A Northern Soul

It's bad Johnny. 2/5

Good album. Would have hit even harder on the bus back from Dundee at night, which checks out for an album named A Northern Soul. Oceanic like Urban Hymns but a bit more mellow and more britpop-y

I love urban hymns. This ain’t it.

It starts off very well. But it drags. Not enough dynamics or catchy songs. Way too long. But like their sound in general although Ashcroft sounds like a mix of bono and Chris Martin. 3 stars

My least favorite britpop artist, despite living close to the place that this band formed. I have always found The Verve really melancholic and whiny. There is a qualtity about Richard Ashcroft's voice that I find quite disagreeable. And the long psychedelic noodling sections of this album made me keep checking how long was left for some of the tracks. Not my favorite. (2.000)

It was good and I liked it but I can see why it wasn't radio play worthy

ok

meh. I was unmoved by this relatively droning and mid-heavy saccharine schmaltz rock.

I had heard of the Verve before, but never this album. It was a pretty good album that definitely had that sort of "early 90's" half indie half mainstream type of feel. This was a long one as well - it took me a while to get through it. 4/14/26

I didn't like this much. I found it uninteresting and unengaging.

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.

Really good album. I wasn’t familiar with much of their music outside of Bittersweet Symphony. I enjoy the lead singer’s voice and delivery. The music is very good early-mid 90’s alt rock. Notable tracks include A New Decade, This Is Music, So It Goes, Brainstorm Interlude, Drive You Home, History, Life’s An Ocean, Stormy Clouds, (Reprise).

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.

Solid stuff.

Useless

couple songs keep it from a 5

I wanted to hate on this but there were some standout songs toward the end 3/5 I will probably never listen to this again.

I see why I only know one hit from this band.

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.

This was alright. Very self-indulgent, which I guess is not surprising from The Verve. “On Your Own” was the best song, but there wasn’t anything bad on here. Definitely a tad longer than it needed to be. But overall a decent album.

I always feel protective over these guys because of that BS decades-long lawsuit over Bittersweet Symphony. This album was fine, but I probably have rose colored lenses over it because I feel like they didn't get a fair shake at prolonged hits

Now THATS what I fucking call music!

Early verves still, some great music and tunes, some thick guitars driving songs forward, but they still lack that "it" factor they'll get with urban hymns. Nice listen, but yeah, they can do better than this. 1. On Your Own 2. History 3. This Is Music

Grew on me very fast, like Oasis with shoegaze guitars

I liked this one a lot

Another example of Ashcroft shamelessly ripping off U2. Why does he escape criticism so easily?? I had never heard this album before and I don’t feel that I was missing out. Once again with this band, it’s more style than substance. The songs are too long, too self indulgent and not engaging enough. “Urban Hymns” (3/5 stars) is better.

Brainstorm and reprise, ones without vocals, I liked

5/10

Boring

Interesting because I think this is in a transitional period of the bands career, between the 1993 album which is shoegaze or adjacent to it, and obviously onto the britpop stuff which they got extremely popular making. So I feel like this has some good bits of both eras. I really like his voice and I think he sounds quite a lot like Thom Yorke, and I guess you could say that both bands would see eye to eye in terms of genre around this era, as circa 1995, they were both doing some sort of space rock thing. The instrumentals are really quite heavy without always having a big distorted guitar, could be to do with the compression. Favourite songs: all of them, but that one with the wah pedal. Overall around 7/10

Good solid stuff. 4

I’ve decided that Brit Pop is basically English psychedelic rock with different drugs.

Statistically, most people listening to A Northern Soul will have done so after discovering them via Urban Hymns. (This sold over 100k in the UK, Urban Hymns 3.3M!) Most I expect would’ve thought “hmmm, not bad but they weren’t quite there yet”. For me (and let me be very clear I couldn’t care less about being on to them before they were famous) my feelings are “hmmm, not bad, they haven’t quite got shit yet”. I wasn’t massively into them when they started but I dug the dense, intense spacerock of their debut A Storm in Heaven far more than the largely dreary blandness of what they became. This album sits quite neatly between the two and was the last time I was interested in hearing them.

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!

By britpop standards this is absolutely aces. Psychedelia, bitchin instrumentation, deep rythmns and reverbed drums. Some of the slow songs need some love. But its a good album for sure just on the front tracks alone.

Nop... niet mijn ding

Solid.

𝘈 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭 occupies an awkward middle ground. It leans toward Britpop, yet lacks the immediacy and clear hooks that defined the genre’s biggest albums. At the same time, it’s more varied and less uniform than the band’s later work, even if that comes at the cost of focus. Released at a time when the spotlight was increasingly shifting toward bands like Oasis and Blur, the album struggled to stand out. It neither fully fits into the Britpop wave nor clearly sets itself apart from it. The result is a record that feels somewhat diffuse. There are strong moments and a consistent atmosphere, but not enough contrast or direction to make it fully compelling from start to finish. It’s a solid album with interesting ideas, but one that never quite comes together.

It's fine...just standard brit-pop with a little shoegazing vibe. Nothing that really stands out as special?

Didn't enjoy the first two tracks. 3 is a cute ballad. History is a good song aswell. Not much else to say. I didn't really care about it. I didn't suffer listening to it aswell So a flat 2 will do this time.

Crappy album. I really hate Britpop. It all just turns into a wall of noise.

Obviously this is fucking long. I'm still traumatised by having to stand through a Richard Ashcroft set at Isle of Wight festival which genuinely left me with a longing feeling of despair. So aye, this is mid at best for me

The Verve look like they're threatening me to reward 5 them stars.

Weinerlich, eintönig, langweilig, nervig!

Biggest turnaround I've had on an album yet, really didn't like it much the first time through but it grew on me as I went through again and again. The vocals are the weakest part of the songs generally but the lyrics come from the singer as far as I know and that is where a lot of the raw emotion comes through. The music itself is pretty understated but creates these long flowing sequences that their time to get going if you give it space to breath. Seems like they started to play around with strings on this as well which was a good call for their music. History, and So it Goes are notables as well as No Knock on My Door that leads into Stormy Clouds really well.

This is not a band that requires multiple albums on the list. Nothing bad, but nothing great.

