Urban Hymns

Urban Hymns
Studio album by The Verve
Released	29 September 1997
Recorded	13 October 1996 – 4 August 1997, Olympic Studios, London
Genre	Alternative rock, Britpop, psychedelic rock, soft rock, hard rock
Length	75:58
Label	Hut (UK/US) Virgin America (US) Virgin (UK)
Producer	The Verve, Chris Potter, Youth
The Verve chronology
A Northern Soul (1995) Urban Hymns (1997) Forth (2008)
Singles from Urban Hymns
"Bitter Sweet Symphony" Released: 16 June 1997 "The Drugs Don't Work" Released: 1 September 1997 "Lucky Man" Released: 24 November 1997 "Sonnet" Released: 2 March 1998

Urban Hymns is the third album by English rock band The Verve, released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Recordings. 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. It is currently ranked the 15th best-selling album in UK chart history.^[1]

Background

The Verve had previously released two albums, A Storm in Heaven in 1993 and A Northern Soul in 1995. Neither album had achieved mainstream success,^[2] 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.^[2]

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."^[3]

The cover photo was taken in Richmond Park, London.^[4]

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", spacey grooves like "Catching the Butterfly" and "The Rolling People", and all-out rockers like the Led Zeppelin-esque, pounding "Come On", the album closer.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Pitchfork Media	(8.9/10) [5]
Melody Maker	(Positive)[6]
Allmusic	[7]
Entertainment Weekly	(B+) [8]
Rolling Stone	[9]

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.^[10]

Urban Hymns debuted at #63 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first album by the group to chart in the U.S.^[11] The album ultimately peaked at #23, and is the group's best-selling album in the U.S. with over 1.3 million copies sold.^[12] The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on April 4, 1998.^[13]

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.^[14] The magazine placed it at the same position in 2001.^[15]

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.^[16]

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?^[17]

Track listing

All songs written by Richard Ashcroft, except where noted.

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" - (13:01–15:15)

The Japanese edition of the album contains 15 tracks — the bonus track "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" is track 14 and "Deep Freeze" is track 15.

B-sides

1. "Lord I Guess I'll Never Know" (Ashcroft) (produced by Youth)^[18]
2. "Country Song" (produced by Youth)^[18]
3. "So Sister" (Ashcroft) (produced by Chris Potter)^[19]
4. "Echo Bass" (produced by Chris Potter)^[18]
5. "Three Steps" (produced by Chris Potter)^[20]
6. "The Crab" (Ashcroft) (produced by Chris Potter)^[21]
7. "Stamped" (produced by Chris Potter)^[18]
8. "Never Wanna See You Cry" (Ashcroft)(produced by Chris Potter) ^[22]
9. "MSG" (produced by Chris Potter)^[23]
10. "The Longest Day" (produced by Chris Potter)^[18]

Other

Songs which did not make the cut include

• "A Song for the Lovers"
• "New York"
• "C'mon People (We're Making It Now)"
• "This Could Be My Moment"
• "Monte Carlo"

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

Country	Chart position	Certification
United Kingdom	1	8× Platinum
United States	23[12]	Platinum[13]
France	1	Platinum
Canada	1	2× Platinum
Australia	9	3× Platinum
Netherlands	1	Platinum
Switzerland	1	Platinum [24]
New Zealand	1	5× Platinum

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Billboard 200	23
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

Band

• Richard Ashcroft – vocals, guitar
• Nick McCabe – lead guitar
• Simon Jones – bass guitar
• Peter Salisbury – drums
• Simon Tong – guitar, keyboards

With

• Youth – producer ("Bitter Sweet Symphony", "Sonnet", "The Drugs Don't Work", "Lucky Man", "One Day", "This Time", "Velvet Morning")^[25]
• Chris Potter – producer ("The Rolling People", "Catching the Butterfly", "Neon Wilderness", "Space and Time", "Weeping Willow", "Come On", "Deep Freeze"),^[18] engineer, mixing, recording
• The Verve – producer
• Liam Gallagher - backing vocals ("Come On")
• 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

• List of best-selling albums in the United Kingdom

References

1. ^ "Top 40 Best Selling Albums: 28 July 1956 - 14 June 2009". Official Charts Company. http://www.bpi.co.uk/assets/files/top%2040%20albums.pdf. Retrieved 2011-07-26. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Follow the Yellow Brick Road
3. ^ 1999 interview
4. ^ Scene of Verve's Urban Hymns
5. ^ Pitchfork Media Review
6. ^ James, Martin. "Review: The Verve - Urban Hymns, Hut Records". Melody Maker (IPC Media) (October 4, 1997): 51. 
7. ^ Allmusic Review
8. ^ Entertainment Weekly Review
9. ^ Rolling Stone Review
10. ^ "Albums of the Year 1997". Melody Maker 74 (51): pp. 66–67. 20 December 1997 – 27 December 1997. ISSN 0025-9012. 
11. ^ Author unknown. "Bridge to the Past". Rolling Stone. October 8, 1997.
12. ^ ^{a b} Trust, Gary. "Ask Billboard: "English Beat". billboard.com. January 23, 2009.
13. ^ ^{a b} "Gold and Platinum Database Search". http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Urban%20Hymns&artist=The%20Verve&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25. Retrieved 2010-02-09. 
14. ^ 100 Q Magazine - Readers 1998
15. ^ In our lifetime #2; at RockListMusic
16. ^ Oasis top best British album poll
17. ^ BRIT Awards 2010 Homepage
18. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Verve Universe discography
19. ^ Verve Universe discography
20. ^ Verve Universe discography
21. ^ Verve Universe discography
22. ^ Verve Universe discography
23. ^ Verve Universe discography
24. ^ The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community
25. ^ Verve Universe discography

Notes

Preceded by Be Here Now by Oasis Let's Talk About Love by Celine Dion Titanic (OST) by James Horner

UK number one album 11 October 1997 – 14 November 1997 3 January 1998 – 13 January 1998 21 February 1998 – 27 February 1998

Succeeded by Spiceworld by Spice Girls Titanic (OST) by James Horner Titanic (OST) by James Horner