Forth (album)

Forth
Studio album by The Verve
Released	25 August 2008 (2008-08-25) (See release history)
Recorded	2007–2008, at State of the Ark in Richmond, London[1]
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	64:18
Label	Parlophone (UK) On Your Own Records (US) EMI (Worldwide)
Producer	Chris Potter Tim Bran The Verve
The Verve chronology
This Is Music: The Singles 92–98 (2004) Forth (2008)
Singles from Forth
"Love Is Noise" Released: 11 August 2008 "Rather Be" Released: 17 November 2008

Forth is the fourth and final studio album by the English alternative rock band The Verve. It was released internationally on 25 August 2008 on EMI, and a day later in North America on the On Your Own label.^[2] The band reformed in 2007, having broken up in 1999. Forth is their first album of new material since their 1997 album Urban Hymns.

The album's first single, "Love Is Noise", received its first airplay on BBC Radio 1 on 23 June 2008.^[3] The song reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart and became a summer hit in Europe. The band also released a non-album track, "Mover", as a free digital download a week later.

Background

The band recorded new songs in Richmond between 2007 and 2008. Most of the backing tracks were done before touring the UK in November and December. Then, recording continued between February and the start of their summer dates in April and some final work was done after the mini US-tour done between April and May before their summer festival appearances in Europe and Japan.^[4] Jonathan Cohen of Billboard states that Forth is "[A] bracing blend of the experimentalism of the group's early work and the more structured songwriting of its last two efforts."^[5]

"Sit and Wonder" and "Love Is Noise" have been played live during the band's festival appearances, including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2008; "Rather Be" also received select live airings throughout the summer, notably as part of the band's headlining set at the V Festival in August 2008. "I See Houses" was played live once, at the Eden Project in Cornwall in August 2008.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[6]
BBC	(favorable)[7]
The Guardian	[8]
NME	8/10[9]
Pitchfork Media	(5.0/10.0)[10]
Q	[11]
Rolling Stone	[12]
Spin	[13]
Uncut	[14]

Like The Verve's previous studio album Urban Hymns, Forth peaked on the UK Albums Chart at number one, and at number 23 on the US Billboard 200.^[15] Forth was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry.^[16] The album sold about 21,000 copies in its first week of release in the US,^[15] and as of January 2009 has sold about 53,000 copies in the U.S.^[17]

Forth was named No. 47 in Q's "50 Best Albums of the Year" for 2008.^[18]

Track listing

All songs written by The Verve, except where noted.

1. "Sit and Wonder" – 6:52
2. "Love Is Noise" (Richard Ashcroft, The Verve) – 5:29
3. "Rather Be" (Ashcroft) – 5:38
4. "Judas" – 6:18
5. "Numbness" – 6:34
6. "I See Houses" (Ashcroft) – 5:37
7. "Noise Epic" – 8:13
8. "Valium Skies" (Ashcroft) – 4:34
9. "Columbo" – 7:30
   • "Ma Ma Soul" – 5:42 (LP version, Japanese CD edition, and US iTunes Store exclusive bonus recording)^[19]
   • "Muhammad Ali" – 6:20 (LP version, Japanese CD edition, and US iTunes Store pre-order exclusive bonus recording)^[19]
10. "Appalachian Springs" (Ashcroft) – 7:33

Bonus track

• "Let the Damage Begin" – 4:09 (Amazon.com exclusive bonus track – live version from 2007 originally released as a B-side to "Love Is Noise")

Special edition DVD

• Space & Time: The Verve Documentary^[20]
• The Verve: Live at Coachella, April 2008^[20]
  1. "Sonnet"
  2. "This Is Music"
  3. "The Rolling People"
  4. "Lucky Man"
  5. "Love Is Noise"

B-sides and rarities

1. "The Thaw Session"
2. "Mover"
3. "Blue Pacific Ocean"
4. "Chic Dub"
5. "Love Is Noise (Tom Middleton Remix)"
6. "All Night Long"
7. "Major Force"
8. "Man Called Sun (Live Barrowlands Glasgow)"
9. "Let The Damage Begin (Live Barrowlands Glasgow)"

Personnel

Charts

Release history

References