Rocknroll legend Richard Ashcroft releases new album Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 on October 29th.
Acoustic Hymns, features twelve newly recorded and re-worked acoustic tracks from the verve’s classic album Urban Hymns, as well as his solo career.
Stripping the songs back gives them a new lease of life and the joy that Richard is getting from doing so is evident for all to see.
The re-work of the album, started with the initial idea of re- recording Bittersweet Symphony, 25 years after it had been written as Richard now solely owned the songwriting credit after Keith Richards and Mick Jagger made the gesture of relinquishing their credit after the infamous rights dispute, after the original sampled the iconic sweeping strings from the Andrew Oldham Orchestra reworking of The Rolling Stones 1965 song The Last Time.
A Song For The Lovers starts off with a James Bond 60s influenced piano before launching into those familiar stings and high tempo tune.
Sonnet is the third track on the album and still sounds as fresh and exciting as it did back in 1997. Backed with strings, the song also includes a choir that is a real spine tingling and stand out moment.
C’mon People (We’re Making It Now) sees Oasis legend and solo star Liam Gallagher join on lead vocals. This will be a standout moment for many (including this writer). A favourite tune of the pair, since Richard first played it on a piano to Liam in 98 somewhere on holiday in Majorca. You can hear the pure energy and euphoric nature of the recording session. I hope that they perform this song together live or record another track together in the not too distant future.
The lyrics of Weeping Willow, combined with the slower nature of the song, take on a greater and more powerful meaning, as people are becoming more open about their mental health.
Lucky Man is sublime and masterful and the meaning of these lyrics really resonate, especially in today’s world of wanting everything now. Sometimes just take stock and have a look at what you’ve got.
This Thing Called Life was a real highlight of the RPA and the United Nature of Sounds side project. Stripped back here, the song has a real soulful nature and is backed by gospel- inspired backing harmonies. The lyrics are a plea to living in the moment and embracing whatever life throws at you.
Space and Time is one of the Verve’s underrated tracks. Here it features gospel inspired backing harmonies and trumpets. The guitar solo are sweeping and majestic. Check out the bongo playing in the outro, along with harmonies, its truly hypnotic and uplifting.
Velvet Morning has undergone a major transformation. When introducing the song at the London Palladium, he said he sung the original through a megaphone, brought at a car boot the day before the session, which made him sound like he was on a fairground. This has now completely gone and allows Richards soulful voice to come right to the fore and give the song new lease of life.
With the world coming to terms with what life will look like after Covid, the lyrics of Break The Night With Colour, are a metaphor for coming out of the darkness and into the colour of the world. The arrangement here sees Richard‘s soulful and passionate vocal really shine. Really like the trumpet inclusion in the middle 8, which leads to the songs outro.
One Day stripped back sounds like a new track. The acoustic guitars give the song a new feel and energy, backed with beautiful strings and Richard sounding on top form.
The Drugs Don‘t Work sounds as powerful and emotional today as it did back in the 90s. The strings sound fantastic and with the added piano, gives this anthem a new lease of life.
Produced by Richard with Chris Potter, the album features his regular live band boosted by some special collaborators. Wil Malone provides the string arrangements, which were recorded at Abbey Road Studios. In addition, Chuck Leavell performs piano, Roddy Bloomfield leads the brass section, and Steve Wyreman contributes further acoustic guitar and backing vocal arrangements.
Acoustic Hymns is a brilliantly arranged album, featuring some of Ashcroft‘s best loved verve and solo albums. I sincerely hope that there is a volume 2 in the near future as it would be great to hear more of his songs given the same treatment.
Acoustic Hymns, is out on October 29th and can be pre-ordered here.
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