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Urban Hymns

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"Weeping Willow (song)" redirects here. For the ragtime piano composition by Scott Joplin, see Weeping Willow (rag).

Untitled

Urban Hymns is the third studio album by English alternative rock band The Verve, released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Records. It earned nearly unanimous critical praise upon its release, and went on to become the band's best-selling release and one of the biggest selling albums of the year. As of 2015, Urban Hymns is ranked the 17th best-selling album in UK chart history and has sold over ten million copies worldwide.[1]

The album features the hit singles "Bitter Sweet Symphony", "Lucky Man" and "The Drugs Don't Work". The critical and commercial success of the album saw the band win two Brit Awards in 1998—winning Best British Group, and appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in March 1999.[2][3] "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.[4]

Background

The Verve had previously released two albums, A Storm in Heaven in 1993 and A Northern Soul in 1995. They band had only achieved moderate commercial success up to that point, and the band split shortly after their second album due to internal conflicts. Vocalist Richard Ashcroft quickly reformed the group, with Simon Tong, an old friend of the band on guitar, however Ashcroft realised Nick McCabe's unique guitar style was required to complete the true Verve unit and later asked him to return. Tong also remained adding more guitar and keyboard/organ textures, making them a five-piece band and expanding their sound.[5]

The four-piece had already recorded several tracks for the album with Youth as producer, but once McCabe returned they re-recorded several tracks and changed producers to Chris Potter. McCabe said that in the next seven months of work, "... the key tracks were recorded from scratch, but some of them were already there."[6]

The cover photo was taken in Richmond Park, London.[7]

Music

The Verve were known for their music's complex, immersive sonic textures. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, and remains the band's most well-known song. "The Drugs Don't Work", the band's only number one single in the UK, became a concert staple for jam bands and other groups.

The rest of the album alternated between wistful ballads like "Sonnet" and "Space and Time" (written by Richard Ashcroft), spacey grooves like "Catching the Butterfly" and "The Rolling People" and all-out rockers like the pounding "Come On" (which existed in demo form during the "Northern Soul" era). The hidden track "Deep Freeze" has strong ambient influences that set it apart from the rest of the tracks in terms of composition and overall mood.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Entertainment WeeklyA-[9]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[10]
Pitchfork Media8.9/10[11]
Melody Makerpositive[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
NME(8/10)[14]

The album received nearly unanimous critical praise upon its release, with Melody Maker naming Urban Hymns as the number-one album of 1997 in its year-end list.[15]

Urban Hymns debuted at No. 63 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first album by the group to chart in the US[16] The album ultimately peaked at No. 23, and is the group's best-selling album in the US with over 1.3 million copies sold.[17] The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on 4 April 1998.[18]

The album spent 12 weeks at the top of the UK Albums Chart, with a total of 124 weeks on the chart.[19]

Legacy

In the years following its release, Urban Hymns received much acclaim. In 1998, it won Best British Album at the Brit Awards, it was also shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, and Q magazine readers voted it the 18th greatest album of all time.[20] The magazine placed it at the same position in 2001.[21]

In 2006, its editors voted it the 16th greatest album of all time. The Verve were awarded with the first ever "Q Classic Album" award for this album at the 2007 Q Awards. In a 2008 poll, Urban Hymns was ranked as the 10th best British album of all time.[22]

It was also nominated for "Best British Album of the Last 30 Years" at the Brits 2010 but lost to Oasis's (What's the Story) Morning Glory?[23]

Track listing

All songs written by Richard Ashcroft, except where noted.

International version

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (Jagger/Richards/Ashcroft) – 5:58
  2. "Sonnet" – 4:21
  3. "The Rolling People" (The Verve) – 7:01
  4. "The Drugs Don't Work" – 5:05
  5. "Catching the Butterfly" (The Verve) – 6:26
  6. "Neon Wilderness" (Nick McCabe, The Verve) – 2:37
  7. "Space and Time" – 5:36
  8. "Weeping Willow" – 4:49
  9. "Lucky Man" – 4:53
  10. "One Day" – 5:03
  11. "This Time" – 3:50
  12. "Velvet Morning" – 4:57
  13. "Come On" (The Verve) – 15:15
    1. "Come On" – (00:00–6:38)
    2. [silence] – (06:38–13:01)
    3. "Deep Freeze" (Hidden track) – (13:01–15:15)

Japanese version

  1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (Jagger/Richards/Ashcroft) – 5:58
  2. "Sonnet" – 4:21
  3. "The Rolling People" (The Verve) – 7:01
  4. "The Drugs Don't Work" – 5:05
  5. "Catching the Butterfly" (The Verve) – 6:26
  6. "Neon Wilderness" (Nick McCabe, The Verve) – 2:37
  7. "Space and Time" – 5:36
  8. "Weeping Willow" – 4:49
  9. "Lucky Man" – 4:53
  10. "One Day" – 5:03
  11. "This Time" – 3:50
  12. "Velvet Morning" – 4:57
  13. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" – 4:52
  14. "Come On" (The Verve) – 6:38
  15. "Deep Freeze" – 2:14

B-sides

  1. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" (Ashcroft) (produced by Youth)[24]
  2. "Country Song" (produced by Youth)[24]
  3. "So Sister" (Ashcroft) (produced by Chris Potter)[25]
  4. "Echo Bass" (produced by Chris Potter)[24]
  5. "Three Steps" (Ashcroft) (produced by Chris Potter)[26]
  6. "The Crab" (Ashcroft) (produced by Chris Potter)[27]
  7. "Stamped" (produced by Chris Potter)[24]
  8. "Never Wanna See You Cry" (Ashcroft) (produced by Chris Potter)[28]
  9. "History" (Ashcroft) (produced by Youth, The Verve)[28]
  10. "MSG" (produced by Chris Potter)[29]
  11. "The Longest Day" (produced by Chris Potter)[24]

Other

Songs which did not make the cut include

All of these five songs, however, would later be released; the first three as solo singles by Ashcroft, and the latter two on the band's compilation album, This Is Music: The Singles 92–98.