Going into this, I liked exactly one song by The Verve, and that was a song - apparently - by the Rolling Stones. The count remains at one.

I didn’t hate it, but not feeling too inclined to revisit it. Drive You Home was very pretty, gave Fleetwood Mac Albatross vibes

The Verve ei oikein ysärillä lähtenyt mutta nyt tuntuu lähtevän. Loistava rocklevy vaikka ei ihan ominta genreä olekaan. Tykkäsin kovasti. 4/5

I don’t know. Inoffensive, low volume background music maybe. I know that one song from the commercial but it isn’t on the album and I don’t care to listen to it anyhow. I’ll spin it twice. (Update: nah) But sonically, melodically uninteresting. At its best. Some of it sounds like a pop version of a Spacemen 3 song with some funk wah.

Enttdöuchend wenn man Butter Sweet symphony als Masten anlegt

Long, middling, and ultimately unimportant.

in "A new decade" the fade in is super cool. it also just has a really cool guitar/bass relationship if that makes sense? in "This is music" "if love is a drug then i don't need it/it ain't for me" is nice lyrics. awesome guitar again. it has the classic verve sound flowing through it. I actually really like the clapping in "on your own" which is strange because i usually DESPISE whenever people start clapping in songs or when they hear songs, i dunno why. the clapping in this song just feels like a part of the drums though. so it goes is like lucinda williams' guitar. I know she's not the one playing the guitar on her songs it's those two guys i think, but anyways it's under her name, so it's lucinda william's guitar. Lyrics relate back to the previous song which is cool. I don't know if they meant to do that but if they did it's cool they're thinking of their album more as a whole piece rather than just separate things that happen to work and sound good together. "another drink and i won't miss her" i like this line. "a northern soul" sounds like red hot chili peppers or "simple man" by lynyrd skynyrd. the interlude song is not something i would seek out on it's own but it's okay to listen to. I like the lyrics of "history". "life's an ocean" has fun rhyming and the bass is awesome. this album is pretty good. i only have heard bitter sweet symphony from the verve plus maybe one other song from the same album. most of this sounds how i expected it to sound, not in a bad way at all. honestly i think i would really like this album if the songs were shorter. i feel like these songs are so long and it's just the same thing all the way through which can be a bit monotonous to listen to at points.

This was a good album to have as work background music. Four stars.

I don’t like the Verve and I heavily dislike shoegaze. Like has there ever been another genre so dull and unappealing? And the Verve are so good at being droning pieces of trash. The entire hour of A Northern Soul was monotonous. I would rather listen to this album instead of nails on a chalkboard, but that’s not enough for a 2.

Huh. I got The Verve's "Urban Hymns" very early on on this project and rated it quite highly. Now as I come close to the end of my 1001 journey, I get "A Northern Soul" and am not nearly as enthused with it. So either this album truly pales in comparison to "Urban Hymns" or my taste has drastically changed after a few years of this project (also quite possible). Moments of this album leaned pretty heavily in the psychedelic direction, which I wasn't very enthused with or captured by. I noticed the album take a turn in this direction at about the halfway mark. Ultimately, this album was fine. Average. But it just really wasn't memorable. I'd probably put it at about a 2.5. This is another one that I wouldn't say inspired me to round up.

Way noisier than I expected from the a bitter Sweet Symphony band. Not sure how well it will stick with me but a good listen.

It's not necessarily bad, it's just a painfully british & 90s album. The divorce dads who go up for this stuff probably swear by it, but to me it's just boring. There are barely any dynamics which make the whole thing stagnant. The swells (or lack thereof) are not significant enough to make me stop for a second listen. The lyrics aren't very imaginative either. It's not a bad album. I swear it. Just not for me. Highlights: So It Goes

Мы в лимбе. Второй раз the verve после принца. И пусть люди на записи этого альбома уже хотели оторвать друг другу головы и записывались в разное время, чтобы не гореть друг с друга - это все равно прекрасное создание. По другому быть и не может, когда треки продюсирует третий чел с обложки what the story morning glory. Спасибо за все, легенда! Среди всего этого психодела прекрасные два гимна. Я готова убивать за history и on your own. И просто хочу такие пики каждый день.

Крепкая жанровая вещь, пока еще без хитов. Больше всего понравилась A Northern Soul. В целом неплохое прослушивание, но я люблю, когда в моей нео-психоделии побольше свистоперделок, поэтому 3,5 с округлением в меньшую сторону. Upd. Засмотрелся на губы Эшкрофта, так что все таки округление в большую сторону.

Лучшая песня: No knock on my door Худшая: Drive you home Слишком мало песен, где он орет/поет одну и ту же фразу 70 раз подряд, так бы было пять

Чёт задушило

звучит хорошо, но не запоминается, 3.5

Забавно, как каждый последующий выпадающий альбом кого-либо из исполнителей, впервые услышанных мной в рамках челленджа, нравится мне больше первого. Так и с The Verve, этот альбом мне зашел больше, чем альбом 1997 года. Трек This is music сразу ушел в любимые, и слушался в дальнейшем приятно. Хотя никакого психодела я тут не услышала, классический брит-поп, который я не всегда различаю на квизах. Если в прошлый раз ставила 4 с натяжкой, то сейчас от всей души. Устраивать скандалы на записи альбома похлеще «Настоящих домохозяек Нью-Джерси» и выдать годный материал- fun story

90’s British rock

Sorry I’m just hearing these folks for the first time

3/5

I am very, very tempted to give this a 2 for being overlong and repetitive, and on another day I probably would. It didn't outright annoy me and made for fine background music while working, but I think I just largely tuned this out after a while. 2.5

4/10

That third song had some of the worst singing I’ve ever heard on an album. Why didn’t their producer hire backup singers for the part that was obviously out of his vocal range? Other than that, it’s a mundane stroll sonically. I somewhat like the band, but I can see why many don’t.

A bit noisy but pretty good

it was ok 3/5

Not bad. Brit Rock with strings. 3.6

How the fuck did this album make the list and A Storm in Heaven didn’t?

Bland and inoffensive

Me apetecía que me gustase mucho, pero me ha parecido bastante plano

Way better than I remember them being and I wouldn’t be sad to listen again, but still not my thing.

