I know someone on here will disagree, but "Bittersweet Symphony" is one of mankind's darkest moments

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BAD SONG.

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 5 December 2002 12:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Terrible song.
Terrible band.
Reasonable video (if you only watch it once)

― meirion john lewis (mei), Thursday, 5 December 2002 12:48 (twenty-three years ago)

so er, WHY then?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 5 December 2002 13:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Because poor Jonathon is insane.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 5 December 2002 13:54 (twenty-three years ago)

great song
great band
great video

― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 5 December 2002 13:54 (twenty-three years ago)

YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART OF HEARTS THAT THIS SONG HAS DRIVEN MORE PEOPLE TO KILLING THEMSELVES THAN OZZY AND SLAYER PUT TOGETHER.

Defending this load of tripe ruins any credibility you ever had.

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 5 December 2002 13:58 (twenty-three years ago)

When your housemate who reckons he has varied music taste cos he listens to Enrique and Tupac puts this on instead, it's quite reasonable respite. Except when you're trying to listen to something half-decent at the same time.

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:02 (twenty-three years ago)

THIS SONG CAN HAVE NO CAMP VALUE.

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:03 (twenty-three years ago)

'YOU KNOW IN YOUR HEART OF HEARTS THAT THIS SONG HAS DRIVEN MORE PEOPLE TO KILLING THEMSELVES THAN OZZY AND SLAYER PUT TOGETHER'...which STILL doesn't justify its existence!

― dave q, Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Who said anything about camp value? It's a great song.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)

What Dan said. Shocking, I know!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:07 (twenty-three years ago)

poor richard ashcroft, he spends his whole time trying to touch the hearts of the people with his songs of faith and devotion...but what he finds is that everyone prefers manufactured pop - tcha! such a cruel world...

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, it can definitely be defended as superior to his solo cuntwittery...

― Mr Swygart (mrswygart), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I'M SAYING THAT "HOOKED ON A FEELING" IS PRETTY INANE BUT CAN BE APPRECIATED DESPITE THAT. "BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY" IS JUST TOO 'SINCERE' TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY SINCE IT SUCKS.

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:20 (twenty-three years ago)

i must admit i do find i cant listen to 'The Test' at all now, i think i could handle it for the first two weeks but gawd its just too dam cheesical

still like 'Lonely Soul' though

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:20 (twenty-three years ago)

who is the 60s/70s equivalent of Ashcroft, if there is one?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Rod McKuen

― dave q, Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Stop it Johnathan, if you kill any more sacred cows I think my head will explode, please please no more of this firebrand anti canonical madness, for the love of all that is accepted and good not Bittersweet Symphony, how dare you, why I oughta. If that's the kind of response you were looking for can you now fuck off.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Great riff - but that's nothing to do with Ashcroft. The rest is him moaning over the top.

― jon (jon), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Ronan: that's TWO nasty replies I've gotten from you today?

Honestly, I really just think this song is insipid. Awful lyrics. Awful vocals. And a gimmicky use of the "non rock" instruments.

Discuss.

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Jon: I'm indifferent to the hook itself.

The instumentation just feels like a gimmick.

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:29 (twenty-three years ago)

(Confusing "Bittersweet Symphony" with "Unfinished Sympathy": Classic or Dud? I still stand by my comments, though.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:29 (twenty-three years ago)

(Confusing "Bittersweet Symphony" with "Unfinished Sympathy": Classic or Dud? I still stand by my comments, though.)

Both feature top "walking down a street" video hilarity though. Curiouser and curiouser...

Anyway, at least it's not "Lucky Man".

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah if you get a third one you win a free egg mcmuffin.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 5 December 2002 14:43 (twenty-three years ago)

"The" Verve's video definitely ripped off Massive. ASIN heaven is a great album though. Whatever merits the "song" had have been obliterated by its ubiquity.

― chris sallis:, Thursday, 5 December 2002 19:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't stand it.

