人文颂歌 (1997)

Urban Hymns is the third studio album by English rock band the Verve, released on 29 September 1997 on Hut Records. The group had broken up while promoting A Northern Soul in August 1995, though they reformed two weeks later without guitarist Nick McCabe. Frontman Richard Ashcroft moved to Bath, Somerset, where he made demos; Simon Tong joined the group soon afterwards. Following aborted recording sessions with producers John Leckie and Owen Morris, the band sought a new guitarist, contacting former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, who played with them for a week before departing amidst creative differences. In 1996, the Verve started recording at Olympic Studios in London, first with producer Martin "Youth" Glover, followed by engineer Chris Potter. Ashcroft contacted McCabe in early 1997, inviting him back into the band, which McCabe accepted. Several songs were re-recorded to allow for the inclusion of McCabe's guitar parts, with sessions continuing into May 1997.

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" was released as the lead single from Urban Hymns in June 1997; the track suffered from a debate over its writing credits due to its use of a sample of the Rolling Stones. "The Drugs Don't Work" followed as the second single from the album in September 1997, which was promoted with three supporting dates for Oasis in London. "Lucky Man" appeared as the third single from the album in November 1997. Nike, Inc. used "Bitter Sweet Symphony" in an advertisement for three months, which in turn helped promote Urban Hymns. "Sonnet" was released as the fourth single from the album in March 1998. The Verve played a hometown show at the Haigh Hall in Wigan to an audience of 40,000 in May 1998. The following month, "The Rolling People" was issued as the fifth and final single from the album as a US radio-only release. Citing stress, McCabe sat out of further touring commitments and was replaced by B. J. Cole. They went on a US tour in July and August 1998, leading up to a show at Slane Castle in Co. Meath, near Dublin, Ireland, before breaking up.

Urban Hymns received widespread praise from music critics, many of whom praised Ashcroft's role in making the album; several saw it in the context of Britpop; and others touched on the overall quality of the writing. Retrospective reviews focused on how the Verve mixed their new sound with their old sound and on McCabe's role in the album. It peaked at number one in Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, and the UK and reached the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, and Portugal. Initially selling 250,000 copies in its first week of release, Urban Hymns went on to become the fifth fastest-selling album in the UK and has been certified 11-times platinum in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album's first three singles peaked within the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, with "The Drugs Don't Work" peaking the highest at number one. The BPI have subsequently certified the album's songs: "Bitter Sweet Symphony" at quadruple platinum; "The Drugs Don't Work" and "Lucky Man" at platinum; and "Sonnet" at gold.

At the 1998 Brit Awards, the Verve won Best Album for Urban Hymns and Best Producer alongside Youth and Potter. Melody Maker, NME, and The Village Voice included the album on their lists of the year's best releases; NME also included it on their list of the 500 best albums of all time, while author Colin Larkin featured it in his book All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000). It has appeared on best-of lists for the Britpop genre by Musikexpress, Pitchfork, and The Village Voice. Urban Hymns, alongside OK Computer (1997) by Radiohead, is seen as leading to the end of Britpop and influencing post-Britpop acts such as Travis. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was Britpop's last anthem, while "The Drugs Don't Work" has become a cross-generational song.

Background

The Verve released their second studio album, A Northern Soul, in July 1995 through Hut Records, peaking at number 13 in the UK Albums Chart. Its three singles – "This Is Music", "On Your Own", and "History" – all charted within the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, with "History" reaching the highest at number 24. In the lead-up to the album, the culture of the 1990s had shifted with the emergence of new lad and Loaded magazine, as well as the continual evolution of football culture and Britpop becoming a mainstream movement. Initial promotion consisted of a one-off show in Newcastle, a supporting slot for Oasis in Scotland, a performance at Phoenix Festival, and a US tour. The strained relationships between the band members came to a head when they performed at T in the Park in August 1995; at its conclusion, frontman Richard Ashcroft announced his departure from the band. Bassist Simon Jones saw the situation as an argument rather than a breakup, though the event was reported in press outlets as the latter.