A Northern Soul

Noise

Always remeber this band as the one hit wonder that got sued (always thought thats why they stopped). Not the album with the hits. The album is okey, very date 90s brit pop. Same time as Oasis so i guess it was all the rage for the 90s and then faded after Oasis broke up.

This really shouldn't be on the list considering the album with Bittersweet Symphony is already here. These songs go literally nowhere. They are fine. They are background Oasis filler tracks. The sound is fine - not offensive, and I probably wouldn't even take it off if it was on because it sounds fine. But there's so much other music worth putting on in the first place.

These guys are alright but I am sure I didn’t need to hear two albums by them

Ok but not a classic. The stand out track history is not quite as good as I remember though it got me through a break-up.

Boring. Dreadfully boring. I’m astounded they were able to write so many songs that I could forget as they were happening. Once again, this list platforms an uninteresting album because of the UK bias. I hung on for some time, but when my brain had the thought “is this still going on?” I knew there was no hope for this album, nor any reason for it to be on the list.

I kept waiting for someone to happen. It didn't.

More interesting than I expected, but I could not get into it on this day. I did not expect all the long drawn out instrumental jamming sections. I thought of these guys as pure britpop (the bittersweet symphony guys) and not psychadelia. I do generally have a taste for things like that but it didn't hit me with this - maybe even the association with britpop unfairly put me off.

About as boring as the suede album I heard

Only know them for later hit…this album was an inkling of what was to come.

To brzmi jak takie słabsze Radiohead z elementami Muse. Nic dziwnego, że to One Hit Wonder, niewiele więcej mają do zaoferowania. Bardzo wtórne, pozbawione tożsamości. 5.5/10

I thought this was going to be better based solely on Urban Hymns, but this ended up being a real snoozer for me

Cool use of sound at times but still very bland

fart

The British bias on this list is showing. A slog!

This was better than Urban Hymns, which is ironic because Urban Hymns was in rotation in my house during the cd era

im so sick of britpop make it end... unless its the verve they're alright

2 out of 5. I can't imagine very many rock albums getting a low score from me but this is one of them unfortunately. The songs really did all blend together for me, but something should be said for the cohesiveness I suppose.

3+ stars oyt if 5

some brief moments of britpop brilliance, but mostly a bit of a bore. it's not bad, but compared to their contemporaries, this one feels a bit underwhelming. the lead singer's voice is a little bit off in places that make this one a little bit rough to listen to at points.

Sold their souls to the devil, and got nothing in return.

4 stars

Buen disco aunque no soy capaz de destacar una canción.

# Album Name: A Northern Soul # Artist: The Verve # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Theres a lot of noise in this album. Im not sure if it knows what it is. Too many songs are in the 5-6 mins range unnecessarily. Some of its not bad, but it just feels long for the sake of being long. Wandering off aimlessly. History is the stand out song on the album. This is a glimpse into where the verve are heading as a band. Banging tune. Some people may not like it but its the best of what the verve becomes as a band. This didnt do it for me. Im surprised because i enjoy bands like this. Maybe i need to give it another listen? but for now, im going with a 3. # Top Tunes: New decade / this is music / History # Would I listen to it again? 50-50.

Well this certainly made my work commute worse

Meh

This is an album I listened to. This is the end of my review.

I'm struck by: 1) how stylistically similar this is to Urban Hymns; and 2) how much better that album is in every respect. It's almost like these were demos and they spent the next 18 months editing and rewriting the songs, building their chops, working together as a unit, and then they went into a top notch studio and recorded a masterpiece. Urban Hymns would/will get 5 stars. This doesn't.

Generic cover art to match generic sound. Nothing to see here.

Maybe the band was angry at each other and the world, but that doesn’t mean I have to find the music interesting.

Kind of all runs together

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Ganz okay.

Well now. Mr Hatter told me to prepare myself to be awarding a 5 for this one. Sorry sir no can do. It was the musical equivalent of mashed potato. Mushy nothingness, without even any buttter or even a sprinkling of chives to give it some flavour or even visual appeal. The musicianship was ok, so not a 1, just. And only just scrapes a 2.

Still a go to album for me. They can really bring it on tracks like ‘This Is Music’ but then can switch into a dreamy psychedelic trance on tracks like ‘Life’s an Ocean’. The guitar work and interplay with Richard’s vocal is just mesmerising. The overall atmosphere created on the album is just incredible, and it stands on a par with the more commercially successful ‘Urban Hymns’. I feel lucky to have seen them back in the day, and they were just as brilliant when playing live.

I prefer this album to Urban Hynms as it has a much more raw sound to the production. The guitars is proper psyche style, the perfect balance between the noise of their earlier material and the watered down latter stuff. After seeing them live several times when they were just 'Verve' around the time of their first few singles, I was very surprised when I first heard 'History', then the rest of the album by its subtlety and cohesiveness of the songwriting, and thought at the time there is a bright future ahead for Ashcroft and co.

"Hey, these guys kinda sound like Be Here Now-era Oasis!" "Actually, I hear early Stereophonics." "I hear some Second Coming-era Stone Roses in there too." "And some Chemical Brothers, even." "There's even a little bit of early Coldplay in there." Truth is, all those bands sound like them. And when Richard Ashcroft says on the title track that he's gonna die alone in bed, he sounds more than a little like the Northern souls from down the road in Liverpool who they're all really chasing. Phony Beatlemania has rarely worked this well, both as elegy ("On Your Own," which feels ragged and Plastic Ono-y in the best ways) and as muted, half-shrugging optimism ("History," which doesn't outpunch "Eleanor Rigby" in the strings department but at least goes the distance). The Harrisonesque stretch-outs throughout the album only add to the ambience.

Best Song: On Your Own. There's something comforting about this kind of soft, 90s boy melancholy. Worst Song: Stormy Clouds. It was about this point in the album that I realized how done I was with the monotony. Overall: Real generic. Nothing to hate, but not much even to like.

Surprisingly decent, though there's still some meh stuff there that I expect from a lot of The Verve

Sonnet and Bittersweet Symphony I could listen to all day - This album is haunting and electric - I never heard the album through!

Just ok. A bit angsty, like much of the 90s rock was.

Pretty good, I was nicely surprised by this.