Previously rated: #141 - Urban Hymns (2/5) ****************************** Album #1,062 Another band I remember listening to, but couldn't remember what I thought of them. Now I see, and I don't look forward to listening to this one. The first few songs were decent, and I thought hmmm, this is much better than that other album. But it just kept going and going and going, and the singer's whiny vocals kept grating and grating and grating. Another album brought down by its bloat.

Quite a good album, not too sure on some of the dislike for it but hey ho. This Is Music was my fav song and fav first listen of the album and So It Goes and Drive You Home were my other highlights

Album 25/1001. Listened 3/30/2026. It was okay, didn't really feel like it aged particularly well. TBH I never really liked the Verve, but I liked this more than I thought I would. But probably not going to make my regular rotation.

Underrated. Great instrumentals, and overall really easy to listen to. There's something in the tone that's really unique to The Verve, that I can't really describe, but that makes the whole album mesmerising.

A little more varied than Urban Hymns, but they still get into unstructured music and droney mediocrity. This did not belong on the list.

I had never heard of this album or band. Lost my long review but that’s ok I’ll keep it short and sweet. The guitar is so good on every single song. By far the best element of the album. Stormy clouds is my favorite song, but there’s a handful of other good songs as well. Very 90s rock, but that’s not neccasarily a bad thing. Pleasantly surprised overall. 3.2 stars.

Soft 4. I’m unlikely to return to this, as much as I enjoyed it.

This is not even their second best album. Three stars for them being iconic

5/10

A bit shoegazey, a bit of britpop. I like the 90s sound of their guitars, but I think if I'd seen these guys performing in a pub I would have remarked "they're good!" but then forgotten about them as soon as they stopped playing. They're obviously good musicians, and Ashcroft's voice connects with some people, but it doesn't resonate with me and the music doesn’t make me want to move. The best thing about this album is that they split up after it. Unfortunately it didn’t stick and we had to endure Urban Hymns.

Another Verve album! I loved the last one so hopefully this is the same. A very strong start with A New Decade! It was powerful, but also had some sadness to it which was great! “How long will I run for, who am I running from”. A great lyric which is simple the first time it’s said, but grows in depth as you think about it. This is Music, was in my opinion, the better This is Music. On your own was a nice slower track which came in a nice place after the first two. So it goes was in the same vein, but I am ready to pick up the pace again. It did have some really nice guitar though. Also, very few songs earn the right to be six minutes long, and I’m not sure this one does. It’s good, but I don’t know if it’s THAT good. The title track was awesome!! A lot of the sounds were very out there, but it worked so well. This one deserved the six minutes. Brainstorm interlude was just that, an interlude, but it did have some awesome guitar work and some good drums. Drive you home was nice and relaxing and perfect for a bit of background music while I made dinner. I absolutely loved History. Like that’s almost exactly my vibe. No knock on my door was a decent track, and I liked the melody of Life’s an Ocean. Stormy clouds and reprise closed the album nicely. 4/5 ⭐️ 55/1089

The album was alright, nothing special though. 2.5 stars

Every song on this record is forgettable to me.

I mean it doesn't even have that one song.

Admittedly, I am a big fan of Verve. Comes naturally. I am a bit surprised that so many dogged this album and the band. Hmmm.... Oh well, that's why we are so apt to not like each other, be it politics, entertainment choices, sport teams, where we call home, etc. 4 happy psychedelic stars.

Good 90s vibe

This was a challenge to get through only because there was a lack of variation through the whole album. This felt like a weird mix of NIN, Massive attack and Pearl jam but not as satisfying

I hated The Verve’s other album on this list, why would this one be any different?

You can't keep making 6 minutes songs where the singer is hanging out on one note the whole time and nothing happens. No movement, verveless. Stop this madness.

These guys do not merit 2 albums on this list.

I tried.

I really hate this band. Whiny voice. Boring. At least we didn't have to suffer through Bittersweet Symphony on this album, but that's not going to save it.

That last song feels like punishment for making it through the preceding hour.

Surprised to learn that these guys not only have more than one song, but at least two whole albums of them? Wow, also, did not know they were psych rock. I liked the songs where they leaned into the heavy psychedelia the most. Disliked the "we have Oasis at home" parts so much that I did not finish the record. Like this just does not belong on this list and I'm starting to get angry with this publication.

It's ok! Crazy that they put an album by The Verve that doesn't have Bittersweet Symphony on here, but I guess UK pop music reviewers just love pretending footnote albums by one hit wonders are important. Sounds a lot like the Oasis, or a bunch of other britpop bands from this era. The 2 reflects the fact that you don't need to listen to this before you die and I also won't listen to this again, but that I am not mad about this fact and if anyone wanted to fight me about this album being good, ackshully, I would not engage.

Siendo sincero The Verve nunca ha llamado demasiado mí atención. Sorpresivamente, encuentro éste material absolutamente interesante y estoy seguro que es un álbum que ganará mi adhesion en las escuchas sucesivas. Aquí encontramos un mix de britpop, rock alternativo y rock psicodélico perfectamente logrado. Si bien el espíritu de los años 90s se siente presente, posee un sonido bastante atemporal.

Oasis like. Was ok

So I really like the Verve a lot and I really like this album. It was the first Verve album I listened to and 5 or 6 of the songs are still up there amongst some of my favourite songs. However, the issue u have is that whilst these 5-6 songs are amazing, I’ve never really got on board with the rest of the album. So much so that if I ever play this album I find myself just listening to the same 5-6 songs and rarely bothering with the rest. These 5-6 songs are enough for me to give this 4 stars but unfortunately because of the rest of the album it falls just short of 5 stars.

The opening three tracks along with History are triumphant anthems that perfectly capture the spirit of Britpop. The rest of the album has more of a flowing sound showcasing some fantastic songwriting. Arguably the album is one or two tracks too long but it is hard to see which tracks you would cut. Masterpiece.

When they really get it going they are big sounding, with really bold soundscapes and some decent accompanying melodies. ‘This is music’ is one of my all time favourite songs. That being said, 60mins of this begins to drag, and Ashcroft’s vocals do grate somewhat over some often too extended periods of not much happening. For me, I prefer this album to the more famous younger sibling as it’s grittier and with more dense guitar parts (e.g less Ashcroft ballads).

