Urban Hymns

The first song on this album is, I assume, the bands biggest hit and a legitimately fantastic song. And yeah, they sampled the Stones... this making it also the 2nd or 3rd best Rolling Stones song. So there's that. But, the rest is excellent, too. There's a couple places where I thought things sounded a tad repetitious, but overall this was a treat to listen to.

Great album, some classic 90's indie rock, but still sounds fresh somehow. Stand out tracks are the singles but the album tracks are strong It’s a little long (standard 75 min 90s cd issue) as most songs are of a similar tempo/feel in a dreamy, psychedelic way. Most songs overstay their welcome, most are 6-7 mins where 4 would be better

Not bad! Good song compositions and balance of vibe. The voice of the guy gets a little tiresome but otherwise neat stuff!

Bittersweet symphony is one of the most 90s songs of all time. I'll be coloured by it releasing just as I became slightly more aware of real music, but I'm very tempted to give it a 5 just for that. It is my list after all. The rest of the album is fully OK but not spectacular.

It’s strange, I enjoyed a lot of this album but I can’t really say why. It’s got good tracks but I wouldn’t be able to tell you one that I absolutely loved though.

7.0/10 Pretty solid..

Bastante mejor de lo que recordaba.

Enjoyable, but not an album that I want to listen to again all in one go - mixed into a playlist would be excellent though!

There’s a tendency to brand everything that came out of the UK in the 1990s as “Britpop”. This album is a lot more than britpop. Orchestral and melodic in places, rocky in others. I was only aware of the big 3 tracks, Symphony, Lucky Man and Drugs beforehand. I'll be adding this to my playlist. Good album

Soooooooooooooooooo good. Reminds me badly of being 16.

Classic

After never listening to the verve other than bitter sweet symphony I thought this album would be very 90s britpop, and there is definitely is influences in that genre. However I was surprised to see it had a lot of psychedelic influences. Really enjoyed the album to my surprise 4/5.

Pretty fun album. It had a good rock vibe but not overly aggressive. Having only been aware of Bittersweet Symphony, I was prepared to be underwhelmed by the rest of the album. However, it was pleasantly surprising how much I enjoyed the album. In fact, I think their sound is a lot more timeless than some of the other bands of that time. Sometimes songs from the nineties feel dated to that time, but this album was pleasant to listen to even now. I will likely be going back to this album sometime soon!

dank bittersweet symphony 4 sterne, ansonsten solide.

Never listened to the rest of the album. Controversial opinion, bitter sweet symphony is over rated. Over all good album

A similar experience to tucking into one of your favourite muller corner. The yogurt alone is pretty damn tasty but when you add a corner topping like bitter sweet symphony into the mix it takes it to a whole new level. That hidden track at the end was like discovering a chocolate banana flake in with the chocolate digestive balls- it shouldn’t really be in there but we’ll take it

Bittersweet symphony, drugs don’t work and luck man doing a lot of heavy lifting with this. Was expecting more from the other songs but they all kinda sound samey. Still, I’m heavily biased towards this one

Some of the tracks in here speak for themselves, an album you imagine will pass the test of time 8/10

I like very much, couple stagnant songs but all in all very enjoyable

Some exceptional songs and some songs which are merely pretty good

:D

Solid album, not my favourite but very good music and I enjoyed listening to it. Bitter sweet symphony is an iconic staple of 90s songs.

7.5

De la bonne britpop, un peu moins rockeurs que ce qu’on a eu à date? Outre bittersweet symphony, bien aimé The Rolling People et Weeping Willow

I've always liked Bitter Sweet Symphony, but never listened to anything else by the Verve. While I felt the album could be a little redundant at times I really enjoyed the project as a whole. The Drugs Don't Work, Space and Time, and Velvet Morning are the ones that stood out to me. Idk if I was just listening to a weird version but the several minutes of silence followed by the baby crying noises were pretty disarming lol

Classic britpop

I never really thought that the Bittersweet Symphony guys sounded like U2 until I had to listen to them for an hour. Let me address the elephant in the room: this album is bloated. It’s very long for a Britpop album and is mostly hit-or-miss. It can rather bland in the middle and some of it can get really samey. Truthfully, I think this album is technically just ok. But the hits really help bring this album up. I’d say that they fully kept my attention through this album and thus, kept this album in the range of four stars. The Verve is very lucky I loved The Drugs Don’t Work. Favorite track: The Drugs Don’t Work Other hits: Bitter Sweet Symphony, Sonnet, Space and Time, Lucky Man, One Day, This Time

Overall a great album with memorable singles and mostly solid album tracks. Faded a bit near the end.

Loved this, just faded slightly at the end

Classic 90s brit indie

The most forward thinking moments from this record come when it delivers something removed from the Northern UK 1990s scene. I love accessible, expansive take on psych. As good as it is, I'm less mad about the more brit-pop-esque songs because it not unique to them. If you trimmed those moments out you'd have a healthier (and still full length!) LP. Having said that, if the takeaway is some of the 1990s most iconic rock singles, and some wonderful side alleys taken on album tracks, you can't say fairer than that.

I am a certified Britpop hater, so it comes as a shock that I actually think this is pretty good. What's The Story aside, this is maybe the best thing from this genre we have done? As always I will take points off for a hidden track though.

Never listened to this album even though the first track is such a huge hit from the late 90’s. Album is very good - not a one hit wonder. Had that late 90’s alt/indie vibe - a little ambient, a little pop. Notable tracks include Bitter Sweet Symphony, Sonnet, Catching The Butterfly, Space And Time, Weeping Willow, Lucky Man, Velvet Morning, Come On.

A hard one to rate. Had quite a generic sound, but I think that's due to how influential and popular the songs are. I leaned on the positive side and gave this one a 4 (tossup between 3 and 4)

Classic Britpop. Can definitely feel the influence of other artists, but also adding in their own spin with the classical (/sampled) instruments.

