Fin de Siècle (album) - Misplaced Pages

Fin de Siècle (French: "End of the century") is the sixth album by Northern Irish pop band the Divine Comedy. It was released on 31 August 1998 by Setanta Records. Following the release of fifth studio album A Short Album About Love (1997), frontman Neil Hannon demoed new material at his flat in Clapham. During this time, the relationship between the band and their label Setanta Records was straining as a result of heated discussions over tour costs and studio sessions. They recorded their next album in three studios (September Sound, Olympic and The Dairy) with Jon Jacobs as the main producer and Hannon co-producing. Fin de Siècle is a chamber pop concept album that details living in the 20th century.

Fin de Siècle reached number nine in the UK Albums Chart; all of its singles charted on the UK Singles Chart, with "National Express" reaching the highest at number eight. Fin de Siècle was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry in 1998, while "National Express" was certified silver in 2021. Prior to the album's release, the Divine Comedy headlined the New Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 1998; "Generation Sex" was released as the album's lead single in September 1998. Following this, the band went on a tour of the United Kingdom, and by its end, "The Certainty of Chance" was released as the album's second single. Leading up to a benefit show in early 1999, "National Express" was released as the album's third and final single.

Background and recording

The Divine Comedy released their fifth studio album A Short Album About Love in February 1997. It was met with favourable reviews from music critics and peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart, while its sole single "Everybody Knows (Except You)" reached number 14. When writing the next album, Hannon was listening to an album by Jacques Brel, which he thought had "ten perfect tracks" on it, and set about writing such a collection for the Divine Comedy. He demoed material in a spare room in his Clapham flat, where he was living with his girlfriend.

Hannon spent a month playing the PlayStation game Overboard! (1997), marking his first break from writing since 1989. During this period, the band's relationship with their label Setanta Records was deteriorating, with discussions about studio sessions and tour budgets resulting in heated debates. Fin de Siècle was recorded at September Sound, Olympic Studios and The Dairy, with Jon Jacobs acting as the main producer and co-production from Hannon. Jacobs also served as engineer, with additional engineering by Andy Scade; they were assisted Mitsuo Tate, Adam Brown and Mak Togashi. Jacobs mixed the recordings at Westpoint.

Composition and lyrics

Fin de Siècle is a chamber pop album; its title is French for "end of the century". Time Out referred to it as a concept album that "pick at the scabs of twentieth century existence". Discussing the album title, Hannon said it deals with "other people's angst really, and it's more about the end of the century being a good excuse to have a look around and observe". AllMusic reviewer Jack Rabid said the Scott Walker influences on the band's previous albums had "largely diminishe... if not actually eras" by this point. Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic said the album's opening song "Generation Sex" revolves around "hedonism in the late 20th century". In one of the verses, Hannon criticises the tabloid press over their role with the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, alongside the British public who blame the newspapers while continuing to buy them.

"Thrillseeker" is one of three songs, the other two being "National Express" and "Here Comes the Flood", that evoke the style of a Broadway musical, complete with a choir ensemble. "Commuter Love" sees Hannon detail unrequited love; Hilary Summers contributed vocals to both it and the following track "Sweden", the latter aping the work of Richard Wagner. For "Sweden", Hannon wanted to convey the country as a utopian paradise. He said percussionist Rob Farrer was tasked with "recreating 'the sound of Thor's hammer, Mjölnir, being forged by the dwarves of Svartalvheim'". "Eric the Gardener", which includes programming courtesy of Steve Hilton, is centered around a six-note scale, played in a minimalistic style. It ends with a three-minute trip hop section in the vein of Orbital.

