For the first time, the Verve achieved commercial success with their new material. The first single, " Bitter Sweet Symphony", entered the UK charts at number 2 in June 1997. The BBC wrote that it "became one of the anthems of the year" and "became almost inescapable" after it was used in a television car advert. [25] Death ceases to be the timeless observer as “I See Houses” fades out and Ashcroft sings “Murder, trouble and strife / Turn me into another guy / Don’t be late / Don’t be late / When I call / When I call / When I call you up.” Arresting without being distressing, it’s a gorgeous song all around.

Gee, Mike (1 January 1998). "The Verve: Urban Ties; A Bittersweet Symphony". iZine. Archived from the original on 27 August 2006 . Retrieved 9 May 2007. All in the Mind (Media notes). The Verve. Hut Records. 1992. HUTCD 12. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) The epically confident trio of hits on the album, ‘Sit And Wonder’, ‘Valium Skies’ and ‘Noise Epic’, meanwhile, are all so typically Verve, hard on the outside and gooey in the middle, it makes you question why on Earth they ever decided to quit it in the first place. No album by The Verve has ever been the same, including their current release Forth, with Urban Hymn no doubt being the most different ... reflecting a more deeply rooted lyrical side, delivering a couple of great hits, introducing The Verve to the world, and leading to the solo career of Richard Ashcroft.Stokes, Paul (14 August 2008). "The Verve – Forth". NME. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012 . Retrieved 20 June 2011. With “Valium Skies,” the Verve switches gears again. This a beautiful ballad, flowing in to fill the dramatic void created by the absence of “Noise Epic”. “Valium Skies” is also an anthem of sorts. Lush strings, layered vocals and plenty of interesting flourishes may put some listeners in mind of “Bittersweet Symphony”, but the only true similarities between the two lie in the grand scopes and heavenly heights of their respective soundscapes.

Smashing Pumpkins Verve Wolverhampton Civic Hall". Tumblr.com. 11 September 1993 . Retrieved 14 October 2017. Zane plays the new Verve single, avail until 30 Jun 08". BBC . Retrieved 8 December 2011. [ permanent dead link] With this the band’s fourth album, titling the album as Forth was sort of a play on words, as ‘forth’ means to venture out, to move forward, and not the number 4. It was also a strange title, as this album did not represent the band moving forward, but rather imploding. It’s also interesting to note that the band has formally disbanded or broken up three times by this point, with the breakup of the band already in process by the release of Forth, being the fourth formal breakup … though The Verve still claim that they are on extended holiday. The Verve already had a breakup and reformation under its belt 11 years ago when the breakthrough album Urban Hymns was released. Critically lauded, as well as popularly acclaimed on the strength of singles “Bittersweet Symphony” and “The Drugs Don’t Work”, Urban Hymns, and the pressures of the touring that followed it, unfortunately led to a second, and seemingly final, disbandment. The Rolling People (Media notes). The Verve. Virgin Records. 1998. DPRO-13179. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link)a b c d e f g h i This Is Music: The Singles 92–98 (liner notes). The Verve. Virgin Records. 2004. 72435-44271-9-0. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) Oficjalna lista sprzedaży:: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 September 2021.