A major thank you after-the-fact for this album's creation. I still listen to it frequently and find it fits my mood. This is original, real music by someone who seems like me. Try it!

As the date indicates I am 8 years late in reviewing this album, but wow..Richard Ashcroft is a genius!! ! Richard's magical voice and his ability to pen some of the best lyrics make this one of the best solo albums ever. My only regret is not listening to it sooner! I've become a huge Verve and R.A fan since listening to the Verve's new album "Forth." In this album Richard is on a quest for self-discovery, faith, meaning and new found love. " A Song For The Lovers" is an amazing track. "Brave New World" is arguably one of the best, deepest songs ever written. "On A Beach" is that one song you know is beyond a music chart..it belongs in a treasure box! "New York" takes me back to my High School days in the city of dreams and what life was like before 9/11. From beginning to end Richard takes us on a self-discovery/quest for love journey that is both life-altering and beautiful! If you want to hear great sounds and beautiful lyrics that seems to flow together, than get every Richard Ashcroft and The Verve album..there is nothing out there that can compare..except maybe Coldplay!

I'm not too familiar with The Verve's sound. I was hooked on Richard since seeing him on Live 8 London during summer of '05. This album is worth getting. Richard uses a variety of sounds and instruments that only American country artists can pull off--yet he does a brilliant job. He'll have you soaring--and swaying--like his signature dance in no time! Beautiful work.

Richard Ashcroft seamlessly moved from The Verve into his brilliant solo career and this album along with the others is fantastic. Richard is the best thing to come out of Britian and hopefully he will keep putting out new albums for years.

To all you fellow fans of the three strong albums released by The Verve: what are you hearing in Richard Ashcroft's first solo album that I'm not? After about five listenings, not one song sticks out (maybe "New York," which sort of reminds me of the U2 song of the same title), and the entire album leaves me cold. Almost every song goes on too long, and Ashcroft seemingly has forgotten how to write a rousing chorus, ala "Weeping Willow" or "Lucky Man." The absence of Verve guitarist extraordinaire, Nick McCabe, is especially missed.

Normally I review every album by a particular band in order of release, and, if you're interested, I reviewed the three Verve albums, awarding each four or five stars. However, even though people say that Ashcroft's second solo effort is better than his first, after spending too much time with "Alone With Everybody," there are just so many other albums I'd rather buy.