Reviews (page 10 of 15)
3.5
Favourite Song: Come On
It was really good, the lay song, hidden track, is unnecessarily long? But the rest of the songs are really good, melancholic, sad and with that Cobain raspy voice. Mostly slow tempo, but very enjoyable. Sad boy music mostly. 8.3/10
With "Bittersweet Symphony" leading off this album I found it hard to believe the rest of the album could come close. It was a welcome surprise how good the rest of the album is. A bit melancholy and moody at times but still melodic and with a variety of sounds and rythyms. Other good songs include..."Space and Time" and "Weeping Willow". Video for "Bittersweet Symphony' is still one of the best!
It is my personal belief that sad british dudes in the 90s understood 60s music better than anyone in the 60s did (and probably anyone ever has since), and I think their version of 60s music is usually better than most actual 60s music. It's the whisper subtle integration of punk, prog, electronica, all influences too quiet to really even notice, but they color the inbetweens that fill out this sound so much. The implied Trip Hop of Bittersweet Symphony clears so far beyond anything Jagger-Richards could ever put to pen (even if legally they Did put it to pen [fuck copyright law part 205776]). The youthful hazed out ruminations on oblivion and hopelessness are made all the more emotionally destructive by the fact that Richard Ashcroft kinda, tries to rap sometimes? And he really doesn't know how to rap, so he just ends up spewing all his thoughts out breathlessly, and it's honestly gutwrenching at times. The Verve have a much better grasp of psychedelia than Oasis do also, that's for sure. There's a much needed looseness and spaciness to their playing, appropriately cosmic. I suppose you could argue they're a tad too indebted to their influences as a throwback group to really be considered visionaries (I counted references to at least three 60s rock bands, Stones, Aphrodite's Child, Velvet Underground), but like, they mostly out do and one up their influences anyway, so who cares.
two stars cuz it has bittersweet symphony which is an ok song. the rest was a brutal test
First four songs I'm thinking this is alright, better than I remember, probably 3 stars. But then it just keeps going and going, all one pace, one song blending into another with the same vocal ticks on display again and again until you are lost in the mush. When I worked in a pub in the late 90s we would put this on Sunday afternoons as it seemed something we could handle while working through our murderous hangovers. It rarely lasted its full length before someone pressed eject and reached for Moon Safari by Air instead.
The first song is fantastic but the rest was pretty meh
Flera bangers som jag lyssnat på mycket tidigare. Har även lyssnat på skivan innan. Då var den väl helt okej men nu var den riktigt bra. Schyssta låtar bara. Det blir kanske lite halvtråkig mot slutet men t.ex The Drugs Dont Work gör denna till en skitbra platta. Det är en egen del av britpopen och väldigt ikoniskt. Kommer säkert lyssna igen. Omslaget är ganska snyggt också.
Iconic
A stone cold 90s classic. Gets lumped in with Britpop but is definitely part of that post-Britpop maturing movement. You couldn’t go anywhere circa 1998 without hearing Bittersweet Symphony or The Drugs Don’t Work. Lucky Man and Velvet Morning were my favourites though. I think it’s a little on the long side and has some middling tracks in amongst the great ones. It’s still brilliant overall and has held up well 25 years on.
Bitter Sweet Symphony immediately throws me back to getting rides home from my friend Justin senior year. Scrounging for loose change to pay for gas. Getting confused whether it was The Verve or The Verve Pipe with the song on repeat on the radio. Nothing on the rest of the album stands out.
Brings me back to an American Eagle dressing room in the 2000s
Overrated at the tine and still
Dreary, pompous, "I'M AN ARTIST FEEL MY PAIN" Dadrock
Rolling People reminds me of U2 meets Oasis which now reading the wiki I can see they were friends/toured with Oasis. I did not realize this band started in 1990 and sounds like it was a long way to a huge hit. Bittersweet Symphony is such a catchy layered song. The vocals fit the tone so well. I was really only familiar with this song given it was so huge when it came out. The potential this song demonstrates is great and goes way beyond the sample they use. When Oasis existed, I do rather listen to Oasis. With that said I did enjoy Weeping Willow, Lucky Man and Velvet Morning. They were redeeming on my rating.
I have mixed feelings about this album. There is a lot to like, but I keep coming back to the idea that this seems like what an AI bot would create as an album. The vocalist has the right sound, there are musical elements that are catchy, the single is very memorable and actually sounds important, etc., but after listening to the album, I don't have a connection with the album at all. Could I spend time and listen to this album more and gain a greater appreciation for its significance? Sure. Will I? Probably not.
They really hit it out of the park with bittersweet but the just had the same sound but not as good as bittersweet
A lot of the same, and that same was fine. 2.8.
Aside from Bittersweet Symphony this album was pretty unremarkable and unmemorable. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5
Boring
While the title track is overplayed on so many platforms and is seemingly inescapable in my algorithms, this album is packed with gems from start to finish. Great listening to the whole thing for the first time in ages.
i liked this much better in 2024 than in 1997. A Storm in Heaven is still their best, by far imo, but this was good.
Bittersweet Symphony is great. The rest is background music
Oh, thank goodness this generic British album is here! I don’t know what I would do if it wasn’t!
much better than i was expecting and some of the best britpop ive ever heard. that doesnt mean much though. 7/10
A bit long but some nice songs
........it's monotonous, to say the least. Also what is UP with that secret track??
4.5 fuckin amazing made me stare at the ceiling and shit
Some bitter-sweet britpop. Second listen needed.
-I definitely like it a lot more than the other Verve album, there seems to have been an improvement in direction and sound -I loved the more experimental ambient-esque stuff on Neon Wilderness and Deep Freeze -Favorites are Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Drugs Don’t Work, and Weeping Willow
I started this album only knowing the one song (Bitter Sweet Symphony) but I have enjoyed the other songs, they are rather calm. The lyrics can get pretty repetitive though.
I think the Brit Pop craze could be summed up pretty well with the following statement..."Remember how everyone liked The Beatles? Let's just do that again...but like...put some grunge in it." This album sucks. It's lazy, it's uninventive and entirely forgettable. And I hate to break it to you...but The Stones did Bittersweet Symphony first. The other singles on the record are typical at best and remind me of shit I wrote back in 9th grade for the girl I liked. The Drugs Don't Work sounds like something from a Cameron Crowe movie that people would've called "the biggest song of the summer" back in 1975.
I’m a million different people from one day to the next, and they all lack verve for this album.
An enjoyable listen, with the one classic everyone has heard. It's the quintessential 90s song for me. The album is also lifted by the other songs being nice.
who the fuck put this rubbish on the list it's like all the worst aspects of shit Britpop lumped into 1 couldn't even sit through their most famous hit
Better than I expected.
pretty good. had bittersweet symphony which is great.
This was a Bitter Sweet Symphony. This Is Music.
Fav: The Drugs Don’t Work Least Fav: Neon Wilderness
Pretty good, a little depressing
Definitely know what decade this album came out in. It's a good album. Not great, although some songs are. Overall an enjoyable listen with compelling lyrics and a few songs I could see myself coming back to. Also appreciate the hidden tracks(s), which added to the album.
