BMRA-Round 1-Urban Hymns vs. Parklife

[PlayingWithFire]

The Verve's Urban Hymns

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Not long after the release of A Northern Soul, the Verve imploded due to friction between vocalist Richard Ashcroft and guitarist Nick McCabe. It looked like the band had ended before reaching its full potential, which is part of the reason why their third album, Urban Hymns -- recorded after the pair patched things up in late 1996 -- is so remarkable. Much of the record consists of songs Ashcroft had intended for a solo project or a new group, yet Urban Hymns unmistakably sounds like the work of a full band, with its sweeping, grandiose soundscapes and sense of purpose. The Verve have toned down their trancy, psychedelic excursions, yet haven't abandoned them -- if anything, they sound more muscular than before, whether it's the trippy "Catching the Butterfly" or the pounding "Come On." These powerful, guitar-drenched rockers provide the context for Ashcroft's affecting, string-laden ballads, which give Urban Hymns its hurt. The majestic "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and the heartbreaking, country-tinged "The Drugs Don't Work" are an astonishing pair, two anthemic ballads that make the personal universal, thereby sounding like instant classics. They just are the tip of the iceberg -- "Sonnet" is a lovely, surprisingly understated ballad, "The Rolling People" has a measured, electric power, and many others match their quality. Although it may run a bit too long for some tastes, Urban Hymns is a rich album that revitalizes rock traditions without ever seeming less than contemporary. It is the album the Verve have been striving to make since their formation, and it turns out to be worth all the wait.

Blur's Parklife

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Modern Life Is Rubbish established Blur as the heir to the archly British pop of the Kinks, the Small Faces, and the Jam, but its follow-up, Parklife, revealed the depth of that transformation. Relying more heavily on Ray Davies' seriocomic social commentary, as well as new wave, Parklife runs through the entire history of post-British Invasion Britpop in the course of 16 songs, touching on psychedelia, synth pop, disco, punk, and music hall along the way. Damon Albarn intended these songs to form a sketch of British life in the mid-'90s, and it's startling how close he came to his goal; not only did the bouncy, disco-fied "Girls & Boys" and singalong chant "Parklife" become anthems in the U.K., but they inaugurated a new era of Britpop and lad culture, where British youth celebrated their country and traditions. The legions of jangly, melodic bands that followed in the wake of Parklife revealed how much more complex Blur's vision was. Not only was their music precisely detailed -- sound effects and brilliant guitar lines pop up all over the record -- but the melodies elegantly interweaved with the chords, as in the graceful, heartbreaking "Badhead." Surprisingly, Albarn, for all of his cold, dispassionate wit, demonstrates compassion that gives these songs three dimensions, as on the pathos-laden "End of a Century," the melancholy Walker Brothers tribute "To the End," and the swirling, epic closer, "This Is a Low." For all of its celebration of tradition, Parklife is a thoroughly modern record in that it bends genres and is self-referential (the mod anthem of the title track is voiced by none other than Phil Daniels, the star of Quadrophenia). And, by tying the past and the present together, Blur articulated the mid-'90s zeitgeist and produced an epoch-defining record.

[ironman]

Blur destroys The Verve on their best day.

[Omaha Red Sox]

I'm not familiar enough with either album to vote in this one.

[Tavish]

This matchup should be evidence enough that the UK should be invaded. There is no need to put up with this kind of crap.

[Dan Lambskin]

This matchup should be evidence enough that the UK should be invaded. There is no need to put up with this kind of crap.

i couldnt agree more and therefore abstained

[BritSox]

These are both superb, but I'm going with the Verve, just because it was slightly more my era, and because the song Velvet Morning means a lot to me for personal reasons. It's a toughie though- UH probably has the better singles, whilst Parklife is deeper.

Also, these two both kick the asses of most of the metal acts in here.

[Coppermine]

Wow, two borderline indie-brit-pop/rock bands that are considered one-hit wonders in the U.S. but huge in England. Have you ever heard Blur's early stuff though? Ughh.

Went with The Verve based merely on principle.


Woooo hoooooo

[acsguitar]

I refuse to vote for either. can we replace both of these with some Green Jelly and Weird Al

[Coppermine]

I refuse to vote for either. can we replace both of these with some Green Jelly and Weird Al

Hahaha, Green Jelly... I remember them

[Simulacrum]

I refuse to vote for either. can we replace both of these with some Green Jelly and Weird Al

Hahaha, Green Jelly... I remember them

I used to love that band when I was a young lad. Green Jello has more ass-kickin' in their little pinkies than the Verve and Blur have in their entire bodies.