The Verve’s career was undoubtedly one of two halves. This retrospective of all their singles, plus two unreleased tracks from the "Urban Hymns" sessions, is equally likely to divide their fanbase. Hardcore fans will be disappointed to discover that the record is not played out in chronological order – allowing them to dispense with what they’ll consider to be the throwaway rock anthems that ensured the band’s place in the rock history books. Meanwhile, fans that came to the band late will be delighted to discover the under-rated quality that ran through the band’s first two albums "A Storm In Heaven" and "A Northern Soul".
When ‘mad’ Richard Ashcroft’s men stepped out of unfashionable Wigan back in 1990 they were an unreconstructed psychedelic rock group, a hazy fug of spliff-addled laid back intensity. Ashcroft would prowl the stage at afternoon festival slots while huge soundscapes seeped out from Nick McCabe’s inimitable guitar. It was not unusual for them to squeeze only three or four songs into a 40-minute set – the surging psychedelic marathon of "Gravity Grave" is, mercifully, included here. Those early records saw a young, uncynical band explore the boundaries of sound with a cosmic fervour. Debut single "All In The Mind" remains to this day a timeless blast of positive hedonism. Similarly, "Blue" and "Slide Away", both lifted from "A Storm In Heaven" sound as urgent and impressive as ever.
But The Verve weren’t just a floaty niche student band as they went on to prove with 1995’s sublime "A Northern Soul". While Oasis and Blur were fighting it out to see who could be crowned kings of the tiring Britpop scene, The Verve came out with a sucker punch of moody, emotional and life-affirming tracks. The beautiful ballad "On Your Own", the soaring redemptive "History", and the appropriately titled impassioned call-to-arms of "This Is Music". Despite the drawn out drug fuelled recording process The Verve were at the height of their powers.
Ironically, by the time the record was finally finished, the cracks were beginning to show. Creative tensions between Ashcroft, who favoured a more straightforward rock approach in common with his chums in Oasis, and McCabe’s constant search for experimentation, saw him briefly leave the band before rejoining to finally complete 1997’s "Urban Hymns". The result was the accomplished yet formulaic mid tempo rock of "Lucky Man", "Sonnet" and the post-comedown "The Drugs Don’t Work". "The Singles" is completed with two tracks leftover from the "…Hymns" sessions, and it’s no wonder they never made the final cut. "Monte Carlo" is bland dirge while "This Could Be My Moment" suggests exactly why the band had run out of ideas. Ashcroft’s ego backed with the sort of accompaniment you’d be disappointed to find on a Travis B-side, pointed to where his solo career would be heading.
Like their biggest hit, this collection is bittersweet, though for the most part it is very sweet indeed.