It sounds like music Stillwater would make

Muy buen disco, geniales arreglos y letras fuertes acompañados de buen rock. Supongo que el muchacho Dylan tuvo buenos maestros en casa.

As far as album art goes this is one of them. Looks like all four members' mugshots levitating on a black backdrop, except for the guy at the bottom who looks as if he's angry at you for daring to pick up the album. I recall being surprised by the psych-infusion of the first album on this list and this one delves even deeper into those pools. For all the angst of that cover, this is a delightfully loose and airy psych-indie-pop album. Opener A New Decade creates a ton of space in the instrumental for a lightly drugged out, airy feel. Paired with the strong vocals that separated The Verve, this is a highly effective song. This is Music may have a terrible song name, but is great atmospheric rock that delves into a sludgier space than I expected. All that sludge is cleaned off summarily on On Your Own -- a tender acoustic ballad. A Norther Soul has a sort of (more) drugged-out Lenny Kravitz energy to it and I'm all about it. Brainstorm Interlude is a solid 5 minute jam out. Loving all of the psychedelic effects overlaid -- this is fun. I like the sleepy, but sweet instrumental sprawl on Drive You Home, but the vocals are kind of meh. Life's an Ocean is another really solid atmospheric jam as well. Nothing showy, but this shit is clearly made for sinking into. Vibing hard with (Reprise). There were a few times throughout where there were long quiet intros and I thought the album was already done (e.g., Life's An Ocean > Stormy Clouds) and each time I was okay with that being the end. That said, while this ran long, I never felt like it was a chore. All said, I really enjoyed this one. While it doesn't have anything that touches the popular appeal of Bitter Sweet Symphony, I loved how expansive the songs were here and the atmospheres they generated. For me this falls in the high 4 realm -- a damned solid record.

Pretty bland and whiny tbh. Paired well with a rainy day, but overall not very enjoyable and no Bittersweet Symphony to bail it out. High 2

Been over 2 years since our last Verve album. This one was just ok really. Kind of all sounded the same with a lot of noise going on and a dull singer. Got kind of bored through some parts and it was not good enough to be over an hour long.

The end of this album was awesome. Super psychedelic and fun. Big fan.

Good sound but it gets boring after the first 2 to 3 tracks.

The mid to late 90’s for me was when I was really getting into bands. It was the middle of the Britpop era, and I was playing Urban Hymns and Be Here Now on repeat. I missed out on A Northern Soul and never really got round to listening it back then. So I was glad I finally got a chance to listen to it now… And for 50 minutes, I was taken back in time to being 13 again. Richard Ashcroft’s vocals. Nick McCabe’s guitar. It stirred memories. It’s very rare for an album to do that for me. But I’m sitting here reminiscing about times gone by. I can’t rate this album any less than five stars. It’s stirred something in me. I will probably listen to it again countless times, and I’m grateful it came up as my pick. Standout tracks - I can’t pick all of them, so I’ll go with A New Decade & Brainstorm Interlude

Ganske ok, kult at dette kom ut før dei to hitsa

2 out of 5 Not my vibe

Damn I do not like britpop, certainly hoping I’ve run down the amount that could even be in this list. I’ve realized that when I mock british accents, it’s not really speaking voices I’m mimicking but the way britpop singers sound.

Nicely melancolic rock edge. Always had a soft spot towards this album.

This shit sucked in the 90s. It didn't age any better. Probably one of the most overrated and over blown bands in the last 30 years. (I can think of a few more, but this is a Verve review). If you love this band, you are lying to yourself

I liked it, wasn't as impactful as urban hymns but cool alternative. Reminded me a bit of Radiohead around the same time. The last track though was a bit long to be honest, maybe a bit unnecessary.

A lot better than I was expecting

This was a little bit depressing to listen to, and proved I'm not a fan of The Verve, which I already thought was the case, but now I know for sure.

1001 albums and several editions and there’s (at least) TWO Verve albums amongst the entirety of music albums. Condensed to 1000. And there’s TWO. That is BUCK WILD.

I really liked A Northern Soul. I think it has been quite a while since i have heard anything of the britpop variety on this project so this album was a pretty nice return to that for me. My favorite part about this album is easily how melodic it sounds. I guess it is where the shoegaze tag comes in for this album but this album definitely felt like it had a very relaxing sense of noise to it. I also thought that Richard Ashcroft's vocals are just perfect for this kind of music since it adds to the melodic nature so well. It is also interesting to hear Liam Gallagher add some hand claps on the song History. It can drag on a little bit but i still enjoyed this album quite a lot. Best Song: This Is Music Worst Song: [Reprise]

Interesting but Urban Hymns is better.

Loving this album. Great band. I think the big single from the '97 album eclipsed this for me as my introduction to the band, but this is superb.

Kinda held my attention a bit

I have mixed feelings about the Verve. Their heaviness and bombastic feel, the downtempo extravagance and over-engineered wall of guitar sound is both exhilarating and frustrating. Exhilarating because of the sheer grandeur of the sound. That huge bass, the snare crack, guitar pyrotechnics without a respite. Unbelievably tight playing and production to match. Perfectly executed. But it's frustrating because I really don't care much about what they have to say. And if I did find even a slight bit of meaning, it's lost in a strange narcissistic haze. Style before substance, once again. It's all a bit much, though. The interminably long ballads made me feel like a trapped animal trying to get away. The heavier, bigger songs sound phoned in, as perfectly executed as they are. I would rather listen to pretty much any other post-grunge stalwarts - Pearl Jam, Collective Soul, Bush even. They sure do sound like Rock Stars™ though.

67/1089 a solid britpop/rocky album, maybe not as good as Urban Hymns but it was a decent listen faves: So It Goes, Drive You Home and (Reprise)

This is not a totally accurate description but I'm calling this album "The Sad Hot Chili Peppers" This band did not deserve 2 albums on the list

Kind of like a knock off worse early Radiohead mixed with oasis. Which is fine but not anything special.

A couple of good songs, but most others ones are forgettable. There’s a lot of parts on this album there barely anything happens and the music is basically a drone. It didn’t work to build atmosphere for me and was pretty underwhelming. I liked the noisier tracks here, but there’s only a couple of them.

