The album is a showcase for frontman and songwriter Neil Hannon’s literate nature, with allusions to Shakespeare, French New Wave cinema, Greek mythology, and Roman poetry. The Book Lovers is an extended list of more than 70 authors along with puns or jokes about their output.

The box set also contains new editions of 2016’s Foreverland and 2019’s Office Politics updated with bonus material and liner notes. So it really does offer, more or less, ‘everything’. Even better this limited edition box – available only from the official Divine Comedy store – comes with a numbered ‘Letter From The Author’ signed by Neil Hannon. Don't Look Down - Our couple are now off to the fairground, and in another deeply Nyman-esque tune (minimalist piano, baroque strings, reed flourishes, you know the drill), it's the man who doesn't want to get on the big wheel. Ahh, for the good old days when men were men and pansies were flowers. But like a bloke who goes to see Legally Blonde 2 just to impress the lady he's with, he eventually succumbs. To the big wheel anyway; any fleshier succumbing will have to wait a bit. This is a lyrically splendid song, even by the standards of a generally lyrically splendid album; the first half resolves itself with the great payoff: The CD release consists of 2 discs: the original remastered album, with a second CD of B-sides, demos and alternate versions put together by Neil, much of which is from his personal archive and has never been heard before. This 2CD Set comes with a booklet of photos with extensive liner notes written by Neil covering the context and content of each album. Ten Seconds To Midnight - Both a lovely slow piano poem and an homage to Peter Greenaway's "Drowning By Numbers" (you don't get this sort of thing on a Kylie album, do you?), this song serves as an overview of the day, of a life, and indeed of all human existence. And there you were thinking it was just a two minute piano doodle. But its main purpose is to set you up for.....Top 100 Artist Album, Week Ending 11 February 2022". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 11 February 2022.

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". [2] Victory for the Comic Muse peaked at No. 47 in October 2020 when re-issued on their own label Divine ComedyOctober 2020 peaks for re-issued albums released on The Divine Comedy's own record label". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 12 November 2020. The reissued albums have been remastered from the original tapes at Abbey Road Studios by mastering engineer Frank Arkwright. Overseeing the audio throughout the campaign is engineer/mixer/producer Guy Massey (who did The Beatles stereo remasters, no less). The CD release consists of 2 discs: the original remastered album, with a second CD of b-sides, demos and alternate versions lovingly curated by Neil Hannon, much of which has never been heard before. The CD comes with a booklet of photos, credits and extensive liner notes written by Neil covering the context and inspiration behind the album and its songs. Promenade is the third album by Northern Irish group The Divine Comedy. It is a concept album, telling the story of two lovers who spend an entire day together, eating and drinking, visiting a bookstore and a movie theater, and riding a Ferris wheel. The songs that are sincere, such as the domestic drama “Norman and Norma,” and the brokenhearted lover’s lament, “A Feather in Your Cap” are surprisingly so, so much so that I waited for a punchline that never quite came. In the case of the former, I’m actually happy that Norman and Norma—who we’ve seen raise their children and fall into romantic complacency—find their bliss in battle reenactments. “I’m a Stranger Here,” a simple piano-based melodic operetta, punctuated by sweetly swirling strings, about a time traveler trying to navigate his new surroundings, plays similarly. A sweet plea for assistance as he realizes the life and home he knows is gone, he sings, “If you ask where I come from, I’ll say ‘the past’ and wander on” - PASTE