Track Listing

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17855 in Music
• Released on: 2006-06-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nine albums in, and Neil Hannon’s taste for archly literate pop – and, indeed, for the occasional saucy gag, delivered with eyebrow curled – remains. "You don’t know how much I need you," he croons, on schoolboy’s lament ‘To Die A Virgin, "The ‘Handy Andy’s I’ve been through." Seemingly a reference to The Divine Comedy’s long unavailable debut Fanfare For The Comic Muse, Victory… sees Hannon fronting a band that skimps not on the symphonics, including as it does a thirteen-piece string section, harp, French Horn, and oboe – not to mention a certain Dougie Payne of Travis on bass. A certain jauntiness is in evidence on the galloping ‘Party Fears Two’, originally by Scottish pop act The Associates, but far more dominant here is pathos-laden orchestral suites such as ‘Snowball In Negative’ and the touching ‘A Lady Of A Certain Age’, tale of a faded society girl in the midst of her twilight years: "Your husband’s hollow heart gave out one Christmas day/He left the villa to his mistress in Marseilles". Best track here, though, is ‘Arthur C Clarke’s Mysterious World’, a Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus-type number which invokes the memory of the paranormal-obsessed British sci-fi author with comic results. --Louis Pattison

CD Description
'Victory For The Comic Muse' is the ninth album from Neil Hannon's Divine Comedy. Not to be confused with the band's debut album 'Fanfare For The Comic Muse', this album yet againshowcases Hannon's uncanny knack of being able to marry evocative, character-based lyrics and orchestral flourishes into a winning pop formula. Includes the single 'Diva Lady'.

Customer Reviews

Nine albums in... and he just gets better and better
I can only concur with the previous reviews. This is arguably Mr Hannon's best album. The lushness of the previous album remains, but the pop sparkle and most of all, the wit, of Cassanova, returns. I would disagree that this is not immediately accessible. If the definition of a single was that it had to be melodically strong, hummable and have a smart lyric, then 7 of the 11 tracks here could be singles. The first 3/4 of the album (minus the piano instrumental "Threesome") are pure pop - the highlights being the hilariously painful "To Die A Virgin", Hannon's prettiest song to date "The Light Of Day" and the Associates' cover which gallops along thrillingly. Only during the closing 3 songs does Neil Hannon indulge in something a little more left-field - providing a very dramatic mini-symphony to close the album in style. The final track, "Snowball In Negative" is a beautiful piece of music and probably the finest song about fag ash ever (the only song about fag ash? Oh, don't nit-pick). Despite his clear influences, Neil Hannon really has calved out his own trademark style - memorable songs peppered with poignancy, panache, wit, dazzling musicianship and a little daring too. He's challenging you to call him a "smart arse". But you'd be wrong. He's a highly talented singer songwriter who, nine albums in, really seems to have reached new heights. Rejoice! On the basis of so many great albums, Neil Hannon clearly will make great music for the rest of his life. Don't even hesitate - Buy it!

A Not-So Comic Victory
Whilst Hannon has always had a penchant for comic parodies of often ridiculed social groups, as reflected in earlier tracks such as "Woman of the World" and "National Express", what stand out in this album are the heart-rending tracks "Lady of A Certain Age", "The Light of Day" and "The Plough".

True, musically they are perhaps not the best tracks on the album - but the themes simply jump out and grab you.

A soul-searing, tear-jerkingly sublime offering from the Divine Comedy, that will delight fans and newcomers alike - So good that it prompted me to write my first, and probably only, Amazon review!

Stunning Encapsulation of all that is right about The Divine Comedy
I managed to get an advanced listen to the new album by Mr Hannon and i must say this, for me, is his best work yet. The album is not immedately as accessible as some of his other work but, give this one a few listens and you will be reminded of how talented this artist is and how unique the sound of his music has become.

It is evident that Hannon still knows how to compose a catchy pop tune. 'Diva Lady', the first single from the album is not as strong as some past single efforts but does leave it's mark. Given a listen or two, one will be hard-pushed to forget the catchy riff. Personally though, the pop masterpiece that is 'To Die a Virgin' is simply wonderfull and i hope this follows 'Diva Lady' onto the pop charts.

Possibly my favourite track on the album is 'Lady of a Certain Age' which forms an account of the desperate situation which befalls many an 'upper class' female with nothing but 'a chequebook and family tree' to bargain with in her latter years. The melody and arrangements on this tune are sublime and reflective of the album as a whole. Hannon has become one of the foremost arrangers of the modern music scene and this is highlighted in this album.

I would highly recommend this album to any fan of the band as they will no doubt adore it and also to those who simply wish to listen to something that bit different. This is a great example of an artist demonstrating what they do best. A fabulous aural journey from start to finish