Reviews (page 4 of 7)
You know that bit in Snatch where the pikeys fight back and burn it all down, Brick Top has his world come down around him and Brad Pitt is just standing there all cold and shit. This whole album is that moment, just non stop. Except that bit had Oasis doing the song, which means it was just better.
It insists upon itself
Not bad. Started strong. Faded but came back. Not sure it belongs in the book as it was a typical 90s album but a decent listen.
This was fine - a consistent moderately psychedelic brit pop sound. I know a few Verve songs because I'm a child of the '90s but I'd never listened to one of their albums before. It was fun to read about their shenanigans recording, fighting with Oasis, crashing cars, doing Ecstasy etc etc.
I only know The Verve from their biggest success, Bitter Sweet Symphony. I liked it back then. However, I listened to it too often. Eventually it got on my nerves. I found the band's other stuff uninteresting. And I feel the same way about this album, uninteresting. Like other commentators here, it's not clear to me why The Verve is represented on the list with more than one album. 3/5
Not too bad. I still hate how similar all these British rock bands of the 90s sounded. I’ll give them a few more points than I’d give your average Blur or Oasis album though — the really atmospheric, woozy space-rock moments on this album were cool. Not a must-listen, though.
The Verve had soooo much promise - this isn't 'the' album for them, but it's still good. However, we both noticed that it became background noise rather quickly..
Sounds almost like a mix of U2 and Oasis. Not in a bad way.
Great memories. Good album.
The verve are far too average to have more than one album on this list. Frankly, this can be set for most artists with more than one album listed. 3⭐️
I like The Verve, but A Northern Soul has nothing on Urban Hymns. I don't think there's a need for this one to be on the 1001 list. Something in its melancholic electric guitar intro drew me into So It Goes, but the rest of the album sounded like pretty straightforward Britpop.
Solid
Average. Very average. This feels like the middle ground between raw emotion and grand, cinematic gestures. Imagine if Oasis traded swagger for introspection or if Massive Attack went guitar-heavy. It’s atmospheric, with tiny moments breaking through the weight of it all.
Está bien pero falta la supercancion del siguiente
This was ok. Less formulaic than the Verve I’m familiar with (I also forgot that we’d had the other one). Track 1 was the highlight.
3 - Thought I was going to really love this but found it pretty generic
Okay, but mostly just sludgy boring indie rock 3/5
Not bad...but just OK.
Never heard the album before. The Verve isn't horrible, but their albums are unremarkable. The lead singer's voice sounds unintentionally off-key multiple times on the album. I don't think the album deserves to be on the list.
generic 90s alt rock
I'M GONNA DIE ALONE IN BED x100. The lyrics seem mostly there to fill the space with sound. Surprisingly decent little album. Every song flows into one another and half orchestra in the background adds a lot of layers.
Not bad but this is another UK centric entry, just not terribly interesting, not sure why it's on the 1001.
7/10. Almost what I like but a little too “whiny British” for my liking. Mix between oasis and grunge with a tinge of Radiohead (the part I dislike). Vocals are all over the place. First 2 tracks are very strong
In a word, whiny. And not even the album everyone knows. Oh god, is that one coming up too?
I do like this more chaotic and psychedelic take on britpop. Is this even britpop? Or is it more in the Spiritualized lane of neo-psych. Either way, some good songs, some forgettable ones. Overall pretty good. Key tracks: A New Decade On Your Own History
Really good. Mid 90s rock is not really my jam, but there is real artistry in this one. Good job, guys!
3.49
A Northern Soul is the second studio album by The Verve, originally released in 1995. I've never listened to The Verve before starting this list. There's a few of their albums on here. I've dug everything I've heard so far. This album wasn't my favorite of theirs, but it was still pretty cool. This record is over an hour long, so some of the songs drag on a tiny bit but for the most part I enjoyed the jams. They're very psychedelic rock influenced but with that 90s alternative edge. Definitely gonna have to dig more into their discography.
Okay. Why are there two albums from the Verve on here? At least Urban Hymns had the one song these guys are known for. A Northern Soul is not a justified album inclusion. I'm sorry. The album's fine. It's good. I just see nothing special about this album that justifies it being here. The sound is pretty similar to that of Urban Hymns. Again, I'm sorry that I have to compare the two, but I'm also not sorry at the same time. The writing is alright. The songs are way too long though. Why does the album end with a 6 minute instrumental track? That's something that you do if your band has exceptional talent like Pink Floyd, not if you're an okay alt-rock band that most people have forgotten about. The songs are good though. I would call this album good. I just don't see why it should be here. 3/5.
This was good as a whole, but not a single song stood out above the rest.
nice pop rock favorite track: drive you home
Unforgettable album, a britpop masterpiece, not recognized by many.
Surprisingly decent and adventurous UK psych/space rock, if not a little repetitive towards the end.
I didn't expect much, but it's a pretty decent album.
I would have cut from 15 to 20 minutes to this album to prevent it from becoming uninteresting and repetitive, but I was really surprised by their spaced britpop sound. This band has great songs to deliver after all.
01) A New Decade - 7,0 02) This Is Music - 7,5 03) On Your Own - 7,5 04) So It Goes - 6,5 05) A Northern Soul - 7,0 06) Brainstorm Interlude - 7,0 07) Drive You Home - 7,0 08) History - 7,5 09) No Knock on My Door - 7,0 10) Life's an Ocean - 7,0 11) Stormy Clouds - 7,0 12) (Reprise) - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,08 (71/100) Current ranking: 213/346
Hoy toca volver a The Verve, una de mis "bandas MTv". Disco oscuro, sexy, nos lleva en andas a través de su psicodelia y se termina sintiendo como si fuera una sola gran canción. Hasta mañana.
