Promenade (album)
Encyclopedia
Promenade is The Divine Comedy
's third album. It was released in 1994 on Setanta
to much critical acclaim but little commercial success. It is a concept album
about two lovers who spend a day at the seaside.
The album's style is even more classical
-sounding than its predecessor, Liberation
. The string arrangements are reminiscent of the works of Michael Nyman
, with whom The Divine Comedy
would later collaborate. Neil once said that after attending one of Michael Nyman
's shows he went up to the composer, handed him a copy of Promenade, and jokingly said, "You can sue me if you like." Years later Nyman said he did not remember the incident, but he said he felt more "flattered than ripped off." Promenade marked the first appearance of Joby Talbot
in The Divine Comedy
's history. He would go on to become the arranger for most of The Divine Comedy
's work, even co-writing two Divine Comedy
songs.
Promenade is even more overtly literary than Liberation
. It opens with a quote from Isaac Watts
' hymn "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past" and ends with a quote from Horace
's Ode to Man (which is also sung as the chorus of "The Booklovers"). "The Booklovers" is a list of over seventy different authors.
about two lovers who spend a day at the seaside. There are many different interpretations of the story, but it may run something like this: "Bath" is about the female character taking a bath, and "Going Downhill Fast" is about the male character bicycling over to her house. "The Booklovers" is about the two discussing their favourite authors. "A Seafood Song" is about them enjoying a meal comprising different types of fish. In "Geronimo" they get caught in the rain as they head back to his place, and they go on a Ferris wheel
ride in "Don't Look Down". Later, in "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" (the title alluding to the famous World War I
quote "The lights are going out all over Europe
") they see a French film, and in "The Summerhouse" they reminisce about their childhood. The girl almost drowns during an evening stroll in "Neptune's Daughter", they then get drunk in "A Drinking Song", and "Ten Seconds to Midnight" is about counting down to the New Year and the anniversary of the time when they first met. Finally, in "Tonight We Fly", they transcend everyone through their ecstasy.
One recurring element in Promenade is water. Water is mentioned in one way or another in the following songs: "Bath", "A Seafood Song", "Geronimo", "The Summerhouse", "Neptune's Daughter", and "Tonight We Fly". Another recurring element is gods from mythology. Aphrodite
is mentioned in "Bath". Mercury
is mentioned in "Going Downhill Fast". Neptune
is in the title of "Neptune's Daughter".
References to French New Wave
cinema occur in two of the songs. "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" alludes to François Truffaut
's Jules et Jim, contains excerpts of dialogue from Jean-Luc Godard
's À Bout de Souffle and contains the line "and when she asks for his ambition, Jean-Pierre replies 'My mission is to become eternal and to die'", describing a scene in À Bout de Souffle in which a novelist character played by Jean-Pierre Melville replies "devenir immortel et puis, mourir". This song also contains a reference to Éric Rohmer
's Claire's Knee
. "The Booklovers" contains the line "Tu connais William Faulkner?", also a quote from À Bout de Souffle.
sends all of his albums to Scott Walker
, of whom Neil is a very big fan. After Neil sent Scott a copy of Promenade Scott sent him a letter back stating that he particularly liked "The Booklovers".
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...
's third album. It was released in 1994 on Setanta
Setanta Records
Setanta Records is a UK Independent record label. The label was at the forefront of the indie Irish music scene in the late eighties and nineties as itchampioned young Irish groups.-History:...
to much critical acclaim but little commercial success. It is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about two lovers who spend a day at the seaside.
The album's style is even more classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
-sounding than its predecessor, Liberation
Liberation (The Divine Comedy album)
Liberation is a 1993 album by The Divine Comedy, released on Setanta. It was the second album to be released by The Divine Comedy, although the band's leader, Neil Hannon, often refers to it as the first due to the stylistic differences of the earlier album, Fanfare for the Comic Muse...
. The string arrangements are reminiscent of the works of Michael Nyman
Michael Nyman
Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
, with whom 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...
would later collaborate. Neil once said that after attending one of Michael Nyman
Michael Nyman
Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
's shows he went up to the composer, handed him a copy of Promenade, and jokingly said, "You can sue me if you like." Years later Nyman said he did not remember the incident, but he said he felt more "flattered than ripped off." Promenade marked the first appearance of Joby Talbot
Joby Talbot
Joby Talbot is a British composer.Born in Wimbledon, London, Talbot studied composition at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Brian Elias and Simon Bainbridge....
in 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...
's history. He would go on to become the arranger for most of 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...
's work, even co-writing two 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...
songs.
