A Secret History - Divine Comedy

You cannot beat a best-of when it is a group or artist who has a good track record. The Divine Comedy have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. he songs are often lightweight but they have a cafefree abanson about them. Who are they: Well it's really a him, vocalist and songwriter Neil Hannon, he also plays the guitar. They were at their peak in 1996-1997. On this album: The hits are gathered here in a cluster; we have 'Something For The Weekend' which is a cheeky little number. Hannon sings about there being something in the woodshed, initially quite confusing so you'll need to listen once or twice to get the hidden ...  Read the complete review

I am a sucker for 'Best Of' collections - I admit it. I begrudge paying full CD album prices, even at the bargain £8.99 (including P&P) offered by the likes of CD-Wow. However, I am slightly less reticent about parting with my cash for 'Best Of' compilations, as they tend to be packed with the very best an artist or group has to offer, rather than three singles and nine fillers. The Divine Comedy are a group that I have enjoyed from a distance for some time now. Apart from a couple of bargain CD singles, I had never taken the plunge and purchased one of their albums - until now. This collection boasts seventeen tracks and comes in at just over an ...  Read the complete review

I love this album. The Divine Comedy are so different to most of the other bands out therer at the minute. They write songs that are bright enough to be called "pop" yet that wouldn't be the best word to describe them. For a new fan, this would be the best place to start- "The Greatest Hits" so to speak, a kind of best so far... "Something for the Weekend" gets the album off to a great start, it's a classic track. "Generation Sex", "National Express", "Pop singer's fear" are all great pop songs, that are actually fun and uplifting to listen to. Part of the fun is Neil Hannon's ...  Read the complete review

Only a year ago I made the inspired choice to buy this album and now I am obsessed. Completely. Like most people, to me The Divine Comedy meant National Express. When I began to hanker after that song a bit, I noticed they also did Generation Sex and Something for the weekend. These weren't songs that had obsessed me in any great way but that I had heard and liked. That was enough to convince me into buying The Best Of The Divine Comedy - A Secret History. Once I listened once I realised, as most people don’t before hearing it, that The Divine Comedy also created the theme tunes to Tomorrow’s World and Father Ted. The former has a section of ...  Read the complete review

As good as this Best Of is, it could have been TRULY magnificent - A collection of the best songs by one of the most innovative and imaginative pop bands around, departing from Setanta records before moving to a major record label, yet it could have been so much more. There is: * The obvious (National Express (natch), Something for the Weekend, Everybody Knows, Generation Sex, Alfie, Songs of Love, Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count) singles or instantly recognisable album tracks. Each one is monumentally catchy and infectious (dangerously so). * The new (Gin-Soaked Boy, Too Young to Die) - a couple of the best songs they've ever done - ...  Read the complete review