Verve: S/D ?

But still, A Storm in Heaven is definitely IT. What a wonderful experience to just listen to it.

b-but there's some wank in every era becuz there are cocks flying around (apart from riot gurl, where they were cut off).

And it's not in the same league as early Verve, but am I the only person who likes the first Ashcroft solo album?

destroy: a northern soul, most of urban hymns

Urban Hymns is mostly what would have been Ashcroft's first solo album until a last minute reconciliation with Nick. There's a few halfway decent songs on it aside from Bittersweet but plenty of crap like The Drugs Don't Work.

The Leckie produced Storm in Heaven is also magic - Butterfly and Blue being the standout tracks for me. Less an album experience, this and the B-side collections show the Verve not only to be fine songwriters and manipulators of mood but also tripped out and wide-eyed, which I dig. As has already been said, check A Man Called Sun and Gravity Grave.

Fuck Urban Hymns. Bittersweet is a good single but the album is really a cheery-bite from Ashcroft - it's Ashcroft impersonating the Verve. Well, it worked from a marketing point of view, but that doesn't make the music any good. It always sounds to me like McCabe's heart isn't in it. Either that or Ashcroft has asked the producer to keep him on a leash in order to open up the band's prospective audience. Utter speculation I know but the only track on the album that recaptures any of the majesty of the band's previous work is the overlooked Catching The Butterfly, where you can sense the band cutting loose a little.

I haven't rushed out and bought everything else, but storm in heaven is top-notch if you're into shimmery reverb-drenched guitar, like I am. Also search "no come down" just for the song "where the geese go", one of my all-time faves and one of verve's best imho.

I did see them a lot round that time and it was always disappointing to be honest, in part because you were hoping for something like Ned describes above; the reality of standing in a puddle of beer in a goth club in Glasgow does little to help.

Seriously though, I think they're great. Urban Hymns is largely rubbish; however, some of the b-sides from the time contain belting tracks (more like their early stuff such as "The Longest Day", which is probably their best track since "A man called Sun"). First two albums are great and most of the singles too. The problem with Urban Hymns appeared to be the fact that Nick McCabe had little to do with it. His John Martyn-esque stuff is amazing... Richard Ashcroft's crap attempts at the Stones is rubbish give or take the odd tune. I would argue that it's nothing to do with the "The" and more to do with Nick McCabe.

Then finally saw the emasculated version live in Seattle. What a crummy show, first Massive Attack drops off the tour, then McCabe leaves and then our drugs certaintly did not work. Oh well the legend is still there. I'm curious what the shows with the Black Crowes, Smashing Pumpkins and Acetone were like.

Leckie made them beautiful and hazy, Morrison made them ugly and nasty and painful and AWESOME. Not sure which I prefer, but the latter certainly does weirder things to me.

Just grabbed Storm for a relisten today, is all.

I did get to see the Verve at CBGBs once back in 93-4. Totally psyched the way out, nothing like they were on record. Ashcroft squaking around sticking his head into the bass bins.

mainly i'm listening to she's a superstar over and over.

They were the first show I saw in San Francisco when I moved there in July of 1995 and end up seeing them six times total. They were the highlight for Lollapalooza 1994 along with the Boo Radleys. Even if Urban Hymns isn’t as great as their past work, it still is a really good album especially on road trips.

*INSANELY JEALOUS*

Oh...wait a minute...you're talking about THE Verve, purveyors of 1974-style soft rock?

the debut, i never could fully embrace

guess what? they're back.

http://www.theverve.tv/

*smacks forehead*

I got a REAL bad feeling.

Likewise.

More smooth MOR like Ashcroft's solo stuff, methinks. Least necessary reunion since the last unnecessary reunion.

Hahah, all too true.

i pretty much HATE Richard's solo stuff, especially as time went on.

hope that they feel the groove again because they are one hell of a live band.

*crosses finger* for good luck on this.

first Blur, now Verve...who is next?

Someone PLEASE book them on one of those Don't Look Back shows where they have to play all of A Storm In Heaven

I'm kinda shocked that McCabe is part of this.

Someone PLEASE book them on one of those Don't Look Back shows where they have to play all of A Storm In Heaven

And all of the early EPs, and the B-sides.

*pause*

Who are we kidding? At most they'll say, "This is an older song you might know" and only do "Slide Away."

Like they'd even do that. The "older song you might now" MIGHT be History, if you're lucky, This Is Music if you're REALLY lucky. This will be an Urban Hymns set. If McCabe's involved it's cos interest rates have rised and he's pushed on his mortgage.

At least it's a new album and they're not just doing a greatest hits cash-in tour.

is McCabe's participation really that big a surprise? I mean, what else does he have to do?

A friend suggested McCabe both 'resents and requires a steady routine,' and so the band format, though it irritates him, might irritate him less now than not having it.

If McCabe's involved it's cos interest rates have rised and he's pushed on his mortgage.

Or else Ashcroft knows that there's no way this will have any cred unless McCabe is on board from the beginning. Ashcroft probably realizes that he has to play nice and make this work or else he's opening up for puppet shows for now on.

months-old xpost to Keith - the old Cathouse was on Brown Street, the new one is on Union Street. And yes, I was at that Oasis/Acetone/Verve show.

Someone PLEASE book them on one of those Don't Look Back shows where they have to play all of A Storm In Heaven

Aye, that'd be brilliant. I'd be up for that. I have some reservations about the quality of material stemming from a reunion, but stranger things have happened.

I have some reservations about the quality of material stemming from a reunion, but stranger things have happened.