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 5 December 2002 19:52 (twenty-three years ago)

I LUV the video, I LUV the video for "Safe From Harm" even more. If they made VIDEOLUV who knows how great the video would be.
I also like the video for "Unfinished Symphony", mostly cause Richard emotes all the energy and emotion of a cardboard box. It would have been even better video if he was wheeling a fridge down the street while singing the song.
its "Look, Im hawking my fridge to buy more drugs that don't work! Where is Jason Pierce's heart? Its in the freezer, my evil baby ripped out from his chest for me. She WUVS me and my asslessness." As opposed to being the same as the Massive Attack song.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 5 December 2002 22:24 (twenty-three years ago)

"Bittersweet" is possibly the best-ever example of a nothing song becoming a classic on the back of a brilliantly bluntly-used sample. "Drugs Don't Work" epochal. Rest of that album not up to much.

― B.Rad (Brad), Thursday, 5 December 2002 23:39 (twenty-three years ago)

didnt Walter Stern direct BOTH the 'Unfinished Sympathy' and 'Bittersweet Symphony' videos?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 6 December 2002 01:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Fantastic song.
Good video.
OK band.

I love "Lucky Man" as well though, which is um, less of a sacred cow.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 6 December 2002 01:30 (twenty-three years ago)

i will be ready to hear this song unexpectedly in about 4 years and i will enjoy it very much!

― ron (ron), Friday, 6 December 2002 02:18 (twenty-three years ago)

I actually don't mind this song at all, *AND* it was produced by Youth,....ex of Killing Joke, so HONOR THE GODDAMN FIRE!!!

http://www.an-irrational-domain.net/images/youth/youth15.JPG

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 6 December 2002 02:23 (twenty-three years ago)

it made a nice commercial for nike.

― keith (keithmcl), Friday, 6 December 2002 02:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't know, "Bittersweet Symphony," for better or worse, captured a pop moment.

And for the record, the string bit isn' t the Stones sample. That's some bell chiming in the background that you can hardly hear, which makes Ashcroft the most retarded man alive for not dropping it and taking the fattest paycheck of his life...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Friday, 6 December 2002 02:50 (twenty-three years ago)

The entire instrumental backing is the SAMPLE. It's from some orchestral Rolling Stones record done by Loog Oldham and not a NOTE was changed (I know this cuz Jody was nice enough to send me an mp3 of the original). It's one of the most blatant samples EVER.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 6 December 2002 03:15 (twenty-three years ago)

I love "Lucky Man" as well though, which is um, less of a sacred cow.

Yes, yes, yes, someone else who like that song. It's just as good as BS imo

― Vic, Friday, 6 December 2002 03:18 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

stumbled across this thread by accident. i gotta tell you that these are some of the most hillarious rips i've ever heard (especially mr. noodles dec. 5, '02). you just can't beat the british wit.
i've sent this link on to friends of mine w/ the same results. it's unanimus... you guys need to write a critics column in the same vein.

― frank in u.s., Saturday, 11 February 2006 16:31 (twenty years ago)

Anyone heard the Limp Bizkit song which is a medly of Bittersweet symphony and home sweet home by Motley Crue? An ungodly abomination and no mistake.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Saturday, 11 February 2006 16:36 (twenty years ago)

i really dislike richard ashcroft now but i still love a storm in heaven, i think because he's down low in the mix and nick mccabe still cared.

― keyth (keyth), Sunday, 12 February 2006 00:28 (twenty years ago)

Keyth extremely OTM.

especially mr. noodles dec. 5, '02). you just can't beat the british wit.

So how's life in Australia, Frank?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 February 2006 00:34 (twenty years ago)

The non-Verve/non-sample version of this that's tacked onto the end of Ashcroft's new album is so amazingly dismal.

― The Equator Lounge (Chris Barrus), Sunday, 12 February 2006 03:20 (twenty years ago)

pompous piffle

― bloke carrington, Sunday, 12 February 2006 03:47 (twenty years ago)

first two posts on this threaD: OTM!!!

― Vintage Latin (dog latin), Sunday, 12 February 2006 04:09 (twenty years ago)

my old roommate used to put this on really loud and say I LUUUUUUV THIS FUCKIN SONG! UUUUGGGGGMMMMMMMMM! (really loud gutteral sound) and do like weird 'kicks' all about the house.

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Sunday, 12 February 2006 05:40 (twenty years ago)

so glad this was jon's thread. totally OTM.