álbum que retrata vivências do eu lírico de forma madura e melancólica, trazendo uma suavidade nas músicas que em certos momentos acaba sufocando e passando batidas, tornando-se filler eu diria. porém essa energia progressiva da obra acabou me deixando em estado de êxtase a partir do momento que se aproxima do final do álbum, me instigando a querer sentir os sentimentos do autor até chegar em seu ápice na última faixa, "Come On", de tal modo que torna a experiência recompensatória. isso é lindo, lindo como uma tarde chuvosa de sábado... 4/5

Strings in the opener. Chef's kiss to Bitter Sweet Symphony. The Rolling People was good rock&roll times. Listened before? Partially Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Bitter Sweet Symphony. Rolling People, This Time ⭐⭐⭐⭐ really liked it! Would save a bunch of tracks if that was a thing I did

Классный альбом. Помимо хитового первого трека, здесь полно очень неплохих песен, с одной стороны, воздушно-шугейзовых, а с другой попсово-индироковых, что на самом деле естественное и очень приятное сочетание. Всем любителям подобного - Slowdive, Smashing Pumpkins и Weezer - рекомендую заценить. Хотя напрямую тут общего мало, тут очень схожий вайб инди-сцены 90-х и 00-х годов.

Very good :). Fun pop and good lyrics.

This was great to listen to while working!!!

This was the album I needed today. I’m going to look up The Verve since this is the second album we’ve heard by them. Maybe they’ll be my new favorite Brit band! Who knows! But seriously, I loved this album. Some songs felt like a dream, but the dream is like tragic and romantic!

This album flowed so much better than the other Verve album we were given. It’s a psychedelic pop masterpiece and I’m glad I’m at a place in my life to appreciate it as such. I still can’t- and won’t- appreciate KISS’s 1998 attempt at appealing to juggalos album “Psycho Cirus”, but I will lower the rock n roll freak flag to half mast for Ace Frehley this weekend. He probably loved The Verve.

A less or non A-hole version of Oasis. I really enjoyed the sound of this album, and it grew on me as I listened. I am not a huge fan of Oasis, but I am not sure why these guys didn't have better staying power against them. Oasis's singles were better, but they flame out quickly. Maybe the Verve's just weren't good enough. It's a shame. This is a really good album.

Quality prog-britpop.

Ég á þessa plötu og ástæðan er hversu góð hún er. The Verve er að mínu mati besta Britpop-hljómsveitin ef þeir myndu þá flokkast sem Britpop. Ég veit ekki. Samt mjög góð plata

Liked this album a lot. Had a Radiohead feeling to it. Catches myself adding a song or two to my playlist. Pretty solid 4/5🎉

What a great album! Need to get a physical copy - just a vibe.

Do they sound kinda like Oasis? Yeah, but that's a good thing. Solid album. Drags toward the end, but good listen.

bitter sweet symphony: didnt know this song was THIS song yk? 10/10 sonnet: wasnt fully listening, def worth a relisten tho -/10 the rolling people: love the guitar and the drums omg 9/10 the drugs don’t work: ouch. hits too close to home. 10/10 tho icl catching the butterfly: not my favorite but wasnt really listening 5.5/10 neon wilderness: funky but idk 4/10 space and time: love it 8/10 weeping willow: i fw this heavy 9/10 lucky man: vibe w this 8/10 one day:

Good record. Lucky Man is really good jam.

One was late to this party back in the day, never really taking to this band and not taking Oasis that seriously either. One remains a little skeptical now, but digs the general vibesiness, the unhurried mode and mid-tempo expansiveness – might it be considered proto Dad rock somehow. The opener always seemed a bit overrated to me but there's much else to like – "Sonnet," "Rolling People". There is a last days feels to this with the rockier side of Britpop clearly on the wane. The slow-burning brooding tracks are best, but feel a bit same-y. Certainly not bad, but short of life-changing, or even inspiring. Doesn't really transcend A Northern Soul other than opening with a mega-hit. Seems just a touch contrived and too premeditated and performative. But not as obvious or obnoxious as Oasis and cooler than Blur. The last cut suggests that AI woulda created this lot had they not created themselves way back when. And the hdiden track mighta been left that way with no major impact on the overall effect.

Super stuff.

Not as timeless as I felt it would be at the time (OK Computer and Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space came out the same year). And even then it felt a bit overpolished compared to their previous album, A Northern Soul. I'd always preferred that one, and will have to go back and listen to if it has fared a bit better. But still, this is a cut above the average of the era. 3.8

Urban Hymns comes across as thoughtful, mellow alt rock and is a marked improvement over their previous Northern Soul album. There are several good tracks on this one; Lucky Man leads the charge, followed by Bitter Sweet Symphony, then Sonnet - but all the songs are listenable. I even enjoyed the six and a half minutes of silence near the middle of Come On / Deep Freeze. And a solid effort was put forth by the string section of the backing orchestra throughout the album! (3.9*s)

Melodisk, vackert, bitterljuvt. Fin sångröst. Bittersweet symphony är en stor favorit sen tidigare. Även sonnet och the drugs don’t work. Efter ungefär hälften av albumet blir låtarna snarlika och repetivt..

Veldig bra greier. Visste ikkje at mye av dette va the verve

The singles were obvious choices and very overplayed. A very good album , but a great album , hmmm

Don’t get me wrong, I like The Verve, but somehow their albums have a downbeat vibe which leaves me feeling a bit drained afterwards and not immediately wanting more. Given this I’ve always found the name of the band rather misleading. Perhaps it’s that Richard Ashcroft always seems a bit too far up his own arse and needing to cheer up a bit? Anyway, I prefer the Verve songs with big riffs and searing guitar parts (which I’ve always assumed are more McCabe’s doing) like ‘Rolling People’ and ‘Come On’. The issue is they maxed that style on the epic ‘This is Music’ on the previous album, so they sound like lesser versions thereof. Other than that, the singles are great, some of the more psych ones are alright. but I’m not as into the slower more acoustic stuff which makes the album drag a bit by the end. Low 4.

Mainly up there because of the quality of the singles rather than a accumulation of all of the tracks on the album

6/10 kinda slow

I was actually pleasantly surprised after I got through the first two songs

Bestes Bitter Sweet Video aller Zeiten, bin ja eigentlich kein Brit-Popper aber da war ich dabei..fantastisch! c

Bitter sweet Symphony is an all timer - the rest was very very solid too. Reminiscent of Radiohead/Oasis......clearly of the same era. A pretty solid era!

Very good - heard those singles so so many times but they're all bangers. Enjoyed the rest a lot too.