Coming in I only knew these guys from Bittersweet Symphony. Now I know them from that and a mediocre album. 4/10

Solid pop rock if unfocused and a bit excessive at times

It was good. Really liked the last song

I like how dreamy it is

I dod not like this. It seems like a bridge between a sub echo and the bunnymen and the britpop they were to become (which i loved). Hos voice doesnt seem to have settled and the whole album is weirdly monotonous.

Unpopular opinion but I liked this more than Urban Hymns. A bot front-loaded, but still a great record.

Like Oasis but not as good.

The Verve, a sophisticated Oasis. Gorgeous album.

I don't want to deal with this right now. It sounds like: I rated their "Urban Hymns" with a four, as I was *pleasantly* bored and I'm inclined to think "A Northern Soul" sits in between that and The Verve's debut which I quite liked, back then. So four it is, again.

This reminds me of an off brand Oasis. A good option if your in that kind of mood.

It was good I liked it. I had a compilation of their greatest hits a long time ago. Its cool but lots of Brits so far. Loved "This is Music", "On your own", "History" and, "Reprise".

hell yeah

Cool laid back vibe Very diverse samples, fun You can hear their enthusiasm The lyrics don't do much for me

Dirge-y

This is Music starts the record off real strong. But it goes downhill pretty fast from there. …and then it picks up again midway through

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.

I was enjoying the album, then at some point every song just sounded like the one that preceded it.

Whiny, dreary, a slog and a half, abysmal

Not a bad record at all. If any of these songs came on the radio, I wouldn't change the station. But not special.

I'm of an age / era where it was obligatory to own 'Urban Hymns', which is a great album. This album sounds very similar, but I didn't warm to it at all. It was ok, but there were no standout tracks.

Kinda forgot about it Will I listen to again: 11%

Not too much here,but not bad. A one hit wonder band, but that's on another album.

The songs blended into each other, no standouts for me. I didn’t dislike but wouldn’t go back to it

Kind of droning throughout but I like it a lot more than other albums on this list. I don’t know if I agree it belongs here but it was good. I’ll give this four stars understanding it’s not everyone’s speed.

Actually nowhere near as bad as I was expecting, and quite enjoyable for considerable periods, although equally it did become a bit too much in patches. I was unconvinced with the vocals at first - throughout the album I was flip flopping between "Jesus Christ, shut the fuck up mate" and "actually this guy can carry a melody fairly well", but he fits within the spacey, diffuse, drowned in reverb template that The Verve exercise here. The running time is a bit unnecessary for me - 45-50 minutes max would have done just fine, but I made it all the way through which has to count for something. There was enough on offer here to warrant a revisit down the line, though I'm perhaps not in any great hurry for it.

Shite, turgid Gallagher-lite dross. It's chock full of meandering dirges. Pedestrian sound of British decline. Feels like going 3mph bus tour of Bolton in a clapped out British Leyland. Sixty four minutes of watching magnolia emulsion soak into a white wall.

I am always looking for this sound. Where did it originate? I will keep looking further back. A full, complete album.

ahah so I've found the spacey noodlers of the Britpop era. A bit of a shame On Your Own was a single, its a bit trash with the failed counter-tenor. A Northern Soul is wonderful for its noisiness, but I have to admit I don't really understand the group's need to align with the UK soul movement so hard, its not soulful at all! Brainstorm Interlude is cool and actually could probably be shoe-horned into a soul if you took all the psych nonsense away. Way too long though. I stopped really paying attention after History.

Mwah

I wasn't into this at all. Soundscape-y guitars with no strong melody and a singer who hits notes like a mid-horseshoe player hits pins. Not something I'd necessarily turn off if it came on because it's not much different than nothing for background noise, but also nothing here I'd seek out again. 2/5

U2's little brothers or something. I do like this more than U2 though, by a lot. The album is way too long though. 2.5/5

het titelnummer en laatste nummer zijn goed... rest is goed om te gebruiken in Guantanamo Bay

Overall: 7/10 Honestly pretty good. I love the guitar sound on this album, it's very floaty and pleasing. The songwriting itself doesn't have a ton of variety and the vocals are kind of mediocre but the actual melodies and instrumentals work really well together. It reminds me of old Radiohead a bit. I might be giving it too much credit honestly, but I had a good time with it. Definitely shouldn't be on this list though. Fav Song: So It Goes

Bara hunnit lyssna två gånger. Är kanske inte golvade men jag gillar skivan överlag. Sån här shoegaze man kan omfamna. Jag tror nog jag skulle kunna lyssna mer. Det är ändå rätt behagligt. Har aldrig lyssnat ordentligt på the verve. Deras två hits har man ju lyssnat sönder, de är svårt bra. Så kul att de gjort mer bra (denna skivan när ju inte bittersweet och drugs -nivåer dock).

Det här är ett sound som tilltalar mig. Lite britpop, lite grunge, lite shoegaze och överlag en härligt drömmig atmosfär. Förutom History så saknas de visserligen låtar som sticker ut, men det är ändå ett genomgående väldigt stabilt och solitt hantverk.

Never liked them

Not bad but not particularly special to me.

Hm. I'm honestly not sure why we get two The Verve albums in this collection, and while it sounds like this album was far more anticipated than their later "Urban Hymns", I was pretty underwhelmed by it (much as I felt about the later album, to be fair). There weren't too many tracks I found particularly interesting (and some were atrocious, like "Drive you home"), but "So it goes" was pretty entertaining, as was the laid back "Life's an ocean". The Wikipedia entry for this album is ridiculously long and remarkably poorly written, but it *did* have an interesting quote from a reviewer that this album could have been a modern Led Zeppelin album, and that resonated a bit with me. But I'm pretty sure I could've gone to my grave without listening to this album.

favorite part was the song History which started with lines from William Blake's poem about London. The rest was fine--didn't really grab me.

