In my humble opionion, one of the most magnificent albums ever committed to vinyl. Promenade is a delightful collection of chamber orchestral flourishes, literary name dropping and just sheer fun. It is joyous and ebullient. It is not spiritual. Rather it is a record which delights in the being here now, alive on this earth that really is a wondeful place, with so much enjoyment to be had.

Neil Hannon, the Divine Comedy, sings in a style reminiscent of Scott Walker and Jarvis Cocker and also appears extremely well read. But whereas the former two sing of seedy places, down and outs and the misery of existence, Hannon, on this album at least, sings of baths, beach parties and ferris wheels. The album is, apparently, based on a day at the seaside of a ten year old. Even a romance with a 9 year old girl.

There's an excellent into to this album and I do like album intros. A very solemn Neil slowly reads out a quote to the sound of the sea while a long simple piece of oboe and violin, again played over the sound of crashing waves, sounds like the introduction to Wuthering heights. The first sung words of the album change that completely, 'Rub a dub, its time for a scrub', a celebration of bathtime. 'Going downhill fast' is a gorgeous piano and string filled track about the thrills of cycling. Complete with a backing choir who seem to take this whole cycling thing very seriously.

'The Booklovers' is one of the most famous tracks here and simply recites a list of some of the greatest writers of our day and of the past with a suitable quip for each author. It is all recited in a most serious tone by Hannon, masking the fact that this is a truly marvellous lark. The chorus to the song is provided by an ancient Greek, Horace. It also provides the theme of teh album. 'Happy the man and happy he alone. He who can call today his own. He who secure within can say, 'Tomorrow do thy worst. For I have lived today'.

The next song starts off again in a serious welsh choir moment. 'A seafood song' is sheer genius and delights in reliving the delight of eating a good seafood meal. It is also a 'toast to those in peril on the sea, who labour tirelessly in their tiny boats off John O'Groats'. Its brilliant.

Geronimo has a great piano backbone, in pace reminiscent of Yann Tiersen(they collaborated years later) and of Michael Nyman. It is a sexually tense song of two people being together.

'Don't look down' ends side one in hilarious manner. It is about the fear and excitement of being on a ferris wheel as it rises into the sky. Holding hands, a girl and a boy, possibly in love. In the middle it turns into a conversation between God and Hannon. Hannon explains why he is an atheist. God has enough of this 'tosh' calls down an angel choir who....well you should just listen :)

And that's the end of side one. Who could possbly wait to see what's on side two...

The jokes are turned down, at least for a while. 'When teh lights go out all over Europe' is a paean to french cinema. Particularly when compared to hollywood. All the drama of French cinema and those beautiful French girls. There are a few puns thrown in for good measure.

'The summerhouse' is a straightforward love song, well kind of. It talks of that special day that the ten year old and teh nine year old spent together at the summerhouse. Do you remember? It used to be one of my favourites. Now I find it a bit slow. But its ideal for kissing.

'Neptunes daughter' tells the story of a girl who is dragged into the sea to her 'home' but is rescued. Its slow and menacing. Its not very funny.

Next up comes my party piece. I often sing this song when out and about. I love the lyrics and it is great for singing. It starts off with a hiccup and then the words, 'Back at the house, a bottle is found and opened in honour of those who have drowned...' It is hilarious. It is brilliant. It is 'The Drinking Song'.

'Ten seconds to midnight' is a softly sung interlude before we get to the final and ultimate song on the album, 'Tonight we fly'. Its short at just over two minutes and is fast with its pumping percusion and string arrangement. Its an excellent album closer and often a gig closer too. It makes me cry. Lyrically, it imagines the joy of being able to fly though the air and describes everything we might see below.

Now sit back and think...

At the time it came out, Liberation was a remarkable string laden antidote to the yobbish Brit-pop and boy band style that was ruling the charts. The Divine Comedy were always more popular in France than in Britain and it shows. They are from a different school than the average British band. Neil Hannon is of course from Northern Ireland. Liberation was, I believ, his best moment. His next album, Casanova, was the one to make him famous and successful, but it had lost the simpler beauty and subtlety of Liberation and Promenade.

Recording is simple. It doesnt stun but it doesn't sound bad either. Vinyl pressing is noisy. At least, unlike Liberation, the album is shorter and the grooves aren't compressed. Packaging is a bare minimum. It was released on a shoestrings label. I really would love to see this music get the deluxe treatment.