This was massive when I was young love the album. Stand out tracks: - Bitter sweet symphoy - Sonnet - The rolling people - The drugs don't work - Space and time - Weeping willow - Lucky man - This time
I think every human being should once experience the joy of walking on the street to Bittersweet Symphony.
Other songs are also decent on this album
It was interesting to hear more than just the one song everyone knows. Reminded me of my high school years.
Was für ein Album. Allein "Bitter Sweet Symphony" ist schon den Kauf wert. Wer aber glaubt, das sei schon alles, der die das irrt. Es ist ein unglaublich melodisches Indie-Rock-Album mit sehr gelungenen Arrangements. Es ist nie langweilig, es sind Hymnen für die Ewigkeit. Nur als Randnotiz: es ist besser als "Morning glory" von Oasis
Look - I didn’t finish this. I got halfway through this 75 minute long record and couldn’t listen to the boring Britpop these guys were selling anymore. Everything is derivative, vaguely religious garbage. I feel like the only reason this is on the list is because of bittersweet symphony - which is not a great song.
There are some masterpieces on Urban Hymns. Ashcroft’s voice is perfectly suited to The Verve’s instrumentation and songs. Great stuff, yeah I really enjoy this album.
4/5
Two great songs. Others are good enough to enjoy listening while working on something else.
I mean, there's the one song everyone knows if they have HEARD of The Verve. But what's interesting is that seemed to get more and more repetitive to me the more the song went on. The other songs on the album were more interesting to me because I hadn't heard them before. Which is different from a lot of other albums where I know the hit (or hits) and the other songs are not as interesting. (BTW, how much more Britpop is on this list? There seems to be an overwhelming amount.) Songs like "Weeping Willow" and "The Rolling People" I really enjoyed. The second of the two had a shuffle feel which was interesting. The singer reminded a bit of Oasis, but without as much bite. (Really, I thought "Bittersweet Symphony" was an Oasis song to begin with.) So I guess because of the incorporation of the orchestra? THAT makes it so relevant? Still it, had a few good tracks, but mostly standard britpop fare. Top tracks: "Bittersweet Symphony," "The Rolling People," "The Drugs Don't Work," "Weeping Willow"
It's a pretty easy to listen to album and it came out of nowhere in the late 90's to become one of the biggest albums ever in the UK. But it feels a little bit of the same thing over and over doesn't it? I enjoy all of the singles, though I like their biggest one (Bittersweet Symphony) less than the others (Sonnet, The Drugs Don't Work, Lucky Man). And yet I find it hard to pinpoint a non-single that really stands out to me. Some good ones, or at least decent ones, but they just kind of blend in with the rest of the album. Knowing all 4 singles and not knowing the rest of the album well, I thought I was going to be more energized listening to the rest. Instead I felt indifferent to at least half the songs on the album.
I'm not really a fan of most Britpop, but this album was much better than I expected. Three things keep it from being a five: 1) Whiny Britpop vocals. 2) After a while it gets repetitive. It's a pretty long album - if they dropped 4 - 5 songs it probably would be nearly perfect. 3) Hidden tracks are seriously annoying. Glad this doesn't seem to be a thing anymore in the streaming era. Favorite tracks: Bitter Sweet Symphony (what a rollercoaster story about songwriting credits and royalties), The Rolling People, Sonnet, The Drugs Don't Work, Catching the Butterfly, Weeping Willow.
Velvet Morning was good but I am so incredibly sick of British alt rock. Gun to my head I could not tell the difference between this and Oasis.
I love the orchestration on this album -- Bittersweet Symphony is a classic of the '90s. Overall I think this holds up very well. Has much more depth than most Brit-pop could produce.
Sounds like a mix of Oasis, Ryan Adams, and U2! This was very good and surpassed my expectations given their one hit wonder status in the US. “Weeping Willow” was a favorite. However after hearing this I see no reason why the other Verve album we already heard needed to be on the list.
Bitter Sweet Symphony Sonnet Weeping Willow Lucky Man Velvet Morning Feels like I’m stuck in a loop going nowhere with this album. Can we add a little spice please I feel like I’ve been on the same song forever. I’d say it’d be better if it was shorter but it got old quick
This is better than whatever that other Verve album was on this list. That out of the way, this album makes me understand Brexit. I'm not even going to give it the credit for Bittersweet Symphony. I feel like my life is made ever so slightly worse for having sat through this bullshit album.
Sin exagerar, creo que este es el peor disco que escuchado de esta lista. No solo porque es sumamente poco original, con casi todas las canciones sonando como la peor balada del peor periodo de Oasis, sino porque The Verve suena exactamente igual que U2, y el acto liderado por Bono ya me desagrada. La única razón de la por qué The Verve es conocido es por "The Bittersweet Symphony", canción que sacaron directamente de un disco instrumental de los Rolling Stones. Pensé, honestamente, que habría más talento en el disco o alguna justificación sonora para incluir este LP en la lista. Realmente, encuentro ofensivo que piezas como esta y no "The Lonesome Crowded West" de Modest Mouse se encuentren en esta lista. Si lee mi comentario antes de escuchar este disco, por favor, sálteselo.
Bittersweet to bitter with sprinkles of sweetness to bland. So long, you forget what it was like in the beginning.
The music was good, but fifth graders are more lyrically complex than this was.
I listened to the first song and then forgot. Liked the first half and then when the singing came in didn't like it.
Bitter Sweet Symphony - 8 Sonnet - 6 The Rolling People - 7 The drugs don’t work- 6.5 Catching the butterfly - 6 Neon Wilderness - 5.5 Space & Time - 5 Weeping Willow - 6 Lucky Man - 7.5 One Day - 6 This Time - 6 Velvet morning - 6 Come on / Deep Freeze - 5 Total = 62/100. 3.1* Seems you have to be in a certain mood in order to be able to enjoy this album. First somg was great but it seems that every song in the album suffers from extreme repetition that enhanced the boredom of the mind that slowly gets worse as it goes.
Bittersweet symphony 8/10 Sonnet 7/10 The rolling people 5/10 The drugs don’t work 9/10 Catching the butterfly 6/10 Neon wilderness 4/10 Space and time 9/10 Weeping willow 6/10 Lucky man 8.5/10 One day 5/10 This time 6/10 Velvet morning 4/10 Come on/deep freeze 6/10
bucket hat is securely ON
I think this is a brilliant album, and every time I listen to it, I'm amazed at the number of amazing songs on it. The album is obviously known for bittersweet symphony, but there are so many other amazing tracks like the back-to-back "Sonnet" into "The Rolling People" into "The Drugs Don't Work." I'd probably give it more of a 4.5 than a straight 5, but a 5 will work for this scale.
A lack of consensus here but Goof has capitulated and this one is getting 4 stars. There are great songs: Bittersweet Symphony is obvious, but also Lucky Man and Catching the Butterfly. A early Brit-pop/psychedelic feel to the whole thing.
