The Verve – This Is Music: The Singles: Album Review

By Dominic Walsh on 4th February 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

This Is Music: The Singles from The Verve is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary. As such, the collection is re-thought for a first ever vinyl release.

Release Date: 24th January 2025

Label: UMR

Format: Vinyl / Digital

NORTHERN SOULS

The Verve (originally just Verve) spent the 1990’s creating an indelible legacy. Richard Ashcroft (vocals), Pete Salisbury (drums), Simon Jones (bass) and Nick McCabe (guitar) ended up becoming one of the most iconic bands of the 90’s for so many reasons.

Firstly, the music is incredible. The albums and singles that The Verve imparted soundtracked a generation.

Secondly, there are the huge shows the band performed. Their hometown Haigh Hall set was released as part of the celebratory Urban Hymns Deluxe release.

Then, there is the excess fuelled fractured relationships that the band had with each other and the prolonged legal wrangles that ensued around credits and samples used. If you want a rock’n’roll story; look no further than The Verve.

20 YEARS ON…

The Singles was originally released on CD only in November 2004 and, for its 20th anniversary, it has been updated to a more definitive track listing; the two tracks pulled from the sessions for their third album, Urban Hymns, This Could Be My Moment and MonteCarlo have been replaced by the powerful singles from the band’s 2008 reunion album, Forth – Love is Noise and Rather Be.

The collection opens with one of The Verve’s most iconic tracks; This Is Music. The swirl of sound that the song builds to still creates a spine tingling shiver. Every band member shines on their respected instruments to create pure euphoria. This Is Music has always been a mainstay of the bands live repertoire; quite often opening sets. It’s apt it is positioned at the start of this collection.

Slide Away takes us back to 1993 and their A Storm In Heaven album. Opening with a definite nod to The Stone Roses and taking a bit of that jangle from The La’s, the music is lush. Lyrically uplifting, Slide Away demands attention from the pen of Ashcroft. Depending on your preference, be it the music or the lyrics, everything is prominent. With hindsight, it is criminal that it took The Verve another four/five years to really break through. Slide Away is arguably their finest moments – if not top, it hangs with the best.

BEFORE THE STORM

Prior to 1993’s A Storm In Heaven, The Verve had released a slew of EP’s. All In The Mind was what the world first heard from The Verve. Back in 1992, these plucky northern lads started out on their storied journey. The swirl of feedback and quick beat evokes The Doors. It is clear that the band had something special going on. In some ways, it would be nice to hear these singles in chronological order to hear the genesis of the band.

She’s A Superstar is a slower number, with an epically dense opening. This 2025 iteration of the release includes the song in its full 8 minute plus glory. Ashcroft’s vocal is dreamy; the song lilts gracefully after the opening before lurching back and forth between the two motifs for its lengthy duration. Incidentally, it is the single cover of She’s A Superstar that inspires the cover art for this collection.

Another single from 1992 is the spellbinding Gravity Grave. Like She’s A Superstar, Gravity Grave is a cosmic musical odyssey. Whilst the band have obvious indie and classic rock influences, it is clear that bands like Funkadelic and Pink Floyd play a huge role in the bands sound. The way in which the band uses the space and time to stretch out their sound is masterful. Hearing these early tracks again reminds us of just how special The Verve were from the off.

HISTORY

1995’s A Northern Soul album saw the band develop their sound even further and spawned three truly memorable singles: the aforementioned This Is Music, On Your Own and the much-loved, History, the group’s first collaboration with string arranger Wil Malone, which was issued as the band splintered for the first time.

Owing to the bands split, there is a heightened sense of poignancy with the song. A look through the lyrics points to cracks in a relationship. Depending on how you interpret the words, it is clear that there is a real sense of loss. The opening verses recount William Blake’s poem, London. The melancholic nature of the song is evident.

In every child, in every eye
In every sky above my head
I hope that I know
So come with me in bed
Because it’s you and me, we’re history
There ain’t nothing left to say
When I will get you alone

Wil Malone’s string arrangement elevates the song to a completely different plain. History is up there with one of the greatest cuts from The Verve.

URBAN HYMNS

It was 1997’s Urban Hymns that sent the band stratospheric. Bittersweet Symphony, Sonnet, The Drugs Don’t Work and Lucky Man are indie anthems for the ages.

The strings that were employed brilliantly on History ensured that Bittersweet Symphony became a perennial earworm. And whilst being musically stunning, the video featuring Ashcroft walking down the street just bouncing off people without breaking stride also became iconic.

The Drugs Don’t Work took on a more sombre tone with its release coming a day after Princess Diana had died. Like many a mournful song at the time, many things became synonymous with the tragedy of Diana’s death.

Lucky Man (this writer’s personal favourite) is a beautiful song. Whilst History recounted a sense of loss in relationship, Lucky Man shows the other end of the spectrum with great optimism.

Happiness, something in my own place
I’m stood here naked, smiling, I feel no disgrace
With who I am
Happiness, coming and going
I watch you look at me, watch my fever growing
I know just who I am

Success was seemingly a gift and a curse. To see The Verve get their just deserts was wonderful to see. A huge hometown show at Haigh Hall in Wigan saw the band return to their roots as heroes. Their career spanning set (at that point) was included in the deluxe reissue of Urban Hymns. Sadly, the success of the band also saw them eventually implode again.

Revellers at Haigh Hall for The Verve’s homecoming in May 1998.
Photo: NW

A DECADE LATER

It would be ten years later that The Verve reconvened and recorded together again. With their original four-piece line-up restored for 2008’s Forth became another international success.

Love Is Noise again pulls at William Blake’s poetry; ‘And did those feet in ancient time’ is reimagined to reflect thoughts of a more modern world. The track is undoubtedly the high point of Forth. Such was the huge arena sized nature of the song, it would close out the bands sets at major festival, which culminated in a triumphant headline slot at Glastonbury in 2008.

As the closing track, and final single release, Rather Be closes out the collection. It bookends a musical legacy that will love forever. Listening back to this fantastic collection is a real treat. There are other great songs in the discography of The Verve that were also not released as singles; this collection offers a great overview of what a great band The Verve were. Hopefully fans old and new can dip their toes back into those albums from the 1990’s that genuinely still resonate and soundtracked a generation. This is music. And it still sounds incredible.

Watch The Verve performing Bittersweet Symphony at Glastonbury Festival 2008 in all its glory to thousands of adoring fans.