A Short Album About Love is the fifth album by The Divine Comedy

The Divine Comedy (band)

The Divine Comedy are a chamber pop band from Ireland, fronted by Neil Hannon. Formed in 1989, Hannon has been the only constant member of the group, playing, in some instances, all of the non-orchestral instrumentation bar drums. To date, ten studio albums have been released under the Divine...

, released in 1997.

Track listing

• All songs written by Neil Hannon
  Neil Hannon
  Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
  
   except where stated.

1. "In Pursuit Of Happiness" – 3:31
2. "Everybody Knows (Except You)" – 3:48
3. "Someone" – 5:58
4. "If..." – 4:25
5. "If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me)" – 4:41
6. "Timewatching" – 4:42
7. "I'm All You Need" – 4:51
8. "Motorway to Damascus"*
9. "Love Is Lighter Than Air"* (Stephin Merritt
   Stephin Merritt
   Stephin Merritt is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles , best known as the principal singer and songwriter in the band The Magnetic Fields...
   
   )
10. "Birds of Paradise Farm"*
11. "Make It Easy on Yourself
    Make It Easy On Yourself
    "Make It Easy On Yourself" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was first a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962 and has since been a Top 40 single for the Walker Brothers - for whom it was a #1 UK hit - and Dionne Warwick.-Jerry Butler:...
    
    "* (Burt Bacharach
    Burt Bacharach
    Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
    
     and Hal David
    Hal David
    Harold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
    
    )

The tracks which are starred are bonus tracks which are on certain pressings of the album.

"Everybody Knows (Except You)" was released as a single on three separate CDs, each one featuring an extra three live tracks. It became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching number fourteen in the UK charts.

The middle eight of "In Pursuit Of Happiness" was subsequently adopted as the theme for the TV series Tomorrow's World

Tomorrow's World

Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...

. The original version was used for one season of the show, with a specially-recorded version being substituted thereafter.

Personnel

The Divine Comedy:

• Neil Hannon - vocals, guitar
• Ivor Talbot - guitar
• Bryan Mills - bass guitar
• Joby Talbot - piano, orchestral arrangements
• Stuart "Pinkie" Bates - Hammond organ
• Miguel Barradas - drums

The Brunel Ensemble:

• Simon Baggs - violin, orchestra leader
• Lisa Betteridge, Kate Birchall, Krista Juanita Caspersz, Emily Davis, Benjamin Harte, Mary Martin, Timothy Myall, Benjamin Nabarro, Juliet Warden - violins
• Yannick Dondelinger, Zoe Lake, Jong On Lau, John Murphy - violas
• Betsy Taylor, Robbie Jacobs, Douncan Moulton - celli
  Cello
  The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
  
  
• Peter Devlin, Philip Dawson - double basses
• Max Spiers - oboe
• Charlotte Glasson - saxophone, flute
• Matthew Gunner - horn
• Simon Jones - trumpet
• Adam Howard - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Jane Butterfield - trombone
• Robert Farrer - percussion

Christopher Austin - conductor