I suppose I'm just gun shy after the relative non-event of the House Of Love reunion with Terry Bickers - of course now they're doing one of those Don't Look Back shows.

I suppose the real questions here is whether or not Ashcroft has expunged all the ham and oatmeal out of his system and whether McCabe is interested enough to really cut loose.

Probably not.

(I'm blaming my "stranger things have happened" quote on the strength of, um, Take That, so don't be expecting miracles)

I'm not sure Ashcroft and McCabe have anything to lose, and there's hardly been a stack of people begging for their triumphant return or anything. Mind you, people bought into the Embrace revival, so, yeah, I have no point.

Embrace never split-up or hated each other or anything though; it's just that no one cared for a couple of years.

"No Come Down" (their B-side comp) and the original EP are the only things i still listen to.

"for a couple of years"

So a good quality recording of one of the new shows leaked out and... well goddamn...

McCabe is fucking killing it... I don't know if he changed around his set-up and got rid of the Quadraverb, or if he's just showing off but he sounds like Townshend doing shoegaze. The set-list is equal parts old and new ("Gravity Grave" is fortunately in and still just as epic) and yeah, there's a good chunk of Urban Hymms in the set-list but they sound like the old 1992 Verve stomping through them. I could even stand listening to the otherwise odious "Sonnet."

The new stuff sounds like they would fit in on ANS - best thing I can say about them right now. Otherwise I'm pleasantly surprised.

These are all good things, I would say...

I didnt go see them incase it ruined my good memories of seeing them in 1995 t in the park and 3 times around the urban hymns stuff, wish i had went now as the sunday mail said they played All In the Mind. I only saw them do gravity grave once(1995) I didnt go incase they played new stuff and it was crap. Sp where can i hear this recording Mr T? ;)

http://ocstwosway.blogspot.com/2007/11/verve-live-blackpool-nov06-2007.html

Roxor and then some!

Haha, I LOVE "Sonnet".

Yeah, this is pretty spectacular. MUCH better than I would have guessed when news first surfaced.

I was gonna say, why is everyone hating on "Sonnet" in this thread? It's hardly the greatest song in the world, but it's very pretty. "Lucky Man" helped me quit smoking, no idea why. And "History" is awesome. "Bittersweet Symphony" does still hold up, too. Love the Northern swagger (of the video).

Ha, I capitalised "northern", silly me.

I'm more than fine with "Sonnet" but I can see how it would irritate.

why is everyone hating on "Sonnet" in this thread?

It's a victim of sequencing. I was (and still am) a huge fan of "Bittersweet Symphony" and so when I got around to hearing the album for the first time, I couldn't believe that such a weak song would be #2.

Here's the set-list for the show BTW...

This Is Music
Space And Time
Gravity Grave
Weeping Willow
Life's An Ocean
Sonnet
Sit And Wonder
Velvet Morning
Already There
Stormy Clouds
Let The Damage Begin
On Your Own
The Rolling People
The Drugs Don't Work
Bittersweet Symphony
A Man Called Sun
History
Lucky Man
Come On

LET THE DAMAGE BEGIN FUCKING HELL FUCK FUCK

I've listened to the set about 3 times now & I have to say it wildly exceeds all of my (admittedly cynical) previous expectations. Their turn toward AOR during the UH era & the sheer crapness of Richie's solo "career" had me shrinking at the prospect of a reunion, especially when it was announced they would be recording another album. But: (A) The performance is tight, the band sound genuinely reinvigorated, and Elvis is OTM about McCabe in particular sounding better than ever (B) The range of the setlist would indicate that they are actually enjoying the exploration of their back catalog, rather than trotting out UH and going through the motions (C) The psychedelic haze throughout, and the fact that they're playing shit like "A Man Called Sun" bodes very well for the possibility of less Sonnet, more Stormy Clouds in the future. (D) The new song "Sit and Wonder" actually sound good, not so much nu-Verve as teleported in from 1995 - which, when you think about it, is pretty much all one could ask for, considering the circumstances.

the UH era

In retrospect, no finer term could define it.

The performance is tight, the band sound genuinely reinvigorated

Aye... I gotta shout out to Jones and Sobbo too.

Sheesh, the least expected (or even wanted) reunion might just turn out to be one of the best.

Agreed. Some of my burblings (written just before the MBV news came down the pike).

Ned, I just read your blog post & your friends got it spot on: Because of the magnitude of "Bittersweet Symphony" and the saccharine quality of some the (mostly Richard-penned) surrounding material from that time, those seeking to write off the band don't have to look very far. But those early gigs.. Like the fellow in the first block quote, I have been to hundreds of shows, and Verve in 1993 (St. Andrew's Hall, Detroit) is easily top five. Just the bog rock standard set up of guitar, bass & drums - but goddamn they ignited a shitstorm betweent the four of them. Literally the old cliche: "a sonic whirlwind." I saw them a few more times between then and 1995 & they managed to maintain the impossible standard they set in '93. But when the cult of Ashcroft took over, the magic quickly dried up.

