I first heard The Verve in ’92 when they were simply called ‘Verve’. Welcome lawsuit #1 from the jazz label also called ‘Verve‘. So, they became ‘The Verve’, as if anyone could get the two confused. Anyway, they very quickly became my new favorite band at the time, blending elements of the ‘shoegazing‘ scene, with anthemic melodies and words more in line with U2, than My Bloody Valentine. However, nobody told the rest of the band because they seemed to think they were in Funkadelic! They released a couple of epic singles before their perfect debut ‘A Storm In Heaven‘. Soon they were the talk of the underground and were welcomed onto the Lollapalooza bandwagon. Their label quickly threw together a new ‘album’ titled ‘No Come Down‘ which was a compilation of b-sides, remixes & live material, to capitalize on the jaunt. This would prove to break the band in more ways that one. Heat exhaustion and imprisonment in a crack-house were the bigger stories of that tour, so they retreated to make album #2, titled ‘A Northern Soul‘. Things were looking up from the outside, but on the inside, the game was up. On the cover of their 3rd, and final single from that album, the band stood in front of a theater marquee that stated ‘All Farewell’s Should Be Sudden‘. And it was, they broke up soon after! Here’s ‘Slide Away’ live on the tube…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhCvRh7YOhk]
Luckily for everybody, they reunited 18 months later and recorded their biggest album ‘Urban Hymns‘, from which the first single was taken titled ‘Bittersweet Symphony‘. Ever heard of it? Welcome lawsuit #2 from Allen Klein representing The Rolling Stones. Then at the height of their powers and success, they broke up again.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx3m4e45bTo&feature=fvw]
I always knew they’d return however. I just couldn’t see what could be so bad about playing together that they would deprive the world of their musical powers! So, because i’m always right, they reunited again in 2007! They recorded their 4th LP ‘Forth‘, toured a bit and played some festivals, then… They broke up. Here’s ‘Love Is Noise’
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqBVRza4msI]
Can’t wait for the reunion tour in 2012!!!!
Tony
Media Producer
www.playnetwork.com
