A Northern Soul

I gave this one a couple listens. There are good songs but most overstay their welcome. I don’t agree that this is one album that needs to be heard. It’s good but I don’t feel like I’d missed something by not hearing it until now.

Ultimately I was disappointed with this. You can tell that Urban Hymns was a big step-up in terms of their song-writing chops, while they've yet to really develop here. It's a shame because one of the very early tracks was incredibly atmospheric, with some really nice, deep guitar. After that it all got a bit meandering and droney with no real highlights. It's still not a bad listen, but it's also doing nothing particularly interesting either.

2.5 rounded up.

Sometimes I felt like I was listening to U2, but one of their later albums. So The Verve might have done it first. Dragged out a little at the end, but I still liked the sound.

This shouldn’t be on here. This reeeeeeeeally shouldn’t be on here. Not the first time I’ve thought that about an album I was given, won’t be the last, but just had to say it. “Urban Hymns” gets a pass because “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is not only awesome but one of the most popular songs ever. But no one cares about this. And also, it doesn’t deserve to be cared about! It’s certainly a crucial moment in the band’s trajectory, but Jesus, who cares about this band? This album would be respectable if it were half its length, but it’s just so long! Also, a bigger, more notable problem present here is the lyrical content. The musicality itself is fine. It’s really nothing special, which is a strike against it frankly, when it’s gonna be this long. But the lyrics are really just so unoriginal, and the only genuinely enjoyable work here is the most sincere stuff, which even then doesn’t reach any type of notable peak. Unremarkable for one whole hour.
4.3/10

Britpop without any special stuff

Derivative BritPop. “No change, I can’t change, I can’t change, I can’t change” over music stolen from the Stones. Not exactly revolutionary …

it fell into the background of what i cant rmemeber i was doing

The Verve is a band that makes me want to sit on a hill. I'm motivated to lie on a field and soak grass for hours as I enjoy this shoegazey britpop. I can't really say anything bad cause I always feel extremely pleasant every time they're on. Is it special? Yes, each track is its own experience and the record as a whole feels like a psychedelic slip and slide that seamlessly connects rock and folk elements into its sound. This album sounds like mushrooms. The psychedelic swirls that the songs jam throughout the record are super sick, and it gives a nice contrast to the soft clean material and also build wonderful dynamic effects to enhance the atmosphere. As much as I appreciate each individual track, the album is such an emotion and mood based substance and it's definitely better as one whole experience, like playing the opening track and entering a tunnel, and then finishing the album out the other side with the tracks altogether giving the full effect. I really fuck with The Verve.

Gähn

I generally like it but it's far too long, and suffers from not having any songs as good as Bittersweet Symphony or The Drugs Don't Work. Probably liked the instrumental "(Reprise)" best.

I want to thank everyone for their suggestions, telling me to check out their earlier work! I ended up loving their EP *The Verve* and also *A Storm in Heaven* - I loved them, and I think I have to agree with that whole “why on earth aren’t those on the list instead of this one?” sentiment

Anyway, I’m giving it a 2 for now, but eventually I’ll try listening to it again - maybe I’m being unfair.

Britpop has become one of my favorite genres in the last year. 7/10

*Very Oasis influence
*Good prog rock, but not my favorite thing

Quite talented wall of sound stuff. A bit up its own ass.

Not too bad as far as the britpop on this list goes, but still a bit bland and too drawn out. Most these songs could be cut in half and be better for it.

The Verve as a band have grown on me. I really liked this album. This also caused me to revisit Urban Hymns as I gave that a low score and wanted to see if it was better than I remember. But, no! I just like this one much more than that. It’s much nosier and the variations in guitar tone are appreciated. Still a little long though. Favorites were A New Decade, So It Goes, A Northern Soul, and History.

No está mal, se aprecio lo que luego hicieron mejor. Los temas lentos, las guitarras. Le voy a dar 3 estrellas aunque no me guardo ninguna canción. Menos mal que está el Urban Hymns, que si debe ser escuchado alguna vez en la vida.

Another largely forgettable bit of 90s Britpop ephemera. I like the psychedelic vibe, but I can't imagine ever getting the urge to listen to this again.

Boring

I like Urban Hymns well enough, but don't see any reason for including this one in the book. It's long, meandering and pretty dull, tbh. I don't care how much ecstasy they took - they need more than that to make a compelling album!