Just great and a classic

I always assumed the verve was just another Brit pop Oasis-seque band with one good song, so I never paid any attention to them. While I’m still not a huge fan, I must admit I was wrong. This is actually a pretty solid album. I don’t know if I’ll be listening to it many more times, but I appreciated it far more than I expected. I would give it 3.5 if that was an option, and don’t think it really deserves a full four stars, it I’m going that way just because I feel bat that I wrote them off.

Bittersweet Symphonyn kaikki tuntee tietenkin, mutta levyn toinen biisi Sonnet on myös tuttu. Hyvää britti rokkia, kappaleet on kivan ja sopivan maalailevia ja tunnelmallisia. Parhaat: The Bittersweet Symphony, Sonnet, Weeping Willows, The Drugs Don't Work.

I quite liked The Verve back in the day and bought this album when it came out. Thought it was great at the time but then when Bittersweet Symphony got played to death I kind of left it alone since. Listening to it again in full for the first time in decades, it still is a very good album.

Did I listen to the 2-hour-and-25-minute deluxe and remastered version of this album? Yes, I did. Did I enjoy it? Also yes. Favorites were: the obvious, "Bitter Sweet Symphony," as well as "Sonnet," "Lucky Man," "One Day," "This Time," and "The Drugs Don't Work (Live)." I loved the general mood of this album: yearning, wistful, yet still youthful and angsty, without being heavy-handed or overkill. Also loved the dreamlike qualities of the sound and mixing. While at times it did feel very derivative of Oasis and other bands of that ilk and time, I enjoyed this more than the Oasis project I listened to previously in this 1001 Albums venture thus far. The Verve has definitely gained a (very late to the party) fan. I hesitated between four or five stars on this, but because I think a track or two could have been cut (from the album itself - not counting the deluxe tracks), I chose four stars.

There wasn't a single song on this album that I didn't like. Every track was interesting. The vocals aren't my favorite, but they suit this type of music well. Not sure what else to say here. Not worthy of a 5, but it's good.

Bitter sweet symphony goat, rest meh. Drugs don't work kind of ok

I was only familiar with the opening track, but really enjoyed the rest of it. very solid

So, so good: and fuck the Rolling Stones for taking all the profits.

This was such a cool album. Just listening to the first song I knew I was in for a treat. Really enjoyable overall

*Urban Hymns* Honestly really solid album. I do think the length of the album does take away a bit, mainly in that the music pretty much stays in that same vain of pop deamy state, not much variation. But it is still so good ill keep it at a 4½ (9.3) ★★★★½

I absolutely love "The Drugs Don't Work". The Verve is probably my favourite Britton. 4.5 stars

4.5

The opener is a classic. The rest is really good.

angsty teenage me would have loved this band

There were a couple standout tracks and I enjoyed the front to back listen. Better than a lot of the English bands on the list from that time frame.

It's a shame when a band's masterpiece is also their finale. "Bittersweet Symphony" is the one people know, but "The Drugs Don't Work" and "Sonnet" are just as good.

rockin

Very good example of soft 90's British alternative. Violins, expansive vocals, good production. I'm surprised more of these songs didn't hit the charts.

49/1089 bittersweet symphony is just so good, and starting an album with those strings is very impactful, and then sonnet really stalls the project The Drugd Dont Work is a really nice more introspective sound and style that suits them. Catching The Butterfly is a cool, psychedelic moment which is definitely one of my favourites, it has a very classic sound but not in a dated way Space and Time is another solid track, with some psychedelic influence in the back. Lucky Man is also very well produced and performed not a fan of the final/hidden track having a very long stretch of silence followed by a baby crying overall i enjoyed this project a lot, I’m pleasantly surprised in a way but also not totally sure why because Bittersweet Symphony set a good precedent faves: Bittersweet Symphony ofc, Lucky Man, Space and Time, Catching The Butterfly least faves: Sonnet and the second half of Come On/Deep Freeze overall 4 stars or 73/100

I’ve liked Bitter Sweet Symphony since it came out in 1997. I always liked the music video. I also love the song The Drugs Don’t Work. Overall, it was good.

Very good album.

⭐︎4.6 90年代ブリットロックの最高傑作の一つ。 ギタリストの嗜好でサイケっぽい曲が多い。気だるいボーカルと相待って最高。 かなり聴きやすいため聴き流しがちだが、じっくり聴くと名曲揃い。 中でもlucky manが印象に残る。

Such a classic

Kinda viby- I def like it. Never listened to anything by them other than Bittersweet Symphony so this has been cool. I listened to it again at night and I really liked it. Will definitely keep this album in the loop.

Its quite a lot longer than i seem to remember it, The Verve are not a one song band. That being said there is some filler 4.3/5.0 Best Song: The Drugs Don’t Work

85% Best: Bitter Sweet Symphony; The Rolling People; The Drugs Don't Work; Catching The Butterfly; Weeping Willow Must-Hear? Sure

The rhythm, vibe totally spoke to my soul <3 The Rolling People Deep Freeze One Day The Drugs Don’t Work

Very good and worth a listen.

The strings add a lot to the sound of this album. Reminiscent of Coldplay and Oasis. Easy to listen to on my first listen through.

Didn't know The Verve had so many bangers.

Great Album of the 90 's

Nice, Mr brightside is a classic!

I can't think about this album objectively. At my very lowest in high school, when everything felt too hard to keep going, I have vivid memories of lying on my floor with my yellow Discman and my crappy RCA headphones listening to Urban Hymns and feeling comforted. I have no great insights into why. There's obvious heart-beating-on-the-outside-of-your-body stuff like "The Drugs Don't Work" and "Sonnet." There's go-outside-and-embrace-life stuff like "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and "Lucky Man." But the one I really get lost in is the swirling grooves of "Catching the Butterfly," a song that sweeps me away every time. 28 years later, I still find it overwhelmingly beautiful.

I thought some of their songs were by other people. Great mellow music.

Enjoyable. Glad that they finally get royalties for Bittersweet Symphony.

Great progressions and thoughtful vocals.

A great britpop classic

4,5

Mislila sam da ću ovo mrziti jer mrzim Bittersweet Symphony. E pa ne mrzim. Samo sam je preslušala previše puta, a nikad s razumijevanjem. Jedino što konkretno mogu kritikovati na albumu je dužina, i sveukupna i nekih pojedinačnih pjesama. Osim toga je baš fin.