I find The Verve, in regard to Brit-pop, to be so so much better than Oasis or Blur. Not anywhere near Pulp though. This album starts off with a bang with the instant classic "Bittersweet Symphony". There are plently of other great tracks strewn about too, like "The Drugs Don't Work". This album is a bit too long though, around the 40 minute range would have made it perfect
Didn't really like.
There are some (obviously) strong late 90s vibes to this album. It's a little long, making it drawn out in my opinion 3.4/5
An album that I remember being so bad and dull that I honestly refuse to listen to it again. Songs dragged on with little interesting instrumentation to accompany it, and the singer's wispy, psychedelic singing often came off as more posh and up its own ass than actually done well. Yes, there is a singular good riff here, that being Bittersweet Symphony's string backing to keep that song moving along at a pace just fit enough for it to become a hit both in the UK and US, but when you learn that small snippet of strings is all you get, you'll be rolling your eyes by the end of the track, and realizing it is a sample pulled from a Rolling Stones' orchestral live album makes it all the worse. Sure, sampling is cool, but not that lazily, it just makes you look bad. Otherwise, you get that same level of self-important nothingness that plagues the likes of their contemporaries, such as The Charlatans or Oasis. Pulp and other Britpop acts work for me due to their self-aware lyrics and cheeky but solid instrumentals. This just feels like they came up with "sad" lyrics then noodled on their instruments for five minutes, cut it, and shipped it out. How this is considered some of the best the UK had to offer at the time is beyond me, but I just find it ridiculously drab, and I really don't want to go through that hour of meandering songwriting again, even a year or so later.
sleepy
isn’t really a bad album just not my kind of music. it would be good to listen to for background music or if you’re doing homework.
Being at the midpoint between The Stone Roses and Oasis was a very good place to be in the 90s, as it turns out.
Less drugged out and shoegazey than the earlier records but still has the combination of delay and reverb. Love Nick McCabe's guitar tone and Richard Ashcroft has the best slacker singer voice in rock.
I liked this much more than I thought I would, that's a good collection of songs.
DU SKOJJJJJAR DETTA ÄR ETT AV MINA ALL TIME FAVORITALBUM!!!! Lyssnat genom hela livet, mamma har blastat i bilen hela barndomen, på riktigt även idag när jag åkte till tandläkaren. Denna musik bara OMFAMNAR mig på ett sätt!!! HELT omöjligt att välja favoritspår. Alltid totalälskat bittersweet symphony, sonnet och the drugs don’t work. Space and Time, Lucky Man och One Day är låtar jag började digga senare i livet men ojjjjj vad jag älskar dem. Detta album känns som hemma och texterna och soundet är för mig typ så nära perfekt man kommer. Fattar ni hur mycket jag gråtit till detta album, brit-pop när den är som bäst!!! Kan nog skriva en bok om min kärlek till detta album 😻😻 Cd:en sitter fint på rummet, känslan fint i lurarna och musiken fint i hjärtat 10/5 😩😩😩😩
Bitter sweet symphony är ju jättebra såklart, men resten mäh
Wowoow skitbra album, alla låtar var bra asså men det peakade i början Bästa låtar: Bitter sweet symphony, The drugs dont work
Iconic Bitter Sweet Symphony on here. Some other okay songs as well, but not too much that stands out.
Was fine. Wont listen again.
The singles are outstanding
Was shocked about the hidden song
This album is held up by its singles. Bitter Sweet Symphony is a fantastic single and a staple of Britpop. The Drugs Don't Work is also a masterpiece in its sadness. Lucky Man's tune and lyrics make it stand out among the rest of the psychadelic-leaning songs. Speaking of which, the psychedelic remainders are not bad, with more dynamic production than Oasis. However, it gets repetitive, with the rock-y bombast for most tracks letting them down after 3-4 minutes. The exception is Space And Time, which earns the noodling at the end. This is a lesson in why \"Oasis' \"BE Here Now\" was doomed to failure - psychadelic-inspired hard rock songs should be way shorter to start with, let alone wall-of-sound for 7 minutes. Overall, great sound and vibes overall but the lack of re-listenability means it loses stars.
Great album
I almost like Bitter Sweet Symphony, Lucky Man, One Day, This Time
“Bittersweet Symphony” is easily the best song here and still hits (almost) the same. “The Drugs Don’t Work” reeks of trying too hard. The rest of it is pretty generic Brit Pop. The Verve still have the problem of an album full of overlong, repetitive songs.
bittersweet symphony !
Great first track
This was quite a surprising album, much better than I expected. I remembered the hits but most of the songs stand the test of time quite well, much better than most of their brit bands peers. It has more groove and grit than I thought. Arrangements are clever, occasionally a bit experimental too. Bittersweet Symphony is a little classic.
Итс олрайт. Я бы сказал, что из всех бритпоп альбомов, что мне пока встречались в этом листе, этот звучит наиболее бритпоп, но при этом будто бы понравился мне больше других (Suede, Pulp и Oasis еще не было). Несколько прямо отличных песен, но упомянутая ниже стала для меня сюрпризом, поэтому ее я и выбрал вместо Bitter Sweet Symphony. Лучшая песня - The Drugs Don't Work.
Pretty good stuff, can see why they were touted as a big band coming up.
Thought this was a one hit wonder but, as an Oasis fan, I really enjoyed the rest of the album
Britpop at its finest
Another classic
It’s fine. Fine. Overlong, some stinkers, but it just sounds the same as the last Verve album I got, which was only like a week ago, and it’s just the same Brit pop that proliferates throughout this list. It’s fine! Why did the Verve need TWO albums on this list, when there’s amazing bands and performers I know not represented at all?!?
Incredibly strong album. It’s positively drenched in the smell of hash oil and whiskey. They made something really great here and it’s a pleasure to keep pressing play again and again.
Clásico, relajante, profundo al mismo tiempo. Un 100 para una mañana de estudio
Bittersweet Symphony is an obvious banger, but this is solid throughout.
they dhould have changed thte rest of the songs to be as good as bittersweet symphnony
It was nice, easy listening. First song was the best, but overall, nice.
Pretty good
meh
At least two of these songs were used multiple times during Scrubs
Boring, generic.
Bittersweet Sympathy is such a wonderful song, everything else on this album is cast in its long shadow and can not step out of the shadow
Better than expected.
Pop that ain’t catchy Rock that rolls over near dead Music feels empty
Nice.
Pretty darn good, feel like we listened to it before? 4 stars.
It’s okay. The Drugs Don’t Work connects along with Bittersweet Symphony.
A good album, definitely some hits in there but at the same time it's not ethereal enough
Heard a lot of shared DNA with other Britpop groups like Oasis. Bittersweet Symphony is a classic; I wouldn't mind revisiting this later. Also, hidden track? What a throwback!
Like most, I suspect, the success of Bittersweet Symphony and its subsequent controversy sucked all the energy out of the rest of the album which is a detailed, complete vision. The orchestral depth, the singular vocal, the point of view. Remarkable artistry. I wonder where they might have gone if they hadn’t been drowned in the bath by those they adored.
Sounds like my late 90s soundtrack. Enough big tunes to warrant a 3. Unfortunately a lot of the other songs run together.
