If you are reading this over in the UK, you must be thinking to yourself, "this blogger is just mad, how can he call Urban Hymns Underrated?!" Well, in the United States this magnificent piece of music is. The third record from The Verve, shot to acclaim in the US after its release in the fall of 1997 with the smash single "Bittersweet Symphony." The song gained the band much attention after it was used in the film Cruel Intentions, then in a NIKE commercial which led to the band suing NIKE for using the song, which then led to the band being sued by The Rolling Stones for using the orchestral piece that drives the song without permission. Lawsuits, poor band relationships and a life on the road tore The Verve apart. One of the bands that where on the forefront of the second British Invasion of the mid-90's, the band is a collection of jam, psychedelic, and adult rock. Many musicians like Chris Martin, Liam Gallagher would call "Bittersweet Symphony" one of the greatest songs ever written. Yet the song's title would only foreshadow events to come. In an age when America was grieving the death of grunge, the passing of Jeff Buckley and Kurt Cobain, Verve singer Richard Ashcroft would step into the spotlight as one of the best songwriters and voices in the business. Urban Hymns is his bands opus, a swelling record that drives you in and pulls you to places you may not have expected to go before. It is a timeless records with some fantastic songs, tracks like "Sonnet," "The Drugs Don't Work," and "Rolling People," display the talent and power of this band. The band would see another successful song from the record on the US charts with "Lucky Man," but it came when it was all too late. The Verve had called it quits and left us with the legacy that is Urban Hymns. Critics never really know how to classify the Verve, are they a one hit wonder? Where they just too good for the time they were in? It would be a debate that would have gone on forever until 10 years after Urban Hymns was released. The Verve reunited, toured the UK and came to America and Canada (I was lucky enough to have first row at their very last show in the US) and released Forth. One of the best records of last year, I am so proud and happy to have the Verve back, and would like for you now to experience the power and beauty of Urban Hymns and see it is much more than one fine pop song.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Underrated Classic-The Verve "Urban Hymns"
If you are reading this over in the UK, you must be thinking to yourself, "this blogger is just mad, how can he call Urban Hymns Underrated?!" Well, in the United States this magnificent piece of music is. The third record from The Verve, shot to acclaim in the US after its release in the fall of 1997 with the smash single "Bittersweet Symphony." The song gained the band much attention after it was used in the film Cruel Intentions, then in a NIKE commercial which led to the band suing NIKE for using the song, which then led to the band being sued by The Rolling Stones for using the orchestral piece that drives the song without permission. Lawsuits, poor band relationships and a life on the road tore The Verve apart. One of the bands that where on the forefront of the second British Invasion of the mid-90's, the band is a collection of jam, psychedelic, and adult rock. Many musicians like Chris Martin, Liam Gallagher would call "Bittersweet Symphony" one of the greatest songs ever written. Yet the song's title would only foreshadow events to come. In an age when America was grieving the death of grunge, the passing of Jeff Buckley and Kurt Cobain, Verve singer Richard Ashcroft would step into the spotlight as one of the best songwriters and voices in the business. Urban Hymns is his bands opus, a swelling record that drives you in and pulls you to places you may not have expected to go before. It is a timeless records with some fantastic songs, tracks like "Sonnet," "The Drugs Don't Work," and "Rolling People," display the talent and power of this band. The band would see another successful song from the record on the US charts with "Lucky Man," but it came when it was all too late. The Verve had called it quits and left us with the legacy that is Urban Hymns. Critics never really know how to classify the Verve, are they a one hit wonder? Where they just too good for the time they were in? It would be a debate that would have gone on forever until 10 years after Urban Hymns was released. The Verve reunited, toured the UK and came to America and Canada (I was lucky enough to have first row at their very last show in the US) and released Forth. One of the best records of last year, I am so proud and happy to have the Verve back, and would like for you now to experience the power and beauty of Urban Hymns and see it is much more than one fine pop song.