Interesting you should bring up The Pixies reunion in comparison, but I don't think the shared qualities stop at quality control. Each band was the sum of its parts in the truest sense, and both suffered when the singer's ego gradually came to dominate the sound - and in both cases the bands' final albums were essentially the singers' solo debuts. But in reuniting, ego is scaled back somewhat and the bands have again allowed groupthink to occur, resulting in concerts that unhindered by interband bitterness. Just as I feel the Pixies reunion gigs were superior to their stint supporting Trompe Le Monde ten years prior, so do the new Verve shows promise to surpass their live presence circa-Urban Hymns. Beyond that, "Sit & Wonder" >>> "Bam Thwok"

And now that MBV are "officially" planning new gigs, it seems I'll finally be able to see them too. This is turning out to be a very good week.

your friends got it spot on

You will find most of those friends quoted upthread. ;-)

Anyway, that introduction song before "This is Music" at the show -- David Axelrod, yes?

do we know if they're coming to the us?

do we know if they're coming to the us?

They added a couple of December shows in the UK, but I surmise that their focus is on new songs, seeing what works live, and not doing anything else until the new album is done.

In short, probably yes but not for awhile.

"...and we'll be coheadlining with MBV in the States. We hope that won't be a problem."

Anyway, that introduction song before "This is Music" at the show -- David Axelrod, yes?

Aye. It's "Holy Are You" from The Electric Prunes' Release Of An Oath

I hadn't kept up with the latter stages of Richard Ashcroft's solo "career", so I was disappointed to hear how much his voice has deteriorated judging from that Blackpool gig. He sounds so hoarse and tired now, particularly on slower stuff like "On Your Own" where the vocals really have to carry the song. But the rest of the band sounds incredible, especially (DUH) McCabe. The coda to "Bittersweet Symphony" has justified the entire reunion already.

Odyssey Arena, Belfast from a couple weeks ago
http://ocstwosway.blogspot.com/2007/12/verve-2007-12-17-belfast-odyssey-arena.html

Dreadful audience recording here, but at least that Blackpool show is no fluke

McCabe at O2 a couple weeks ago...

http://www.gibson.com/Files/AllAccess/2008/Feature_Images/TheVerve1.jpg

I see a Boss EQ and a MXR-something, but I wanna clear shot

McCabe speaks. In short, 20 CDs of new idea material to sift through and work on, one song "could fit comfortably on A Storm In Heaven." Interestingly, Ashcroft is still supposed to do another solo album, so maybe the oatmeal will go over there.

They're also scheduled to play Las Vegas on April 28th (the night after they're at Coachella). I may just spring for a ticket to that.

20 CDs of new idea material to sift through and work on

GUH.

They're also scheduled to play Las Vegas on April 28th (the night after they're at Coachella). I may just spring for a ticket to that.

Tempting. Very tempting.

Okay, I hope to god that this one song they mention, "Bauhaus," comes out, and sounds just like I want it to sound.

(I'm trying to imagine Verve doing "Mask" and GODDAMN.)

Anyway, Elvis T. saw them last night in Vegas so I await the report.

While this Coachella report has a roffle or two. Unintentionally.

i used to think they were the link between the stone roses and spiritualized. not sure why any would care now.

You might perhaps consider reading the posts regarding the reunion upthread or something. Maybe.

but it is still richard ashcroft right? surely he hasn't become less of an idiot just because a few years have passed. i've read the posts and these seem of the same sort that are giddy over that mbv atp lineup. i must be waiting for the majesty crush reunion in order to be won over, swervedriver tours blah, the return of mat from revolver ugh, toni halliday making horrible enya-style things yikes, it's not good.

Actually the Las Vegas show is tonight. I understand all the doubt, especially when Ashcroft is involved, but more than anyone else involved in Reunion 2008 I believe the Verve have the most amount of unfinished business. I'm excited more about this show than I am for MBV or Terrastock.

I just realized that I used a lower-case T in "the." I suppose that's my equivalent of Mulder's "I want to believe" poster.

Ummmm Wow!

You know, Jones and Salsbury are terribly underrated.

Shocking highlight of evening: McCabe had guitar/effects rig problems all night. Not detremental overall but he was clearly frustrated enough to javelin-toss his guitar straight into his amp at the end of "C'mon." Coming back for the encore he made a great "fucking hell don't make me play that doomed guitar!" face.

Irritated McCabe made for some amazing moments though. "Already There" and (of all things) "Lucky Man" which transformed into an upwardly-spiraling moment of Hawkwind proportions. Ashcroft said "I feel like we're flying" and I had to agree with him.

New songs are promising. Final song was a strange one that reminded me of New Order's "Elegia" with McCabe going full-bore. I wanna hear it again.

Sold. I already was but Jesus this is good to hear.

San Francisco show online: http://www.wavesandwires.com/?p=37

Set list from Vegas:

A New Decade
Sonnet
This Is Music
Space And Time
Life's An Ocean
Already There
Weeping Willow
Sit And Wonder
The Rolling People
Velvet Morning
The Drugs Don't Work
Lucky Man
Come On
History
Bitter Sweet Symphony
Love Is Noise

I've never really noticed how much Dickie sounded like Ian McCulloch before.

If anyone in the NYC area has an interest, a friend has an extra ticket to tonight's show she's happy to sell at face value. Get a hold of me ASAP, though!

According to early rumors the new album will be out August 19 with a US tour to follow in Sept.

Anyone know who is producing the album?

Scott Storch

First play for new single on radio 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaVgY9NSa_M

Um, that's fucking horrible.

Just came to here to post that it's on their Myspace http://www.myspace.com/thevervetv (wait, thevervetv? That was the best they can do?), and to echo that sentiment. Even more disappointing than the first time I heard Dickie Ashcroft's first solo single.

What the hell is going on around 2:40 (if you can stand it that long). Sounds like he's channeling Fred Durst or something.

this is awful. i'll probably buy the album anyway, completist that i am.

