5/5 Stars
Hailing from Manchester, England, The Stone Roses revolutionized the “Madchester” sound of the 1980s and 1990s. The Stone Roses were together for 13 years and their catalog consists of only two studio albums, but they proved to be incredibly influential to the rock and roll community. Much like Billie Eilish or Nirvana, they were the voice that defined the generation’s youth culture in Great Britain. The band is an example of how time and life get in between the potential for greatness. Their first album “The Stone Roses” captures their immense amount of talent as musicians. The album is easy to listen to, with hypnotizing melodies and lyrics that express the feelings of dissociation and alienation. It is considered one of the greatest albums of all time.
The Stone Roses is composed of singer Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire. They are accompanied by their bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield and drummer Alan John “Reni” Wren. On May 2, 1989, The Stone Roses released their first album. It was not immediately successful, but over time it sold over four million records. Prior to the release of “The Stone Roses,” their single “Sally Cinnamon” gained the band their initial recognition in the music community. Even though it is not listed as a track on their first album, the impact the single had on the public was incredibly important. Noel Gallagher from Oasis has cited the song as being the reason he started his music career, often saying that it was “his destiny.”
The iconic album begins with the track “I Wanna Be Adored.” The indescribable minimalist song focuses mainly on the complexity of the instrumental rhythm. Ranging up and down the pentatonic scale, Squire and Mani prove to be a perfect complement to each other as they stir up emotions of solitude and wonder. The bass line is solid and powerful and the guitar is eerie and dissonant. The album takes a sharp turn with the next track, “She Bangs the Drum,” as it is upbeat and vibrant. The song marks the transition into the album’s use of dancing rhythms. The first four tracks, two previously mentioned along with “Elephant Stone” and “Waterfall,” are the album’s most notable tracks. They embrace emotions of hope and love for one’s community.
The end of the album takes a different direction once more. With “I Am the Resurrection,” the track is twice as long as the other songs and focuses primarily on the musicianship of the guitar and bass. The album doesn’t end there, instead ending with a wild card: “Fool’s Gold.” This song is a groovy and playful experimentation of guitar sounds and rhythms. It sounds out of place from the rest of the album with a run time of nine minutes. It is the band’s largest commercial hit. It shows the bands ability to redefine the genre of music and create what is known as “Madchester” music; a form of indie dance music created from acid house rave music and psychedelia.
The band broke up in 1996, but its members remained active in the arts for quite some time. Brown went off and produced a few solo albums, and he can even be seen as the wizard reading “A Brief History of Time” in “Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.” Mani became the bassist for the alternative rock band Primal Scream in 1996. Squire had taken time away from music to focus on his art career; he created the cover art for the band’s two albums. Reni has been the least active. However, the band did get back together for a reunion tour from 2011 to 2017, but have since disbanded.
The Stone Roses could have been as big as Oasis or Green Day. The possibility of their music career is left for fans to imagine. However, the band is far from obsolete. The band created an impact crucial to the evolution of rock and roll. Their first album shows the possibility that many other bands have taken upon themselves to replicate and play with. The album leaves the listener craving more, making it one of those albums that is well worth listening to.
