Customer Reviews
Not my usual cup of tea but... - By: Shorty11857, 06 May 2008 
One of the things you're generally supposed to say about debuts that you don't think are that good is that they hint at a band's potential & their future direction but if I said that about the Verve's debut it would just be a lie. It's unbelievable that this is the band who several years later would record Urban Hymns, & that's not just because of the differencein the quality of the music but the styles, I never thought it was possible for a band to go from Shoegaze to BritPop, especially not so quickly.
Before I even start to get into the songs one thing I have to say about this album is that I really don't like how Ashcroft's voice is presented, it's buried deepin the mix & surrounded by tonnes of echo; now there are many bands who I wouldn't mind doing this but the Verve are not one of them, because not only does Ashcroft have an amazing voice but he also writes amazing lyrics that people should be able to hear clearly.
Another thing that puts this album at a disadvantage to me is that I've never really been into Shoegaze, it would be impossible for me to even name 5 bands that play it. The reason I got this album was because I loved the Verve's later albums & wanted to hear how they started off & I have to admit I'm glad they changed styles.
Not that I'm saying this album doesn't have its highlights it does, they're just not that amazing. The best song is "Slide Away" which is close to brilliant but just not quite there. Songs like "Already There" have the potential & the lyrics to be brilliant but Ashcroft's voice is lostin the mix & the song suffers. "Blue" is probably how close the Verve come to their later poppier selves & "Butterfly" is a great song & one that actually makes good use of its near seven minute length.
The rest of the album isn't really that memorable, sure most of the songs are good but they sound like standard Shoegaze (Or how I'd imagine it'd sound like at least). "The Sun, The Sea" has a great opening while the most memorable part of "See Youin the Next One (Have a Good Time)" is its title.
Overall the album is nowhere near as good as the Verve's later stuff which is simply amazing but the album is good, & has several great tracks. To the ears of a Shoegaze fan it probably sounds amazing but to me it doesn't sound that amazing.
If you're thinking of getting into the Verve (unless you love Shoegaze) I really wouldn't recommend you start here.
Unrivalled genius - By: Y. Li, 17 Oct 2006 
Before the Verve became known as "The Verve", they were simply known as "Verve" & this was the only LP they released under that name. Very fitting, as after this album they changed direction & went looking for pop stardom. And even though some of their best efforts (such as History, On Your Own, Bittersweet Symphony, etc) came after this album, A Stormin Heaven was a work of pure genius.
Nick McCabe's psychedelic guitars create a dreamy landscape over which Richard Ashcroft floats his haunting vocals & right from the spacey opener "Star Sail", the album unrelentlessly bellows out brilliant songs. Standout tracks include "Slide Away", "Already There", "Make It 'Till Monday", "Blue" & the outstanding closer "See You In The Next One (Have A Good Time)".
However, aside from having fantastic songs, it is also a very complete album, with each track playing their own part to create a truly excellent album for fans of the Verve & alternative music. Truly, a stormin heaven.
The Early Verve Captures the World - By: A. Williamson, 28 Feb 2006 By far the best of 'The' Verve albums, it's wild, expansive psychedelic sound removed from the garage, funk & symphonic workouts that followed. John (Stone Roses) Leckie's production has never been better, but this is an atypical example of band democracy at work, before too many drugs combined with Ashcroft's ego & McCabe's mind unpicked everything that the band had built. Highlights include the seamless slide into 'Blue' from 'Make It Till Monday', the relentless percussive thrum of 'Slide Away', & the shimmering silver guitar on 'Already There' & 'Beautiful Mind'. If you like this, check out early singles 'She's a Superstar' & 'Gravity Grave', two more stunners from The Verve's early canon.
This is the pure essence of prog rock, - By: Mr. Rgs Draycott, 17 Jan 2006 The first Verve album, A STORM IN HEAVEN, was releasedin 1993, prior to some legal wrangling necessitating the addition of the definite article to the band's name. Appearingin the wake of the commercial success of the "shoegazer" trendin England, it successfully bridged the gap between the rock affectations of Ride's spectacular GOING BLANK AGAIN & Spiritualized's debut album, both early shoegazing cornerstones. Building on the spaciousness of their first few singles, A STORM IN HEAVEN marries the Verve's psychedelic leanings to the sonic whirlwind of Nick McCabe's guitar heroics. Highlights include "The Sun, the Sea," which is peppered with massive, crunching rock sounds, even featuring some hyperactive horns toward the end. "Virtual World," with the addition of flutes to the mix, conjures Jethro Tull caughtin an elaborate crystalline guitar sound sculpture. The real winner here, though, is the majestic & enveloping "See You In the Next One (Have a Good Time)," which tones down much of the histrionics that precede itin favor of a dramatic acoustic sound with echoing vocals & McCabe's understated piano.
Personnel: Richard Ashcroft (vocals, guitar, percussion); Nick McCabe (guitar, accordion, keyboards); Simon Clarke, Yvette Lacey (flute); Kick Horns (horns); Simon Jones (bass, background vocals); Peter Salisbury (drums, percussion).Recorded at The Sawmills Studio, Cornwall, England.
An Album From Heaven - By: Justine K, 07 Apr 2005 Forgive the pun, but if you are looking for an amazingly celestial, atmospheric album then look no further! It takes you to some outer region of space where you can floatin the music's sheer creativity & depth. I often wonder how this album creates such a unique, out-of-this-world feel; it must be a combination of Richard Ashcroft's hauntingly beautiful singing & many guitar effects. Star Sail is a brilliant example of this with its use of heavy guitars, background vocals, & the lyrics!! I recommend you look up the lyrics somewhere online as it completes the whole 'experience'. The fact that I can call this album an experience emphasises just how good it is.
Slide Away uses a catchy bass line & effectively builds up to a great climax, where Richard darts from low notes to high & the tone varies from thin to thick - fantastic! Blue has got to be one of my favourite songs, & I don't know exactly why, perhaps the captivating lyrics ("conceivedin a chrome dream, I was a creasein a shirt that this world wears"), the variation of the vocals, the relationship between guitar & vocals; everything!
Every song has it's own attributes, & apart from the slightly weaker Virtual World & See You In The Next One they are all genius. But don't get me wrong, they are still good, but when played amongst pure classics (which is basically every other track) they come up a little short.
Forget Urban Hymns, it will seem artificial & shallow after you have given A Storm In Heaven a listen. A Northern Soul is also very good, perhapsin some ways it is better than ASIH, butin my opinion it can't match the sheer soul & atmosphere that this album contains.
Listen to it outside when it's starry. Listen to it when you're watching the sun set. And once you have, nearly every other album will seem totally insignificantin comparison.
