I know The Verve has their own unique place in Rolling Stones lore. The Bittersweet Symphony controversy prompted me to buy Urban Hymns back in the day, and I am so glad I did.

For some reason many of their songs invoke the Moonlight Mile, Winter, Sister Morphine vibe for me. Richard Ashcroft solo albums are great too. They are bigger in the UK and Europe, I think...so this may be directed more at US readers.

Fellow Stones fans, take a listen to these and share your thoughts! (Sorry for the intro commercial).













Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-04 05:25 by punkfloyd.

That is SUCH a great album. Lucky Man is my favorite. This is probably my second favorite.





I don't really like Bittersweet Symphony - perhaps cuz i've heard it more than 2M times.

Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well.

the drugs don't work = great song. i wish i had written that.

I've always loved this album. Bittersweet is maybe the 5th or 6th best song on this album.

One Day is another great one. Velvet Morning too!

BTW...spreading the love on the left side of the Atlantic!

Urban Hymns cover photograph was taken in Richmond Park.

Look closely and the trees in the background spell out LOVE

...there you go, a bit of useless trivia for you, from this Verve fan.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-04 10:16 by Adrian-L.

they are a great band to listen to while stoned. some of their stuff is very trippy.

Not sure if it has been reported your way, but Richard Ashcroft has been in the news here in Australia this week because he was meant to play a festival here & behaved like an absolute fool. He was booked for a festival called "Splendour In The Grass" and he woulda been paid a lot of money... a huge sum... and he has never toured Oz before so his fans were looking forward to it. Anyway he was playing a stage same time that The Pixies were playing another stage, and it seems more people went to watch the Pixies than his set, so he "threw his tambourine" during the first song and stormed off, and didn't return. What a sook! Very poor form. Hope he didn't get paid



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-04 11:43 by bolexman.

one of the very best albums of the 90ies. it just has this unique sound and vibe.
wonderful songwriting, great aranging....
to me it's kind a soundtrack of my youth. it just really touches me and over the years it didnt loose any of its charme and musical-power!
BRILLIANT!

and once a again: it's a shame he didnt get money for BSS...it's his song, DAMNED!

Urban Hymns is a great album but not as great as their first one A Storm In Heaven which is totally unbridled psychedelia. I'm sure Noel Gallagher would have given his right arm to pen tracks this good.

Here's a rare clip of them from the very early days - at Camden Town Hall in 92 - playing a track off A Storm In Heaven.







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-04 18:09 by Silver Dagger.

BTW the song The Rolling People off Urban Hymns is a complete re-write of The Four Horseman by 60's/early 70s Greek band Aphrodite's Child.

Compare the two here.

Quote
bolexman
Not sure if it has been reported your way, but Richard Ashcroft has been in the news here in Australia this week because he was meant to play a festival here & behaved like an absolute fool. He was booked for a festival called "Splendour In The Grass" and he woulda been paid a lot of money... a huge sum... and he has never toured Oz before so his fans were looking forward to it. Anyway he was playing a stage same time that The Pixies were playing another stage, and it seems more people went to watch the Pixies than his set, so he "threw his tambourine" during the first song and stormed off, and didn't return. What a sook! Very poor form. Hope he didn't get paid

here is Ashcofts side of the story (courtesy of jam.canoe.ca/music)

Richard Ashcroft's manager has dismissed reports the star walked off stage at a festival in Australia because he was disappointed with the low-turn out for his show, insisting the singer scrapped the gig due to voice problems.

The former The Verve frontman took to the stage with his new band, the United Nations of Sound, at the Splendour in the Grass event in Woodford, Queensland, on Sunday night, but walked off after just one song.

Reports have suggested he was unhappy to have attracted such a small crowd, but the rocker's manager, Jazz Summers, is adamant Ashcroft's short set had nothing to do with vanity - the singer simply lost his voice.

A statement from Summers reads, "After three gigs in two days, including a two-hour show in Sydney on Saturday night, we knew Richard would have to look after his voice for the Splendour in the Grass, set so we cancelled all promotional activity for Sunday.

"It wasn't until he got on stage on Sunday night at Splendour that he realised his voice wouldn't make it through the set."

He wouldn't care whether there was an audience of one or one hundred thousand - he gets paid to perform, whatever the turnout. More likely withdrawal symptoms kicked in...whoops forget I said that!

He complained from the stage about being put on at the same time as The Pixies.
Threw down his tambourine and split.
Sounds like his manager is making excuses IMO.

I've re-edited this post to say I don't want to sour this thread, so apologies from me... Ashcroft is a very good songwriter and his recordings show he has artistic vision, I'll certainly acknowledge that



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-04 13:36 by bolexman.

Nice to see The Verve getting some love on this board - Probably my favourite band other than The Stones, and the only other band I've gotten 'completist' about. Over the years I've picked up all their singles (for the B-sides) and all the boots going - there's some great soundboards around from throughout their career.

Fascinating to me to see how their music developed over the years:

Storm In Heaven: Wide-eyed Acid-fried psychedelia; full of optimism that reflected the band's early public impact

A Northern Soul: Post-E comedown music, full of sorrow and regret, as the cracks in the band start to show, and the success fades away

Urban Hymns: Triumphant come-back as the warring creative duo at the heart of the band manage to settle their differences long enough to create the album we all knew they could.

In many ways Richard Ashcroft and Nick McCabe had a Mick & Keef type dynamic, except they couldn't find a way to stay together. The fact that their solo work has been so disappointing only highlights the magical alchemy that worked when they made music together...

Quote
kingkirby
Nice to see The Verve getting some love on this board - Probably my favourite band other than The Stones, and the only other band I've gotten 'completist' about. Over the years I've picked up all their singles (for the B-sides) and all the boots going - there's some great soundboards around from throughout their career.

Fascinating to me to see how their music developed over the years:

Storm In Heaven: Wide-eyed Acid-fried psychedelia; full of optimism that reflected the band's early public impact

A Northern Soul: Post-E comedown music, full of sorrow and regret, as the cracks in the band start to show, and the success fades away

Urban Hymns: Triumphant come-back as the warring creative duo at the heart of the band manage to settle their differences long enough to create the album we all knew they could.

In many ways Richard Ashcroft and Nick McCabe had a Mick & Keef type dynamic, except they couldn't find a way to stay together. The fact that their solo work has been so disappointing only highlights the magical alchemy that worked when they made music together...

The bootleg DVD of live at Camden Town Hall 1992 is the best thing I've ever seen by them. Absolutely mind-rippingly fantastic. Thin it was broadcast on Channel 4 late at night originally.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-08-04 18:09 by Silver Dagger.

I saw them headline Sunday Night at Glastonbury a few years ago - absolutely awesome. By all accounts, Ashcroft is a bit of a twat, but he's an incredible front-man...