Nothing on here really stands out as much as Bitter Sweet Symphony. But they’re earnest, I’ll give them that.
Pretty moody very cohesive, not really my cup of tea though. A bit noisy and with whiny vocals
3.5
It was fine. Atmospheric, but boring
It’s ok, but not blowing me away. I might like this more after a few more listens. Or I might get tired of it really quickly. If I recall, the Verve was considered an alternative band, but they have a pretty solid Britpop vibe and that never really sits too well with me.
Итс окэй. Лучшая песня - History.
ach, to ci od tej jednej piosenki, ale nie z tej płyty
Overall aged to meh.
Only knowing 'The Drugs Don't Work' and of course 'Bittersweet Symphony' I would thought there would be more acoustic stuff here and didn't expect it to sound as psychedelic as it does. Perhaps could have been cut down by 10 minutes. Can definitely hear elements of Oasis and Radiohead. Overall, a long album with lots of spaced psychedelic guitar and I enjoyed it because of that, not despite it. A very high 3. Perhaps Urban Hymns is on the list and is better.
I didn't really mind this, but I also didn't care for it all that much... I guess. It's nice background music, I'll give them that at least. 2.5 stars
Ce n'est vraiment pas un mauvais album, mais un autre cas classique de "Pourquoi lui plus qu'un autre". 6/10
Typ 3,5 lite entonig britpop
Solid, but not a stand out
A different type of 90's sound. As advertised, somewhat more soulful.
3.4 1x catch up on flight to SFO 10/1
Just another Brit rock album, but kinda fun
Seems kinda like a cop-out but they just sound like Oasis with a little more of an alt rock vibe to me
I knew of The Verve but didn't know what to expect on this album. I liked the drumming and the fuzzy, distorted guitar work. Cutting out 2-3 songs would have made this a stronger album but I enjoyed it.
Same as my general opinion of britpop: "it's ok I guess..."
Good album. Some superb tunes but Urban Hymns better.
Liked very much.
It’s solid but started droning on. Kind of grungy, kind of sludgy, very 90s
ummm...I suppose..., but do we really need to?
Really? These guys again? You considered all the music and thought we needed two albums by The Verve? No. I didn't hate it.
“A second Verve album on this list? With a runtime exceeding one hour?” My brain grumbled as it considered starting the 1069th listen in a multi-year journey. “Now, now… open mind,” I reminded myself. Listen one: I listened while trying to get through a pile of email and fell asleep sometime in the first 15 minutes. The repeat play was on, so the album was well into a second go-round when I regained consciousness. I listened to the remainder of the album through a groggy haze. I took a break from listening then decided to restart this album from the beginning to give it a proper listen while cleaning the kitchen. The groggy haze returned. This did not add an element of fun to the job that must be done. I felt like I was wading through a bog of syrup. Lying down on the floor instead of finishing the dishes had increasing appeal as the album droned on. At one point I thought this might better than the other Verve album on this list. Should I go back and doing some comparisons? Would this be better if I was just lolling about in a hammock? Then the album went on for another 50 minutes and by then I couldn’t be bothered with any more questions. I suppose this is fine but probably not worth all the energy I’ve put into writing this.
I liked the slower, less poppy songs much more. Overall it's just fine.
I know it's not meant to be '1,001 BEST albums...' but still, not sure how this makes it onto the list. Nor can I understand how The Verve were so popular at the time, particularly with their indie-lads fanbase. Ponderous music under some very maudlin songs. I mean, it is pretty good but you know... Overdose dirges atop the pop chart? Different times 🙃
Pretty decent album, if not a bit dated. 3.3 stars
Have you ever struggled to connect with an album? Because I'll admit I have struggled with this one. A Northern Soul is the second studio album from The Verve, a Britpop group I've heard of from "Bittersweet Symphony". That track is from their follow-up Urban Hymns, with other notable hits like "The Drugs Won't Work". I point this out because I'm trying to reason why this album is included on the list in addition to Urban Hymns. If I had to figure out why I can't connect, perhaps it has to do with the fact that A Northern Soul sonically makes it apparent how the band was going through chaotic turmoil during the writing and recording sessions, as they strayed away from their early psychedelic roots for more straightforward alternative rock. The genre shift is not inherently a bad fit for them, but outside of "History" as the standout single, they don't offer many hooks or melodies that could be retained in memory. As it is, this album only makes me feel like Urban Hymns should have been the one contribution from The Verve on this list, because I don't see myself coming back to this.
Good, but a bit blah.
I liked this more than I thought I would. The musicality is very good but with most of the Brit-pop bands in the 90s, the vocals can come off as whiney. I will listen to this again and reevaluate.
Just listened to it but can't say I remember much of it other than it was alright
I didn’t go into this expecting much but I did enjoy it.
As one with a Northern soul, this album isn't really that interesting. Bittersweet Symphony is more interesting.
Yep, that's the verve, mardy britpop. Dont mind them and this album continued to support my mild appreciation. Bit more raw than their later albums but missing the clear hits of the later stuff. Otherwise its more of the same really. Wish theyd throw in a few tracks with a clear hook but that's not their style I suppose. If you like the verve hits you'll like this but it's not going to change your mind about them.
