Urban Hymns
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Template:Album infobox Urban Hymns was a Britpop album released on September 29, 1997 (see 1997 in music) by British rock band The Verve. After the release of the band's previous album, A Northern Soul, The Verve broke up due to growing tensions between Richard Ashcroft and Nick McCabe. They reunited in 1996 (see 1996 in music) and recorded Urban Hymns, which earned nearly unanimous critical praise upon its release.
The Verve was known for complex sonic textures, exemplified by songs like "Bittersweet Symphony", which used a reversed and repeated sample from an orchestra performing the Rolling Stones' song, "The Last Time", to form the musical basis for the song. "Bittersweet Symphony" was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. "The Drugs Don't Work", another hit, has become a concert staple for jam bands and other groups, including Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals and Dave Matthews Band.
In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Urban Hymns the 18th greatest album of all time. In the same year it was also shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize.
Track listing
- "Bittersweet Symphony" (Ashcroft/Jagger/Richards) - 5:58
- "Sonnet" (Ashcroft) - 4:21
- "The Rolling People" (Verve) - 7:01
- "The Drugs Don't Work" (Ashcroft) - 5:05
- "Catching the Butterfly" (Verve) - 6:26
- "Neon Wilderness" (McCabe/Verve) - 2:37
- "Space and Time" (Ashcroft) - 5:36
- "Weeping Willow" (Ashcroft) - 4:49
- "Lucky Man" (Ashcroft) - 4:53
- "One Day" (Ashcroft) - 5:03
- "This Time" (Ashcroft) - 3:50
- "Velvet Morning" (Ashcroft) - 4:57
- "Come On" (Verve) - 15:15
Personnel
- Youth - Producer
- The Verve - Producer
- Simon Jones - Guitar (Bass)
- Richard Ashcroft - Guitar, Vocals
- Nick McCabe - Guitar
- Peter Salisbury - Drums
- Mel Wesson - Programming
- Lorraine Francis - Assistant Engineer
- Will Malone - Conductor, String Arrangements
- Brian Cannon - Director, Design, Sleeve Art
- Mathew Sankey - Director, Design Assistant
- Gareth Ashton - Assistant Engineer
- Martin Catherall - Director, Design Assistant
- Christopher Marc Potter - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
- Jan Kybert - Assistant Engineer
- Michael Spencer Jones - Photography
- John Horsley - Photography http://www.johnhorsley.co.uk
- Simon Tong - Guitar, Keyboards
- Chris Floyd - Photography
- Paul Anthony Taylor - Programming
Chart positions
Billboard (North America) - albums
1998 The Billboard 200 No. 23 1998 Top Canadian Albums No. 18
Billboard (North America) - singles
1998 Lucky Man Modern Rock Tracks No. 16 1998 Bitter Sweet Symphony Top 40 Adult Recurrents No. 9 1998 Bitter Sweet Symphony Adult Top 40 No. 8 1998 Bitter Sweet Symphony Modern Rock Tracks No. 4 1998 Bitter Sweet Symphony Mainstream Rock Tracks No. 22 1998 Bitter Sweet Symphony Top 40 Mainstream No. 23 1998 Bitter Sweet Symphony The Billboard Hot 100 No. 12