W sumie poza bittersweet nie hituje tak mocno ale spoko do chillu

Totally know the song 'Bitter Sweet Symphony', I think it is commonly used in media! Never knew where the song came from so that's fun. I like 'Space And Time', feels so incredibly 90s and also very U2. Also enjoy 'The Drugs Don't Work'

Bitter sweet syph banger

I just saw Richard Ashcroft a few weeks ago opening for oasis at wemley stadium. He was great and the crowd went nuts for an opening act. This album is pretty great. Bittersweet and lucky man are definitely the highlights.

very good start, songs start blending together towards the end but overall the album is very good

Very cool Rock album

Right off the bat heard the song that defined the decade at the time and still stands true nearly 20 years later. This album has been able to stand the test of time. Catching the Butterfly had me thinking I was listening to Muse at first. Love the psychedelic spin on rock. Sounds like the soundtrack to every 90s/early 2000s movie I was obsessed with growing up.

Another long album. On the whole I liked it, some classic songs. Got that Manchester (adjacent) sound.

Bittersweet symphony being a music staple

This should have been a new beginning, but was the end. Beautiful, introspective songs which are often wistfully regretful

great

Sooooo good

Un disco de himnos. Entretenido, interesante. Sobre todo si eres un malasañero de los 90.

Fantastic album! The opening track, the big single off the album, is probably the worst song on the album. 90’s Brit pop-rock at its finest!

Awesome Brit-pop album.

Never listened to them before. Great stuff. A little bit psychedelic. Strong musically. I think zo like their earlier stuff. A bit more committed to psychedelic.

Another great 90s nostalgia album 👍

I enjoyed this more than what I thought I would.

Loved this a lot. Seems like a perfect representation of the late 90's when grunge had died, and it mellowed out. Very similar to Oasis, but I liked this so much more than Blur. Great vibes. The only song that I knew prior to this was Bittersweet Symphony. Will listen to this album again sometime.

8/10 Hmm, a reassessment. I dismissed this album 30 odd years ago (I might not have ever listened to it all...), but I wasn't a fan of Lucky Man was simplistic, Bittersweet was massively overplayed and Drugs and Sonnet were a bit... naff? But listening to them now, along with the rest of the album, I can see that The Verve were much better than I gave them credit for. Love the guit especially, which lifts the manc-rock to the next level.

Belter!!! One of those very albums that made me so fond of 1997's music. Outta nowhere, 4 absolute bangers - Bitter Sweet Symphony, Sonnet, Lucky Man, The Drugs Don't Work...

As good as I remember it nearly 30 yrs ago. Great songs, brilliantly performed

Songs: Bittersweet Symphony

There are some absolute belters on here. Starts well with Bitter Sweet Symphony and Sonnet, but I think the best song on here is The Drugs Don't Work. I'm not sure hidden tracks work now when streaming albums.

Some all time classics on this one. While "Bitter Sweet Symphony" is far and away the most popular, "The Drugs Don't Work" is easily the best song on this album to me. Great album!

High School me would have rated this a 6 out of 5. I used to listen to this a TON. I still think there are some masterpieces on this album, but the rest has kind of just turned to good, not great like it once was.

83/100. The album doesn’t rely on any single standout, instead, it flows naturally, each track reinforcing the dreamy, reflective tone. And even when the tempos shift, the atmosphere never breaks. While “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is the obvious entry point, what stands out most about the album is just how consistently solid the deeper cuts are.

I was a fan of "Bittersweet Symphony" when it came out in the 90's. After learning that The Verve had ripped off the intro from a Rolling Stones song, I was less of a fan. That song is still nostalgic when it comes on a playlist or the radio. This album wasn't what I was expecting and went a slight bit hard-core with it's message and intent. It was moderately good.

Good tunes

Ashcroft at the height of his powers.

Kicking off with ‘bitter sweet symphony’ was such a good opener. The album holds a similar tempo throughout. Britpop isn’t upbeat but I loved it

This is more like a 3.5 or 3.75 but fuck I just love the atmospheric sounds on this album.

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" is known by everyone, but the rest of this holds up as well. Great brit-rock album.

It's '90s rip-off Oasis which is rip off Beatles trash and I am here for it

I wrote about this and then forgot to save it, I haven't forgotten the songs on this album since I first heard it in 1997 and a lot of other music has come and gone since then.

If you drew a Venn diagram with Coldplay, U2 and Oasis I think The Verve would be the space in between all of them. At first I wasn't particularly captivated (due in part by the radio saturation of bittersweet symphony) but by the end of the album I actually think I prefer this album over any of those I have reviewed from the aforementioned bands.

I imagine my rating will be higher than the average maybe influenced by nostalgia. The Drugs Don't Work is my favourite probably just nostalgia from listening to Virgin Radio rather than an imperially good song. I could see how listening to the whole album would be monotonous for some like the Beasty Boys was for me.

Nice stuff

Bittersweet Symphony is still amazing. Many of the other tracks have held up well.

This is very 90s! I always liked 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' (I mean, the entire Cruel Intentions soundtrack is perfect) but not enough to look into what else The Verve were cooking. Turns out they were cooking a banquet of orchestration! I really like pop with strings, and Ashcroft has just enough of that cello-y vocal timbre to interest me. But this album is long, and started to lose its luster as it went on. I was waffling between a 3 and 4 by the end, but revisiting the first few tracks convinced me it's a 4. Highlights: 'Bitter Sweet Symphony', 'Sonnet', 'The Drugs Don't Work', 'Velvet Morning' Lowlights: 'The Rolling People' (it's fine, just a little generic/loud/stringless), 'Catching the Butterfly' (yes, it does sound like the Beatleses 'Within You Without You' ! except longer and with less compelling lyrics), 'Neon Wilderness'

wide and classy indie pop rock, has a heavy emphasis on an orchestral, dreamy energy and longing, emotional vocals. the first track, "bitter sweet symphony" was quite the smash hit all the way back in '97. even if you've only heard that song, you've pretty much gotten a taste of what the entire album sounds like. it's all really slow, moody and dramatic. these guys really like their string samples, and while it's a pretty nice sound, with little variation between tracks sometimes makes me a little disinterested. songs are very psychedelic and ethereal, but i feel like a few songs kinda draggggggg. if you're a fan of oasis you might like this album.