I think I thought urban hymns was their first album, certainly hadn't heard of them before that..... My ignorance no doubt. Didn't know any of this but recognisably Ashcroft. Think it probably lacked a bit of anything to keep it interesting, but not sure what I expected from the verve. Didn't mind it, but won't be rushing back 3 but closer to 2.5
Two of the songs on this album are not available on Spotify.
Solid
It all sounds good, but it’s overlong and not much of it excites or grabs me. I’ll come back to it sometime and see if I feel differently. 3/5
This might’ve benefited from a second listen, because it didn’t really have my full attention and it didn’t leave an impression. I liked the first track, but found the rest pretty boring.
134/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Atmospheric and vibrant indierock. Some great songs on it, although no outstanding “hits”
first listen i like the vibe but it needs more variety or excitement?
Potevano impegnarsi di più
Ha avuto dei guizzi che alzano un po’ il voto, ma nel complesso nulla di che
Why is Bittersweet Symphony their hit? This album is so much better. However the songs were too many and too long, each one should be shaved by like a full minute and the whole thing would become much more palatable. -1 point cause of the length. Stand-out: This Is Music
Not a bad alternative album. They definitely aren’t as great as bittersweet symphony makes them out to be but this is enjoyable enough. not sure if two verve albums deserve to be on this list but this is better than many other albums on this list. Nothing super exciting about this but it’s fine. 6.0/10
Занудный альбом.
A nice psychedelic rock to listen to. The feelings put to this felt quite intimate but I found myself staying in the same repetitive loop (it wasn't a bad loop though). On A Northern Soul I'm not fond of how abrasive the overall track feels I guess it's just part of it's charm but I just couldn't get into it that well. Overall, not a bad record if like britpop and psychedelic rock with some deep thoughts put to it I think you'll like it. Best - On Your Own, Drive You Home, History, and Life's An Ocean Worst - A Northern Soul and Stormy Clouds 3.00-3.25/5
Early work. Not sure if it's rock or psychedelic. Can hear a bit of bittersweet in there. Jumps about too much for me.
I always liked bittersweet symphony. This record is before that. I probably would have loved this in the 90s. Track 7 “drive you home” is fantastic.
Enjoyed album, good band vocals and music notes
Started off kinda strong then started dragging, but it kept pulling me back in. the last instrumental track was my favorite of the album and I can figure out whether that deserves a whole extra star. There is a strong 4 star record in there but for the filler, so it gets a 3.
Er bra i perioder, men et helt album blir litt tungt
Never heard it before but I liked some of the songs but not all of them.
Eh, The Verve is one of the most mid bands of all time.
Not as bad as expected!
S'alright
3.5
Okay
Creepy album cover. But otherwise, a decent 90s rock album. Good guitar licks, atmospheric, and really trying to be cool. Definitely a counterpart to Oasis. A lot of this sounds the same though, so for an album that is over an hour long, some cuts could have been made.
Ja. Kann man hören. Ist aber nicht die Offenbarung.
History is an alltimer of a song, best when it when moves deep into psych territory
Decent music.
Fine. Like a lot of records in the CD era, indulgently long for no reason, so it starts and ends strong, but there’s a lot of nonsense in the middle
Al die verschillende bands met die (precies dezelfde) verschrikkelijk zeurende stem. Voegt dat nou echt wat toe? Helaas wel. Want hoe verschrikkelijk ik deze zang ook vind. Muzikaal zit het soms bijzonder goed. Maar hoger dan 3 sterren ga ik hier echt niet voor geven.
Voordat ik een album ga luisteren, open ik altijd eerst even de wiki. Klopt de tracklist bij het album dat ik aanklik op youtube enzo, even alles verifieren. Want je wil niet in een bijna 4 uur durende extra lange versie van een album zitten, als je ook de 35 minuten versie had kunnen luisteren. En als ik dan toch op wiki zit, dan check ik ook meteen even of ik er op voorhand al nummers van ken. Van dit album herken ik zo niets, terwijl van opvolger Urban Hymns ik wel meerdere nummers ken, zonder dat album ooit opgezet te hebben. Er begint zich al een ader op mijn voorhoofd te vormen, dus ik check snel even in de 1001 lijst of dat album er wel in staat. Gelukkig is dat zo, dus mijn aanstaande boosheid ebt snel weg. Nu maar hopen dat de zeurende zang van Richard Ashcroft niet alsnog de boosheid aanwakkert. Ik moet zeggen dat het begin veel meer rockt dan ik had verwacht. Het is net als hun tijdsgenoten Oasis soms een muur van gitaren. En daar hou ik wel van. Maar er komen ook wat rustigere Britpop nummers voorbij en een psychedelische madchester interlude. Ik vind het af en toe lijken op een soort trage Oasis. Het album duurt me iets te lang, met ruim een uur muziek voor slechts 12 tracks, maar het biedt genoeg kwaliteit en afwisseling. Het zit ergens tussen 3 en 4 sterren in. Omdat het net te lang doorgaat in de laatste nummers, rond ik het naar beneden af. Het album en de tracks hadden gewoon een stuk korter gekund naar mijn idee.
Do they sound too much like U2 to be considered original? Also, can homie at the bottom on the album cover chill tf out? He looks as disgusted with me as Goebbels does in that one photograph where he just found out the photographer was jewish. Anyway, this was a fine listen, if not repetitive. No big complaints, but maybe less praises. It will fall from my memory with its strongest component being it’s e the ethereal, yet energetic feeling. 3/5
Favorite track was Northern Soul. Overall I thought this was ok. Nothing spectacular or particularly bad. It’s a straight 3
Good Album. I had forgotten abut The Verve
when i finish this list, I'll look back on this album and think "which one was that?"
