The Verve A Storm In Heaven Vernon Yard, 1993 amazon

As the opening blast of distortion fades into the sustained hazy riff of "Star Sail", you can already appreciate the atmospherics of the Verve's debut 1993 album A Storm In Heaven. Only rarely has a band so created such a rich and immediately accessible wash of sounds. It makes it difficult for me not to flash forward to later points in the Verve's career, such as the career-describing epic "Stormy Clouds" from their 1995 sophomore effort A Northern Soul. A reviewer said of the Verve's recent singles compilation that it spliced out the disappointments of the albums, however i would counter that the Verve were never a band to be judged by singles. The albums are amazing cohesive units, and never was that more apparent than with their first. "Star Sail" fades into "Slide Away", a song that would hint at the anthemic nature of subsequent Verve greats, most notably the triumphant reunion of "Bittersweet Symphony". Richard Ashcroft's rock star mysticism is highlighted on "Butterfly" and "Make It Til Monday", while Nick McCabe's guitar work ranges from shoegazy soundscapes like the lush "Beautiful Mind" to the more straightforward rock of "Blue". The best moments are where the two conflicting geniuses are in unison, most notably on the powerful multitempo epic "Already There". Like so many stories in music, the Verve's internal politics prevented their brilliance from continuing, but i must say it was a wonderful ride.

i thought my best days had left me, my best years had left me behind
then i watched them come back

login to submit comments