Promenade (The Divine Comedy album)

Promenade is the third album by Northern Irish chamber pop band the Divine Comedy, released in 1994 on Setanta Records.

Recording
Promenade, like its predecessor, Liberation, was recorded by frontman Neil Hannon and co-producer Darren Allison, with the addition of a string quartet, as well as oboe/cor anglais courtesy of Joby Talbot, thus marking Talbot's first appearance with the band. Talbot would go on to become the arranger for most of the Divine Comedy's post-Casanova work, even co-writing two of the band's songs.

Concept
One recurring element in Promenade is water, mentioned in one way or another in the songs "Bath", "A Seafood Song", "Geronimo", "The Summerhouse", "Neptune's Daughter" and "Tonight We Fly". The North Sea, itself, even plays a part in the album: producer Darren Allison made field recordings at North Blyth and Druridge Bay on the Northumberland Coast, which can be heard at the beginning of "Bath" and again in "Neptune's Daughter".

Another recurring element is gods from Greek and Roman mythology: specifically, Aphrodite ("Bath"), Mercury ("Going Downhill Fast") and Neptune ("Neptune's Daughter").

Composition
Promenade is "a concept album about two lovers at the sea". The album's style is even more classical-influenced than its predecessor, Liberation. The string arrangements are reminiscent of the works of Michael Nyman, with whom the Divine Comedy would later collaborate. Hannon once said that after attending one of Nyman's performances 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 said he felt more "flattered than ripped off."

Reception
Neil Hannon used to send all of his albums to American singer-songwriter Scott Walker, of whom Hannon is a very big fan. After Hannon sent Walker a copy of Promenade, Walker sent him a letter back, stating that he particularly liked "The Booklovers".

Track listing
All songs written and arranged by Neil Hannon

2020 Remaster Bonus Disc Apropos Of Promenade

Personnel
Personnel per booklet.

Musicians
 * Natalie Box – 1st violin
 * Catherine Browning – 2nd violin
 * Jessamy Boyd – viola (tracks 1–3, 7–9 and 12)
 * Alan Simpson – viola (tracks 4–6 and 10)
 * Chris Worsey – cello
 * Joby Talbot – oboe, saxophone, cor anglais
 * Darren Allison – drums, percussion
 * Neil Hannon – everything else

Production
 * Darren Allison – engineer, mixing, producer
 * Neil Hannon – producer
 * Pascal Giovetti – assistance
 * Rowan Stigner – assistance
 * Ian Mcfarlane – assistance
 * Kevin Westenberg – all photography

Samples

 * The sample at the beginning of "The Booklovers" features Audrey Hepburn from the 1957 film Funny Face.
 * Further samples during "The Booklovers" feature Graham Chapman ("Good evening", "names that will live forever"), Michael Palin ("London is so beautiful at this time of year") and John Cleese ("Oh, it makes me mad") from the third and sixth episodes of series 1 of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
 * The sample in "When the Lights Go Out All Over Europe" is from the 1960 film À Bout de Souffle.
 * The sample in "Ode to the Man" features Micheál Mac Liammóir quoting John Dryden's English translation of one of Horace's odes (Imitation of Horace, book III, ode 29, vv. 65-72) in the 1963 film Tom Jones.