"Love Is Pain" more like "'Love Is Pain' Is Pain" amirite

Uh Oh. Well then, so much for that. I literally don't think I could have imagined it being worse. And this after "Sit and Wonder" not completely sucking? It really is just comically bad.

http://classic.excellentonline.com/article.php3?story_id=785

the song is OK, hope for a good album from these guys. so yeah put me in the camp that is looking forward to hearing some new stuff from one of the best live acts i have ever seen.

There's a tune, called Mover, available as a free download from their website this week.

http://www.theverve.tv/

so much better than "Love is Crap" - but it's not on the album.

i listened to 'love is noise' for the first time not five minutes ago and can't remember how it goes.

I'm getting many lols from the tracklisting for 'Forth'...

1. "Sit and Wonder"
2. "Love is Noise"
3. "Rather Be"
4. "Judas"
5. "Numbness"
6. "I See Houses"
7. "Noise Epic"
8. "Valium Skies"
9. "Columbo"
10. "Appalachian Springs"

Ah, so Mover IS a b-side - it sounds like one. Shame.

Verve b-sides search & destroy?

Back On My Feet Again
One Way To Go
Let The Damage Begin
Three Steps
Echo Bass
Man Called Sun
Twilight
Country Song
Monkey Magic (Brainstorm Remix)

Destroy = the bollocks country ones from Urban Hymns-era singles that don't have elastic grooves and pyrokinetic guitars.

Does Louis lie Verve b-sides?

I've got no love for the Verve but the single sounded absurdly good at Glastonbury - much ravier, the sample really prominent - a Jacques Lu Cont remix waiting to happen.

The sample's part of the thing that really grates on the recorded version, for me; I'll admit that a much ravier take on the tune would be good, though. From streaming the Myspace version there seems to be a lot of interesting keyboard / electronic stuff going on in the periphery which might redeem it; low bitrate versions are only going to accentuate that sample in nasty ways.

thanks for that link, i like Verve B-sides.

Yeah, at the Las Vegas show "Love Is Noise" sounded like straight-up New Order with McCabe going nuts on it. Some remixes of this could be terrific.

Mover's an ancient song I think? From '93 maybe?

didnt know that:
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:wxftxz8aldse

And an album cover...

http://www.spin.com/sites/spin.com/files/imagecache/huge_page_view/sites/spin.com/files/080702_verve_art.jpg

Whaddaya know, a storm in heaven.

i'm so bored of this "naming albums after the number of albums the band have made only not quite huhuh" shit :-(

? are there a rash of these album titles that I don't know about?

xxpost Ned i dunno, looks like pretty clear skies to me. 10% chance of rain, maybe?

I've seen the storm in heaven from both sides now.

"Fourth" is a number. "Forth" is a direction.

I like how it tries to look important. I'm glad someone is still doing this.

So, hey, I'm watching their Glastonbury set on BBC3 at the moment. This is some of the worst fucking music I've heard in years.

You never really give psychedelic music much shrift, do you? :P

Although fair enough in this instance; I've heard from numerous sources that they were totally wretched.

i'm so not hearing this, hanging on to the past.

i so want Verve back, maybe now they are just the Verve, a new band...

Saw a bit of their T in the Park set on the telly last night. Richard Ashcroft appears to have turned into Andy Murray. They weren't very good.

wow that single is an abomination. who thought this was a good idea again?

Well, now we have a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmRJo8RQ5sA

Huh.

Don't know how long this is going to stay around on the BBC site, but the Maida Vale session video is pretty great... http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/zanelowe/

THANKS!

the first song "Sit and Wonder" reminded me of A Storm In Heaven and finally made me excited about new stuff from these guys.

Then they go and play Sonnet, which is still rank, and then they do a new song called rather Be that might as well be Ashcroft solo with McCabe doing tame widdles on top.

Also, just look at the gut on Sobbo.

To be fair, the ashcroft solo and tame widdles was the case in 1995... I see the door, on your own etc. I actually like this, in that I like the mix. It's just an entire record of it that's unbearable. Still looking forward to seeing what the new one's like.

So now it's out on CD, what are people thinking?

Packaging seems unnecessarily cheap. Totally unsurprised at which songs are credited to Ashcroft rather than The Verve. Amused that Simon Jones thanks the management company "for making this happen".

Improved sound quality over the MP3s. It's a very trebly mix though, not enough emphasis on Jones and Salisbury. That's always been a problem though. Which is odd cos there's not masses of McCabe either, actually. Maybe there is and he's just doing different things, working in a different range to previously.

As before, bits are amazing, and bits are just... weak.

On headphones, McCabe is doing some awesome shit on Noise Epic. Ashcroft, sadly, is impersonating Bono at the end of Bullet The Blue Sky.

I need to get this. (I keep forgetting, which is perhaps not a good thing.)

Some months old but Nick speaks (and speaks):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDXgTTtahww&feature=related

As my friend stripey said, "funny how they couldn't get the guy to speak for nearly ten years, and now they can't get him to stop ..."

On the whole, I think it's really good. Agree about the mix, though. I guess I thought Urban Hymns was mostly shit (I really only listen to the b-sides from that time), and this is better than that was, so I'm pretty happy with it. I do think it's quite brave to not come back with Urban Hymns 2, as I think that's probably what I expected.

Picking this up tomorrow. Full report to follow

Tellingly, I felt like a dickhead buying it in HMV yesterday morning; they were playing it in the shop, and all the music is now upstairs but this, obviously, was on a display near the door. I just felt like a football hooligan or something, or a middle-management twat, with my Sainsburys bag with bagels and chorizo in, trying to relive my late teens by buying the new album by The Verve. Very odd feeling.