This list looks more and more like "1001 Albums British People Need to Listen Before They Die"... I’m sorry, but the giganormous Brit-centric (and more generally Anglo-centric) bias is starting to show, and it's depressing. Do I really need to listen to every band that had some small degree of passing fame in the UK in the last 50 years ?... Verve is not a terrible band, and this album is not terrible either. But I really fail to see what it brings to the table in terms of creativity. With about as much punch as a glass of water, it’s rehashed, vanilla pop-rock tailored for radio stations. There are a few dreamy / psychedelic moments that could have been interesting, but they pale in comparison with what Radiohead was doing at the same time. Tolerable as background music, but also entirely forgettable. Certainly not my idea of an essential album. I tried to find reasons to rate it a 2*, but not one song stood out, not one moment surprised me – so no. 2/10

An interesting listen....much more then let's say Oasis ! They have something but their identity is not well defined (compared to...Oasis) as the album is not always consistent.

Definitely not my taste, it’s not horrible either

I didn’t like their next album when it first came out, so I gave this one some extra attention to see if age or … maturity might soften my initial impression of the band. It just came off again like some generic Brit shoegaze / pop with absolutely nothing standing out. Not that I really dislike it, it just leaves me completely numb. Every time Ashcroft sounds a bit off-key, I remember this is supposed to be a “must hear before you die” album, but honestly, it feels more like another dodgy Brit thing that might finish me off before I make it to the end of the list.

Can see where urban hymns came from, decent record if a little self indulgent

2/5

Really good, sounds a lot like the Stone Roses. Had only really listened to Urban Hymns previously

I very much like this album. Completely loved their first album and I still think it's better than this one. Somehow it sounds a little more mature to me. But this one is quite good too. I also like Urban Hymns and wish I hadn't heard Bittersweet Symphony so many times that I skip it now. This one though, I love the wall of sound vibe. It feels warm and encompassing. I don't even have to know all the lyrics. I just play it and let it flow over me. (I could skip the title track though. It's the one that's too noisy and repetitive. Not the worst. Just not as good.) I've always loved Richard Ashcroft and his vocal stylings. In truth I find his first 2 solo albums to be equal to these Verve albums. They're just a bit different, but equally awesome. While I love songs like Brainwave Interlude for the jamming, I can sure understand why someone wouldn't like it. Everything is not for everybody. I do think this album belongs on the Listen before you die list. Will surely be listening to it a few more times before I go.

Could definitely tell it was from the 90’s. Did enjoy one very emo song

it was ight.

Verve is a British Matchbox 20 but sounds a little like Smashing Pumpkins.

Great, dark, psychedelic Britpop. Would never have gone out of my way to listen to this, but enjoyed it on a dog walk and listened to the whole thing. Some of the songs don’t seem to fit the sequence, but that’s only a minor issue. I give this album a B, or 3/5 stars

It was alright, nothing stood out to me but maybe I need to listen to it again.

It’s fine, not good, not great….fine

3.5

Remarkably boring. A few decent ballad like songs near the middle of its run but otherwise forgettable - Oasis without the drama and mystic. I hated the unavoidably inescapable Bittersweet Symphony in the later 1990s solely due to airplay. There was little here to convince me to give the band another try. 2/5

Getting psychedelic 70's Rock vibes from this 90's band. The first few tracks had some strange mixing where the vocals were too quiet compared to the instruments behind it. The album definitely peaked in the middle with the end points being my least favorite. Overall: 2.5/5

Mid

Holy shit this album cover is hot trash. 2.5/5

this guy has a hardon for this group. this the 2nd one that has come up, and outside Britain, no one cares. this is like that "i was in my early 20's finding myself in the late 90's, bro. this is my soundtrack." unless you are shuffling thru a Sears or Walgreens in 2003, this shit doesn't play to non fans. i am being mean, but that album art, this sound, it falls flat and ages poorly. 2/5

Boring with some positive outliers. I used to think that singing in tune was overrated. but after listening to this I really do see the merits of it. Can someone teach Richard Ashcroft to sing?

Blah blah blah blah

Like the general vibe, but a mixed bag, feels like they were still finding their feet, or possibly just too addled to hold it all together.

Up and down, but a nice taste of Brit-pop.

The verve have a cool sound but nothing here grabbed me.

buon brit poppo

nope

The 90s English vibes are strong with this one. It’s very clearly a transitory album between their earlier ambient sound and Urban Hymns. The lyrics and vocal performance significantly pale in the face of the instrumentals, especially the bombastic guitar work. Listened to: going home from work. Favorite tracks: This is Music, Brainstorm Interlude, History

I forgot about The Verve until this album came up and now I can go back to forgetting them.

Fantastic album. Not quite Urban Hymns level but still a solid entry in Britpop.

Relentlessly bland.

Een 3 sterren-album met enkele 4 sterren-nummers

An album full of filler tracks. This one is just bland, fucking bland.

Slow, dull Psychedelic Rock.

3- Pretty bang average. But not by any means bad.

Apparently in the UK the Verve were not a one-hit wonder. This is better than Urban Hymns. They feel like a band very much of the Oasis era. There's something very whiny about this, like they took the angst from grunge but forgot to take the garage band sound that made it feel authentic. This album definitely feels like it is of a time. Maybe I don't like it better than Urban Hymns. This album is depressing enough to put on when you're feeling low, but not good enough to have it scratch that itch. A lot of longer songs too. You aren't the storytellers you think you are, The Verve. Drive You Home just drags on with repeated lyrics. This album isn't bad, but it goes on too long. A boring 6 minute pseudopsychedelic instrumental track to end the album.

I never got into the Britpop scene, but after listening to this album and Oasis’ debut album, I’m thinking I missed some good music. I wasn’t looking forward to hearing this album after a long day, but I was surprised at how good it was. I have no idea why it didn’t make a bigger splash. I even enjoy Richard Ashcroft’s singing more than Liam Gallagher's in a way, though Gallagher has a more unique voice. It seems once Oasis blew up, The Verve was next, but it didn’t happen. One reason might be that it seemed the singer, Ashcroft, & the guitarist, Nick McCabe, started to hate each other. McCabe seemed to be the more serious member of the group & others liked the fringe benefits of rock ‘n’ roll more. The Verve broke up after making this album, reformed without McCabe & made 1 album, then was kaput. This album is enjoyable, but it’s loud. I’m no producer, but something they did during production makes the music become grating after a while & you have to turn it off to give your ears a rest. With that said. I really liked this album & will listen to it in the future. Best songs for me are A New Decade, This Is Music, A Northern Soul, and History. If you’ve never messed with Britpop before, this album is a good one to hear.