Another British alternative rock band makes the list. I like this album. Others are going to say that it doesn’t stand up or hold up. This was peak for these guys.

An album that catapulted this band into the mainstream, slick and ethereal arrangements that shifted the band into well deserved recognition. Sadly they broke up soon after and never really captured again what they achieved with this album

I didn't get into the Verve until later in my life. Out of their four albums, I liked the second and third ones the best. This is the third album, and though it is admittedly a bit long. A Northern Soul is a better album in my opinion and since it is not represented in this book then Urban Hymns should be in here. Even knowing that I like this band and album, I can also see the annoyance at ANOTHER British 90's band is represented in the book. I have complained about British artists being over-represented (which is true), but I think the Verve have a different sound that separates them from the other Brit-pop bands. The sound is represented in part by other artists in this book, but I think they do it better. Bitter Sweet Symphony Sonnet Drugs Don't Work Catching the Butterfly Lucky Man Space and Time Velvet Morning I always enjoy this album.

I've heard bittersweet symphony before but never fully delved into The Verve. What I found was a wonderful album full of a wide variety of music including well constructed ballads and different alternative styles of rock. While it didn't blow me away, I found that it was a great britpop album to soothe in the background with some definite standout tunes.

Reminds me of Coldplay, U2, and Oasis mushed into one. I love and was already familiar with ""Bittersweet Symphony"" but I have been happy to hear the rest of their album.

I guess I'm a sucker for lush production but some classic 90s bangers made this album a 4 for me.

my expectations were way low going into this because i think ‘bittersweet symphony’ is a great song the way ‘champagne supernova’ is a great song, and we all know how the rest of oasis’ discography sounds…but i really dug this! the shimmery drone lite guitar music of the 1990s often appeals to me and this fit right in there. sorry richard ashcroft i was unfamiliar with your game. fav tracks: bittersweet symphony; catching the butterfly

they're like if oasis was good?? the album was too long but that's my only gripe.

Pretty good. Pretty upbeat. 4/5

8/10 Great psychedelic britpop sounds here. A bit too long, trim a few tracks and it'd be a better experience but there's nothing bad on the album.

Actually didn’t expect to like it. I wouldn’t say this album is memorable but a few tunes are stuck in my head. It’s not the best thing I’ve heard, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it if someone played it.

I’m coming off of the oasis record I thought I was getting more of the same. This one wasn’t as rocking, but it was the best U2 record I heard in a long time. I got into this, lots of different vibes in the record, great production. I’m gonna give this a 4. Maybe too strong a score but my attention was never drifting away. That says something.

Banger

Surprisingly pleasant

Nostalgia points for bittersweet symphony. I listened to that A LOT in middle school

I listened to this so much in high school and college

Maybe the best use of strings in a pop song

Landed at the right time. Possibly overplayed. Still prefer there earlier stuff. Will always be remembered as my first live band in 1992, supporting Ride.

29/06/2025 The good songs made this album, there were some songs that were a little too slow.

An interesting combination of funk/soul and rock. Probably just my bias talking, but I feel like it would have been better at times to lean more into the rock side.

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” has always been a favorite song along with the video since ‘97. Not as familiar with there rest of the album but after this listen I should’ve listened more when the album came out. Right up my alley. Good if Mick & Keith to to make it some right 20 years later.

The first track is a top 50 song OAT. The Drugs don't work is beautiful but sad... very sad. Catching the Butterfly isn't anything special but serves its purpose as a mood transition. One day is very god as well. This is a must listen album.

Solid album with one of the greatest songs ever made and 3 other really top tier tracks. The rest is strong if not great. Their lesser works are way better than Oasis's mid tier.

Smooth listening!

Urban Hymns is either that last great Brit Pop album or the first Post Brit Pop album. I'm certain of that. Which one? Not too sure but whatever it's a great listen if a tad too long. Clocking in at just over 75 minutes and only slowing down towards the end, Urban Hymns is very much worth your time, but had it been edited down by half an hour or even 20 minutes this would be a Five - Star album in my book as it stands it's a solid Four-Star Album. A very strong orchestral psychedelic album both poppy & bright and dark & foreboding. It's a shame that The Verve broke up after Urban Hymns as it sold well over a million copies in the US alone but if ever there was an album that sounded like it would break America while seemingly breaking up the band internally it's very much this one. A hell of a way to go.

They say that people like what they're comfortable with. While this album exhibits many of the features that usually turn me off music, somewhat dreary singing and a lack of variety, the album is well-produced, well orchestrated, catchy, and, most importantly, extremely familiar. It's like listening to a warm hug from an old friend.

Some cracking tunes

Interesting tape machine distorsion.

This is a tough one. The good songs are some of the greatest out there, and the non stand-outs are still quite good. With that said, the hits are still the ones I vibe with the most. I think I'd be crazy not to give it a 4. I can definitely imagine how hearing this when it first came out would've felt super exciting.

Highlights: - Bitter Sweet Symphony (classic) - Sonnet - Weeping Willow - This Time

Parts of it sound like surfer Pink Floyd. Not your typical Beach Boys. I really enjoyed “

It is 1997. Noel Gallagher has effectively killed Britpop and The Verve record the sound of the comedown. I have never considered The Verve to be Britpop, because they never had that hedonistic vibe. They tend towards shoegaze and a much heavier sound than the swirling, jangly guitars of the Britpop vanguard. While I enjoy this album on the whole, it’s not perfect by any stretch. The pattern is very similar to A Northern Soul - album is too long and loses its way round about the middle, where there is a lot of excess fat, bit it brings it back just in the last couple of tracks. For me, not as good sonically as A Northern Soul. It sometimes gets a bit self-conscious in its gloom. Space and Time has the sort of guitar swirling that Oasis would have killed for, I have an abiding fondness for Velvet Morning, and Bitter Sweet Symphony is a perfect opener.Its just that everything else is a bit samey and missing a vital spark. Overall though, this is completely in my wheelhouse, and I enjoy this album a lot.

This is NOT Britpop. It is an album miles above any Britpop release. Just a magnificent body of work from the band.

Thought it would be more brit pop, but was actually way better. Surprised me for sure.

Already Listened to

Lucky Man and Bittersuite Symphony are pretty damn impressive songs.

