#64

When they are good, they are very very good indeed. I swapped a Bon Jovi greatest hits CD for Urban Hymns off a mate of mine when I was 13, I will always remember what a good trade that was. All probably based on Bittersweet Symphony but there was tons more to discover on that record. Never liked Sonnet much. Absolutely zero interest in a reformed Verve thanks, to the point where I will dismiss it even existing.

#65

Great band until Ashcroft decided he was the genius and the rest of the band were an inconvenience

#66

Yeah, okay Storm in Heaven is pretty great. Three tracks in and they’re up to a 3.

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#67

2/5 and yes I have heard their early stuff which is wishy washy cheesy nonsense

#68

You’ve still got Blue and See You In The Next One to come too.

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#69

biggest issue. both that and northern soul are too long

#70

Think the problem with The Verve is

The Verve > The Verve feat. Richard Ashcroft > Richard Ashcroft and The Verve

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#71

That Butterfly song was an absolute dirge, was it not? Went on for ages as well…

Haven’t listened to the album since I was in my teens will need to give it a spin - don’t think it’ll be “my thing” these days though

#72

The Drugs Don’t Work is great isn’t it. I love that line ‘and i know i’m on a losing streak / as i pass down my old street’. And all of it lyrically. loved that since i was a kid.

some incredibly bleak verses for something that was on the radio so much.

sonnet is great as well.

in general some of the songwriting is top class, kind of has that very relatable thing going on. can’t help but find it very english as well. can’t say i’m particularly into the overall sound but he really mined a rich lyrical seam for a bit. that mixture of hopelessness and acceptance is pretty potent. was a good worldview to hear in the car as a kid i think.

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#73

Irresponsible message which might have led people to avoid seeking help for depression though

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#74

I can see how that would be interpreted though it should be said the song is about his mother’s struggle w cancer iirc

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#75

came in to post this version :heart_eyes:

Agree…it all went downhill so quickly afterwards. Would have love to have caught them live around the early days.

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#76

Unfortunately though, Verve never wrote a song as good as Always so you kinda messed up there…

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#77

Just complete nothing music tbh, sounds like it was made solely for record execs to get drunk to
1

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#78

I bought A Northern Soul because of rave reviews. It’s one of those albums, for me, where one song (History) absolutely dwarfs everything else on it. So I found the album a bit mediocre, but that song is just jawdropping.

I loved Urban Hymns at the time - listened to it solidy, but as a result I’m a little bit sick of most of it, although it’s not necessarily it’s fault.

I also bought ASIH and maybe listened to it a couple of times and never really felt compelled to try again, although that’s maybe unfair on it. It is still “a couple of times” more than I listened to the Richard Ashcroft solo album I bought for 49p and never once heard.

Never knew there was a post Urban Hymns album or at least blocked it from my memory.

Going with a 3. It’s a 3 and a bit but not a big enough bit to round it up.

#79

Ah I did not know that, fair enough

#80

Urban Hyms is the death of Britpop, it’s the album Oasis should have followed Morning Glory up with. They haven’t aged well but I’m going to give them a 3.

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#81

He really did have that way of burying really quite bleak imagery and themes in what often came across at first as quite bombastic anthems.

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#82

I loved A Northern Soul at the time, I was initially nonplussed but it really grew on me, History as others have said up thread is spectacularly good and does slightly outweigh the rest of the album.

I didn’t and still don’t hate Urban Hymns, I remember quite liking some of it, I was disappointed it wasn’t ANS pt.2 but can’t really understand the vitriol for it here. Can’t imagine I’ll ever listen to it again but I don’t really have any lasting animosity for it so it’s a 3 from me.

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#83

Kitchens of Distinction are way better than The Verve.

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