The Verve's noisy interpretation of England's Northern Soul movement evolved from a mountainous shoegazer wall of sound into a folksy, retrofitted stab at '60's psychedelia. And somewhere along the way, the band grew into its grandly melodramatic ideas. Richard Ashcroft became a natural leader with his plaintive singing and cocksure attitude, and the band's notorious drug intake fueled the mystery behind the collective muse. Since the band only improved with age, this singles collection is a bit bottom-heavy. The Verve imploded acrimoniously just as "Bittersweet Symphony" exploded onto mainstream America in 1997, but there's plenty more where that came from.