In between Radiohead and Oasis, rather good, love bittersweet symphony 3.9

Started VERY strong

It's a brilliant album full of brilliant songs, fun the more psychedelic to the more introspective (Lucky Man). Only problem is it's so long that inevitably not everything works so well and some of the latter songs drag. Cut 20 mins and it's a 5 every day of the week.

Yes, I enjoyed this a lot. Hidden track was a bit of a letdown but you can’t have it all.

Not one hit wonders some decent songs

this is a brilliant album - can't believe i'd never listened to it the whole way through before. made my little indie heart very happy

Good shidd. Generelt veldig digg å hørra på! "The drugs don't work" havna på chillelistå!

A favorite from back in the day. I haven’t listened to it in decades. It held up well.

I just love Bittersweet Symphony, and The Rolling People is pretty good, I've never heard anything from The Verve besids Bittersweet Symphony. So far I'm liking their sound, sort of a throwback to 1960s rock. Some of the slide guitar songs like The Drugs Don't work aren't my style. I feel like I've heard Catching The Butterfly before, that's kind of a good groove. Weeping Willow is good too, overall I think this is a better version of Oasis

Only knew Bittersweet Symphony before giving this a listen. Rest of the album is really good, might be a new favorite for me

i was not expecting this to be so good. genuinely enjoyed this a ton

Great album, but I wish it was 3-4 songs shorter. It had a natural place to stop earlier. The rest felt like a forced encore. Still love the album.

This album feels kinda cliche in large part, I believe, because it was so defining of an era. While I think some albums are more timeless, that's still really respectable. It's fun and flows front to back though not hugely dynamic. Good stuff.

I'm a sucker for psychedelic rock. I'm not as familiar with the entire album but this is what you want to have on headphones on a beautiful sunny day walking along the beach.

8/1001. Ok amd rhe review I wrote got lost great. To cut the story short: heard? Check? Own? Maybe. Listened to in 20 years? No. Enjoyable album which has been obscured by the Bittersweet megahit, which must be in top 10 (5?) songs from the 90s. It's story of Rolling stones stealing "This May Be the Last Time,” from the Staple Singers and then getting pissed that the Verve used too much the sample from "Last time" and claiming 100% writer rights still makes me laugh and feel sorry for the Stones. Glad to hear that since 2019(!) Ashcroft has been returned the rights. Come on, one sample - although it makes most of the song, but it is really like claiming that our album cover had yellow init and now you are using it. After listening ro this now it feels a tad too long (cd era, let's put everything in it, and I never got too fond of Brit pop, and it is not so dreamy, spacey and druggy as the Spiritualized (it must be included in 1001 albums, right?), but more than Oasis so 4 stars.

I like it

I was excited to get this album. I really like songs I’ve heard (and my faves were on this album), but I’ve never listened to their full album from start to finish. However, when I finished listening to it, I didn’t really recall anything else from the album apart from those songs, but now I also felt a bit depressed. I’ve given it an extra star purely because I think I would have enjoyed it more on a different day, and I would listen again to test this theory

Sonnet The drugs don't work Weeping willow

I honestly didn't expect this album to be this good. It is an hour and a quarter long (including the silence between the last track and the hidden one), and I can't say that there was a moment that I felt bored, tired or irritated, and all thanks to the psychedelic melodies presented in all the songs, and the great voice of the singer. There's some tracks that are weaker, like 'Space and Time' or 'This Time', but they don't ruin the flow or the nice experience of the record. Also, 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' may be one of the greatest opener to an album.

Very much enjoyable with a couple of bangers. All songs were at least good

It should have been a band in my wheelhouse but never made it. They have the right basics and that period in Britpop that I was immersed in. But for some reason I couldn't quite get into them. Of course Bittersweet is a classic, and Drugs Don't Work a great song but overall it's not quite enough.

Huh the verve have more than one song.

it waS GOOD

not totally my speed, but i appreciate it for what it’s doing. i’d never really thoughtfully listened to Bittersweet Symphony before despite hearing it a million times, and there’s a real craft and care to it that hadn’t ever stuck out to me.

Nostalgic 4

Great album by a great band. I find most Brit pop bands to be criminally overrated, blur and oasis in particular, but the verve had a couple unreal albums. Shame the Rolling Stones are a bunch of cunts

Ok

Nice

Good overall and a couple of great songs.

Sounds like radiohead and oasis making sweet love watching RainMan

4/5

Great album. Could do without the final extended jam track. But generally solid with some standout songs throughout.

It had some good hits and was good to hear early Verve.

Balala

Good

Very good

Too bad the Stones were such money grubbers and too bad The Verve didn't do it the right way... This album is awesome and the band should have been launched but crashed...

Bitter Sweet Symphony is a classic and sounds more modern than it is, and Sonnet is also great but sounds more like regular britpop. Nothing else in the album specifically caught my attention, but it’s just solidly good music, with some of the songs leaning slightly closer to a psychedelic vibe than the rest of the 90s britpop album.

This was a lot better than I expected having only heard bittersweet symphony before. Well produced and clean sound, nothing amazing but overall was an enjoyable album. Favorite songs: The drugs don’t work Weeping Willow 8/10

3.5

sometimes a little too space-y/dreamy/shoegaze-y but I like the indie rock bits

Forgot how many hits on this…. Classic.

Killer sound, everything i love about Britpop

Simultaneously this deserves all the low stars for being boring and the high star reviews for being great. I found more to be enjoyed on this than just bittersweet symphony - sonnet, drugs don’t work, lucky man being the big ones. The rest faded away a bit for me but I did also enjoy The Butterfly even though it’s a bit long - has that funky 90s sound.

Really underrated album here. I think that most people just think of Bittersweet Symphony and write this album off as a one hit wonder with a record around it. I would disagree. I think they do a lot on this project, it feels like an interesting bridge between some of the more poppy, alt rock songs coming out in the late 90s and some of the stuff that radio head was trying to do. Obviously there aren't as good as Radiohead, but this was a really solid attempt to do something just as cutting edge.

A great album. Bitter Sweet Symphony may quite possibly be my favorite song of all time.

Great guitars, songwriting is solid, starts to feel slightly boring in places.