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[30] Gold 30,000^
Australia (ARIA)[31] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Belgium (BEA)[32] Platinum 50,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[33] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[34] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[35] Platinum 500,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[36] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[citation needed] 5× Platinum 75,000^
Sweden (GLF)[37] Platinum 80,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[38] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] 10× Platinum 3,167,875[39]
United States (RIAA)[42] Platinum 1,358,000[41]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[43] 4× Platinum 4,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1997) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart 1
Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 23
Argentine CAPIF 20
Top Canadian Albums 18
Media Control Charts (Germany) 11
Lista Top-40 (Finland) 4

Singles

Single Chart (1998) Peak
position
"Lucky Man" Modern Rock Tracks 16
Lista Top-20 (Finland) 16
New Zealand Singles Chart 38
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" Top 40 Adult Recurrents 9
Adult Top 40 8
Modern Rock Tracks 4
Mainstream Rock Tracks 22
Top 40 Mainstream 23
The Billboard Hot 100 12
New Zealand Singles Chart 15
Lista Top-20 (Finland) 6
"The Drugs Don't Work" Lista Top-20 (Finland) 9
New Zealand Singles Chart 10
"Sonnet" New Zealand Singles Chart 43

Personnel

The Verve

With

  • Youth – producer ("Bitter Sweet Symphony", "Sonnet", "The Drugs Don't Work", "Lucky Man", "One Day", "This Time", "Velvet Morning")[44]
  • Chris Potter – producer ("The Rolling People", "Catching the Butterfly", "Neon Wilderness", "Space and Time", "Weeping Willow", "Come On", "Deep Freeze"),[24] engineer, mixing, recording
  • The Verve – producer
  • Liam Gallagher – backing vocals ("Come On"), claps ("Space and Time")
  • Mel Wesson – programming
  • Paul Anthony Taylor – programming
  • Will Malone – conductor, string arrangements
  • Gareth Ashton – assistant engineer
  • Lorraine Francis – assistant engineer
  • Jan Kybert – assistant engineer
  • Brian Cannon – director, design, sleeve art
  • Martin Catherall – design assistant
  • Matthew Sankey – design assistant
  • Michael Spencer Jones – photography
  • John Horsley – photography
  • Chris Floyd – photography

See also

References

  1. ^ "Top 40 Best Selling Albums: 28 July 1956 – 14 June 2009" (PDF). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 July 2011.
  2. ^ The Brit Awards: The Verve Brits.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2012
  3. ^ 1998 Rolling Stone Covers Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 February 2012
  4. ^ 41st Grammy Awards – 1999 Rock on the Net. Retrieved 12 February 2012
  5. ^ Follow the Yellow Brick Road
  6. ^ 1999 interview
  7. ^ Scene of Verve's Urban Hymns
  8. ^ Allmusic Review
  9. ^ Entertainment Weekly Review
  10. ^ Consumer Guide Review
  11. ^ Template:Wayback
  12. ^ James, Martin. "Review: The Verve – Urban Hymns, Hut Records". Melody Maker (4 October 1997). IPC Media: 51.
  13. ^ Rolling Stone Review
  14. ^ NME (Magazine) (9/27/97, p.54) – 8 (out of 10) – "....Its sheer magnificence and spirit is such that the danger of it overwhelming anything that follows it is obvious. This, after all, is the musical signature of the year....The Verve's best album to date..."
  15. ^ "Albums of the Year 1997". Melody Maker. Vol. 74, no. 51. 20–27 December 1997. pp. 66–67. ISSN 0025-9012.
  16. ^ Author unknown. "Bridge to the Past". Rolling Stone. 8 October 1997.
  17. ^ Trust, Gary. "Ask Billboard: "English Beat". Billboard. 23 January 2009.
  18. ^ "American certifications – Verve, The – Urban Hymns". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  19. ^ "VERVE / Artist / Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  20. ^ 100 Q Magazine – Readers 1998
  21. ^ In our lifetime #2; at RockListMusic
  22. ^ Oasis top best British album poll
  23. ^ BRIT Awards 2010 Homepage
  24. ^ a b c d e f Verve Universe discography
  25. ^ Verve Universe discography
  26. ^ Verve Universe discography
  27. ^ Verve Universe discography
  28. ^ a b Verve Universe discography
  29. ^ Verve Universe discography
  30. ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  31. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  32. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2007". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  33. ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Verve – Urban Hymns". Music Canada.
  34. ^ "French album certifications – The Verve – Urban Hymns" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  35. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Verve; 'Urban Hymns')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  36. ^ "Dutch album certifications – The Verve – Urban Hymns" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Urban Hymns in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  37. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  38. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Urban Hymns')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  39. ^ "Top 40 Best Selling Albums: 28 July 1956 – 14 June 2009" (PDF). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  40. ^ "British album certifications – Verve, The – Urban Hymns". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Urban Hymns in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  41. ^ Trust, Gary (23 January 2009). "Ask Billboard: Mariah Carey, Abba, Oasis, The Verve". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  42. ^ "American album certifications – Verve, The – Urban Hymns". Recording Industry Association of America.
  43. ^ "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1998". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
  44. ^ Verve Universe discography

Notes


Preceded by UK number one album
11 October 1997 – 14 November 1997
3 January 1998 – 7 February 1998
21 February 1998 – 27 February 1998 		Succeeded by
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