I remember this album when it came out. Bitter Sweet Symphony was a huge hit, but I thought it was repetative and dull. After listening to the album, it just doesn't do it for me.
Prima arrangementen, maar uiteindelijk niet echt goed. De topnummers zijn te weinig.
Recently I have been doing some intense pipetting while listening to my generated album of the day. This one was pretty boring to listen to again while pipetting, but there was nothing really wrong with it. My baseline is the metal album I listened to three days ago- nothing will compare to that experience. 3/5
For my father's generation the big question was: Do you listen to the Beatles, The Rolling Stones or Hendrix? There was so much meaning folded into that question, and even more in its answer. I remember when the brit-pop wave hit Europe back in the 90's. It was as if the question was repeated. This time with Blur and Oasis as the only right answers. Bands like Kula Shaker, Suede and Pulp somehow existed within the boundaries of that same question. At the time I was still listening to Nirvana and I just discovered Green Day, so I was kind of in another place, but I quickly learned to enjoy the British invasion, especially Blur. But in 1997 the impossible happened. Urban Hymns hit the shelves. And suddenly a single band united the striding sides in the Oasis-vs-Blur-battle. In 1997 everyone agreed: The coolest band in the world was The Verve. There so much melodic melancholy on this album. Top tracks: Bitter Sweet Symphony, Sonnet, The Drugs Don’t Work, Catching The Butterfly and Lucky Man.
I’m really glad this project got me to revisit this album and subsequently the bands four album catalog as well as Richard Ashcrofts solo work. I’ve heard the two well known singles “Bittersweet Symphony” and “Lucky Man” from Urban Hymns to great extent thanks to them being overplayed on radio back when radio was a thing people actively listened to, as well as on MTV. I know I’ve given this entire album a listen before I just don’t remember any of the songs or even if I liked it. So coming at it with a fresh musical perspective, I gotta say, it really hit me. I love Richard Ashcroft’s voice and songwriting, I hear hints of Scott Walker mixed with Bono and Liam Gallagher in his voice on a few songs. The entire band also sounds incredible on this album, their sound is somewhere between The Stone Roses, Spiritualized and Oasis. Really the only song I’d skip on future listens is “Bittersweet Symphony” and that’s just due to fatigue from it being overplayed. Over the weekend I’ve enjoyed listening to The Verve’s other three albums almost as much as Urban Hymns, I only wish I gave this band more of a chance before now.
I had to start on track 2, because I couldn't listen to track 1 another time in my life. I think I heard it every 5 minutes on the radio back in the day. These guys are good enough musicians to make the type of music on this album, which is to say uninspiring, basic shit. The fellas play their instruments well, but the singer's voice makes me want to stop listening. This has been done before by better bands. It's like a watered down U2, or Oasis, who were a watered down Beatles. The production is okay, but I'm annoyed sitting through this one. These guys got paid, so mission accomplished, I guess. I was hoping that Velvet Morning would be a cover of Some Velvet Morning by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, but I was let down one more time. It was just another song. If I were forced to pick a favorite, I would give a nod to Neon Wilderness, probably because it doesn't sound like the rest of the songs.
Album cover = "Hey everyone! Look to your right! **takes picture** No, dude your OTHER right! Sheesh. . . . whatever. Print!" I only know the opener, which is great. Can it get better from here?? If "Sonnet" is any indication, then yes. This brings me back to that late 70's "Laughter in the Rain" soft rock, a genre wholly missing in music today (for the future aliens reading our reviews, that's 2024 BCE). "It's country or it's metal!!" Bad edit at 2:05 is jarring, throws off the mood. Otherwise this song would perfectly reach what it's going for. . . . Rock n' Roll can be all about attitude and delivery over good writing; style over substance. Luckily, "The Rolling People" is well written and avoids the standard trappings of the genre where the guitars are tastefully distorted and not trying to overcompensate and show how tough they can be, dude. The post-Jane's Addiction extended jam at the end doesn't seem overindulgent as much as just letting the moment ride. This song seems like it was well-tested live as the closer before being committed to tape. Bop-Bop Bana, Bop-Bop Banana-nana. These guys can really write a slow song; we find another perfection in the slow melody of "The Drugs Don't Work" where the production does a great job of re-interpreting what is essentially a country song. And what a great line: "like a cat in bag waiting to drown, I'm coming down." This is the first time I've heard this album. I'm not going to review this track-by-track, but by now I see where this is heading. Atmospheric, catchy, lush, and spacious, Urban Hymns is a great vibe, equally content as background ambiance as it is turned up and blasting, center-stage. The orchestration throughout the album adds majesty without overshadowing the fact that this is still guitar rock. Always on the verge of going into psychedelia, they remain grounded in their pop-rock formula, save for "Neon Wilderness" which goes a bit further out but stays too safe for optimal peaking. Yes, I'm a little late to The Verve party, but I contend that they're a little late to the 90's party. This album arrived when grunge and post-grunge were all but dead, and rap was reeling in a much-overdue golden age of creativity, and rightfully dominating the airwaves. Had this been released around 1994-1995 to help pick up the pieces when grunge started dissolving, The Verve may have been a heavyweight alongside Radiohead to push new boundaries of rock into the next decade. Each band member and the producer are doing exactly what they should to best serve these songs. Having heard nothing else by The Verve, I'm curious if they ever expanded their form from this triumphant jumpstart or if they stayed content constrained within their own walls. This album suggests that they have the skills to do something truly original and great, but as it is Urban Hymns remains a touch too safe and predictable.
Daydreaming under cold, grey skies. This album owes a lot to later Beatles and other acts of that milieu. Lush production, good use of sampling on the absolutely inescapable single, “Bittersweet Symphony.” Acoustic guitar strumming at the center, embellished with textures of soul, psychedelia, trip hop, and even old-school country & western at moments. Heavily layered yet somehow subdued. All sharp edges have been smoothed. Very consistent feel throughout the album, but by the end, I was craving a change of pace. Surprised this is in the top 20 top-selling albums of all time in UK – illustrates some of the deep differences in taste between the UK and the US. Perhaps this entry also helps to reveal the alleged bias this list has toward British acts and Britpop. I didn't find this album bad, but for whatever reason, I personally found it hard to truly connect to.
I remember a stopover in Scotland on our way to (I think) Denmark years ago. We walked around for a few hours in Edinburgh to be exact. The weather was a constant overcast with clouds and light rain falling every few minutes. The sun was struggling to come out. The sky looked so bland. That is what this album sounds like to me. Bland....bleh. I don't think I had ever actively listened to Bitter Sweet Symphony the whole way through despite ridiculous amounts of playtime in the U.S. because the song just did not really pull me in. I feel the same way about the whole album. None of it really pulls me in despite was seems like an attempt to have a bit of a late Beatles sound. I tried to think back to some of what I was listening to back in 1997, that was out at the same time. What was in rotation for me was Deftones..Around the Fur, Incubus S.C.I.E.N.C.E and Tool had just released Aenima the year before in 1996 I think. That year I also went to see U2 on the Popmart tour. Maybe that's why seemingly mopey Brit Rock just didn't do it for me. This band has a lot of similarity to me to Oasis which was another band that didn't really draw me in. It's not that they are bad at playing, I just didn't hear enough dynamics and creativity in the music. From back then what I remember about the Verve was that they had a similar name to the band the Verve Pipe, and Keith Richards was trying to sue them. Again, not a terrible sound, just not my thing. Blur is an example to me of an interesting Brit Rock band. I am not sure why this album would be on a need to listen list and it's mind blowing that this is a UK top seller.