Check the vodcast thingy ('the culture minute') here - which totally misses the point of what prety much everyone on ILM who likes The Verve likes ABOUT The Verve.

haha nick an old homie -- now a young professional in his suit and tie -- of mine emailed to say pretty much that: bought the verve album, felt like an old twat, and it was rubbish.

The trendy emo teen serving didn't help.

Here's the missing link from my last post - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/23/bmpopcdwk123.xml

Torygraph to be shot for stupid plinky plonky musick when you go on their website even though it's probably better than the 1975-style progressive rock of the new Verve album.

The Verve have always had a taste for the woozy rock jam. Their debut album, 1993's A Storm in Heaven, was a stew of guitar solos; their second, 1995's A Northern Soul, was more tuneful, but still driftingly overlong. It was only when they learnt to shape a song, giving it a cleanly defined verse-chorus structure and cutting the instrumental rambling, that they became popular.

Geir writes for the torygraph now?

More McCabe - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dt83CXpQxo

On first listen...hmm.

Though the last tracks go a long way to make things up.

will get this tomorrow. it's funny because i'm buying this on loyalty and not really looking forward to it...weird. never did get a better rip, so i have yet to hear it.

wait, Nick didn't you make a Forth thread but bumped this one?

Yeah; this one seems to be where all the discussion is at.

I understand the notion of long-term loyalty to an artist even when the records are crap but in a week of astonishing new albums by Young Jeezy and The Game I certainly have better music to spend my money on.

Neither Young Jeezy nor The Game really tickle my prostate though, Marcello, you know what I mean? Not that this does particularly either.

Pop isn't Bob Monkhouse.

Not that The Verve have ever been pop.

A brief muttering.

Keep an ear on what McCabe's doing during Judas.

i heard that Forth debuted at number 1 in the UK, is that correct?

Rarely have I felt as American as I do reading this thread.

Urban Hymns is a very disappointing album. I didn't think the songs were so hot outside of "Bittersweet Symphony," which I really like even though it somehow comes off as a bit bombastic and overdone. Other tracks like "Neon Wilderness" or whatever the hell it was called were just half-assed self-indulgent neo-psych brit-pop bullshit... Maybe it's not an appropriate comparison, but I'd rather listen to the Stone Roses any day of the week.

Attention wealthy collectors...

(The) Verve, Snakeskin, THE RAREST VERVE RECORD OF ALL.

Only five copies of this record exist.

So rare is this record that even most hardcore Verve collectors are unaware of it's existence.

They were given to the band members, Richard, Nick, Simon & Pete and manager Dave Halliwell.

The track 'Snakeskin' was inspired by the Rolling Stones 'Cocksucker Blues'. "Cocksucker Blues" was the title of a song Mick Jagger wrote to be the Stones' final single for Decca Records, as per their contract. Its context and language was chosen specifically to anger Decca executives. The track was refused by Decca and only released later on a West German compilation in 1983.

This recording was made at Richard Branson's Manor Studios in Oxfordshire during the 'She's A Superstar' sessions in 1992.

The five records were given to The Verve (or Verve as they were known then) as a christmas present from Hut Records in 1992.

The 7" is a one sided pressing and the labels on both sides are entirely blank.

The sleeve has a cut out on one side and a pseudo psychedelic colour photocopy of all band members on the reverse.

The record has been played on a couple of occasions, it is, however, in near mint condition with only superficial surface marks. The sleeve has no tears or creases, there are some storage marks. The photocopy of the band members is uniform to all five copies and is unmarked on this edition.

The run out groove on the playing side has the inscriptions 'Snakeskin.1.A.' and 'Generally buzzing about christmas '92'. The flip side is devoid of grooves.

Comes complete with letter from Dave Halliwell outlining the records history and authenticity.

Any questions just ask.

http://james.nerdiphythesoul.com/bennyhillifier/speedup.php?id=Zx3m4e45bTo

Nick McCabe playing with Damo Suzuki. April 2, in Manchester, England at the Marquee Club, Night & Day cafe.
http://thevervelive.blogspot.com/2009/03/special-one-off-performance-featuring.html

Anonymous said...

Someone tell nick to stop f##### around and get back with the verve . For F### sake , BORING BORING BORING .... Come ON !!

lol

Listened to Forth the other day, as it happens, or some of it; it doesn't sound that different from anything else they've done, could slot into their career anywhere after the first album. Not that their career was particularly long. It's... OK. Then I listened to Gravity Grave, though, and that was still pretty damn wicked.

Guess what? They've (probably) split again.

http://uk.myspace.com/nickmccabeuk -> about Nick McCabe -> hints at such

While Ashcroft does whatever it is he's doing McCabe and Simon Jones form a new band

For a second I was all excited by that link thinking about Goldfrapp singing over McCabe's guitar!

So a set of Northern Soul demos has surfaced via DIME, live in the studio runthroughs it sounds like. Nice little mixed bag of performances -- an early version of "Come On" is there but Ashcroft's voice was utterly fucked when he sang that. "A Northern Soul" itself sounds great.

I would love to hear a version of ANS w/o the Zooropa production job.

That's pretty much what this is. Here's the tracklisting:

01. A New Decade
02. So It Goes
03. Come On
04. On Your Own
05. Northern Soul
06. Stormy Clouds
07. Life's An Ocean
08. Drive You Home
09. History
10. Country Song

And http://www.theblackships.com is live...

