Fin de Siècle (album)

Fin de Siècle is the sixth album by the Divine Comedy. Released in August 1998 by Setanta Records, the album's ten tracks were recorded in 1998. The album peaked at number nine in the UK Albums Chart.[1]

Fin de Siècle
Studio album by
the Divine Comedy
Released31 August 1998 (1998-08-31)
Recorded1998
GenreOrchestral pop
Length46:41
LabelSetanta
Producer
The Divine Comedy chronology
A Short Album About Love
(1997)		 Fin de Siècle
(1998)		 A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy
(1999)
Singles from Fin de Siècle
  1. "Generation Sex"
    Released: 14 September 1998
  2. "The Certainty of Chance"
    Released: 16 November 1998
  3. "National Express"
    Released: 25 January 1999

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic Jack Rabid gave the album a rating of three out of five stars.[2] He noted that the songs on Fin de Siècle, "though pleasant", it doesn't quite scale "the heights Neil Hannon has before: nothing is as arresting as A Short Album About Love" (the band's previous album).[2] Stephen Graham later said:

Immediately entering the album charts at number nine, the album would go on to provide the band's first top-ten single. Combining bombast and longing, the surreal with the terrifying, evoking past grandeur while examining today and our future, the album was Hannon's most mature and rounded work to date.[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Neil Hannon, except for "Eric the Gardener" and "The Certainty of Chance", written by Neil Hannon and Joby Talbot. All songs arranged and conducted by Joby Talbot.

No.TitleLength
1."Generation Sex"3:31
2."Thrillseeker"3:33
3."Commuter Love"4:42
4."Sweden"3:25
5."Eric the Gardener"8:26
6."National Express"5:05
7."Life on Earth"4:23
8."The Certainty of Chance"6:06
9."Here Comes the Flood"4:09
10."Sunrise"3:17

Personnel

Per liner notes of A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy compilation album.[4]

Musicians

  • Miggy Barradas – drums
  • Stuart "Pinkie" Bates – accordion, organ
  • John Best – tenor (vocal)
  • Peter Devlin – double bass
  • Dexter Fletcher – narrator
  • John Gibbons – bass (vocal)
  • Anna Giddey – violin
  • Neil Hannon – guitar, vocals
  • Steve Hilton – programming
  • Jon Jacobs – engineer, mixing, producer
  • Simon Jones – piccolo trumpet, trumpet
  • Ian Lawrence – bass (vocal)
  • Mary Martin – violin
  • Paul Mason – bass (Vocal)
  • Kelly McCusker – violin
  • Bryan Mills – bass
  • John Murphy – viola
  • Robert Riley – viola
  • Phillip Robinson – tenor (vocal)
  • Ivor Talbot – guitar
  • Betsy Taylor – cello
  • Nik Turner – tenor (vocal)
  • Matthew Ward – violin
  • Ian Watson – double bass
  • Julia White – soprano (Vocal)
  • Ken Wilson – tenor (Vocal)

Technical

  • Adam Brown – assistant, recording assistant
  • Rob Crane – design
  • Neil Hannon – composer, concept, producer
  • Steve Hilton – programming
  • Jon Jacobs – engineer, mixing, producer
  • Andy Scade – engineer, programming
  • Joby Talbot – arranger, composer, conductor, harpsichord, piano
  • Mitsuo Tate – recording assistant
  • Mark Togashi – assistant
  • Kevin Westenberg – concept, photography

References
  1. "Divine Comedy - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. Rabid, Jack. "Fin de Siècle – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  3. Graham, Stephen. "Twenty Years of Fin de Siècle". wearecult.rocks. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  4. The History of The Secret History (Liner Notes). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. SETCDL100.CS1 maint: others (link)
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