Sounds good
Well Bittersweet Symphony is weel known and often played. The rest ? I think I can survive without listening to this Album.
Magnificent britpop album by The Verve. Various songs are absolute bangers ("Bitter Sweet Symphony", "The Drugs Don't Work", "Lucky Man" and "Sonnet").
This is what they'd play at the euthanasia clinic if they used music to terminate you
Bittersweet Symphony brings me right back to elementary school but I have not heard a single other song of theirs. "Sonnet" is actually awesome. "Drugs Don't Work" is nice. Neon onwards its all duds. I think that without having a real emotional or nostalgic connection to this album, it's just ends up sounding like pretty generic alt/pop-rock.
A bit disappointed from the negative reviews of this album. For me it was smooth listening. Remember listening to "The drugs don't work" thinking about my aunt. R.I.P. 🙏🏻 4/5
Listened to this while playing Twiling Inscription solo. I lost. I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. For some reason I was expecting it to kind of all sound like Bittersweet Symphony, but it was a really strong collection of songs. Some of the lyrics were a little cringe, but I can forgive it given the era.
Of course Bittersweet Symphony is one of my all-time favorites. The remainder of the album wasn't very memorable for me, though.
Bittersweet symphony is great, but the rest of it really didn't stick.
Greatly enjoyed. I'd heard singles, but never the whole album. Never realized quite how energetically dreary the band is.
Of their time, for sure, but there are some excellent songs here, albeit with their influences front and centre. And I also think the band had a tendency to veer off into the self-indulgent. A star for each of the stand-out tracks.
Reminds me of 70's Stones with better harmonies
Better than I was expecting, but my expectations were pretty low. The Aphrodite's Child influences were interesting.
Pretty classic 90s
boring, not listening to the whole thing 1/5
Woaaah, bittersweet symphony has been popping up a lot in my life these past couple of weeks, crazy! Let's see if the rest of the album holds up as well. Very Oasis reminiscent. Catching the butterfly sounds proto-Muse. Overall enjoyable album, 3*. It's interesting that this is such a high selling album; I think that is all an artifact of an era where you had to buy the whole album for just one song,, you couldn't pick and choose like we do with streaming. This means these guys had one amazing banger and that's that. A la tubthumping. The hidden track was weird. Highlights: bittersweet symphony
Heard Bitter Sweet Symphony way too many times to actually enjoy listening to it today. The rest of the album was a little samey, although The Drugs Don't Work was good, and I added Weeping Willow to my Spotify!
“Bitter Sweet Symphony” is this band’s big claim to fame, but even that song wears out its welcome eventually. The rest of the songs are good, but why are they all over 6 mins?!
Kinda reminds me of radiohead?
Good, not great album
Auðvitað bara geggjuð ...
In 1997 this was one of my favourite albums so had it down as a 5 star album. I listened to it twice and still like the music, but also got a little annoyed by the lyrics and the way of singing. I would now go for an older Verve album. 1997: 9/10 2024: 8/10
High quality songs delivered with a lot of (sometimes a bit too much) passion.
Some cracking iconic tunes.
All these songs sound the same.
Tasalaatuinen ja viihdyttävä levy parilla megahitillä höystettynä taipuu neloseen.
Aivan loistava
I know this one! See how it holds up. Love Sonnet, wasn't expecting that to be honest. Even filler tracks have a nice sound, surprisingly solid when I thought it was just about the singles.
One of the bigger hits of the 90’s was “bittersweet symphony”. This album was pretty good. 3.5
Sounds ok but not a fan of the vocals
Bueno.
Bittersweet Symphony is an instant classic I will crank 100% of the time it comes on the radio and I have no idea what they are singing about. 100 point demerit to Rolling Stones for being jerks about copyright. Never heard rest of album before and it was good, but not sure it's interesting enough for me to remember to seek it out again. We'll see!
I didn't think I'd heard The Verve before, but then as soon as "Bitter Sweet Symphony" started playing, I realized I *had* heard them (at least that song, many many many times), and I always enjoyed hearing it on the radio. The video is weirdly misanthropic, though, and makes me like the song less, sadly. (Likewise, the Wikipedia article for this album only seems to reinforce that Richard Ashcroft is a selfish, arrogant jerk, sadly.) I'm pretty sure I haven't ever heard most of the rest of the album, and for all of the hook to "Bitter Sweet Symphony", the rest of the album doesn't really deliver on that promise. The album seems just sort of average overall. Nothing great, nothing horrible (except maybe that video...). It's a bit shocking that "Urban Hymns" is #19 on the list of best-selling albums in UK chart history, as I feel like I could list a lot more than 19 UK albums that are much better than this (and yes, I know that's not the same thing). I'm also *super* bummed that the track "Velvet Morning" wasn't a cover or adaptation of that bizarre Lee Hazlewood/Nancy Sinatra song.
Torn on this because I really love the first two songs and the rest of the album seems like a pale imitation. I'm giving it a 4 for those two songs (Bittersweet Symphony and Sonnet). Really wish Velvet Morning has been a remake of Some Velvet Morning....
Not bad but not a fan
My take is that Bitter Sweet Symphony is brilliant and I was really excited with the first part of the album. However, as it went on, none of the other songs really landed. I like the feel and tenor of the band more than the songwriting. I'll need to come back to this one as it could raise over time, but it's a:
This one started slow for me, but I liked it more as the album went along. Probably wouldn't ever choose it intentionally.
I had only previously known bittersweet symphony. I didn't think the rest of the album sounded like that song but I did love it. Classic 90s!
I enjoyed this a lot! Totally new to me (besides track 1 which bothers me a little at this point). I give it a 3.2.
It kind of went in one ear & out the other. Didn't dislike it. Prefer the Beta Band. Admittedly tired of posting 2 & 3 star reviews.
I can remember not particularly rating this as an album. Only remember drugs and symphony. Will be interesting to see what I think now. Better than I remembered especially the last few tracks, but too long a bit mono paced and no great emotion coming through to me.
nice
Too slow, too much production, too much not enough. Lacks any intensity. Pretty soulless. Damn, the whole thing is like the worst Lynyrd Skynyrd, but more robotic. The singer is good enough (I guess, can't really hear that well). Outside of Bittersweet Symphony, this just drags. It's so long. I tried, but the slide guitar/slow tempo/acoustic campfire strumming just feels contrived out here. Come On is okay. Rounding down one star for bad behavior and breaking up 3 times. I would love to hear something by these guys without all the echo and tambourine
Bittersweet symphony is a very very good song, and I thought the rest of the album was pretty interesting. Definitely a 4.5 at least but not quite a 5 I think
One of the greatest albums ever written. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
A 90's favorite. At the time, I didn't realize I was an Emo fan...Bittersweet Symphony is unique and captures their oeuvre nicely, but Weeping Willow and Come On / Deep Freeze (the hidden track! makes me miss CDs) are instrumentally beautiful and poetic with less of a \"please be a hit\" vibe.