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Sunday, 12 February 2006 05:46 (twenty years ago)

I am still trying to work out which is worse: "bitersweet symphony", or "the rolling people" off the same album, which is an (uncredited) ripoff of "I got a thing, you got a thing..." by funkadelic with half the groove and none of the wit.

― weekly handle change (haitch), Sunday, 12 February 2006 05:57 (twenty years ago)

I really can't believe anyone can have a hardline opinion on this song. When I heard it I basically thought the hook was catchy and that was seriously IT. It didn't inspire me to check out anything else this band made, it didn't piss me off, it didn't make me feel like even thinking about the song. Not shit, not great, just kind of there I guess

― ______, Sunday, 12 February 2006 06:39 (twenty years ago)

The non-Verve/non-sample version of this that's tacked onto the end of Ashcroft's new album is so amazingly dismal.

Lord, that is tragically awful. So unsurprising, though.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 February 2006 06:41 (twenty years ago)

the way this pseudo-uplifting piece of shite was almost instantaneously adopted by the sports broadcating crowd for backing music to lame-o montages of quarterback sacks and other such dreck convinced me that it is worthless. Sorry, massive dud!

― ken stabler, Sunday, 12 February 2006 06:43 (twenty years ago)

BS. Whoever told you that was messing with you. Here's the original, if you don't believe me: http://rapidshare.de/files/13080965/The_last_time_-_Andrew_Oldham_orchestra.mp3.html

eta: didn't realize how old that comment was. Oh well.

― musically (musically), Sunday, 12 February 2006 06:57 (twenty years ago)

and bananarama ripped the ooh - oohs for "only your love".

― retroboy, Sunday, 12 February 2006 07:25 (twenty years ago)

Well, I'm still here.

I suppose I should've put it this way: the sample is everything but the string melody -- it's got the bells, the string swells and the brass. What it doesn't have is the higher string part that went "ya-daaa-da-da-da-daaa, ya-da-daaa, ya-da-daaaaa..." and which was the hook. That said, there's no way in hell Ashcroft would've come up with that melody w/o warbling it over the Loog Oldham Orchestra version.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Sunday, 12 February 2006 08:05 (twenty years ago)

It does have that higher string part! Listen again!

― _____, Sunday, 12 February 2006 11:20 (twenty years ago)

I seem to recall a review of the Verve along the lines of: "The good bits aren't original and the original bits aren't good". Pretty much OTM I think.

― avery keen-gardner (avery keen-gardner), Sunday, 12 February 2006 14:40 (twenty years ago)

Why on earth did the Seahawks rush on the field of the Super Bowl to this song? Isn't that tantamount to a concession?

― Robert L Bell (Robert L Bell), Sunday, 12 February 2006 15:16 (twenty years ago)

It does have that higher string part! Listen again!

I just did. It doesn't.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Sunday, 12 February 2006 16:23 (twenty years ago)

was it when richard ashcroft bought an acoustic guitar that it all went wrong? john lekcie said something about nick mccabe being the star of the band, maybe little rich took that the wrong way.

― keyth (keyth), Sunday, 12 February 2006 16:55 (twenty years ago)

Not too bad, but "The Drugs Don't Work" and "Sonnet" are both a lot better.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 12 February 2006 23:51 (twenty years ago)

One of the greatest arguments in favour of the abolition of all the samplers on the planet.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Monday, 13 February 2006 06:36 (twenty years ago)

sort of a tangent, but the U.S. analogue to him is clearly scott weiland. and both look so much the part that i guess people (who are part of the industry, incl. press) are reluctant to point out what fucking obvious dolts they are. every word in every interview is fucking hilarious, and this is for years and years now. completely surrounded by yes-men and stylists, once they leave the front door. straight-up boys in the bubble! i do love hearing them on TV interviews tho, better than seinfeld or the simpsons, i guarantee.

― noizem duke (noize duke), Monday, 13 February 2006 06:53 (twenty years ago)

i've always been torn about this song, because i pretty much have always loved it, but the sampling is so blatent...

how long before some puff daddy type rapper samples the verve version and makes a billion dollars... and won't that be a complicated legal procedure.