10 minute video up with selections(?) from the album (maybe?). I want to hear more!

interview with nick mccabe.

http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4142968-“this-is-the-best-band-we’ve-ever-been-in-”---dis-meets-nick-mccabe

richard ashcroft really sounds like the worst person in the world ever.

Correct link

DiS: I saw you out here in SF before Coachella (headlining in 2008) and you basically played a greatest hits set. Was that your decision?

NM: It would be lovely to pass it off as someone else’s decision but that’s not the case. Obviously we have to clear a lot of things through Richard. So in isolation when we were rehearsing we had A Storm in Heaven and A Northern Soul ready to play, and quite a lot of b-sides too, which is why my pedal board grew to that ridiculous size. But it would have been delusional to think we could play the main stage at Coachella and not play 'Bittersweet Symphony' without getting fucking tomatoes thrown at us.

Verve's old manager with a T-shirt story:

http://mybandtshirt.tumblr.com/post/18071699248/97-the-verve-t-shirt-made-on-hollywood-boulevard

blimey, didn't realise best was their manager.

used to deal with him when he was part of david holmes/13 amp label crew.

That first Verve album, A Storm In Heaven, is the one I keep returning to whenever I feel the need to listen to this band. I just enjoy getting lost in the overall sound of it, and on that level it works better for me than pretty much anything they did afterwards.

Been listening to a lot of early Verve the last couple of days, listening to the early EP tracks and B-sides in sequence almost makes for a great companion album to A Storm In Heaven. Their music circa 1992-1994 is easily my favourite era of this band. I never really liked the way that A Northern Soul sounded, they were pretty much a different band from that point onwards. I just love the spacy, jam-like, loose feel of their earlier work.

I put Storm In Heaven on the other week and it felt really juvenile and unformed. Which obviously was a massive part of its appeal when I was 16, but grated now.

They were a great groove band in those days - Gravity Grave, A Man Called Sun, No Come Down. I'd've liked them to stay more locked-down like that, instead of starsailing.

Yeah, 'Gravity Grave' especially still takes me on a journey whenever I listen to it... it has to be the 8+ minute version where they jam out at the end, though. My favourite tracks from A Storm In Heaven are stuff like 'Already There' and 'Beautiful Mind', where I just get lost in the sound of it.

I've never particularly cared for Verve's lyrics, mind, even in their earlier stages; and if there's one element of the band's sound I could call 'juvenile', that would be it. But to concentrate too hard on the lyrics when listening to early Verve is kinda missing the point. Their best work, especially their lengthier pieces, carry me along with them and take me somewhere else: 'She's A Superstar', 'Gravity Grave', and the aforementioned 'Already There' and 'Beautiful Mind'.

They did clean up their sound later on, and got better at writing songs (even through jamming), but it doesn't touch me and nor do I find it absorbing in the same way as I find their 1992-1994 work, sadly.

The key to deep music is deep atmosphere.

"Because I’ve got a thing about rooms, I think a lot of stuff that we wrote was influenced by the very room that we were in. I got sucked into them. Two months later I thought, “That’s why the record doesn’t sound right, because we can’t get the room anymore.”
~Nick McCabe

I dig Nick's subtle slide guitar on this song.

Haunting dreamscape....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F5oOSCVqkA

God, how I wish 'Gravity Grave' and 'She's A Superstar' were both on A Storm In Heaven...

I've got all the original cd singles from 92 onwards and love the early stuff the most but bloody hell there needs to be a decently remastered compilation of their singles and b-sides, the original singles don't have the power they should have.

I put Storm In Heaven on the other week and it felt really juvenile and unformed. Which obviously was a massive part of its appeal when I was 16, but grated now.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Friday, May 25, 2012 10:45 PM (9 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Just getting this revived for GP.

what a coincidence

I'm a better musician. Serious musicians and composers are not commercial I trained at the top music school in the US.. I'm a CREATIVE person. I am a vocalist, composer, multi-instrumentalist. I taught myself how to write music but I had extensive training. I sing advanced music and write advanced music. I can write simple music too. I need donations since the commercial world does not fund serious composers or serious musicians. I need assistance. All serious musicians do.

heh, I can still listen to Storm in Heaven repeatedly, it's just one of those long haul LPs for me. the first side is just perfect.

I was going to say, this one is still all time for me.

Occurs to me that in the end Ashcroft followed the Stipe path -- as it became clearer what he was singing, the end results dropped off.

Yeah, for me part of the appeal of those early records isn't what Ashcroft is singing, it's more the sounds he makes with his voice and the way he reacts to the music and compliments it, which is even more evident in the live performances of some of the longer pieces where they sprawl out a bit. In a way, Ashcroft is "jamming" as much as the rest of the band are, but with his voice.

man i only really knew Verve from bittersweet symphony and that record

listening to storm in heaven, this is fucking a gorgeous guitar record

I think the midpoint album (A Northern Soul) is better than what came before/after. best of both worlds.

xpost:

Check out the early EPs too, if you can. If you love A Storm In Heaven, you'll also really like 'Gravity Grave', 'She's A Superstar' etc.

thanks turrican

started northern soul, don't like it as much. it's not bad. but i think i basically just love the guitar player(s?) in this band and like it best when ashcroft isn't out front

Singular. Nick McCabe. Wonderful guitarist. Listen to the title track of A Northern Soul; WTF IS HE DOING?! There's a b-side from that era called Let The Damage Begin which is just fucking ungodly.