Just a lovely listen. Solid afternoon sunshine experience with a few to sing to and a few to fade out to.
Britpop er VIRKELIG ikke min ting. Det er et par sanger som kan være ok å høre på. Hvis pop er din greie, så kan det sikkert være et bra album.
I liked this album.
I enjoyed several songs
I enjoyed this one well enough, though didn't find a whole lot here to love outside the first track.
Het album begint met de wereldberoemde hit. De rest bevat ook wel goede nummers. Leuk album. *****
pretty good album, lucky man and bittersweet symphony standout!
The singles are great but the rest of the album tends towards droning neo psychedelica and gets a bit boring. Still, I love this album because it reminds me of a formative time in my life.
Pretty good
Massive hit. Some pretty good songs. But drags on
One if the greatest ways you could ever open an album. Great album. Really love the singles. Album tracks are great, especially One Day. I think I could like it more as time goes on. Very high 4
I loved this at the time but it feels too long now. Honestly could do without 15-20 minutes of this. The singles however are epic. BSS, Lucky Man and The Drugs Don’t Work are still songs I listen to regularly. This elevates it from a 3 to 4.
So much filler!
The last great Britpop album
After bittersweet symphony, the album falls into a cringey mess with bad writing, lyrics and melodies. No thanks
One hit wonders to me.
Solid album.Notable songs -Sonnet,the rolling people,weeping willow, bittersweet symphony . Velvet Morning is pretty sick too.
Aggressively corny. It's stoner-rock that's not even cool. Objectively the worst aesthetic from the 90s. Neither relatable nor aspirational. Not provocative, not vulnerable, not catchy, not problematic, not poignant or poetic, not musically interesting, not even good at being bro-y. Just extremely dated nonsense from the worst kind of white boy. The drummer is like "I'm so cool because I don't care!" I don't care either because the music puts me to sleep. At best, there is the suggestion of angst in the same way that garlic powder is the suggestion of flavor (without the danger of the real thing). I'm bored and annoyed listening to this. Also, terrible album name.
I just wanted this to end as quickly as possible.
An album I really like. The singles are fantastic, especially "The Drugs Don't Work". I think the rest of "Urban Hymns" is less impressive but not bad. With an overabundance of Britpop albums on the list, I can see why others hate it. Also, the 6 1/2 minute gap between "Come On" and the hidden track is a bit too long. This album is a nice addition to my listening portfolio. 4 stars for a solid record.
classic
Banger.
Urban Hymns is a bona fide classic 90s britpop album. Ashcroft's smooth vocals and melodies paired with big spacey verbed out guitars, and well layered production. The obvious big hit, "Bitter Sweet Symphony", I think is the main reason this album even makes this list. Undeniably memorable, but just as much so for the copyright debacle as the song itself. All in all, it's a good album, but suffers from most of the songs sounding pretty similar throughout. Throw it on in the background while you cook dinner or study or work. It's not an album I'd say you want to sit down for a fully dedicated listening session as the somewhat repetitive feel of the album can be a bit of a drag over the 75 minute runtime (knock about 5 or so minutes off if you skip the silence between "Come On" and the pseudo sci-fi sounding instrumental hidden track "Deep Freeze")
you know this ain't getting anything other than a 5/5 mate additionally, the rolling people is the best song on this album. i will die on this hill. it's a masterpiece and the best song the verve ever made.
Vahvan aloituksen jälkeen taantuu tasapaksuksi ja ylipitkäksi brittipop-äänimatoksi.
Kinda the background for a lot of outdoor experiences of the era.
Stands up quite well
Bittersweet Symphony is great, but the rest is pretty samey. I got bored.
so boring blends together
a lot of effort was put into this album
Despite the overall rating, Bitter Sweet Symphony is a great song.
This is definitely one of the most ambitious britpop albums, and as much of an unpopular opinion as this may be, I think they kinda pulled it off. It's long, it's grand, it's epic, but it rarely feels boring or annoying. Admittedly, there were a few moments that were very repetitive, so much so to the point where I had to check to make sure my phone wasn't glitching out and just playing the same 2 seconds of the song over and over, but those moments are few and far between so hardly take away from the experience of listening to this album.
Bittersweet Symphony was the only good song that I wouldn't mind hearing again. The rest were pretty forgettable and boring. I kept thinking they sounded like some other 90's/00's bands, but couldn't place it; just generic sounding. 2/5
Aside from the first track, lead single on this album, I'm pretty generally unfamiliar with The Verve. I just kind of passingly know about them in the context of Spiritualized. This album was cooler and weirder than I was expecting based on how I perceived the single for so long. Totally makes sense that they are slotted in to that same era/genre. I enjoyed this a lot though it's way too long--classic CD era release.
Had forgotten about these guys. Pleasantly surprised. Good variety of tunes.
Great album. Maybe a bit too long but several great tracks and even the less popular ones are good.
Beautiful album
Outside of lucky man pretty boring album. Doesn’t do much.
“Who the hell are these guys” *first song plays* “oh”
I played this album out
Great album.
This is my team here: 'In a more mixed assessment, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune felt that Urban Hymns lacked more songs as memorable as "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and "The Drugs Don't Work" to justify the album's long length. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice cited "The Drugs Don't Work" track as a "choice cut", calling it "a good song on an album that isn't worth your time or money". Emily Tartanella of Magnet felt that Urban Hymns was undeserving of its accolades, calling it "one of the most bloated, boring and overpraised albums of the '90s." ' "Bittersweet Symphony" is still a stellar opener. You could listen to that emotional, lively-yet-indeed-bittersweet swirl of strings sampled from Andrew Loog Odham's orchestral version of a Rolling Stones song for far more than the five minutes dedicated to it at the start of this record. But that's part of the problem here: the only *instantly* memorable melody in this album was not written by the Verve. Because, generally speaking, they're bad music writers. And sometimes even awful ones. Okay, Richard Ashcroft's smartly double-tracked vocal lines for that opener is still imaginative enough, I guess. And so is the one on *The Drugs Don't Work*. But for the vast majority of the other songs, oh Lord, his input amounts to meandering doodles over bland, beige, by-the-numbers britpop FM version of supposedly trippy, yet really 100% self-indulgent "rock" jams. My Lord, how can this album go on for so long without any sense of proper dynamics? Guess The Verve couldn't decide which tracks were the true highlights during their recording sessions, so they elected to put all of them into the album, probably deluding themselves to consider they were all great. Oh Lord, the hubris. And the maudlin lyrics, matching the melodically uninteresting vocal lines surely don't help, my Lord. I mean, Lord, it's easy to see how Ashcroft constantly uses certain words for emphasis (yes my Lord!), because he has nothing even remotely interesting to write about nostalgia, getting old, and the vicissitudes that go with that sort of thing (the supposed lyrical content of those songs). Lord, how boring. Lord, how self-indulgent. Lord, how repetitive and dull. My Lord, has Robert Dimery turned deaf? This one escapes a 1/5 grade because of its legendary opener. But even when you put this record into the context of its release, it becomes abundantly clear that it's been overrated for years. 1997 is the year Radiohead's *OK Computer* came out, for chrissake! And you can't seriously compare dull *Urban Hymns* with the brilliant stylistical forays and dozen of breathtaking left-turns contained in that other album. The Oxford gang was already years ahead into the future. In comparison, The Verve was only rehashing a ground that had been tread countless times before. Suburban hymns indeed. Number of albums left to review: 236 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 330 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 195 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 246 (including this one - I'd give it a 1.5/5 grade if I had to follow the purposes of this list of essential albums, here rounded up to 2. More "objective" grade? 6.5/10? (5 + 1.5) Guess it's decently played and professionally recorded at least).
