When it comes to UK rock band the Verve, we’ve all heard ’90s anthem “Bittersweet Symphony.” And perhaps your college boyfriend even put the single “On Your Own” on a mix tape for you. And then there was that one song, “Lucky Man,” in that late-’90s Kevin Costner baseball movie.
But MTV and American radio largely ignored the lads from Wigan, even though they were charismatically fronted by “Mad” Richard Ashcroft (does anyone else remember the Mad Richard comics? They were brilliant!). So as Boston’s the Luxury prepare for their tribute set at tonight’s 11th annual Pill Halloween Show at Great Scott [disclaimer: The Pill is a Vanya production], let’s take a crash course in the five best Verve songs you never knew existed.
5.) “All In the Mind,” 1992 single
The Verve’s first single rocked slightly harder than the rest of their early ‘90s output, and “All In the Mind” is a fuzzed-out psych-rock masterpiece. Young Ashcroft looks strangely attractive in the song’s painfully ‘90s music video.
4.) “So Sister” from the 1997 “Bittersweet Symphony” single (disc 2)
Considering “So Sister” is a b-side to the Verve’s most successful single and that people actually still bought CD singles in 1997, this is probably a fairly well-known song. However, “So Sister” didn’t appear on the American “Bittersweet Symphony” single so we’ll keep it on the list since only a select few of you were buying Tower Record import singles for $9.99 a pop in the late ’90s. It’s one of Ashcroft’s most heartbreaking tracks chronicling the desperate attempts of a man trying to contact a lost love. Though not on the level of “Bittersweet Symphony” or even 1995’s “History,” “So Sister” retains the epic quality that is the Verve’s calling card.
3.) “I See The Door” from the 1995 “On Your Own” single
Before “So Sister,” there was “I See The Door.” This b-side is another lovelorn tale of an uncertain romance. Nick McCabe provides the melancholy Mazzy Star-
esque guitar riffs. This is a song for the lonely hearts.
2.) “A Man Called Sun” from the 1992 Verve EP
The Verve EP was the band’s first studio release. Like A Storm In Heaven, it was dreamy, psychedelic shoegaze — a far cry from the anthemic strings that would later define the Verve. Led by an almost-funky bass line and a surprisingly melodic chorus, this track gained notoriety in the late ‘90s when Chester rockers Mansun declared it to be the inspiration for their band name. This was probably a load of shit but makes for great Britpop folklore.
1.) “Virtual World” from 1993’s A Storm In Heaven
Like Lush, the Verve got their start in shoegaze. In 1993 they were simply known as “Verve” creating syrupy space rock. A Storm In Heaven holds up as an excellent shoegaze record with the trippy “Virtual World” standing out as the strongest track. A positively haunting acoustic version of this song appeared as a b-side on the US release of the 1993 single “Blue.”
The Pill’s 11th Annual Halloween Show: Daft Punk + Metric + The Verve + The Psychedelic Furs :: Friday, October 25 @ Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston :: 8pm, 21-plus, $10 :: advance tickets at the door :: facebook event