I think it’s almost to the albums detriment that Bittersweet Symphony is included and kicks things off. Obviously a classic, but doesn’t totally fit with the rest of the album, which is a super solid late 90s alt rock collection. Could probably shave a couple songs off this, but rounding up slightly on account of these guys probably getting written off as one hit wonders, erroneously

Looking at another review here: "Sounds like drinking beers in the sun, smoking marlborough lights, cracking on with girls and feeling invincible... All the best bits of being in your late teens" - erm yes of course, will let you know when that happens.

Yes, it's... not great. But with the inclusion of not one, but two Oasis albums, this has every right to be here as well. Also, I rather liked The Verve's debut «A Storm in Heaven». Hashtag soundscapes. It's music that washes over you, unproblematically and uneventfully, with spacious melancholy. "Spacious melancholy"? Whatever, it wasn't particularly difficult so far to get to song nine, hit number three, Lucky Man, where I'm at now. It's fine, I don't hate this. Am I not bored? No, but in a pleasant way. I was being fair with "(What's the Story) Morning Glory" and I can't rate this lower.

Solid

Great sounding album. Great songs.

Great voice. Great album. Had a melancholy vibe to it

Pretty refreshing to hear an actual cohesive album. Pretty solid songs if you're a fan of bands similar to Oasis.

The big bangers do bang and the whole album is good tbf but do just find his voice quite grating. Unlikely to return beyond the big boys.

quite a beautiful album with some soft rock vibes. can definitely say this was an enjoyable experience to listen to it. although the last track (come on/deep freeze, the 15 min one) felt way too overboard.

Yes

Yes, yes, YES to Closing Track Hall-of-Famer Bitter Sweet Symphony. The crushing desperation it triggered, the shot of Ryan Phillippe launching himself into traffic...teenage sublime. (Shout-out to fellow CTHOF for Fight Club, Where is My Mind?) I was pleasantly surprised with the album as a whole, which had immaculate packing-up-at-the-end-of-a-trip vibes. Had heard some of the other songs before, but never really placed them.

If we're calling this britpop it's definitley my favorite of that genre. I think of it more as indie rock and it seems like it inspired a lot of current indie rock. Bittersweet symphony is a great song, rest of the album follows up strong

Did not know much of The verve outside the overplayed Bittersweet thing ! Globally a good album with nice riffs. Could be confused with Oasis sometimes but no surprise on this ! Weeping pillow

Bittersweet symphony and overall good

It's a little trippy, also giving 90's skate park vibes. Particularly enjoyed "The Rolling People." The last song was weird :(

It's indie rock and roll for me.

Bittersweet Symphony is an all time classic. I hadn't listened to the whole album before, but this is absolutely brilliant! Just wall to wall excellence. The melancholy, bittersweet vibe pervades the whole album. But the sounds are varied and interesting. Definitely experimental, but it all works. Lucky Man, Sonnet, The Drugs don't Work are other highlights.

Didn't expect to know so many songs allready. This album is great, however at the end it loses somebof it's momentum.

Peak first song with major fall-off to the middle and spiked up in last hidden track

This is quintessential Brit pop. There’s some really cool arrangements, and I really liked the use of violins throughout the album. Singer’s voice is also very soulful and did a good job of matching the emotion of the arrangement. Best song: Bittersweet symphony

The record starts off extremely strong with The Verve implementing many different instruments and vocal progressions in a way that shouldn’t work on paper but for some reason work on the track. Just felt very relaxed and laid-back listening to this entire album as a whole. Out of the three albums we have listened to far, this has definitely been the one most up my alley for sure. I really liked how the album progresses. It starts off pretty slow and intimate but quickly begins to pick up pace and really hit its stride. The instrumentals are very impressive in each of the tracks. A high point for me was the various guitar riffs that are heard. Honestly must have something laced in them for sure. The record honestly is such a cohesive body of work. No track feels out of place, and it had me tuned in the entire time. The last track of the album was one of my favorites and ended the record off with a bang ! The reason this album is not a 5/5 for me is because it is slightly too long in my opinion. I think they would have had close to a perfect album with a few less songs 4.1/5

The more I listen to these guys the less I understand why Bittersweet Symphony is their most famous song. Everything else was much better and way less obnoxious. Stand-out: Sonnet

Some great songs and a lot of noise in between.

Great album, love the soundscapes and some of the lyrics are brilliant. Bittersweet Symphony is obviously an all timer but I'm not sure there's a bad song on here

This album rocks

Great album, but Come On / Deep Freeze is just plain weird. I thought the album was finished or Spotify crashed, but it's just an intentional silence, followed by a cat in heat.

‘The drugs don’t work’ is insane!

Iconic Brit-Rock. Fantastic songwriting.

GOOD SHIT. 4/5

Sonnet

Could really have done with trimming the fat on this, far too long with dreamy intersections. The songs proper though contain some defining songs of the britpop era. Seems to be of snobbery about this sound years later but I still think it holds up. 4*

Honestly pretty good. Bittersweet Symphony is a classic, obviously, but other songs I enjoyed were some of their trippier sounds like Catch The Butterfly and Neon Wilderness.

bitter sweet symphony always brings me back to being 11 in 2008, when my family was visiting Disney world. we are at planet Hollywood and it was the first time I ever saw this music video. I was trying to watch him move around all those people but then got very distracted because there was an older lady sitting at a table near us in a cheetah print dress and she had the biggest breasts I’d ever seen. I then got in trouble for pointing out to my family that her breasts were resting on top of her salad on the table. thank you Richard Ashcroft anyways the rest of this album is superb.

Melancholy vibe

All the singles are so good but I already knew that, what surprised me was the quality of some of the other tracks.

Very solidly consistent, a britpop classic. Lucky man one of my favourite songs

kinda cool

3,5 Sterne, es sind wirklich viele schöne Songs drauf, aber leider auch welche, die sich unnötig lang ziehen. Hat aber alles in einem einen schönen Vibe und ich runde auf, das bisher beste Album, das ich hier gehört habe. Der Hidden Track ist schräg, aber cool.

