A Northern Soul

Ok

Dated

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 even top three selling albums from a one hit wonder.

Meh, not painful but nothing interesting here.

Horrible. Really disliked this.

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

Mæææ. Oppskrytt og gørrkjedelig.

1 hour of mid ambient noise

I would take another 9/11 over another Verve album

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 😐😐😐😡 Production: 🤔😐👍 Music: 🎸😞🔄 Rating: 🌧️(🌧️)/5

First album that made me mad that it’s on this list. What was the UK’s obsession with The Verve? Sounds like Radiohead from that era with everything interesting sucked out.

Spacy, pretentious and silly.

als hintergrundmusig no nice, aber wenn me anelost isches sehr unspektakulär, repetitiv, lärmig und nöd spannend. und mit de zit au als hintergrundmusig nervig.

This was incredibly boring.

I found this pretty bland. The story of the production of this album is far more interesting that any tracks found within in it.

Right this is either gonna pleasantly surprise me or it's gonna be the most interminable basic britpop dross I've ever endured.

I didn't know this band and I listened to about half of the album before giving up. I just didn't connect.

I expected to hate this and I was correct to. Boring music made by boring people to be played by Mondeo men.

The guitars are so fuzzy they just become static at certain points and his voice can peel paint. If I want a mid tier 90s brit band I'd just listen to pulp. No thanks

IKKE behov for 2 The Verve albums på den her liste!!!!!! Hvorfor er den over en time lang!!!!!!!!!!!

Woefully generic. Generic in sound, generic in lyrics, even generic in album art. Generic, generic, generic. In the most woeful way. Nothing about this was remarkable except how boring it was. I say it’s woefully generic because there definitely could’ve been something here. The sound isn’t captivating or interesting. Nearly every song, especially near the end, sounded the same. But there’s a foundation here, ideas that could’ve been built upon. Shorten some of the songs (seriously - why the hell were there songs longer than 5 minutes on this album?? They really thought they were THAT good??), work on the lyrics, and add some energy. There could easily be something here. As it is, there isn’t. Honestly, the lyrics might’ve been the most generic thing about this. They’re all so vague and rely on cliches. They don’t say anything profound, despite being sung with the confidence and conviction of someone who truly believes that they do. It really felt like they believed they’d created something truly meaningful and insightful. Which is sad because they truly didn’t. It was just forgettable. Which is almost worse than just being outright bad. I suspect this album’s inclusion is yet another example of the sheer, unabashed, blatant UK bias of the editors of the book. Based on this album, the Verve probably don’t deserve one album on this list but I believe they have at least two. I shudder to think of all the great bands and artists that lost a spot to The fucking Verve. One star. I never need to listen to this again. I don’t want to listen to this again. Standout Track: This is Music

Listened: 13/02/2025 Album no: 20 % rating: 23% Fave Song: BRITPOP RLLY NOT MAH FING BRO. GOT 3 TRACKS INTO DIS AND TURNED IT OFF. Maybe I’ll try again down the line but yeah, really not for me even if they are from Wigan.

I like the Verve. This is bland and uninspired. Absolutely could die without it.

Oh nooooooo. I’m officially sick of the mid 1990s britpop acts. This one is particularly bad. The lyrics suck. Generic and basic and nothing about this album works. None of it will be remembered. It’s too dull to hate which makes it one of the worst albums on here

2 Verve records on this list!?!?!?!?!? What a shit band.

Repetitive and dull

Not into this. It’s one note and fades into the background. Very similar to The Thrills.

I was hoping to at least like this, but found it messy and unfocused.

Highlight: Brainstorm Interlude Part Britpop, part psych rock. Occasional great guitar work, mediocre and long-winded as a whole compared to the glut of Britpop albums by other artists. And this is coming from someone who likes Britpop. Overall: 1/10

It really is a Bittersweet Symphony that that song is not on this album. This is entirely forgettable and boring.

1/5. I love jam albums because the band can just vibe and show off their talents. This feels like structured jams and that feels bad. Plus it's Britpop and this was a miss overall. It had high hopes from the get go since the first few songs were good but they basically took the same song structure and slowed it down or sped it up. It's a verse, chorus, and then constant repeating of the same line until the song ends. I wanted a good Britpop album but the chances are usually low. There are like 5 good ones total of the 30+ on this list. Oh well, maybe next time. I wanted to give it at least a 2 but I'm not coming back to this one ever. Best Song: This is Music, A New Decade

These guys had one halfway decent album. This isn’t it. Pffft. 0 stars.