Didn't know they had other stuff than that one album really. Starts fairly strong, but then everything is the same volume, same tempo same pseudo oasis whine.

Just rock

The less interesting sound of brit pop/rock. So many more interesting bands making better music at the time. People say early Verve were actually "good" but I guess it must be the album before this. Sounds kind of like U2 at their very worst. 90s CD bloat - 6 minute tracks for what! 2 Heard before? Some Owned: No 48/211 (22%) Will I get: No

Shocked that there are two Verve albums on this list. (On second thought, they ARE Britpop, so maybe it shouldn't be that surprising...) Anyway, it was fine. Very obviously overshadowed by the concurrent success of their fellow countrymen in Oasis, but this record in particular doesn't really do enough to stand out in my opinion. Just wasn't as soulful as they try to make it out to be. Urban Hymns is the better record anyway, but that's not saying much.

Exceedingly uninteresting and overlong Oasis soundalike record

First song good, last song good, one part of the 4th song I think, the one with the freak out ending, the other 50 mins were ugh.

I really enjoyed the first and last songs. It was like eating an Oreo with no stuff.

ну не оч понрав, хотя довольно уникальное звучание у verve и есть запоминающиеся песни, но не с этого альбома видимо

I fucks with The Verve. Super musically interesting, rocks pretty hard, perfect music to walk around the city listening to. Fave tracks: - A New Decade - This Is Music - So It Goes - A Northern Soul - Brainstorm Interlude - Drive You Home - Life's An Ocean - Stormy Clouds - (Reprise)

Had their Urban Hymns album but never heard this one before. It was very 90s indie and not bad.

nothing standout but not bad

The second album by this one of the classical Britpop brand is surprisingly psychedelic rock and spacey. While the lyrics are not as moving as with other albums, this music really makes up for it. Not something I'd listen to everyday, but often enough.

I hope they were going for irony with the title. This is soulless generic mid 90s brit pop garbage

Northern Soul - The Verve Gave it 4 listens this morning. Ive always liked how good at the Verve were at creating sounds capes, and I think out of all the mates releasing albums around then, they were the best at this. Still think Urban Hymnes is better, but thats not criticisms I think I'll go 3

Not remarkable, nor forgettable

This is a really cool album. Laid back, cool.

all I know by the verve is bittersweet symphony, so this was interesting. unfortunately when you already know their best song, there's not as much excitement with the rest

Meczace

Very long.. Some of it is great.

The Verve create such a rich and complex soundscape on this album. There isn't an inch of space on most of the songs, so it's really striking when they switch it up on the likes of On Your Own and History where Ashcroft's vocals are allowed to shine.

Ég ætti að vera meira sympatískur fyrir þessu, en æi, þetta er bara ekki skemmtilegt. Hélt fyrst að ég myndi henda þristi á þetta og halda áfram, en ég hræddur um að ég endi í 2,4.

This is alright, a bit more shoegaze than the anthemic Britpop of Urban Hymns. It's not an easy listen, quite long and pretty much every track is over 5 minutes long. They start to drone on a bit, but I like the hits like This is Music, On Your Own, History. Probably won't go above 3* though on account of it going on a bit

Es zeigt die Band auf dem Sprung vom psychedelischen Jam‑Sound zu kraftvollem, emotional aufgeladenem Britrock. Der rohe, dichte Klang von Songs wie This Is Music oder History verleihen dem Album eine intensive, suchende Atmosphäre.

Pretty average album. 3 stars or C-.

They kind of sound like oasis. Really nice

Absolute drivel! Some tracks the production is just awful.

Pretty meh. It all kinda bled together.

Had only listened to Urban Hymns (which I love) before this, glad to find I wasn't missing out

Interesting

BORINGGG, ich werde mir keine 3 stunden davon geben

It’s insane to me that we’re going to get two Verve albums over a host of other albums. A Northern Soul is just a mediocrer Oasis. At least Urban Hymns rules and we’ll get that at some point.

They're not wrong. It is music. There are sounds and instruments and rhythms. But it's what is playing when you walk out of a coffee shop and say, "oh yeah. There was music playing". Legitimately, I've listened through 3 times and I'm like 95% sure it had lyrics. I would give it a 3 in my normal life, but the list demands more.

No Bittersweet Symphony? Still good!

Verve, don’t really care for them so not heard a full album. Sound to me like a mix of Radiohead and Oasis, but without the innovative instrumentation of Radiohead and somewhat creative lyrics of Oasis. By half way I was just fed up, repetitive sounds and words let me be.

I like the general sound of this album (moody rock with the vibe of Oasis), but I felt like something was left to be desired. The songs kind of stretch out too long. "History" is the only song that stood out to me because of how the emotional feeling came through in it, which was reminiscent of their song I am familiar with and really like, "Bitter Sweet Symphony". Overall, I thought this was pretty okay.

shoegazey in a cool but sort of try-hard way. wokeish. probably wrote it like they were god's gift. I did enjoy listening to this record. i'd pack a bowl, smoke, and turn it up.

I don't particularly care for the guitar tone on this record at all. They were aiming for "alternative" and ended up with "blech". I can see how this spawned several radio hits, particularly in the UK at that time. A quick glance at what was popular.. AiC, Soul Asylum, Smashing Pumpkins... ya. It was good timing. Or maybe it's good and I'm just not into it? I didn't like the record and will likely never revisit it again.

Clearly you guys dont fuck with this shit the same way i do

a truly beautiful display of how music can be art

The Good: Soul music! The Bad: We had to travel up north to listen to it… The Ugly: Finding out that Verve is northern slang for Verve… I’ve already listened to that other The Verve album on this list (sorry for the spoiler alert there), you know, the one with their only real hit. So when this album was presented to me my thoughts, in no particular order were: Are you fucking kidding me? Fuck you Mr Dimery! Northern Soul… there’ve been some excellent norther soul bands, so let’s give this a spin… Overall, really not that bad an album, except that it suffers from one annoying aspect… the need to over-extend most of the tracks. Trance music is great for people on drugs, yet when you are sober, it rubs the wrong way. At the end of the day, I can say that I prefer this album over the other one that’s on the list, yet, seeing as I gave that other album 3*, while knowing that 4* are placed on a have to listen to again list, I will make it a tie… 3*

I had never heard of this before. I liked it well enough, kind of has some U2 vibe going on, but enough of their own style to make it interesting. Honestly got a bit bored of it by the end of the album.

