Product Description

This is the third studio album by the Wigan indie-rock act fronted by Richard Ashcroft. It is the follow up to 1995's 'A Northern Soul'. The no.1 single, 'The Drug's Don't Work', is included.

Track Listing

1. Bittersweet Symphony
2. Sonnet
3. Rolling People
4. Drugs Don't Work
5. Catching The Butterfly
6. Neon Wilderness
7. Space And Time
8. Weeping Willow
9. Lucky Man
10. One Day
11. This Time
12. Velevet Morning
13. Come On
14. Deep Freeze

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #87 in Music
• Released on: 1997-09-29
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Calling it a day in early 1999 was probably the best thing the Verve ever did, as it meant that they quit when they were at the pinnacle of their success, sparing their faithful followers an unsightly degeneration. Urban Hymns is a fitting final testament to Wigan's favourite sons, as Richard Ashcroft and Nick McCabe temporarily buried the hatchet and reformed one of Britain's greatest songwriting partnerships since Lennon and McCartney. From the unmistakable introductory chords of "Bittersweet Symphony" to the sheer pop perfection of "Lucky Man" via stoner rock-outs like "Weeping Willow" and the call to arms that is "Come On", every track justifies its presence by being part of a cohesive whole. Their previous album A Northern Soul was already marked down in the annals of rock history as a classic; Urban Hymns surpasses it and then some. --Helen Marquis

Customer Reviews

Britpop's last great album.
Richard Ashcroft has never been one to undersell his own brilliance - his solo career may have been weak, and the first two Verve albums excellent, but on Urban Hymns the hype finally justified the mouth. Just as the Britpop bubble was about to burst, the Verve reformed for one last album, to sign off at their peak (although, obviously, they have since reformed again).

Urban Hymns is the distillation of everything great about the Verve, but with an extra poppy edge. The band generally reign in their psychedelic jams of the previous two albums, with notable exceptions being the fantastic 'Rolling People' and even better 'Catching The Butterfly.' The big singles are all here, from 'Lucky Man' to 'The Drugs Don't Work' right up to the world-conquering 'Bittersweet Symphony,' by itself one of the finest pieces of music ever made. Even the album tracks like 'Space And Time' sound like they could've been hits.

The album is admittedly, a tad too long for its own good (and the hidden track is pretty hopeless), but it remains the Verve's finest work and one Britpop's - and indeed, Britain's - defining albums. A must-have.

Love This Album
One of my favourite if not favourite album of all time. Enough said. If you don't own this album then you're missing out, on one of those truly special albums.

REALLY RATHER REFRESHING
im 15 and this is the first time i heard this album
i picked it up from reviews and having heard bitter sweet symphony, and lucky man, but it turns out i love it

im a huge fan of the spiritualized, stone roses, oasis etc. but now having heard this i love the verve

check it now