A good album, I liked Drive You Home and History the most.

I've got to be honest and say that I thought of The Verve as a poundshop Oasis but I was pleasantly surprised!

not bad, good intro to the bad im really into. will revisit

I mean, it's no Urban Hymns, but it's a very good album. Different to what they're famous for.

I liked this album.

снова видимо попутала кого не люблю (палп, кьюр? но не вёрв?). эти норм, но не сильно увлекли

Meh. 3/5

A northern bore

Enjoyed this album today, it kept my attention throughout.

This was enjoyable enough, I think I prefer their other album on the list but I would listen to this one again.

Quite samey overall. On Your Own: Sounds so quintessentially of its time So It Goes: Cool time signature A Northern Soul: Good in a relentless way History: Very sweet (pity about his voice; the Oasis effect) Life's An Ocean: Pretty cool instrumentation (pity about the voice again)

Like most of alternative 90s Britain, my interest in The Verve began and ended with Urban Hymns. I think I gave this a spin or two but nothing stuck for me. Listening again 30 years later I can see why nothing stuck at the time but I'm also kicking myself for not trying harder. I've really got into this album today; there's a lot more noise elements and the guitars are actually doing a lot more for me than they would subsequently attempt on The Drugs Don't Work and the like. This is a fascinating and atmospheric beast that ebbs and flows with superb bass and effects-laden guitars dancing around Richard Ashcroft at his surreal and swaggering best. It's probably as good as Urban Hymns, certainly darker and moodier, and might actually be even better than its famous, acclaimed sibling. I'm gonna have to go away and listen to their debut properly now, aren't I, dammit?!

Might need to give this one another listen.

This was so boring and generic sounding. I wanted to like this but it just dragged and dragged. I wish I could hear what fans of this hear but I don’t think this belongs on this list. So forgettable, avoiding 1 star because it isn’t painful or abrasive, just so bland

Tiresome

enjoyed more than i thought i would

It was fine

I really like this type of music, but I struggled with this album a bit. It felt both sleepy and indulgent. Almost all of the songs felt too long and a bit repetitive. It feels harsh to give this 2 stars, but there are so many other entries in this genre that feel more worthwhile to me.

Before I listened, I assumed The Verve was a one-hit wonder… turns out I was right. Since the “one-hit” isn’t here, it’s a 2⭐️

Pretty repetitive, most of the songs blend in together but I still enjoyed most of it Best Song: History Rating: 6.0/10 Stars: 3/5

Por alguna razón no conecté casi nada con éste álbum. Creo que hay cierta laxitud en la voz y en la interpretación de la guitarra que aburre. Sin embargo, hay ciertos temas hacia el final del álbum que sí me gustaron como "History", con una buena aplicación de acompañamiento de orquesta, "Life's An Ocean" con un muy buen groove, sobre todo en la línea del bajo. O incluso en el tema final "(Reprise)" que es totalmente instrumental y me pareció un muy buen cierre para el álbum. En fin, lo más memorable para mi de esta banda es que su interpretación de "Bitter Sweet Symphony", que ni siquiera está en este álbum, así que no puedo decir que me haya resultado una experiencia memorable.

Couldn't get into it. 1/5

This is an incredibly non-descript mid-90s guitar rock album. I love 90's guitar rock and this sounds like the band that would open for whichever band I wanted to see. There were maybe two moments where I was kind of engaged, but overall it's just SO bland and unenergetic.

Ok 2/5

A bit boring, but overall good songs. Might be better to listen to just one song. History best song on the album!

this alt/psychedelic rock album from the Verve, a contemporary of Oasis, followed a contentious recording period with a number of famous stories that resulted in a distinctly UK-sounding alt rock album that incorporates some psychedelic soul sampling and creates for a full yet floaty rock album that is very clearly 90s, but in a good way.

Boring Radiohead and Oasis inspired 90's Britpop.

# 534 : A Northern Soul The Verve’s A Northern Soul is a masterclass in musical mediocrity. Not bad enough to hate, not good enough to love—it’s the sonic equivalent of wallpaper: always there, never interesting. Each track blends into the next like a foggy afternoon, leaving behind a vague sense of boredom and a desperate search for a standout moment. If you enjoy music that politely refuses to be memorable, this album’s for you. What to listen for: Nothing stood out Listened: 29/07/2025

meni su oni uvijek neugodno turpijanje, čak i kad im falsetto ne dištonava.

Ubodu oni tu i tamo pjesmu ali brate baš su prosjek

Background noise

dosadno, pičkasto i, što je najbitnije, predugo, repetitivno. stvarno je naporno slušat krindž stihove i po sto puta. da su pjesme duplo kraće bile bi znatno bolje. uz sve to omot je urnebesno krindž, koji je problem ovom liku šta se mršti, baš mi dođe da ga išamaram ko majmuna

Ugh.

Fine, not as good as urban hymns.

No so bad.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the album a lot. It had an interesting sound that really emphasized the instruments while still being able to enjoy what the song is about. (Something that really shocked me is that they made an instrumental that I actually liked, Brainstorm Interlude.) As it went on though, it didn't really keep me. The songs became more generic and ephemeral, especially the vocals, to the point that I couldn't understand them anymore, at all. Still, I liked the bands classic sound and found it really refreshing; I hope that I get another album from them in the list. Favorite songs: This is Music On Your Own Brainstorm Interlude

Not horrible or anything but very forgettable

this was always terrible

this was alright, i'm guessing Urban Hymns is also on the list somewhere but i haven't got to it yet. i found it funny when he sang IM GONNA DIE ALONE IN BED a hundred times. ok richard. it's very oasis/stone roses in places (obviously).

It's certainly less polished than Urban Hymns and lacks the anthemic hit songs, however I really liked this one as well, rhythm is tight and the guitar work is layered, heavy, and ethereal at times. Definitely the type of album to grow on you, maybe a bit long but found it excellent in moments.

Will I remember any song off this album half an hour after I listen to it? No. Do I want to listen to this record again? No. Is it bad music? Also no, but it's just entirely forgettable.