Didn't really vibe with this one, occasionally had some cool dreamy stuff going on but wasn't consistent enough for me. I liked parts of "On Your Own" and "Life's an Ocean"

Not the worst album, but defenitely not the greatest. Some of the critics are a bit harsh though

4.25

Not their most well known records, and admittedly not my favourite, but it's by far their most intense. It's raw, gritty, unfiltered and certainly less pretty than Urban Hymns, but you can't argue that it's honest. The vocals from Ashford are almost wounded and feral. I can understand why people don't like it, but that's only because of ignorance. Urban Hymns is considered their masterpiece, but this one is their struggle that earns that accolade.

Good atmosphere, excellent background music. I enjoyed it!

I always thought of The Verve as a one-hit wonder, with "Bitter Sweet Symphony", so I was surprised to see an album of theirs on the list. I was even more surprised when it wasn't the one with their one hit on it. Maybe I was wrong... Have I underestimated this band? Is there greatness here that the masses haven't appreciated? No... No there isn't. Just a whole lotta nothing masquerading as "Oasis but edgy". My disappointment is measurable and my day is largely unaffected.

1/3. Maybe I just wasn't in a very active listening mood today, but this just rolled right past me. Nothing particularly stood out, though I did enjoy Brainstorm Interlude. Overall it just wasn't super interesting to me, I probably won't revisit.

It's okay? I don't think there's anything that stands out here as overly good or bad. It's a decent album to throw on in the background but it definitely feels pretty bland.

Good psychedelic music. They sound like a bunch of young men on drugs. Not for me.

Boring

Mkay.

This was OK, but nothing special. An artefact of its time, I think.

there were some good songs, but the album is mostly boring, yet the song is good enough to give it higher than a 3, so the 3.5 you get

The biases of the list curators is beginning to show. Repulsive.

Urban Hymns I get being on the list, had a huge hit and a couple decent tunes on it. Why is this on the list? It's boring. Is it because they made Urban Hymns after this? Cause that's not worth it. Stop with the boring brit bands. I know there is good music over there, let us listen to that and not this drivel.

Surprisingly, good Britpop album, a lot of really big songs I’m here. I’m not a fan of the genre in general, most of the bands kind of blurred together, but this stands out pretty well. Better than the more popular album as well,

So, I love the Verve but not this record as much as their debut record, A Storm in Heavan, and of course Urban Hymns, which for me is a masterpiece. This record is all over the place in sonic sound and lyrics and sometimes it feels like a disaster (like what was going on with the band at the time). There are moments of beauty, but those moments fade. Does not linger in the soul like some of their other music. A decent showing but average at best for me.

Again I was bored by this

Whoops forgot to review this when I listened. Started as a low 4 but eked up to a high 4, songs feel lived in and fleshed out. Some vocals I'm not crazy about but pretty far and few between

mid ass rock

But why is this here?

Again very slow not my thing

I have no problem with The Verve. Solid Brit Pop. Very listen-to-able.

another pick from the verve, this time some really slowwww and really spacey psychedelic rock music, with guitars and voices that stretch out to big lengths. the verve really has this issue with me where every song is too similar. every album you turn on, it's like you hear a song, you've basically heard them all. when you hear enough of the singing, it gives you a headache.

Not very interesting. Not my bag.

i will absolutely be listening to this again, what an insanely good production

I just had Radiohead, now The Verve. Picking up matching socks from the drawer. More boring than Radiohead, a few surprising psychedelic parts, but mostly boring. But most importantly, better than Oasis.

Noah Kahan but make pop rock FS: on your own

Boring. How the F doe the Verve have two albums on this list? 2/5

Infinitamente más entretenido que cualquier disco de Oasis, sin embargo, no logra engancharme de principio a fin. Comienza esperanzador pero poco a poco pierde el interés. Le salva que Richard Ashcroft es un verdadero frontman y su música tiene un sello menos Beatle que la de los hermanos Gallagher (aunque el “homenaje” a “Mind Games” de John Lennon en “History” es más que evidente. Buen disco, pero no es para tirar cohetes.

Pretty much just brit pop.

