The only song of theirs I know is Bittersweet Symphony. The video is a masterpiece, IMHO. The protagonist is depicted as a total ass, but hey, some days that’s the way I feel. Well filmed, tells a story, etc.
What else should I know about the band? Are they still around?
Andrew Oldham Orchestra - The Last Time (1965). That’s why they got sued and lost all of the royalties from Bittersweet Symphony. They didn’t just sample it, they pretty much just dubbed vocals over the top of the track.
I like their Slide Away.
That’s no surprise since it was used as soundtrack in House MD, according to this handy website. I don’t recall the scene though.
But damn, it’s a song I love - I know many hate it, so YMMV.
I have no idea why I have not sought out more of The Verve or Ashcroft besides that song, given how I feel about it. Perhaps because of the unique arrangement over that 60’s orchestration, I assumed it was a unique variant and not typical of the band. Or I was just lazy ;).
And yeah, the video works for this little bit of Sturm und Drang. What if Holden Caulfield was a Brit jerk in a leather jacket?
Their original EP is probably my favorite-make sure you get the long version of Gravity Grave, and DL the single from those sessions too, All in the Mind.
I also like A Storm in Heaven, and even their breakthrough album Urban Hymns, which is a mixture of their more ethereal early stuff and some other more poppy cuts. I couldn’t get into A Northern Soul, at all, tho, and there’s only a few songs off of Forth that I like. In short when they are both tuneful and trippy, I love them.
The only song of The Verve’s that I have in my collection is “Lucky Man.” I think it’s pretty good.