They may not be "the greatest band in the world" yet -- despite statements to the contrary by The Verve's riveting frontman "Mad Richard" Ashcroft at the Phoenix Tuesday night -- but the dynamic quintet from Wigan, England, are definitely on their way.

 

 With an infectious, ear-splittingly loud, psychedelic sound and show that recalls another time -- like maybe the '60s, given the slides of pop art and slogans shown before The Verve took the stage -- the group is also the comeback story of 1997.

 

 Two years ago they had split up just as their second album, A Northern Soul, had them poised to follow in the tracks of fellow countrymen and friends Oasis.

 

 But drugs, depression and band friction took their toll on the road, which is what made The Verve's appearance at a sold-out show at the Phoenix on Tuesday night -- tickets were snapped up in an hour -- all the more exciting to watch.

 At least I think that explains the flower bouquets that were tossed up to Ashcroft from the audience.

 

 After a slow start and the occasional loss of focus, The Verve cranked up their amps and really let it rip in the second half.

 

 The emphasis was on material from their critically acclaimed third album, Urban Hymns, which has sold 50,000 copies in Canada alone and spawned the radio hit Bittersweet Symphony.

 

 Naturally Symphony was played, but it was given no more fanfare than any of the other songs, as if Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, keyboardist-guitaist Simon Tong and drummer Peter Salisbury wanted to let us know they take equal pride in all of their tunes.

 

 Along with Ashcroft's barefooted dance moves and bravado -- he often sang with a cigarette dangling from his long, thin fingers -- McCabe's lead guitar playing also stood out in the auditory assault.

 

 This is not music that inspires mosh-pit action.

 

 On the contrary, most of the 1,200 assembled simply stood there and listened -- many with their arms raised in solidarity with Ashcroft's favorite stance -- as they absorbed the wall of sound burrowing into them.

 

 The noise level got especially loud when Tong came out from behind his keyboards to add another guitar to the mix on This Is The Music, Weeping Willow and Slide Away. The latter was the only song they played from their first album, 1993's A Storm In Heaven.

 

 But the magic moment came when Ashcroft strapped on an acoustic guitar for A Sonnet and The Drugs Don't Work, a quieter interlude that was quickly shattered by the blinding lights that announced the big anthem, The Rolling People.

 

 By their four-song encore, On Your Own, Lucky Man, History and the truly inspirational Come On, no one wanted them to leave the stage.

 

 Fortunately, The Verve will be back in the spring to play a bigger venue.