This Is Music: Singles 1992 - 1998

In the early to mid-nineties, Spin magazine, from time to time, would toss promotional sample disks to its customers via mail. On Track 9 of "Spin This IV", I was introduced to a song by The Verve that WASN'T Bittersweet Symphony. It was called Slide Away. The feeling you get is in the title! It's not one of those sappy love songs. You know, the kind you'd hear from "light rock" stations. It's an honest song with unique music and VERY well written lyrics. In my opinion, they kind of sound a bit like The Cure. Maybe not, but they're exceptionally talented and easy to like.

There's nothing left to say, all the words get used up anyhow, you'll notice from the day, you press play.. (Partial lyrics of Jafrezi~The Verve b-side)

This is a controversial compilation among Verve fans, not because it is poor or unrepresentative, but because the reasoning behind some aspects of it is hard to determine. It is unfortunate that the compilers (of whom the most active was probably Chris Potter, the producer of Urban Hymns and Richard Ashcroft's solo albums) did not see fit to explain their choices in the liner notes. Actually, there are no real liner notes here, just a pictorial history of the band's releases during the '90s. You might say that this CD over-accentuates the place of Richard Ashcroft's melancholy acoustic ballads in the story of The Verve, and under-accentuates their groove-based jams, but that's simply the hand we were dealt as far as singles go.In light of the preponderance of acoustic numbers, the choice to begin with the deafening, almost metal "This is Music," their single heaviest tune, was perhaps a misleading one.The songs are presented out of chronological order, and the motivation for this is obscure to me. Although most of the songs are unedited, not all of them are heard in their familiar versions: the mix of "Blue" presented here has a different intro than any other version I've heard. It is most certainly not the "single" version. Other songs dating from before Urban Hymns are also supposed to be remixed, but aside from "Blue" they do not sound all that different from their original releases. It is true that the songs taken from their first full-length album, the marvelous A Storm In Heaven, sound a little different due to the stripping away of a layer of reverb fog. It makes the songs sound a little more conventional, but not much is lost otherwise.The lack of written explanation makes the different treatment of two beloved early singles, "She's a Superstar" and "Gravity Grave," stick out. "Gravity Grave" is the full 8-minute version, with an extended vamping ending. This ending would have been new to most listeners (especially North American listeners) who got into the Verve after Urban Hymns. "She's a Superstar," on the other hand, is presented in the shorter 4-minute "edit" version from The Verve EP. Why is "Gravity Grave" complete but "Superstar" edited? If I had to guess, it would be that while the backing track for the long version of "Gravity Grave" was a continuous extended performance, that was not the case for "Superstar." The version of "Superstar" on The Verve EP ends "cold," rather than fading out as "Gravity Grave" does. On the original "Superstar" single, this cold ending cross-fades into a churning coda section similar to "Reprise" on A Northern Soul, with dazzling Nick McCabe feedback sculpting. I suspect that the song proper and the extended ending of the single are actually two separate, non-continuous and maybe unrelated performances (although the two sections WERE performed together live), and the choice of the short version here reflects that. Of course, it is historically inaccurate: the original CD "single" was the long version.This CD concludes with two bonus tracks, which in my opinion are of indifferent quality, not up to the standard of the other material here. Reports differ as to when they were recorded and who features on them. According to the publicity at the time, they date from just before the Urban Hymns sessions, but some fans "in the know" dispute this. We may never know the full story. I'm not convinced McCabe is on either of them, although he is credited on "Monte Carlo" (a slow groove that doesn't go anywhere).This Is Music: The Singles 92-98 is probably the best single-disc introduction to the Verve's recorded legacy, and a good value in the way it collects some now hard-to-find early tracks. Novices be warned, though -- all of the Verve's albums from the 90s are excellent and make more consistent listening than this compilation.

What is there to say? Ashcroft is an outstanding writer and singer and this is how he really came to light, with the Verve. In a way it always a shame when a great group breaks up, but at least we managed to get even more magic from one of England's finest talents.This album is a must-have. Forget Oasis - we have The Verve! Class without being pretentious.

This group is passed over in consideration of great music from the 90s as they possess a great harmony and lyrics, easy to listen to and challenging as well, like a great movie or novel. Do not try and workout to The Verve but do sip a nice mid 90s Burgundy while listening.

Plays 👍 great!Arrived fast!Thanks 🙏!

Good buy

I liked a few songs, glad I didn't buy any other of their albums