6,86

As someone who grew up in the 90's, I can't not like Bittersweet Symphony. I can't say I'm familiar with any of there other tracks. Their other stuff is remniscient of Oasis and I think that's why I like it. "Sonnet" was really good and "The Drugs Don't Work" is a perfect sad song. Favorite song: The Drugs Don't Work Least Favorite Song: Weeping Willow

Ik vind dit een vreemd album, maar dat komt vooral omdat ik Bitter Sweet Symphony echt als een afsluiter ervaar, maar op dit album is het dus de openingstrack. Ik moet me er dus even aan herinneren dat dit album niet klaar is, maar juist pas begint als de laatste tonen van dat nummer weg ebben. En niet te zuinig ook: Na de openingstrack volgen er nog 70 minuten muziek. Ik zal het wel overleven, we zijn ook wel eens een bierproeverij met een dikke imperial stout begonnen. Muziek uit de jaren '90 kan nog wel eens verjaard klinken, maar dit album heeft daar eigenlijk geen last van. Qua sound lijkt het een beetje op Skinty Fia van Fontaines D.C. gecombineerd met een soort Radiohead. Dit is prima Britpop, waarbij genoteerd mag worden dat ome Richard zeker niet de minste zanger is in het genre. Ook dit album heeft een bak galm en hoewel ik daar de afgelopen tijd wel eens over heb lopen te zeiken vind ik het hier wel lekker, al krijg je na een tijdje wel zin om even een powernapje te doen, omdat het er toch wel inhakt allemaal. Enigszins vermoeiend dus, maar ik ben daar gewoon gevoelig voor. Om in één keer helemaal te luisteren is het daarom allemaal een beetje veel, maar toch vind ik dit wel een dik album. Ik geef vier sterren.

Great album

Fine album

Chill vibe, loved a couple of the songs, lead off was the only one I had heard

Brit pop rock, but with good guitar riffs, almost psychedelic. Better than I expected

The 4 singles are all classics and probably account for at least 3 stars between them, but they’re outliers in a way - the rest of the album is neither the same quality, nor the same style. Turns out the band largely abandoned the anthemic, melody-first approach that made these songs great to fall back on their old, psychedelic and slightly shoegazey style, which is alright but not nearly as memorable.

Bitter sweet symphony is the first song on this album and the only one I've heard with the Verve before. While most of the album sounds similar to that first song there is something missing for me. I'm not just hooked on most of them. That being said there is still a few songs on here that I really liked. I had a nice time listening through it and will probably add a few songs to playlists.

Never heard any of the songs other than Bittersweet Symphony, which fit my mood perfectly for today's commute.

Pretty good album with a massive hit that overshadows some other pretty decent tracks. I liked the atmospheric quality of the songs, may lend itself more to background music. 3.75/5

This was a cool album. Chill, nice vibes.

Ничё так ничё так

Much better than Oasis IMO, even if I’m tired of “Bitter Sweet Symphony” and prefer their shoegaze era. Some really neat songwriting, though. B

3.5 really

4 to 4.5

I've heard Bitter Sweet Symphony way too many times to really enjoy it anymore. I do think it's a good song, but I'm still quite burned out on it. I was interested to hear the rest of this album. Overall, I really liked this album and was going in expecting to hear a knockoff of Oasis or Radiohead and other 90's Britpop acts, but these guys are distinctly different. They remind me a lot of Echo and the Bunnymen in parts, and even older acts like The Beatles and Rolling Stones. 4/5

Asides from the first track, this album just kind has that generic britpop sound to it. 3.5 bumped up to 4.

I LOVED The Verve back in the 90's, I saw them support Oasis in '97 at Earls Court and they were brilliant. If you'd asked me then to score Urban Hymns, it would be 5 stars all day long. Now though, with extreme familiarity and maybe a little less youthful exuberance I score it 4 stars. Weeping Willow, Catching The Butterfly, Rolling people are all just as good as the singles. Check out their debut A Storm In Heaven and the 2nd album A Northern Soul, both great in their own ways and very much 2 different sounds that came together well on Urban Hymns. Even their comeback album Forth is worth checking out. Come on!

Urban Hymns is a classic, an undeniable britpop masterpiece. But the voice of Richard is becoming boring after a good amount a time, and this album is just 2 or 3 tracks too long to be honest.

Topalbum (jammer genoeg het enige goede album van deze band). Bitter Sweet Symphony blijft een legendarisch nummer, maar ook Sonnet, Drugs dont work, Lucky Man, Velvet Morning etc... zijn geweldige nummers. 3.9

I enjoy the 90s mellow sounds.

spent too much of late 90s listening to this album while playing battletanx on n64

I didn't appreciate this album as much when I was a teenager. Hazy, slow, multilayered britrock. I found I remembered most of the songs decades later when I didn't think I would.

Seems very good, did not finish (surely will)

I like the verve. The album starts with bitter sweet symphony, which is a welcomed known song. I think I only know this one. Fun rock, I feel like I'm a rock bar. I liked it very much.

had heard that first song genuinely 100s of times and never knew who performed it. not a huge fan of britpop but i loved the more psychedelic elements.

I only listen to The Verve casually, that is to say, I only know their greatet hits. This album is good, I never know that Bitter Sweet Symphony is the opening to this album. That song can go down in history (songs are overplayed for a reason). Classic britpop sound, if you love britpop you're probably gonna love this one, remind me of Oasis a couple of times. Not that much of a fresh air though. I personally will give it a vague 4-5, I'm hesitant in giving it a 5, so let's make it a 4. My favorite is Weeping Willow.

Other than Bittersweet Symphony, I went into this totally cold. Brit Pop, innit? Very much enjoyed it. 4

This album came out swinging with the first song being their most well known, Bitter Sweet Symphony. After Lucky Man, the album got a bit boring for the last few songs on the album. Definately a front loaded record. The "hidden track", Deep Freeze, we pointless. It sounded like a baby crying in space.... That's it..... No music, just noise. Kind of dumb. Overall, not a bad album. Pretty solid 90's alt rock, and loads better than their other album I reviewed on here, A Northern Soul. Favourite songs: Bitter Sweet Symphony, Lucky Man, The Rolling People, Weeping Willow, Space and Time, Sonnet Least favourite songs: Neon Wilderness 4/5

Not a bad album! This was a lot more “out there” than I expected, and I really enjoyed it. Thought provoking lyrics, some catchy hooks, some wild spacey guitar. In some ways it felt like the bridge between Oasis and Radiohead. I’m between a 3 and a 4 but I’m leaning 4 on this one. Will definitely revisit.

4/5

Bittersweet

Schitterend