But yeah, their three records were completely different from each other, basically, might as well have been different bands.

xxpost:

No worries! It's mostly just the one guitarist on those first two Verve records (and on Forth): the inimitable Mr. Nick McCabe, although Richard Ashcroft does play a little bit of acoustic guitar here and there (although I think it's just on 'History' and 'See You In The Next One' from those albums). Simon Tong was a member of The Verve for the Urban Hymns period only.

My favourite McCabe riff on A Northern Soul is undoubtedly 'So It Goes' (god, I love that riff), but I'm pretty much with you... I see A Northern Soul as having much more in common with Urban Hymns than with A Storm In Heaven. I'm not a big fan of the Owen Morris production treatment on it either.

Listen to the title track of A Northern Soul; WTF IS HE DOING?!

A lot of wah-wah and a lot of attitude! :D

Owen Morris' production is fucking brutal and weird. I like it, but I think it's affection from adolescence rather than appreciation.

To me, it just has that "mid-'90s Owen Morris sound", like his work on Oasis' What's The Story (Morning Glory)? or 1977 by Ash. Of course, the musical content is going to be different (since The Verve aren't Oasis or Ash), but you can definitely tell he worked on all three just by listening to them... the overall sound of those records are very similar. I think he ruined 1977 in particular... didn't really get the best takes or performances out of Ash and god damn that over-reverbed snare drum sound (which is a bit of a mid-'90s Owen Morris trait, I think). Then again, wasn't he known to get carried away with the partying just as much as the bands themselves? I don't think I heard a decent production job from him until... oooh... Free All Angels.

Yeah, there are LOTS of stories of BIG indulgence where he's just as hammered as who he's working with.

The ones that I know of are of him being off his face on Ecstasy and smashing a window during the making of A Northern Soul, being massively coked out of his skull during the making of Be Here Now... I have absolutely no doubt that he would have got off his face working with Ash too.

A track from Ashcroft's and McCabe's pre-Verve band Rain Garden has surfaced

Nick McCabe taking questions from everyone on Facebook (Black Submarine update, inevitable deluxe reissues of ASIH and ANS, Forth is fave Verve album, Ashcroft doesn't return messages, live album completed but sitting on the shelf)

And from the Quietus today

http://thequietus.com/articles/13826-verve-a-storm-in-heaven

yeah brilliant album, i bought the day it was released and was pleasantly blown away.

McCabe on Facebook: "just signed off on reissues of the first two albums with extra tracks, vinyl remastering, etc."

Also: "Si and I were up for 20th anniversary shows but Axl wasn't interested"

Roffle.

Recently picked up a cheapo CD copy of A Storm In Heaven and it has yet to leave the stereo.

Been inspired to listen to the Verve for the first in ages. Not to labour a point but the early stuff really does hold up - pretty much everything up to Ashcroft's delirious 'that was amazing' at the end of (Reprise). Everything after I can pretty much take or leave, and mainly because I just can't bear Ashcroft's unearned messianic bullshit. McCabe, though. Jesus.

Are the b-sides available anywhere? The ones not available on No Come Down, I mean. There's a bunch referenced in this thread I've not even heard.

Listening to A Storm in Heaven for the first time in ages. Yup.

And 'One Way to Go' so readily conjures up bleached out stoned softdawns it's like mainlining my late teens.

Yeah, I completely agree. The success of Urban Hymns was just the worst thing for this band. After that, Ashcroft's ego ballooned and I often get the feeling that he thinks he was The Verve. In reality, the appeal of this band for me comes from the interaction between the other three members.

After that, Ashcroft's ego ballooned and I often get the feeling that he thinks he was The Verve

If you read the latest interview with him in Q magazine (Prince cover), your feeling will be confirmed.

is McCabe/Jones' recent project Black Submarines any good?

I thought Ashcroft saw himself and McCabe as the Jagger and Richards of The Verve. Every time the band broke up it was because Ashcroft thought he could carry The Verve on his own, and every time he realized there could be no Verve without McCabe he reformed the band.

rereading this thread: "i feel like we're flying" O_O <3

it's interesting that people dismiss latter-period Verve output by equating it with '73-5 soft-rock. i enjoy all Verve eras, and have specifically cited the later stuff's being "modern 70s soft-rock" as something that appeals to me! hell, even some of richard's solo stuff (ok just "i get my beat"). i get that folks who only like the earlier, wilder sound would feel betrayed by the shift, though. for me, it feels like an indulgence in exactly the same way 73 soft rock does -- i have to let go of certain tendencies (like balking at corny lyrics) and just melt into this giant soft rock jacuzzi.

roxy otm I love Urban Hymns as well as the early stuff. Even forth has some great moments. Not so keen on the solo stuff mind

I gave A Northern Soul a re-listen this weekend and it still sounds like Rattle and Hum-era U2 to me. Airless and overblown. You can hear in the guitar playing how good it would have been had Leckie produced it and Ashcroft tried to sing with the music instead of over it. I think I'll like Urban Hymns better... let's try!

The best songs on Urban Hymns are the ones written by the band, IMO. 'Catching The Butterfly', 'The Rolling People' etc. The stuff on there written solely by Ashcroft points towards his solo work which holds less appeal for me. It's weird, though, how their biggest album is actually their most obviously "transitional" work.

Czech singer Natalie Kocab's new album has McCabe all over it. Haven't heard anything other than what's on the YouTube promos - kinda gothy sounding, but am curious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvi2x0l9p5c

Intrigued!

also intrigued

Dug out my vinyl copy of A Northern Soul tonight and it sounds muddier than I remember but goddamn McCabe's guitar tone - it's like solar wind.