Correcto

Enjoyed it. I'd heard it before a single time. Reminded me of The Alarm a little, although I guess The Alarm are about 10 years ahead o these guys.

Ephemeral, great music. Good overall consistency through album.

Good!

Great groove. Always enjoyed this album.

Another classic Britpop album. Another so-so listening experience.

Melancholy breakup album. Doesn’t really rock, nothing stands out but it’s well produced.

Nice

Ok, but not entitrly my genre. Will definately give it another «listen»

Very mellow, calming yet energizing? I enjoyed it

Oof this was awful. For all the 90s albums that come through here this has to be one of them? This was a slog of anemic jams and sadness.

#639. Look, we already had the album that has their one song that anyone gives a shit about, we don't need another Verve album on here. It's not any good, it's literally just there. 2/5: meh

I wasn't very moved by it, it just was one long series of mouth noises.

When I first heard this album, I was driving through a windy road in the Austrian Alps. I bought it in CD on a vacation where I forgot to pack any. It became the soundtrack of the trip. Great 90s British rock. A little less anthemic but no less impactful.

Not a bad album but like so many suggestions on this list a keep wondering why this was the suggestion instead of Urban Hymns

Alt-rock/Britpop (though not that Britpop) with a grungier and more psychedelic spin to it…bridging a gap between (less dancey, but still druggy), Britpop, and a bit of shoegaze. Reminds me of a British Smashing Pumpkins, though not as heavy and with a less grating voice on lead vocals. Fairly big sound with a sense of atmosphere to it. Some solid effected guitar playing and a prominent low end. The straightforward and ballady songs aren’t as interesting as the spacier songs and psychedelic excursions. Many songs run over 5min (not inherently a problem), but one could question if they’re interesting enough to do so (potentially a problem)….it starts to get tiring towards the back end despite some decent closing songs. Some rock’n’roll excess, for better or worse.

This drifted past my ears - competent indie guitar fare that didn't really jump out at me at any point. Call me Captain Obvious, but listening through, there's nothing with the grandeur or hookiness of 'Drugs' or 'Bittersweet' here. Average.

Plodding. Gawd this dragged. Almost sent me to sleep.

90s rock is a void

My second Verve album in 3 days! This one is worse. And I'm not sure I can keep defending this band. Apart from the first three, every single track on this inarguably bloated record is over five minutes long. And most of those tracks have no business being that way. Brainstorm Interlude, Stormy Clouds, (Reprise), and several others are very insistent upon a singular repeating theme (or in some cases literally just a texture with no hook) that is repeated with tolerable vocals placed over the top. I had a similar complaint for Urban Hymns, but at least that album had a selection of fantastic songs to counterbalance the mediocre ones. In contrast, this album has two or three "good" songs, while the rest are more filler than killer. There are so many questionable elements in the four-song run starting with So It Goes, culminating in the ridiculously out-of-tune singing in Drive You Home. Great violin hook in History, with the whole track probably acting as a precursor to the style and texturing found in Bitter Sweet Symphony. The soft strings backing the vocals in the (pre)choruses are honestly even better. Would've liked to see The Verve take an ELO-type approach (or maybe Radiohead AMSP) and really commit to an orchestral sound, because I've found that has a really high success rate among audiences. Regardless, definitely one of the most emotive, satisfying parts of the album. I'm also a big fan of the bassline and conjoined percussion/rhythm guitar parts in Life's An Ocean. A chill, groovy sound that I'm disappointed they didn't commit to for most of the record. 2/5 Key tracks: On Your Own, History

meh

Actually pretty great. Didn't think I was much of a fan of this band, but both this one and Urban Hymns impressed me. 3.5/5

Pretty basic and what I'd expect from a random Verve album. The whole album sounded pretty much the same. Kinda meh

Here I was thinking The Verve and The Verve Pipe were the same band and I was waiting for The Freshmen. How disappointing. Just lackadaisical, boring, it seems like something better couldve been added here, No Bittersweet Symphony either, what a miss!

No Bitter Sweet Symphony so who cares? Another album that’s on here only because of where the author is from. For future revisions this album could be replaced by: Americana - The Offspring Gordon - Barenaked Ladies Casiopea - Casiopea Rosna - Laboratorium Pieśni

Sellaista menevää brittibändimeininkiä tyyliin Oasis, yhden hitin ihmebändiltä. Ei huonoja mutta ei mitään erikoistakaan.

5/10…britpop / indie (one like the other)

Some cool sounds, but sometimes messy. Not very grabbing melodies.

This is a great album! It outshines much of the rest of BritPop. I do think that their third album, Urban Hymns, is better.

Ok

Atmospheric pop-rock, got pretty rambly at the end

Dated

Some quality stuff here. 3.5 stars

At first it was like pretty fine and by the end I was a bit bored but overall not bad

4/10 - it’s like the other verve album but worse

Pretty boring Britpop. In this case, boring does not mean generic; I feel like the verve do enough to achieve a pretty unique sound, so gotta give them credit for that. It’s just not that good

It’s less “Bittersweet Symphony” and more “The Rolling People”. Not for all people. We badly need a USA version of this list. I’m sick of mediocre British albums

4/10 A Northern Soul by The Verve is a brooding, emotional ride that captures the rawness of mid-90s British rock with a heavy, almost overwhelming atmosphere. The album feels like it’s constantly teetering between collapse and catharsis, drenched in reverb and intensity. “(Reprise)” stands out as the emotional core, closing things out with a haunting and beautiful weight that lingers long after it’s over. It encapsulates the longing and exhaustion that pulses through the entire record and shows what the band is capable of when everything clicks. That said, the album suffers from a noticeable amount of bloat. Several tracks feel stretched or unnecessary, making the whole thing more exhausting than immersive. The mood is consistent, but it sometimes comes at the cost of variety or momentum. While there are high points worth returning to, the record as a whole doesn’t quite earn its length or ambition. It’s a decent listen with flashes of brilliance, but ultimately a 4 out of 10 for me.

First 3 songs I like, rocking A few weaker songs in middle. A bit too long, starts to drag in second half. Song ave 5 min 20 sec is too long. After the first 3 songs thinking 4stars , by the end 2.5 stars

This is veeery boring. Even for radio this is boring. Why does it need to belong here? What is groundbreaking about this that it needs to be in the list?

