Modern Music Masters - The Verve: Mmm5

A fantastic book that's essential for anyone interested in this grotesquely underrated band.I knew a bit about The Verve beforehand and bought it primarily to see what happened after Forth. I expected to retread some familiar ground and uncover some nuggets on the way.That wasn't the case at all. Richard researched this with the kind of care only a super fan could muster. What happened following Forth was revealing, but it's the period around Urban Hymns and the intervening years between that acclaimed album and the final one that had me turning the pages. Without giving too much away, the health of some of the intra-band relationships surprised me - and that's testament to Richard's quality research.Highly recommended.

This is a concise book that provides a solid overview of the popular band's music and career. While it doesn't offer groundbreaking new information, it serves as a handy resource for fans and readers interested in exploring the band's discography and history. The book's length is relatively short, which may leave some wanting more in-depth content. However, it covers the major highlights and key moments of The Verve's journey, offering insights into their musical style and influences.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it's great to see The Verve included in the series. It covers all four band albums, plus Richard's solo albums, side projects (UNKLE, The Chemical Brothers, The Shining, Black Submarine) and 20th anniversary deluxe editions, right up to recent John Lennon cover and twitter spat with Noel G. It's obvious the author is a fan and knows his stuff (even mentions bands like The Music). His comments are spot on throughout. However, I think it's far too short (under 160 pages) and doesn't really reveal too much new information that hasn't been covered before. All the usual topics, famous quotes and stories are covered - the stuff about Richard's stepfather, 'Mad' Richard, Kate Radley, Haigh Hall concert, Live8, police custody incident etc. I would of liked a bit more on the artwork and Brian Cannon maybe. Still there isn't many books on the band and this is one of the better one's for sure. I don't think we'll ever find out the truth of the band breakups unless one of the original band members does his own autobiography, which seems highly unlikely.