Pretty good, the rockier side of BritPop. One gets the Oasis-lite charge, and maybe there are subtleties that make it inaccurate, but they do sound like lots of other bands, which speaks to their fidelity to genre (not to mention time and place). One's slightly put off by the lyrical/vocal structure -- with repeated words/phrases ending quite a few songs. Overuse of strings (signaling an overreaching for seriousness) is also bothersome. The only major difference between this and their post-breakup album is the massive mega global hit.
I don't know the Verve really - was interesting to hear another Brit pop album. Aspects I liked about it were similar to that of some songs by the Doves.
I don't know why but britpop just seems to sound so lame to me now. Even though, this is a cool album but a bit repetitive.
I will gladly tell anyone within earshot that I don't like Oasis and, to be honest, the genre in general (although I do have a soft spot for Blur). The Verve was okay I guess but this stuff isn't really my cup of tea. Listens: 1 1/2 Fave Track: A Northern Soul Rating: 3
Surprised to see this on here, relatively unassuming late 90s/mid 2000s brit rock, it's fine
i love what they’re trying to do i just don’t love the songs that much
Not bad in parts
This album is pretty cool. Loving the big reverbed out swirling guitar sound that builds a lot of atmosphere. Lots of tension and release between rowdiness and focus audible on this collection. I like it. I'll have to revist.
Good rock and roll album. I would listen to this again for sure!
Low 3
Well produced and slickly delivered. But that's the problem really- they seem to be going through the motions and there's there's no soul..... (geddit? see what I did there?)
This album starts off like a mix between Radiohead and Joshua Tree-era U2 (think Bullet the Blue Sky). It's a cool vibe with a lot of great sounds but kind of trails off after the first half or so. Just kind of fades into the background of generic 90s pop rock. It's a decent album and just based on this listen I would probably look up some of their other stuff if I hadn't heard anything else from them. But I don't know that I would call it a great record by any means. 3/5
Starts off quite heavy ,really surprised but love it
Can tell that some of them they were off their heads for the majority of recording, at times incoherent
Started off strong but lost me as the album went on. Love the first track, though!
First half of the album is great, then it takes a bit of a nosedive.
Decent.
duplicate
Honestly, somewhat of a disappointment. As a huge fan of 90s Britpop/Indie/Alt-Rock, this should have been perfect for me. The tracks blend together without anything to distinguish one from another. It's not catchy enough to get away with this monotony, and to be honest, I'd much rather listen to Oasis, rather than the cheap imitation. I definitely don't hate it, but it's far from great. 26/02/24
Mostly sweet Brit rock album
3.5
It's good but nothing really standing out
It's a fine album, I guess. My main issue with it just has to do with the 90's CD-era trend of albums being TOO DAMN LONG. But this isn't a platform for me to rant about that, so I'll just say that I don't think this album needed to do over an hour.
Definitely one of the albums that was affected by the mindset of "Look how much space there is on a CD! We should use as much of it as we can!" and not realize that it just bloats out the record. There's some good tracks on here (Drive You Home), but otherwise it just sort of meanders around due to said bloating.
This album is a test in patience that I’m just not sure I really have. I can commend a lot of things about this album; I think the guitar playing is fabulous throughout, I think the instrumental interludes are a fantastic showcase of that, and ultimately I don’t think it’s actually that bad of an album. It’s just not my kind of album. It doesn’t hit on that many of my sensibilities, but much like a game demo, I’m smart enough to tell when something is probably good, but just not for me. I found that, for me, a lot of this album just felt too similar, a bit too boring, and a bit too monotone. I’m sure for another person, they’ll be able to appreciate those parts of it; to ignore the lyrics, ignore the slow prodding tempos that make songs feel even longer than they already are, and simply feel the music in a way that I just can’t. There are points in this album where it all clicks for me, and those moments, while brief, are really nice. Realistically, for my tastes, I think it’s a 2.5 that I’m going to, perhaps begrudgingly, round up to a 3, if only because I recognize that it has something going for it that just doesn’t fit my vibe. It’s way better than Apocalypse Dudes, at least.
High quality but didn't hook me at all
A decent album to my ears. I'm just not particularly into this brand of laid back rock. Their one really great hit was the one that stuck with me, so I'm in no way special there.
This was fine, a lot of the songs were just a minute and a half too long. Some of the back tracks were lush though.
It drones on honestly. Like it’s good but also rough.
Look, I like the Verve. But I’m not sure why this album was here. They’re pretty generic-sounding (at least in this album) and didn't bring anything interesting to the table.
This is the second album I have received by this mediocre band, and still none by countless great artists of the 60s, 70s, and 80s Not bad , but fairly monotonous. 3 stars
First track started out with some solid psych rock sound. It didn't really keep that vibe throughout but didn't fully devolve into mid-90s brit-pop of the day
Enjoyed it
Typical, generic-y, post-shoegazing Britock of the mid ‘90s. The slow-burning grooves, with the way overworked wah-wah washes, are generally more effective than the straight-up rockers. Nothing disagreeable, but no better than pretty good in the end. And hard to tell the Northern bits from the soulful ones.
Great guitar work. Got a little bit monotonous.
Melancholy vibe. Send me something happy please.
I found this a bit tedious and somehow couldn’t really warm up to it
3/5
Boring
It's a decent listen - there are catchy, heartfelt tracks throughout. I think I prefer Spiritualized for this genre/sound but to each their own. I think it's a little curious/lazy to have two songs back to back with almost the same line (you come in on your own, you leave on your own).
