A Short Album About Love

The album was recorded at Shepherd's Bush Empire on 20 October 1996 with the Brunel Ensemble, in preparation for a concert there, and several of the songs reached release as B-sides. Its title refers to Krzysztof Kieslowski's film A Short Film About Love. Q's review described the venue as hired for the occasion with a 30-piece orchestra, and said it recorded seven songs that until then had not fitted onto their three albums. Joby Talbot's orchestral arrangements are central to it. The cast included Ivor Talbot on guitar, Bryan Mills on bass, Stuart Bates on Hammond organ and Miguel Barradas on drums.

The single Everybody Knows (Except You) was issued on three CDs, each with three extra live tracks, and reached 14 in the UK. The album reached 13 in the UK and 8 in Ireland and was later certified Silver. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that it was, if anything, an even better record than Casanova because Hannon holds nothing back. Stuart Maconie gave it four stars in Q. It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The European edition added Motorway to Damascus, Love Is Lighter Than Air, Birds of Paradise Farm and a cover of Make It Easy on Yourself.