The Verve - Urban Hymns (2017 Box Set)

Noticeably different than the original?

 

I never actually owned the album before this set. I listened to the remaster album so far and it sounds great to my ears, Wish I could get more technical about it, but the CD/FLAC sounds warm and clear, but also has plenty of life to it, drums and bass sound great, as do the guitars.

 

The live disc is the highlight.

The whole reissue sounds great and it's brilliant to have all these songs in a collection. My only gripe is the lack of demos/outtakes.

But the last disc has some amazing live renditions. That Brixton version of History is probably the best I've heard and A Man Called Sun and A Northern Soul in Washington make the hairs on your neck stand up

 

Hey everyone. Huge Verve fan here that wanted to say what I think of the box set. I ordered the 5CD/1DVD version and will be getting it Tuesday or Wednesday from Amazon. But I just discovered that I get access to all of the tracks digitally with my Google Play subscription. I completely agree that the live stuff is the highlight, at least for me personally and would have been worth the cost alone for me. I've always thought the verve are even better live than on the album version. I have had very low quality YouTube downloads of most of the tracks, so the jump in quality makes me extremely happy. Sure it will be even better when I rip from the physical CD's! Can't wait to get the DVD as well and actually watch the Haigh Hall concert as well as the Jool Holand material.

Cheers!

 

Original CD:



Album details - Dynamic Range Database


2017 (FLAC):

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: The Verve / Urban Hymns [Super Deluxe Edition]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR7 -0.10 dB -8.75 dB 5:58 01-Bitter Sweet Symphony
DR7 -0.10 dB -9.53 dB 4:21 02-Sonnet
DR6 -0.10 dB -8.17 dB 7:02 03-The Rolling People
DR7 -0.10 dB -9.73 dB 5:05 04-The Drugs Don't Work
DR7 -0.10 dB -8.56 dB 6:27 05-Catching the Butterfly
DR9 -0.10 dB -10.48 dB 2:38 06-Neon Wilderness
DR7 -0.10 dB -9.83 dB 5:37 07-Space and Time
DR5 -0.10 dB -6.98 dB 4:50 08-Weeping Willow
DR7 -0.10 dB -9.52 dB 4:54 09-Lucky Man
DR6 -0.10 dB -8.23 dB 5:03 10-One Day
DR6 -0.10 dB -8.29 dB 3:51 11-This Time
DR6 -0.10 dB -9.40 dB 4:58 12-Velvet Morning
DR6 -0.10 dB -11.06 dB 15:17 13-Come On
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 13
Official DR value: DR7

Album details - Dynamic Range Database


---


All tracks (2017, MP3):

