare the Divine Comedy to other folks, I would first say Tindersticks, except not as pretentious, and The Smiths, but more lush and calm. A more odd match would be The Magnetic Fields, but with more instruments playing at once.

For folks that don't know The Magnetic Fields, the man responsible for Magnetic Fields albums (as well as... the 6th, Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes), Stephin Merritt, is another one of those guys considered by many to be one of the greatest songwriters alive, and he more or less lives up to the label. The sound of the Magnetic Fields ranges from country to 80s synth pop, and is really something to hear.

Actually, "A Short Album About Love" was the first time that Neil used the full orchestral sound to such an extent. The band toured with the Brunel Ensemble. The tour was so sucessful that it prompted Neil to record a mini-album to try and capture this distinctive sound (it was also an excuse to record "In Pursuit Of Happiness", which Neil had been tinkering with for a few months, and which the rest of the band had fallen in love with). Of course, the orchestra stayed for "Fin De Siecle".
And now some bad news. Neil and the DCs have left the Setanta label, and are in studio recording another album with - gasp - no strings.
I was as shocked as you, my friends, but apparantly this is the way Neil has chosen to go. Time will tell.
Yes, I would agree with the Tindersticks and Smiths comparisions completely (The Tinderstick's "Travelling Light" has always sounded to me like Nick Cave covering The Divine Comedy!). Neil has also gone on record to state that one of biggest influences (and musical heroes) was Scott Walker.
Oh, and the band have covered several of Stephin Merritt's songs, usually on B-sides (in fact, it was only when I was compiling the discography that I realised quite how many!) I've got to confess that I don't know much Magnetic Fields - I'll have to give them a try.

All the nice bits were edited out. Don't blame that on me. There were nice piccies of the band and links to music sites so that the reader could hear the sound of The Divine Comedy.

As for being too sketchy, you try finding out detailed info from fan sites when you can't actually access the official fan site (some problem to do with secure connections...).

All in all, it was the best I could do with the info I could get. If you can do better, then have a go by all means. The entries will probably get edited together.

Necr

I did include credit links to the sites I used, and to the official DC website (even though I couldn't get into it- blast these secure connections that my school LAN won't support). Unfortunately, the editor saw fit to remove them. You could try looking at the original version on my own space (I'm sure you know how to get there), and then try accusing me of not crediting my sources.

Necr