Verve: S/D ?

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

god i am really obsessed with forth

― ivy., Thursday, July 11, 2024 10:56 AM (one year ago) bookmarkflaglink

it continues!!! one of my fave albums of all time at this point

Yeah it's probably their best I'm thinking

Ashcroft really, really sounds like Bono on this album

"numbness".... wtf is this song tbh....