# In-Depth Review: *A Northern Soul* by The Verve (1995) Released on 3 July 1995, *A Northern Soul* is the second studio album by British alternative rock band **The Verve**, produced by **Owen Morris** and the band itself. It marks a pivotal moment in the band’s evolution—caught between the psychedelic haze of their debut *A Storm in Heaven* and the mainstream breakthrough of *Urban Hymns*. This album is raw, emotionally charged, and sonically ambitious, reflecting a band in turmoil but also at the height of their creative powers. --- ## 🎶 **Music & Production** Musically, *A Northern Soul* is a fusion of **shoegaze, Britpop, psychedelia, and soul-inflected rock**. The album is defined by **Nick McCabe’s swirling, effects-laden guitars**, which create vast, immersive soundscapes. Tracks like *“This Is Music”* and *“A New Decade”* burst with energy, while slower cuts like *“On Your Own”* and *“History”* showcase a more introspective, melodic side. **Owen Morris**, known for his work with Oasis, brought a **raw, bottom-heavy production style**. The mix emphasizes **bass and drums**, giving the album a **thumping, visceral feel** that contrasts with the polished sheen of many '90s records. Morris himself described the sessions as “insane,” and nearly had a nervous breakdown during production . The band intentionally kept **minimal overdubs**, preserving a live, unfiltered energy . --- ## ✍️ **Lyrics & Themes** Richard Ashcroft’s lyrics on *A Northern Soul* are **deeply personal**, shaped by a **painful breakup** and a period of **drug-fueled self-destruction**. He described the album as a journey through the emotions of a “northern soul”—**a character who is pained, elated, arrogant, and vulnerable** . - *“On Your Own”* is a haunting meditation on **loneliness and existential isolation**, with lines like *“You come in on your own / And you leave on your own”* echoing The Smiths’ *“How Soon Is Now?”* . - *“History”* references **William Blake’s “London”**, and explores **themes of regret, memory, and emotional exile** . - *“Life’s an Ocean”* critiques **consumerism and emotional emptiness**, with surreal imagery like *“buying some feelings from a vending machine”* . The album as a whole is a **loose concept** about **emotional survival**, **identity**, and **the cost of ambition**, all filtered through Ashcroft’s **poetic, often cryptic** lyrical style. --- ## 🧠 **Influence & Legacy** Though not as commercially successful as *Urban Hymns*, *A Northern Soul* is now regarded as a **cult classic** and a **critical high point** in The Verve’s discography. It influenced a range of bands, from **Radiohead** to **Coldplay**, and is often cited as a **bridge between the psychedelic underground and Britpop mainstream**. The album’s **emotional rawness** and **sonic ambition** helped redefine what a British rock band could sound like in the mid-'90s. It also **cemented Richard Ashcroft’s reputation** as one of the most compelling lyricists of his generation. --- ## ✅ **Pros** - **Emotionally resonant lyrics** that blend poetry with personal turmoil. - **Nick McCabe’s guitar work** is otherworldly—layered, atmospheric, and innovative. - **Raw, powerful production** that captures the band’s intensity. - **Cohesive thematic arc**—the album feels like a complete emotional journey. - **Standout tracks**: *“History”*, *“On Your Own”*, *“This Is Music”*, *“Life’s an Ocean”*. --- ## ❌ **Cons** - **Inconsistent pacing**—some tracks like *“Brainstorm Interlude”* and *“Drive You Home”* feel overlong or underdeveloped. - **Lack of accessibility**—the album’s dense sound and bleak themes may alienate casual listeners. - **Not as polished** as *Urban Hymns*, which may deter fans looking for more refined songcraft. - **Drug-fueled chaos** during recording may have contributed to a lack of focus in places . --- ## 🏁 Final Verdict *A Northern Soul* is **The Verve’s most emotionally raw and sonically adventurous album**. It’s not perfect, but its **imperfections are part of its power**. It captures a band **on the edge—creatively, emotionally, and physically**—and channels that tension into **some of the most haunting and ambitious music of the Britpop era**. For those willing to dive into its **dense textures and emotional depths**, *A Northern Soul* rewards repeated listens with **some of the most cathartic and transcendent moments in '90s British rock**. **Rating: 9/10** – A flawed but unforgettable masterpiece.

A New Decade: Its nice. It sounds nice but that's it This is Music: I'm really indifferent On Your Own: Kind of Sappy. It sounds different from their other songs. However, it still sounds pretty good. It sounds sad So it goes: This song sounds like the last one. A bit of a country. I like this song's sad feeling. It sounds like a crushing heart break. Its slow though A Northern Soul: I really like this song. I think it represents reality and the "dirty" parts or like teen spirit. It sounds good too Brainstorm Interlude: Sounds Bad-Ass. It just sounds really good. I guess it could symbolize emotional turmoil or anxiety. Drive you Home: Sad, heartbreak maybe. It's long and droopy sounding. It lingers in a way History: I don't know why, but this song isn't coming to me. It's just doesn't seem fun to me, which is kinda sad. Life's an Ocean: I really like this song. I Relate to it and it reminds me of burnt out Stormy Cloud: Its a good depressing song. I Relate to it's pain. Its a good cry song Review: Overall, this is ok album. I haven't listened to Verve before and I hadn't known them till now. When it comes to the sound, its ok. I'm not crazy over it and my brain isn't really pulled to it. The Verve seems to be classic rock with maybe from electro or country sounds in it, which isn't my favorite. The songs are kinda long though too, like their dragging along However, reading the lyrics, I can relate to the artist. There lyrics are sad and raw. They make being sad an depressed comforting and relatable. It's like they have experienced your pain too; and they're like a shoulder to cry on. There influence in Britain is cool, you could say. My favorite songs are brainstorm interlude or Stormy Cloud All in all, Verve and their album A Northern Soul is alright. It's written in a way that feels personal and comforting, yet personally I don't like their sound. I still think they are pretty talented though, and I can see why they are famous. It was good going exploring, listening to people you don't really listen too. I hope this helps

It’s a decent album but nothing special stands out to me. I preferred the more laid back, mellow tracks over the louder, more energetic ones. I like Richard Ashcroft in small doses, but midway through the album his voice started to get to me. Overall, I’d listen to it again and probably need to get through it a few times to fully appreciate it.

Really enjoyed this, easy listening and fun

A fun psychedelic rock/soul album that delivers the gold & doesn't overstay it's welcome. Clearly influenced by The Rolling Stones while having their own groove. Nothing you haven't heard before, but you'll want to hear it again as soon as it ends & that's a keeper in my book.

If you like the Verve, you'll love this album - it's exactly how you know they'll sound. It was fine, but a bit repetitive and long-winded for me. - Heard before? No. - Will I listen again? No. - Does it inspire me to listen to more of this artist? No.

The single This Is Music is a wall of sound: blues rock progressions drenched in reverb and overdubbed backing vocals. Another single, On Your Own is a simpler production, more of a pop ballad without distortion. This record is a little reminiscent of the Stone Roses, only with a more lush production. Guitar riffs and sounds are alternately soothing and melodic or biting and dynamic. Ashcroft's vocals are somehow both languid and piercing at the same time. On the slower songs, the bass and drums shine, warm and immersive. Some tracks regress into a hypnotic drone, particularly in the second half of the album, vehicles for noisy, spacey, psychedelic rock jams. This jam feel would carry over to their next release, the blockbuster Urban Hymns. On the whole, it's a trippy, mysterious-sounding jammy rock record that maybe overstays it's welcome - it's over an hour long, and unless you're zoning out, there are only a few songs that stray from the pace and sound. The aural equivalent of a stoned-out afternoon on the porch watching the clouds go by, wondering how you ended up where you are and how long you're going to be where you're at.

Very enjoyable listen, I liked the guitar work a lot. It felt somewhat familiar to music I know well but with more psychedelic elements.

Not a fan. The instrumentation was fine. But the singing was just so so bad, especially when they decide to sing falsetto. Terrible listening experience.

mid mid middy mid mid

Great alternative record. Enjoyed listening.

