Richard Ashcroft & The United Nations of Sound

As the frontman for Britain's the Verve, Richard Ashcroft proved himself the spiritual descendant of rock & roll icons like Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison: he was riveting, charismatic, menacing, serpentine, and possessed of an almost shamanic intensity, and he embraced and articulated the anthemic fervor of rock music with a power and eloquence unparalleled by many of his contemporaries. Urban Hymns -- the Verve's 1997 multi-platinum-selling third album -- was the peak of the Wigan quartet's international success and led to Ashcroft being named Songwriter of the Year at the 199...