I have though, after years of listening, just worked out that at the end of ' On Your Own' Ashcroft is singing 'I'm just a poor little wifeless fella.' What a twat.

Need to get that A Storm In Heaven deluxe thing.

the 1998 live set that was on tv at the time has McCabe back doing similar guitar stuff so is really worth checking out.

I always heard his guitar as sounding a lot like Richard Thompson for some reason. Wondered if i was alone in doing so but think one of the reviews I read in a current monthly refers to something along the lines.

I have though, after years of listening, just worked out that at the end of ' On Your Own' Ashcroft is singing 'I'm just a poor little wifeless fella.' What a twat.

― Sunn O))) Brother Where Art Thou? (Chinaski), Friday, September 9, 2016 7:47 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Isn't that 'So It Goes'?

I usually find that the better Verve songs for me are the ones where the lyric feels secondary to the music, which is probably why I like their earliest stuff so much.

McCabe, Salisbury, Martin Blunt from The Charlatans, and unknown vocalist (think she sings with Primal Scream?) yesterday playing some favorites...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LQRSP8tFGA&sns=fb

Denise Johnson

They started with Super Stupid

Surprisingly, McCabe speaks out on the 20th anniversary of UH and the box set release.
http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4151276-urban-hymns-at-20--dis-meets-nick-mccabe

Whoa, will have to read THAT.

These are words I would have never associated with Nick McCabe before now, and yet.

Steve Perry from Journey is on it alongside loads of other bizarre and interesting people.

McCabe sadly suffers from that most common of musician disorders, recency bias

In any event, happy to hear whatever he eventually puts on Bandcamp.

Just finished reading that McCabe interview and man, Ashcroft is such a twat.

The other three should just form an instrumental combo, I could listen to that band jam for hours.

McCabe and fellow Black Submarine member Amelia Tucker now have a two person project, litter and leaves:

https://litterandleaves.bandcamp.com/album/autumn-is-come

https://nickmccabe1.bandcamp.com/album/sankey-brook-rat-lab-n-o-s?

a northern soul is bizarre, I get the impression they had basically no material before they entered the studio? History especially sounds like it’s being made up as it goes along. I remember reading that they were fucked up on ecstasy the whole time they recorded this. The band themselves sound absolutely amazing, of course.

Album is boring af as befits lads in the studio on x

its a brilliant album

The recording sessions were dysfunctional and tense to put it mildly

"History" could have been a Bon Jovi song.

would (the) verve have actually been better with a capable lyricist?

feel like urban hymns might have been improved(?) but the earlier stuff is better off with random pablum largely buried in the mix

also gaunt motherfucker walking down the street bumping into people is a pretty iconic video

nah lyrics on Storm in Heaven are classic

IM GONNA DIE ALONE IN BEEED

You can do anythin' you want to
All you've gotta do is try
I thought the best days had left me
My best years had left me behind

same : /

Album is boring af

So otm

IM GONNA DIE ALONE IN BEEED

“stormy clouds” is otherworldly, kinda the most “storm in heaven” sounding one so it sounds extra WHOA in the context of the rest

its a brilliant album

OTM

I was a huge fan in the 90s and even love Urban Hymns but will admit it's their worst release. Not counting Forth as I never gave it a fair shake.

urban hymns is better, but different. incredible second half. never really listened to forth either.. I do remember Ashcroft singing “ a latte, a double shot for Judas”

“weeping willlow” ffs

Fourth is an album where you can easily tell when Rich and Nick are and aren't getting on. But when they are its sometimes top drawer Verve for me, esp. "Sit and Wonder".

Actually the writing credits for the first three songs in order are The Verve, The Verve/Ashcroft and Ashcroft. And it is easy to tell.

ANS was my first Verve and I love it. The guitar textures are scrumptious. I like it as much as ASIH.

forth is great, worth checking out the numerous outtakes too, as is verve tradition

Forth really is great. Also Nick said it was the most enjoyable experience they had making an album.

cool, I will definitely dig into it

god i am really obsessed with forth

there's that brief run of single material at the start ("love is noise" -> "rather be") which is probably the least interesting part of the record, even though they are perfectly fine songs, but the rest of it sits in this space of psychedelic jamming that i just can't get enough of. i want to call it my favorite verve album, even though i grew up on urban hymns, even though storm in heaven has also kind of taken over my life recently bc of its delayed phosphorescent guitar stuff, but forth legit feels like the best of both worlds to me, space + songcraft + incredible pocket grooves. "judas," "i see houses," "noise epic," "columbo," "appalachian springs".... all really astonishing imo

loved forth since day one, even if at the time i mostly just listened to the front of the record. i've never really understood why so few people care about it, even when their pre-urban hymns albums percolate yet. cus as far as shoegaze reunion albums go...

"sit and wonder" is still my favourite though - all facets of the band get along well on that one. enjoying "rather be", as i do, despite it sounding pretty much like a richard solo track ("check the meaning" especially) probably exposes how i can never fully join the chorus of hate against richard solo, as much as i sometimes want to.

great pop memory: watching the verve headline glastonbury with my tv with my dad - who owned urban hymns for the singles. after the umpteenth minute of lanky figures silhouetted against lights and fog to droning noise he dismissively said something to the extent of "they're on drugs. this music is drug rubbish. terrible"

I wish Black Submarine had found its footing. I like the album reservedly... it's like they had all the elements but couldn't get momentum somehow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TRpuL4gu_s