― feckless chump, Monday, 13 February 2006 08:46 (twenty years ago)

Supposedly, Ashc cot caned for using a modified version of the "ALO orch" version of "The Last Time"

But, I also note that the "Well it's a bitter sweet symphony is life" tune matches "Well, I told you once and I told you twice" tune. Even if slowed to twice the length.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 13 February 2006 08:59 (twenty years ago)

the strings *are* on the ALO version, but i think these were not sampled but replayed, they're much 'stronger' on the verve record and you'd have to be a genius to extract them from the original without hell of distortion.

― The Man Without Shadow (Enrique), Monday, 13 February 2006 10:04 (twenty years ago)

cf 'planet rock' i guess.

― The Man Without Shadow (Enrique), Monday, 13 February 2006 10:04 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

i love this song... i think it conveys heaps of meanings

i want this song played at my funeral!

― Dani, Saturday, 4 March 2006 02:20 (twenty years ago)

are you ready to be pulled apart?

― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Saturday, 4 March 2006 03:02 (twenty years ago)

heaps o' steaming shite

― timmy tannin (pompous), Saturday, 4 March 2006 03:10 (twenty years ago)

Bittersweet Symphony v.s. Majik Carpet Ride (Bad songs saved by monster hook)

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, 4 March 2006 04:24 (twenty years ago)

i kinda like it.

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Saturday, 4 March 2006 04:27 (twenty years ago)

there was a james lavelle or unkle remix that didn't use the strings for most of it. i thought that was pretty good, but i haven't heard it in a few years.

― grady (grady), Saturday, 4 March 2006 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Cunga so OTM.

― Raw, Uncompromising, and Noodly (noodle vague), Saturday, 4 March 2006 19:18 (twenty years ago)

When my Dad got remarried a couple of summers ago his wife walked down the aisle to this. I nearly spoke up when the registrar asked if anyone had any objection. They redeemed themselves by taking the first dance to You Send Me by Sam Cooke.

― Mike W (caek), Saturday, 4 March 2006 19:54 (twenty years ago)

fifteen years pass...

If ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ came out in the 80s 🎶🔥 Like & RT

Full version anyone?: https://t.co/wLH0Xgi8bi pic.twitter.com/EZGvclB17j
— DECO (@decobanduk) December 3, 2021

― Portsmouth Bubblejet, Saturday, 4 December 2021 14:10 (four years ago)

Just missing a couple of well placed bass slaps.
— Guy Pratt 🇪🇺Mask Wearer. (@guypratt) December 3, 2021

― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 4 December 2021 14:50 (four years ago)

Collab for the next one? 😄
— DECO (@decobanduk) December 3, 2021

― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 4 December 2021 14:50 (four years ago)

80s version is pretty good!

― calstars, Saturday, 4 December 2021 14:52 (four years ago)

I do like this

― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Saturday, 4 December 2021 17:17 (four years ago)

If Bittersweet Symphony was made in the 2020s by some synthwave people for whom electroclash is indistinguishable from the actual 80s and heavily molested by mastering plugins.

― feed me with your clicks (Noel Emits), Saturday, 4 December 2021 17:30 (four years ago)

Which is not to suggest it isn't markedly more enjoyable than the original.

― feed me with your clicks (Noel Emits), Saturday, 4 December 2021 17:31 (four years ago)

yeah it's a great cover! but it's more "Washed Out covering Bittersweet Symphony"

― Jaime Pressly and America (f. hazel), Saturday, 4 December 2021 17:43 (four years ago)

I think it's called a marketing angle guys

― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Saturday, 4 December 2021 18:45 (four years ago)

Yeah miles better than the original.

― chap, Sunday, 5 December 2021 13:45 (four years ago)

Thread is probably not complete without the house version that was a big hit itself in 1998:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih_tZVeIH7Y

― Siegbran, Sunday, 5 December 2021 18:50 (four years ago)

I remember a d’n’b mix destroying a dancefloor around that same year

― katebishopfan616 (morrisp), Sunday, 5 December 2021 19:12 (four years ago)

If Bittersweet Symphony was made in the 2020s by some synthwave people for whom electroclash is indistinguishable from the actual 80s and heavily molested by mastering plugins.

I didn't listen but there was no way in hell it wouldn't match this description.

― billstevejim, Sunday, 5 December 2021 19:51 (four years ago)

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