I guess a lot of what you like and think about an album can be contextual. This is definitely the perfect album for coffee on a rainy day in a Melbourne cafe.
Solid 90's music, just chill meaningful music
I kind of get the verve thing. They’ve definitely got that j’ne sais quoi, just, ce n’est pas pour moi.
I like Bittersweet Symphony, but sitting down for 75 minutes of it again is a no thanks for me. I’ll admit being into the general vibe in the 90s and early 2000s and still to some extent when I’m in a particular mood these days, but the overwrought pseudo symphonic thing generally just doesn’t hit right at this stage for me. I’m not offended or anything by this and it all sounds fine, but I’m very skeptical about the assertion that any of us need to listen to this album before we die and think maybe the author just had Bittersweet Symphony stuck in their head when they were getting toward their deadline.
bittersweet symphony always. the rest - unimpressed
Okay
A guy with a shitty Gallagher haircut and skinny legs somewhere in the midlands tries to introduce me to 'good' music then slaps my ass. His repressed emotions only come out at the pub, punches flying.
Cool album from the 90’s. Great sound.
Very great really enjoyed it.
I had a copy of this album when it first came out. Like so many others, I discovered The Verve due to 'Bittersweet Symphony'. It is undeniably a great song. The rest of the album was always just background music for me. Pleasant enough to listen to but nothing memorable. Revisiting this album many years later, it's much the same as I remembered it. The music is good enough but nothing really stands out. It's still great background music with one stand out single. But generally I just don't understand the excitement around this band.
Drone-y but not actively annoying. Nothing memorable except Bittersweet Symphony.
Sorry no
Awesome album start to finsh
Aside from "Bittersweet Symphony", there's nothing that really stands out.
british stuff
whiny
It was a classic when it released and still a classic now.
Good stuff! Beatle-esque, which I appreciate. If I had been a teen when they were popular I'd have been all over them. Lots of romantic feeling with all the reverb and clever harmonies. However, a few songs in I got bored. Oh well.
Hey Robert Dimery, which kinda mediocre, completely unexceptional, generic brit pop album should we include on the list of 1001 albums you must here before you die? Robert Dimery: YES!!!! 76 minutes of shoegaze-lite monotony. Ugh. These songs are too long and too boring and the lead singer sounds like the guy from Coldplay. This album isn't bad, but it sure as hell isn't good.
Really good album, very consistent, perfect length and some very high highs. Highlights were The Drugs Don't Work, Bittersweet Symphony, Lucky Man, Sonnet, Weeping Willow, Catching the Butterfly
Only knew bittersweet Symphony but the rest of this album was quite good and quite a bit not that...which is good. Loved his raspy vocals and almost psychedelic guitar moments. Overall a great listen from a band I previously knew nothing about
Bitterwet Symphony overshadows the rest of the album
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" kicks this off, and it's probably one of the best songs of the '90s, absolutely top tier song. This album is actually pretty deep though, and "The Drugs Don't Work", "Lucky Man", and "Sonnet" are all really great. I like Richard Ashcroft's voice a lot. They manage to rock pretty hard one some songs and hit on the softer songs as well. I was really close to giving this a 5, but there's just a bit too much filler here. While I liked a lot of this, it has no business being 75 minutes long. There's a few stretches that are ok, but relatively unremarkable which just breaks up the flow a bit. I also was unfamiliar with the legal issues surrounding "Bittersweet Symphony" and The Rolling Stones, but that seems to be settled now which is good. Favorite song: Bitter Sweet Symphony Other: Sonnet, The Drugs Don't Work, Catching The Butterfly, Space and Time, Lucky Man, One Day, Velvet Morning 3/25/24
This was HUGE at the time and it's hard for me to be too objective as I was sick of the singles so much. Saying that, I enjoyed it more than I expected but man, way overlong. There's a super tight 40-45 minutes here. A generous 3
bittersweet symphony - excellent song. The rest was fine.
I enjoy Bittersweet Symphony and Lucky Man - the rest is pedestrian and fairly forgettable.
Helping to define the lush alt sound and definably influenced by the success of Britpop, the Verve worked hard from a Storm in Heaven to achieve this level of success. I think they left a bit too much silence before the secret song, but always a treat to see it. Still find it hard to believe this is considered one of the BEST British albums but I feel the same about Good Morning Morning Glory Bittersweet symphony is far overplayed, but learning the sample is from an orchestral rolling stones cover is particularly cool.
Starts off with the best song on the album and then just gets monotonous. This could have been better if it was about half as long. Space and Time is one of the better tracks, and it's kinda okay.
- The Rolling People is an epic song - The rest of the album is fine but isn't anything too crazy
- really enjoyable sound
A mixture of epic bangers and boring dross. Over rated, underwhelming 3.3
I go up and down with this album but I think I like it although it's a bit of a slog in the end
Thije vond m overrated ik vind m legit wel hard
That one song was good tho
9/10 Title is a great Description
CAUSE ITS A BITTERSWEET... SYMPHONY THATS LIFEEEEE
dollar store Oasis. 3/5. would be 2.5 if i could do half stars. its fine. completely inoffensive. lifted a lot of guitar tone from the stone roses which i can appreciate but thats really it.
Bittersweet one hit wonder
Liked Bittersweet Symphony, Drugs Don't Work and Lucky Man, but overall the album is a little bland for my tastes.
Wie heeft toegestaan dat dit album 75 minuten duurt
One amazing song followed by some mid tunes.
I’m happy about today’s album. I’m not sure that I know too much by The Verve, but I do really like the songs I’ve heard. This is an era and genre of music that I tend to really take to, so this should be a fun one. Let’s listen! I’m hopeful with this one. Songs I already knew: Bittersweet Symphony, Sonnet, The Drugs Don’t Work, Lucky Man Favourites: Bittersweet Symphony, The Drugs Don’t Work This was exactly what I was hoping it would be: soft, miserable 90’s brit pop. That is certainly not a bad thing when you like to bathe in that misery! The music here isn’t overly complicated (also of note, is that they only recently started earning money from Bittersweet Symphony as they used a Rolling Stones sample a bit more than they were supposed to), but it definitely sounds nice. The vocals are nothing amazing, but they suit the music perfectly. As easy recommend today.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I think I must have been prejudiced against Richard Ashcroft and a bit sniffy about the faux-orchestration of Bittersweet Symphony. The songs are all well written and performed. A bit earnest perhaps, but 100% better than Oasis. Favourite song Drugs Don't Work.