Would have been an easy 4 ⭐️ if it wasn’t 20 minutes too long
i liked this one. didn't finish it but want to come back to it
This was fine.
Good - enjoyed it! Long 3 discs.
More indie rock, but this is better than Echo & The Bunnymen, but sadly nowhere near as good as Urban Hymns.
So a few sporadic thoughts: The backing Vocals on 'On Your Own' are horrific. 'History' and 'Life's an Ocean' are gorgeous... In fact the second half of this entire album is far superior than the first half. The Britpop mix saps the life out most of these songs. This album is a half decent listen but lacks any personality, and in most cases I'd rather spin a record from Oasis, Blur, or Supergrass. And I really wish 1001album generator would let you give half stars.
This album has got a lot more spunk and energy than Urban Hymns. The music is quite psychedelic (I quite enjoyed the trippy sounding 'On Your Own' and 'So It Goes') but for the most part this is fairly standard downer indie rock and the lyrics don't really add any value.
Yeah was fine, not that exciting but not as bad as i feared, these guy!
Fairly generic mid-90s sound but I did enjoy it more on a second listen.
Yeah, fairly decent alt rock. Akin to a lot of other fairly decent nineties/nighties bands. 3 and half stars.
Not bad but misses my current good mood. Maybe I'll consider it a better album when I listen to it while feeling down.
Fine 90s Britrock.
Never heard any of The Verve's music aside from the obvious 90's superhit I've heard a thousand times. I'm impressed. Wall of sound, a little psychedelic, some early Radiohead vibes. Occasionally dips into that distinct mid-90's British alt-rock (ie Oasis) flavor which is not my favorite. Still I'm glad I actually listened to their music outside of Bittersweet Symphony. (The last song is fun) 3 - Will probably listen again
meh. this was a pretty average mid-90s britpop/alternative affair and nothing really stuck out to me. certainly not as immediately recognizable or hooky as bitter sweet symphony or the other tracks from their 1997 album. i was going to give this 2 stars but i suppose it's not THAT bad, just a bit dull and uninspiring to me. or maybe I'm just not in the right mood to enjoy it. it was pleasant enough to have on in the background. favorites: on your own, history
53/100
This was an OK album, ended up being background noise as most of the songs seemed to blend together.
A good album but not really great. One that I couldn't see myself listening to front to back but I could like a song or two from it.
Très sympa 3,5
It was OK. Not my favourite Verve album, but a few obviously good tracks there.
It’s an album.
3.5
2.9 but not listened to properly
Sucesión de canciones de estilo pop-rock, con virtusismos variados de instrumentación. Voz un tanto reconocible. Le falta algo de punch. Aun así, se puede escuchar
I think most people stateside assume The Verve were just a one hit wonder, but this record is proof that they had chops before Bittersweet Symphony overshadowed their whole career. A mix of Madchester acid rock and a more alternative sounding Britpop, their psychedelic leanings make the album standout a bit more than some of their peers. At the same time they lack the “pop” that made many of their peers endearing. Overall an enjoyable and well executed listen, something I’d easily recommend to fans of The Stone Roses or early Primal Scream.
Not bad.
not too exciting, but i do like their bittersweet symphony but isn’t on this album
Alright.
I bought Urban Hymns at an opshop and thought it was rubbish other than bittersweet symphony. So this was a surprisingly decent listen tbh.
Not bad really. A little blue rock in parts. I like the psychedelic stuff. I was most surprised by the Brainstorm Interlude -> Drive You Home part. Overall too long and not quite remarkable. 3/5
Good.
Having only heard Urban Hymns, right off the bat, this is not what I was expecting. Initially I was very happily surprised. A New Decade and This Is Music are a raging start, noisy and raw. The weakness of the album is the slower tempo songs. History is a great song that foreshadows Urban Hymns 30 years later you can still hear A Northern Soul’s influence on bands like Fontaines DC. 7.6/10
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if this is what peak British music was in the 90s, I feel bad for those poor chaps. 5/10
This was like listening to a less-inspired version of an Oasis album. I enjoyed it, but nothing extraordinary.
3.75
I love britpop and I love psychedelic rock. So on paper The Verve, and especially A Northern Soul, should be a favourite of mine. And it's not quite there. Don't get me wrong, it's still quite good, but not more than that.
I thought this was surprisingly flat given the critical reviews it got. Very in the mould of Primal Scream/Oasis ish but without any stand out songs. I like the sound but there's nothing there to get into
Britpop, rock psicodélico. Ni fu ni fa.
Remarkably fine.
Pretty standard Britpop fare. Not bad, but nothing compelling.
Le problème avec The Verve, c'est qu'on a l'impression qu'ils sont toujours à deux doigts de lâcher Bitter Sweet Symphony et cela nous empêche d'être totalement détendus.
Aucun intérêt, va chier Robert
Most of the album is somewhat languishing music to which I'm not in the mood. History is an amazing song though!
I only knew The Verve from the hits off of Urban Hymns, I like this more alternative sound.
A solid 80s alternative album. The instrumentation is quite nice, though I found the lyricism and tone kind of lacking. Overall fine, and certainly not too boring.
Surprised by the reviews here as I thought this one was much better than whatever Bittersweet Symphony was off of. Yes, still overly gratuitous when it comes to the draggy ballads and overall track lengths, but there were some good guitar tones and bigger moments that actually worked pretty well.