Gee, that was awful. Now I need cheering up. IN A NUTSHELL: Just because the English are too inhibited/embarrassed to share their true feelings doesn't mean we deserve to find out. Here some “Northerners” spend a disinhibited week vomiting up self pity and push whiney sounds into bloated undisciplined ‘scatalogue’ of their existential disquiet. Put all the saddest Oasis, Coldplay and The Verve songs in a blender to homogenise and drink it on a rainy Tuesday hungover rainy morning = the sound. Or “Music as emotional contagion - weaponised as a gently nauseating depressant.” A kind of bored exaltation LIKELY AUDIENCE: Then: Young brits unhappy in their jobs dissociating and self-medicating with lager, nicotine and shit Mediterranea holidays (rather than meaningful connection). Now: old white men wondering what went wrong with their life. And Britain. LISTEN to it IF: You don't have time to read "Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class" by Owen Jones, or Notes from a Small Island.- by Bill Byrson You want a succinct explanation of British emigration ANTIDOTES: "Tu vuò fà l'americano" - Lou Bega David Lee Roth - “Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody” Imelda May “Johnny Got A Boom Boom” CONCLUSION / OUTCOMES More effective than placebo when used as a depressant. Not to be used when operating heavy machinery or when “cleaning a gun”.

Ich dachte es geht nicht schlimmer als Oasis und Blur. Falsch gedacht. Larmoyante Langeweile in Musik gepresst. Schlimm.

Alternative rock. I didn’t like this album. It was almost too busy in most tracks, which made it difficult to actually listen to any particular part. It was also repetitive. My favorite song was the last one, a spacey instrumental, but even this lasted 2 minutes longer than it should have.

I do not like shoegaze music. It's long, overly distorted, and meandering. It doesn't have any of the charm or creativity of prog rock, and it sounds like what you would play in a dive bar when you dont want anyone to actually realize there is music playing. I think this was slightly better than my bloody valentine and definitely better than Jesus and the Mary Chain, but by the track Brainstorm Interlude, I remembered I just don't care for it. So It Goes was an ok song.

The whine is like nails on a chalkboard.

don't like this band overrated

Not any good tbh. Can see why people like it, but not for me

This particular brand of semi-whining, meandering 90's music has not aged well for me and man, this is "The 90's" the album as far as that kind of music goes. 1.5 stars

There were a few moments in the whole 90s Britpop thing that made it across the pond and even fewer of those songs that I actually like, but overall I consider The Verve, Pulp, Oasis, and all those other sentient haircuts to be churning out the same dreck that was emblematic of the Volume Wars of the 1990s. As though anyone really gives a shit what a white guy in 200-quid sunglasses has to complain about. Shut up already.

No more britpop, please. It's so boring. This one at least has some psychedelia influences that provide a BIT of interest, but not enough to make me excited about it. It's also far too long and plodding.

You would think in an hour+ long album they would make at least one interesting song, even by accident

Good band from the 2000s. Some good music.

Nicht meine Richtung

3 albums’ worth of droning and distorted angst from ecstasy-laced dysfunctional BritPop lads? No recognisable hits? My cup runneth over. With sand.

Not good.

sometimes i feel like the creators of this list must regret not picking a smaller number of albums. this is one of those times. why is this here.

Boring. Favorite track: So It Goes

More meh...

Just couldn’t finish it. I have never liked this band.

Please be serious. One of the most dated albums I've heard in a very long time.

Nuoret miehet viehättyvät äänistä, joita he tajuavat voivansa tuottaa suullaan ja soittimillaan. Samalla he laannuttavat arvostelijoiden huolia arviointiensa pehmentymisestä.

Saknar passion, energi, bra låtar, originalitet, intressant/spännande lyrik. Sångaren suger. Bandet låter halvsovande. Allt kryper på i maka takt. Ifall de valt att inte dra ut albumet över en timme skulle de kanske ha fått en tvåa, men bara kanske.

Zu viel E-Gitarre und nerviges Durcheinander. Leidender Brit-Pop-Sound.

Nope

really did not enjoy. not my thing at all and all the songs sound the same.

what the hell was that, monotonous droning drivel - 'best 1001 albums'?!

Tedious shite.

Liked one song.

Listened to half and got bored

I sincerely doubt I needed to hear TWO Verve albums before dying.

Gefällt mir nicht.

Nothing special. Sounds unorganized

Richard Ashcroft's voice takes fairly average alternative rock and turns it into ear-grating, unlistenable noise. I'm not surprised that Liam Gallagher is a big fan.

Þessi plata gerir nákvæmlega ekkert fyrir mig.

Zero

Bitter sweet symphony guys roll lamest album ever, asked to leave list of 1001 albums you must listen to before you die

I got a little excited cos I thought I would hear bittersweet symphony in this album, but it wasn't this one. I kinda expected something great, but was let down

That was junk

Awful

Inaudible et insupportable

3 tunnin ripuli jos haluaa koko deluxe vittuilun kuunnella heh, EN KUUNNELUT...RockIndieShoegazeBritpop PERFECT COMBINATION....LOVE IT... LOVE IT TO BITS.... heh globaali maybe global ratigns are ok... youre alright kid...semmosta history

Blah 1.2/5

How is the fucking backing vocals in On Your Own hahaha wtf, first time I've ever laughed out loud at something terrible sounding in over 700 albums. What were they thinking. The whole thing is a big boring, way too long, overindulgent, swing and a miss attempt at some kind of rock ballad rip off that one hundred and fifty percent missed the mark. And the fucking delux version is 3 HOURS LONG. Absolute dog shit. PS. The closing track sounds exactly like the Boosh episode where they try and find the New Sound in the desert (not in a good way).