Very average

Not bad

More interesting than I thought it was going to be, since my only exposure to this band previously was Bittersweet Symphony. I could understand how some could call this boring, it is kind of slow. I think more than anything, it's just kind of a long album. Multiple nearly 7 minute long tracks on an alt rock record doesn't gel to me.

Kinda boring, kinda lame.

tearful but I enjoyed

Liked some pieces here but some lost their smoothness

5- Stars (13/15)

This music feels unfinished

Terrible, sounded like they were all playing in different rooms then just mashed together

= the Beatles

It's got great melody and deep meaningful lyrics. 8/1/26

Was interesting to hear just how alike they are to Radiohead. But, not as interesting. 3/5

Obvs not as good as there first but a banger nonetheless

Sappy

Listened to it twice and I still think Urban Hymns is a better album

Two or three great songs, rest of the album doesn't really stand out.

So forgettable. I'm starting to hate seeing any late 90s/early 2000s British band showing up on this list. It really feels like the author has a bias there and it is way over represented.

Not required listening. It didn't do anything. Perfect music to ignore and make you talk louder when having beers with friends at a bar.

Not entirely my thing, but still groovy.

The Verve is a very good band. Each album is different. This shows range and a commitment to grow. I am not sure this album is my favorite, I don't think it is actually. Nevertheless it is quite very good and is in no way a "bad egg" or anything like that. It is really down to personal preference. Also, just because I personally favor a "different" album it does not detract from the excellence of this band overall, which is rather quite great! It also does not detract from me rating this rather highly.

Not bad. Liked some of the more shoegazey material and should probably go back to that. Found some of the ballads a bit boring... 3/5?

It doesn’t have Bittersweet Symphony. It’s fine but not good.

Track 1. (This Is Music) Really great guitar, peak alternative rock. Don't think I've ever heard of this band before. 8.2/10 Track 2. (On Your Own) Like that, there is a bit of variety in this album; most rock albums blend into a boring blur. It could be boring, but not bad. 7.3/10 Track 3. (So It Goes) A bit long. 7/10 Track 4. (A Northern Soul) Loud af omg. But I love it. Also long. 8/10 Track 5. (Brainstorm Interlude) doesn't really count Track 6. (Drive You Home) Really long. Chill, but I like it. 7/10 Track 7. (History) Love. 8.5/10 Track 8. (No Knock On My Door) 8.7/10 Track 9. (Stormy Clouds) 7.9/10 Track 10. ((Reprise)) Not a song Overall Score: 7.8/10

3.4

Chill

4/5

Did not like this album. Everything kinda sounds the same, found it dragging and hard to get through. Just a lot of sound and nothing really important.

Honestly this is def one of my favs albums so far ! From the first song 🎵 I've enjoyed basically everything about it and I can't wait to explore the artist 🧑‍🎨 more. I'm listening to it while I smoke and junk journal 📝 and it's def helping with the vibe lol 😝!

I can see why The Verve weren't popular before "Urban Hymns". "A Northern Soul" is a boring album. Despite the name, there's hardly any soul in it at all. There are a few moments in "A Northern Soul" that didn't make me regret listening to it. "On Your Own" is the best song on the album. 2 stars for "A Northern Soul".

Did this album come out before or after Oasis? I ask because it sounds a lot like Oasis. If it was first, then maybe I could call it influential. If it wasn't then it is a copy. It's fine. It has a youthful energy that I like.

Ok. A decent album. Striving to be epic rock, but nothing truly stood out for me. Much preferred the follow up Urban Hymns.

Not bad at all, really enjoyed some tracks, interesting music.

moody, angsty. all songs kind of blend into eachother. not bad, but not my vibe right now. favourite songs: drive you home, on your own.

Awful stuff. No business being on this list. 1/5.

Listened through the whole thing, it was a good time capsule of 90s Brit alterna pop

Just a lot of slow, boring noise. The singing is whiny and the songs are just bland, and when you think you have something chill to listen to it pivots into super screechy guitars for no reason

NB Where is opening track “A New Decade” on the link here?!? Boring but you can hear the preparation for Urban Hymns (better next album) 1. A new decade 2. History 3. Stormy clouds reprise Boring - one long similarity

ok - does not stand out

Better than I expected. Much less Brit-pop and more mature with full sounds that seem more complex than a lot of the other bands that came up at the same time.

A little dirtier Oasis with worse sound quality and a little worse songwriting. Low 3

I don't hate it but wow downer whiner. They have decent lyrics and it's a good overall album. But it's emo and would be good if you want to wallow

Right away, I like this more than Urban Hymns. These songs seem slightly more sure of themselves, and yet I’m discovering that my issue with The Verve is that they completely lack dynamics. Every song seems to ride a go nowhere wave in the middle of the ocean, dissipating before it reaches shore. Nothing stands out. If consumed as ambient or background music, and you never let yourself get thoroughly invested in the music, it’ll be great. Their albums are perfect for mindlessly shopping for cargo pants or khaki capris at The Gap or Old Navy. It’s not bad! I enjoy the vibe on certain days when I want to just sip tea and stare out the window into the foggy, monotonous mist. 3.5 stars.

Wow, we just had What's the Story Morning Glory yesterday, which was released in the same year and by the same producer as this, small world! Sounds like they were as dysfunctional as Oasis too, due in part to the success of their good friends and kindred spirits in dysfunction. I do hear a lot of similarities in the musical style of each album, especially in the more grungy songs with the messy guitars. This has a much more tortured vibe though, and there aren't many songs I found that I'd want to keep coming back to.

3.5

Ok i guess, but no great songs. Very similar to other better Brit pop

I was only familiar with Bittersweet Symphony. I did enjoy this album, slow and somber music.

Meh

Vibes of local band make overblown attempt at immortality. It's amusing how much the length and tone of the Wikipedia entry match how overblown this is. Their songs are all half an idea stretched clumsily over six minutes.

I have absolutely no idea why this is here, why did I listen to this. It’s bittersweer symptom with all the good bits removed, discordant shi, i presume they therefore have 2 albums on here, subjective list or not that's a load of bollox, like this here record, 2 stars, and that generous for the odd melody

Psychedelic wall of sound. Grows on you. Like fungi. My rating 3.3

Liked it just a tad long though.

