As the death of the baggy Madchester scene of the 1990s left Northern England
with a creative void, The Verve emerged in a swamp of sprawling shoe-gazing
pyschedelia, heartfelt songs and unbridled ambition. Formed at college, their
debut album A Storm In Heaven (1991) caused a small stir on the indie scene
thanks to Richard Ashcroft's unquenchable belief that the band were bound for
greatness. Second album A Northern Soul (1995) had a troubled background and,
just before the release of classic single History Reforming in 1997, the band
split. But they soon re-formed and the brill...