8 best the verves

The Verve was a British rock band that gained prominence in the 1990s. They are known for their unique blend of alternative rock and indie alternative music. Here's some information about The Verve:

  1. Formation and Lineup: The Verve was formed in Wigan, England, in 1990. The band's classic lineup included Richard Ashcroft (vocals), Nick McCabe (guitar), Simon Jones (bass), and Peter Salisbury (drums).

  2. Musical Style: The Verve is often associated with the alternative rock and indie alternative genres. They were known for their distinctive sound characterized by Ashcroft's soulful vocals, McCabe's ethereal guitar work, and a penchant for creating atmospheric and emotive music.

  3. Breakthrough Album: The Verve achieved significant recognition with their 1997 album "Urban Hymns." The album featured the hit singles "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and "The Drugs Don't Work." "Bitter Sweet Symphony" became one of their most iconic songs and received critical acclaim.

  4. "Bitter Sweet Symphony": The song "Bitter Sweet Symphony" is especially noteworthy for its use of a sample from an orchestral rendition of The Rolling Stones' song "The Last Time." This led to a legal dispute with The Rolling Stones over the song's royalties and copyright issues.

  5. Other Notable Albums: Prior to "Urban Hymns," The Verve released albums like "A Storm in Heaven" (1993) and "A Northern Soul" (1995). These albums helped establish their reputation for their experimental and atmospheric sound.

  6. Disbandment and Reunions: The band faced internal conflicts and ultimately disbanded in 1999. However, they reunited for a brief period in the mid-2000s and again in 2007. These reunions resulted in the release of the album "Forth" in 2008.

  7. Legacy: The Verve left a lasting impact on the alternative rock scene of the 1990s and early 2000s. Their music is often celebrated for its emotional depth and introspective lyrics.

  8. Vinyl and CDs: The Verve's music has been released on various formats, including vinyl records and CDs. Collectors and fans often seek out these formats for their collections.

The Verve's music continues to be appreciated by fans of alternative rock and indie alternative genres. Their sound, characterized by rich instrumentation and introspective lyrics, has left a mark on the music landscape, and their albums, particularly "Urban Hymns," remain influential in the realm of British rock music.

Below you can find our editor's choice of the best the verves on the market
  

Urban Hymns (2 LPs) [Vinyl]

EMI MKTG

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Product description

(2LP) Monster 1997 swansong featuring "The Drugs Don't Work" & "Bittersweet Symphony". Pressed on 180-gram vinyl.

A Storm In Heaven [LP]

Virgin

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Product description

A Storm In Heaven is The Verve's debut studio album, reaching No. 27 on the UK album chart. Over the last two decades it has come to be regarded as something of a psychedelic classic. It features singles "Slide Away" & "Blue" & is available on standard black vinyl.

Out Of The Cool (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) [LP]

Impulse!

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Product description

A classic big-band album and one of the first-ever releases on the Impulse! label, this 1961 recording features a superb line-up including Jimmy Knepper on trombone, Ron Carter on bass and a fiery Elvin Jones on drums. Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

New York, NY (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) [LP]

Verve

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Product description

Decca classic New York, N.Y., is a high point of leading jazz composer/arranger George Russell, an early advocate for Modal Jazz & Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Org. conceptualizer, his all-star orchestra includes John Coltrane, collaborator Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Bob Brookmeyer, Milt Hinton and Jon Hendricks with opening & closing beatnik-style narrations for the landmark. Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features analog tape transfers, remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

This Is Music: The Singles 92-98

Monte Carlo

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Product description

The first ever singles collection on CD and DVD by The Verve! The CD contains two previously unreleased tracks (This Could Be My Moment and Monte Carlo) taken from the classic URBAN HYMNS sessions.

Genius + Soul = Jazz (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series) [LP]

Impulse!

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Product description

One of the original releases on Impulse! when the label debuted in 1961, the album emphasizes Ray Charles as a jazz instrumentalist. He also switched from his usual electric piano to a Hammond organ, brought in Count Basie's band and used Quincy Jones' hard-blowing arrangements. The success of the album and its single "One Mint Julep" helped put Impulse! on the map. Verve's Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180g vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.

A Northern Soul [3 CD][Super Deluxe Edition]

Virgin

Based on 30 reviews Check latest price

Product description

For this super deluxe reissue, the album has been remastered and, once again, augmented by the inclusion of all associated B-sides, two previously unreleased BBC radio sessions, and seven unreleased studio tracks.The package comes in a lift-off-lid box, covered with silver mirri board as with the original 2LP vinyl release, and features four post cards, a poster and a 36-page book featuring interviews with the band (Richard aside) and never-before-seen photos.

Forth

ON YOUR OWN RECORDS

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Product description

Something happens when the Verve are together that none of them experience when they are apart. Individually, the Verve are all highly-accomplished players. Singer Richard Ashcroft has been called the greatest singer in the world by no less a peer than Coldplay s Chris Martin. Liverpool-born Simon Jones s dub-informed bass takes the Verve s music far beyond rock and into space and dub; Peter Salisbury plays drums more like a jazz great than a conventional rock drummer and when the tag guitarist of his generation is thrown about it often lands at the feet of the hugely adventurous, psychedelic, exploratory Nick McCabe. However, when they are together a chemistry takes hold that transcends the four people onstage to blast the Verve somewhere else entirely and this chemistry and spontaneity has survived an absence of almost a decade. Already, since their typically unpredictable 2007 reunion, live shows have been running the gauntlet of everything from material so new that Ashcroft has been singing the words from scraps of paper to long-lost, hazy B-sides like Let The Damage Begin and A Man Called Sun, amid all manner of musical fireworks. When they take the stage, literally anything can happen.

After an absence of almost a decade, these songs are again being played, as they should be by the Verve themselves. The individual members have not been slouches. Richard Ashcroft has enjoyed a successful and prolific solo career. Simon Jones formed a band, the Shining, who were not altogether dissimilar to the Verve, and has played with Damon Albarn s Gorillaz. Nick McCabe has been remixing and playing with everyone from the Beta Band to John Martyn while Peter Salisbury has been playing with Ashcroft, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and has further diverted his musical obsessions into running a Stockport drum shop. However, all seem to have realized what their enormous fanbase has been telling them all along. That today, as much if not more than ever, music really needs the Verve.

However, a band like the Verve would never settle for easy nostalgia. Even before they d set out on their initial comeback gigs last year, which sold out within an astonishing 20 minutes, they made public (via the NME website) the results of their very first jam session as a reformed band. The Thaw Sessions comprised 14 wondrous minutes of music, which signified their ability to spark off one another remained undimmed. Soon afterwards, the band debuted new song Sit And Wonder a tune trimmed from a 25-minute jam, just as they would in the early days, a taste of things to come. Those comeback dates proved so successful and were so enthusiastically received that the band immediately embarked on a full-scale tour of arenas in December of 2007, playing bigger gigs in many cases than the first time around. In 2008, they look set to up the ante even further, by appearing at many of the major festivals and, in a turnaround that would have seemed unthinkable even a year ago, releasing their enormously-anticipated fourth album. The results will certainly be worth the wait. - Dave Simpson.

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