For some reason, 90s Britpop has always given me bad vibes, and whenever I come across an album from that scene, I'm always hesitant to start it. But once I listen, most of the time they're better than I expect. Well, this is one of those albums. I can't say I really enjoyed it, but it was pretty solid. It was heavier than I was expecting, and I really like the psychedelic element.

I'm quite disappointed by this album. It lacks any hits and is full of tracks of the same kind that are the filler on Urban Hymns. O.K. but nothing that hooks me.

After their second album I believe on this list here is what I learned about this band. Bittersweet Symphony. Thats all you need and move on unless you like to mope around.

Meh I really found this dragged, it made me think of oasis, if oasis whined all the time

I really like the Verve's sound. However, this album is much, much too long for me

I dont love much 90s music aside from all the niche stuff that led to the creations of my favorite genres. That being said this didnt do anything to grab me, anything to hold me or anything to send me on my way pleased. Just a plodding, middling record to me. A shrug is sometimes worse than a dislike..

Verve - best know for their next album and its smash and Rolling Stones ripoff - Bitter Sweet Symphony. This album sounds great, but it's another case of reviewing the 'precursor to greatness album'. Definitely establishes the band's 'sound'. Lots of reverb and delay - kind of U2 sounding, although I'm not sure neither band would like that comparison - it's undeniable, though. Not bad, not that memorable of an album either, it was the 90s

Not the hottest album I've ever listened to, but not bad. Not what I expected, only knowing a handful of the Verve's songs, all of which are from Urban Hymns. This album is very much like Radiohead from the same era, just not as great. Still a good album but feels very whiny and British. Very 1995.

Not even top three selling albums from a one hit wonder.

Another band that I was completely unaware of. (I take it back; turns out the sixteenth album on this list that I reviewed was the Verve’s Urban Hymns. I guess it didn’t leave much of an impression.) A few of these songs I really liked, a few I did not, and a few were so-so. This one is 3 stars for me.

I forgot how much I love this album. Might actually be better/deeper than Urban Hymns. Loses a star for reminding me of being young and having hope for my life and the world, though.

Emo-alt rock by The Verve, I think A Northern Soul was put on the 1001 List because of the album title. A few of the songs are so slow the lead singer may have fallen asleep. Not one song stands out, It’s mot that the album is bad, I’m just not sure why this one’s a must hear. Please explain. (1.7*s)

A Northern Soul is a bit slow, a bit garbled at times. Hard to distinguish individual instruments. High points were when The Verve went Radiohead with title track, "Brainstorm Interlude" and "(Reprise)." "Life's and Ocean" is descent but the rest of the album is not doing it for me. Not a total drag but I'm not moved either...2.57 stars.

Alternative psychedelic britpop? On paper this should have been something I enjoyed. However, what I got was a bunch of mostly skippable nonsense. There's a couple decent instrumental tracks mixed in but every time a song came on that was somewhat engaging it was immediately followed by something dull and slow. I'm not sure why but I somehow found this album somewhat pretentious for some reason. When all was said and done I was surprised how mediocre this ended up being. 2.18 stars

Didn't really grab me

Meh, not painful but nothing interesting here.

I love bittersweet symphony, but that’s was not on this album. Just meh.

On this album, his voice just grates me....

I remember thinking it was ok.. but I forgot everything already...

moyen bof

Asså helt okej? Inget som sticker ut imo o förstår inte riktigt hur berättigat det är att detta album är med på listan. Brit bias?

Var var Bittersweet Symphony?? Ändå bra.

I remember not liking this album or the band in the 90s. While I don't dislike them as much as I used to, I'm still not a fan. It's just glossed up and weak alt rock/britpop which isn't overly interesting.

Nothing special going on here.

Fine. A little long and slower then i was looking for.

Started off thinking, this is fine but not sure why I had to listen to it. By the time I got to the end, I started to dislike it.

May have enjoyed it had it been released when I was 14 but I don't see how this got on the list

Another good sounding band with an unbearable singer.

Besides Bitter Sweet Symphony, there's nothing The Verve released that had that quality. Same with this album. It's Britpop, a bit better than the average, but without any highlights I could remember.

Better than I anticipated

Snooze.

Alkoi hyvin mutta sit vähän lässähti. Kuullostaa ihan oasikselta jousien kanssa. Joo ei nyt huonoa, mutta ei kauheen mielenkiintoistakaan. Kappaleet kuullostaa aika samoilta. Reprise ihan kiva psyke instrumentaalibiisi Parhaat: This Is Music, (Reprise)

Whining.

Horrible. Really disliked this.

Not bad, but a little monotonous for my taste. These guy jam for minutes on a simple Progression, they do it well, but to me it lacks surprises, twists, changes, going places I was not expecting.

Groupe connu seulement par le tube 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' que j'apprécie assez. Ce n'est pas le cas de cet album qui m'a paru très long et inintéressant. Pas désagréable (+1) mais rien de remarquable. Je n'y reviendrais pas. =>2/5

the verve isch zweimol uf dere liste? scho uuuuhuere britisch de scheiss. regt mi chli uf. a new decade tönt chli noch zeppelin mit meh gschmäus huere viel gitarre überall und riesigi drums. this is music son komische titel. on your own en ballad? irgendwie ischs chli ruhelos pauselos bis etz. aber on your own het no herzigi akkörd. a northern soul nervigi gitarre? ich ha nöd sooo spass. es isch coole 90er alt rock aber meeeh nööööd. drive you home mega schöni gitarre moll. ich mag afoch nöd so wie er singt. halt afich nöd so guet. ich bi echt sochli hi und her grisse well es isch no cooli musig wo mir eigentli no wür entspreche aber es isch nie mega mega guet und ich find sini stimm echt nöd agnehm. vilicht mösti mi au afoch no dra gwöhne. plus jede sing isch huere lang und goht nöd so würkli irgendwo ane. stormy clouds no cools riff chli heavier da stohtne no.

hahaha hans echli vor mich hergschobe aber here we are this is music isch na cool? het mich chli ah wolfmother erinnered iwie de rest hani ener langwilig gfunde und natürlich hani chli en bias will how the fuck het die band meh als 1 album uf dere liste brainstorm interlude döffmer mache, nöd crazy cool aber chli abwechslig DAS GAHT ÜBER E STUND life's an ocean findi cool, chli moody und s schlagzüg het en geile ton! stormy clouds isch echt es snoozefest repise isch voll ok? rein musikalisch isches es 2, vlt gits es protest 1. mussmer na überlege

It was ok. Kinda interesting sound

An enjoyable listen, but not nearly as good as Urban Hymns

God, I love maturity... The Verve released one of my all-time favorite albums, Urban Hymns, and it made a certain 17-year-old (AKA: me) very disappointed with the band's other albums. But now, listening to it again years later, The Northern Soul sounds amazing! Maturity has taught me to appreciate albums like this, without the need to compare them to other albums that are incomparable. It's not perfect, but it deserves 4 stars.