Didn’t love it
On the strength of Bittersweet Symphony alone I could give the album a 5, but am going with a 4
Only a few songs I wasn't feeling, including the hidden track, which is kind of a shame because it was a long wait. Overall, a pretty good album
Passabler Brot Pop. Sehr langes Album.
I do have a soft spot for The Verve, especially their earlier work. This album continues some of the shoegazing sonic philosophy of their first two albums, but mixes it with crowd-pleasing maudlin tracks. 50% of this is really good, and 50% of it just isn't.
I have to admit: I didn’t know they had more songs than Bittersweet Symphony, which I always associate with the Cruel Intentions movie. This album is actually pretty which makes me guilty for never exploring it prior. Key songs for me are BSS (obviously), Catching the Butterfly, and Come On/Deep Freeze. This is one of those lesson learned albums: if you really like a song, explore more from the album.
I've never heard another Verve song except for Bittersweet Symphony. I wasn't missing much. I won't be picking this one up again. BTW - the funny hidden track thing is a definite relic of the 90s when CDs were the main format. I bet that confuses the heck out of the kids today. lol
Not really sure how to feel about this one. Bitter Sweet Symphony being almost a meme song is hilarious, the rest of the album was decent and a little corny. Definitely some stronger songs. Negative points for making me thinking Lucky Man was going to be an ELP cover. Top tracks: Sonnet, The Drugs Don't Work
Very classic Brit pop. Love the strings laced throughout the album.
Like many of these albums I know the one super famous song (bittersweet symphony) but didn’t know the rest. Drugs don’t work was cool, the rest sort of just blended together
Solid. Not great. Not bad.
Sometimes, single songs can make an album great. \"Bittersweet Symphony\" may be one of those songs. It was a break-out hit, and could be make the band a \"one-hit wonder,\" but the rest of their work was far too good for that classification. Urban Hymns includes another hit song, \"Lucky Man,\" and a collection of great, alt rock songs. The album was the band's most successful, and got near-universal critical praise. The Verve embody the sound of 90's alt rock: strong vocals, well produced tracks, and rich orchestrations to support their engaging sound.
I liked this album and I will return to it one day. That said, I think it’s more accurate to say that “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is one of the 1,001 Songs to Hear Before You Die, rather than this album being a necessity. 3.5/5
Pretty good, and a bit darker than I expected
Thrilled Catfish is making a comeback, but I probably could have supplemented with the guys
One hit wonders
The first cut is very good and got radio play. There are a couple of other songs that are ok. This is the kind of album you can liatwn to and do something else at the same time.
2/5
All the songs are so samey
Great album, with more potential singles, as well as some neo-psychedelic workouts as a reminder of their previous efforts. It was a pleasant surprise that this album was such a huge hot in the UK, and it still hits the spot for me 27 years on.
to me this one feels like an early/undercooked radiohead album - not to say i didnt enjoy it, just that it wasn't really my jam. There are some standouts but also a lot of songs that just kind of float in one ear and out the other for me.
7 / 10 La primera canción del disco es un 10. Luego se va haciendo un poco monótono.
I've listened through this album several times before this. It's quire nice, though I will say it gets a bit one-note by the end. I can only do symphonic light rock for so long before it makes me sleepy.
90s brit-pop??! WHAT?! I would never have expected that on this list after (checks album count) 666 (hail satan) albums. But, in all seriousness, as much as I've hated all the brit-pop this list's editors have crammed down my earholes, Bitter Sweet Symphony is a pretty solid song. It deserves it's place as a classic of the era. I really don't think I've ever heard another The Verve song, though. The rest of this album is unremarkable but they get a kudos for the hidden track! How does this one hit wonder band still have 9.2M monthly listeners on Spotify? I blame the algorithm.
Its hard to listen to this album and not hear U2's slightly less edgy and much sadder younger cousin. Not hating it, but this feels like one of those albums where you can drift away for 9 minutes and not be really sure that the song you were listening to ever actually ended. Is this the same song. A different song? Are these guys still strumming and brooding? Whatever. Not horrible but I'm not sure I will have a reason to dig out Urban Hymns in the future to hear it again.
You all need to chill with these boring fucking albums. Give me something I’ll care about next, please.
britpop drivel
I really enjoy this record but find it a little draggy in the back half.
Proper 90’s classic album, Richard Ashcroft song writing is just fantastic!
#153. Another one hit wonder? At least this album as a whole was pretty good, unlike some of the other one hit wonders. 3/5: acceptable Song added to playlist: Bitter Sweet Symphony I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
I don’t think you can overstate how big of a hit “Bittersweet Symphony” was. So when I was 15 (when this album dropped) I had to see what the rest of it was about. And for whatever reason, though there was much other Brit-pop that I genuinely loved, I couldn’t get into this album. Fast forward 25-odd years…I don’t know what I was thinking. This album is excellent. Yes, the opening track kicks (and I understand that in the last five years Mick Jagger and Keith Richards allowed Richard Ashcroft to receive rights to this song), but the whole album is thoughtful, introspective, and musically complex. A really great listen. Glad it was on the list.
I think the album’s hurt a bit by starting with The Verbe’s most memorable song (Bittersweet Symphony) rather than building up to it, but overall I found it a pretty enjoyable experience. Besides the obvious favorites I really liked “The Drugs Don’t Work” and “Velvet Morning”.
medium sad man, I mean de eerste is groots bekend maar ik word er gewoon niet blij van
Not really anything special, but it’s good for what it’s got. The opener, Bitter Sweet Symphony, was cool. After that however, the tracks are less memorable. This isn’t saying they’re terrible though, some are good for what they are. This was was ok.
Nett, aber jetzt nicht der Reisser
It’s good, but someone definitely heard Oasis and thought “I could do that”
I'm very into this type of thing, even including the stupid hidden track at the end of the album. Whenever I go on an Oasis kick (which happens every few years) I'm going to do my best to include The Verve in it.
I don't understand the appeal of the Verve. This album consists of 1 overplayed 90's hit and a bunch of songs that sound like Oasis or Better than Ezra.
For whatever reason, this was just the right album to be playing on my speaker in the garage as I spent way too long packing skis and ski gear and poles into these Christly ski travel bags.
Growing up I was always confused by The Verve vs The Verve Pipe. Still not entirely sure I know the difference
The final song (Come On) is a 5 in my book. The first song (Bitter Sweet Symphony) endures as a time and place thing and gets a 4 from me. Everything else sounds the same, which is to say BORING AS FUCK.
When this band first arrived on the seen — I was expecting much more. Instead it turned into a 1 hit wonder…
Peak 90s Britpop.
Probably 2.5 stars. Some good tracks, but a bunch of songs I don’t need in my life.