"National Express" is a homage to a UK public coach transportation company. Hannon had written it in 1995, but thought it did not fit within the sound of their studio albums Casanova (1996) and A Short Album About Love. Discussing the song, he said he and his girlfriend went to visit his brother; to do so, they took the coach service of the same name. He wrote the lyrics from her perspective and combined them with a "skiffle-y, train-a-comin’ vibe piano motif. And this big, brassy chorus, sort of end-of-the-pier". "Here Comes the Flood", which features narration from Dexter Fletcher, come across like the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber and is about "Hollywood's idea of the apocalypse". The album's closing track "Sunrise", which was written around the time of the Good Friday Agreement, sees Hannon reminisce about his childhood upbringing in Enniskillen, as well as ponder Northern Ireland's future.

Release

The Divine Comedy released a split single with Shola Ama, contributing a cover of "I've Been to a Marvellous Party" (1938) by Noël Coward. On 9 May 1998, Fin de Siècle was announced for released in three months' time. Following this, the Divine Comedy played a warm-up show in Portsmouth in preparation for the headlining slot of the Glastonbury Festival. Fin de Siècle was released on 31 August 1999; its artwork is a monochrome image featuring Hannon in funeral director attire. "Generation Sex" was released as the album's lead single on 14 September 1998; the 7-inch vinyl version included "Postcard to Rosie". Two versions were released on CD: the first with "London Irish" and "Time Lapse", while the second featured "Chasing Sheep Is Best Left to Shepherds" and "Little Acts Of Kindness". In October 1998, the band went on a headlining tour of the UK.

"The Certainty of Chance" was released as a single on 9 November 1998; the cassette edition included "Maryland Electric Rainstorm". Two versions were released on CD: the first with "Last Stand in Metroland" and "Miranda", while the second featured "The Dead Only Quickly" and "Knowing the Ropes". The music video for "The Certainty of Chance" is a recreation of a scene from The Manchurian Candidate (1962) with Hannon starring in Frank Sinatra's role. "National Express" was released as the album's third single on 25 January 1999; the cassette edition included "The Heart of Rock and Roll". Two versions were released on CD: the first with "Going Downhill Fast", "Radioactivity" and a radio edit for "National Express", while the second featured "Famous" and "Overstrand". The Divine Comedy performed at the Concert for a Living Wage benefit show in March 1999 and at the Bowlie Weekender in April 1999.

Fin de Siècle was combined with Casanova as a two-CD set for the French market in 1998. Fin de Siècle was reissued as an expanded two-CD set in 2020, either standalone or as part of the Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time – Thirty Years of the Divine Comedy career-spanning box set. The regular version of the album was re-pressed on vinyl that same year. "Generation Sex", "National Express" and "The Certainty of Chance" were included on the band's first and second compilation albums A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy (1999) and Charmed Life – The Best of the Divine Comedy (2020).

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
NME	6/10

Fin de Siècle was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. Rabid noted that the songs "though pleasant, don't quite scale the heights Neil Hannon has before: nothing is as arresting" as their previous album, outside of three of the tracks. He said that the "'60s-movie oom-pah pomp and bombast that introduces each verse is fabulous", before adding that Hannon has "done better" previously. Kevin Harley of Record Collector said it "tipped the jokes and arrangements towards overload, though a tempering beauty emerged" on songs such as "Sunrise" and "The Certainty of Chance". NME writer James Oldham echoed a similar sentiment, stating that it was "toweringly ambitious and painfully preposterous, it lurches from the insubstantial to the melodramatic in the blink of an eyelid". He thought it was "just as revealing as anything else he's ever written with less memorable tunes". Hannon himself later said it was the "absolute height of my egotism, you know? I literally thought I could do anything. And so we did".

In an article for We Are Cult commemorating the album's 20th anniversary, Stephen Graham 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.

Fin de Siècle peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. "Generation Sex" charted at number 19, while "The Certainty of Chance" reached number 49 and "National Express" made it to number eight, making it the band's highest charting single to date. Fin de Siècle was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry in 1998, who later certified "National Express" as silver in 2021.

Track listing

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

No.	Title	Length
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

Personnel per booklet.