I enjoyed it, a pleasurable experience

No

There's moments during "This Is Music", "On Your Own", and "Drive You Home" where Richard Ashcroft just can't hit or sustain the notes he's looking for, and it's just sad... Sad he'd even attempt it. He seemingly thinks he's a big time singer/frontman with chops and swagger when really he's a warlber of bad teenage poetry (at best) to mediocroe music. Now, again, I'm of the age where I could appreciate The Verve when they broke out but now I'm merely thinking I had their albums at the time just to have them, because I increasingly don't even like them, I don't even remember if I listened to this one really outwith a couple of songs... They're all so fucking long, like does this album require 3 songs that are over 6 minutes long? Fuck. No. Length does not equal epicness and volume does not ensure quality.

Could be worse, more dreamy than i expected

That's a lot of the same song. It's OK to start, but I'm so done by the end.

Not my type

This is #day293 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... as I'm listening to this album, raindrops are falling on the roofs, and it's been like this for the better part of May now. I don't recall such a wet season in recent years. No complaints, though, as it makes for the perfect backdrop to one of the most idiosyncratic rock albums of the '90s. It stands apart from Britpop's swagger with its sense of spirituality and soul-searching. I've always loved The Verve. One of those bands I listened to a lot in my early 20s (Forth being a record I remember when it came out). Some of my favorites here are "A New Decade," "On Your Own," "So It Goes," "Life's An Ocean," and, I guess, "History." When those strings kick in, the album just ascends. It's this blend of alt rock, psych, shoegaze, (pun un/intended) northern soul, and the raw yet immersive sound that makes this album so distinctive. Richard Ashcroft is the Jim Morrison of British rock. Heck, how about an allusion to the "doors of perception" on the album cover? Anyway, I was happy to see him (solo, though) back in 2019 as part of the Rock Werchter lineup. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day294.

Sucks

Two Verve albums on this list, and I've barely started? What are the odds? Let's see why they deserved two entries! Yeah, another great album. Solid quality all the way through. 4/5

Mæææ. Oppskrytt og gørrkjedelig.

kinda all just washes over me, I've never been a fan of that slice of UK music that sounds like Stone Roses cover bands. Accurate or not, that's what this makes me think of.

neo-psychedelic album, definitely inspired by some Radiohead vibes.

We've got Oasis at home.

I do enjoy the walls of guitar noise, but songs themselves are a bit non-distinct.

Kinda gave me early U2 vibes. Honestly this album was way better than I expected. Before listening to this, I only knew Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve.

Better than I expected. I think of them as a one hit wonder, but this album was really enjoyable for my road trip.

Good

If you listen to the first song then you basically listened to the whole album as it all sounds the same. Like one big song that goes on and on and on. 3/10

Pretty generic and forgettable, but at least I got through it.

It starts of strong but falls into the same trap as the time period from Manchester and is just winning on for far too long

So depressing. The meds-aren't-working, existential crisis kind of depressed. Shot-the-heroin-and-didn't-die kind of depressed. If this is a favorite album of yours, I'm calling in a wellness check.

Really enjoyed this song - enjoyed it less after round 10

1 hour of mid ambient noise

I was aight, very 90s though

I would take another 9/11 over another Verve album

the tier below the stone roses and radiohead for me on british alt rock

Right from the first track, Richard Ashcroft declares "This is music!" and this statement is to be taken seriously for the next 60 or so minutes. Great musicians in the groove and a singer singing deeply about life from his perspective. It should be noted that Salisbury's drumming is much different than the average rock drummer. His beats are original, unpredictable and add a lot to the song being played. McCabe's intense guitar playing stands out too. Liked Songs Added: This Is Music On Your Own History No Knock On My Door

First reaction: there is a Verve album on this list that DOESN'T HAVE BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY. WHICH MEANS THERE ARE TWO VERVE ALBUMS ON THIS LIST. More brit rock :( // but there is something here. Interesting to see where Radiohead went and left these dudes in their wake.

Bon, j'arrête à la moitié, pas seulement parce que je viens d'enchaîner les trois pires albums des derniers mois dans le même bloc d'écoute, mais aussi parce qu'écouter un rip-off de The Cure (qui est de base un band que j'aime pas) ne m'apporte à la fois ni gratification, ni maturité musicale. Générateur, ayez pitié et offrez moi un banger demain, je sens que je vais craquer...

I dig this

This is totally in my wheelhouse, and I have been a fan of this since it was released; back in the day, before we knew anything about Urban Hymns. I enjoy the dreamy shoegaze landscapes and RA wailing over soaring guitars. It’s got an abrasive, unpolished sound, which I really love. Lyrically it’s very angsty, and that suits the low-Fi sonics. However, it’s long and a bit flabby. It starts off well, but then runs to fat in the middle. It picks up again with History and No Knock on My Door, then loses me again at the end. Overall though, I still enjoy it.

This album sounds like someone gave Oasis a philosophy degree and locked them in a fog machine.

To my ears, this is kind of like a Radiohead meets Oasis album, but if both of them were trying to be boring. That said, I would maybe consider returning to this album if I was going for that specific 90s vibe and needed some background music.

There’s some stuff on here I really liked. Guitar work is solid, and I got lost in it. So close to giving a 4, but I think I’ll round down today. Gotta earn it.

I thought I'd like this album a lot more than I did. It started off in the 4 star range, but didn't keep me interested at all. 3/5.