The Verve Album: “This Is Music: The Singles 92-98”

The title of my review is not meant as a put down of, say, Radiohead, Blur, Suede, Oasis, etc.(all worthy bands); but, IMHO this single disc overview of the Verve's output is terrific for both the general enthusiast of great Britpop, as well as those who have the other Verve c.d.'s. (The 2 unreleased tracks are also very good.)

how aamzing i feel hen i hear this collection of their best work the singles. i own all three of their albums and the eps but this has a few extras that i couldnt live without. included is the extended version of gravity grave, which alone is worth the money. the extended jam on gravity grave is impeccable. then there's the amazing new songs that are included as well called monte carlo and this could be my moment. monteo carlo has a bass heavy sound and for once nick mccabes guitar isnt so in your face, which is not bad now and then. this could..is a great tune with a lot of catchiness to it and a good pop ready hit. i can see why they left it off urban hymns though, it sounded a but silly compared to those anthemic tunes. if you're a verve fan, this is one album you cannot live without. although i dont suggest you buy 1the companion dvd for this album considering their early videos were undeservingly bad. the songs were so amazing but their videos...pfft. anyway, get this!

The epilogue to the The Verve's six-year-long meteoric rise to Britrock fame, This Is Music is a compilation of all of Verve's singles plus two tracks from their Urban Hymns period. First, I must say that overall this is a marvellous CD: all of the songs on This Is Music are brilliantly placed so that they flow together seamlessly. Instead of being a tired rehash of Urban Hymns plus a few other singles, This Is Music exhibits the whole spectrum of Verve's sublime sound, from their trippy early style to their glorious, more mainstream late period. I found every song on this CD to be a delight, except one: "This Could Be My Moment" is a simple pop song that is totally incongruous with the rest of the CD and would be more appropriate on Richard Ashcroft's debut album Alone With Everybody, or possibly Escapology by Robbie Williams. However, the rest of the CD more than makes up for what "This Could Be My Moment" lacks. In some way, every song shows something else Richard Ashcroft can do vocally: during the CD, he not only sings, but also moans, warbles, whispers, and screams, to name but a few. Ashcroft's vocals are complemented yet never overpowered by Nick McCabe's stellar guitar playing. "Gravity Grave" in particular displays the subtleties of McCabe's style and the band's overall astounding musicality.

In closing, This Is Music is a fabulous CD that I would recommend to fellow Verve fans as well as to anyone just curious about the band, because music of this quality simply does not and cannot disappoint :)

for the person that wrote that this is a one hit wonder band, you really need to do your homework. the verve was one of the biggest bands in the 90's in the UK. they shaped alot of bands that play today. So the person who needs to have their head checked is you. but this is a great band and a great albums. I have most of The verve's cds and they are great.

I have just recently discovered The Verve. It seems that I went right through the 90's without knowing nothing about this great band. Heard Bittersweet Symphony performed by Richard Ashcroft and Coldplay at the Live 8 Concert in July 2005 in London and inmediately fell in love with this truly great song. Went on to find more about these guys who unfortunately went separate ways before the end of the century. Despite claims from rock legends (Rolling Stones) that Bittersweet Symphony was plagiarized from them, I just totally connected with this beautiful song which appearently became a symbol of a whole generation. Richard Ashcroft lyrics are great. Music also. SO if you happen to be a like me, and never heard anything by The Verve, please go ahead and start with Bittersweet Symphony.