The Divine Comedy

Neil Hannon – vocals, guitar
Ivor Talbot – guitar
Bryan Mills – guitar
Joby Talbot – piano, harpsichord, arranger, conductor
Stuart Bates – organ, accordion
Miggy Barradas – drums
Rob Farrer – percussion

Additional musicians

Hilary Summers – vocals (tracks 3 and 4)
Dexter Fletcher – narration (track 9)
Steve Hilton – programming (track 5)

Production and design

Jon Jacobs – producer, engineer, mixing
Neil Hannon – co-producer, sleeve concept
Andy Scade – additional engineer, programming
Mitsuo Tate – assistant
Adam Brown – assistant
Mak Togashi – assistant
Kevin Westenberg – sleeve concept, photography
Rob Crane – design

The Brunel Ensemble

Chris Austin – director
Christopher George – violin 1
Maya Bickel – violin 1
Kate Birchall – violin 1
Benjamin Harte – violin 1
Bérénice Lavigne – violin 1
Mary Martin – violin 1
Benjamin Nabarro – violin 1
Roy Theaker – violin 1
Charles Mutter – violin 2
Aroussiak Baltaian – violin 2
Eos Counsell – violin 2
Anna Giddey – violin 2
Kelly McCusker – violin 2
Emma Mitchell – violin 2
Timothy Myall – violin 2
Matthew Ward – violin 2
Yannick Dondelinger – viola
David Aspin – viola
Joanna Lacey – viola
Jong on Lau – viola
John Murphy – viola
Robert Riley – viola
Betsy Taylor – cello
Emmeline Brewer – cello
Christopher Fish – cello
Louise Hopkins – cello
Robbie Jacobs – cello
Peter Devlin – double bass
Philip Dawson – double bass
Ian Watson – double bass
Rebecca Larson – flute, alto flute, piccolo
Max Spiers – oboe, cor anglais
Stuart King – clarinet, bass clarinet
Simon Haram – soprano saxophone
Charlotte Glasson – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute
Chris Caldwell – alto saxophone
Kelvin Christiane – tenor saxophone
Rebecca Menday – bassoon
Matthew Guner – horn
Tansy Davis – horn
Jonathan Hassan – horn
Jonathan Morcombe – horn
Daniel Newell – trumpet
Mark Law – trumpet
Simon Jones – trumpet, piccolo trumpet
Robert Samuel – trumpet
Tom Hammond – trombone
Andrew Harwood-White – bass trombone
Simon Roberts – tuba
Lucy Wakeford – harp
Deborah Keyser – administrator

Crouch End Festival Chorus

David Temple – chorus master
Rachael Conner – soprano
Denise Haddon – soprano
Gisela Soinne – soprano
Nina Weiss – soprano
Julia White – soprano
Jenny Weston – soprano
Pamela Constantinou – soprano
Pat Whitehead – soprano
Liz Knight – soprano
Sue McCrone – soprano
Allison Mason – soprano
Naomi Fulop – soprano
Felicity Ford – soprano
Alison Brister – alto
Tina Burnett-Pope – alto
Jo Chapman – alto
Veronica Gray – alto
Rhael Jenkins – alto
Elise Golden – alto
Jane Helliwell – alto
Pauline Hoyle – alto
Catherine Best – alto
Maggie Huntingford – alto
Claire Turner – alto
Michael Coates – tenor
John Best – tenor
Steve McAdam – tenor
Ken Wilson – tenor
Nick Turner – tenor
Philip Robinson – tenor
Christopher Higgs – tenor
Barry Varley-Tipton – tenor
Roger Cleave – bass
Geoff Kemball-Cook – bass
Robert Goodall – bass
Paul Haddon – bass
Martin Hudson – bass
Bruce Boyd – bass
Vincent Lawler – bass
Paul Mason – bass
Lenny Fagin – bass
Stephen Greenway – bass
Ian Lawrence – bass
John Gibbons – bass
Matthew Turner – bass

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart performance for *Fin de Siècle*
Chart (1998)	Peak position
French Albums (SNEP)	23
UK Albums (OCC)	9

Certifications

Certifications for *Fin de Siècle*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold	100,000
Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