Sombre et pesant, parfait pour mon état d’esprit. Les premières pistes ont capté mon attention, mais par la suite mon intérêt s’est dilué
On day 748, I finally get to this album. It's not bad.. I would listen to it again, though to me there's no track that largely stands out. Abit different from the usual britpop, it has a more dreamy element to it, definitely less pop. 3.5
ya know pretty cool sometimes, not bad. a bit long. did not need to be an hour. but i liked a lot of it kinda. stormy clouds was pretty cool. ocean coulda been cut. i can sort of tell just by listening to this that they must think they are a very important group. they’re British so of course they’re going to think that. they’re neat, but they’re not that important.
A great Brit pop record but these guys have better records, still enjoyed though
I've heard their name before and I'm pretty sure I've heard some of their music. I like this album, and some of the tracks really stand out for me, like 'So It Goes' (the intro, by the way, reminds me of Phish's 'Prince Caspian', another song I like very much, with a little Velvet Underground mixed in...by the way, I make these comparisons as sincere compliments -- all music we hear is influenced, based off, or connected to so much other music; art in general works like that, and it's wonderful). 'Reprise' is an interesting exploration. Very nicely done.
Very similar to other 90s Brit pop/alt
Some brilliance (History), some excellent indie rock (This is music), some cool funky indie (Life's an ocean), some charming acoustic/strings on a par with Drugs don't work (On my own), some vaguely interesting indie shoegaze noodling (A northern star). The rest is weak.
Very different to Urban Hymns - it was like if Robbie Williams fronted a shoegaze band. Some really great stuff but lost its way meandering towards the end
Middling psychedelic brit-pop-rock. If I was wondering if any of The Verve's backlog was close in quality to the stellar Bittersweet Symphony, that question has now been resolved. There were some parts I enjoyed quite much, especially some more shoegaze-oriented parts. On the whole, this was pretty forgettable though.
Nothing bad here, just very unremarkable. Don’t know what else to say. It’s really a 2.5, but I’m being nice cuz the album didn’t do anything offensive.
A new decade - 3 This is music - 4 On your own - 4.5 So it goes - 3.5 Northern soul-2 Brainstorm- 2 Drive you home-3 History- 5 No knock-2.5 Life’s an ocean-2.5 Stormy clouds-3 Reprise-3 Started off strong and ended with a lull. Was thinking a 4 in the beginning but it ended up with too many forgettable tracks. Has some great songs though. History and on your own are great. Not as forgettable as others may suggest but I agree I could used a bit more excitement. Mid to high 3 Best: history, on your own, this is music
A classic Alt rock hangout that vibes for days and worthy of another listen at least.
Pretty sure I confused the Verve and The Verve Pipe throughout the years. The singers voice reminds a little bit of Bono from U2. Solid album with nice mixture of sounds and songs. Thought the 1st half of the album was much better than the 2nd, but nothing really really outright offensive. A few songs went on a little too long and probably could have cut off a few songs to get under an hour, but this is definitely an improvement over the last several albums we have reviewed. A few songs that stood out for me include A New Decade, So It Goes, A Northern Soul and my personal favorite, On Your Own. My biggest complaint is it went form a solid rock vibe to pretty mellow, but overall I thought these guys were pretty good. I'm may spend a little time and check out some of their other material. I'll give these guys a 3.5. With no half stars, the scorecard will show a 3. Just couldn't get to that 4 mark
Really pretty songs. Huge production on the remastered version.
surprising and enjoyable how noisy and psychedelic this was for Britpop, but way too long and way too meandering as a full album of similar tracks
I was expecting more of the Bitter Sweet Symphany but after resetting my expectations, this wasn't horrible. This was like the Brits version of grunge. They probably cared too much, which is why it didn't work as well as American grunge.
It was good, I just never got into them. Clearly they are a good band. just not my jam.
Rock alternativo.
Britpop, rock psicodélico. Ni fu ni fa.
Album 34 of 1001 The Verve - A Northern Soul Favorite Track : Drive You Home Rating : 3 / 5 Not bad. Sound like a lot of other bands. Songs were fine but all seemed quite similar.
The album was good, I think I've discovered that The Verve is my cup of tea. The mellowness and chord progressions sits very well with me, been quite fond of shoegaze in general which I would consider this album to be to some degree. Unfortunately there was no song that really stood out to me, and the whole album sort of blended together a bit to me, probably something I would put on in the background to create a certain mood rather than actually "listen" to. I actually don't really see why it's on the list at all to be honest, the 'Urban Hymns' album was straight out better in all regards and this album doesn't feel like it brings anything special or something that you don't get from that other album.
Another The Verve album. I preferred Urban Hymns to this which i felt had more catchy tunes and hits (not just "Bitter Sweet Symthony"!). Nothing really stood out on this album but I generally enjoy the sound when I'm in the mood for ambient rock. I mean it is what says on the can, if you like The Verve and shoegaze, you will like this.
I really liked the style and instrumentation here, but almost every song went on for at least a minute too long. I wish they’d tightened it up.
I think Richard Ashcroft is a cool guy and this is a cool album. Low key britpop with a bit of swagger and musicality. The Verve, despite being the lesser exposed of the 90s lad bands somehow remains terminally uncool. Oasis and Blur have their accolytes, Pulp have their cult following (despite having at most three songs) and yet the verve. Who listens to *them*? Well, I did, twice, and possibly possibly never again.
I find when an album crosses an hour it’s usually too long. Clocking in at just over an hour this was no exception. I can’t point to what to cut but just not tight enough for me.
Highlights: Drive You Home, (Reprise)
Better then expected but nothing really great. But it had some good tunes!
