Verve - Urban Hymns
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Music CD Cover
Artist: VerveEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Published: 1997
CD Release Date: 1997-09-30
Music Label: Virgin Records Us
Product features:
- VERVE THE URBAN HYMNS
- Bitter Sweet Symphony
- Sonnet
- The Rolling People
- The Drugs Don't Work
- Catching The Butterfly
- Neon Wilderness
- Space And Time
- Weeping Willow
- Lucky Man
- One Day
- This Time
- Velvet Morning
- Come On
Free Music Notes for Urban Hymns
Free Music Review: An Adventure Through A Beautiful Tropical Rainforest
Hit: 5 Stars
Along with Oasis and Blur, The Verve were one of the biggest British rock bands of the late Nineties. Unlike the other two, though, The Verve achieved this status from just one album. After their debut album "A Storm In Heaven" and its follow-up, "A Northern Soul," the future of The Verve was uncertain. Lead singer Richard Ashcroft retreated throughout 1996 and most of 1997 and the result was "Urban Hymns," one of the most popular albums in Britain of the entire decade. This album was released in 1997 but sold the majority of its total sales throughout 1998. A staggering 2.48 million copies were sold in the UK alone and the album spent a total of 12 weeks at No.1, placing this album as the eighth best-seller of the decade, behind such other classics as Oasis' "(What's The Story) Morning Glory?" and Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill."
This album was fuelled by four massive hit singles which ruled radio and became anthems amongst a society emerging from Britpop. I bought this album about a year ago to try and build up my collection of albums from the Nineties. It took me quite a while to really enjoy this album because it runs for 75 minutes, and a lot of the songs are quite long, usually around the six minute mark. What this album achieves, though, is a total sound of its own. It's like you're travelling through a tropical rainforest in the middle of the night, exploring nature and realising the true beauty of life. Because of this, the album holds up very well eight years after its initial release.
The album opens with the classic "Bittersweet Symphony." This is by far the most popular song of the band's career, and with good reason. I mean come on, this song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It's an absolute classic and one of the best uses of a string arrangement I've ever heard in my life. This is life-affirming, beautiful stuff. If rock music was heaven, then this is the soundtrack for sure. The video is also amazing and features Richard just walking down a London street not giving a s**t about what people think of him as he knocks people out of the way and stops for no one. "Sonnet" is another brilliant song and has a rather depressing tone. The mood of this song is expressed perfectly through Ashcroft's emotional vocals. I can't remember a video for this song, but I sure remember it being played to death on the radio. "The Rolling People" runs for more than seven minutes, which in itself gives the feeling of an epic song. It truly is a very bold and interesting rock song with heavy drums and a great guitar riff. Ashcroft's vocals are awash in a sea of pure rhythm, on definitely one of the album's best songs. "The Drugs Don't Work" is an amazing ballad and became the band's first UK No.1 single in September 1997. This song was released the week Princess Diana died, and totally connected with the whole nation. Such an emotional piece of songwriting.
"Catching The Butterfly" is a great song which features a strange sound that reminds me of an old rotating wheel. Strangely, this is a very natural and organic song and has a very catchy melody. The arrangement of the verses is beautiful and the choruses are very impressive. "Neon Wilderness" is the song that, for me, best expresses my vision of walking through a tropical rainforest at the dead of night. The sounds that this song creates are very beautiful and relaxing; it's almost like tripping out on yourself when you hear this! A shame it only lasts for under three minutes though. "Space And Time" is a complete masterpiece! This is one of the album's best songs and runs for nearly six minutes. The guitar on this song is very calm and tranquil and the backing vocals harmonising is rather hippie-like. The chorus is amazing and very epic, making this one of those songs to listen to whenever you're feeling down. "Weeping Willow" is quite a good song but I wouldn't say it is a stand out on an album of other amazing songs.
"Lucky Man" was one of the album's four singles and was a huge hit. This song is very dream-like and tranquil, with catchy verses and sing-along choruses. It's a song that celebrates the beauty of life and teaches that rock music from this particular decade doesn't ALL have to be suicidal. "One Day" is another one of my favourites from this album because it's so hopeful. Ashcroft has a beautiful voice in this song that echoes over the sparse guitars and vivid drums creating a vast, epic song. The chorus is a revelation and celebrates that wonder of life that is a prominent theme throughout the songs. "This Time" is probably the most upbeat song on the album and is a shock to the system after about an hour of dreamy, tranquil rock music. This is also one of the shortest songs on the album, which is a shame because it's a very catchy piece of pop rock. The chorus is very beautiful and will just take you back to Britain in the late Nineties going through many changes. "Velvet Morning" is seen by many to be one of the best sons on the album, but this isn't the case in my opinion! This is still a great song, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't impress me as much as some of the other songs did. The album closes with "Come On," which is a very progressive rock song, build up as the seconds tick away. By the fifth minute, this is a load and bold monster of a song that Oasis would be proud of! There's also a two minute hidden track at the end of this album that sounds like a radio trying to get a reception. When it finally becomes clear it sounds like another version of Neon Wilderness, which is superb in my opinion.
OVERALL GRADE: 9/10
This album was one of the best of 1997, and while I favour Radiohead's "OK Computer" (from a few months prior) as the album which people remember the most out of the two, the impact of this album cannot be denied. People bought this in droves, and it wasn't just media hype; the hype is fully justified. Yes, some songs on this album are a bit too long and I think 15 minutes could have been cut from the overall length, but there's a reason why this album ranked inside the Top 20 of a recent nationwide poll by Channel 4 to find the Greatest Album Ever. That reason is based upon solid songwriting, strong music, great arrangements, bold sounds and beautiful vocals. Buy this now, it's essential in any rock lover's collection.
Urban Hymns Poster
Japanese edition of their highly acclaimed 1997 album with the unmarked bonus track 'Lord, I Guess I'll Never Know'. 15tracks total, also featuring the hit 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' and singles 'The Drugs Don't Work' & 'Lucky Man', plus 'Deep Freeze', a hidden bonus track on the U.S. edition. Black & white picture CD with a group shot of the band. A Virgin release.Perhaps you weren't convinced of the Verve's staying power until recently. Before the release of Urban Hymns, skeptics wondered if they could ever match the explosive power of their earlier dedications. In 1995, most critics dismissed their offerings of the time as vapid, romantic excursions. To their credit, the Verve have sustained their shadow rock legitimacy while introducing string arrangements, piano fills, and slide guitar. Nowhere are these stirring traits more obvious than in the epic single "Bitter Sweet Symphony." Laying it on thick throughout the rest of the album with painfully engaging ballads, the Verve have crafted their most accomplished album to date, proving the longevity of their cultural resonance. --Lucas Hilbert
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