The Verve
A Northern Soul 2LP vinyl

Released in the UK on 3 July 1995, A Northern Soul, which spawned three Top 40 hit singles - "This Is Music", "On Your Own" and "History" - was well-received by critics and fans alike, reaching No. 13 on the UK album chart.

Over the past two decades, it has continued to gather acclaim - readers of Q Magazine voted it the 53rd greatest album ever in 1998 while the NME ranked it the 28th best album of all time in 2003 and the 13th best British album in 2006. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most powerful British 'indie-rock' statements ever.

A darker, starker, and more personal affair than their debut, A Northern Soul saw Ashcroft eschewing the strung-out positivism of their debut for sober ruminations on the human condition. The result? Timeless ballads like "On Your Own" that contrasted with ambitious workouts even more explosive than before - notably "A New Decade" and the titanic "This Is Music".

A general mood of doubt, and even ennui, however, is there as an undercurrent, best exemplified by the prophetic torch song "History", a Top 30 hit. When news of the band's breakup came shortly before its release, it sounded like it might even become the band's epitaph.

NEW / Released in 1995 / Reissue 2023

Tracklist:

A1 A New Decade

A2 This Is Music

A3 On Your Own

A4 So It Goes

B1 A Northern Soul

B2 Brainstorm Interlude

B3 Drive You Home

C1 History

C2 No Knock On My Door

C3 Life's An Ocean

D1 Stormy Clouds

D2 Reprise