Richard Ashcroft - Natural Rebel mp3 album

I just buy today this version on the online store. Now it is not available anymore. I hope this was the last one and I won't get a normal version. Wait and see

Middle of the road shite! A million miles away from A Storm in Heaven and A Northern Soul when the Verve were one of the best bands on the planet. They lost me when they sold out with Urban Hymns, and while that album had some undeniable great songs it catered for a wider audience. 20 years on, it's more of the same except there's a dramatic drop in song quality. These days Ashcroft reminds me of a poor man's Paul Weller because he's definitely targeting the same kind of audience.

People should have two signed covers for this as there was an error initially and a standard black record was sent with the paper signed cover. This was rectified and a new one sent 3 weeks later. I got #30 initially and then #37 when the correct one arrived. Annoying... but very pleased with how Richard handled it all once he found out. So one white label record... two signed sleeves.

Yeah, I am wondering how this should be handled for the database. Does the original item that was sent get its own entry with a note that the retail record was sent in the autographed, numbered sleeve?

The field seems rather equally divided when it comes to Natural Rebel, the fifth studio album delivered from on high by Richard Ashcroft this year. Of course the one thing no one seems willing to admit is that any Ashcroft material will be for all time compared to his single sonic luscious number “Lucky Man,” from the Verve’s album Urban Hymns. And sad as that might be, it is a rather far comparison.Richard has never managed to rise to the occasion when it comes to his solo outings, where his music for me has always, and especially here, sounded as if he had one foot in the door to dynamically waste my being, yet he never manages to get that other foot through, leaving me feeling feeling half baked and unsatisfied. That being said, Ashcroft seems quite happy with his big ballads, his lecturing in song, at times nearly becoming a parody of himself.Yet I fear I’m making this album sound worse than it is, and it’s been over twenty years since I first rolled with The Verve, where now Richard is singing to a whole new audience who are no doubt as smitten with Natural Rebel as I was with Urban Hymns. And I believe that therein lies the dilemma for most reviewers such as myself, I was there then, I’m here now, and a lineage connective line has not been laid down for me to trail. Of course dedicating this album to “You the listeners …” on the inside cover is a bold statement, sparking me to question, “Who are records for to begin with?” The songs are not challenging, they’re rather pedestrian and safe, gone are his soaring vocals that once raptured and demanded my attention, that had me turning the music of the Verve up as loud as I could, now relegated to coming across as rather forced and languid. Point is, he doesn’t come across as a natural rebel here, his lyrics are more steeped in the love of his wife (Kate Radley) and domestic bliss, or correcting the state of the world, which would maintain that domestic bliss. So if Richard wishes to smash at the walls of the system, he should do so, yet in so doing, he should raise some dust, which simply doesn’t happen here. Yet still, there are moments where there’s a song that’s just so good you can’t help but want to tuck it away, meaning that as with all of Ashcroft’s albums, I’ve been quietly assembling my own compilation that lays waste to my soul, reminding me of why Richard Ashcroft was once considered a legendary songwriter, instead of looking for all the world like Neil Diamond, standing there in defiance holding his guitar above his head.Of course (laughing) I’m left wondering if The Rolling Stones are going to sue him over the Let It Bleed licks and delivery he stole for the relentless track “Money Money.”Review by Jenell Kesler

Gosh, that Buckingham/Mcvie cover is truly dreadful. Thanks for the link.

Excellent review...really enjoyed reading it, thank you.Just thought I'd add that I'm not entirely sure that Richard Ashcroft has a 'new' audience as such as I fear that the only people that are still buying his stuff are old Verve fans from the 90's. Since being bigged up by MOR band Coldplay I can't imagine that he's picked up any 'new' young fans over the last decade or more. Maybe I'd have to go to a gig and find out...Anyway the last album of his I bought was Keys To The World so I'm very curious to hear this but what really puts me off is the truly dreadful cover art. They say not to judge a book by it's cover but it sounds like I might be right on this one. This has got to be one of the worst album sleeves I've seen for a long time. Who actually sanctioned it and said "yeah, that's good! Lets go to print!"? Nearly as bad as the recent Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie - Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie check that out for a bit of bad art and gasp in horror!

My blue signed copy is relatively noisy. I gaved it a wash, didn't get much better. Sound quality is decent.

Anyone knows whether it’s really 500? Ps- sounds fantastic. A man in motion is my favorite!

If you don't like Richard Ashcroft's music then this is not going to change your opinion. However, if (like me), you already are a fan then this album's a real delight. Ground-breaking? No. Enjoyable? Most definitely.

There should be an individual listings for the signed standard and blue vinyl editions from the Richard Ashcroft webstore, or at least add that information to the existing listings

Sadly disappointed, thought I had a Bob Dylan misspress! Oh well, RA vocals have last their cutting edge countryfied sounds is this really the rebel star.

Quiet pressing.Overall I am shocked by how much I love this album. It's his best since his debut album (I like his others as well).All the songs are good and I don't believe there is one filler here