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Filename
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR7 over -8.75 dB 01 - Bitter Sweet Symphony.mp3
DR7 over -9.54 dB 02 - Sonnet.mp3
DR6 over -8.16 dB 03 - The Rolling People.mp3
DR7 over -9.73 dB 04 - The Drugs Don't Work.mp3
DR7 over -8.55 dB 05 - Catching The Butterfly.mp3
DR9 over -10.48 dB 06 - Neon Wilderness.mp3
DR7 over -9.82 dB 07 - Space And Time.mp3
DR6 over -6.97 dB 08 - Weeping Willow.mp3
DR7 over -9.52 dB 09 - Lucky Man.mp3
DR6 over -8.24 dB 10 - One Day.mp3
DR7 over -8.34 dB 11 - This Time.mp3
DR7 over -9.40 dB 12 - Velvet Morning.mp3
DR6 over -11.04 dB 13 - Come On.mp3
DR9 -0.23 dB -11.07 dB 14 - Lord I Guess I'll Never Know.mp3
DR9 -0.06 dB -10.87 dB 15 - Country Song.mp3
DR9 over -9.70 dB 16 - Bitter Sweet Symphony (James Lavelle Remix).mp3
DR8 -0.65 dB -10.95 dB 17 - So Sister.mp3
DR8 over -9.56 dB 18 - Echo Bass.mp3
DR7 -0.08 dB -8.87 dB 19 - Three Steps.mp3
DR10 -1.19 dB -13.93 dB 20 - The Drugs Don't Work (Demo).mp3
DR8 -0.20 dB -12.08 dB 21 - The Crab.mp3
DR9 over -10.69 dB 22 - Stamped.mp3
DR8 -0.09 dB -10.94 dB 23 - Never Wanna See You Cry.mp3
DR10 over -11.41 dB 24 - Bitter Sweet Symphony (MSG Version).mp3
DR9 over -10.51 dB 25 - The Longest Day.mp3
DR9 -0.16 dB -11.00 dB 26 - Lucky Man (Happiness More Or Less Mix).mp3
DR8 -0.31 dB -10.53 dB 27 - Bitter Sweet Symphony (Extended Version).mp3
DR7 over -7.62 dB 28 - This Could Be My Moment (Remastered 2004).mp3
DR7 over -8.65 dB 29 - Monte Carlo.mp3
DR6 over -7.82 dB 30 - Life's An Ocean (BBC Evening Session).mp3
DR7 over -8.53 dB 31 - A Man Called Sun (BBC Evening Session).mp3
DR9 over -11.04 dB 32 - The Drugs Don't Work (BBC Evening Session).mp3
DR10 over -12.09 dB 33 - On Your Own (BBC Evening Session).mp3
DR11 -0.02 dB -13.87 dB 34 - So Sister (BBC Evening Session).mp3
DR7 over -7.88 dB 35 - This Is Music (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR8 over -9.23 dB 36 - Space And Time (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR7 over -8.40 dB 37 - Catching The Butterfly (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR8 over -9.42 dB 38 - Sonnet (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR7 over -8.77 dB 39 - The Rolling People (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR9 over -11.60 dB 40 - Neon Wilderness (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR8 over -9.05 dB 41 - Weeping Willow (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR8 over -10.63 dB 42 - The Drugs Don't Work (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR7 over -8.56 dB 43 - Lucky Man (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR8 over -9.07 dB 44 - Life's An Ocean (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR7 over -9.34 dB 45 - Velvet Morning (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR7 over -7.94 dB 46 - Bitter Sweet Symphony (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR10 over -12.47 dB 47 - One Day (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR9 -0.76 dB -12.12 dB 48 - History (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR7 over -9.28 dB 49 - Come On (Live From The Haigh Hall Concert Hall).mp3
DR7 over -8.66 dB 50 - A New Decade (Live From The 930 Club).mp3
DR7 over -8.47 dB 51 - The Rolling People (Live From Brixton Academy).mp3
DR8 over -9.67 dB 52 - On Your Own (Live From Brixton Academy).mp3
DR7 over -8.88 dB 53 - History (Live From Brixton Academy).mp3
DR8 over -9.08 dB 54 - Slide Away (Live From The Manchester Academy).mp3
DR8 over -9.40 dB 55 - A Man Called Sun (Live From The 930 Club).mp3
DR7 over -8.27 dB 56 - A Northern Soul (Live From The 930 Club).mp3
DR10 -0.07 dB -12.60 dB 57 - Space And Time (Live From Brixton Academy).mp3
DR8 over -8.94 dB 58 - This Is Music (Live From The Manchester Academy).mp3
DR7 -0.02 dB -8.29 dB 59 - Weeping Willow (Live From The 930 Club).mp3
DR7 over -9.05 dB 60 - Stormy Clouds (Reprise) (Live From The Manchester Academy).mp3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of files: 60
Official DR value: DR8

 

The vinyl box is real nice. 3 double LPs. Each in their own mailer similar to the UH 12" singles mailer. The new sleeves are really nice and I love all the new be hind the scenes pics.

I'm not crazy about the cut though. A little IGD on the b-sides/live LPs. Main album doesn't seem any different than the 97 Hut pressing.

Still, it's one of my favorite albums of all time and it's real nice to have all this material in one place.

 

Is there a download code with the vinyl box? Thanks.

