The Verve - Urban Hymns (2LP) Vinyl

Urban Hymns is the third studio album by English rock band The Verve, originally released on 29 September 1997 by Hut Records. It followed A Northern Soul (1995) and the band's brief split, and became the record that defined them, reaching number one in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden, selling 250,000 copies in its first week and going on to be certified 11 times platinum in the UK by the BPI.

The Album

Recording began at Olympic Studios in London in 1996 with producer Martin "Youth" Glover, and continued with engineer Chris Potter. Guitarist Nick McCabe rejoined the band in early 1997 and several songs were re-recorded to allow for his guitar parts, with sessions running into May of that year. The album's first three singles all reached the UK top ten: "Bitter Sweet Symphony", which peaked at number two, "The Drugs Don't Work", which topped the chart, and "Lucky Man". "Sonnet" followed as the fourth single in March 1998.

This Pressing

This is the Virgin EMI and Universal UMC reissue, catalogue number 4787014, pressed across two 180 gram records by Optimal Media. The audio was remastered by Chris Potter and Tony Cousins at Metropolis and by Sabian at Fullsound, sourced from digital files prepared from the original half-inch tapes, and the lacquers were cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering. The presentation replicates the version with the band pictured on each side label and rim text around the label edge, and the set includes printed inner sleeves.

Artwork

The cover photograph was taken in Richmond Park, London, by photographer Michael Spencer Jones working with designer Brian Cannon. Richard Ashcroft had asked for artwork that was not too complex, wanting the music to speak for itself, and the image used was captured unposed while the band sat on the grass waiting for a lighting set-up to be finished. The inner sleeve carries a shot of the band with Ashcroft's black Labrador, Charlie.

Track Listing

Side A: Bitter Sweet Symphony; Sonnet; The Rolling People
Side B: The Drugs Don't Work; Catching The Butterfly; Neon Wilderness
Side C: Space And Time; Weeping Willow; Lucky Man; One Day
Side D: This Time; Velvet Morning; Come On