#202/1001. Never heard this Verve album before. Quite a surreal soulful trip recorded on an ecstacy binge. But it was interesting while it lasted. Will I ever return to it? Most likely not. The guys made the greatest album ever and we don't care and still Oasis went bigger. But definitely more interesting than Oasis for sure.

I like melancholy music, sad works for me. This is just downright miserable though. There's nothing interesting going on at all, just a whining voice over whining music that makes me want to throw myself off something high. It's all so unnecessary.

I just don’t really like this genre of music

2.5 stars. U2 vibes. Choruses to repetitive (title track: 'I'm gonna die alone in bed'....OK we get it). Not as clean/refined as their follow-up album. Feels a bit too generic to be memorable.

Weak songwriting (repetitive lyrics) and overall just ok.

Profoundly boring mid 90s rock blather

Not great

Boring

Bland

3 song rule...DNF

Never really got The Verve.

Atmospheric, moody. Overall ok.

The more it went on, the less I liked it, and it dropped from a 3 to a 2 because of it. Too much reverb overshadowing the vocals. Too much sameness. Just too much.

Decent album, not a new favorits but it's a decent shoegazey britpop album

This doesn’t have ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ on it, which was disappointing. This album basically sounds like Oasis, but only the deep cuts. Lots of these songs blended together, so much so that I had to check a few times if the track had changed or not. I didn’t find anything special about this and question its inclusion in the 1001, even though I know exactly why it’s on here (they’re British). 3/5

Decent example of 90s Brit Pop

This was incredibly boring.

I liked it, not sure why I only hear 1 song by them

*1995 *This was before the verve hit it big with bittersweet symphony in the late 90s. *Pleasant but not particularly exciting or memorable. Can’t honestly remember a single song on here… RATING - 6.5/10

At least this album didn’t have Bittersweet Symphony on it.

Pretty boring and aimless, just washed over me without pricking my interest once!

It was okay but seemed to lack focus.

Liked it but didn’t love it. Brainstorm Interlude was a surprising standout to me

God damn this is so dreary - I can’t imagine anyone getting even faintly excited about anything on here, and every song lasts 30 seconds to a minute longer than it needs to.

Nice, great new discovery! Has the distinctive sound of a break-up album, which it was, personally and professionally.

Urban Hymns is a surprisingly good album given it's got two really annoying hits in it. This, though, has zero business being on this list. It's not crap. But it's utterly forgettable.

There is just one single by the British group Verve that I know (Bittersweet Symphony), and it’s not on this album. For some reason Spotify included just ten tracks for this album, where there should be twelve. ‘Life’s an Ocean” and “A New Decade” were missing, so I did not hear those two. Just as well I suppose, as the rest of the tracks were all quite similar in my opinion, and some ran too long. Very forgettable.

Not as good as the other Verve album... bit of a snoozer.

It's fine. I like 90s indie. But I don't see how it's notable or fits on the list.

Okay, I think I know what happened to The Verve: Oasis. I like A Northern Soul a lot more than Urban Hymns. However, I get the impression that The Verve could be seen as something of an Oasis knock-off on this album. If only it included "Bitter Sweet Symphony," perhaps the story of Britpop would be seen differently.

this album is such an indictment that urban hymns doesn't need to be on the 1001 list. a northern soul was way more sonically engaging and enjoyable - albeit still a little too rote for my tastes - than urban hymns. glad i listened to this album before i died. urban hymns? not so much. highlights - a new decade, this is music, a northern soul, stormy clouds, (reprise)

Great album by The Verve, whilst they never reached the peak of their mates from Oasis, they still put in a solid effort for the brit rock crew of the early/mid 90s. Best: On Your Own Worst: [Reprise]

The intro of "This is music" is an ear tickler, we don't hear that often Wasn't very focused, but it sure was at least alright

The guy on the bottom looks super angry.

Seriously, putting one Verve album on this list is inexcusable. But 2? That’s a cry for help.

Pretty generic feeling. Gained a little bit of traction in a later jam but a little boring.

Звучит весьма психоделично! Понравился.

Not really my thing but if someone is a fan of Alt Rock they might really like this album.

later

History is one of the best songs of the 90s. Could grow to love this with time, but it did get a bit samey.

Only know this band from "Bittersweet Symphony." Was interesting to read up on their tumultuous history and how Oasis was involved. The music is okay. I liked "A New Decade," "A Northern Soul" and the guitar freakouts in the Reprise the most. Mostly it's just funny to see how cranky Richard Ashcroft looks on the cover.

I continue to realize that I love 90’s Britpop. I don’t think I’ve gotten an album yet that I haven’t enjoyed to a decent extent. I only knew The Verve from Bittersweet Symphony, which I’ve always liked very much. Without that song on this album I wasn’t sure what I’d think. And then reading all the one star reviews? Boy do people hate on this band and genre! Well this indeed was another album I thoroughly got into and really dug. There’s a nice mix of louder noisy songs and slower, more thoughtful ones. But it works as a coherent piece about drugs and heartbreak. Adding the songs On Your Own and History to my “favorites of this project” playlist.

Not the best!

Dog shit boring.

Man, like a derivative Radiohead and Oasis that drags waaaaaaay too long. Why the hell are these guys on here twice? 1 out of spite.

I dunno, Its like the Author was helping the band out by having their lesser known album in here (Royalties and all) I Mean, its ok... Very different to the Brit-Pop craze or the post grunge rock so theres that. It just sounds like a more industrial Radiohead.

All too much the same, every song had the same tone, style, pitch etc... which made it quite boring to listen to.

The Verve before Bittersweet Symphony was subpar, gee who would have guessed that...

That's not my taste in music - But ok

i love the song history but for the rest of the album i felt sort of disappointed, i really wanted to like this. i’ll give it another listen but for now i’ll have to give it a 2.5

Man, I wanted to like this. Didn’t even notice when it ended. 1.5 for effort.

Hell no.

Boring bullshit that goes nowhere

Very nice album. I didn't know anything from the band apart from The Bittersweet Symphony and there is so much more to them. 3,4/5

similar to the other verve album but without a hit song, the end songs also kind of slow everything down and don't match the rest

Good to alright, I’m thinking a solid 3

Whiny, wail-y, annoying

Too meandering for me. On your own is possibly one of the worst songs I have ever heard.