The Divine Comedy – Casanova (Vinyl)

The 1996 breakthrough from Neil Hannon and the record that turned The Divine Comedy from cult concern into chart regulars. A dissection of casual affairs, loose morals and a thousand anxieties in between, it gave the world Something For The Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie and The Frog Princess, all delivered with Hannon's peerless wit and orchestral swagger. Songs of Love, in an alternate arrangement, became the theme to Father Ted, which alone earns it a place in every Irish home.

This 2020 edition comes from Hannon's own reissue campaign and is the definitive version, remastered from the original tapes at Abbey Road by Frank Arkwright with Grammy-winner Guy Massey overseeing the audio. Heavyweight black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with photos, credits and Hannon's own liner notes, plus a download code including bonus tracks. Thirty years on it remains one of the great Irish pop records, arch, romantic and impossibly tuneful.