Released in the UK on 3 July 1995, A Northern Soul, which spawned three Top 40 hit singles - "This Is Music", "On Your Own" and "History" - was well-received by critics and fans alike, reaching No. 13 on the UK album chart.

Over the past two decades, it has continued to gather acclaim - readers of Q Magazine voted it the 53rd greatest album ever in 1998 while the NME ranked it the 28th best album of all time in 2003 and the 13th best British album in 2006. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most powerful British 'indie-rock' statements ever.

A darker, starker, and more personal affair than their debut, A Northern Soul saw Ashcroft eschewing the strung-out positivism of their debut for sober ruminations on the human condition. The result? Timeless ballads like "On Your Own" that contrasted with ambitious workouts even more explosive than before - notably "A New Decade" and the titanic "This Is Music".

A general mood of doubt, and even ennui, however, is there as an undercurrent, best exemplified by the prophetic torch song "History", a Top 30 hit. When news of the band's breakup came shortly before its release, it sounded like it might even become the band's epitaph.

3CD - Remastered by Chris Potter (co-producer of the band's 'Urban Hymns'). The 3CD set features the remastered album plus all associated B-sides and two previously unreleased BBC radio sessions as well as offering an impressive seven unreleased studio tracks, including early versions of "The Rolling People" and "Come On" (later re-recorded for 'Urban Hymns') as well as "Mover" and "Muhammad Ali" (both of which would be revisited for the band's 2008 reunion album, 'Forth'). It comes housed in a lift-off-lid box and contains posters and postcards. The booklets feature interviews with the band (but not Ashcroft). The Northern Soul box is covered with silver 'mirri' board as per the original 2LP vinyl.

2LP - Double LP set.