Not a bad listen, underwhelming at times, but for the most part a decent effort. For me, so many Brit-pop bands remind me of Radiohead with Bono from U2 on vocals, which is okay, but a bit too generic sounding for my tastes.
Started strong and faded.
A bit slow and melancholy, not really a patch on Urban Hymns.
Good stuff
Generally a good album with great vocals. Nothing stood out too much, but not in a bad way I guess. The album cover reminds me of Queen. Fave track(s): Life's An Ocean, Stormy Clouds
Hasn't aged well for me, muddy 90s still.
All songs sounded pretty similar
It was alright, I guess
Nice music, poppy
I didn’t pay much attention. I will come back to it at sont point.
The Verve are at an interesting crossroads on this album. Do they lean into the more experimental alternative side, or stay on the more melodic Britpop side. They tried to go both ways. The result is a very uneven album and one that is just too noisy at times. When they slow down and let the songs develop and the music meander, then they sound much more coherent. There is a way to blend melodic sensibilities with more experimental music (see Radiohead’s the Bends released the same year), but they do not succeed at doing that. Additionally, the runtime is too long. Having said all that, I do find that this album has some very beautiful moments.
So apparently I'm a Verve fan now. Surprisingly good for the most part. Better than anything Oasis tried to feed us.
Not fully my style. Lots of noise and lots of mumbling without much redemption in catchy riffs or hooks.
Look, I like Oasis so I like this... wait, this isn't Oasis? Oh, I guess it's not. I really was digging this until about half-way through when it bogged down and the vocals became less "Northern Soul" and more... off-key wail. It just loses all of its energy and vigor and goes flat. "A Northern Soul" was almost great but, on balance, it's just alright. Oasis did it better and with more guts.
The Verve before they were particularly bothered about songs. To fully appreciate this sonic onslaught I feel like I need to play it loud through speakers, sit in a comfy armchair, and fall into a trance while the psychedelic sounds wash over me. But I don’t think I could sustain a trance for 64 minutes; I’d get all restless and fidgety.
90’er indierock, britisk, meget fint, måske liiidt for flydende
Seeing "The Verve" made me immediately realize how much I hated their later track Bitter Sweet Symphony which (in the US at least) was played incessantly and was/is boring mopey dreck. This is a bit different - I wouldn't call this anything remotely unique or remotely revolutionary, or.... even memorable? It's not *necessarily* a slight - it's essentially fairly decent British 90s rock but man does it get boring over the long haul. As for the occasional spin, it's not a bad thing. Perhaps damning with faint praise but eh you can do worse, although the more this goes on the more I want to downgrade to a 2... I suppose gimme any random 4 songs at a time from this and that's enough. 5/10 3 stars.
I do love a bit of The Verve and Richard Ashcroft. This isn’t my favourite Verve album, I prefer Urban Hymns but this was very welcome. Not sure if I could spin it twice on the trot because it tends to stay on a morose note and the songs all merge after a while. But not only does it have Northern Soul, it definitely has the soul of the North. it’s full of brooding and loss and loneliness. When you’re lying alone in bed, listening to Richard Ashcroft wailing ‘I’m gonna die alone in bed’ the prospect of ending up as food for your cats becomes almost palpable. Frankly, if this was a perfume, the base note would be self-flagellation and the top note would be incessant rain.
I bought "Urban Hymns" on the strength of "Bittersweet Symphony," but, try as I might, I could never get into the album. I repeatedly listened to it, thinking that something might click. I didn't dislike it, there just wasn't ever anything to grab hold of, even after repeated listens. For that reason, I was glad to get served a different album by the band — maybe this would be the album that spoke to me. I feel exactly the same about this album as I did the other. There are compelling moments and passages, there's an overall sound that has promise. But the material simply fails to stick. It's like the band is composing and playing for its own enjoyment without a care for the listener. That's fine. Have at it. There's lots of other stuff to listen to.
I like this band but I would almost never think of putting on one of their albums. I love that semi-psychedelic sound in A Northern Soul (the song). Upon this listen I feel like I heard influence on bands that came after Brainstorm Interlude - Radiohead? Drive you Home - Jeff Tweedy?
Where are the hits?
Honestly thought these guys were kind of a one hit wonder... Not bad though 3/5
This album was... Bittersweet. Maybe I am missing something but urban hymns is their big record right? 2.7
This was fine it kinda made me feel like I went too harsh on the Pet Shop Boys album cause I think that one was more fun for me. 2.8
Vaguely entertaining, but a bit bland.
I'm more of an Urban Hymns guy.
Dreamy, relaxing rock. There's nothing wrong with it, but nothing that pulls me in either. If I had to listen to this again, I don't think I'd complain, but I wouldn't be clamoring for the headphones either. It does go on a little long. The album would have benefited from a little more liberal cutting.
This Is Music - 3 stars On Your Own - 5 stars So It Goes - 4 stars A Northern Soul - 2.5 stars Brainstorm Interlude - 2.5 stars Drive You Home - 3 stars History - 5 stars No Knock On My Door - 3 stars Stormy Clouds - 2.5 stars (Reprise) - 2.5 stars
Probably not the iconic album but it displays their versatility
Got some vibes but like most 90s albums, too long.
Like, it sounded good but nothing stuck in my brain.
13th December 2022 Listened in the evening while playing Hades. Traitors in the evening. More sonic than other 90s Brit pop bands, heads in the clouds but with one leg in the garage still.
