WHERE to begin…
The Stone Roses is often cited as THE greatest album of all time… and listening to the 20th Anniversary re-release it’s hard not agree.
It certainly belongs to sit alongside classic LPs from greats such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and U2 not least because as a stand-alone collection, it barely offers a dud track.
And many of the songs have taken on an iconic, anthem-like status that renders them timeless, while the influence of the music continues to this day.
From the opening riffs of
I Wanna Be Adored through to the extended rush that is
I Am The Resurrection, this is an exceptional album that’s made for singing and dancing along to, as well as glorious nostalgia trips to the Baggy era that spawned the likes of The Charlatans, Blur and Oasis.
Guitar-wise, John Squire’s work is peerless, and if Ian Brown’s vocals could be described as the weak point, he nevertheless stamps his own style on proceedings and makes each song his own.
You’ll love reminiscing to tracks like
Waterfall and
She Bangs The Drums, but even the album tracks resonate.
I never fail to smile whenever
Shoot You Down comes on, singing along as the music stops, and Brown professes “you know you always had it coming”, or head-nod along to the refrains of
Bye Bye Badman and
(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister.
The inclusion of the epic
Fool’s Gold, meanwhile, is like the icing on the cake… it’s a glorious anthem which, even at 9:53, doesn’t outstay its welcome (muh like the 8.12
I Am The Resurrection).
The Stone Roses legacy is such that even though the band managed only one more album between them (the hit-and-miss
Second Coming), their place in music history remains secure. One can only wonder what kind of music they’d now be writing if they hadn’t fallen out and dispersed…
It’s certainly one to ponder as you kick back and enjoy the sound of a band in their prime.
Editor’s note: The album is being released in a Special Edition, A Legacy Edition and a Collector’s Edition. The Legacy edition offers a2CD/DVD that includes the re-mastered original album, the lost demos album and a live in Blackpool DVD, in addition to a deluxe slipcased hard-backed ecol book packaging 28-page booklet including comments from Ian Brown, Reni, Mani, John Leckie, liner notes by John Robb and previously unseen photos of the band.
The The Collectors Editon is a 3CD/3LP/DVD that include a 2GB USB, a book and six art prints. It comes in a super deluxe 12” album folder, slipcased with embossing and gold foil, wrapped in classic John Squire artwork throughout.
The box set includes the re-mastered album, re-mastered Extras (including all AA’s and B Sides) plus an album of lost demons (including one previously unheard track!)
There’s also a lemon-shaped USB containing all audio, promo videos, ringtones, wallpapers, previously unseen John Leckie home video footage of the recording of
Fool’s Gold and five previously unheard ‘Backwards’ tracks!
In addition, there’s a 48-page bound book, crammed full of unseen photos and brand new notes from the band, John Leckie, those involved 20 years ago and high profile fans of the album telling their stories of it, including Noel Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Tim Burgess, Bobby Gillespie and many, many more.
And finally, there’s six 12” John Squire single art prints of
I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drums, Elephant Stone, Fool’s Gold, I Am The Resurrection and
Made Of Stone.
Download picks: I Wanna Be Adored, Fool’s Gold, I Am The Resurrection, (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister, Shoot You Down, Waterfall
Track listing: - I Wanna Be Adored (Remastered)
- She Bangs The Drums (Remastere)
- Waterfall (Remastered)
- Don’t Stop (Remastered)
- Bye Bye Bad Man (Remastered)
- Elizabeth My Dear (Remastered)
- (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister (Remastered)
- Made Of Stone (Remastered)
- Shoot You Down (Remastered)
- This Is The One (Remastered)
- I Am The Resurrection (Remastered)
- Fools Gold (Remastered)
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The Stone Roses: 20th Anniversary Edition - Review
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