The Verve fit the classic British rock model: Richard Ashcroft was the lippy sex poet on the mike, a long, tall swirl of cheekbones and pretension, while Nick McCabe was the shy, perfectionist guitar wizard. For a while, they struck brilliant musical sparks by driving each other up the wall, regularly throwing crockery in the studio and breaking up after each album. A Storm in Heaven was a top-notch debut, full of long, druggy jams, shoegazing guitar excursions,...