I always think of this as my favourite Verve album, and maybe it is, but it's a bit of a dirge, saved by a few great moments, especially On Your Own which I love
I get why people may like them but The Verve were never a band for me. This is Music has one of the most cringe worthy lines ever recorded. I don't hate the rest of the album and even would go as far as saying I love the song, On Your Own (which I swear I used to think was Mercury Rev)
J’aime le mood, c’est aérien comme rock.
2nd half was better, but maybe that should because there were fewer distractions (listened to in transit, a couple songs at a time) HL: “History” “On your Own” “So it Goes” “No Knock…”, “Life’s an Ocean” 3.5 Nov 29 2022
Pretty good but too long. I got bored after awhile.
I can definitely hear the similarities to Radiohead on this album but despite listening to it twice, I just could not get into this. It wasn't horrible but it just never really caught my interest. 2.5 rounded up bc I didn't actively dislike it, it just didn't do anything for me.
Pretty solid britpop album but not super consistent.
Heard a few Verve songs before but not from this album. Deeply introspective. Not exactly a pick-me-up listen with slower brooding songs. You’d have to be in a certain mood for this one, a mood I’m not often in. Well done record but not one I’d buy.
Nice music and overall good album
Mostly bland shoe gaze with good guitar work. History is a lovely ballad and you can see where they were heading.
Long but consistent
More Brit Pop!!! Not as good as Urban Hymns but still a good sound
Starting off I didn't like it, but it grew on me by the end.
Pretty chill
This is a bit of a come down after their debut, A Storm in Heaven, though there are plenty of highlights such as History, Drive You Home and the final track (reprise). As such it's probably unsatisfying to both fans of both their first and third albums - not psychedelic enough for the former, not Britpop enough for the latter.
I ended up warming up to this more than I thought. At first it sounded like a more annoying version of oasis but then it opened up into some pretty fun rock
Although overshadowed by the next release (and the omnipresent Bitter Sweet Symphony), this showcases the elements that made The Verve a very good band. Pop hooks and layered guitars with somewhat overblown lyrics (which can be said for a lot of brit pop). This is attempt at grand rock songs (in some cases sprawling) that sometimes reach its lofty goals.
In general I like the Verve but I think this album is just ok. Nothing here approaches Bittersweet Symphony.
Much more loose and jammy than your average Britpop. Because of that it's also much less hooky. Listening to this was like asking your friend to toss you a candy bar and instead they toss you a bag of homemade energy bites they concocted in their kitchen. Alright I guess.
Pretty of-the-times Britpop, which to me is almost saying something but not enough. It all sounds fine but nothing jumps out to me that is very interesting, it's all competent though.
I only knew these guys from Bittersweet Symphony, and turns out this one doesn’t sound much like that at all. Mellow, drifting sometimes into droning.
do not see myself listening again
I don't really find this band that engaging. Pretty standard mopey alternative.
VERY similar to oasis their greatest hits aren't here but the album as a whole isn't bad 3.5
Ei ollu ihan koko levyä kuunneltavissa. Kuitenkaan en usko, että puuttuvat pilais kohtalaisen hyvää kokonaisuutta
If Pablo Honey era Radiohead was more influenced by Hendrix
Britpop. Verzerrt. Hängender Gesang
Never really liked the verve, still don't. Obvious parallels with other moany overblown music of the same era.
Couple of good tracks otherwise I wasn’t terribly moved by the album. Very cool feel to the album tho.
A serviceable if forgettable mid-90s Britpop/shoegaze album. Nothing wrong with it really. It has a couple of interesting songs and seems to improve on repeated listening. Fave Songs: Drive You Home, History, No Knock on My Door, (Reprise), So It Goes
Felt like classic 90s.
Its 90s brit rock. if its for you its for you. It sort of bounces off me. I am not a huge fan of the lead singer's upper register.
ok, 3/5
not bad
legalzinho mas nao é muito o que curto ouvir
Gets kinda noisy in the middle.
Not sure why this is the album to make this list. It's fine, nothing standout.
The definition of 3 star rock
I liked this album. I like it more than Urban Hymns. Spacey and atmospheric, I think they pull it off really well. It starts out great, bogs down a bit in the middle but ends with a couple really strong tracks. Urban Hymns always sounded too polished and too "rock star" like. I never warmed to it which is why I never explored any other releases from their catalogue. 3.5 stars
Nice to hear another side of The Verve it probably deserves a few more listens but it didn't really do a lot for me today.
I liked this album. I like it more than Urban Hymns. Spacey and atmospheric, I think they pull it off really well. It starts out great, bogs down a bit in the middle but ends with a couple really strong tracks. Urban Hymns always sounded too polished and too "rock star" like. I never warmed to it which is why I never explored any other releases from their catalogue. 3.5 stars
Like a soundtrack for One Tree Hill?
Not bad, 90s brit-rock, Oasis meets early Radiohead.
A great album save for the fact that it drags in the second half.
I've never really enjoyed the Verve. His voice annoys me and this album is pretty boring. I'm giving it a 3 but it's just middle of the road. Not memorable at all
A typical Verve album with ups and downs, where you start skipping several songs on the album, but really listen to the few marvels on here (like History)
Sickly leopard Richard Ashcroft is still in his "mad" phase. Mix of plodding indie with shoegaze/MBV guitars. This is probably a seminal album if you come from Wigan and hadn't heard anything else. Best Tracks: This Is Music; On Your Own; History
Really enjoyed when they went into the heavier parts of the album, it almost felt like a mix of U2 and Oasis but more aggressive. If it were a bit more consistent it would be an easy 4.