Citations

Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "A Short Album About Love - The Divine Comedy / Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ "The Divine Comedy / full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Divine Comedy Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ Agate, Mike (Winter 1998–1999). "The Divine Comedy". Comes with a Smile. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
^ Fin de Siècle (booklet). The Divine Comedy. Divine Comedy Records. 2020. DCRL057RCD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Fin de Siècle (booklet). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. SSE 491544 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Wright, Jonathan (22 August 2016). "Starting XI: The Divine Comedy". God Is in the TV. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
"Spotlight On The Reissues: Fin de Siècle". The Divine Comedy. October 2020. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
^ Rabid, Jack. "Fin de Siècle - The Divine Comedy / Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
Greenwald, Matthew. "Generation Sex - The Divine Comedy / Song Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
^ "Divine Comedy Nail Media Over Diana Frenzy". NME. 20 June 1998. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
^ DiGravina, Tim. "National Express - The Divine Comedy / Song Info". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
^ Pearson, Paul (1 February 2022). "A Conversation with The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon". Treble. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
^ Oldham, James. "The Divine Comedy Fin de Siecle". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
"Neil's 'Fin'!". NME. 9 May 1998. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
"Neil Hannon Robbed at Knifepoint on Holiday". NME. 4 July 1998. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
Upton 1998, p. 76
"Generation Sex" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. SET050.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"Generation Sex" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. SETCDA050.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"Generation Sex" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. SETCDB050.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"Divine Comedy: Something for the Autumn". NME. 3 June 1998. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
^ "The Certainty of Chance" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"The Certainty of Chance" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. SETMC067.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"The Certainty of Chance" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. SETCDA067.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"The Certainty of Chance" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. SETCDB067.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"New Releases: Singles". Music Week: 18. 23 January 1999. ISSN 0265-1548.
"National Express" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1999. SETMC069.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"National Express" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1999. SETCDA069.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"National Express" (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1999. SETCDB069.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
"Wages of Min: Campaign for a Living Wage". NME. 14 March 1999. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
"Holiday Rock". NME. 9 February 1999. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
Casanova / Fin De Siecle (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1998. 7243 8 41563 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time – Thirty Years of the Divine Comedy (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Divine Comedy Records. 2020. DCRL117RCDBX.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Fin de Siècle (sleeve). The Divine Comedy. Divine Comedy Records. 2020. DCRL057RLP.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy (booklet). The Divine Comedy. Setanta Records. 1999. SET CD 100.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Charmed Life – The Best of the Divine Comedy (booklet). The Divine Comedy. Divine Comedy Records. 2020. DCRL118CDX/5024545950625.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
Harley, Kevin (5 October 2020). "Venus, Cupid, Folly & Time: Thirty Years Of… The Divine Comedy". Record Collector. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
Graham, Stephen (31 August 2018). "Twenty Years of Fin de Siècle". wearecult.rocks. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
^ "British album certifications – The Divine Comedy – Fin de Siècle". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
"British certifications – The Divine Comedy – National Express". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
"Lescharts.com – The Divine Comedy – Fin de siècle". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
"Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.

Sources

Upton, Sam (December 1998). "24-Hour Party Pooper". Select (102). ISSN 0959-8367.

External links

Fin de Siècle at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)

v t e The Divine Comedy
Neil Hannon
Studio albums	Fanfare for the Comic Muse Liberation Promenade Casanova A Short Album About Love Fin de Siècle Regeneration Absent Friends Victory for the Comic Muse Bang Goes the Knighthood Foreverland Office Politics
Compilation albums	A Secret History... The Best of the Divine Comedy
Singles	"Lucy" "Something for the Weekend" "I've Been to a Marvellous Party" "Generation Sex" "National Express" "The Pop Singer's Fear of the Pollen Count" "Gin Soaked Boy" "Bad Ambassador" "Diva Lady" "To Die a Virgin"
Related	Discography The Duckworth Lewis Method Simon Little Joby Talbot

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