783 The Verve - A Northern Soul (1995)

 783 The Verve - A Northern Soul (1995)

Studio Album - Psychedelic Rock



About the Act:

Wigan, Lancashire, England, 1990, the band known as "Verve" was born. Later they became "The Verve". They were kind of lumped in with the Indie/Britpop scene. They are probably best known for their hits "Bitter Sweet Symphony", "The Drugs Don't Work" and "Lucky Man". They kept a fairly stable line-up, but their existence was sporadic. They managed to squeeze out four albums.

About the Album:

This was their second album. Instead of making it up as they go along, as they did on the first album, they actually wrote songs and rehearsed them before going into the studio for this album. It sold quite well and critics liked it.

My History with this Album:

None, although I do consider myself to be a Northern Soul.

Review:

I think it is just as well I listened twice, because on the first listen I hated it. Oddly, on the first listen it sounded out of tune to me. Not so much second time around. I don't know how that can happen.

The music is big, washy, psychedelic rock, Mostly guitar-based, the big, wide sound is created using reverb and echo, and playing in a kind of space-rock way, which is open and grandiose and rolls along with a momentum of its own. It has a lot in common with the space rock stuff of the early 70s, but with a big slice of 90s thrown in, especially with washy guitar sounds. It sounds like Jimi Hendrix crossed with Oasis. It takes its time, meandering, like ambling through a huge cave.

Richard Ashcroft's voice also fits in with this style, slow and meandering, and verging on whiney at times. The songs are about - well when you can pick out the words, you can tell he is not in a happy place.

I conclude that my enjoyment of this album is mood-dependent. That's OK, I guess many albums are, but maybe this is more than most. I can see how some people could really love it. I'm a bit more cautious.

6.9/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5qaOdTAUcQsfWZzloJSvJc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyWB0TxTMmTm0WroYlKdPPunTjqWucdeb

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Northern_Soul



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