 

Damn, that's disappointing. Mine should get here next week sometime, but I sold my Hut pressing, because it just wasn't very good...was hoping this new one would be better.

 

Here's one of the rejected out takes which didn't end up on the box set

All Ways Are Maybes:

 

Urban Hymns sessions unreleased song referenced earlier in this thread posted on YouTube. "All ways and Maybes" or "Always and Maybes".

 

Wednesday Madness

 

The remastered LP has actually been available for some time before this box set was even announced.

I kinda wish that that b-sides were included on the 2cd edition and the live show was the exclusinve to the box set.

 

The remaster is rather subtle, which is a good thing given that the original release sounds ok. They have added a bit of treble boost to make it sound clearer in direct comparison. Unfortunately, the albums seems to have been recorded digitally and the as a result of the treble boost the remaster sounds just slightly metallic at times. On the other hand they have avoided the usual remastering cliches - dynamic compression to make it sound louder and cranked-up bass that bleeds into the mids muddying the sound.

 

They just keep coming, this one's a belter and all, I suspect this is from before Nick rejoined the band.

 

King Riff 2

 

Well the digital could have better dynamics (based on the numbers it's a little less dynamic than the original CD). I would have liked to see IMPROVED dynamics but it is what it is. I have to echo other comments that the live tracks are worth it. The b-sides most fans probably have already. The DVD with the music videos are nice as well (with some live footage but, I will be honest, I'm still digging through the set as I just got it this morning).

Nicely packaged--it's like the Lloyd Cole and a The Commotions and solo boxed sets.

 

Tina Turner

 

There's almost an entire second album of unreleased stuff from this era...kind of disappointing the parties involved couldn't agree to include it. I wonder if someday the Urban Hymns demos/outtakes will get a standalone release of some kind.

Where did these new outtakes come from? I have the long-circlating "Urban Hymns Demos" but have never found them at anything about 128kbps. None of these songs are on it, which is amazing.

 

Huge McCabe fan here too. Never found the Black Submarine album, but the soundtrack songs ranged from meh to awful for me. Took me almost ten years to warm up to Urban Hymns, but I love it as a complement to the glorious early material. And I'm a fan of Forth as well. Like others have said, McCabe seems to benefit from some structure and the rhythm section aren't he guys to do this.

 

Is the live material from the McCabe tour or the BJ Cole pedal steel phase? To me, McCabe is a crucial ingredient to the Verve, but as a pedal steel player, I am intrigued by their decision to replace him with Cole... a creative solution to be sure.

 

I'll agree with that. Rock history is full of guys who come up with great riffs and ideas, but weren't always the best at shaping them into great songs.

All the live material features McCabe.

I actually saw one of the BJ Cole gigs (sadly, it was to be my only Verve live experience, since the reunion tour didn't play anywhere outside of NY and LA, of course). I...kind of get it. They had to find a musician who was available immediately, and who could learn the songs in a matter of days. Finding a straight-up McCabe replacement on such short notice probably would've been disastrous, like when Aziz Ibrahim tried to be John Squire for a few dates. So BJ Cole was a) a consummate professional, and b) plays the kind of instrument that can fill up a lot of sonic space without being super noticeable, if that makes sense. Going ahead with the tour wasn't a great idea, but I can kind of understand why they went with Cole. According to wikipedia, "McCabe's guitar work was heavily sampled and triggered on stage", a thing I don't remember, but I was also maybe 16 at the time. I've never bothered to find any bootlegs of these shows to see if this was actually true, maybe someone else knows?

The setlist was basically all of Urban Hymns minus "Rolling People" and "Catching The Butterfly" (so essentially just Richard's acoustic-based compositions)...they did attempt "Come On," for lack of a better main set closer, and it was predictably underwhelming. Richard did a couple solo acoustic numbers ("So Sister" and "See You In The Next One," which was a nice surprise) to pad out the set.

 

Anyone get to grab the Neon Wilderness (Idea) before it got taken down from youtube?