The Verve – This Is Music: The Singles

Richard Ashcroft was right all along: History does have a place for The Verve and given that he will be performing a clutch of their songs to stadium audiences this summer, it seems an appropriate time to re-evaluate their fearsome back catalogue.

While they were never a singles band as such, with their sonic wizardly and density better found in the corners of their four albums, this compilation (originally released in 2004) represents them well. The Wigan four-piece were dubbed as shoegazers when debut single ‘All In The Mind’ was released in 1992, yet the ominous, bone-rattling power of the song generates more of an acid-flecked vibe, complete with Cure-esque bassline.

Later the same year, they released eight-minute opus ‘Gravity Grave’. Listening today, it’s a piece that feels ripe for a remix by some brave soul, all seductive bass and meandering guitar. Thankfully, this new edition includes second single ‘She’s A Superstar’ (cruelly truncated in 2004) in all its majesty. The twinkling verse gives way to a turbine engine of a chorus before an extended coda where guitarist Nick McCabe winds in every possible direction. Sublime.

The band didn’t feel debut album ‘A Storm In Heaven’ was their best work, and it’s true singles ‘Slide Away’ and ‘Blue’ suggest a work in progress. The wall of sound chorus on the former may be big but lacks the melodic power Ashcroft would soon harness, while the latter plunders like a train and is one of bassist Simon Jones’ standout moments if nothing else.

Second album ‘A Northern Soul’saw them at a crossroads, split between sonic maelstroms and Ashcroft’s burgeoning songwriting prowess. ‘This Is Music’ falls into the former category, a psychedelic rock beast with a McCabe riff that could split open clouds and a vocal from a man who has, quite literally, found his voice. In contrast, the mournful ‘On Your Own’ is short and snappy, proving that even stripped of bombast, The Verve were a band of unique talent. That said, the acoustic version (on a later B-side) remains superior. Best of the three is ‘History’; with no discernible chorus to speak of, it’s a proto- ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, all luscious strings pleading desperation, with one L. Gallagher on handclaps.

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Ah yes, ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. Surely one of the most ubiquitous songs of all time – given its commercial use – its somehow lost none of its power. A moment of genius that could go on forever, it’s only fair that Ashcroft owns the full rights after the magnanimity of Mick ’n’ Keef. Elsewhere, the simplicity of the chords on ‘Lucky Man’ belies the dexterity, with layers upon layers of vocals and instrumentation. ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ remains desperately sad yet moving, while ‘Sonnet’ packs four songs into one, ending in an entirely new place from where it started.

The new edition replaces ‘Urban Hymns’ era songs ‘This Could Be My Moment’ and ‘Monte Carlo’ with the two singles from ‘Forth’. It has its detractors, and the ‘woo-hoo’s may grate, but ‘Love Is Noise’ is perhaps The Verve’s most underrated song, fizzing with pulsating intent and righteous indignation, it’s unlike anything else in their canon. In contrast, the plodding ‘Rather Be’ is, to all intents and purposes, an Ashcroft solo track, despite the band adding gumption, and ended things on a damp squib.

But it doesn’t take the shine off a retrospective which proves that, while The Verve had so much more to offer, what they did deliver was stunning.

9/10

Words: Richard Bowes

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