796. The Verve--Urban Hymns (1997; #23) (1)

796. The Verve--Urban Hymns (1997; #23) (1)

1. Bitter Sweet Symphony (8+)
2. Sonnet (?) (3)
3. The Rolling People (?) (2)
4. The Drugs Don't Work (?) (3)
5. Catching the Butterfly (?) (2)
6. Neon Wilderness (?) (2)
7. Space and Time (?) (2)
8. Weeping Willow (?) (3)
9. Lucky Man (2+)
10. One Day (?) (4)
11. This Time (?) (2)
12. Velvet Morning (?) (2)
13. Come On/Deep Freeze (?) (2)

REVIEW: Other than the big hit (Bitter Sweet), mostly sounds similar. One Day sounded like it had a good hook. Never cared for Lucky Man. One of the loudest bands I've ever heard, despite their downbeat sound (saw them at a festival concert). A 1.

ED'S TAKE:

796. The Verve--Urban Hymns (1997; #23)

1. Bitter Sweet Symphony (9)
2. Sonnet (10)
3. The Rolling People (10)
4. The Drugs Don't Work (10)
5. Catching the Butterfly (9)
6. Neon Wilderness (10)
7. Space and Time (10)
8. Weeping Willow (10)
9. Lucky Man (10)
10. One Day (10)
11. This Time (10)
12. Velvet Morning (9)
13. Come On/Deep Freeze (10)

OVERALL RATING: 10

DISCUSSION: I remember liking this album but not THIS much. Maybe too much emphasis was placed on Bittersweet Symphony and I didn't let myself be taken away by the album as a piece. Frankly, this is going opposite of my experience before where the album as a whole is thought to be less than the sum of its parts, i.e., the songs. Here, I'm not sure the songs that I've given 10's to would be 10's if taken separately. The fact is, here, I've experienced them TOGETHER, and it works wonders for me. I simply feel that this works as an ALBUM....it HAS a signature sound and I truly like it. (Ok, I still thing they might have overdone it a wee bit with "Bittersweet Symphony" but it's a beauty nonetheless.)