UMR
The Verve - A Northern Soul (National Album Day 2025) The Verve
Subsumed in myth and hearsay, the backdrop to the making of The Verve’s second album, issued in July 1995, has been thoroughly documented.
It is a matter of record that the turbulent chemistry within the band – Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones and Pete Salisbury - during its making forced the first fracturing of their union shortly after its release, but listening now it is also clear that it is one of the finest rock albums of the era.
As such, it is a worthy addition to the UK National Album Day 2025 celebration of the genre; a record of towering musicianship on which four lads from Wigan delivered more than an hour of frequently heavy, brooding and confessional grooves, with their trademark psychedelic blooms and affecting melodies in full effect. And it’s worth noting that producer, Owen Morris, who was central to the excesses that fuelled the album sessions, made a significant creative contribution. According to guitarist, McCabe, he managed to capture the power of the band’s live performances on record better than anyone they have ever worked with.
Though it was largely disregarded by mainstream press and radio outlets when it first appeared, A Northern Soul has deservedly picked up a ‘cult’ following on both sides of the Atlantic, with many of those that missed it first time around becoming converts following the monster success of Urban Hymns.
As lead singer, Richard Ashcroft, put it at the time: "[The] doors have opened for me personally with my writing. We've been liberated. Touring, you get lost on a rock and roll adventure. You're on the Stardust trip…. But then you come home and it's time to get twenty Regal and a pastie and assess who you are. That's why the new album's got more soul to it. It's modern Northern blues."
The bone-crunching riff of ‘This Is Music’ was unleashed as the lead single in May 1995, followed by the reflective acoustic gem ‘On Your Own’ a month later. The group then went on the road in the UK - including appearances at the Glastonbury and Phoenix Festivals - and the US before returning to the UK to play at Glasgow’s T in the Park.
At its conclusion, Ashcroft announced his departure from the band and the third single, ‘History’, was released after they parted ways. In retrospect, it offered a foretaste of Ashcroft’s songwriting direction on Urban Hymns but, on its release, the idea that another album by The Verve might ever exist appeared fanciful and A Northern Soul was regarded as a worthy full stop to short but incandescent career.
This 30th anniversary pressing, using the acclaimed 2016 remaster, is on ‘red opaque’ vinyl, chosen for its proximity to the colour of the corduroy trousers worn by bassist, Jones, on the reverse of the sleeve
Track List
1. A New Decade
2. This Is Music
3. On Your Own
4. So It Goes
Side 2
1. A Northern Soul
2. Brainstorm Interlude
3. Drive You Home
Side 3
1. History
2. No Knock On My Door
3. Life’s An Ocean
Side 4
1. Stormy Clouds
2. (Reprise)
Pickup available at Cambridge
Usually ready in 24 hours. Unless it's a Pre-Order
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Product information
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Relevant Record Café,
260 Mill Road
Cambridge,
CB1 3NF.
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Once we receive your record, it will be tested by a member of staff in store.
If your record is deemed as faulty, you will be entitled to a refund, swap or store credit (to the same value as your initial purchase).
If this record is not deemed as faulty, we will not cover any additional postage and packaging costs incurred by either you or us, and we will not be able to offer you a refund, store credit or swap.
Basically, please be absolutely certain the record you have purchased is faulty before following the returns procedure. If possible, we suggest testing the record on different turntables and weighting the tone arm differently.
Steepletone and Crosley Record Players
After having several “faulty” records returned to us (that in actuality had nothing wrong with them), we cannot guarantee that any records we sell will play correctly Crosley or Steepletone branded record players.