Promenade is even more overtly literary than Liberation
Liberation (The Divine Comedy album)
Liberation is a 1993 album by The Divine Comedy, released on Setanta. It was the second album to be released by The Divine Comedy, although the band's leader, Neil Hannon, often refers to it as the first due to the stylistic differences of the earlier album, Fanfare for the Comic Muse...
. It opens with a quote from Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 750 hymns...
' hymn "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past" and ends with a quote from Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
's Ode to Man (which is also sung as the chorus of "The Booklovers"). "The Booklovers" is a list of over seventy different authors.
Concept
Promenade can be interpreted as a concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
about two lovers who spend a day at the seaside. There are many different interpretations of the story, but it may run something like this: "Bath" is about the female character taking a bath, and "Going Downhill Fast" is about the male character bicycling over to her house. "The Booklovers" is about the two discussing their favourite authors. "A Seafood Song" is about them enjoying a meal comprising different types of fish. In "Geronimo" they get caught in the rain as they head back to his place, and they go on a Ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
ride in "Don't Look Down". Later, in "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" (the title alluding to the famous World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
quote "The lights are going out all over Europe
The lamps are going out
"The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our time" is a remark attributed to British statesman Sir Edward Grey on the eve of the First World War...
") they see a French film, and in "The Summerhouse" they reminisce about their childhood. The girl almost drowns during an evening stroll in "Neptune's Daughter", they then get drunk in "A Drinking Song", and "Ten Seconds to Midnight" is about counting down to the New Year and the anniversary of the time when they first met. Finally, in "Tonight We Fly", they transcend everyone through their ecstasy.
One recurring element in Promenade is water. Water is mentioned in one way or another in the following songs: "Bath", "A Seafood Song", "Geronimo", "The Summerhouse", "Neptune's Daughter", and "Tonight We Fly". Another recurring element is gods from mythology. Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
is mentioned in "Bath". Mercury
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
is mentioned in "Going Downhill Fast". Neptune
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
is in the title of "Neptune's Daughter".
References to French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
cinema occur in two of the songs. "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" alludes to François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
's Jules et Jim, contains excerpts of dialogue from Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
's À Bout de Souffle and contains the line "and when she asks for his ambition, Jean-Pierre replies 'My mission is to become eternal and to die'", describing a scene in À Bout de Souffle in which a novelist character played by Jean-Pierre Melville replies "devenir immortel et puis, mourir". This song also contains a reference to Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer
Éric Rohmer was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter and teacher. A figure in the post-war New Wave cinema, he was a former editor of Cahiers du cinéma....
's Claire's Knee
Claire's Knee
Claire's Knee is a 1970 film by Éric Rohmer. It is the fifth movie in the series of the Six Moral Tales.-Plot:...
. "The Booklovers" contains the line "Tu connais William Faulkner?", also a quote from À Bout de Souffle.
Responses
Neil HannonNeil 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...
sends all of his albums to Scott Walker
Scott Walker (singer)
Scott Walker, born Noel Scott Engel on January 9, 1943 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and the former lead singer of The Walker Brothers. Despite being American born, Walker's chart success has largely come in the United Kingdom, where his first four solo albums...
, of whom Neil is a very big fan. After Neil sent Scott a copy of Promenade Scott sent him a letter back stating that he particularly liked "The Booklovers".
Track listing
- All songs written and arranged by Neil HannonNeil HannonNeil 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...
- "Bath" – 4:10
- "Going Downhill Fast" – 2:33
- "The Booklovers" – 5:51
- "A Seafood Song" – 3:29
- "Geronimo" – 1:53
- "Don't Look Down" – 4:48
- "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" – 3:29
- "The Summerhouse" – 4:15
- "Neptune's Daughter" – 4:49
- "A Drinking Song" – 4:37
- "Ten Seconds to Midnight" – 2:10
- "Tonight We Fly" – 3:01
- "Ode to the Man"– 0:15
Personnel
- Natalie Box - 1st Violin
- Catherine Browning - 2nd Violin
- Jessamy Boyd - Viola on tracks 1,2,3,7,8,9, and 12
- Alan Simpson - Viola on tracks 4,5,6, and 10
- Chris Worsey - Cello
- Joby TalbotJoby TalbotJoby Talbot is a British composer.Born in Wimbledon, London, Talbot studied composition at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Brian Elias and Simon Bainbridge....
- Oboe, saxophone, and cor anglais - Darren AllisonDarren AllisonDarren Allison , is a British record producer, musician, and recording engineer, best known for his work on the epic soundscapes of such artists as The Divine Comedy, Spiritualized, and ,more recently, Efterklang.-Selected Discography:...
- Drums and percussion - Neil HannonNeil HannonNeil 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...
- Everything else