If I wanted to listen to whining and weird noises I’d listen to my toddler complain.

Bof, c'est pas un rock qui me parle. Intéressant d'entendre ce que le groupe a fait avant Bitter Sweet Symphony, mais c'est à peu près le seul intérêt pour moi. C'est pas un disque que je vais réécouter.

Very boring, very annoying, very undeserving of this list. Why is this here?!

why would you put the verve on this list. Jesus Christ they put every cough and sneeze from every throwaway britpop band from the 90s on this list. It was fine but ffs the britpop thing was kind of like the swing revival that lasted about 6 months in 98. Get over it already.

Meh…

No thoughts

Wenn mir in Bezug auf ein Album die Adjektive ausgehen, bevor ich überhaupt angefangen habe, liegt einiges im Argen. Banal, abscheulich, langweilig: das kam hier alles schon vor bei der Beschreibung von Platten und ist dennoch abwechslungsreicher als diese Aneinanderreihung von Plattitüden (diese Formulierung gab’s hier auch schon). The Nerve…

Turgid dross. No idea how this ever got released tbh

Absolutely not. This is trash. Utter garbage. Pretentious dishwater-grade Britpop. Ashcroft's voice is grating, the guitars are crashy and dissonant. Whiny shite. Probably the progenitors of the ultra-pomp of renting the nearest strings section to play backing while the lead singer grizzles about something of zero consequence, and for that I cannot forgive.

Sorry, I tried. I really, really tried. But The Verve does nothing for me, and this album is no exception. Nothing in *A Northern Soul* is groundbreaking or particularly well written, and the songs are just too linear and predictable to seal the deal for me. This... stuff simply doesn't make me feel anything. "How long will I run for?," Ashcroft complains during the opener. Too long, probably. And this here is only a first self-indulgent, lengthy dirge among many other ones on the album (all of them, actually?). That some people in here dare compare this excruciatingly boring record to Radiohead's *OK Computer* is baffling to me. Are people this tone-deaf??? I get that listeners have different tastes when it comes to harmony, composition and song structures. But c'mon, you gotta be kidding me here, nothing in this album is lively or truly dynamic. Nothing stands out. It's just a big blurry cloud throughout. Chords don't have a shred of originality in them, neither do most of the hackneyed dad-rock arrangements,. Lyrics have no substance, and vocal melodic lines are not interesting at all--they meander without anything catching your ear (and their delivery is a bit ridiculous sometimes, even though I have nothing against Ashcroft's voice per se). "This Is Music", The Verve tells us. Uh, OK. But is this *good* music? No. It's just very lame, pop-wise. And neither is it original production-wise. I'd rather listen to a drone from one of Sunn O)))'s lesser records for the rest of my life instead of having to listen to this again. At least a long guitar drone would provide an interesting atmosphere in the room... I'm pretty sure The Verve were themselves aware of their lack of skills as songwriters from the get-go. It's no surprise they used a sample from an orchestral version of an old Rolling Stones staple song on their next record to pen their only real hit, "Bittersweet Symphony". They *knew* they didn't have enough inspiration in them to create a song that would be both catchy and genuinely moving. So they had to steal a good idea somewhere to make it happen. I very rarely say that a band is overrated, because I know music is first and foremost a subjective thing. Yet here, I'm tempted to say so, to be honest. I always try to keep an open mind, but clearly, I don't see what the fuss is all about with The Verve. What we have with them is more than competent musicianship, of course. As in 'they can play instruments'. But if you want to select a list of 1001 albums you should absolutely listen to, surely there are twice as many albums worthier of your time out there. Life's too short to waste it on stuff you consider bland. [Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 980 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 9 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 6 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (as I think many others are more important): 5 (including this one) Albums I might not be able to judge (some might end up on my final list if they're culturally important): 1]

Boring shite

What’s the draw for this album? Generic alt-rock. Doesn’t even have Bittersweet Symphony on it. Skip this.

Not my thing.

Nothing special to me. But not bad. Ok the vocals kinda decline during. This album is not very good, could qualify for a 1. For some reason it's the most soulless thing I've heard yet. Brainstorm interlude is kind of interesting. To the extent psychadelia can be interesting. Ugh it's so boring. 1

This one was a slog for me. Every song, I looked at my phone to see how much time was left in the song and it was routinely 2 more minutes. No, thank you.

Niet geluisterd

Miserable northern gits

Shite.

Nope

Nothing enjoyable about this I’m afraid

Oof. Not really my kind of music at all tbh.

Cvsgsgggggggggġhħ no ddfgy The only reason our government is amazeng is mi mommy